SEDGEFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CONTENTS:
A Warm Welcome
Why we are an Excellent Choice
A Warm Welcome from our Headteacher
Ethos & Values
Exceptional Exam Success
The Sedgefield Curriculum
Personal Qualities, Skills and Cultural Capital
Wellbeing Matters
Our Approach to Supporting Students with SEND
Excellent Student Behaviour
Our Attendance Policy
Homework
Enrichment Activities
A Typical School Day
School Facilities
School Bus Timetable
Our Uniform School Meals
Contacting the School
- Laidlaw Schools Trust Manifesto
A WARM WELCOME
At Sedgefield Community College we understand moving to secondary school is a significant change for students and families. For those students who will join our school community, we will do everything we can to make sure that the transition to our school is a smooth and positive experience for you all. At every stage of the process, we are here to help in any way we can. This booklet is to inform you about daily life at Sedgefield Community College and highlight key information that will help you to make an informed decision about whether or not we are the right school for you.
You can also visit our school website for more details: sedgefield.laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
We are very proud of our school and the excellent educational experience that we provide for all of our students.
We look forward to welcoming you to SCC so you can see for yourself what makes our school so special.
WHY IS SEDGEFIELD COMMUNITY
COLLEGE AN EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR YOUR CHILD?
We hope that our prospectus helps you to appreciate why SCC is the right school for your child:
A school that has consistently been one of the highest attaining and achieving secondary schools in the entire region in external exams over recent years.
A school where our students are being supported to develop exceptional personal qualities and become experts in using cross-curricular skills.
A school that has exceptionally high standards that help us to ensure our students are happy and benefit from a wide range of experiences that go beyond their lessons.
A highly skilled and resourced pastoral team, including a nonteaching Year Manager for each school year and other key staff such as those supporting our school counselling service.
A unique and highly effective model for Teaching and Learning that has received widespread recognition.
A school that was first judged as ‘outstanding’ in all categories by Ofsted in 2017 and was visited once again by Ofsted in May 2022 who confirmed the school continues to be ‘outstanding’.
Please do also visit our website, where a wide range of additional information is available that tells you more about our school: sedgefield.laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk
SEDGEFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Sedgefield Community College is a school where our exceptional staff body work tirelessly each day to ensure all of our students can reach their full potential. At times, this involves raising the aspirations of our children and helping them to realise that they have a capacity for excellence that they may not themselves fully appreciate. Our vision statement is summed up by the phrase ‘Achieve at Sedgefield’ and we know that through the partnership between school and home, we can make this vision a reality.
We do have exceptionally high standards for all of our students at SCC. These high standards permeate all aspects of school whether it be attendance, behaviour, uniform, positive manners or effort and application in lessons. We understand that we must maintain these standards for all, but appreciate that it is also our role to provide the additional support that is sometimes necessary, in order for this to happen. Children who are happy, supported and excited by learning are best placed to thrive and a strong partnership between home and school is crucial here. Our aim is that all students should leave the school as highly qualified, confident and articulate young adults. During their time at our school, we want our students to develop the wider skills and personal qualities that are necessary to achieve their dreams in the future. We want to make sure that our young people are fully prepared to take their place as global citizens in the modern, technological world.
Sedgefield Community College has been a highly successful school not mean that we ever take this success for granted. We continue t approach, listening and acting upon feedback and recognise that th measure ourselves against the very best practice and educational s our region and far beyond.
Selecting the school that your child will attend is an important dec we want to support you in making. We hope that this prospectus h flavour of what Sedgefield Community College is about and what i happy school that recognises the importance of developing all asp the young people who are entrusted into our care.
We are very proud of our school and the excellent education we p for all of our students. We warmly invite you to visit SCC so you c better understand why we believe we are the right school for you
Paul Fleming, Headteacher at Sedgefield Community College
ETHOS & VALUES
At Sedgefield Community College, the word ‘Achieve’ underpins our desire to support all of our students to reach their full potential during their time with us. It represents our determination for students to succeed in all of the different aspects of life at our school, whether it be reaching their full academic potential in the classroom or being the best that they can be beyond it.
In order to support our students to achieve, we promote a number of core values that are shared across all schools in the Laidlaw Schools Trust. These values describe the personal qualities we want all of our young people to develop during their time with us.
To communicate these qualities in a simple and memorable way that everyone can understand, they are expressed in seven words that start from A to G:
AMBITIOUS -
The first LST value is for our young people to be ‘Ambitious’. At SCC this means that we work hard to raise the aspirations of all of our students, helping them to understand their full potential and fostering the linked desire to realise this in full.
BRAVE -
The second LST value is for our young people to be ‘Brave’. At SCC this means that we want our young people to have the courage to make the right choices that will enable them to be successful and to always do what they know is right. We focus on developing the skills and wider knowledge that gives our young people the confidence to know that they can succeed.
CURIOUS -
The third LST value is for our young people to be ‘Curious’. At SCC this means that we encourage our students to think deeply and to ask questions. We design our curriculum and programme of wider activities in a way that exposes students to the wider world, developing their ability to think deeply about this.
DETERMINED -
The fourth LST value is for our young people to be ‘Determined’. At SCC this means that we want our students to learn how to ‘keep going’ when others might give up, recognising the benefits of persisting to reach the desired outcome. We focus on teaching the children strategies that allow people to keep going when it is difficult.
EXTRAORDINARY -
The fifth LST value is for our young people to appreciate that they are all ‘Extraordinary’. At SCC this means that we maintain high expectations for all and deliver a broad curriculum, supported by a wide range of extra-curricular activities, that provides all of our students with opportunities to excel.
FAST -
The sixth LST value is for all of our young people to be ‘Fast’ when necessary. At SCC this means that we want our students to have the skills and confidence to move quickly when there is an opportunity to take advantage of. We don’t want our students to be left behind!
GOOD -
The seventh and final LST value is for our young people to be ‘Good’. At SCC this means that we want to ensure our students have a strong sense of moral purpose and to be kind, compassionate and tolerant of others. We teach our children to make the ‘right’ choices at school and for the rest of their lives.
A SCHOOL JUDGED TO BE OUTSTANDING
BY OFSTED
Ofsted are the organisation that are responsible for the inspection of all schools. In 2017, SCC was judged by Ofsted to be an ‘outstanding’ school for the first time. We were visited once again in May 2022 and were delighted when Ofsted confirmed that we continue to be an ‘outstanding’ school – the highest possible judgement. We would invite you all to read the full inspection report available on our website, but key comments are shared below:
“Sedgefield Community College is not just a community in name only. Pupils and staff feel this is a place where they are safe, happy and valued. Pupils trust that staff have their best interests at heart.”
“This is an environment where pupils are being moulded to be positive citizens and to achieve their very best.”
“Pupils’ behaviour around school is impeccable. Pupils treat each other with courtesy and respect. They act maturely and are polite to visitors. The atmosphere around school is calm yet purposeful.”
“This school celebrates difference and equality. Pupils strongly feel that they are taught to respect people from other backgrounds.”
“Leaders have created a curriculum that is highly ambitious in its aspiration for what all pupils will learn. Leaders carefully balance academic success alongside building pupils’ character.”
EXCEPTIONAL EXAM SUCCESS
As a school, we are committed to supporting students to achieve their full potential and this does include excellent exam results. These qualifications support our students to be successful in whatever they choose to do in their future lives. Sedgefield Community College has consistently been one of the highest achieving and attaining secondary schools across the entire region. We have enjoyed a consistency of success over many years that is extremely rare.
For further detail about the brilliant results of children at SCC over recent years, please head to the link below:
https://sedgefield.laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk/24/keyinformation/category/27/performance-and-results
A
MEMBER OF THE
LAIDLAW SCHOOLS TRUST
Sedgefield Community College joined the Laidlaw Schools Trust in March 2020 and being a member of the LST has supported our school to continue its development since this time.
The Laidlaw Schools Trust is comprised of a mixture of primary and secondary schools based across our region. Being part of an academy trust creates opportunities to collaborate, share best practice and learn from one another too. In short, being a member of the Laidlaw Schools Trust has and will enable SCC students to achieve more than ever!
One very tangible benefit of being a member of the Laidlaw Schools Trust is an initiative called ‘Laidlaw X’. Thanks to the Laidlaw Foundation, our students benefit from some additional funding that is intended to be spent in a way that makes a difference and allows us to do things that would not otherwise be financially viable. In simple terms, this funding allows Sedgefield Community College to give our students access to a greater range of experiences and opportunities than would typically be possible for a secondary school. For example, activities such as our Y7 outward bound residential visit are supported by this additional financial support.
students study Digital Literacy during their time at Sedgefield Community College.
THE SEDGEFIELD CURRICULUM
Where necessary, we also make significant and innovative adjustments to the
specific students or groups of students. Our priority is always to provide the c enables our four stated aims to be achieved. Where a bespoke curriculum of this ensure it is still as broad, balanced and aspirational as possible.
PERSONAL
QUALITIES, SKILLS AND CULTURAL CAPITAL
INEVITABLE PROGRESS –
THE WAY WE TEACH
This approach to teaching and learning is founded on the belief that every student can make exceptional progress and that it is the role of teachers to find a way to make sure that this is ‘inevitable’.
Our outstanding staff team embraces this challenge and we have an ethos where teachers are passionate about the ongoing development of their teaching practice.
‘Inevitable Progress’ was first developed at Sedgefield Community College and the collection of teaching and learning strategies was initially called The Learning Box. The effectiveness of this ‘toolbox’ of strategies has been integral to the success of the school over recent years and has resulted in both regional and national recognition.
This opportunity to work with colleagues in other schools has given us the opportunity to continually reflect upon and improve our own approach. Over the years, the school has been asked to support many other schools in the region in order to share our exceptional practice.
Whilst informed by the latest educational research, ‘Inevitable Progress’ looks to distil this into practical strategies that teachers can employ and which will support students to learn deeply and then be able to retain and apply their knowledge and understanding effectively in the future.
From September 2025 onwards, our students have access to their own school iPad that can be used in the classroom and at home. The device is used as a tool to support more effective learning and particularly by making this learning accessible to all and also by supporting high quality assessment and feedback.
WELL-BEING MATTERS...
Above all else, the well-being and happiness of every child who attends Sedgefield Community College is our primary concern. Whilst we are confident that we can maximise every child’s learning potential and ensure that this will result in high achievement, we are equally confident that we can provide a safe and caring environment in which each child that joins our school can flourish and grow. We recognise that for both parents and children, joining a secondary school can be a daunting experience. It is entirely natural that your child may feel nervous and they should be reassured that this is understandable. However, we know from experience that the caring ethos that is shared by all adults at Sedgefield and the structures that we have successfully created makes the transfer from primary to secondary school highly effective. When we speak to our Year 7 students during the autumn term, asking them about their transition experience, the feedback each year is overwhelmingly positive.
We undertake a comprehensive transition programme that is led by a non-teaching Year Manager and supported by many other staff. We ensure that families have all of the information that they need and the process culminates in a transition experience where our future students visit our school during the summer term of Y6. This is an incredibly positive experience and helps to minimise any worries that the children (and adults) may have about the move to secondary school.
Sedgefield Community College operates a Well-Being Room which Year 7 children can attend at lunch time to make new friends. They can also speak with their tutor, Year Manager or other members of staff if they are experiencing any friendship difficulties.
WHAT IS OUR APPROACH TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH SEND?
At Sedgefield Community College, our aim for every student is to support them in reaching their full potential and to make excellent progress in every sense of the word. Our approach to meeting the needs of any students with SEND at Sedgefield is a highly effective one and this is based on the excellent progress that these students have made at our school over an extended period of time.
We appreciate that there are many excellent schools in our area who meet the needs of SEND students exceptionally well and do so using very different approaches. With this in mind, it is helpful to provide additional detail about the approach that works effectively at Sedgefield and this supports parents and carers to make an informed decision as to whether or not it is an approach that will be successful for their child.
Our starting point in supporting students with SEND is to recognise that all young people are different and they will need an individual plan that is appropriate to their needs. Alongside this, it is our approach to look to ensure that all students with SEND are able to access the broadest and most ambitious curriculum that is possible and appropriate. We look to educate all students in ‘regular’ lessons whenever it is possible to do so, only using withdrawal when there is a specific and typically short-term reason for doing so.
We invest heavily in the development of ‘quality first’ teaching in the school and the primary form of support for all students will be that which is provided by the classroom teacher. We adjust the number of students in a class based on the specific needs of the children and this then gives the teacher the opportunity to spend additional time with any students who may require this.
We do have a team of Enhanced Teaching Assistants and these are attached to the small number of classes where we have students who may require an additional level of support beyond ‘quality first’ teaching alone. Typically, we will find that these ETAs are used more with our younger students and we aim to decrease the reliance on this form of support for our children as they move through the school, making sure we are preparing our young people for adult life. Even in the younger year groups, we avoid using an ETA in a way that they are attached to one individual very closely whenever possible. Instead, we work hard to support all of our young people to become increasingly independent as we prepare them for what comes next after school.
The transition from primary to secondary school can be challenging for lots of children, including those with SEND and often even more so for their families. Strategies that work effectively in a primary school environment do not work in the same way in a larger school with 1000 young people. Even more importantly, some approaches that work very well for a child between the ages of 4 and 11 are no longer the right ones for a young person between the ages of 11 and 16. For the families of young people with SEND, we understand that there may be anxieties at the scale of the new school and this is understandable. When there are anxieties, we recognise that each young person is an individual and we need to work with the people at home, who know their child best, to plan for how best to overcome these. We all share a common desire to support our children to have the best possible experience of secondary school and experience tells us that we are best able to achieve this when home and school work in a close and positive partnership.
EXCELLENT STUDENT BEHAVIOUR
All students are expected to follow our school expectations in and around the college and behave in a manner which is conducive to learning. Our expectations for all of our students are listed below:
1. Follow all staff instructions at the first time of asking.
2. Speak to everyone politely, demonstrating exceptional manners.
3. Follow basic school rules relating to areas such as uniform, jewellery and the use of phones.
4. Never act in a way (spreading rumours, calling names, etc) that is likely to hurt or upset anyone.
5. Never behave in a way that has the potential to disrupt the learning of others.
6. Arrive punctually to all lessons, moving sensibly around the school at all times.
Meeting these expectations consistently allows all of our children and staff to enjoy attending a settled and happy school where everyone is safe and supported. We create a positive culture that supports all of our students to have enjoyment and excitement for learning.
We use our ClassCharts system to reward students for their positive behaviour in lessons and they are able to receive up to two ‘praises’ in each lesson. Across the year, we celebrate the achievements of our students in high profile rewards assemblies and our annual summer rewards visit. As well as this, we operate our own school ‘Rewards Shop’. At regular points in the year, students will be able to ‘spend’ the ‘praises’ that they have achieved through their excellent behaviour on a wide variety of products and experiences.
EXCELLENT STUDENT BEHAVIOUR
Running alongside the 'Praises' system for good behaviour is the 'Consequences' system for inappropriate classroom behaviour. Through the effective operation of this system, we experience very few issues and student behaviour is excellent. There are five key areas of classroom behaviour that are likely to be the underpinning reasons for a ‘Consequence’ being given and these are:
1. Interruptiing the learning process (e.g. arriving late to lessons / talking when the teacher is talking).
2. Preventing other students from working in any way.
3. Failing to work as instructed by your teacher, including a failure to follow a direct instruction.
4. Aggressive language or behaviour.
5. Dangerous behaviour. Consequences can result in a lunchtime detention as well as home being informed.
Students are allowed to bring a mobile phone handset to school, however this must not be used or seen while your child is on the school site. If you need to get in contact with your child during the school day please contact the main school office on 01740 617777.
OUR ATTENDANCE POLICY
Sedgefield Community College’s policy on attendance is quite simple. Every student is expected to attend on every occasion the college is open. The only acceptable exception is when illness or injury is so serious that it prevents the student from attending school. Every absence at Sedgefield Community College is followed up and checked. Our aim is to ensure that our students have high levels of attendance which in turn enables them to take full advantage of the educational and wider opportunities on offer at Sedgefield Community College. By doing everything we can to support your children to enjoy coming to school, the attendance across the school is excellent.
Our Attendance Officer or Year Manager will communicate with you directly if they have concerns regarding your child’s attendance.
Parents are asked to let the school know of any absence by telephoning (01740 617777) before 8:15am. After the period of absence and on return to school, please give your child a signed and dated note confirming the length of absence.
If the school is unaware of the reason for your child’s absence we will make every effort to contact you on the first day your child is absent either by telephone, text, email or by letter.
From September 2013, parents no longer have the right to request leave of absence for their children for an annual holiday. The amendments to the 2006 Pupil Registration Regulations make clear that Headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.
ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES...
We have extensive enrichment opportunities available for our students. Our range of activities will give our students the chance to achieve, meet new people, try new experiences and support their academic progress.
We operate an extended school day each Wednesday that all students attend. Between 15:05 and 16:05, students will have opportunities to take part in many different learning experiences during the year as part of our Wednesday Super Curriculum!
SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES WE HAVE OFFERED PREVIOUSLY INCLUDE:
- Arts & Felts Crafts
- Bake Off
- Book Club
- Computer Gaming
- Dance
- Debating Club
- Drama - Fitness
- Language Detectives
- Movie Club
- Numerous sporting activities
- Parkour
- Science Club
Our Year 7 outward bound residential is a visit offered to all pupils when they arrive at Sedgefield, as part of their induction programme. In addition to these opportunities, we also provide an extensive range of opportunities for pupils to represent Team Sedgefield through inter school competitions. Some of our teams include, football, netball, dodgeball, rugby, athletics, cross country, table tennis, badminton, cricket and squash. We are always looking to expand the experiences we provide and look forward to exploring new opportunities if we think our pupils will benefit from these.
A TYPICAL SCHOOL DAY
Students are expected to be on the school site by 8:40am.
08:45 - 09:05 Tutor time
09:05 - 10:05 Lesson 1
10:05 - 11:05 Lesson 2
11:05 - 11:20 Break time
11:20 - 12:20 Lesson 3
12:20 - 13:05 Lunch time
13:05 - 14:05 Lesson 4
14:05 - 15:05 Lesson 5
WEDNESDAY ONLY
15:05 - 16:05 SCC Super Curriculum
SCHOOL FACILITIES
MAIN SCHOOL BUILDING
GROUND FLOOR:
• Art
• Dance
• Design Technology
• Food Technology
• Music
• Physical Education
• Science
FIRST FLOOR:
• Digital Literacy
• History
• Maths
• Modern Foreign Languages
TEACHING AND LEARNING/ANNEXE
GROUND FLOOR:
• Geography
• Religious Education
FIRST FLOOR:
• English
We enjoy exceptional facilities at Sedgefield Community College and notably those for creative, practical and sporting subjects that require specialist spaces such as our dance studio and photography suite.
In addition to our internal facilities, we also enjoy fantastic external sporting facilities such as our 3G football pitch and tennis courts.
SCHOOL BUS TIMETABLE
Sedgefield Community College is an extremely popular school, with students often travelling a considerable distance to attend. Therefore, the school in partnership with Durham County Council endeavours, where possible, to ensure that school buses are made available for those who wish to travel by bus. Students who do not qualify for free travel from Durham County Council can apply for a seat via the special Sedgefield Community College travel scheme:
https://sedgefield.laidlawschoolstrust.co.uk/35/college-transport
During the 2025/2026 academic year, bus routes operated from the following towns and villages: Bishop Middleham; Bowburn; Coxhoe; Deaf Hill; Ferryhill; Fishburn; Mainsforth; Stillington; Trimdon Colliery; Trimdon Grange; Trimdon Village; West Cornforth and Wynyard. This is subject to change.
OUR UNIFORM...
At Sedgefield we aim for the highest standards for all students. We want all of our students to attend in full college uniform in order that they can be recognised as belonging to Sedgefield and take pride in their appearance and in their college. This includes:
We advise that school uniform be marked clearly with your child’s name. School uniform is available from Rawcliffe’s, 36 Prince Regent Street, Stockton, TS18 1DF Tel: 01642 636650 or via their website:
https://www.rawcliffes-stockton.co.uk
SCHOOL MEALS...
We operate a cashless system which helps to ease queuing and avoids pupils having to carry money in school. It is a system that works very well for all of our students.
Our seasonal menus are changed twice a year. We use fresh ingredients, providing a varied choice of healthy homemade dishes. Daily choices include two main dishes (one vegetarian) and lighter options such as baked potatoes, sandwiches, salad/pasta boxes, wraps, and paninis. A fresh salad bar is available daily to encourage healthy choices. All our dishes are allergen tested.
If you have a special dietary requirement, we will be happy to plan and provide a school menu that meets your needs.
CONTACTING THE SCHOOL
We hope that our prospectus and the additional information available via our website has helped you to understand why Sedgefield Community College is such an exceptional school. If you do have any additional queries or questions, we will be happy to respond to these.
