Barclay School Prospectus

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The The Barclay Barclay School School Walkern Walkern Road, Road, Stevenage, Stevenage, Herts Herts SG1 SG1 3RB 3RB Headteacher: Headteacher: Debbie Debbie Upton Upton Tel: Tel: 01438 01438 23 23 22 22 21 21 Email: Email: admin@barclay.herts.sch.uk admin@barclay.herts.sch.uk Website: Website: www.barclayschool.co.uk www.barclayschool.co.uk Follow Follow us us on on Twitter: Twitter: @TheBarclaySch @TheBarclaySch

Believe! Achieve! Exceed!

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A warm welcome from The Barclay School We are proud of our school as an inclusive community school where we value young people of all abilities and talents.

Our students come from across Stevenage and the surrounding villages and their learning is greatly enhanced by the strong links we have forged with our primary schools, ‘Stevenage Sixth’ the largest sixth form in Stevenage and our work with local and international businesses and the community.

Debbie Upton Headteacher

Happy, Successful Students We have a distinct vision - to maximise the academic achievement of each one of our students and to provide them with the emotional and social skills to lead happy and successful lives. We aim to bring out the very best in all of our students through the consistent promotion of high quality learning. We are an exciting and vibrant school that encourages each student to believe they can hold ambitious targets and exceed expectations. Together we have forged our visions and values:

Believe! Achieve! Exceed!

We believe in our potential to exceed all expectations and to have a unique impact on the world.

We are proud to be members of The Barclay School and believe that education empowers us to shape our futures We value learning and welcome new opportunities and experiences We work our hardest and take pride in what we achieve and celebrate the achievement of others We strive to make the relationships between all members of our school community, warm, positive and encouraging

“The Headteacher and senior team provide strong leadership that is ambitious in its vision and clearly focused on raising students’ attainment.” Ofsted

Successful Transition to Barclay Working in collaboration with new parents and our primary colleagues, the school has a comprehensive transition strategy for students joining in September with new developments building on this every year. Activities this year have included a welcome card, important dates and letters to parents, visits to primary school by the Head of Year 7, informal early evening events, the main Welcome Evening and Taster Day for students to meet the Headteacher, Form Tutors and sample just some of the broad range of lessons they will experience.

A Flying Start Once students start, the school community works hard to make our new students feel welcome, showing them around the building, helping them in the dining room and participating together in clubs.

The Head of Year, Form Tutor and the Pastoral Support Leader play a vital role in ensuring the new Year 7 students settle in well and they are able to help them with any queries they may have at the start of every day.

We hold a range of information evenings in the Autumn Term for parents to become familiar with what the children learn and how best they can support them and the school.

There is a great focus on the importance of reading from the moment the students start with the Accelerated Reader programme and a range of reading for pleasure opportunities both in lessons and during tutorial time. Support for readers is provided with Lexia and Successmaker, two reading programmes that can also be accessed from home.

“We have been both delighted and reassured by the warmth of the welcome from the Barclay community since gaining a place here for September. My child cannot wait to start.� New Year 6/7 parent

“The opportunities that have been available for our daughters since they joined Barclay have been amazing. They have enjoyed dance and drama classes, taken music lessons, joined small music groups and performed in the Barclay Big Band even going on music tour to Belgium this summer, what a fantastic life experience.� Parents of Year 8 students.

“Teachers inspire students to give their best through the use of challenging tasks and stimulating resources, and students are supported well to work independently of their teacher.” Ofsted Excellence and Opportunities for All At Barclay, we are clear that the best teachers deliver the best student experiences.

That is why we have a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme for our teachers, which has been described ‘as one of the most innovative in Hertfordshire’.

Weekly development structured around our school goals and in-depth inset day training has ensured the school has succeeded in making the significant leaps and bounds towards Academic Excellence we expect for each of our students.

Opportunities for All Beyond the Classroom Great teachers mean a great range of opportunities on offer both in the classroom and beyond. We believe that participation in extra curricular activities really prepares our students for life, broadening their interests and building their relationships with others in areas for which they have a real passion. We want our young people to be fully engaged and challenged in everything they do allowing them to reach their full potential, becoming confident and successful individuals.

Special Educational Needs Students are extremely well catered for at Barclay with an experienced Additional Educational Needs (AEN) team led by an Assistant Headteacher / SENCO. The AEN team provides a range of strategies and skills to students through a series of targeted interventions which has shown in recent years to have significantly improved both the academic achievement of SEN students and their social skills ensuring greater opportunity for further study or preparation for the workplace.

Able, Gifted and Talented Each one of our students is provided with the appropriate level of challenge and support so that they will exceed their potential. A range of opportunities to further challenge and support our brightest students are provided from visits to universities to master classes in a variety of subjects.

This year 21 of our Year 11 students studied and passed AS level Critical Thinking at the same time as their GCSE courses.

Life as a Year 7 - My First Week Thomas (Round Diamond) and Georgia (Almond Hill) tell us how they have found being a Barclay student in their first week of year 7.

“Before starting at Barclay I had the fantastic opportunity to look around the school as part of the Summer School. When walking around the school I thought wow, these departments are amazing, I’m going to really enjoy myself here”, says Georgia. The summer school is an event held for new students coming to Barclay to give them a taste of what the school is like. This brilliant opportunity means that students can forge links with teachers and like-minded students before term begins.

Thomas was surprised at how easy he found the jump saying.

“When I first arrived I didn’t know many people as I was the only pupil to come to Barclay from Round Diamond, however I have found it really easy to make friends as everybody has been really nice and friendly to me.” He adds, “for the first few days I found it difficult to find my way around school, because it is a lot bigger than my primary school, but all the teachers and older students helped me out and I know exactly where I am going now!”

When asked why they had chosen Barclay they both said Barclay had a great reputation in the Stevenage community.

They added “Barclay is also a good school academically, and I chose it because the school will help me to get good grades and be successful.”

Advice they would give to Year 6s is to look around the school: “take part in the different activities and events that occur, and don’t be worried about asking for help or for more information.” After just a week Georgia “feels the school is more homely”, and they are looking forward to the rest of their time here.

Life as a Year 8 My First Year Maia and Joe have been at Barclay for a year and now feel part of the furniture!

When asked why they had chosen to come and study at Barclay they said it was due to the “long heritage” the school has, and the links it has forged with the community. Maia is very active with the PE department and is a member of the netball team and dance club; “there are lots of clubs and activities going on and it is really fun to get involved”.

Joe is involved in helping with the school newsletter and enjoys art and science, the advice he would give to Year 6’s is: “don’t worry about your first week at secondary school, it’s a lot easier than you may think!

I also think it’s important to get involved with all the different activities, like school council, and the numerous clubs that are run.”

Children Thrive Throughout their School Life at Barclay Careful support and guidance throughout their school life ensures your child will thrive at Barclay. Our Pastoral Support structure is designed to ensure your child is supported from the moment they join us through to their Sixth Form years.

In addition to the Form Tutor, there is also a Year Head and a Pastoral Support Team Leader with expertise and knowledge of the different stages your child will encounter

throughout their school life transition needs, options advice, GCSE examination encouragement and support, careers guidance and the more personal changes they will experience in their teenage years.

Each child is treated as an individual and their successes and achievements are celebrated across the school.

Form Tutors will provide target setting and guidance for students and Year Leaders take responsibility for academic progress, welfare and behaviour of students.

There are numerous avenues for our student voice to be heard and we have an Assistant Headteacher dedicated to creating and supporting Student Leadership opportunities. We have an active school council and a range of representatives in all areas of school life. Students form a vital part of the interview process when recruiting team members to senior and middle leadership roles.

“Students overwhelmingly say that they feel safe, a view supported by parents and carers.� Ofsted

Outdoor Activities and Trips A range of activities is available to our students from outdoor activities and field trips to technology challenges, theatre, music and dance productions; a chance to go to Europe to support coursework and special interests.

There is often the chance to do something extraordinary; this summer term it was a trip to Downing Street to see the Bloodhound car designed to beat the land speed record confronting and overcoming the impossible using science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The Barclay School has been a specialist Technology College since 2008 and is fortunate to have a spacious, well-resourced separate building dedicated to Technology subjects.

This year’s extraordinary opportunity is for six lucky Barclay School students to build a fully functioning robot and take part in a robotics challenge in America, in conjunction with our sponsors MBDA this October.

The Duke of Edinburgh award runs annually for students who enjoy taking part and undertaking challenges, this is a great opportunity which is recognised by universities and employers alike.

Believe!

Achieve!

Exceed!

Barclay - Past, Present and Future!

The Past - Completed in 1949, The Barclay School was the first secondary school of its type to be built after the Second World War and as such is a Grade II listed building.

Barclay sits on a large expanse of land, hidden on one side

by Walkern Road and bordered on the other by the trees in The Avenue providing a calm, spacious and peaceful setting for our students. The school is fortunate to have as part of its listing a Henry Moore statue ‘The Family Group’ which is situated in the front lobby.

The Present - Barclay retains its key building features as designated by the listing. The school is about to undergo a major roof and window replacement project starting this Autumn which should be complete by Summer 2014.

This will provide an improved appearance both inside and out plus provide a more comfortable environment to learn and work. We also have a new All Weather Pitch and have just received funding from Sport England as part of the Olympic legacy to install night lighting to allow the pitch to be used at the evenings and weekends.

The Future - schools are really about the people and what takes place inside them, not about the buildings or their status.

It is about what happens in them every minute of every day; the engaging and innovative teaching and marking, a consistent approach to relationships and behaviour, the care, interest and respect of student and adult relationships. At Barclay we are definitely getting this right and it is clearly showing through our happy, successful students who are achieving impressive results.

‘The friendly and supportive atmosphere of the Sixth Form Team and students makes it a great place both to learn and become involved with all the exciting opportunities and activities that Barclay has to offer.’ Year 13 student

Sixth Form at Barclay School Our Sixth Form students are the real ambassadors for Barclay. Students have chosen to join us from other schools or stay with us from Year 11 as their main educational base where most of their study takes place. Barclay is part of the largest Sixth Form consortium in the area - ‘Stevenage Sixth’ with nearly 750 students able to access a full range of courses across the 4 Stevenage schools and campuses -Barclay, Barnwell, Marriotts and Nobel.

We expect students to aim high for Russell Group and other leading universities in their field of interest as well as encouraging high level apprenticeships at companies such as MBDA and IBM and foundation degrees which have value and a pathway on to the desired university courses.

There are many opportunities to excel outside the curriculum at Sixth Form, partaking in these events helps with university applications, and is also great fun! Amongst the variety of things we offer is Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) which allows students to choose and create their own project, which is marked and is worth UCAS points. For more sporting students, we have a Personal Trainer Course and CSLA courses, which train students in how to teach sports.

It’s not all hard-work in Sixth Form, there is the annual Summer BBQ which allows past and present students to socialise and relax after the stresses of exam period.

Additionally there are team building exercises throughout the year as well as motivation and study skills sessions.

We invite speakers in to give talks, for example on a range of careers and also subjects of interest such as Cancer Awareness.

The Sixth Form team strives to facilitate any work experience for students.

Our Head Students and Student Leadership Team have developed an excellent ethos of commitment to their own work, great team spirit and enjoyment of their involvement across the school as mentors and ambassadors with younger students.

Heading to Uni (via Barclay!)

Year 12 Rachael Clark is studying English Literature, Psychology, Art and Biology. She was very successful at GCSE obtaining an A* 6As and 2Bs. She decided to stay on with Barclay for Sixth Form because, “I like the range of subjects that Barclay offer, both vocational and academic, this will put me in good standing for when I apply for uni”. Like most students at Barclay, and particularly in Sixth Form, she is heavily engaged with the school community and has helped on numerous outreach programs to primary schools and works in the lower years’ form groups helping them with studies and reading. She has been involved with many of the school performances that the drama department has run: “not only are they enjoyable, but they are also something I can talk about to uni’s or employers”.

Year 13 Luke Trainer now in his 7th year at Barclay is studying Sports BTEC, Personal Training and Sports Coaching and is also a member of the Head Student Team. Luke enjoys the “atmosphere” of the Barclay Sixth form and has a “good relationship with the teaching staff”. He holds the Pastoral Support Team in high esteem, and works with them as part of the anti-bullying campaign strategy. His message to Year 6 students is to, “take time to look at the departments and talk to the subject teachers who will be available on secondary transfer evening. It is a great opportunity for pupils to come and look around the school which I’d thoroughly recommend.”

Being a head student you may see Luke around as he does a lot of work with younger years as the Sixth Form is highly committed to working with the rest of the school.

Rhys Williams is a former student who is currently working with us whilst on a gap year; he has achieved a place to study Economics at Cambridge University.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Barclay and could not have received more opportunities anywhere else.

I have been able to go to America (twice) with the school robotics team and have attended local debates with the school council.

The teachers are all very friendly and have given me so much of their own time providing additional help.

Barclay has enabled me to fill up my CV with a varied selection of qualifications and supplementary activities. Being a head student improved my confidence and also made me more articulate, something which definitely helped me with my Cambridge interviews.

I have really benefited from all the brilliant advice that I received from members of staff, and the specialised Careers Adviser. I would recommend Barclay to any Year 6 pupil as I don’t think any other school could have prepared me better for my future!”

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The The Barclay Barclay School School Walkern Walkern Road, Road, Stevenage, Stevenage, Herts Herts SG1 SG1 3RB 3RB Headteacher: Headteacher: Debbie Debbie Upton Upton Tel: Tel: 01438 01438 23 23 22 22 21 21 Email: Email: admin@barclay.herts.sch.uk admin@barclay.herts.sch.uk Website: Website: www.barclayschool.co.uk www.barclayschool.co.uk Follow Follow us us on on Twitter: Twitter: @TheBarclaySch @TheBarclaySch

Believe! Achieve! Exceed!

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