North Durham Academy Prospectus

INCLUSION • PROGRESSION • EXCELLENCE

our Mission

our Vision

To provide outstanding learning and training for Individuals and be recognised as a leading provider of Secondary Education.

Inclusion: To support individuals of all abilities and aspirations to fulfil their potential through learning.

Progression: To provide opportunities for all to flourish and achieve as they travel along their learning journey.

Excellence: To achieve and maintain the highest standards in everything that we do.

Part of New College Durham Academies Trust

A very warm welcome to North Durham Academy. An exciting future lies ahead of us as a forward-thinking and creative learning environment, which challenges and supports our young people and the local community.

Realising the vision of our sponsors, New College Durham and Durham County Council we foster an engaging learning ethos, using state-of-the-art technologies to develop new skills and create high aspirations.

We are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning, achieved through a combination of challenge, support, encouragement and praise, to ensure that all students fulfill their potential. We use our specialisms of Business and Enterprise to develop the individuality and confidence of our students right across the curriculum.

North Durham Academy students develop skills for lifelong learning, whether at university or college, in employment or at home. Achievement is at the heart of our philosophy; we support this through nurturing students’ creativity, encouraging them to take calculated risks and providing a structured setting.

We have the highest expectations of our students, particularly with regard to their behaviour and commitment to learning.

We work closely with you to ensure all our students maintain high standards of behaviour, attendance, uniform and personal conduct.

www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

We will ensure your child is stretched and challenged both in their learning and personal development. Academic rigour, ambitious goals and high expectations are central to our Academy ethos. Our dedicated staff will ensure that we provide the very best educational experience for your child.

We hope that this prospectus will inspire you to visit North Durham Academy, with a view to making an application to enrol your child.

David Thornton Principal

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 1

A warm welcome from the Academy

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 2

Our sponsors New College Durham is delighted to be the lead sponsor for North Durham Academy. The College has established a strong reputation for providing high quality education and training for both young people and adults. A recent Ofsted inspection found the College to be “Outstanding” across all key areas. Our overall success rates in further education place us in the top ten percent of Colleges nationally. In recognition of the levels of excellence achieved, the College has since been awarded “Beacon College” status by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

Durham County Council, as co-sponsor, provides expertise in school improvement strategies, advice on overcoming social and economic barriers to success and developing collaborative approaches to curriculum delivery with other local providers. Durham

www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

County Council supports the Academy’s commitment to transforming learning and developing exemplary practice.

Both organisations firmly believe that your children deserve the best teaching, with the best facilities and resources, in order to learn, enjoy and succeed. Our joint vision is for all children, whatever their ability and background, to have the opportunity to fulfil their real potential and make an informed choice about their future. We place great importance on partnership work and collaboration with the local community. With the College’s experience as a provider of education and training, we utilise the support of new and existing business partners to ensure learning is relevant and interesting for your child. We ensure that the Academy develops a strong work and business related approach in line with the Business and

Enterprise specialism. Where appropriate, we also promote best practice whilst offering our support to ensure all children receive the highest quality of education throughout their time studying at the Academy.

VISIONARY

successful

North Durham Academy has three core principles: Inclusion, Progression and Excellence.

INCLUSION

PROGRESSION

EXCELLENCE

We are committed to every student and seek to realise each child’s potential, ability and talent. We will support your child by providing a personalised learning experience designed to ensure your child is confident, happy and successful. Our Academy is a place where all are valued, shown respect and included.

We encourage and support students as they travel along their learning journey.

We offer effective guidance and advice to students and their families, allowing them to make informed choices for future study and employment. We insist upon the highest academic standards and a commitment to learning from every student. We offer new challenges and experiences, motivating your child to achieve their best.

We provide the highest quality teaching and learning for our students. We provide strong leadership and effective support, so that your child will achieve their potential in academic disciplines, vocational skills and extra-curricular activity.

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 5

Inclusion, Progression and Excellence

Motivating your child to

achieve their best

www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 6

Challenging and inspiring all An inspirational curriculum meets the needs of students of all abilities and aptitudes.

Our curriculum offers a strong focus on personalised learning and learning pathways.

Our learning pathways allow students to learn at the right pace for them, with continuous assessment of progress and mentoring techniques employed to maximise attainment.

We have excellent support for students who require additional help and opportunities for extension work, so that all students are supported, stimulated and challenged. We welcome students of all abilities, celebrating diversity and affording equality of opportunity to all by providing appropriate support to aid their learning. The Academy is fully committed to inclusion and meeting the needs of its Special Educational Needs (SEN) students through lessons that are planned to meet their specific learning needs to ensure that they make the best possible progress.

www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

Our goal is to develop independent learners who are able to think creatively, with the skills and attributes required to be successful in the 21st century world.

We actively encourage our students to have high expectations. We support this with a positive ‘anything is possible’ culture.

Our students discover the value of determination and persistence in order to achieve in their learning.

Independent learners who are able to

think creatively

inspirational

challenging

Our Academy teaching staff are skilful practitioners, at the forefront of their profession, able to apply highly effective and innovative approaches to learning. Our staff make learning enjoyable and stimulating, offering inspirational educational experiences.

The Academy provides a positive learning atmosphere that celebrates success, recognises and rewards excellence. Our students are set personal targets and their progress is monitored and communicated to staff, parents and carers so that praise or intervention for support can be applied as necessary.

Offering

inspirational educational experiences

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 9

Making learning enjoyable

We use the outcomes of the latest educational research and best practice both locally and nationally, to influence our teaching methods and curriculum provision.

High quality lesson planning ensures that lessons are inspiring, exciting, stimulating and accessible for all students. www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

innovative

North Durham Academy is committed to using the very latest technology to enhance the learning experience of our students.

While ensuring our students comply with our e safety policies, we use technology in the classroom to make learning enjoyable and accessible. The Academy encourages students to use technology to develop their skills and connect to local, regional and national communities. North Durham Academy students are given the skills to adapt to a rapidly changing world where advanced ICT skills are often essential for success.

Innovative

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 11

Innovative communication and technology

technologies

learning

that will enhance our students experience www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 12

A caring and supportive learning environment We recognise that each student is unique and our focus is on enabling them to fulfil their potential. We want to equip each young person with the confidence, education and skills to give them an excellent future.

Academic rigour, ambitious goals and high expectations are central to our Academy ethos. We want your child to be happy, confident and successful.

We have high expectations of all our students, particularly with regard to their behaviour and commitment to learning.

We work hard to instil a determination and commitment to achieve excellence in each and every one of our students. We also work closely with parents to ensure all our students maintain high standards of behaviour, attendance, uniform and personal conduct.

To give your child the very best support we have a Year Manager and an Achievement Manager in every year to ensure that your child is stretched and challenged both in their learning and personal development. Our Year Managers support the pastoral needs of our students whilst our Achievement Managers ensure attainment and progression of every child within their year group. Students are also able to access help and support, at any time during the day, from our Student Services.

We want your child to be

happy, confident and successful www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

supportive

inclusive

NORTH DURHAM ACADEMY PROSPECTUS | PAGE 15

Working in Partnership together At North Durham Academy we believe that partnership with parents is crucial to ensuring that our students achieve excellence and progress. We appreciate the trust that parents place in us and understand that nobody knows a child as well as his or her parents; we therefore believe that parental involvement and interest are vital to pupil success.

Our Academy Ground Crew, which is made up of a representative cross section of students, ensures that the views of students are listened to. The Academy Ground Crew play a key role in the development of the Academy and are involved in numerous projects from piloting new technologies to developing the Academy website.

Homework is an important part of the curriculum, enabling students to develop independent learning and research skills, whilst offering parents the opportunity to assist their children to achieve.

We believe that clear and frequent communication with parents and carers is important, to enable parents to support their children. The Academy offers regular opportunities throughout the year for parents to monitor their child’s progress and talk to teaching staff.

Parental

involvement and interest

are

vital to pupil success www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

Cutting edge campus Our new Academy campus will open to students in 2013. This visionary project will create an inspiring, flexible learning environment for students and provide superb facilities for our local community.

The campus will derive its distinctive identity from the world of work, with state of the art teaching and learning areas.

We have created contemporary learning zones, supported by modern learning technologies. Our students will enjoy cuttingedge facilities and an IT rich environment.

Digital projectors, interactive whiteboards and laptops/desktops will be used in every classroom. Bespoke science laboratories and www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

technical areas will enhance the curriculum experience for all our students.

The campus design provides inspiring open social spaces, complemented by impressive sport facilities, including multi use games areas and a 3G artificial football pitch.

All our facilities meet very high standards in environmental sustainability and will be built using the latest technologies and materials available.

The new iconic campus reflects the Academy’s ambition to be the leading provider of education in the area, with a bold design encompassing a wide and modern

curriculum. High quality learning facilities will promote the best quality learning experience for our students. The building design incorporates our high aspirations for students, staff and the local area.

The new

iconic

campus reflects our Academy’s

ambition

West Campus Annfield Plain, County Durham DH9 8PR Telephone: 01207 292180 East Campus Tyne Road, South Stanley, County Durham DH9 6PZ Telephone: 01207 232506 www.northdurhamacademy.co.uk

West Campus

East Campus

Designed and produced by Cleverbox 020 8466 7222

© Copyright North Durham Academy Every effort was made to ensure that the information in this guide was correct at the time of going to print (August 2011). North Durham Academy reserves the right to amend information at any time.

www.cleverbox.co.uk

Part of New College Durham Academies Trust