Headteacher’s
Welcome I am delighted to welcome you to Washwood Heath Academy - a thriving all-through school in the heart of the local community. Washwood Heath Academy is an oversubscribed allthrough school which offers a rich, stimulating and rewarding learning environment for pupils aged 4 to 18 years. Our new purpose built primary school facility was opened in March 2019 and provides a fantastic teaching and learning environment for our younger pupils. Visitors to the school are always impressed by the high standards across all areas of the Academy and how welcoming and polite our young people are. At Washwood Heath, staff expect all pupils to achieve the very best they can within a friendly and welcoming setting, underpinned by our HEARTS values and family atmosphere. We inspire our pupils to strive for and reach their full potential, no matter what their abilities, interests, or talents. We want all pupils to become outstanding members of society and our caring and supportive school environment is the perfect place for them to grow in confidence.
Your child’s education is of utmost importance to us. Everything that we do is geared towards providing the very best for the pupils that we serve. We are extremely proud of the ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum we offer to all of our pupils. We will give you lots of information to help you appreciate more about your child’s progress and their courses of study. A partnership between us based on excellent communication and collaboration is the foundation of a child’s future success. In short, Washwood Heath Academy is a place where all children, from all backgrounds and abilities can be safe, happy and inspired to achieve. It is absolutely, ‘A school for everyone’ – Ofsted 2020. I hope you enjoy reading our prospectus. If you would prefer to come and see our superb learning environment in person, please contact us and we can arrange for you to have a tour.
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Creating a Sense of
Belonging When we talk about The Washwood Way, it means so many things that encapsulate our culture, ethos and vision for the school as a whole, and the community it serves. The Washwood Way is everything to us: it is the way we dress smartly and prepare to come to school; it is the way we greet each other in the mornings and when arriving to lessons; it is the way we speak politely and respectfully to each other during the day and as we leave to go back to our families. The Washwood Way is built on a strong culture of care, child safety, and high expectations. In addition to this, our HEARTS values delve deeper into the ethos of what it means to be part of the Washwood Heath community. HEARTS stands for Happiness, Excellence, Achievement, Respect, Resilience, Tolerance and Self-belief. To have a strong heart is to be caring, kind and respectful, whilst being strong, resilient and independent too. To have happiness at the top of the list is a true aspiration for us here at Washwood Heath. Supporting our pupils through the various challenges that they will face in their education, whilst keeping their overall happiness in our minds, is paramount to ensuring the best outcomes are achieved and the wellbeing of all of our pupils is secured. We have high expectations of academic achievement for every pupil, and are developing our curriculum to ensure that all pupils have access to the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful. We know that excellence can be seen and expressed in many different ways so we work hard to seek out and recognise excellence in its many forms.
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Respect and Tolerance are two of our absolute core values, which are underpinned by our status as a Gold Rights Respecting School. The key characteristics of Resilience and Selfbelief are where we believe our pupils gain their true independence and become ready to move on to the world with a secure foundation which will help them to achieve their goals. All of this leads to Excellence and Achievement in both academic subjects and areas of personal development. All of what we do here at Washwood draws on everything we know and believe about education. It is what every person who walks through the doors will see. It is The Washwood Way.
HAPPINESS Our ultimate aim is to develop happiness in our students by giving them the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to be successful in whatever they choose to do.
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“Children quickly learn to relate well to adults and to each other. There is a sharp focus on the teaching of early reading, and children learn phonics from the start.” 04
Ofsted Report, March 2020
Building the
Foundations for Learning EXCELLENCE We strive to recognise excellence in our students in its many forms. We are looking to achieve academic excellence by developing well rounded and confident students.
As an all-through Academy, we are in the unique position of being able to see our pupils grow right from their earliest days in school, as four year olds in our Early Years Foundation Stage Reception class, through all of the Key Stages until they leave us for university after completing their Sixth Form courses in Year 13. The start of this journey is critical and our high quality EYFS provision ensures that our children set secure foundations for learning, developing both basic linguistic and mathematical skills, along with transitioning our youngest learners into the routines of daily school life. Learning through a combination of careful instruction and structured play allows the Reception class to progress towards their entry to Key Stage 1 confidently, equipped with both the core elements of the beginnings of academic skills, and the inter-personal and social skills that will allow them to be successful going forwards. The teaching of reading is at the centre of everything we do in the early stages, and our children are regularly given opportunities to read, and be read to, to promote a deep love of reading that they will carry with them throughout their school and adult life. This thread runs right the way through the Primary phase, as we work to strengthen the foundations of our pupils knowledge and understanding so that they are able to access the curriculum confidently. We see the happiness that this brings to our pupils through their Primary journey and are proud of the work we do to help them along the way.
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Igniting
Curiosity & Wonder During their time in the Primary phase, we start to offer our pupils experiences which are designed to develop their confidence and tap into their wider interests. With regular opportunities to go on a variety of school trips, and take part in extra curricular activities within school, our children begin to look out towards the wider world and appreciate the physical, musical and cultural experiences that enrich our society. As an all-through school, we have the benefit of a large site with a full suite of facilities that a standalone Primary would not normally have access to. In addition, our children are able to access the specialist teaching from colleagues in the Secondary phase, to allow them to develop their skills particularly in music, sport, technology and science. The introduction of our forest school area is a key part of our continued vision to develop the pupils’ range of experiences outside of the class room. Set on the Secondary part of the school site, pupils get the chance to visit and explore the forest school, allowing them to connect with nature and have fun in the outside world, while still remaining under the supervision of qualified forest school leaders and not actually leaving the school site. Utilising parts of the Secondary site in this way, along with the gradual introduction to subject specialists from the Secondary phase helps the Primary pupils to develop their confidence and bridges the gap between Primary and Secondary more successfully than is possible elsewhere.
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ACHIEVEMENT The achievements of our students are wide and varied. We recognise academic achievement alongside a wider range of achievements across all aspects of our students’ school lives.
“ Pupils, particularly in the primary phase, display a good level of independence for their age.” Ofsted Report, March 2020
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“Leaders have a clear and ambitious view of what pupils should learn.” Ofsted Report, March 2020
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RESPECT Respect is at the heart of everything we do at Washwood.
Delving Even Deeper into
Knowledge Building on our knowledge rich teaching in the Primary phase, in the Secondary Phase, we seek to deepen the knowledge and understanding of our pupils so that they can start to truly grasp the essence of the subjects they are studying. We teach in depth knowledge and skills, and then test our pupils’ ability to retain and recall important information over the long term. This is the true measure of learning. Our focus on providing the best teaching and learning opportunities possible at Washwood Heath is consistent and ongoing. We base all of our thinking on tried and tested research, so we are always at the forefront of developments in the world of education. As pupils move in to the Secondary phase, we also start to broaden their horizons and opportunities both in and out of the class room. With specialist teachers and facilities across all subject areas, we take pupils on a journey of discovery, exploring their interests, talents and abilities, and helping to shape their thinking as they move towards the more specific study opportunities of GCSE and Vocational education. Washwood Heath Academy offers an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum for Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 & 9), which builds on the foundations of learning secured through EYFS and Key Stages 1 and 2 in the Primary Phase. We aim to enrich and challenge all learners, enabling their academic, moral, spiritual, social and cultural needs to be met. At Key Stage 4 (Years 10 & 11), the school offers an academic GCSE English Baccalaureate core for an increasing number of pupils and a broad choice of optional subjects. We encourage our pupils to continue their education beyond Year 11 and we offer a high quality and personalised curriculum in our Sixth Form.
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Sixth Form
Unlocking Potential Washwood Heath Academy Sixth Form is a thriving community and very popular with many students from across the area. The majority of our students typically continue with us from Year 11, but we do also welcome a good number of external students every year. Any Year 11 pupil considering their options should contact the Sixth Form team to arrange a visit to get a real flavour of what we have to offer. At Key Stage 5, we offer pathways in both Vocational and A-Level courses; we have a lot on offer and achieve some fantastic results! We offer a good range of Level 3 qualifications, including eight different A-Level subjects and five BTEC courses. Specific course details can be found on our website and in our dedicated Sixth Form prospectus. As the Sixth Form grows, we are able to offer an even wider range of courses to suit the needs and interests of our students who potentially wish to join us. Our reputation speaks for itself, and our recent Ofsted report said that the Sixth Form teachers, ‘have a very high level of subject knowledge’. With small groups, highly skilled teachers, and strong support, the Washwood Heath Sixth Form is the first choice option for many students leaving Year 11.
“ Washwood Academy Sixth Form taught me to believe in myself and my potential.” Saira Iqbal, Executive Head Girl
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RESILIENCE Our focus on character development and curriculum confidence seeks to enhance the development of resilience in all of our students.
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“It’s a place where teachers push students above what they think they are capable of, to reach a point where they never expected to be.” Sixth Form Parent
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Sixth Form
Seizing Opportunities Because we have grown up with many of our students, we know the kind of support they will need before they even arrive into Year 12. This gives everyone a huge head start and makes sure that students settle quickly into the new routines and challenges associated with Sixth Form life and study. Add to this plenty of independence, and an exciting social life, and it is clear to see why students really enjoy their time here! The support offered to students at Washwood Heath Academy Sixth Form is second to none. With a dedicated pastoral team, who know many of the students from their journey through the academy to this point, we are able to offer one to one support and guidance like no other. The Sixth Form helps students to mature and grow, enabling them to believe in themselves, and aspire to even greater things by the time they leave us.
TOLERANCE As part of a varied society, the value of tolerance goes a long way to building a cohesive community in which everyone can feel safe and thrive.
The Sixth Form extra-curricular programme is designed to support and challenge students in equal measure, pushing them out of their comfort zones by presenting opportunities they simply would not get elsewhere. We organise many trips and enrichment opportunities such as: visits to universities, UCAS fairs, careers fairs, experiences in industry, and even residential opportunities as well. We run the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, and a diverse enrichment programme in school allowing students to select and specialise their experiences. Our expectations are high, and we challenge our students to achieve beyond their potential. We are incredibly proud that all of our students move on to university places, good quality further training, or employment, and we have a tremendous record in this respect.
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Ready We arrive at school on time. We arrive in lessons on time. We wear our correct uniform with pride. We participate fulling in lessons, using appropriate academic language.
Respectful We listen attentively when the teacher is talking, including in assembly. We show respect to staff and each other, behaving maturely and using positive and courteous language. We respect our school environment.
Safe We move quietly, calmly and safely on our way to and from lessons. We act in a responsible manner at all times ensuring we keep ourselves and our peers safe.
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Care &
Guidance Our strong ethos and values, combined with our sharp focus on learning, serve to create a focused environment where all pupils have the opportunity to succeed. Underpinning all of this is our robust pastoral care system, which seeks to guide and support pupils when they are faced with challenges in their educational journey. Our behaviour systems have been carefully designed to support and challenge pupils at the right time. Our school rules and expectations are succinct and clear, and every member of the school community is expected to abide by them. We are fundamentally a school community built on tolerance and respect. We understand, talk about and share our Rights as part of our Rights Respecting Schools Gold Award, and this helps us to articulate our needs when addressing behaviour in school.
When things do go wrong, we seek to learn from our actions, and restore relationships so that everyone can move on to a positive outcome. This work can sometimes seem hard, but we know that continually developing positive, mutually respectful, working relationships between staff and pupils is one of the most effective means of ensuring successful outcomes for everyone. Washwood Heath Academy is an inclusive community, and we do everything we can to look after one another.
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“Pupils behave very well in lessons. Staff talk through any poor conduct with pupils, and this helps their behaviour to improve.” Ofsted Report, March 2020
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Exploring the World
SELF-BELIEF On their journey through school with us, Washwood students will develop a sense of self-belief, rooted in knowledge and confidence, that will set them on a strong path into young adulthood.
Across all phases of our academy, we seek out opportunities to enrich the lives of the pupils in our care. Whether that be through providing widespread music tuition in the curriculum, or through sporting opportunities and clubs, or by going on educational visits, our aim is to ensure that pupils are reaching out into the world and enjoying the cultural experiences that enrich their understanding. In addition to developing our pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in academic subjects, we are also on an ongoing journey to support them to become confident, independent and resilient individuals. Our extra-curricular opportunities provide something for everyone including a wide range of in-school workshops, theatre productions and sporting opportunities. Learning a musical instrument is an extraordinary process that teaches discipline, practice, and self-motivation – all skills desirable in young, developing adults. Through sporting activities, pupils learn teamwork, strategy and determination. Through our Washwood Heath Passport, our young people are offered a wide range of trips and visits including castles, parks, farms, cities and places of cultural and historical interest. By taking on opportunities to visit other cities, cultural sites, and go on residentials, pupils have the opportunity to become more independent and explore their interests. These activities and programmes are key to fulfilling the wider aims of the school, which are to help our pupils grow into young adults who are ready to leave us and tackle the world head on, with strength, resilience and self-belief.
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Washwood Heath Academy Burney Lane, Stechford, Birmingham B8 2AS phone
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