Great Baddow High School Prospectus

Great Baddow High School

“ The school is very well led.

There’s a real sense of purpose and high expectations among staff and students. There is no complacency.”

Ofsted

Welcome to

Great Baddow High School

a happy, safe and successful 11-18 school.

We have an outstanding pastoral care programme which ensures that students feel happy and safe and are, therefore, best placed to succeed.

We are proud of our school and: • the curriculum we offer • the facilities and resources that support learning • our status as a Specialist Science and Sports College

Our motto translates as ‘Always Striving for Higher Things’ and it encapsulates our aims for our students and staff.

We are committed to helping our students achieve their academic potential and developing the skills and attributes that will help them follow their chosen paths and make a valuable contribution to society.

We believe that a disciplined but friendly learning environment is essential and respect for oneself and others underpins this.

• our resource base for 16 hearing impaired students, and • the vast range of opportunities students have to develop as confident, considerate individuals.

However, like our motto, we are never complacent and constantly strive to be the best.

Carrie Lynch, Headteacher

Great Baddow High School

Page 1

Academic

success

Our students’ academic success is important to us and we work hard to ensure that each student achieves their potential, receiving the right level of support and challenge.

Page 2

Great Baddow High School

We have high expectations of our students and encourage them to believe in themselves, to enjoy their achievements and to grasp the many opportunities available to them. The majority stay on to join our Sixth Form and progress to higher education across the country, including the top universities.

The science and sports specialisms link with many other subject areas and enhance our teaching, accommodation and resources.

Involvement in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) provides extra opportunities for our most able students to extend their learning through exciting projects and national competitions and this approach is replicated across the curriculum. Whilst sciences are popular at A Level we offer over twenty other subjects at key stage five and students pursue the full range at university.

“ Outstanding teaching was seen in a number of subjects, including English and Science.�

Ofsted

“ We appreciate the efforts that the teaching staff go to in encouraging the students to get the best from the high standard of education that they provide. Thank you!�

Parent

Enriching

the curriculum

We believe learning is most effective when lessons are interesting and enjoyable.

“ The school has given me many different opportunities and the chance to try new things.�

Year 11 student

Teachers use a range of styles, activities and resources to engage, stretch and challenge our students.

All subjects have their own specialist rooms and facilities and the curriculum is supported by first class ICT provision.

Students achieve success because our teachers treat each child as an individual, monitor their

progress and provide support or challenge as appropriate. We place importance on helping students to understand how they learn and to take responsibility for their own achievement. We support the development of the skills and attributes needed for exam success by building study and revision skills from Year 7 to the Sixth Form.

Great Baddow High School

Page 5

Nurturing talent & providing opportunities We aim to nurture existing talents and unlock new potential through both lessons and extra-curricular opportunities.

Great Baddow High School staff ‘go the extra mile’ to provide a rich extra-curricular programme. As well as a huge range of sporting opportunities, our students involve themselves in music, dance and drama productions and enrichment activities and extension workshops linked to every curriculum area.

We enjoy national success in competitions in maths, English, science, technology, sport, art, music, drama‌ and more.

Page 6

Great Baddow High School

Examples of enrichment visits include art galleries and theatres, university lectures, field trips in England and Iceland, German exchange, concert band European tour, ski trip, modern language trips to France, history trips to the battlefields and Berlin and basketball and netball tours to the USA and Barbados. Older students have the chance to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh and World Challenge schemes.

Developing imagination

& creativity Our students have many opportunities to express themselves, let their imaginations soar and develop crucial interpersonal skills through working creatively with others.

The rich curriculum in art, music, drama, design technology and, of course, English provides a firm foundation throughout key stage three for students to develop their creativity and confidence and to excel in these areas.

We remain committed to offering an extensive range of creative subjects at GCSE and A Level, supported by outstanding resources and facilities. These include: wellequipped art and media rooms; a music suite with practice rooms and a recording studio; and drama and dance studios.

Great Baddow High School

Page 7

“ Everyone is friendly and it’s nice to feel at one with the school.”

Year 11 student

Our students are encouraged to involve themselves in school, local, national and international communities through our extensive ‘Badddow Makers’ leadership programme as, for example, prefects, peer supporters, librarians and sports leaders.

Creating caring & responsible citizens Students raise money for national and international charities and our link school in Kenya. They also support the work of our partner primary schools in a range of activities. They contribute to school improvement through school council, involvement in the interviews of all teachers and participating in the evaluation of teaching and learning. Prefects and younger ‘Baddow Buddies’ support Year 7 transition.

Great Baddow High School

Page 9

Promoting an active,

healthy life-style We want our students to enjoy participating in sport now and throughout their lives. We embrace competition but emphasise fun, enjoyment and leadership development.

Our long-established Sports College status is reflected in a commitment to partnership work with other secondary and primary schools. Our sports programme is extended beyond the normal school offer by guest coaches from our wide network. A youth training centre for Chelsea Football Club is based on our site and their coaches also contribute to lessons and clubs.

Great Baddow High School students achieve success at local, county and national levels in many different sports. Excellent facilities enable all students to experience a wide range of activities throughout the year; these and expert teaching also support gifted students’ success at national and international levels.

Page 10

Great Baddow High School

Provision includes football, netball, hockey, rugby, basketball, rounders, cricket, athletics, cross-country, swimming, water polo, badminton, tennis, gymnastics, trampoline, volley-ball, table tennis, dance, health-related fitness and outdoor education.

“ There is an exceptionally large number of sporting opportunities for students to join. In the first two terms of this school year there were over 300 fixtures.�

Ofsted

Developing independent learners A very high proportion of our students, joined by others from elsewhere, choose Great Baddow High School Sixth Form for an excellent range of courses.

“ Sixth Form students demonstrate very positive attitudes and are confidently able to apply their skills, knowledge and understanding to new learning.”

The majority progress to higher education including ‘Russell Group’ universities. Sixth Formers enjoy their own common room, coffee shop and study areas.

Their academic independence is enhanced by study skills sessions and supervised study periods.

Ofsted

We retain an emphasis on developing rounded individuals by timetabling enrichment periods so

Page 12

Great Baddow High School

they can maintain or develop their sport, drama, art, leadership or practical skills such as ‘cooking on a budget’.

Sixth Formers make a valuable contribution to the wider school life as prefects, by supporting younger students academically or socially and by continuing to participate in sport and STEM teams, productions and music.

Great Baddow High School, Duffield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 9RZ Tel 01245 265821 Fax 01245 348614 Email admin@gbhs.co.uk

www.cleverbox.co.uk

www.gbhs.co.uk

Designed and produced by Cleverbox 020 8466 7222

Great Baddow High School