Welcome to King Edward VII Academy. Founded in the sixteenth century, our school has been a beacon of academic excellence and tradition for over 500 years, where generations of students have embarked on a journey of discovery and achievement.
Nestled in the heart of King’s Lynn, our historic campus blends the charm of its Grade II listed building with state-of-the-art facilities, providing an inspiring environment for both academic and personal growth.
Our
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Supporting Students Through Every Step
At King Edward VII Academy, we aim to support our students in all aspects of their school life, including socially, emotionally and academically, preparing them for their next steps.
New students joining KES Academy in Year 7 enjoy a structured programme of transition days. During this time, parents also have the opportunity to come along to meet the students form tutors and staff members.
We offer an intensive support programme that includes school visits, tours of KES, and opportunities for additional transition.
The purpose of the transition period is to:
Introduce students to their form tutors
Meet other students
Ask academy staff any questions
Reassure students and parents alike that they will be well cared for when they arrive at the academy.
We aim to work with parents and carers to help our students flourish and develop into accomplished, cultured young adults over their time with us. Our new students have:
An allocated pastoral support adult
An allocated SEND key worker
Opportunities to partake in the house system at KES prior to starting in September.
All new pupils will work closely with existing pupils within the academy during their transition period and into their first term.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
At KES Academy we are continually developing and improving our childcentred approach to emotional health, wellbeing and mental health. We aim to foster an ethos that promotes mutual respect, learning and successful relationships among young people and staff.
We strive to create a culture of inclusiveness and communication that ensures all young people’s concerns can be addressed to provide a safe environment which nurtures and encourages young people’s sense of self-worth and self-efficacy, reduces the threat of bullying and violence and promotes positive behaviour.
The curriculum provides young people with the information they need to make good decisions about their health and wellbeing, recognise issues in themselves and others and, when issues arise, seek support as early as possible from appropriate sources.
Through our PSHE programme and our daily seminar time, we promote positive behaviour, enable our students to develop empathy and British Values, understand healthy relationships and reduce disruptive behaviour and bullying. We are passionate about the role physical health has in supporting mental wellness, as part of the Rise Above project we further develop leaders to support peers.
We have a strong and vibrant Anti-bullying Team and promote inclusivity through our LGBTQ+ services and Young Carers group.
At KES Academy we aim to provide a structured school environment with clear expectations of behaviour which are regularly reset to ensure clarity, understanding and consistency. We have well-communicated social norms and routines, which are reinforced with highly consistent consequence systems which ensure support is available at all times.
Our staff bring a wide range of experience and skills, to share in planning, training and supervision. Mental Health Professionals support our team and provide guidance, training, resources and signpost support from their particular experience of working with children and young people.
Our Curriculum
At KES Academy we are passionate about the power of a knowledge-rich curriculum as the foundation for education.
Every student is also allocated to one of four Houses which students represent through participation in termly competitions and fundraising events.
The curriculum is ambitious for all, yet inclusive and accessible. It focuses on engaging, rigorous teaching with a high level of literacy and seeks to inspire our students through the delivery and mastery of powerful knowledge.
Our Houses are named after famous personalities who have made a significant positive contribution to society, culture and community, and were chosen through a whole-school vote in Summer 2021:
Subject curricula are sequenced so that knowledge is built not only hourly, but weekly, termly, and across students’ time at KES so that foundations are secure and students can apply this knowledge to any context. We value academic excellence, and our students are rewarded for this both within the Academy, and outside, with our highestachieving A-Level performer having the opportunity to meet the King.
Attenborough (Green) - named after Sir David Attenborough, broadcaster and natural historian and environmental spokesperson.
Obama (Blue) - named after both Barack and Michelle Obama, former President and First Lady of the USA respectively, each being the first African-American in these roles.
Our taught curriculum is underpinned by eight House Values – Empathy, Determination, Creativity, Self-belief, Passion, Teamwork, Honesty and Respect.
This allows us to ensure that all students move to their chosen destination equipped to take their place in the modern world as responsible and thoughtful young people who can make a difference. We value personal excellence as equal to academic excellence, and our students are given a wide range of opportunities to excel, through the curriculum and our extensive enrichment offer.
Our enrichment offer includes House competitions across all disciplines, and many opportunities for educational visits both in the local area and beyond. Community is important to us, and we seek to reflect on and challenge our local context through the activities we provide in school.
Our curriculum covers a broad range of subjects at Key Stage 3, including STEM subjects and the arts alongside core subjects of English and mathematics. This allows students to discover their strengths and passions before choosing from a range of GCSE and vocational qualifications at Key Stages 4 and 5.
Our Subject Leaders work closely with the Inspiration Trust curriculum team to develop high-quality teaching materials that benefit our students at King Edward VII Academy, as well as the many students across the Trust.
Extra-Curricular Activities
King Edward VII Academy has a strong commitment to the added value of learning outside the classroom and beyond the academy’s premises. We seek to provide a broad and balanced range of learning opportunities outside the classroom for all students.
Each year the academy will arrange several activities that take place off the academy site and out of academy hours, which support our aims. The range of activities to which the governing body has given its approval includes:
Regular local visits (places of worship, swimming, other local amenities)
Day visits for particular groups
Residential visits
Overseas visits
Adventure activities.
We have a unique relationship with King’s Lynn Town Football Club that allows our students to combine studies with an outstanding coaching programme. Students are given the opportunity to play in the Under 19 National League.
To find out more, visit our website: www.kesacademy.org.uk/football
Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is the world’s leading achievement award for young people, aged between 14 and 24. It aims to create a world where young people can reach their full potential whatever their circumstances. Their ethos is to enable every young person of every background to do their DofE and succeed, regardless of any barriers.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award provides a balanced programme of activities that develops the whole person – mind, body and soul – in an environment of social interaction and teamworking.
Taking part builds confidence and develops self-esteem, and the award requires persistence, commitment and has a lasting impact on the attitudes and outlook of all young people who take part. We work closely with The National Citizens Service and Camps International to enable students to volunteer locally and internationally.
Our History
King Edward VII Academy is a wellloved school and has been a beacon of educational excellence in Norfolk since the Sixteenth Century.
King Edward VII Academy has passed through several different incarnations since its founding in 1510 by a prosperous merchant who wanted to invest in the future. When the school moved to its present site, it was entirely appropriate that it should be named after the King who opened the new buildings and always took a keen interest in its achievements.
The school’s Grammar traditions live on but are complemented with the inclusive approach of a comprehensive school. For over 500 years the school has had the motto Crescat in horas doctrina “let them hourly increase in learning”. As an educational establishment, what better way to sum up the aims of the school - for all it’s students to hourly increase their learning, free from interruption.
Our alumni has seen academic success at all levels. Every year King Edward VII Academy sees record numbers of its students achieve
their first choice university, from Oxford to Cambridge to Exeter and Leeds. Dr Thusin de Silva who received an MBE this year for his work in the department of infectious diseases, was a student at King Edward VII Academy for 7 years.
Every year the best performing student in King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form is awarded the Royal Gold Medal, a tradition that was established by the Prince of Wales in 1865. The schools unique relationship with the Royal Family sees the selected scholar, accompanied by the students family and the Principal, attend Sandringham where he or she is presented with the Gold Medal by the Sovereign.
King Edward VII Academy has an amazing past with a rich history, and it is carving a new future that celebrates the old and new. The schools recent collaboration with King’s Lynn Football Club brings exciting new opportunities to its Sixth Form. The school promotes academic excellence but offers pathways for all its students.
Our House System
Our House system is engrained in our history, and is a major part of our schools ethos, linking closely to all aspects of life as a student at King Edward VII Academy.
Students are placed into a House upon arrival to King Edward VII Academy. Our four Houses are:
Lancaster School
Edinburgh York
Keene Thoresby
Gloucester Windsor
Our House System celebrates its links with many notable men who contributed to King Edward VII Academy’s unique and outstanding achievements, integral to everything that we do, the values it represents and the opportunities it provides.
At the heart of KES Academy lie our House Values which are integral to academy life. Our shared values are Teamwork, Empathy, Passion, Creativity, Determination, Self Belief, Honesty and Respect and all students are provided with opportunities to excel in all these areas throughout their educational experience.
Our values are strengthened by the wide range of leadership opportunities we provide from Form Leaders to Prefects to Sports Captains and many more. We are fortunate in having an extensive and ever-increasing range of clubs available from art to chess, homework club and karaoke on a Friday, all
of which serve to develop our students’ sense of self, sense of belonging and enable them to gain character and cultural capital.
House art & design challenges have proved very popular additions with GoGo Dinosaurs in 2020 enabling our students to create ‘Doris’ as part of the Norwich trail. House maths challenges get high levels of participation and are created by older students. New events introduced include dodgeball, handball, gaming, designing, raising money for charity events, and science experiments! Annual events totalling nearly one hundred, are the substance behind our House System belief of “giving all students the opportunity to have a moment”. Each half term, we reward achievement, progress and excellence. The House system ensures regular contact for pupils and access to competition, across the year groups.
Pictured right: The triumphant School House in 1954.
Music Matters at King Edward VII Academy
As an Inspiration Trust school, the value placed on the importance of music is extremely high, with us withholding a trust-wide belief that all students, no matter their circumstance, should have the opportunity to learn, play and perform music.
This commitment is evidenced through us heavily subsidising music tuition for our pupils, hiring an in-house team of Visiting Music Teachers, and providing free instruments to pupils who may not have had the opportunity
to take up the extra-curricular activity otherwise.
As part of a trust that has led the way for music education, we understand how important music is for helping students to develop cognitive and social skills, expand language and motor skills, as well help build determination and patience. Plus, it is fun!
Our students are encouraged to participate in numerous trust-wide music competitions, including Battle of the Bands, Piano Competition, and the Annual Music Competition.
Every year our students get to take part in our trust-wide Carol Service.
An annual tradition, the Carol Service sees pupils from all across our sister schools - primaries, secondaries and sixth forms - join forces to perform a series of traditional carols and hymns in the winter term.
Always a big calendar event, the Carol Service is a fantastic opportunity for our students and staff to showcase their brilliant musical capabilities, whether through playing instruments or singing, while getting to perform in an iconic location.
The Carol Service is a fun Christmas event that always makes for a lovely family evening.
Musical Aptitude
We are delighted to offer Music Aptitude places to Year 7 students joining us each September.
As we are passionate about music education at King Edward VII Academy and the Inspiration Trust, we allocate up to 10% of places available in Year 7 to children who demonstrate an aptitude for music at KES Academy. Children who wish to be considered for an aptitude place will sit a musical aptitude test.
Music Scholarships
Those pupils who gain admission to King Edward VII Academy via a music aptitude place become a music scholar and receive extra benefits.
We value music education and want to encourage musical young people. We know that musical opportunities are not always easy to find, so aim to create them for you. We understand that the whole school community benefits when musical people choose our school.
Music scholars receive all the benefits of being a pupil at our school, plus the following additional benefits:
2x free instrumental/vocal lessons per week (if you don’t already play the piano, one of these will probably be a piano lesson)
Your music exam fees will be paid
A piano accompanist will be provided, where appropriate
Termly masterclasses with the Inspiration Trust’s Director of Music
A nominated scholarship mentor in your school
Regular performance opportunities
Regular opportunities to attend highquality performances.
To find out more and apply, visit our website.
Taking Part in Trust-wide Sports Competitions
At Inspiration Trust we pride ourselves on our sports provision which not only includes a nationally-recognised sports curriculum, but includes half-termly trust-wide sports competitions.
These competitions include football, athletics, swimming and rugby, and sees us working in partnership with brilliant local organisations such as the UEA Sportspark and The Nest in order to offer our students the very best facilities in which to compete. The atmosphere at these events is always described as electric!
Through taking part in sporting competitions our students are given the chance to shine outside of the classroom and learn vital skills such as the importance of team work, determination, patience and perseverance.
Secondary Olympiads
All pupils have the opportunity to be involved in our trust-wide Olympiads. These see pupils compete in competitions within their favourite subjects, allowing them to shine in areas where they are gifted.
One of our strategic aims is to ensure each and every child fulfils their potential. We believe this potential is not only reached through academic success, but through wider opportunities such as competitive programmes.
It is also proven that taking part in sport encourages higher standards of achievement, improves cognitive function and improves overall well-being through having fun and making friendships.
Whilst outstanding sports provision is often overlooked within the state sector, all of us at KES Academy believe it is a core part of what every pupil should expect from their time in education and we are proud to deliver that.
Our Olympiads cover everything from maths and modern foreign languages through to geography and computer science. They help children learn about teamwork and morals, and offer a fun, alternative way to explore the subjects they love.
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I feel the teachers personalise their teaching strategies depending on where you’re at with your learning, getting the best outcome for us as students.
STUDENT
The Academy Day
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Our school week is made up of 28 taught periods of one hour, plus break and lunchtime. Each day begins with a 25-minute seminar time where key messages are shared with students. On Monday and Friday students have five sessions, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday there are six taught sessions.
Weekly seminar slides introduce career ideas and opportunities to all pupils from Years 7 to 11. Careers interviews focus on supporting pupils to independently access the platform START to track their career journey through education and support transition points. A wide range of Student Leadership opportunities ensures our young people
can develop wider skills and support their community in a variety of ways from prefects to anti-bullying and we are a member of ABA and LGBT+ Norfolk. Our students also choose to regularly collect food donations for the local food bank and support local charities and the wider community.
Our Uniform
We encourage our students to take pride in their appearance and to be proud of belonging to KES Academy and so to represent the school by their uniform in the wider community outside school.
We believe good standards of dress and personal presentation promote a positive attitude to work and behaviour whilst identifying students to the local community and future employers as proud members of a high quality educational establishment.
Our official uniform supplier is Stratfords, King’s Lynn.
Our uniform includes:
Plain grey tailored trousers in a traditional style or plain grey knee length in a traditional style skirt.
Plain white shirt with a collar Navy blazer with the KES Academy logo embroidered on the breast pocket
An academy House colours tie
Plain dark socks/tights
Black formal shoes; trainers, canvas shoes or shoes with sports logos are not permitted.
Navy jumper with academy logo (optional)
For more information, please visit our website kesacademy.org.uk/uniform.
Preparing our Students for their Next Steps
We begin a student’s career journey in Year 7 where we help and support students to understand themselves, their interests, likes and dislikes, what they are good at and how this affects the choices they make.
King Edward VII Academy has an excellent record of supporting students’ destinations. Year on year, 100% of our students exiting Key Stage 5 have gone on to employment or further study. At all transition points our students are given support to make decisions for their future.
All students have access to one-to-one sessions with a Guidance Advisor to support with impartial information gathering
and applications. In addition, students have access to university workshops, presentations about apprenticeships and a variety of encounters with local employers, ensuring that they are well-informed and prepared for their next steps.
King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form
At King Edward VII Academy Sixth Form we understand how to get the best from our students and have a rich history of doing so.
We know that students want a balance of support and freedom, where they are guided to find their own path and ideas.
We have an excellent record of supporting our students to become successful and achieve excellent examination results. This combined with the excellent pastoral support students receive has meant that many of our students go on to university success.
As well as being an exceptional place to study and achieve A-Levels, we offer a
variety of extra-curricular activities, with opportunities to develop skills in problemsolving, leadership, speaking in public and confidence building. Students can take part in Leadership courses, Sports Teams, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the EPQ qualification, Charitable Organisations, our House System and the opportunity to go on overseas trips to America and China.
To find out more, please get in touch or visit our website kesacademy.org.uk/sixth-form
SEND Support
At King Edward VII Academy we are committed to ensuring that learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school and are able to thrive academically and socially.
If your child has an identified special educational need or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the first step is to talk to our SENCO, who can give you an overview of the kinds of reasonable adjustments and provisions which are typically made for learners with SEND at King Edward VII Academy to ensure that they can access the curriculum and enrichment opportunities.
Once your child’s place at King Edward VII Academy is confirmed, we will discuss your child’s barriers to learning with you and your child in detail. We will also talk to your child’s current school and any other professionals working with your child. Together we will draw up a plan with short-term targets
focussed on your child’s special educational needs. The plan will include provisions that reduce your child’s barriers to learning as well as strategies that your child’s teachers can use in lessons. Learning Plans, provisions and targets are reviewed on a termly basis with both you and your child and adjusted as needed to reflect their changing needs. If your child has an EHCP, the short-term targets will be linked to the EHCP outcomes.
For more detailed information about what our academy does to support learners with SEND, please read our SEND Information Report on our website.
Pastoral and Safeguarding
Every student matters as an individual and we ensure we identify and support each and every student’s needs.
Our pastoral system provides support for each child, from their form tutor to the senior leader in charge of removing barriers to learning. Academic mentoring is provided to students to help them to achieve their goals.
We support our students to be kind, work hard and take pride in formal structures that include the students form leaders, and prefects. Our view is that it is important that
students enjoy and engage in their learningand have their views listened to.
At King Edward VII Academy we are committed to keeping our students safe and happy. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead ensures that effective support is provided to pupils that need it and our strong pastoral system ensures that all students are well known and their needs understood.
The Admissions Process
Most students join us at the start of Year 7, however we do accept students mid-year or into other year groups when we have capacity to do so. Applying for a place at King Edward VII Academy is straightforward and as with all secondary schools in Norfolk is organised through Norfolk County Council.
The process tends to begin in the autumn of the year prior to when the student wishes to start with applications closing at the end of October. Norfolk County Council then allocates places with offers sent out at the beginning of March. Should more students apply than we have places, spaces will be allocated based on our admissions policy of which can be found on our website - kesacademy.org.uk/admissions.
Admissions Team, County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich NR1 2DL
Telephone: 0344 800 8020
Email: admissions@norfolk.gov.uk
We are part of Inspiration Trust, twice ranked the country’s top family of comprehensive schools for pupil progress
