“ Teachers are supportive and encouraging so you can achieve academic success. The wide range of opportunities enable you to find your interests and talents. I attend Chess Club, Springwest Scholars, the Student Council, music and badminton.”
Vihaan, Year 10
Springwest Academy
At Springwest we prioritise the character development and wellbeing of our students, alongside their academic achievement.
I am extremely proud to be the Principal of Springwest Academy, a vibrant, mixed comprehensive school serving the local community of Feltham. Having been in post since September 2020, it has been a pleasure to witness how Springwest has developed and improved. My personal priorities; a culture of kindness, strong academic outcomes and excellent behaviour have inspired positive changes in both our GCSE results and our school culture. We are now an ‘ACE Regional Character Hub School’ with a strong sense of belonging, where students and staff flourish.
We provide an ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum and introduce students to challenging and thought-provoking content from the start of Year 7. In addition to knowledge, we see ‘understanding’ and ‘memory’ to be at the heart of learning and therefore students are given extensive opportunities for extended writing, discussions and retrieval practice. We have also developed Prep sessions which allow students to start the day in a purposeful manner by reading, using their knowledge organisers or attending a PE session.
Our new values of ‘Believe’, ‘Belong’ and ‘Flourish’ are complemented by our Character Framework, which develops the four virtue groups: Moral, Intellectual, Civic and Performance. We look forward to seeing you at one of our open events and hope you enjoy exploring our website and social media to learn more about our wonderful school.
Simon Hart
We recognise that all students are unique. Our high expectations, excellent pastoral care and focus on character ensure that all students can flourish.
We have many opportunities for student leadership. In addition to our Head Students and Prefects, we have Heads of House, a Student Council, Creative Arts Specialists, Sports Leaders, an Eco-Committee, Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Library Monitors.
We offer more than forty exciting co-curricular clubs that extend learning beyond the classroom. For example, students can join the Chess Club to enhance their Intellectual Virtues, the Springwest Blooms Gardening Club to cultivate their Civic Virtues or the School Production to build their Performance Virtues.
Springwest Scholars is an opportunity for students who have demonstrated high levels of motivation and academic achievement. Our Scholars undertake extra research, exposing them to knowledge beyond the curriculum and enriching their cultural capital.
We are accredited by the National Baccalaureate Trust to run the Springwest Academy Baccalaureate. To achieve the SpringBacc, students must meet the criteria for three strands: Achievement and Attitudes, Character Development and a Personal Project.
Our six Houses are named after a range of inspiring and local figures: Farah House, Christiansen House, Attenborough House, Mercury House, Davison House and Seacole House. Students gain points for their house through demonstrating excellent character virtues and participating in house events, which run every two weeks.
In addition to trips which support classroom learning, we run residentials such as outward bound activity weeks and visits to European cities. We also have trips to broaden understanding of higher education and careers and rewards trips. Students can take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme from Year 10.
“ On Wednesday mornings I meet with the Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and at lunchtime I’m a Library Monitor. On Thursdays we meet as Creative Arts Ambassadors and I also attend Leadership Academy once a half term. These opportunities are developing my character so that I can be successful in the future.”
Shayani, Year 8
Delivering a high-quality, knowledge-rich curriculum, coupled with excellent teaching and learning, ensures success for students at GCSE level and beyond.
We define learning as ‘understanding + memory’; therefore lessons and homework cultivate a deep understanding of concepts across subjects while also committing them to memory.
Our long term plans, which can be found on our website, outline our spiral curriculum that supports students in developing a great depth of knowledge. Every unit features a knowledge organiser that students utilise in their homework and lessons as a solid foundation for their learning.
At KS3, we offer a wide range of subjects, including Character Education, Music, Food Technology and Politics. At GCSE, pathways are curated to challenge each student appropriately, with most students studying nine GCSEs and some opting for vocational subjects such as Early Years, Hospitality and Catering, Health and Fitness or Travel and Tourism.
“ Teachers are very interactive with students, asking lots of questions and encouraging us to ask questions in return. They provide personalised feedback, which helps us improve. There is a wide variety of GCSE subjects to choose from, and the teachers helped me make informed decisions about what to select.”
Wanda, Year 10
We have been awarded the School of Character Quality Mark by the Association of Character Education and given the status of Regional Character Hub School.
Our Character Education curriculum is informed by the approach of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues and underpinned by four virtue groups: Moral Virtues, Intellectual Virtues, Civic Virtues and Performance Virtues.
“ The school’s taught character curriculum is exceptional.”
Tom Haigh, CEO Association for Character Education
During these days, students participate in activities which help them develop the four different virtue groups. Our Year 7 students especially enjoy developing their Performance Virtues by learning circus skills and performing in a circus tent. Students also undertake volunteering activities, such as designing handkerchiefs for a local homeless shelter and planting trees.
Students learn about virtuous behaviour through discussion around moral dilemmas. They are also introduced to key ideas and thinkers in philosophy and ethics, such as Aristotle, Plato, Kant and Utilitarianism. In addition, students undertake group projects. In Year 7 students design a board game which promotes virtuous behaviour and in Year 8 students consider how they can best spend £1 to help others. In Year 9, students connect with a local charity.
Our rewards system is based on the four virtue groups. When students accumulate points they are awarded with badges for that virtue group. Furthermore, every term we award vouchers and prizes as part of ‘Kindness Matters’ to students who have supported our ‘Culture of Kindness’.
“ The school’s focus on character will help me to be a better person in the future. I was really shy in primary school and being at Springwest has boosted my confidence. I’ve been able to push myself because of the huge range of opportunities such as charity fundraising to develop Moral Virtues and the school musical to develop Performance Virtues.”
Lilly-Marie, Year 9
At Springwest Academy, we prioritise a smooth transition from primary to secondary school by closely collaborating with our local primary schools.
In the Summer Term, Year 6 students spend a day at Springwest and families are invited to meet with a member of staff to address any questions or concerns they may have.
New students benefit from the support of a dedicated year team, led by an experienced Head of Year and supported by a full time Pastoral Mentor, ensuring they settle in quickly and embark on a successful educational journey. Students also see their form tutor every morning from Monday to Thursday for Prep. We recognise that additional assistance may be needed, so our specialist numeracy and literacy tutors offer small group intervention sessions, while our learning support team is available to help students overcome any barriers to learning.
Understanding that every student is unique, we strive to create an environment where each child can shine. We keep families informed about student progress through various channels, including our weekly parent letter, Year 7 half-term newsletters, reports, and parents’ evenings, fostering a strong partnership in supporting each student’s development.
“ On my first day I was really nervous but the teachers were so welcoming which helped me to settle in quickly. You are well supported by your tutor, pastoral mentor and Head of Year.” Jennie, Year 7
