Thetford Academy Prospectus

An Inspiration Trust Academy

We care, we share, we dare to do more

I am delighted that you are considering joining our community at Thetford Academy. We have a vibrant school with a lot to offer our students, and we are committed to ensuring that children who come to our school have a fantastic experience here.

We offer a rigorous academic curriculum taught by expert teachers who care deeply about their subjects and who want to inspire your children to become curious about the world in which we live. Our modern classrooms and extensive grounds include all of the facilities that we need to teach this curriculum to a high standard.

In addition to our academic curriculum, we offer our students an excellent range of opportunities that go well beyond the classroom. Extracurricular activities are an integral part of our school day, with all students choosing from sports, arts and hobbies. Whether your child wants to play competitive netball, or sing in one of our choirs, or develop green fingers in our school garden, there will be something for everyone.

All of this is based on having a school where students are well-behaved, polite and friendly, and we work very hard as a school to hold students to these high standards. As you walk around our school, you will find a calm and purposeful atmosphere where students feel safe and cared for by our staff.

Michael Fordham, Principal

Our Vision

Thetford Academy is a school at the academic and cultural heart of our community. We teach our pupils a curriculum that provides them with a thorough understanding of the world in which we live, an appreciation of what is amazing and beautiful, and preparation for the challenges we face.

We welcome our pupils into a range of cultural pursuits in sports, crafts and the creative arts. We achieve all of this by teaching our pupils to develop a set of values and habits that allow them to contribute to our community in Thetford and beyond. This means that we teach our students to be polite, considerate, hardworking and disciplined.

Partnership with Parents

We work in close partnership with parents and provide regular access to progress data as well as the opportunity to come into school to meet and speak to teachers about the progress their child is making.

Communication between school and home is critical to ensuring the right support is given to enable the student to make outstanding progress. Our Assistant Head of Year is a full-time member of the support staff and is parents’ first port of call should they need to contact the school.

Supporting Pupils Through Every Step

At Thetford Academy, we aim to support our students in all aspects of their school life. We support them socially, emotionally and academically to prepare them for their next steps.

Thetford Academy is a large school with a ‘small-school’ ethos where each pupil is supported and valued as an individual. Your child will begin to get to know our staff during their time in Year 6, with regular visits to their primary school and the opportunity to meet their Form Tutor before they arrive at the school.

This culminates in our week-long induction where Year 6 students attend Thetford Academy for a week in July, with fun activities in music, dance, cooking, sports and a range of academic subjects.

The purpose of the transition period is to: Introduce students to their form tutors Meet other students

Reassure students and parents alike that they will be well cared for when they arrive at the academy

Ask academy staff any questions.

Once your child starts at Thetford Academy, you will be invited to a ‘settling in’ evening at the school in September where you can talk to staff about your child’s first few weeks in the school. Potential parents are encouraged to visit the school for a tour with the Principal or another senior member of staff.

Our Curriculum

Our curriculum covers a diverse range of subjects to help each student find their passions, and tailor the choice of subjects to their particular strengths.

Students at Thetford Academy study a rich curriculum covering a range of academic disciplines, creative and performing arts, and technical and vocational subjects. All of these subjects are taught by our knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers who work hard to bring their subject to life.

In Years 7, 8 and 9, students study Art, Computing, Drama, English, Food Technology, Geography, History, Maths, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, Science and Technology. When you make your application, you will be given the option to choose between studying French or Spanish.

In Years 10 and 11, all students study Maths, English, Science and Physical Education. In addition, students select four subjects from a wide set of options, including Art, Business Studies, Computer Science, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, Engineering, Geography, Health & Social Care, History, Hospitality & Catering, Music, Photography, Psychology, Religious Education, Sport Science and Sociology. French and Spanish are options, and we also offer “Spanish for Portuguese Speakers”.

The Thomas Paine Sixth Form offers an impressive range of qualifications for students in Years 12 and 13. Please see p.16 of this prospectus for more information or pick up a copy of our Thomas Paine Sixth Form prospectus from reception.

Relationships and Sex Education is taught to all year groups in an age-sensitive manner through a combination of drop-down days, tutor time sessions and assemblies.

Where students show a particular talent for a subject, we provide additional tuition and opportunities to enable them to study the subject to the highest of levels, including the chance to participate in wider programmes such as the Brilliant Club. Triple Science and Further Maths qualifications are offered to our most able students. We also provide extensive support for students who need to catch up, including one-to-one literacy tuition with our full-time literacy teachers.

Our Subject Leaders work closely with the Inspiration Trust curriculum team to develop high-quality teaching materials that benefit our students at Thetford Academy, as well as the many students across the Trust.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities are a key part of life at Thetford Academy and, through our Enrichment Programme, all students participate in clubs once a week, enabling our students to pursue their passions and interests.

In addition to their PE lessons, all students can choose to participate in sports clubs, including football, rugby, netball, basketball, table tennis and more.

Performing arts provision is very strong at Thetford Academy. In addition to curriculum lessons, all students have the opportunity to join performing arts clubs including choirs, bands, instrumental groups, cheerleading, dance and school productions.

In addition to sports and performing arts, the school facilitates a wide array of hobbies including:

Archaeology

Bike maintenance

Chess Climate

Gardening

Knitting Journalism

Mindfulness

Photography

Sign Language

Survival skills

Tabletop gaming.

There is a club that will be of interest to everyone.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s 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’s 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.

The DofE Award is active and popular at Thetford Academy, and we offer students the opportunity to complete the award at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels during their time at the school. Training and expeditions are run in-house and led by our experienced and dedicated staff with a passion for outdoor pursuits.

Music Matters at Thetford Academy

The Inspiration Trust strongly believes in the power of music to enhance lives, both through the sheer pleasure of listening to and enjoying music, and through the discipline of individual and group playing and singing. As part of our extended Arts and Culture Programme, pupils have the opportunity to take part in a variety of plays, concerts and music competitions.

As part of our commitment to music education, we also offer our students a range of peripatetic lessons with our highlyskilled and experienced team of visiting

Music Teachers - these include piano, guitar, singing and drum lessons. Learning to play an instrument helps students to develop cognitive and social skills, expand language and motor skills, as well as help build determination and patience. Plus, it is fun!

Our pupils are encouraged to participate in numerous Trust-wide music competitions and Inspiration Trust has made a pledge to have a full orchestra or musical ensemble in every one of its schools by 2027.

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.

Facilities

Situated on the outskirts of Thetford, our school sits on extensive and wellmaintained grounds, and is surrounded by beautiful woodland countryside.

Our sporting facilities at Thetford Academy are some of the best in the region, with large playing fields suitable for a number of sports including football and rugby, a sports hall, a well-equipped fitness suite, tennis courts and a playground.

Our modern building enables our students to explore their interests and passions without barriers. Our technology department houses 3D printers and laser cutters, we have two catering level kitchens, state-of-the-art science laboratories and a sound-proof music producing studio. Our dedicated dance and drama studio provides a fantastic rehearsal space, and we have an auditorium for performances.

There are multiple opportunities for students to have their moment in the spotlight, with productions ranging from the pantomime Puss In Boots and the musical Grease to Shakespeare’s Comedy Of Errors.

Our art department has a kiln, which enables students to try ceramics, and a photography studio where students can explore film development.

The department also hosts annual exhibitions which showcase the artistic talent of our students.

At Thetford Academy, we encourage our students to learn a musical instrument, whether it be classical instruments as part of our string ensemble or jazz band to modern instruments. We have a multitude of instruments available for use, and have close links with the Thetford Music Project, as well as a programme of Visiting Music Teachers (VMTs) offering individual and small-group tuition in a range of instruments at a significantly subsidised rate.

“

The most unique part of The Thetford Academy is the behaviour system - it is very good and you always feel welcome.

PUPIL

School Trips

Our recent trips have included attending musical performances at the theatre, as well as Manchester City Stadium, and Parliament.

We have also recently organised for our students to visit Iceland and Poland. These opportunities include working as part of a team, representing peers, developing listening skills, improving self-confidence and public speaking, and leading on putting these ideas into action.

Our House System

All students at Thetford Academy are part of one of four Houses, and have the opportunity to earn points for their House over the course of the year, with awards and prizes available throughout the year.

Our Houses are named after groups of people who settled in the Thetford region over the centuries. These are:

Angles - the Angles were a group who moved from Germany to the Thetford region in the fifth century. They spoke Old English and gave Thetford its name. By the sixth century the Angles had created a kingdom that covered the whole region called “East Anglia”.

Danes - the Danes came from Scandinavia and are sometimes called Vikings. Danes settled in East Anglia in the ninth and tenth centuries. The Danes brought the Old Norse language to the region and introduced words such as “husband” and “skill” to the English language.

Iceni - the Iceni were a group who lived in the Thetford region at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain. They spoke a language related to what we now call Welsh. A famous Iceni queen was Boudicca who rebelled against the Romans.

Normans - the Normans came from the north of France and conquered England after 1066. The Normans brought the French language with them and this merged with Old English and Old Norse to create the modern English language we have today. The Normans were famous for their castles and church buildings, such as Thetford Priory.

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.

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 Thetford 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.

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.

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.

School Meals

At Thetford Academy, lunch takes place over two sittings. This prevents overcrowding at the canteen and allows all students to have the opportunity to sit down to eat their lunches.

Lunch is an important part of the day, with all students staying on-site to enjoy their meal.

Our canteen offers freshly made hot and cold meal options daily. Alternatively, students can bring a packed lunch from home.

The first lunch sitting is for Years 7, 9 and 11 and runs from 12.50pm to 1.20pm, and the second lunch sitting is for Years 8 and 10, from 1.20pm to 1.50pm.

“I am 100% pleased with Thetford Academy. I’ve watched my daughters flourish at the school. Their confidence has grown and they are given so many great opportunities (trips and competitions). If I ever have any issues or queries they are dealt with swiftly & satisfactorily.

PARENT

Pupils are happy and enjoy their time at The Thetford Academy. Pupils take part in many clubs and programmes, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Pupils appreciate being able to learn a musical instrument.

OFSTED

Thetford Academy has a timetable made up of five one-hour lessons each day, plus break and lunch time. The school day runs from 8:35am everyday and finishes at 2:50pm on Monday and Friday, and at 3:50pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Our Uniform

Our uniform is smart and we want our students to take pride in their appearance.

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 excellent educational establishment.

Our uniform is not gender-specific and students have the opportunity to add badges reflecting their participation and achievement in the school. Our uniform includes:

Black blazer with Thetford Academy logo

Thetford Academy tie

Formal plain white shirt (short or longsleeved) with stiff collar for wearing with a tie. Shirt sleeves rolled down. Top button done up and always tucked in.

Black trousers or knee-length pleated skirt or plain, pleated or flat fronted, formal school style skirt down to the knees, not stretchy.

Black/dark-coloured socks or thick/ opaque black tights to be worn with a skirt

Plain black, flat, formal, leather-type sensible shoes that are polishable.

Our uniform is supplied by Stevensons, one of the country’s largest uniform specialists. Uniform can be bought in person at their store in Norwich, or online.

To find out more, visit our website.

Preparing our Students for their Next Steps

As students progress through the school they receive a great deal of advice and guidance about their developing plans for the future.

As a school, we are fully compliant with the national Gatsby Benchmarks for careers education. We have a dedicated Careers Advisor who is on hand to meet with students to discuss future programmes of study and routes into employment.

Our Careers Programme includes careers education sessions for Years 7- 13 as part of the tutor programme and assemblies. These sessions include career guidance, information, research activities, CV writing sessions, interview techniques, mock interviews and making life choices. These enable students to develop individual career planning.

We regularly host events in school focused on different career routes, including our annual Careers Fair where national and regional employers and training providers attend the school to talk in person with students about what possibilities exist.

In Year 10, all students have additional sessions where they hear from a variety of guest speakers who have worked in different sectors, as well as learning how to manage their finances and to look after themselves once they have left home. Work experience is available for students in Year 10 and in sixth form.

Post 16 Provision and Sixth Form

Our students have opportunities to pursue A-Level courses at some of the most prestigious sixth forms in Norfolk, including our very own Thomas Paine Sixth Form.

Thomas Paine Sixth Form is situated at Thetford Academy and provides a diverse range of courses and qualifications for secondary students from the academy, as well as other local secondary schools.

A distinctive feature of our sixth form is our Leadership Programme. All students in the sixth form follow a dedicated programme led by a specialist member of staff focused on becoming a future leader in the fields of

Business, Community, Creative Arts, Sport and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Their chosen programme includes additional qualifications, and opportunities for work experience and networking in their sector.

Students from our sixth form have gone on to high-quality university courses including recent successes at Russell Groups universities such as Cambridge, Manchester

and York. We have excellent links with local universities including the University of East Anglia, Norwich University of the Arts and Anglia Ruskin University. For those students who do not go on to university, we support them with applications to apprenticeships and employment.

The social life of our sixth form students is vibrant and, in addition to the opportunity to participate or lead in whole-school extra-

curricular activities, they also have their own clubs and social events held throughout the year. The Thomas Paine Sixth Form has its own dedicated facilities including a café, common room and independent study room.

To find out more and apply, visit our website thomaspainesixthform.org.

SEND Support

At Thetford 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 a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND) then you will have the opportunity during the application process to meet with a member of our SEND team to discuss the needs of your child and any adaptation the school needs to make. The school offers a wide range of interventions to support students with a SEND, and this provision is reviewed with parents on a regular basis.

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

At The Thetford Academy we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our young people.

To achieve this we ensure the continuous development and improvement of robust safeguarding processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding within our staff and volunteers.

We expect all our staff to undertake a full enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. For further information on how we keep children safe, please see our safeguarding policy.

Thetford Academy is a diverse community and we welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and we will challenge all forms of prejudice. Similarly, we do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment and we work hard to educate our students about age-appropriate and consensual relationships.

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 Thetford 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 - thethetfordacademy.org/admissions

Admissions Team, County Hall

Martineau Lane

Norwich NR1 2DL

We are part of Inspiration Trust, twice ranked the country’s top family of comprehensive schools for pupil progress

Telephone: 0344 800 8020

Email: admissions@norfolk.gov.uk

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