Aspiration • Ambition • Achievement
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Welcome from the Principal
A warm welcome to Rivers Academy West London, a thriving learning community in which students, staff and parents work together to ensure outstanding outcomes for our young people. By setting the highest expectations in terms of learning, behaviour, attendance and appearance, we develop a sense of purpose and levels of self-esteem that naturally lead to aspiration, ambition and achievement. As a result, Rivers Academy is a happy, calm and confident environment in which students make excellent progress and achieve strong exam results. Our academy has an exciting future, with an ambitious vision to become outstanding in every respect. To achieve this, we will continue to place learning at the heart of everything we do, supporting and challenging one another to achieve our full potential. By providing an engaging curriculum, excellent teaching and a range of exciting opportunities beyond the classroom, we promote a love of learning that benefits students throughout their lives. Our aim is for students to leave with the knowledge, skills and self-assurance they need to be successful at university or their chosen career. I hope that this prospectus will inspire you to visit the academy to experience for yourself its vibrant atmosphere and caring ethos, with a view to making an application to enrol your child. I look forward to meeting you. Paula Kenning – Principal
Rivers Academy West London
01
Individuality, support & growth
As an accredited Healthy School, we believe that when students feel good about themselves, they can achieve anything. We set them challenging, personal targets and provide the support they require to exceed them. Each child has a Tutor, who is supported by a Lead Tutor, House Leader and Assistant Principal, so there is always someone on hand to meet a student’s needs. With a focus on allowing individuality to flourish and nurturing personal development, students feel empowered to achieve their goals. We set high standards of behaviour and expect students to take pride in their uniform and their academy. By cultivating an ethos of mutual respect and thoughtfulness, we achieve an orderly and safe environment in which bullying is not tolerated. Our house system fosters a sense of community, where each child can make a contribution through activities such as sports competitions and charity fundraising. Effort and success in all aspects of academy life are celebrated through a range of rewards and events. Students are encouraged to take positions of responsibility on the elected Junior Leadership Team, within the Leadership Academy or as peer mentors for younger students. Our values reflect our desire for Rivers Academy students to be outstanding citizens who have the conviction to make the right decisions for themselves and their families, now and in the future.
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Rivers Academy West London
02/03
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Enterprise, creativity & success We want our young people to be actively engaged in and enjoy their education, as this leads to excellent exam results. To this end, we offer a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum that focuses not only on acquiring knowledge, but also on developing critical skills. Our experienced teachers provide students entering Key Stage 4 and the sixth form with careful guidance in their choice of traditional and vocational subjects, so that each student’s personalised learning programme suits his or her interests and talents. We provide three years, rather than two, for students to achieve their GCSE exams, enabling them to attain the best possible grades and preparing them for the increased challenge of the sixth form. Some A Level courses also begin a year earlier than usual and these innovative approaches to the curriculum prepare students well for exam success at 16 and 18, whatever their ability. The academy is proud to have achieved the University of Warwick’s Award for Excellence in Enterprise Education. We use our Business and Enterprise specialism to develop the problem-solving skills, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit that give students a competitive edge in university and employment applications. Through first-class links with local firms, national businesses and the community, students benefit from opportunities to experience the world of work and appreciate the value of initiative, perseverance, teamwork and integrity.
Rivers Academy West London
04/05
Enriching opportunities & 21st-century skills
Opportunities abound at Rivers Academy and all our young people are encouraged to engage fully with the tremendous range of experiences available. In addition to providing impressive facilities – including a well-stocked library and media resources centre, outstanding sixth form accommodation, spacious playing fields and a purposebuilt fitness suite – we are proud to have achieved Sport England’s Sportsmark Silver and Arts Council England’s Artsmark Silver awards. There is a vast range of extra-curricular sporting activities – such as trampolining, football, fencing and orienteering – as well as drama and music clubs, plus homework and revisions groups. Numerous day visits and residential trips locally, nationally and globally form an important part of the Rivers Academy experience. Links to European and African schools and exciting travel opportunities – such as our annual Year 13 visit to the NASA space centres in Houston and Cape Canaveral – have enabled us to achieve the prestigious International Schools Award. We are dedicated to ensuring that all students develop the digital literacy, life skills and global outlook required to thrive in today’s fastpaced world. Through the use of interactive whiteboards and laptops in classrooms and the academy’s Virtual Learning Environment, we use technology to engage students in their learning and help them to develop independent thinking and study skills.
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Rivers Academy West London
06/07
Working in partnership We know that high achievement is much more likely if relationships between students, parents and the academy are strong. This is why we foster an excellent rapport between students and staff and why we want to work closely with families. Clear and frequent communication helps parents and carers to understand how their children are progressing. We send a report home every half term and we hold regular events – including information evenings targeted at specific year groups – that enable families to understand the demands upon students at various stages of their education. Personal study away from the academy, in the form of homework or revision, is an essential component of successful learning. In addition to giving parents and carers the opportunity to support their children, it helps students to develop research abilities, independent thinking and self-motivation, all of which are crucial skills for higher education and the workplace. Rivers Academy is an inclusive community and listening to the views of families and students is very important to us. We have an open-door policy, encouraging parents and carers to contact staff to discuss any issues or concerns, while the views of students are represented to the academy’s Leadership Team and Governors via the Junior Leadership Team.
Rivers Academy West London
08
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A Business & Enterprise Specialist School Tachbrook Road, Feltham, Middlesex TW14 9PE TEL: 020 8890 0245 FAX: 020 8844 2441 EMAIL: general@riversacademy.org.uk www.riversacademy.org.uk