King's Lynn Academy | Prospectus 2017/18

Learning without Limits Prospectus 2017/18

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Contents Welcome 5 Go further faster 7 Dare to be different 10 You will be known 12 Spirit of enterprise 16 Building for the future 19 Listen and learn 22 Daily personal best 4

Welcome

Welcome to King’s Lynn Academy. On behalf of the students and staff we would like you to learn more about our academy and what makes it a great place to be a part of.

We hope you will join us on our open day tours and open evening presentations, so that we may get to know you better.

We run two secondary academies in King’s Lynn as part of the wider CWA Academy Trust. Whilst we work closely together, we aim to offer something unique at each and offer families a real choice.

King’s Lynn Academy is a fantastic place to learn and grow. I hope that having read our prospectus you will be eager to learn more about us.

Craig Morrison Executive 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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Go further faster

At KLA it is our firm belief that every young person should be given the opportunities and encouragement they need to succeed; we believe in ‘Learning without Limits’.

We are a warm and welcoming academy where every individual is well known. The basis for our continued improvement, and the reason why many families are joining us, is our commitment to every young person doing their very best.

Every student comes with a different story and has found primary school rewarding and challenging to different degrees. At King’s Lynn Academy we are interested in how far each student can go, whatever their starting point.

When choosing a school for your child it is vital to see it for yourself.

We know many families who have been very impressed because they have come to see us in action; these families then go on to choose KLA. I hold tours every Thursday morning and these can be booked by calling reception on 01553 774671.

I am also glad to meet you at other times, by arrangement.

Please come and get to know us: we look forward to welcoming you to King’s Lynn Academy.

Barney Rimmer Head of School

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Dare to be different

We dare to be different by offering a unique curriculum. Class groupings are flexible and reviewed during the year to ensure personal success for all students.

Our curriculum effectively prepares students for further study and the world of work.

We deliver a curriculum which ensures that progression levels into further education and training are extremely high, providing students with the best chances of employment and career success.

Year 7 students enjoy a wide range of academic and practical subjects. They also benefit from classes dedicated to developing their broader learning skills, to help them succeed in all classes.

Every term sees an Independent Learning Project (ILP) take place. ILPs bring the whole academy together to enjoy an in-depth study of a wider topic. One example is The Big Project, involving an exploration of a controversial issue; another is 1000 Voices, which has seen every student record a personal memory for a lasting archive.

English, maths and the library are situated at the heart of the academy as you enter; a sign of their importance. Drama, art and music enjoy state-of-the-art facilities with instrumental tuition provided by our in-house rock band, Beta Test.

In Years 7 & 8 students will study towards a CWA Academy Trust Diploma, available at different levels. Giving a focus to achievement in these crucial years, the diploma recognises progress in a range of academic subjects together with participation in wider activities and learning.

In Years 9, 10 and 11 a range of academic and vocational options allow students to pursue their interests at a level appropriate to their needs. Students will study GCSEs in the humanities and languages.

There are many opportunities outside of the timetabled academy day. 60% of our current Year 11 students study an extra GCSE or BTEC subject after the academy day is over.

We have a very strong special needs team who fully support the inclusive nature of the academy. Together, we personalise the learning programme for every student.

We have dedicated programmes and support for more able students, with academic talks and visits together with external schemes such as Sutton Scholars, a programme to financially support highly-able students from low and middle income families.

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You will be known

We pride ourselves on developing an in-depth understanding of each student in our academy. Students belong to tutor groups led by a teacher with the expertise to support them academically and help them settle in. We have specialist tutors within the academy whom deliver topics relating to personal, social and health education. They will visit each tutor group at least once every half-term for up to a week.

Each year group is supported by a non-teaching head of year who is available to help via email or telephone. Our heads of year make it their mission to know every student well, giving a personal approach and a great beginning to academy life. Year groups are also supported by a standards leader, a teacher whose focus is to ensure that every student achieves their potential and to support families when there are any concerns.

Students also belong to one of four houses, named after famous seafarers. Houses include students from all years, encouraging friendships and support across the age-range. Charity work, sports events and regular competitions are all key to the house culture.

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We recognise the importance of a good start to a secondary education for each student; we work very closely with our cluster primary schools to ensure that the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 is as smooth as possible. In addition, every parent and child is given the opportunity to tour the academy and to have a personal interview with a senior member of staff before starting in September.

When a student starts during an academic year they will be given a tour and personal interview before starting with us and a buddy to help them settle in.

At KLA we take the safety of our students seriously. We strive to ensure that all our students feel safe and are able to talk about their worries and fears. If parents or students have any concerns relating to the safety or wellbeing of any student they should report it to one of our safeguarding team.

Our ‘Behaviour for Learning’ programme seeks to recognise and reward achievement, positive attitudes and enterprising behaviour. When standards of behaviour fall below our expectations we use restorative practices and sanctions to resolve the matter.

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Spirit of enterprise

King’s Lynn Academy specialises in enterprise. The spirit of enterprise underpins all aspects of academy life and focuses on developing the skills and attributes students need to succeed in the future.

The specialism provides opportunities for our students to play active roles in various aspects of running a business. Working closely with employers and the local community we are able to provide students with valuable knowledge and real-word experience.

We want all our students to be active citizens through opportunities such as our Enterprise Society, volunteering and social entrepreneurs programmes.

King’s Lynn Academy has also developed a framework to recognise and reward students who show entrepreneurial characteristics in their day-to-day academy life. During their time here, students will be given opportunities to display these skills and attitudes, both during and outside of lessons and will be rewarded in a number of ways, including receiving reward stickers, praise postcards and blazer badges, all of which have a points value.

Blazer badges are the top award for students who regularly display key enterprise skills and attributes or who have been involved in an event or project and have displayed a skill in a particularly good way. Staff can also nominate students for blazer badges, which will be presented in reward assemblies at the end of each half-term.

Each half-term, a students’ total points are calculated and the top 100 students are entered into a draw to win an iPad Mini.

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Building for the future

Our academy has been completely refurbished and a new central hub built to ensure we have the facilities to deliver the best possible education for our students, preparing them for the 21st century’s business and enterprise environment.

We have sought to create a learning environment that will challenge all our students and ensure that they have the opportunities to achieve to the highest possible levels. There has been a ÂŁ10.5m investment in computer technology and infrastructure, state-of-the-art classrooms and lead learning areas, new science laboratories, workshops, enterprise suite, dance, drama, music and art studios, and a dedicated hub for the teaching of English and mathematics.

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Our outdoor environment has also been recreated with learning spaces, an outdoor amphitheatre performance area and pitches for major sports.

King’s Lynn Academy is a great place to learn. There is an emphasis on natural light, spaciousness, visible learning and excellent social areas for students. ICT facilities exist in every faculty area, with networking and software applications available anywhere, anytime.

We offer an extensive range of free, on-site activities after the academy day has finished including chess, cooking, sports and additional languages. Our film club uses state-of-the-art chromakey (green screen) technology and we produce at least one feature film a year.

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Listen and learn

At King’s Lynn Academy, there is a strong belief that students have a valuable contribution to make to all aspects of academy life and that their views are respected, listened to and valued. The academy has created a student commission which gives students a say in academy life, builds on their strengths and develops their leadership skills.

The student commission focuses on student engagement and teaching and learning at King’s Lynn Academy. The commissioners work in partnership with members of staff to develop these aspects of their academy. This involves working directly with teachers to develop classroom practice and suggesting and developing strategies that promote outstanding learning for all. Student commissioners also take part in staff training sessions, allowing the students a voice in policy making at their academy.

Literacy leaders work to develop a culture of reading around the academy. Sports leaders and captains promote participation in sports events, particularly in house competitions. The range of leadership opportunities is broad and growing and has encouraged our students to take on challenges such as winning election to the Youth Parliament. An ambition for many students at our academy is to become a senior student leader, with the head boy and head girl being decided by a student vote.

There are many opportunities to learn about the progress each student makes, through in-depth tutor reports, contact with the head of house and parent information and consultation evenings.

The parent voice group enriches the academy life of students by bringing together parents who are interested in becoming more involved in life at the academy on a less formal basis. The aim of the group is to provide a forum and voice for all parents and carers by discussing and suggesting positive additions or improvements to the academy.

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Daily personal best

In taking the steps to success, getting the little things right day-by-day sets us on the right path to achieving our long term goals.

As with any successful sporting team or thriving business, we expect high standards of appearance and personal organisation. Our smart, traditional uniform is a key part of developing a sense of community and a positive attitude towards learning and making progress.

We know that taking pride in ourselves, our surroundings and in each other’s success is based upon strong routines so that young people feel secure.

In turn, this sense of pride leads to a powerful personal commitment to achieve.

Weekly assemblies give us the chance to come together and learn from one another and to celebrate success; we see them as a key way of sharing high expectations.

In addition, we want every student to take pride in their work and present it to a high standard. To this end, we regularly check exercise books and assessments and help students to improve the quality and presentation of their work.

Homework enhances students’ learning and is delivered via an interactive online platform, accessible from anywhere.

Our approach is to ask our students to work to impress: to achieve their daily personal best.

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Queen Mary Road King’s Lynn Norfolk PE30 4QG Telephone: 01553 774671 Email: office@kingslynnacademy.co.uk kingslynnacademy.co.uk