King Edward VII Academy - Prospectus 2015/16

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Contents Welcome 7 Introduction and history 9 Learning together 12 Achieving together 17 Life at KES 19 One academy, four houses 22 KES Academy Sixth Form 24 Safeguarding and student support / Uniform 26 Entry procedures 6

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Welcome

Welcome to King Edward VII Academy.

The academy opened in September 2014 and we have ambitious plans for the success of each student and for KES as a whole.

We believe that strength comes from togetherness: each individual plays a crucial part in our overall community and in our successes. We combine the unity of our traditional house system and its exciting enrichment programme with an uncompromising focus upon individual academic success.

Our superb reputation for sports is a marker of the emphasis we place on developing well-rounded young adults. It also serves as a symbol of our wider aims – the pursuit of excellence in all things; pride in our academy; togetherness in all we do; fair play and outstanding behaviour; and healthy competition.

KES has a remarkable past and I want it to have an even more remarkable future. Choosing the right school for your son or daughter is a major decision. I know that you will want to come and see us at work to understand our approach.

Please contact reception to book an appointment to visit.

Craig Morrison Principal

CWA Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust founded by the College of West Anglia, an established high quality provider of education with campuses in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

Our family of academies helps us fulfil our desire to establish a vibrant education system that inspires young people and supports economic development of the region. As a successful education provider we believe we can contribute to all phases of education within our local community, focussing on raising standards and improving transition and progression for every child.

Like all strong families, the CWA Academy Trust family of academies seeks to offer mutual support to one another, develop shared learning and understanding, collaborate to achieve better outcomes, recognise unique qualities and differences, be positive and aspirational, focus on the successes of individuals and develop a culture of healthy competition.

David Pomfret Chief Executive CWA Academy Trust

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Introduction and history

King Edward VII Academy was founded in the sixteenth century, when in 1510 the will of Thomas Thoresby, a former Mayor of Lynn, made provision for the payment of a priest who would teach six children ‘in grammar and song’. In 1902, William Lancaster, a former pupil of the Lynn Grammar School, offered to pay for a new building as long as the corporation found a suitable site. The name was changed to King Edward Vll Grammar School in 1903 when it was amalgamated with the King’s Lynn Technical School.

King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and other members of the Royal Family, travelled from Sandringham for the opening of the school, where the King made a speech in the main hall and knighted William Lancaster.

In 2014 the school became an academy, sponsored by the CWA Academy Trust, and changed its name to King Edward VII Academy. It is fitting that the traditional school motto, for more than five hundred years, is very much situated in the present, upon the progress of each student: ‘Doctrina in horas crescat’ Let him hourly increase in learning We hope your son or daughter will join us and become part of our friendly, successful community.

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Learning together

We believe that success begins with being open to new learning and gathering the skills required to learn independently.

In Year 7, the focus is to develop more advanced study skills so that students are able to tackle more demanding tasks and investigations. Reading is strongly encouraged and students are helped to make choices which challenge their thinking and expand their vocabulary. Our library is a superb resource with an extensive stock and expert advice on hand.

Whilst we always want to extend our students’ skills and understanding, we also know the importance of enjoying learning too. We have a broad and engaging curriculum in the early years at KES, featuring a tremendous range of out-ofclassroom learning experiences, which we are confident our students will enjoy.

We have a completely inclusive policy at KES Academy and we welcome and cater for students with a range of needs, abilities, skills and talents. We see the best in every student and work closely with parents and carers to make sure that your child is happy and successful.

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Achieving together

Our students benefit from a superb choice of routes and qualifications as they progress through KES Academy.

At the heart of the experience is the core of English, maths and science studied by all students at GCSE level. We know that excellent performance in these core subjects is the gateway to further learning and career opportunities. We offer extended time to study these subjects, with tailored individual support to stretch the more-able to the highest levels and to address any knowledge gaps students may have before their exams.

Our optional programme is highly flexible, allowing some early examination study, academic or vocational pathways or a combination of both. We are confident that there is something exciting for everyone at KES. We keep in close contact with parents to ensure that every student remains oncourse to achieve and excel.

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Life at KES

There is an enormous amount going on at KES Academy every day: after hours, at weekends and during holidays. The range and quality of activities on offer is something we are very proud of. Our students get so much out of putting their time into our teams, clubs, trips and events.

A large number of inter-house competitions are organised throughout the year including athletics, art/poster competitions, badminton, chess, cricket, crosscountry, debating, football, hockey, music, netball, poetry, public speaking, rounders, rugby, swimming, table-tennis, tennis and various quizzes.

Sport is both our specialist subject and a very strong feature of extra-curricular life and there are academy teams in each of the sports listed above. In addition, there are opportunities to take part in aerobics, gymnastics, fitness training and volleyball. Academy teams have an impressive record in a number of sports.

Music and drama are also important at KES. A range of orchestral groups, string and other music groups practice each week. There are guitar and drum clubs.

During the year various concerts are staged by the music department. There are a number of drama productions over the year in addition to a junior drama club for aspiring actors and actresses.

Other extra-curricular activities vary from year to year but include a wide range of non-sporting activities. They include an art club, a computer club and homework clubs. The academy also runs the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

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One academy, four houses At the heart of our academy are our four houses: • Edinburgh/York • Keene/Thoresby • Gloucester/Windsor • Lancaster/School Our houses are steeped in tradition and offer a friendly family environment for our students and a platform for wonderful competition when they are brought together. Our focus is on learning to both collaborate and compete and in doing so develop a whole range of other skills needed for the modern world, from personal organisation to creative thinking.

The four houses are made up of mixed-age tutor groups, meaning that younger students mix with older students and are supported, both academically - through help with reading - and socially.

Our house system and mixed-age tutor groups help to develop positive relationships and the work of the tutor is crucial in assisting both students and parents. We pride ourselves on the excellent work they do to ensure the transition to KES is as seamless as possible.

We use our house system, led by our pastoral directors, to look closely at all aspects of student life. The house system allows us to know each child well, so we can use appropriate and clear sanctions to correct things when they might go wrong. There is a major focus upon reward and celebration. We have weekly assemblies during which we praise our students for their excellent work. Our online rewards system, Vivo, allows students to track their own successes.

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KES Academy Sixth Form

There are many benefits to belonging to an 11-18 academy such as KES and we pride ourselves on helping our students move up from Year 11 to advanced study. There will also be many new faces from other local schools to meet too in what is an inspiring setting for sixth form study.

Courses may include: Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilization, Economics, English Language, English Literature, French, Further Mathematics, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Human Biology, ICT, Mathematics, Music, PE, Physics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Spanish, Technology and Theatre Studies.

A programme of general studies leads to AS and A-levels and students will also have the opportunity to participate in other curriculum enrichment activities.

Full details of the KES Academy Sixth Form can be found in our additional prospectus.

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Safeguarding and student support

King Edward VII Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment and Enhanced DBS checks are required.

Our academy safeguarding policy is available on our web site.

More information for parents and carers, such as our policies on Special Educational Needs, Admissions and more can be found on our web site.

Uniform

The academy uniform is formal, clearly defined and we expect all students to wear it correctly, with pride. It is expected that all students will wear the uniform unless there is a valid medical reason. Full uniform and supplier details are available on our web site.

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Entry procedures

King Edward VII Academy does not select students for admission and will consider all applications for places. Most students join at the end of Year 6, with the majority of these coming from our feeder primary schools. Applications for places at the academy will be made in accordance with Norfolk County Council’s (NCC) coordinated admissions arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by NCC. Students and families wanting to join other year groups should contact the principal for an initial tour, following which we will discuss the application process with you.

If there are more requests for places than places available, the authority will admit children a priority of order, which can be found on our web site.

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Gaywood Road, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, PE30 2QB Telephone: 01553 773 505 Email: office@kesacademy.co.uk www.kesacademy.co.uk

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