Big School Black Country 2022

Welcome to Big School –your comprehensive guide to the next step of your child’seducation.

In this magazine you will find detailed advice on how to choose the perfect secondary school for your son or daughter This is wherethey will spend alarge proportion of the next five years and that’s why it’ssoimportant to find aplace where they will be happy and thrive.

Our guide details all of the factors you will need to consider when comparing different schools as well as information on the application process. It is also vital that you spend time researching the admission criteria for your area as some schools can often be over-subscribed.

At the same time you will want to ensurethat you know the options available to you if you choose to appeal an unsuccessful application.

Thereare also useful tips to help your

child preparefor lifein Year 7and to make it easier forthem to settle in at secondary school so it’sassmooth atransition as possible. This includes the uniform they will need for the classroom as well as options for their lunchtime meals and how they will travel to school each day

Thereisalso aspotlight on the broad range of schools across the region that are ready to welcome you to their open days over the coming months.

The guide also looks to the futureand the qualifications your child will be working towards over the next few years as they continue their education. And thereisalso informationonhow you can get involved in their secondary school by becoming a member of the PTA.

Starting ‘big school’ is ahuge milestone for both your child and you as parents and carers and we wish you all the best for the future.

Taking thenextbig step in your child’seducation

It probably seems like it was only yesterday that your child started school, but now it’stime to think about the next step.

Choosing the perfect secondary school for your child can feel daunting as it’sone of the most difficult decisions that you ever take as aparent.

It is important to thoroughly research all of the options available to you so you find the best fit for your son or daughter when they start Year 7.

Youwill want aschool wherethey are encouraged to achieve and reach their full potential.

Councils allow parents to make up to six preferences of schools, depending on whereyou live, with the final decision made according to the criteria set by the local authority,orindividual schools.

Although this can feel like alot of pressure, how you end up choosing your secondary school preferences will probably be very similar to how you found your child’sfirst school –with some of the same factors influencing your decision.

And remember –getting this next step right can help them on the way later in life and in their futurecareers.

Youmight be wondering whether you want acommunity school or an academy? Do you want to pay for aprivate education or send your child to agrammar school?

During this important decision-making process you will be looking at schools to see what teaching and sports facilities they offer pupils. Youwill no doubt also be examining the results they go on to achieve, as well as the support offered inside and outside of the classroom.

Now they areolder,your child will probably have views on wherethey want to go, which you will no doubt want to take into consideration.

Youmight want to consider whether the school caters for the things your child is interested in and what opportunities therewillbefor them to develop these interests further

Think about the ethos of the school –does it match your own cultureand values?

Morethanlikely they will want to go wheretheir friends aregoing.While this probably shouldn’tbethe sole reason for choosing aschool, if your child struggles to make friends and you think they will find it difficult going alone then it can be a worthy consideration.

Above all, you will want to be able to ‘see’ your child fitting in there.

Proximity will always come in to play as nearly all schools will use this as one of the main criteria when considering applications.

So you might have acertain school as number one on your preference list but it will depend on how many other parents have applied and how close they aretoits gates.

Having siblings already attending the school already will also give applications extra weight.

This means it’sessential to research your options well –soifyou miss out on your preferred choice you will be wellinformed on the others.

What canyou do to help your childsettlein?

The transition from primary to secondary school is avery exciting step, but it is also often adaunting time for children and parents alike.

As adults, we oftenremember our own first day experiences –the butterflies in our tummies about the day ahead but also the excitement about all of the new experiences to be had and the friends to be met and made.

Every child is different: some will be champing at the bit to get started while others will feel anxious and uncertain. This is completely normal, but it is important to talk to your child to see how they are feeling and talk through any worries they might have.

Common worries include:

n Feeling daunted by the size of their new school and worried that they might get lost

n Not having the ‘right’ uniform or equipment

n Not being in the same class s or school as their friends from primary scchool

n Having different teachers for r diff f erent subjects

Hereare some practical things you can do to support your child:

n Practise the route to and froom their new school to ensureyou u both feel confident that they’ll know how to get thereand back safely.Ifthereare other children attending from the same primary school or area, perhaps look at whether they can travel to and from school together

n Look at the website for their r new school –thereislikely to be lots of useful information on theresuchasschool day

times, lunchtime arrangements, uniform and equipment lists and lunchtime and afterschool cllub timetables.

n Help youurchild to pack their schoool bag with everythinngthey need for their firsstday then build aroutinnewiththem so theeyknow what to pacckeach evening in p preparation for schhool the next day y

n P Practise getting into o their school uniform. If your child isn’tconfident with tying atie, theennow is agood timetopractice!

n Checkthe s school’smobile

phone policy.You may wish for your child to have their phone when travelling to and from school but it’slikelythey will need to turnitoff and put it in their school bag beforethey enter the school gates. Knowing this in advance will avoid any unnecessary sanctions.

n Talk through clubs they might like to join or activities they might want to get involved with e.g. joining the football team or learning to play amusical instrument. Getting involved with clubs from the start is agreat way to make friends and build confidence and independence.

Remember,this is the start of atruly exciting journey –one which will see your child grow into ayoung adult. They will make mistakes along the way –and it is important that they know that this is simply part of the learning process –but, ultimately they will flourish, becoming confident, kind and courageous members of society

ClareCrick, Associate Assistant Principal at St Peter’sCollegiate Academy,offers tips for parents preparing children for secondary school

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

n Will my childautomatically transfer from primaryinto secondaryschool?

No, thisisnot thecase. All applications have to be considered in linewiththe admissions criteria forthe school they areapplyingto.

Thereisnormallynoprioritygiven to children attendingprimary schoolsassociatedwithparticular secondaryschools.

n What is thedeadlinefor applicationstobesubmitted?

Applicationscan be done by post or online. Theclosing date for secondaryschoolapplicationsis statutory andisOctober 31

n What happensifIsubmitmy application afterthe deadline?

Unless therewere special circumstanceswhich stopped you from applying beforethe closing date,thenyourapplication will only be considered afterthose that were receivedbeforethe deadline.

If therewere special circumstances, then supportive evidencemustbeprovidedatthe time of your application

n What happensifIdon’t complete andreturnan application form?

Your childmay not be allocateda school placeuntil allthose who didhavebeenofferedplaces.

It is then possiblethatyour preferredschools will be toofull to admityourchild

n When will I find outwhich school my childhas been allocated?

Offerletters,oremails, will be sent outtoparents on March1, 2023.

Theapplication process explained

Applying to secondary school for the first time may seem abit daunting, so it helps to fully understand the process.

Letters will be sent out by councils detailing the steps you need to take. They always encourage parents to apply online, but paper applications will be available if you prefer.

Each council co-ordinates admissions for all maintained schools in its area and will make the offer of places.

Up to six choices can be stated on the admissions application, depending on whereyou live, in order of preference and they can include schools outside the area in which you live.

Places arenot allocated on afirstcome, first-served basis. All schools will consider applicants on an equal basis and parents areadvised to put forwardmore than one choice.

Also, all applications will be considered against the admissions policy of the school concerned, regardless of which borough or county the child resides in.

The entrance criteria will depend on how the school is run –whether it’sthe council, governing body or atrust

Faithschools are, as with other

maintained schools, required to offer aplace to every child who applies, regardless of their faith, if thereare places available. But wherethe school is oversubscribed, these schools allocate places by reference to faith based on their admissions criteria.

If achild meets the criteria for two or moreschools included on the application form, they will be allocated aplace at the school that the parent ranked highest.

For community or state schools, first priority is given to children in public care, or those who have been adopted or become subject to achild arrangement order or special guardianship order

Second priority will consider children with a‘serious ongoing medical condition’ and thirdpriority is given to children who have asibling or half sibling or stepbrother/step sister,living at the same address and who will still be attending the preferred school in September 2023.

Any places that remain available once the above applicants have been admitted, will be filled according to those children who live closest, determined by a straight-line measurement in metres, from the home address to the entrance of the school.

Whichtypeof schoolis rightfor your child?

These days thereare many different types of school that differ in how they arerun and funded as well as what they teach.

Gone arethe days of it being asimple choice between agrammar school and a comprehensive. Now thereare many types of schools, run and funded in different ways.

n State schools, also known as community schools, aremanaged and funded by the council. The local authority employs all of the staff, owns the land and buildings, and sets entrance criteria. Pupils follow the National Curriculum and the council provides support services that may be required for students, such as psychological and special educational needs. Students tend to be from arange of different backgrounds and have a mixtureofabilities.

n Almost two thirds of the country’s secondary schools areacademies. They arerun by agoverning body and are independent from the local council, with funding coming from central government. Academies control their own admissions

process and have morefreedom in the classroom as they can opt out of the National Curriculum.

They also have morepower over pay, length of the school day and term times. But this freedom means thereisnormally no support, management or oversight from the local authority n Free schools arefundedbycentral government, but can be set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts and religious or voluntary groups.

They wereintroduced as away to drive up standards through increased competition and hand power to parents and teachers to be able to create anew school if they wereunhappy with the state ones in their area. They areexempt from teaching the National Curriculum.

To receive funding they must teach English, mathematics and science and ‘make provision for the teaching of religious education’. They arestill subject to inspections by Ofsted. If you’reinvolved with founding afreeschool, your children areguaranteed places. Morethan 300 free schools have opened since 2010, teaching morethan 150,000 pupils across the country

n Private schools, also known as independent schools, charge annual fees instead of being funded by the Government. Many offer scholarships or bursaries based on assessment tests so it’sworth looking into whether this is an option. They can be offered to academically bright children or youngsters with aspecial talent, such as music or art. These schools arefreetoset their

own curriculum, but must be registered with the Government and areinspected regularly.They tend to offer high-quality facilities and class sizes arelikely to be smaller

n Aboarding school provides education for pupils who live on the premises, as opposed to aday school. Thereare approximately 500 boarding schools across the UK. Children benefit from small classes and heightened interaction between students and their teachers as well as abroader range of extra-curricular activities.

n Grammar schools have been around since the 16th century,but the modern model was created as aresult of the Education Act 1944. It was all decided by an entrance exam –the 11-plus –which is still around today.Pupilswho passed went to grammar school, those who didn’t went to secondary modern. Today,there arestill around 160 grammar schools across England. Aban preventing new grammars from opening has been in place since 1998. These schools tend to have astrong focus on academic achievement and select pupils on the basis of ability through an entrance exam taken at the start of year 6.

n Faith schools can be different kinds of schools, such as community,freeschools or academies, but areassociated with a particular religion. They have to follow the National Curriculum except for religious

studies, wherethey arefreetoonly teach about their own religion. Anyone can apply for aplace.

n At Foundation schools, the land and buildings areowned by agoverning body, who arealsoresponsible for running the school, employing staffand providing support services. Pupils have to follow the National Curriculum.

n Voluntary-aided schools tend be mostly religious or faith schools. Just like foundation schools, the governing body employs staffand sets entrance criteria. This means it has asubstantial influence on how the school is run. School buildings and land areusuallyowned by acharity, often achurch. They follow the National Curriculum but may teach religious education according to their own faith.

n Voluntary-controlled schools areacross between community and voluntary-aided schools. The council employs staffand sets entrance criteria.

The difference is that school land and buildings areowned by acharity, often achurch, which also appoints some members of the governing body Voluntary-controlled schools arealso required to follow the National Curriculum. n Co-operative trust schools, are becoming morepopular.Although funded by the council, they aresupported by acharitable foundation, which means they can set their own admission arrangements.

Helpingpupils preparefor the worldofwork

n University TechnicalColleges (UTCs) aregovernment-funded schoolswithaSTEMfocus

Throughtheir associationwith employersand universities, throughproject-based learning, andthroughafocus on technical subjects,UTCsbridgethe gap betweenthe world of education andthe world of work.

Today, thereare 48 UTCs open across England, educatingin theregionof17,500students, andsupportedbymorethan400 employersand universities.They aim to preparestudentsfor future careers in industries such as engineering,healthcare, social care andscience.

They offerasecondary-age education forKey Stage4and Key Stage5withsomestartingearlier at KeyStage 3.

n Some schools, academies and colleges specialise in vocational subjects andoffer bespoke curriculums to help studentsonthe waytotheir chosen careers.

Some have aSTEMorhealthfocus, whileothersspecialise in thelikes of music, danceand performing arts andbroadcastmedia.Students canchoosearange of subjects that arerelevanttotheir chosen future careerand cantakeadvantage of industry-standardfacilities.

Thesespecialist schools, academiesand colleges workin partnershipwiththe industries so that studentsare able to applytheir learning to theworld of work

There arealsoStudioSchools, whichseektoaddress the growinggap betweenthe skills andknowledge that youngpeople require to succeed,and thosethat thetraditional educationsystem provides. They areusually small schoolsfor 300students; andwith year roundopeningand a9-5 working day, they feel more like a workplace than aschool.

Help with meetingcosts of privateschooleducation

Many parents will rule out fee-paying schools for their children because of the costs involved.

But most independent schools, often known as private schools, will offer financial assistance in the form of scholarships or bursaries for pupils.

Fee-paying schools tend to have small class sizes, excellent exam results and a good recordofentry to top universities.

Many devote asignificant amount of time to cultural activities, like art, drama and music, and most offer awide variety of sporting opportunities. They may also offer moreteachers per 100 pupils, pastoral careand provision forspecial needs.

Scholarship and bursary applicants will usually need to prove that they are very able and demonstrate the need for monetary support. It is estimated that almost athird of pupils educated in the private sector receives some form of financial assistance in the form of a scholarship or bursary

Not only do schools want to attract the most talented students, but many are also realising that having abroad social mix which reflects our society is incredibly important. This is why many have funding available for pupils whose families areon lower incomes.

According to the Independent Schools

HOWTOAPPLY

n TheIndepenentSchools Council website allows youtosearchbyschool feeassistanceand otherrequirements toosuchaslocation,age range, day andboarding.

n Once youhavelocated aschool,

Council, the total value of means-tested bursaries and scholarships provided by schools has increased by over £195m since 2011, and currently stands at £455m per year

Scholarships arenot usually meanstested, but areinstead based on the child’sabilities in aparticular area. They areusually available to pupils who arevery strong either academically or in music, sport or art.

Some scholarships offer other benefits such as extra coaching or tuition, additional trips, tours and mentoring for the duration of the pupil’stimeatthe school.

Bursaries aremeans-assessed on a financial basis and will requireaparent or guardian to complete adeclaration to establish whether the student meets the necessary criteria. This is usually re-assessed each year that the bursary

contactthe admissionsoffice to find out what financialsupportisavailable n If your childwillbeapplyingfor abursary,it’sworth checking what information,suchas financialrecords, youwillneed to provide.

is required. The school looks at what it is reasonable for you to affordand sets afee accordingly

Some schools areable to offer greater bursary provision than others and they can cover up to 100 per cent of fees.

They can also help with costs which arenot included in the normal school fee, such as uniform and school trips.

Thereare also charitable grant-making trusts who can help offer financial support to those who need it most.

They include The Royal National Children’sSpringBoardFoundation which provides bursaries to help disadvantaged children attend state or independent boarding schools.

Both scholarships and bursaries can be awarded to children at the same time.

For moreinformation about the different types of support available, visit www.isc.co.uk

Bigmoveissteep learning curvefor theparents too!

My son Jenson is 12 and an only child, so Ifound it hardtocometoterms with how quickly my son has grown up and how his primary school years seem to have just flown by.

If Icouldtake astepback in time I certainly would and really relish those younger years, although with working full time it is difficult to juggle everything.

Ialready had afriend whose son had joined secondary school the year before, and she was definitely my ‘go-to’ on the right and wrong things to do when preparing Jenson for the transition to ‘big school’, even down to what colour bag that most of the boys had and that they weren’tallowed velcroshoes!

After finding this advice really useful, a group of us who have children at Jenson’s school, recently set up aFacebook group for parents and prospective parents so that they don’tfind themselves in the same situation and they can ask questions about the new school year ahead. This is also agreat way of parents making friends and keeping in touch too.

Starting secondary school is not just asteep learning curve for children! BeforeJenson started therew lots of things Iwished I’d known.

One thing was how expensive things can be, from school trips to school lunches –which can be anything up to £5 aday He needed lots more equipment, not to mention the uniform, and with having to buy anew pair of shoes pretty much every term, because he loves football and plays at breaktimes, the costs soon mount up.

The main thing Ihave discovered during Jenson’sfirst year

is how independent school expected him to become in such ashort space of time. Although this is good thing in the long run, you still see them as your baby and it can be hardtocome to terms with.

Another thing is how they need to manage their time better too, so that they dedicate enough time each week to their homework.

During this first year,Jenson has changed massively as aperson. Notonly has he grown, but he has become so much moreindependent. He can now hold an adult conversation and knows how to get from A to Bifhis dadand Ican’tbe around after school.

He is also now holding conversations with us on what he wants to do when leaving school and is already looking at options for when that time comes.

Primary school is definitely run differently from secondary school. The school Jenson attends has aparent login that you can access daily,soyou can see the daily/weekly timetable,

if they areinlessons, their attendance and behaviour and, moreimportantly,the homework that is set, so you can keep track.

One vital piece of advice Iwould give toparents is to do your homework before making your choices for secondary school to ensurethatthe school fits with your child’sneeds and expectations.

If they aresporty,does the school offer enough opportunities to allow them to take part in the things that they enjoy?

Learning is massively important obviously,but they also need to enjoy other activities too.

Jenson thoroughly enjoyed primary school and so when he first stepped through the ‘big school’ doors, it was a whole new world. With himnot having theeasiest of transitions, due to Covid, he found it hardatfirst. This wasdue to the expectations on him and how big the school is compared to primary with lots morepupils and from different areas.

However,hehas made so many new friends –ones that have similar interests as him such as football, but also discovering that he enjoys other things too such as cooking, cross country –the list is endless.

Colette Clark, whose son Jenson has just finished his first year at secondary school, gives her view on the move to big school

What to do if youdon’t get your firstchoiceschool

It’sinevitable that not everyone will get their first choice of secondary school. And while you will be keeping your fingers crossed that your child gets aspot, you should be prepared in case your wish doesn’tcometrue.

Popular schools will be oversubscribed so it’simportant to remain realistic when waiting to hear if you’ve been successful. Also, it’svital to spend some time preparing yourself in case you want to appeal acouncil’sdecision.

It may well be that you arehappy to accept aplace at aschool further down on your list if you believe it is still agood option for your child.

But if you feel the decision made is not reasonable or the procedurehas not been followed correctly then you arewithin your rights to appeal.

Your case will be heardbyan independent appeals panel and the system allows you to argue that thereare extra reasons why your child deserves a place at your top choice.

For anyone considering appealing the

decision, hereissome moreinformation on the process:

n What arethe first steps? Parents areadvised to accept the place you have been allocated regardless of whether you want it –this is asafety net to ensureyou have aplace for September if the appeal is unsuccessful. It can always be rejected at alater date if aspace becomes available, or if the appeal is upheld.

Then you should contact your preferred school to be put on awaiting list should the school have one. This may happen automatically but it is always worth checking that it has been done. This could remove the need for an appeal hearing if aplace is freed up by other means, such as achange in circumstances for another pupil.

n How is an appeal lodged? Parents should lodge their intention to appeal with either the local authority or,ifit’safree school or academy,the governing body Details of who to contact, instructions for beginning the appeal process and the deadline will normally be provided with the

place offer letter sent to you by the council. If morethanone school declines to admit your child, you areallowed to make separate appeals.

n What happens next? If you think there aregoodreasons why your child should go to your preferred school, then you can present your case to an independent appeal panel.

Focus on positive reasons why your child needs to attend that school as opposed to the allocated one. Don’tjust state why your child should not go to the allocated school. This might include the pupil’sspecific talents if the chosen school has specialist science or language facilities.

It is recommended that parents take along evidence such as school reportsto backupthe argument.

n What happens at the hearing? Appeals must be heardwithin 40 school days of the deadline for making an appeal. Either the school or council will give you at least 10 school days’ notice of the hearing. The panel is usually made up of three to

five members of the public –both with and without experience of the education system.

Local authorities recommend that you provide evidence of why your child should attend your first choice and why it would be bad for them to go to another school.

The school will also present its case for why it cannot take extra children and why it would be bad for the school if they had to.

Youwill be able to pose questions to their representatives so think about what you may want to ask in advance.

Members will listen to both cases and ask questions. During the hearing, the panel will also check that the school’s admission arrangements comply with the Schools Admissions Code. If the admissions criteria arelegal and were properly followed, the panel must decide if they werefollowedfairly and thoroughly

If they weren’tproperly followed or are illegal, your appeal must be upheld. If your appeal has not already been upheld, the panel will decide if your reasons for your

child to be admitted outweigh the school’s reasons for not admitting another child.

The result is sent by post within seven days and the decision is legally binding –it can only be overturned by acourt.

If successful, your child will be allocated aplace at their preferred school regardless of the class size.

n What happens if Ilose the appeal?

If the appeal is unsuccessful you can still put your child’sname on the waiting list in the hope of aplace becoming available. Thereisplenty of time for circumstances to change by September as families may move out of the area meaning spaces can free up.

But understand that you can move both up and down awaiting list. If afamily was to move into the area and be closer to the school, they could go above you.

If you’reunhappy about the way the appeal process was carried out, you can complain to your Local Government Ombudsman. They can recommend anew appeal, but they can’treview or overturn the appeal panel’sdecision.

IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND ABOUT OTHERSCHOOLS

It’s easier said than done but it’s worthremembering to keep an open mindthroughoutthe applicationprocess.

If it doesn’tall go to plan,thenyou will need to remainpositiveabout theschoolyourchildhas been allocatedbecause that will make it easier forthem.

Children pick up on your mood andiftheyknowyou’reunhappy with theirschoolitcould affect howtheysettlein.

Concentrate on allofits positive attributes. If youare still feeling uncertain, contactthe school to arrange avisit andspeak to staff to allayany fears. Touringthe site forthe firsttimeorsecond,ifyou attended an open day, mayhelp you see it in anew light.

Also,rememberthatyouropinions andprioritiesmay well change andthe reasonswhy youruled the school outmay not matter so much in thefuture.

Youmay be worried about how youare goingtomanagewithyour childattendingaschoolfurther away but then find it easier than youwere expecting.

Maybeyou areconcerned about previousperformance figures, but then see test andexamresultsstart to improve.

It’s also very likely that afteryour sonordaughterstartsyou come to realiseitwas thebest fitfor them afterall

CONSIDER

ON ANYSPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDSOFACHILD

Allchildren have aright to be educated in mainstreamschool. Some mainstreamschools have specialunits attached to cater forchildren with particular types of need,suchasautismorvisual impairments.

Such units offerchildren the opportunity to spendsome time in amainstreamsetting, butalso to receivespecialist teaching Your childwillneed an EHCP (an education,healthand care plan)to be considered foraplace in one of theseunits

There arealsomaintainedspecial schoolswhich arestate-run andfor children with more complexneeds that cannot be met in mainstream. Your childwillneed an EHCP to be considered for aplace

Non-maintained specialschools arerun privatelyorbycharities, some of whichare residential. Asmall number of children with an EHCP maygotoone of theseschools,where it hasbeen establishedthatnolocal school canmeettheir needs. In thecase of thistypeofschool, theonusis on theparents to provethatno otherschoolcan meet theirchild’s needs.

TheBritish Dyslexia Association recommends checking the school’s prospectusand asking for acopyofits SpecialEducational NeedsPolicy(SEN).Itsuggests that parents askifthere arespecial needsstaff with qualificationsin SpecificLearningDifficulty(SpLD) andwhattrainingdoall staffhave.

Theorganisation also suggests findingout whetherthere is a choice of foreignlanguages that includesmoredyslexia-friendly languages.

It recommends that youand your childmeetthe staff whowill give specialist help and find out what subjects thesupportwillbe available in.

Getting afeelfor anew school

Attending an open day is one of the best ways to let your son or daughter get afeel for anew school.

Many will offer guided tours and theremay also be the option to view a virtual tour on the school’swebsite. Open days areusually held in September and October,but most schools will allow parents and children book an appointment to visit if they can’tmake ascheduled event.

During an open day,you’ll be able to visit classrooms, and often pupils will show you around and talk to you about their school. Parents will probably be invited to hear atalk by the headteacher, the head of admissions or the head of the relevant section of the school.

Looking around the school will also enable you to discover morethan you would if you just read the prospectus. It’s an opportunity for you to speak to the staff, pupils, and the headteacher

Feel free to ask questions if you want to, particularly of pupils –whatdothey think of the teaching? do they enjoy life at the school?

Look at the work on display.Does it representabroad range of ability?

Does the school offer extra-curricular

activities –suchassports and clubs –so your child candevelop their interests?

This also shows that the teachers are motivated and enthusiastic. It will help you to really get asense of what it is like and how it operates on adaily basis.

Make sureyou have afew key questions to ask in order to get the most out of the visit –you might want to find out how many children areinaclass, or how the school deals with bullying.

Often current pupils will be drafted in to show prospective students around their classrooms and this will give agood insight into what life is like at the school.If they areenthusiastic and motivated then this agood sign that they arehappy

The events will also showcase what extra-curricular activities, such as sports and clubs, areonoffer.

Remember to ask about transport will your child have to make their own way there, or arethere buses? Find out about the lunch arrangements –are therehealthy school meals available and what do they cost? What arethe other options, such as taking apacked lunch?

Make notes and watch your child’s reactions and ask them what they thought. Above all, listen to your gut instinct.

Make most of chance to sample secondaryschool

The transition from Year 6toYear 7 can be alittle daunting for students and parents.

When Year 6children say goodbye to primary school, it marks the end of an era in their educational journey.Asit’ssuch abig change for them, pupils areoften given the opportunity to sample secondary school life beforethey begin Year 7.

Once you’ve accepted your child’s place next spring, the headteacher will often invite your son or daughter to one or moretaster days, normally before the end of the current school year.

This day will give your child the chance to experience anormalday at the school as away of breaking them in and relieving anxiety over the summer holidays. They may also get the chance to meet other children from different primary schools so they can start getting to know their new classmates.

It will also give them the opportunity to find out wheretheir form room,canteen, lockers and

toilets arelocated as it’slikely they will not remember this from when they attended the open day.This will make their first day easier as they will already have arough idea of the layout of the school.

The main aim of the taster day is to help make the transition from primary school to secondary school as smooth as possible.

During the summer holidays, their new school may give them tasks to complete beforethe new term begins. Some also provide activity ideas such as recipes to

try that will be similar to what pupils will be learning in food technology or simple science experiments they can do at home to give them ataster of what their lessons will be like in Year 7.

Many parents also choose to set their children learning tasks to keep their brains ticking over during the break from school and avoid what has become known as the ‘summer slide’.

This might be activities such as taking part in the Reading Agency’sSummer Reading Challenge, maths quizzes or fun games like Boggle that help to build language skills.

Some schools may also offer a summer school with sessions aimed at giving teachers the opportunity to learnabout your child, what their strengths areand what support, if any,they might need.

Every school will operate differently so it’sworth asking what they offer when you attend an open day or look for any information in their prospectus.

Kittingyourchild outfor theirnextbig adventure

Thereisnogetting around it. Kitting out children for their first year of secondary school can be expensive, but thereare ways to keep the costs down.

It’sbeen estimated that parents spend upwards of £200 ahead of the new academic year on everything from trousers, skirts and shirts to PE kits.

Supermarkets have become alifesaver for parents seeking to save on school uniforms with Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Marks &Spencer all offering arange of deals on basics.

While primary schools tend to be moreflexible, secondary schools have sometimes required moreitems such as blazers and jumpers to be purchased from specified suppliers.

But, from this autumn, they will be required to take steps to remove unnecessary branded items and allow morehigh-street options, like supermarket own-brand uniform.

The school uniform bill was first introduced by Labour MP Mike Amesbury, with the backing of the Children’sSociety and became law in May 2021.

It followed acampaign for action after concerns wereraised that pupils were having to sit out class or werebeing sent home from school for not having the right kit. The aim was to ensurethat in the futureuniform would never be aburden for parents or abarrier to pupils accessing education.

As part of the new guidance, schools areencouraged to provide asecond-hand option for parents, to both support families and help work towards achieving net zero carbon emissions.

When looking for uniform options, it’s always best to check what the school’s uniform policy requires beforehand. Pay attention to the fine details such as the minimum length and permitted types of skirts and the styles of trousers that are allowed. Shoes arearegular issue for parents as schools arevery specific on what is required and students will be sent home for wearing the wrong footwear

It’sbetter to be absolutely surethat the shoes you arelooking at will be allowed beforeyou spend the money

Spreading the cost throughout the

TIPS TO SAVE CASH

n Shop during thesummer:take advantageof‘back to school’offers during thesix-weekholiday as costs oftenrisewhenpupilsare back at school

n Don’tleave it to thelastminute: Shoppingtoo closetothe startof term couldmeanyou miss outas some shopswillhaverun outofstock or have less options in popularsizes n Cutthe cost by swapping:Taketo social mediasites such as Facebook to see if parents aresellingsecond hand uniformorifyou’relucky they mightevenbegivingawayclothing that hasn’t been wornveryoften for free

year can help reduce the bill –justbuy the essentials and now and then top it up with other items as they areneeded later in the year.Make the most of the end of season sales, consider buying your child awinter coat as the weather becomes milder so they have it ready for the autumn.

Youcan buy it in abigger size which gives them room togrow. If your child has friends attending the same school consider buying some items in bulk to

bring the cost down. Take advantage of three for two offers which you can sharethe cost of between you to make it cheaper

If you arestill strugglingtocover the cost then some councils run grant schemes with cash available as long as certain conditions aremet.

Also, check if thereare any uniform swap shops running in your local area. They offer pieces of clothing for free and it’snot dependant on you having items to swap.

Bear in mind that your child may get involved in extracurricular activities and therecould be additional fees involved such as equipment, musical instruments and art supplies.

Some schools or councils will subsidise activities like music lessons to help bring down the cost for parents as they want to make them accessible to all. It helps to find out early what these may be so you can budget for them.

School trips, while certainly educational and fun for your child, can be another strain on your finances and something worth planning ahead for.Although trips areoptional, peer pressurecan mean you feel you areleft with little choice but to find the money

Howwillyourchild getto theirsecondary school?

Once you know whereyour child will be studying next September,you will need to consider how they aregoing to get to school.

Arethey going to walk, catch abus or be dropped offbycar?

If their new secondary is just around the corner,then obviously it should be within easy walking distance of your home. But if it’sfurther away it may mean your child will be catching the bus for the first time by themselves. Or,you mightfind it’s easier for you to drop them offinthe car on the way to work.

If your child will be walking to their new school, you will need to think about whether they will go alone, with friends, or whether someone will walk them. As the nights start drawing in, make surethey can be clearly seen when they’rewalking to and from school. It’sworth buying reflective high-visibility stickers to put on their school bags.

It may be that you want to accompany your child at the start until they areused to the routeand you arehappy to let them go by themselves, or with their friends.

If the school is further away,your child may be automatically entitled to free transport up to the age of 16.

To qualify they need to attend the nearest suitable school, which must

be further away than statutory walking distance of three miles for pupils aged eight or more. Statutory walking distance is measured by the shortest routeachild, accompanied if necessary,can walk with reasonable safety.Ifthereisnosuch route, the local authority must provide free transport no matter what distance you live from the school.

The local education authority or governing body will either provide its own transport, hirecoaches, or provide free bus or train passes for use on public transport. In some cases, atravelling allowance may be paid to pupils who provide their own transport, for example, a cycle allowance.

Pupils who do not qualify for free transport may be allowed to travel on spareseats on school buses for afee.

Your local council will be able to tell you about what transport options are available in your area and what support is on offer.Ifyour child will be taking public transport, it may help to calm any nerves by practising their route beforethe start of term. This will help them to get used to getting out of the door and to the bus stop on time.

Whether it’spublictransport or abus provided by the council or school, it’s worth having aPlanBincase your child

misses their lift. Make suretheyknow what they need to do if this happens, whether they should call you or another relative, or get ataxi. If it’sthe latter,make surethatthey have ‘emergency money’ to pay for it and that they know what it’s for and that it should be kept it in asecure place in their bag.

Another option worth exploring when considering transport to school is cycling.

According to Cycling UK, cycling to school helps pupils keep healthy and fit. It also has the capacity to boost their confidence, independence and sense of self-worth, plus their navigational and road-craft skills.

The charity also believes cycling is a skill for life and that by encouraging as many children as possible to see it as viable transport it will help to wardoff car dependency in adulthood, and contributes to reducingthe volume of motor traffic in the future.

If your child would like to cycle to school, it’sagood idea to consider a course like Bikeability,which teaches valuable skills, such as good road positioning, signalling and visibility and can help parents and children feel at ease on busy streets.

n See www.cyclinguk.org for more information

EXPERTSSHARE TOPTIPSFOR A HEALTHIERLUNCH

TheNHS’s Better Health campaign hasprovidedthese top tips for healthylunches

n Keep them fuller forlonger–Base themainlunchboxitemon foodslikebread,rice, pastaand potatoes.Choosewholegrain where youcan

n Freeze for variety–Keepa smallselection of differenttypes of breadinthe freezersoyou have avarietyofoptions –like bagels,pittas andwraps,granary, wholemeal andmultigrain.

n DIYlunches –Wraps andpots of fillings canbemoreexcitingfor kids when they gettomakethem. Dippingfoods arealsofun anda nice change from asandwicheach day.

n Cutbackonfat –Picklower fat fillings ,likeleanmeats, fish, lower-fatspread, reduced-fat creamcheeseand reduced-fat hard cheese. Andtry to avoid usingmayonnaiseinsandwiches.

n Always addveg –Cherry tomatoes,orsticksofcarrot, cucumber,celeryand peppers allcount towardstheir 5ADay Addingasmall potofreduced-fat hummus or otherdipsmay help with gettingkidstoeat vegetables.

n Cheesydoes it… Cheesecan be high in fatand salt,sochoose stronger-tastingones– anduse less of it –ortry reduced-fat varieties.

n Cutdownoncrisps –Ifyour childreallylikes theircrisps try reducingthe number of timesyou include them in theirlunchbox, andswapfor homemade plain popcorn or plain rice cakes instead.

n Addbite-sizedfruit –Try chopped apple, peeledsatsuma segments,strawberries, blueberries,halvedgrapesor melonslicestomakeiteasier forthemtoeat.Add asqueezeof lemon juicetostopitfromgoing brown.

Fuel studieswith adecentmeal

Your child will need agood meal in the middle of the day to help them process all the new things they are learning.

And the choice is either they take in packed lunch from home or they choose ahot dinner in the school canteen. Both have their pros and cons.

Sending your son and daughter to school every day with afulllunch box gives you control of the food they eat.

But it’sanother job to do each morning when time is already precious and it can be hardtokeep the options interesting for your child.

School dinners mean you know your child is getting ahot meal at lunchtime, but if you areleaving them to choose from the canteen menu you can’tbesurethey will select something nutritious.

For some of you the decision may be influenced by whether your child is entitled to free school meals. This is normally the case if you areinreceipt of benefits such as Income Support, Child TaxCredit and Universal Credit. The local council can tell you if your child is able to get free school meals.

In recent years, schools have put a lot of effort into revamping their dinners, especially after celebrity chef Jamie Oliver highlighted the issue in 2005.

He started his Feed Me Better

campaign because he was appalled by the junk food being served at many schools in England. It led to new guidelines for school dinners and the Government investing £280 million on improving menus for youngsters.

Now all schools have healthy eating policies, which arereflected in the menus on offer for pupils. They also cater for different diets and allergies as well as for different religious faiths and beliefs.

Some have cashless systems where children use acardoreventheir fingerprint to buy their food each day after parents have paid money into their account at the start of term. The benefits of this arethatit means childrendonot have to carry cash on them each day.Italso allows parents to monitor what their child is eating at school because they will know what has been purchased on their account.

Many parents still choose to send their children to school with apacked lunch, especially if they prefer to eat ahot meal together as afamily in the evening.

Thereare plenty of ideas online if you’renot sure what to give your child for lunch and suggestions to shake things up if they get tired of sandwiches each day

Some schools also offer breakfast clubs to ensurepupils start the day well and have the energy they need to make the most of their lessons.

Keepingontop of the increase in homework

The amount of homework your child has to do will almost certainly increase significantly when they start Year 7.

It’sadaily part of secondary school life and your child will be expected to complete it all and meet any deadlines they areset. Homework helps to build on what your child is learning at school so plays an important role in their education.

It’sofcourse only natural that they may struggle to adjust to this increased workload at first. But thereare plenty of ways you can help them settle into this new routine.

Encourage them to be organised by helping them to get used to checking their timetables and packing their bags the night before. It may help to draw up alist of items needed for each subject together so that they always have that to refer to.

As well as books and equipment, make surethey know when they will need their sports kit, whether for lessons or after-school activities. This will lead to less panicking and reduce the chances of anything being forgotten in the mornings well, in theory anyway!

Children areusually given aplanner to help them manage their homework. They’ll

be expected to use it every lesson to write down the details of their homework. Youwillprobably be asked to sign their planner every week to confirm that they’ve completed their homework

Take time to talk to your child about each day’shomeworkassignments and make surethat they arekeeping their planner up to date with what is required and when. Youmay wish to provide them with wall space to hang aplanner at home, such as awhiteboard, to also write their assignments on too.

While you don’twant to nag them, you don’twant them falling behind either Teach them to prioritise their work so that they aredoing the tasks in the correct

order according to the deadlines they have been set by their teachers.

Ensurethat they have somewhere quiet to complete their work without any tempting distractions like the television or their tablet.

Encourage them to speak up if they arestruggling, and if you have real concerns that they arefinding it difficult to cope persuade them to speak to their form or subject tutor.Ifthey areworried or unwilling then you may want to do it yourself.

If you think they aretaking longer to complete an assignment than they should, then wait to see if it’sjustaone-off–it may be that it’sone particular topic or task they’ve found morechallenging. But if it becomes aregular occurrence you may wish to raise it with the school.

Schools will have different policies concerning what happens if homework isn’thanded in, but it’susual for pupils to have to complete the work in detention. Reminding your child of this may be useful if they areshowing signs of wanting to ignoreanassignment, or put it offfor another day

But once they get into aroutine, they’ll be fine.

Whichsubjectswillyour childbestudyingnow?

If your child’sschool follows the National Curriculum then therewillbe compulsory subjects for them to be taught during the next five years.

They will vary depending on their age –Key Stage 3isfor years 7to9and Key Stage 4for years 10 and 11 when most pupils work towards national qualifications, usually GCSEs.

Although academies and private schools do not always have to follow this, thereare still some subjects that arecompulsoryfor all students. If your child’snew school is following the National Curriculum, then they will have lessons in set subjects including English, mathematics, science, history,geography, modernforeign languages, physical education, citizenship and computing.

In English classes, pupils will be taught to develop an appreciation and love of reading as well as to understand increasingly challenging texts.

The programme also includes writing accurately,fluently,effectively and at length

for pleasureand information as well as speaking confidently and effectively using various methods such as presentations and debates.

During Key Stage 3, the aim is for pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time.

They will also learntoreason mathematically by following aline of enquiry and solving problems by applying their mathematics to avarietyofroutine andnon-routine situations. History lessons may include the development of church, state and society in Medieval Britain 10661509, challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day and the Holocaust.

While science teachers will work to ensurepupils develop their scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding in biology,chemistry andphysics.

They will also be taught nature, processes and methods of science

through different types of enquiries that help them to answer questions about the world around them.

In geography sessions, they will work to extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’scountries using maps of the world. Pupils will also be taught to understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography as well as geographical skills and fieldwork.

From Key Stage 3, schools arealso required to providelessons in religious education and sexeducation, but parents can sometimes choose whether children attend these classes.

Academies must teach abroad and balanced curriculum, which they can set themselves, but it must include English, mathematics and science. They must also teach religious education.

Schools will be able to provide details on their specific curriculum if you are unsure.

Workingtowards theend goal –qualifications

In abid to ensurepupilsleave school better prepared for work or further study,GCSEand A-level qualifications have been overhauled in recent years.

Although thereisstill some time before your child will be ready to consider their options, it helps to understand what they will face in the future.

For the first time, in 2017 students didn’tjust receive their grades subjects in the usual A*-G format –inmathematics, English language and English literature they weregraded on ascale between 9 and 1instead.

These werefollowedbyafurther 20 subjects including history,geography, double science, PE and art and design with the remaining subjects getting the new grades this August.

Anine is the top grade, while one is the lowest pass possible, with an outright fail still graded as aU

The top grades of A**, A* and Aare broadly equivalent to anew grades of 9, 8 and 7, while pass marks of Band Chave been replaced by grades 4, 5and 6. At the lower end of the scale, grades D, E, F and Gwill be graded 3, 2and 1.

The Department for Education (DfE) says its new GCSEs aredesigned to match the standards set by the strongest performing education systems in the world.

While exam regulator Ofqual says the 1to9 scale will help them to better differentiate between the highest performing pupils and distinguish clearly between the new and old exams. It also says thereisnew,moredemanding content.

Courses aredesigned for two years of study –theyare no longer divided into different modules and students will take all their exams at the end of their course.

Exams can only be split into ‘foundation tier’ and ‘higher tier’ if one exam paper does not give all students the opportunity to show their knowledge and abilities. Mathematics is one of the few subjects that remains tiered.

The regulator says this is because manageable assessments cannot be designed that would both allow students at the lower end of the ability range to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and

understanding, and that would stretch the most able students. The two tiers are focused on grades 1-5 and 4-9.

Thereare nowfewer course options in the new science GCSEs –most students will take the new combined science course, which is worth two GCSEs, or three separate GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics.

Meanwhile changes have also been introduced to the A-level system. The reforms have seen aswitch to assessment being mainly by exam and have also led to some subjects such as applied science and creative writing being scrapped.

New style study programmes were introduced for some subjects in 2015 and since 2017 all courses have followed the same system. Courses arenolonger being divided into modules and all exams take place in the summer.The changes also mean that students have less coursework and fewer practical assessments.

AS and A-levels have been decoupled so that AS levels become stand-alone qualifications and no longer count towards an A-level, in the way they have previously done. They have also been designed by exam boards to be taught alongside the first year of A-levels.

The content for the new A-levels has been reviewed and updated, with universities playing amuch greater role in this for the new qualifications than they did previously.Itishoped that this will make A-levels better preparation for university study

TLevels, which areequivalent to three A-levels, have been introduced in recent years. The two-year courses were developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study

TLevels offer students amixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement. Subjects include in design, surveying and planning for construction; digital production, design and development; education and childcare; finance; hair, beauty and aesthetics; animal careand management; media, broadcast and production; and healthcarescience.

Apprenticeships arealso becoming an increasingly popular alternative to A-levels, with students looking to combine real work with academic study.Itisalso an opportunity for 16-year-olds to earnand learnatthe same timeasgetting afootin the door of their chosen industry

HELPINGYOUR CHILDTOSTAY SAFE ONLINE

Once your childstartssecondary school it’s likely that they will become more exposed to smartphonesand social media. Andtheyare nevertoo young to startdeveloping good online habits

Oneofthe best ways to startisto encourage your childtotalktoyou abouthow they usethe internet and show youwhattheydo.

Settingafew ground rulescan also be away to ensure they aresurfing safely.Thismight include asking them to usetheir tech devicesina communal area such as theliving roomorkitchen.

Anotherimportant step is to activate allofthe parentalcontrols on your home broadbandand alldevices includingmobile phonesand gamesconsoles. Safe searchingfeaturescan also be set up on websitessuchasGoogle

As they getolderyourchildmay want to have asocialnetworking profile on sitessuchasFacebook andInstagram.The agelimitis13 for thesesites andmanygames, apps, filmsand othersocial networks will have ageratings

When they areold enough, talk to them aboutthe benefits andrisks beforetheyjoinand ensure they understand that anything they upload,email or message is out of theircontrol as soonasthey pressthe button.Remindthemthey should only do thingsonlinethat they wouldn’t mindyou,a teacher or afutureemployer seeing It’s also importantthattheyknow howtoblock or ignore people and howtoset strict privacysettings

Children oftenfeeltheycan say things onlinethattheywouldn’t sayface-to-face, so it’s important to teachthemtoalwayshave respectfor themselves andothers online. They also need to know there is nothingwrong in NOT giving in to peerpressureto send inappropriatecommentsor images

Spotting the signsofbullying

Knowing or suspecting that your child is being bullied can be very upsetting, but there’slots you can do to help tackle the problem.

Although you hope it never happens to your son or daughter,thereisachance it might so it helps to be prepared to recognise the signs so you can help.

The good news is that most schools arevery pro-active when it comes to preventing and dealing with this problem.

Bullying can take many shapes and forms and sadly technology and social media have also made it easier for those who want to cause trouble for others. n Cyber bullying –usually carried out online, via smartphones and tablets –is becomingincreasingly common and can cause the same emotional and physiological stress as the conventional kind.

However,one of the biggest challenges posed is that it can be harder to detect because it only takes place via phones and other electronic devices.

The charity Family Lives recommends parents make note of everything that happened, including who was involved, when it occurred and who witnessed it, beforeapproaching the school.

Cyber bullying, unfortunately,can be harder to spot, and with mobile technology being so freely available it can seem never-ending as the taunting can continue at any time of the day or night.

It can also be made worse if taunts aremade via social networking sites and messaging apps because anything posted can often be seen by lots of people and easily shared.

n Make an appointment with the class teacher or head of year –they will want to see you if you have concerns. All state schools arerequired to have an antibullying policy by law.Work together with the school and make it clear you are seeking their help in finding asolution.

n Avoidaccusing the school –remember that teachers areusually the last to find out that bullying is happening.

n As difficult as it may be, try to be patient –allow the school time to deal with the problem but stay in touch with them and arrange afollow-up meeting to see how the situation is being resolved.

If things don’timprove, keep abullying diary and write down every incident as soon as possible after it happens making suretotell the school each time.

n Look for changes in your child’s behaviour –they may be less talkative and appear secretive. They may suddenly be unwilling to go out with friends or stop doing an activity they have always enjoyed.

Once they have confirmed your suspicions –keep alog of what’s happened, get screen grabs of texts or messages on social media and then go to the school for help.

Be preparedand meet anychallengesheadon

As they make their journey through secondary school, it’sonly natural that tricky problems may arise for pupils from time to time.

Although parents will keep their fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly,itcan help to be prepared to deal with any issues that might pop up along the way.

Firstly,it’sgood to talk to your child so they know they can come to you with any issue they might be having. Reassure them that you will be theretooffer a listening and understanding ear,nomatter what is going on.

One issue that is bound to pop up –and itcould be one that you have already discussed –does your child need amobile phone? Yes, would probably be their automatic answer,although you might not be quite so keen. However,as they arenow likely to be travelling further afield to lessons, or participating in more after-school activities, you might consider whether your child requires one so they can contact you in an emergency

While it would be beneficial, you may be concerned that it could prove too much of adistraction. Pretty much every school will have amobile phone policy outlawing their possession and use on school grounds. But most will accept that pupils carry them for safety reasons. They may have aprocedure in place such as requiring them to be left with staffduring school hours.

If you decide it’sagood time for your son or daughter to be given this extra

responsibility,then it can be helpful to set some rules on its use and to reiterate the school’spolicy.Ultimately it will come down to what you arehappy with and what you feel is right for your child.

As your son or daughter moves through secondary school they arelikely to experience an increased workload, especially when it comes to homework.

So how much help is too much? It’s likely your child will be assigned homework most nights and be given deadlines of when it all needs to be completed. It’s the best way for them to practise what they have learned in school, but it can be overwhelming at first, especially if they are not used to it.

Experts recommend that parents resist the temptation to get too involved in their child’swork. They also say it’simportant to never correct work for them beforeit’s beenseen by ateacher because then it’s not atruetest of their abilities.

Many agree that the best way to

help your son and daughter is to offer encouragement to ensurethey arekeeping on top of their assignments and also guidance –if they’re not comprehending a concept, take time to explain it. Discussing ideas or quizzing your children in spelling or foreign language phrases is another good way to show support.

During the five or seven years your child is at secondary school, you will hopefully never have areason to complain about their school or ateacher.But if you areconcerned, what should you do?

The first step is trying to resolve the problem with the school directly.This could be through an informal discussion with the headteacher

If you fail to find asolution, the school should have aformal complaints procedurethatyou can follow.This will normally involve contacting the school’s management or governing body

CHANCE TO GAIN EXPERIENCES OUTSIDEOFTHE SCHOOLDAY

From theage of 14,young people canworktowards earningThe Duke of Edinburgh’sAward

Most schoolswillrun a DofE programmewiththree progressivelevels which, when successfullycompleted, lead to aBronze, Silver or Gold award. Notonlyisitanopportunity to discovernew interests and talentsbut it’s also arecognised mark of achievement; respected by employers.

There arefoursectionsto complete at Bronze andSilver leveland five at Gold.They involvehelping thecommunity/ environment, becoming fitter, developingnew skills, planning, trainingfor andcompleting an expedition and, forGold only,working with ateamona residentialactivity.

Anyyoung personcan do their DofE –regardlessofability, gender,backgroundorlocation It is said that achievinga DofE awardisall aboutsetting personalchallengesand pushing personalboundaries.

Otherextra-curricularactivities include theArmyCadets, Sea Cadetsand RAFAir Cadets, whichall offerawide rangeof adventurousand educational activities opportunities

TheArmyCadetsisanational voluntaryyouth organisation sponsored andsupportedbythe Army butnot part of it.It’sopen to youngpeople from 12 to 17 yearsold

SeaCadetswelcome Junior Cadetsat10, andSea Cadetsat 12,orRoyal MarinesCadetsat 13

TheRAF AirCadet experience is open to everyone,ifthey’re between 13 (oratage 12 when beginningschoolyear8)and 17 yearsold.

Take advantage of opportunities

From playing in the band to being part of asportsteam, thereismoreto school life than just what goes on in the classroom.

In addition to their lessons, your son or daughter will have the chance to join in awhole host of extra-curricular activities. Every school will offer apacked programme to ensurethereissomething to suit all interests.

Maybe your child will already have afavourite sport or other interest they want to continue or they might choose to try something new.Your child will no doubt have plenty of opportunities and it is something that should always be encouraged.

Joining after-school clubs can make it easier for them to settle in to their new surroundings and make friends. Children, especially those that areshy,may be concerned about how they aregoing to get to know their new classmates. They will be moving from aschool wherethey knew everybody’sname and now they could be in aclass with children they have never seen before.

It is also agreat chance for your child to develop an existing interest or start anew hobby,which could turninto alife-long passion. All schools will offer sessions, with meetings taking place either beforelessons, during lunch breaks and at the end of the day

If your child doesn’thave aparticular interest already,encourage them to try something new and hopefully they will end up enjoying it and will want to continue. Once your child has found an activity that they enjoy,succeeding in that activity could ultimately build their confidence and self-esteem.

As well as all kinds of sports, they could get involved in special-interest clubs such as science or computing, music tuition and modernforeign languages, as well as homework clubs. Popular extracurricular activities include book groups, creative writing, and performing arts such as drama or choir groups.

Another benefit of extra-curricular activities is that they allow your children to make acontribution to their school or community,helping to preparethemfor later in life. For example, if they play in a school band they may stage aconcert that is open for the public to enjoy

They also present opportunities for your child to set goals for themselves such as passing amusic exam, or being picked for the lead role in aplay

Sports teams, clubs and activities, like dancing and music, all requirechildren to work together towards acommon goal. By joining an after-school club, they will also have the chance to mix with children of other age groups and outside their own circle of friends.

Making sure your childis gettingagreat education

Ofsted is anamethat will already be familiar to most parents and it’sone you will continue to hear throughout your child’ssecondary school education.

Understanding the reasons for the checks and their impact, will give you peace of mind that your child’sschool is doing everything it can to ensurepupils receive ahigh quality education.

All schools arerequired by law to be inspected, but how often it is visited will depend on how it has previously been judged. For example –after aschool is rated as outstanding it will then be exempt from regular inspections. But a school placed in special measures, due to concerns about standards, will be monitored and inspected morefrequently

Afullinspectionnormallytakes two days. When they arrive the inspectors will look at the school’sself-evaluation and analyse the pupils’ progress and attainment. They talk to the headteacher, governors, staffand pupilsand consider your views as aparent.

Inspectors spend most of their time observing lessons and looking at the quality of teaching in the school, and its impact on learning and progress.

They also look at the personal development, behaviour and welfareof pupils, the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; and how well the school is led and managed.

Parents aregiven the option of providing their views.

After the visit, the lead inspector reports her or his judgement to the headteacher and governors. The inspectors’ findings arepublished in a report for the school, parents and wider community.This provides information about the effectiveness of the school’s work and contains recommendations about what it should do to improve.

If Ofsted judges aschool to be ‘inadequate’, it will be placed in one of the following two categories –special measures or serious weaknesses.

The former means the school is failing to provide pupils with an acceptable standardofeducation, andisnot showing the capacity to make the improvements

needed. Inspectors will visit the school regularly to check progress, until it can be removed from the category.Itwill then be inspected after about two years.

Aschool judged as requiring improvement at its last inspection is a school that is not yet good but overall provides an acceptable standardof education. The school is inspected again within aperiod of 30 months. If aschool has been judged as requires improvement at two successive inspections, it will be subject to monitoring from inspectors to check its progress and is inspected again within aperiod of 30 months

If agood or outstanding rating is given, the school will receive aone day inspection about every four years to confirm that the school remains good or outstanding and that safeguarding is effective.

In asimilar waytoOfsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate

(ISI) reportsonindependent schools’ compliance with the DfE Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulations.

The ISI inspects schools that belong to the Independent Schools Council (ISC), which has morethan1,200 members.

But ISI and Ofsted use adifferent framework and criteria for judging school quality and they use different judgement words too.

ISI uses excellent, good, sound and unsatisfactory and Ofsted uses outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

Another difference is that ISI inspection teams largely consist of practising senior leaders currently working in ISC schools.

ISI inspectors judge ISC schools against the higher standards of academic achievement and extra-curricular activities in the sector as awhole as well as against national norms.

Get involved with your child’ssecondary school

When your child starts Year 7, you maydecide it’stimetoplay amore active role in their school.

Most schools will have aPTA,Parents Association or Friends of… group, which can be agreat way of getting to know staffand other families while making areal contribution to the quality of school life for all.

Fundraising remains amajor part of a PTAorsimilar organisation’sactivities and directly contributes to improvements from new books and computers to covering the cost of field trips.

But they can also help to improve the school’slinks with the wider community which can bring many benefits.

Parentkind, which is the largest network of PTAfundraisers in the UK, says: “PTAmembers also provide awilling workforce for the school when extra hands areneeded, hold social events to bond the school community,run extra-curricular clubs for children and adults, and support parents through times of change.”

Thereare said to be many benefits from joining aPTA –both for you and your son and daughter

Firstly,becoming amember makes it easy to get to know people at the school, from the headteacher and teachers, to other parents. Events run by the PTA, from adisco for pupils to the annual summer fete, areusually fun and are great for bringing the school together as a community.Teachers, parents and pupils alike get stuck in and enjoy themselves.

According to Parentkind, being part of the PTAhelps parents to understand how things in the school work. If the PTAiswell supported by the teachers, you will realise how much they value the support it brings to the school.

There’salot of evidence to suggest that when parents areengaged in a

school, achild’s attainment is improved because being involved in school shows that you think it’simportant.

Parentkind says that it’snot uncommon for parents to feel unsure about getting involved with the PTA, there’sanassumption that you will be expected to commit large chunks of time to the school, but that’snot thecase.

Any help you can provide is usually very much appreciated, and in returnyou will receive ahugesense of satisfaction and most likely anew group of friends.

Therecould be other ways for you to get involved in your child’sschool, so it’s worth asking about any schemes they run.

Some schools recruit parent helpers to help children with reading or maths, sharetheir skills and interests and provide careers advice.

They may also be involved in running after-school clubs or wider fundraising such as grant applications.

n For moreinformation about Parentkind, which provides specialist fundraising support and advice to parent volunteers and PTAs, go to parentkind. org.uk

Giving youngsters ataste of theworld of work

One of the secondary school milestones your child can look forwardtoistheir first work experience placement, usually in Year 10.

This is achance for your son or daughter to get out and explorethe world of work and gain some invaluable insight which could inspiretheir futurecareer choice.

Their teachers will no doubt explain moreabout the process when the time comes, but it doesn’thurt to have an early understanding of what they will be required to do.

And some early planning may also help to ensurethey secureaplacement in their preferred industry,especiallyifit’sone that’s goingtobepopular.

If you know wherethey want to work or what sector they would like to work in, then you can start making enquiries ahead of time.

For pupils who don’tknow what career they might like in the future, experts recommend they think about what they arepassionate about as that should spark some ideas.

If they like animals then they may want to look into options that will enable them to work closer with them. If they enjoy looking after younger siblings or babysitting then childcareorteaching might be agoodfit.

Nearer the time, pupils should speak to their teachers or careers advisor at school as they will be able to help

with organising the placement and with speaking to the correct people as well as dealing with the logistics.

Work experienceissaid to offer many benefits to teenagers such as boosting their confidence and inspiring their future career goals.

Placements will also help them to develop skills such as communicating with others, working in ateam and problem solving, which will be beneficial to their studies.

If your child wants to enter the world of work after leaving school, then work

experience can also be aroute to landing ajob.

Impressing an employer during awork experience placement could mean they think of your child when they arelooking to recruit. Many companies will offer opportunities to people who areknown to them or they know already have an insight into the business.

If your child plans to go to university or start an apprenticeship, then having completed work experience in asector related to their course or preferred place of work will show that they have enthusiasm and have made an effort to get abetter understanding of what the job involves and what is required from them.

Competition for university places in areas such as medicine or veterinary practice can be tough, so having already secured work experience can help to make their UCAS application stand out.

Although it’susually atwo-week work experience placement in Year 10, many companies will allow students to return during school holidays so they can build on their skills and learning.

For many employers, nothing is more impressive than acandidate with relevant work experience, and having this on their CV can put them acut above other applicants.

WolverhamptonGrammar School

Renowned for academic excellence and outstanding extra-curricular provision, our diverse and inclusive school offers a first class education.

Each year many students join us from schools across Wolverhampton and the surrounding counties. Our school transport offers travel options from Telford, Bridgnorth, Stourbridge, Oldbury,Walsall and Penkridge.

Whether you arecoming alone or with friends from your junior school, you can be sureofawarm welcome at Wolverhampton Grammar School. New students quickly settle and make friends supported by their form tutor and our pastoral team. We offerlots of opportunities to come into school to meet with futureclassmates, teachers and to enjoy aBBQ social ahead of the new academic year.All Year 7s also have their own induction day beforethe normal start of term.

Thereare lots of things to look forward to at Wolverhampton Grammar School, which we often refer to fondly as WGS. Extra-curricular activities arevaried and plentiful and include everything from debating, climbing, Duke of Edinburgh and magic club to Warhammer and Pokémon Go! Thereare school trips such as sports and music tours and all Year 7s go on their own residential to Oakerwood Activity Centreand experience outdoor activities such as rafting and climbing.

In Year 7, all students have their own iPad and Apple pencil. By using iPad technology,students can benefit from their own bespoke textbooks. Whilst traditional texts areavailable digitally and areused for

the GCSE and A-level syllabus, in Years 7 to 9students’ learning is further enhanced through customised teaching and learning resources, created by handpicking the best mix of offline and online resources. These arethen differentiated for students so that each is getting alearning experience tailored to them. Whilst this blended learning approach successfully empowers students to interrogate and investigate independently,the emphasis is still very much on outstanding staffand student relationships.

Once astate grammar school for boys, our 510-year-old establishment now

offers the very best 4-18 through-school independent education for boys and girls in the City of Wolverhampton and its environs.

Entrance to our Senior School will be assessed on Saturday 14th January, 2023, for students currently in Year 6and applications arebeing taken up until the deadline of Friday 2nd December 2022.

We highlyrecommendthat prospective families take the opportunity to visit us on Saturday 8th October to find out more. Scholarships and Bursaries arealso available for entry at age 11 years and 16+.

ATHRIVINGSCHOOLRENOWNEDFOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEAND OUTSTANDING EXTRA-CURRICULARPROVISION WHICHPROMISESAWARMWELCOMETOALL

Oldbury

OldSwinfordHospital

OLDSWINFORDHOSPITALISAHAPPY,VIBRANT ANDDISTINCTIVE STATEBOARDING SCHOOLWHERE TRADITIONS, COMMUNITYAND VALUES SITCOMFORTABLY ALONGSIDEINNOVATION

Existing for morethan 350 years, Old SwinfordHospital(or OSH for short) has the air of aschool whose values are deeply rooted in the beliefs of its founder, industrialist Thomas Foley.Heopened theSchool in 1667 for boys to develop the skills and attributes required to make adifference in the wider world. In 2021, girls werewelcomed into Year 7for the first time to great success and OSH is now co-educational.

Rated Outstanding for boarding by Ofsted and bringing together boarders and day pupils within its community,OSH prides itself on offering adifferent kind of educational experience wherelearning doesn’tend at the afternoon school bell. Staffunderstand and respond to the individual and collective personalities of pupils, and help each one to find and develop his or her own voice. Diversity of life is embraced, and learning to live –not simply work–alongside one another is a skill that cannot be underestimated.

‘Pupils live together,learn together and thrive at Old SwinfordHospital’ –Ofsted 2021

Preparing pupils for the future underpins everything we do. Through a broad academic curriculum and cocurricular opportunities, OSH encourages pupils to ‘discover who they can be’. From becoming national engineering champions,

debating at the European Parliament, playing netball in Malta or rugby in South Africa, visiting the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, or performing orchestral music in European cathedrals, OSH offers ahuge array of activities for your son or daughter to get involved in.

Academically,OSH ranks highly nationally in terms of progress, attainment and educational performance. All pupils will encounter great variety in their day; from sports to Shakespeare, coding to Mandarin. They will take end of year exams as well as regular end of topic tests to assess personal learning and academic development. Alevel and BTEC students have support with focussed careers guidance, work experience and their university applications.

Year 7pupils begin their journey at OSH as either Tailored Boarders, Flexi-Boarders or Day pupils.

Tailored Boarders and Flexi-Boarders pay afee which includes access to boarding houses, meals and after school activities. Day places arefreeaspupils only come into school for lessons and representative co-curricular activities.

OSH’sco-curriculum offers great breadth and inventiveness with afull programmeofsporting, cultural and

intellectual pursuits. Beyond lessons, pupils have morethan45co-curricular activities on offer –most of which are included in the boarding fee for Tailored or Flexi-Boarders –and will be able to develop their adventureskills through the Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Award. Plus, thereare many inter-house competitions (music, drama and sport to name afew!) or Student Voice, debating and council to get involved with. Pupils will find themselves stimulated and stretched, and regularly introduced to new activities so they can prove to themselves that they can ventureinto the unknown and achieve what they once thought was beyond them.

Importantly,the School has astrong cultureofpastoral carefor all of its pupils. In boarding this extends to their life in the boarding community whereboys and girls each have their own boarding houses, staffed with dedicated and experienced support teams, making boarding a‘home fromhome’.

We encourage families interested in boarding to come and visit us in order to see for themselves what adistinctiveand upbeat community we are. We’d be happy to give you apersonal tour of our boarding houses and facilities, and taster boarding stays areavailable.

Getting to gripswith revision aheadofexams

When your child starts secondary school, you will probably be wondering how to encourage them to take responsibility for revision and get into good habits for the years ahead.

Starting revision can be morethan a little daunting and, let’sbehonest, poring over piles of notes and textbooks is probably the last thing they will want to do.

But don’tforget it’sall for agood cause –theirfuture–and thereare many ways to help them make the task more manageable and less overwhelming.

n Allow plenty of time. The later they leave it to begin their revision, the morethey are likely to panic as their end of year tests and exams draw near.They should speak to their teachers as they will be able to advise them on asuitable time to start hitting the books.

n Make surethey have somewhere at home wherethey feel comfortable to work and make sureit’squiet and uncluttered as this will help them to focus. But make surethey don’trevise in front of the television or computer as these distractions arebound to prove too tempting.

n Draw up arevision schedule. They should set aside certain times and days for their revision and stick to them. It can help to plan to revise at atime when they know they work well –ifthey’re nota morning person then they shouldn’tschedule early sessions.

n Split revision into small chunks –they can’texpect to concentrate for hours and take everything in. Set an alarm for 45 minutes and then encourage them take ashort break away from the books. Keep repeating to make surethey are taking frequent breaks during their revision session.

n Review and summarise notes. Pupils should pick out the key points and write them down again. One of the best ways ways to memorise information is by making notes over and over again.

n Organise astudy group. If their friends aretaking the same exams then they can arrange to get together to do some

occasional group revision. They will be able to review notes and test each other Talking to their mates, who understand what they’regoing through, will make them feel less stressed.

n Do plenty of past papers This will help to familiarise them with the exam style and the type of wording used for the questions. If they get these checked by ateacher, they will learnhow they aremarked too.

n Keep testing them. Once they have completed atopic,they shouldn’tjust put it to one side. They must keep going back and reviewing it again as repetition will improve their memory

n Eat well and drink lots of water Keeping blood sugars level will help their concentration and motivation.

n Get plenty of sleep. Make surethey are well-rested because being tired will not help them perform at your best.

n Allow time to exercise. Keeping active is important and will provide them with a good break away from their revision. Even if they just go for aquick walk –the fresh air will clear their head and perk them up.

n Find ways to relax. When they are planning their revision schedule, they should leave some time for their hobbies or seeing their friends because this will help them to switch offtheir brain for abit and properly unwind

n And finally,staypositive. If they go into it expecting to fail and letting themselves get stressed, they aregoing to find the whole experience thoroughly miserable. They need to put it all into perspective, they can only do their best and as long as they do that everyone will be proud of them, no matter what happens.

Timetomakeanimportant decision

Applications arebeing taken for City of Wolverhampton secondary schools, for students due to start Year 7in2023, and prospective pupils and parents areinvited to see what they have to offer

The transfer from primary to secondary education is an important and often worrying time for parents and children. Attending the open days before making your application is an important part of choosing your child’sschool and will help with any questions you may have. You will be able to take atour of the school, speak with the head teacher and meet some current pupils and teachers. This is agreat opportunity to see what’s on offer and get afeel for the school and their facilities.

Afulllist of the city’ssecondary schools, including contact details and dates and times areavailable to view at wolverhampton.gov.uk/school-open-days

Parents areadvised to carefully consider each school’sadmissions criteria

and use all five preferences on their application.

Thereisastrictdeadline of October 31 for applications, this is anational deadline and applications made after this are considered once all on-time applications have been determined.

Councillor Chris Burden, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “September will see many children across the City of Wolverhampton head into their final year of primary school. If this is your

child, now is the time to start thinking about their secondary school place for next year

“This is one of the most important decisions you can make for your child, so please don’tmissthe deadline. Ensuring applications aremade by the end of October can increase the chances of securing aplace at apreferred school.”

To apply,log on to wolverhampton.gov uk/make-your-application and complete the short application process.

SCHOOL OPENDAYS

St.Peter’s Collegiate Academy

At St.Peter’s, we pride ourselves on having high aspirations and expectations of students so they can be successful in all aspects of their lives –spiritually, academically,insociety,and in the world of work. Our mission is to educate the whole person, so that every student may be supported to unlock their full God-given potential.

The happiness and safety of all our students is central to everything we do hereatSt. Peter’s. As aChristian community,wesee every pupil as aunique individual and will work tirelessly to ensure they aresupported to achieve both socially and academically

“Teachers areknowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subjects. They sharetheir enthusiasm and knowledge with their pupils. Thereisavery positive climate for learning within classrooms.” (Ofsted, 2017)

We also have ateamofhighly trained Safeguarding and Pastoral staff, who keep our students safe, happy and healthy, allowing them to make academic progress and achieve in all areas of their lives.

Our rich and balanced curriculum is carefully designed to ensureitisrelevant to the needs and aspirations of all of our students. As pupils progress through the school, they aresupported by subject specialists, pastoral leaders and careers advisors, all of whom work hardtoensure our students aresuccessful in their chosen pathways.

Our learning is extended beyond

the classroom with our outstanding ‘Enrichment and Enhancement’ programme which allows students to get involved in wider activities such as sport, Duke of Edinburgh, the Arts and Christian Union. Every student is also given the opportunity to learnamusical instrument and participate in anumber of our awardwinning ensembles and foreign tours (such as to Belgium, Germany and USA).

Sporting activities include frequent local matches and tournaments, sporting tours of Italy and our annual Sports Day at Aldersley Stadium. We arealsoproud to have afantastic relationship with the Wolves Foundation.

St.Peter’sisalso apartner school with the National Theatre, London, who not only work closely with us to support in class and extra-curricular activities, but also bring award-winning productions to our school such as ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’.

Our long association with St. Peter’s Church in the centreofWolverhampton allows us all to celebrate Eucharist together on anumber of important occasions throughout the year.Students also actively participate in acts of worship every day within school and are encouraged to plan and deliver their own worship sessions from the very start in Year 7. We believe this to be akey part of our commitment to ensuring our students flourish and grow into ‘articulate, mature and responsible’ young adults. (SIAMS, 2017)

If you arelooking for acaringand supportive environment which will allow your child to thrive both academically and socially,then come along to our Open Evening to find out what makes our school truly unique. We would be delighted to welcome you into our St. Peter’sfamily

Moreinformation can be found at www stpetersacademy.org.uk

AChurchofEngland Academy (Part of the Three Spires Trust) ‘In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.’ Matthew 7:12

ASCHOOL WHICHOFFERS ACARINGAND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTWHICH WILL ALLOWYOURCHILDTOTHRIVEBOTHACADEMICALLYAND SOCIALLY

Thomas TelfordUTC

The futureislooking bright with anew school from the Thomas TelfordMulti Academy Trust.

It is the collaboration of the Outstanding Thomas TelfordSchool with the West Midlands UTC, judged by Ofsted to be Good with Outstanding features. We believe that the strengths of the two schools will unite to offer our students a truly ground-breaking opportunity.

Ofsted reported that Thomas Telford School is “a remarkable school and a beacon of excellence”. It adds: “The essence of why teaching leads to such effective learning is that so much detailed planning goes into the curriculum, so much effort goes into regularly checking how students aredoing, and so much careand guidance is given to individuals to ensurethey achieve their best.”

Equally,Ofsted has praised West Midlands UTC noting that: “Employers contribute impressively to many aspects of school life and areextensively involved in the school as patrons, partners and mentors.

“The school’swork to develop students’ employability skills is particularly successful. Through regular employer-led group projects students develop highorder communication skills and learnto work as part of ateam.”

Thomas TelfordSchool prides itself on offering a:

n Broad and balanced curriculum

n Placing astrong emphasis on STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art &Maths)

n Superb learning environment with stateof-the-art facilities

n Excellent enrichment opportunities

n First-class employer engagement

n Unrivalled academic and technical education

n Extensive support from the University of Wolverhampton and The Thomas Telford Multi Academy Trust

The Principal Av Gill said: “I am honoured to be entrusted with leading Thomas TelfordUTC on ajourney that Iamconfident will see this flagship establishment become the gold standardfor secondary education in Wolverhampton.

“I want every child that comes to Thomas TelfordUTC to be part of the fabric of the school, and to come home every day fulfilled and happy that they have made progress in their learning and development.

“In collaboration with our sponsors and industry leading employer partners, we are

able to offer unrivalled opportunities for 11-18 year-olds in the region that will allow them to go beyond their expectations.

“Our partners at Thomas TelfordSchool and the University of Wolverhampton believe that all students deserve the chance to flourish in an exceptional environment that offers access to cutting-edge technology and unique, hands-on experiences.

“Together,wewillprovide our students with the perfect combination of academic and technical excellence in preparation for the world of work and the fantastic opportunities that await them.”

Key dates: Parent Information Evenings will take place on September 15, 22 and October 4, book via the website thomastelfordutc.com

The closing date for applications is October 31.

THOMAS TELFORDUTC PROVIDES THEYOUNG PEOPLE OF WOLVERHAMPTONAND THESURROUNDING AREA WITH AUNIQUECOMBINATION OF EXCELLENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ANDFIRST-CLASS PREPARATION FORTHEIR FUTURE

The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton is aSikh ethos school that welcomes students from diverse cultures, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.

Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton’s ethos is based upon the three principles of Sikhi which we have translated into universal values. These arebehaviours which staffexpect students to live by as well as demonstrating these themselves.

Aspokesman said: “Weare an inclusive Sikh ethos school where academic excellence, personalised pathways and personal development, provide students with the knowledge and transferable skills to benefit society.”

The school launched its own RAF squadron unit in September 2020 as Khalsa Cadets. We also work with external partners; BINTI and Hemraj Goyal Foundation to deliver bespoke personal development workshops. It is also aCAS (Computing At Schools) Community as well as the NCCE Satellite

school for the West Midlands Computing HUB, specialising in subject knowledge enhancement, Computer Science and Science teacher training. In addition, we successfully run the Duke of Edinburgh qualifications.

The sixth form provision Khalsa Sixth (KVI) was launched in September 2020. Many of our Year 13s have applied to red brick universities and have secured offers.

Stafftake an holistic approach that develops the “whole” child to be the very best version of themselves.

The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton (TKAW) has developed an innovatory and aspirational curriculum vision. The priorities aretoprovide an outstanding curriculum:

n Which delivers excellence and raises aspiration in both progress and attainment for all;

n Gives opportunities for pupils to exploretheir spirituality and draw upon universal Sikh values to become reflective, caring and tolerant young people;

n Nurtures intellectual curiosity, creativity,independence, resilience and healthy lifestyles.

Our GCSE results over the last two years have produced apositiveprogress 8, well above national averages (based on 2019 league tables). We look forwardto our first set of A-level results this year

The Khalsa Academy Wolverhampton, is aGood school on its journey to becoming an exceptional school that cares, nurtures and develops pupils to become futureleaders.

TheRoyal School

ATHRIVING,

When the Governors, Principal and Leadership team set out to transform the school from asmallindependent day and boarding school into alarge, thriving Free School in 2016, they set out with a passion to develop the whole person in a truly holistic manner

The first Ofsted report confirms their success: ‘personal development and welfareisoutstanding’. The Royal School transitioned from asmallindependent school to become athriving, energetic and outward-looking school community in a very short space of time.

The Royal School is an all-through (four to 19) day and state boarding school. The student population increased dramatically,doubling with each year, going from about 400 students in 2014 to over 1,450 in 2022.

“However,throughout the conversion to aFreeSchool, staffhave enhanced the values and ethos held as an independent school. Children’sexperiences arefurther

augmented through an extended day programme of some 170 weekly wider enrichment activities.

With the arrival of the scheduled Ofsted inspection in education and the boarding provision, the school now has

external validation of the vision in practice.

Aspokesman said: “Could we maintain the unique caring, aspirational and supportive ethos of The Royal when we weremorethan three times as large?

“Could we maintain the extended day for pupils, with alarge range of extra-curricular activities to help develop self-confident, committed, articulate, employable leaders of the future?

“Would we be able to attract international and UK boarding pupils to maintain the international flavour,which is so valued, and would they continue to contribute so much to school life?

“Would amuch larger group of pupils and parents buy into what we offer: an all-through, non-selective, non-denominational, four to 19, day and international boarding school for boys and girls from all ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds?

“According to our first Ofsted report… YES!”

WITH AUNIQUE, CARING, ASPIRATIONAL ANDSUPPORTIVEETHOS

St Edmund’s Catholic Academy

Returning to St Edmund’sin September will be particularly exciting this year as we open up our newly completed and furnished learning and social spaces.

Principal Mrs Hazeldine said: “Our community has been working patiently alongside building contractors last year and it is wonderful to see the new dining room, science labs, additional English and Maths classrooms fully finished.

“Additionally,myown personal favourite is our ‘state-of-the-art’ lecture theatrewith full digital connectivity and a fantastic ‘media wall’ screen. St Edmund’s expects this new academic centreto support all year groups in 21st century learning whilst the cinema quality screen will be awonderful resource for both learning and social events!”

The popularity of St Edmund’sto local families over the past five years has allowed the academy to enhance its resources and staffing to be truly world class.

Mrs Hazeldine is particularly proud

of the number of families now selecting St Edmund’sastheir first choice for secondary education. She believes this is atestament to the excellent teaching coupled with strong pastoral support, ensuring all students feel safe and know success.

She added: “Wewelcome students from all faiths and from none to sharein our academic and spiritual journey.

“St Edmund’sisatruly diverse community,where uniqueness is celebrated and areal sense of ‘family’ underpins our work.

“Thereisacalm, purposeful manner in the building, one of high expectations wherenoone is left behind.

“Our curriculum is designed to ensure all students can succeed, whilst being stretched and challenged to think for themselves and respect the thoughts and values of others.

“In short, we arepreparing our young people to thrive in the 21st century: in their work, in their relationships, in their faith.”

Full admissions and virtual open day information can be found on the school website www.stedmunds.org

St Edmund’s Catholic Academy

Compton Park, Compton Road West, Wolverhampton, WV39DU

558888

delightedtoinviteprospectiveparents, carers and students to join us forour

TheKing’sCESchool, Tettenhall

The King’sCESchool is an inspirational, friendly and supportive school with an excellent team of dedicated and experienced staff.

Principal Miss Joy Langley adds: “Welive and learnby The King’sway.Wetake responsibility,weare respectful, we show empathy and we choose forgiveness.”

We areaschool where pupils aregiven the confidence to flourish in amulti-faith community because of our distinct Christian values.

The May 2022 SIAMS (Ofsted Section 48 –Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspection graded the school as ‘Excellent’ concluding that the school “enables all to not only flourish but to be transformed”.

We believe in setting high standards for everyone connected to the school

through our motto of ‘Aspire, Believe and Achieve Together’.

Through our taught, enriched and experienced curriculum from year 7 through to year 13 we endeavour to make surethat each one of our pupils will leave The King’s:

n As secure, contented, confident,

empathetic and resilient young leaders with adrive to journey in faith without limits to succeed in their aspirational career ambitions.

n With theskills, passion, ability,knowledge and wisdom to transform their own lives and the local, national and international communities they will live in.

n With abreadth of knowledge to inspirelifelong learning.

All pupils benefit greatly from our excellent resources and facilities. Our swimming pool, sports centre, technology suites, innovative learning spaces and lecturetheatreare second to none.

These, along with the excellent relationships that exist between all members of the school community,are what make our school an exceptional place in which to learn.

THEKING’S CE SCHOOL

MoretonSchool

We areproud tobeapart of the Amethyst Academies Trust having joined in March 2017.

Our aim is to provide the very best educational experience for the children of Wolverhampton, which will enable them to become well-rounded individuals who arewell prepared for futureemployment.

To achieve this aim we work together as ateam alongside families, local primary schools and the wider community

Our recent Ofsted inspection in February 2020 rated the school as ‘good’ in all areas. The inspectors commented ‘this school has areal sense of purpose. All staffgoout of their way to ensurethat pupils arekept safe, feel cared for and achieve their best’. They also noted that ‘the positive relationships between staffand pupilsare ajoy to observe’.

We work hardtoensurethat all children reach their academic potential in

FORCHILDREN OF WOLVERHAMPTON

with pride. Ofsted inspectors noted ‘pupils arehappy and safe. They enjoy coming to school and want to learn. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school is good’.

In addition, we provide many opportunities for our students to develop as well roundedindividuals by taking part in awide variety of extra-curricular activities ranging from music, dance, art and sporting activities to experiencing Japanese culture, improving gaming skills, science club, debating or learning chess.

asafe and supportive environment. In our school, every pupil matters. Every single one deserves the very best education so that they can take their place in the world with confidence and success. We believe that our knowledge-rich curriculum is the essential tool in achieving this and it is at the heart of everything that we do.

Our students arevery proud to belong to ‘Team Moreton’ and wear their uniform

Our extensive offer takes place before, during and after the school day and is ahugely important part of life here at Moreton.

In addition, numerous residential trips occur throughout the year

Our website has lots moreinformation, including avirtual tour.Please also see our Twitter feed for further insights into daily life at Moreton.

School, Old Fallings

Dudley AcademiesTrust

“As the Chief Executive of Dudley Academies Trust, Iamextremely proud of the immense progress our secondary academies have made in the four years that we have been operational.

“The news that Ofsted inspectors had classed The Link Academy as a‘Good’ school was particularly pleasing, as it is exceptionally rarefor aschool to go up two grades in one go!

“The Trust was established to ensure afirst rate education for the young people of Dudley and the surrounding areas. It is important to us that all our young people have ahigh-quality education that will give them the foundations they need for a fulfilling life and arewarding futurecareer We arewell on the way to achieving these goals.

“In the last five years, we have made abig difference to the prospects our learners have.

“All four of our secondary academies have significantly raised their GCSE results, with major improvements in attainment and learner progress. Both primary schools have achieved SATS results at or above the national benchmark for expected progress and Blowers Green is significantly above for the ‘greater depth’ measure. We areconfident that our learners in all phases will continue to flourish in the coming years and achieve excellent examination outcomes.

“Weare able to accomplish these and many other advances because we have alarge and experienced Central Team that supports each academy with its leadership, teaching, building programmes, sports and activities, financial management, stafftraining, IT and most importantly –the progress and wellbeing of your children.

“Wehave recruited numerous, excellent staff to our academies and made some outstanding appointments to their leadership teams.

“Wehaveintroduced a proven system of rewards and behaviour management that has changed the cultureofour classrooms, accompanied by araft of new approaches to teaching.

“Many millions of pounds have already been invested in improving the buildings, facilities and computing equipment of our academies, and much moreisbeing spent this year

“At the beginning of 2021, we

welcomed Blowers Green Primary,judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted twice in arow, as the first primary school to join the Trust. This year,Kates Hill Primary,aconsistently ‘Good’ school, also joined us.

“Webelieve that having alarge, thriving and mutually supportive group of primary schools within the Trustwill be vital to achieving our aim of transforming the prospects of young people in Dudley

“I am confident that our academies will continue to make great strides forward over the coming years and that your child will find every opportunity to thrive there and to develop as arounded and confident young person.

Jo Higgins

“Wewant your child to ‘Dream Big’ and to know that many positive life choices arewithin their reach. Working with you, we will do everything in our power to make that a reality.”

Jo Higgins, Chief Executive of Dudley Academies Trust

OFFERING YOUNGPEOPLEAHIGH-QUALITYEDUCATION THAT WILL GIVE THEM THE FOUNDATIONSTHEYNEEDFOR AFULFILLING LIFE ANDAREWARDING FUTURE CAREER

“I am confident that our academies will continue to make great strides forward.”

Each

Three

TheLinkAcademy

AMAZINGOFSTEDRESULTISGREAT

The Link Academy is led by Emma EdwardsMorgan, who attended the school when it was judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

She and her strong Senior Leadership Team are determined to regainthat status and arecommitted to changing lives among the young people of Netherton and the surrounding area.

Now that the academy has been judged ‘Good’ in all areas, parents can be assured that The Link Academy gives every child the best possible opportunities to progress.

The Principal summarises the approach at The Link Academy as follows, “Webuild on areas of strength to improve outcomes for all learners, quickly identifying and dealing with any areas of weakness and accelerating learner attainment. We have steadily increased

FORTHE WHOLESCHOOL COMMUNITY

Understanding what they areaimingfor in the future motivates learners and helps them to dream big about what they can achieve in life. Learners arerewarded for their efforts to realise their ambitions on adaily basis. They arealsorewarded for acts of kindness and helpfulness and for anything that upholds the academy’s values.

the levels of outstanding teaching in the academy and have placed astrong emphasis on the English and Mathematics skills that underpin every subject”.

Akey part of the recipe is raising learner confidence, developing their futurecareer aspirations and increasing their knowledge of career options.

The Link has excellent sporting and performing arts facilities that support abroad range of extra-curricular clubs, teams and other activities. Parts of the academy werebuilt within recent memory and alarge amount of money has been spent on improving the older buildings.

In the words of the principal –“We are very confident that this academy has a great future.”

An exceptionalOfsted Inspection and so much more

“When Ijoined theThe LinkAcademy,Isaid that it was afantastic opportunity to changelives among the young people of Netherton and the surrounding area.Our amazing Ofsted reportdemonstrates that we arewell on the waytoachieving our aims.

The academyhas leapttwo grades and is nowrated as ‘Good’ across the board. Moving from ‘Special Measures’ to ‘Good’ in one go is an exceptional result only achieved by twelveother schools in the last ten years.

Personal development is abig partofhelping them to realise their ambitions.We raise learners’ confidence by strongly encouraging them to takepartinleadership opportunities, clubs,

competitions, trips and averywiderangeof activities that takepaceinour dance studios, performance spaces and our on-site leisure centre.

As Ofsted said, pupils access “a wide and rich set of experiences” as well as “high-quality careers advice and guidance.” Iamdetermined that we shall continue to improveand we have setour sights on achieving outstanding resultsfor all our learners.”

Emma Edwards-Morgan, Principal

Sponsoredby

THE LINK ACADEMY Netherton

Beacon Hill Academy

Beacon Hill Academy is on amission to develop an inspirational school that instils ambition and desireinits learners, opens their minds, widens their horizons and equips them to succeed in a challenging world.

The marked rise in the proportion of learners achieving Grade 5orhigher in both English and Mathematics is avery good indicator of the advances made across the academy

Having made significant improvements to every aspect of academy life and performance over the last four years, the Senior Management Team at Beacon Hill is determined to ensurethat the academy continues to go from strength to strength.

Staffwant learners to enjoy their time at the academy,tofeel safe, to feel supported and to make excellent progress as aresult. Thereisapassionate belief that every young person matters and that every learner has awide array of talents that must be identified and nurtured.

This is an academy with amission to give each individual learner achoice of ways forwardinlife.

It runs awide range of programmes focusing on careers, leadership, volunteering, personal and social responsibility,confidence building and personal development.

Recently,learners have participated in public speaking and poetry recitation competitions, full-scale dramas, musicals, dance, STEM competitions,

entrepreneurship competitions and a broad range of extra-curricular clubs, teams and activities.

Learners areable to participate in additional activities including engineering, art, science, dance, the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and avariety of sports.

Beacon Hill Academy offers arounded education that will open young people’s eyes to the opportunities available in the wider world if they study hardand give themselves something to aim for

“At BeaconHill Academy, personaldevelopment is at the centre of what we do.Webelieve that everylearnermatters andeach onehas awide arrayoftalents,which we will identify,nurture and promote.

The Academyoffers arounded educationthat will open young people’seyestothe opportunities available in the wider worldiftheystudyhardand give themselves something to aim for. Learners arealsoabletoparticipate in many additional activities includingengineering,art, science,dance, the DukeofEdinburgh scheme and a varietyofsports.

Ofsted recognised these strengths, stating that,‘The school’sworktopromotepupils’personal development

is good. Careers educationisthorough andwell planned.The personal, social, health andeconomic education programme is comprehensiveand delivered well.’

It is clear to me thatour academyisonanupward trajectory. Over the past fewyears, ourGCSE results have shownimprovements in both theattainment and progress of ourlearners, witha marked rise inthe proportion of learners achievingGrade 5orhigher in both English and Mathematics. Come andsee foryourself!”

SukhjotDhami,Principal

ACADEMY Sedgley

Sponsoredby

ASCHOOL WHEREEVERY YOUNGPERSON MATTERS, WHERETHEIR TALENTSARE NURTURED ANDTHEYCAN FEEL SAFE ANDSUPPORTED TO MAKE EXCELLENT PROGRESS

PegasusAcademy

The four consecutive years of improved GCSE results at Pegasus Academy would be amajor achievement for any school. Results have made big advances in the coresubjects of English, Mathematics and science, with improvements being made across the board.

Results, though, only tell half of the story.The leadership team at Pegasus Academy is on aclear mission to continue transforming the school by appointing the very best teaching staff, pushing for improvement in every area and encouraging their learners to Dream Big about their futures.

Staffare determined to broaden learners’ horizons, increase their selfconfidence and strengthen their life skills. The aim is to encourage and help each child to be the best that they can be.

Good behaviour is akey ingredient. Every school has abehaviour model,

but this one is different. It focuses on opportunities for learners to be rewarded.

Of course, therearesanctions for learners who break the rules. This cuts out the behaviour that prevents learners from learning, that wastes time in the classroom and distracts attention from the subject being studied. In and out of the classroom, learners and teachers agree that the behaviour model is amassive plus point for Pegasus Academy

When Ofsted inspected the academy

in June 2019 and put it up agrade, they noted that“senior leaders have implemented aclear vision with drive and energy” and “learners arehappy,and proud of their school”.

Thereisanew attitude among learners at Pegasus. The academy has improved attendance, improved behaviour and improved progress in every year group. Thereisaconviction across the academy that they will continue to make good progress over the years to come.

“At Pegasus Academy, we promise that we will encourage andhelp your childtobethe best that theycan be.

Personal developmentisthe secret ingredient. Learners are rewarded forupholding the academy’s values and actively participatinginschoollife, as well as forthe effortsand progress that theymake.We encourage learners to join in with sportsand performing arts,art and design, poetryand publicspeaking anda range of similar activities. In addition, thereisa strong careersprogramme that enables learners to make informedchoices about theirfuture

Ofsted reported that,‘Pupilsare happy, andproud of their school’, and aconsiderable effort hasgone into making the academyenvironmentinto something that inspiresand motivatesour learners. For several years in succession, thegrades that they achieve at GCSE have improved,with ariseinthe proportionof learners achieving Grade 5orhigher in both English and Mathematics of well over 10%.

PEGASUS ACADEMY Dudley

We areonaclear mission to build on theleapforward that this academyhas made andwewantour learners to Dream Big about their futures.”

AndyLanders, Principal

Sponsoredby

ACADEMYISONA MISSION TO CONTINUETOBROADEN LEARNERS’HORIZONS, INCREASE THEIRSELF-CONFIDENCE ANDSTRENGTHENTHEIR LIFE SKILLS

St JamesAcademy

At St James Academy,Principal Ian Moorelikes to know the names and personalities of all the young people in the academy,and St James is small enough to do that.

The performance of each learner is recorded and actively monitored on aweek-by-week basis. Staffknow almost immediately which learners might need moresupport and which ones can be pushed on to ahigher level of achievement. This is regularly reviewed and discussed by the Senior Leadership Team; in this way,everychild is helped to be the best that they can be.

This approach has transformed learner performance, but many other aspects of what learners experience are equally positive. Staffare passionate about rewarding learners who make an extra effort, show kindness, display great teamwork or achieve beyond expectations.

Learners arechallenged to extend their

interests through awide programme of extra-curricular activities, sports teams, trips and visits. The careers programme helps learners to focus on their futures and motivates them to work hardand develop their self-confidence.

Every learner is encouraged to become astudent leader,contribute to charity and awareness initiatives, participate in debating and reciting competitions and join in with science projects and business presentations.

Visitors to St James often remark

on the politeness they encounter in the corridors and classrooms. Senior Leaders areconstantly walking around the academy,talking to learners about their lessons, their other activities and whatever is on their minds.

Learners have plenty of opportunities to let offsteam and pursue their interests, as the academy has large playing fields and excellent facilities for sport and drama. In the words of the Principal, St James Academy makes areal difference to young people.

STJAMES ACADEMY Dudley

“At St JamesAcademy,we aredetermined to become a centreofexcellence foryoung people who liveincentral Dudleyand the surrounding areas.

Our philosophyissimple: we will ensurethe success of all our learners through outstanding teaching, positivebehaviour and an emphasis on developing them as confident and responsible individuals.

Thereisastrong caring ethos here,which ensures high levels of supportfor learners and creates an atmosphereofmutual respect throughout the school.Staff arepassionate aboutrewarding learners who makeanextra effort,showkindness,displaygreat teamwork or achieve beyond expectations.

Learners arechallenged to extend their interests through awide programme of activities, drama, sports teams, clubs and trips.Theyare encouraged to become student leaders, contribute to charity and awareness initiatives, participate in debating and reciting competitions and join in with science projects and business presentations. Pupils also benefit from an extensivecareers programme that gives them first-hand experience of the world of work and helps to widen their horizons.

We aredetermined that your child will progress with us and leave with abright futureahead.”

Ian Moore, Principal

Sponsoredby

ASCHOOL WHERETHE POSITIVE APPROACHOFFERS EVERYCHILDTHE SUPPORTAND ENCOURAGEMENTTHEYNEEDTOHELPTHEMTOBETHE BEST THEY CANBE

Thorns Collegiate Academy

Dancers, engineers, scientists, charity fundraisers, futurepoliticians, lawyers –no matter what astudent wants to become, they will find astarting point at Thorns Collegiate Academy

Mr Manny Kelay,Principal, states: “Students areatthe heart of what we do –webelieve in building futures right from the start of Year 7, making every moment count until our students leave Year 11 with the highest possible standardofacademic qualification.”

Be your best self

Students and staffbelieve in strong academic achievement –the Academy is looking forwardtocelebrating success in the GCSEs again this year –but they also believe in developing the wider character of students.

Vice Principal Charlotte Taylor speaks of the opportunities given to students: “Examples can be seen everywhereyou look, our Prefect Team, who embody leadership opportunities at all Academy events, our Dance Clubs, which showcase the highest of standards, our students performing in the High School Musicals production to apacked auditorium, and our Mathematicians, who regularly place highly in the UKMT Maths Challenge.

“Whatever talent our students possess, we strive to develop it with them.”

Acaring academy

Director of L4L Sarah O’Neill, commented on the transition process: “Our students arewell cared for –Year 6have two Induction Days, plus aweek of Summer School with exciting activities themed around Go Wild! This ensures

students arrive knowing the Academy, ready to learninSeptember.”

We operate an innovative curriculum called Literacy for Life, which bridges the gap between the primary experience, and the academic specialism of Key Stage 4. Each student has one teacher who delivers across-curricular thematic curriculum in Year 7for 17 hours as well as providing the pastoral support of aform tutor

Every student in Key Stage 3has a computer accessible for all lessons, so we can exploreawiderange of ideas and vary our ways of working. Most importantly,the Year 7teacher cares

for their students in the way aYear 11 teacher would traditionally focus on GCSE results –those students arethe coreof that teacher’sweek, so they arenurtured, cared for,known and developed in away many secondary schools cannot offer

As an Academy,weare confident that our lessons develop well-rounded, knowledgeable young people, ready for a place in the modernworld

Amazing opportunities

Thorns is part of the Collegiate Academy Trust,working closely with Shireland Collegiate Academy in Smethwick, which has, for anumber of years, set an outstanding example for learning. These high standards and the technological expertise continue to open opportunities for students at Thorns.

Students benefit from amazing opportunities –this year students have visited the Tate Gallery in London, the city of Paris and the Year 7students have attended aPGL residential; along with many other educational visits and experiences.

Mr Kelay,Principal of the Academy, is clear on the driving force behind the school: “Every parent looks for a secondary school which will help their child move into the futurewith the best possible chance of success. We look forwardtoplaying our part in that journey to success.”

BUILDING FUTURESRIGHT FROM THESTART OF YEAR 7, MAKING EVERYMOMENTCOUNT UNTILSTUDENTSLEAVE WITH THEHIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARD OF QUALIFICATION

Dormston School

At Dormston, the basics underpin everything that they do.

Their philosophy is simple. If all partners –students, parents and carers work together then every child will be able to attain their absolute best. In their recent Ofsted inspection, they were judged good with the inspectors noting the school is aharmonious and cohesive community.Leaders and teachers share common values of effort, knowledge, respect, responsibility and resilience with students. They work together to ensure that students achieve their best.

Newly appointed Headteacher, Caroline Sutton fully believes that partnership in all its guises is the key to success.

“I am certain that parents and carers will sharethe high hopes and aspirations that the school has for its students. I believe that irrespective of background, everyone is deserving of an excellent education, should aim high and be given the opportunities to be the very best that they can be.

“If you always try your best, no one will ask moreofyou. We expect Dormston students to be proud of what they achieve during their time with us and be proud of who they are.

“Teaching staffworkhardtoensure that they plan and teach lessons that

arechallenging and engaging. Staffare monitored regularly and work hardto ensurethat the students receive the education that is appropriate for them.

“Attendance is vital. If children aren’t in school, they can’tmake the most of the learning and enrichment opportunities on offer to them. Our expectation is high. We encourage every student to be above 97% attendance and all pupils to aim for 100%.

“As always we expect the highest standards of behaviour.Behaviour for learning is paramount. We areproud of our strong climate for learning, recently praised in our Ofsted inspection.

“Students being polite and respectful to their peers is agiven. We will not tolerate aggressive, abusive or disrespectful behaviour in any form. Students at Dormston have the right to

feel safe and happy and know that their learning is of the highest importance without disturbance or interruption from others.

“Our facilities areoutstanding and complement our safe and supportive learning environment. Our theatre and sporting facilities areheldinhigh regardbothwithinschool and the local community

“Webelieve that learning should extend beyond theclassroom. To support this, we have awide variety of extra curricula opportunities on offer to students. Duke of Edinburgh, house competitions, running, school productions and sports clubs give aflavour of what is on offer

“Welook forwardtowelcoming you to Dormston!”

ASCHOOL WHEREEVERYONEISDESERVING OF AN EXCELLENTEDUCATION,SHOULD AIMHIGHAND BE GIVENTHE OPPORTUNITIESTOBETHE VERY BEST THAT THEY CANBE

Leasowes High School

every student to understand and reach their potential by offering an impressive range of opportunities and approaches to learning, supported by acaring and committed pastoral team, dedicated to the health, emotional wellbeing and personal development of each and every individual.

Leasowes is aschool committed to providing arigorous academic curriculum wherestudents gain knowledge, skills and understanding through outstanding teaching.

The curriculum provides breadth across all subjects, including the arts, technology,and languages. Reading underpins the curriculum whereeveryone will follow awhole school strategy to aid students with comprehension and literacy skills across all subjects.

Leasowes’ curriculum supports the needs of all. Students from Year 7 aretaught in amix of form groups and

ability-based groups, with emphasis on progress and achievement, but no child is overlooked or undervalued in our desireto Aspireand Achieve.

At Leasowes, each student is challenged to bring moretotheir education than alesson by lesson experience. The range of activities offered to students is varied, with extra-curricular

clubs available for all. The school has daily sporting activities, as well as opportunities to represent the school in traditional teams.

Every year the Arts team work with students in the school production and they have the opportunity to take alead part in the show,orbeamember of the chorus.

Thereisagrowing STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering and Maths) club which has been asuccessful awardwinner in both national and regional competitions.

The school is ahappy and caring environment which celebrates achievement and nurtures. The pastoral team supports pupils, providing them with the skills and knowledge to be resilient and thrive in the future.

With the collaboration of seven schools, the mission is to raise standards; this is already evidenced with Leasowes High School being over subscribed on a yearly basis.

BY OFFERING AN IMPRESSIVERANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES DEDICATED TO THEIRWELLBEING ANDPERSONALDEVELOPMENT

TheWordsleySchool

BELIEVE.ACHIEVE .INSPIRE

The Wordsley School will be hosting its 2022 open evening on Thursday,October 20, which will support prospective parents/carers of pupils who may wish to join in September 2023.

We aresoexcited to be welcoming parents and carers to our school, so that you can truly capturethe essence of what makes The Wordsley School so very special within our community

The open evening will provide you with an opportunity to meet with the Headteacher Gareth Burton, awide range of staffand pupils andtosee the amazing things that our young people achieve whilst they arewith us.

This is such an exciting time to be joining our school and owing to the school’ssuccess and popularity,2021 saw the opening of our new English block, library and Sports Centre, which has been built to support the increasing number of pupils who wish to be part of our thriving school community

Children at The Wordsley School

arehappy and well supported and we focus on understanding every individual’s strengths and challenges so they can quickly and happily feel part of our school community.Wehave clear and high expectations for our pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school site and in the wider area.

In addition to the formal open evening, we arealsooffering open morning tours throughout September and October

To reserve aplace on one of the tours, please contact our school reception from Monday,September 12 onwards.

We look forwardtowelcoming you to our school.

WORDSLEY SCHOOL

As

The

Our

Open

Open

Open

There

Kingswinford Academy

KingswinfordAcademy is asuccessful school dedicated

ensuring every child can Be Extraordinary.

Rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, KingswinfordAcademy prides itself on being at the heart of the community and acentreof educational excellence.

The school focuses on developing the whole child, placing equal importance

academic achievement and character development,

happiness and safety

At Kingswinford, students develop the learner skills and character virtues to ‘Be Extraordinary’ both in school and throughout their lives.

The school’scaring community ensures students settle into life at school quickly, form lifelong friendships, are happy and have fun.

Find out more on the website at kingswinfordacademy.org.uk

Windsor High School

ALL’

Windsor High School and Sixth Form is aschool committed to delivering the very best education for all students.

The school encourages every student to ASPIRE in their learning and lives so that they unlock their academic and personal potential.

Alongside inspiring teaching and learning and brilliant facilities, the school offers awelcoming

environment for students built on traditional values and excellent pastoral support.

Well known for its strong performance, the school was judged ‘Good’ by Ofsted at its latest inspection in May 2022. During the visit, inspectors found the school to be exceeding standards in many areas to suggest the school could now be ‘Outstanding’.

Find out moreat windsorhighschool.org.uk

King CharlesISchool

King Charles ISchool is part of The Four Stones Multi Academy Trust (MAT). We are very proud of our school and think it is awonderful place to study and work.

We areproud of our academic ethos and how we develop students’ character through our corevalues of creativity,integrity,ambition andcommitment. The achievement of our students is paramount, but we also know all our students as individuals.

We areunapologetically ambitious for every student, no matter what their background, prior attainment or needs. We take great pride in developing relationships between students, staff and families, in order that we can ensure that success is desirable, demanded and achievable. Our coreaim is to help

students achieve their best and so access university or ahigh-quality alternative.

We complement our academic curriculum with an extensive enrichment programme. From after school clubs to international trips, we give our students access to the cultural literacy to enable them to fully participate in adult educated life.

We operate with a warm but firm approach to discipline ensuring our students develop the habits that will be necessary to be successful independent adults. Our students are thereforeacredit to us, and we arevery proud of their example.

At King Charles ISchool, the cultureisthatwecare about our school, we respect others and we do our best and we expect our students to:

n Work hard and do their school work to the best of their ability;

n Get involved in all that the school has to offer both in and out of the classroom;

n Attend school punctually,every day and in full school uniform; and

n Show respect and courtesy to those around them and to our school.

SCHOOL AIMS TO HELP STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIRBEST, DEVELOPING THEIRCREATIVITY, INTEGRITY, AMBITION ANDCOMMITMENTTHROUGH AN ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

Hagley Catholic High School

Catholic High School is proud to be part of Emmaus Multi Academy Company,afamily of 10 schools across Dudley, Sandwell, Birmingham and Worcestershirewith student

from not only these schools but others across the West Midlands region.

Catholic High School is uniquely placed on the Worcester to Birmingham rail line in the leafy countryside of Worcestershireand Hagley village. With views to the Clent Hills to the north and the Malverns to the south, it is a wonderful place to work, learnand play

Our school is built on the belief of being one family,strivingtoachieve our personal best in all things, by living and learning in Christ.

Our Catholic faith and the principles of Christianity make us truly inclusive and

open to all faiths, or students of no faith too. Our virtues and values areatthe heart of what we aspiretodoand be, and it is these values that underpin the cultureat Hagley

An education at Hagley for all students is broad and balanced. Learning is exciting and opportunities arefulsome witha huge array of enrichment provision across all school years.

Students at Hagley make excellent academic progress across the board with challenge and stretch at the heart of our curriculum provision, and abelief that thereisnoglass ceilings on our aspirations.

We offer the very best in personal development, behaviour,attitudes, expectations and standards with dedicated and warm pastoral carevery much at the centreofthis, whereall students aretrulyknown, valued and appreciated for their own uniqueness, ensuring they feel safe and supported in their learning journey

Our Open Day for admissions in September 2023 is on the morning of Saturday 8th October 2022 from 9am to 12.30pm and we will be delighted to welcome you to our school.

HighSchool

LichfieldCathedral School

uncertain global political

leaders of the futurewill

achallenging legacy.Those

sit in our classrooms today all across the country.

So what is Lichfield Cathedral School doing to ensurethey are equipped to charter these choppy

chapel stewards, sports leaders, prefects, librarians, heads of co-curricular societies, leaders of acommunity radio station and Fairtrade Ambassadors.

The

School mission describes four coreprinciples of Learning, Leadership, Faith and Service and the school’sunique Ethical Leadership Programme encompasses all of these.

In arapidly changing world, young people need the strength and resilience to follow their own convictions, and Cathedral School pupils do what is right because they know it to be so, borne of asolid Christian foundation and strong values.

Lichfield Cathedral School pupils will start their ethical leadership pathway from

early years and carry on until the end of Sixth Form. The duties and responsibilities embedded in the school experience are designed to provide ongoing opportunities for development of these skills as they achieve challenges with increasing levels of complexity and responsibility Cathedral School pupils arebook monitors, playground buddies, mentors,

They areHeads of House and Heads of School, captains of sports teams and musical and dramatic ensembles, they areDuke of Edinburgh participants and they raise awareness of, and support for,numerous local, national and international charities. They are all glorious individuals with aclear sense of what is right and the passion to make adifference.

It is aprivilege to workwith such pupils and play apart in securing abrighter future–the school’steachers look forward to seeing just how high today’syoungsters can soar

To learnmore, contact Admissions on 01543 306168 or email admissions@ lichfieldcathedralschool.com

CA THED RA LS CHO

FUTURE,EQUIPPING THEM WITH

FOLLOW THEIROWN CONVICTIONS

CodsallCommunity High School

Codsall Community High School has along recordofacademic and sporting success and is proud to sit at the heart of its thriving community

This year the school welcomes the arrival of anew Headteacher, Mr Simon Maxfield, who is focussed on ensuring the school continues to be acentreof excellence for young people.

Like all schools in the Learning Partnership, Codsall High is graded by Ofsted as a“Good” school. The culture and ethos of the school is built around three key values: Ambition, Altruism and Achievement. As aresult, the school is ahappy,stimulatingand safe place for children.

Mr Maxfield is proud to lead the school in the next phase of its journey He said: “At the heart of everything we do is the belief in personal growth. Each student will have differing strengths and starting points, but our staffworkhardto ensurestudents have belief in themselves and that with determination, anything is possible.”

Leaders and staffensureaconsistent focus upon the quality of the learning experience. The school is fortunate to attract highly skilled staffwho work collectively to ensureour education is ‘world class’ and we seek to continually evolve and improve our approach to meet the needs of the young people we serve.

Codsall High School provides an excellent range of academic and vocational qualifications at both GCSE and A-level. Examination success is of course vitally important, but not in isolation.

Codsall High School provides opportunity for students to excel in the arts and sporting arenas too.

It is essential that young people are given the skills, values and outlooks that enable them to be successful in today’s world. Mr Maxfield added: “Thereisso much to be proud of in the opportunities we provide students and the outcomes we achieve, but our greatest achievement is in producing young people who are respectful, self-disciplined, and kind to those around them and who understand how to make apositive difference to society

“Helping students find their place in society,exploretheir own interests and talents, and become self-sufficient is the

key to helping them succeed as adults.”

Despite the school’ssuccesses, we arenot complacent. Mr Maxfield is keen to ensurethat the school continues to develop and adapt. “It is fantastic to lead aschool that achieves great academic results each year

“Morethan ever before, we also need to ensureyoung people enjoy high quality careers preparation and through developing acareer-led curriculum, we can help students maximise their employability and shape their future aspirations. The real success comes when we help students open the door to their futures beyond the school gates, whether that is university,apprenticeships or employment.”

SCHOOLSEEKSTOCONTINUALLY EVOLVE ANDIMPROVE TO MEET THENEEDS OF THE YOUNGPEOPLE, CREATING AHAPPY,STIMULATING ANDSAFEPLACE FORTHEMTOBE

TheHartSchool

The oversubscribed Hart School is inviting prospective new parents and pupils to take atouroftheir facilities following an exciting unveiling.

The Creative Education Trust school, on the edge of Cannock Chase, is building anext-generation, net-zerobuildingas part of a£2.5million expansion to help meet demand for places at the school, which is ranked in the top five first-choice secondary schools for Year 6parents in Staffordshire.

The latest investment will see the creation of three new science labs and an additional 2,000sqm of social space for pupils at the school, with further developments in the pipeline.

It comes after the school, which extended its 2022-2023 pupil intake to meet demand and whose motto is “We Can, We Will, We Do”, revealed it is oversubscribed for asecond consecutive year

Principal Ms Rachael Sandham said: “I’m thrilled that our school has continued to grow as apopular choice with families in our town. The Hart School is now not only in the top five of first choice secondary schools for Year 6parents, but we’realso the second most popular school for ‘first choice preference’ in atenmile radius.”

She added: “I’m also delighted to sharethat we areonce again oversubscribed for September 2022. This year we wereoverwhelmed to seea recordnumbers of applications made for Year 7, and we’ve also got waiting lists across all our other year groups too.

“I am heartened and humbled by this, mostly because it speaks to aconfidence

and trust held in our educational offer.”

Ms Sandham went on to say that: “Our school motto is ‘WeCan. We Will.WeDo.’ and I’m incredibly proud of our growing successes over the past few years.

“This significant new investment will allow us to further increase pupil capacity to meet demand and allow us to build on our proud successes across the board.

“I’d like to thank our students and stafffor thepart they continue to play in building and sustaining astrong and improving reputation for our school as we continue on our journey towards becoming an outstanding school.”

The Rugeley school, which is ranked good by Ofsted, saw its exam success continue once again last summer with great results at GCSE and A-level including morestudents achieving top A* grades.

Last year,its sixth form also celebrated seeing moreofits students than ever beforesecureplaces at university including Anya Tregay to study law at OxfordUniversity –and over 90%ofYear 13 pupils proceeding to Higher Education.

The 2023-2024 intake open evenings will allow parents and pupils to see the exciting new addition as well as other existing facilities at the school, which include an all-weather leisuredome.

Therewillbetwo Year 6opening evenings, which will be held on Tuesday, October 4, from 5pm to 6:30pm, and Wednesday,October 5, from 6pm to 7:30pm.

And the Year 12 opening evening will be held on Tuesday,October 18, from 5pm to 7pm.

For moreinformation on the Penkridge Bank Road secondary school, please visit www.hartschool.org.uk/ or follow them on social media @thehartschool, email enquiries@hartschool.org.uk or call 01889 802440 (during term-time).

SCHOOLBUILDINGAND SUSTAINING ASTRONGAND IMPROVING REPUTATIONASIT CONTINUESONA JOURNEYTOWARDS BECOMING RANKED OUTSTANDING

CannockChase High School

Cannock Chase High School is a vibrant and ambitious learning community with arelentless focus on the highest standards of academic achievement, personal development and equality of opportunity

In everything we do, we are dedicated to reaching our school goal ‘Achievement for All’.

Our school has apositiveethos, with strong pastoral and academic guidance and areal emphasis on learning.

All students areawareoftheirpotential and that achievement is without limit if they combine effort, hardwork and dedication to being the best in everything they do.

We believe that it is ahappy,safe and enjoyable place to be with apurposeful atmosphere, and that the learning environment we provide allows students to grow and develop academically,socially and personally into responsible, caring and confident young people.

We areatraditional school whereoldfashioned values of discipline, courtesy and good manners support our drive for academic success for every child.

At Cannock Chase High School, our students arealways at the centreof what we do. Our curriculum is how the aims, values and ethos of the school aremet. This includes all lessons, extracurricular activities and experiences that areplanned and delivered to promote their academic, emotional, physical, social,

moral and spiritual development. We offer acurriculum that is broad and balanced.

Underpinning everything we do areour values that we expect all members of our community to demonstrate in all they do:

Integrity:Doing the right thing, all the time and respecting each other

Teamwork: Working together to improve our collective best, as well as our individual best.

Responsibility: Taking responsibility for our actions.

Excellence: Being the best we can be in all we do.

Resilience: Overcoming challenges, remaining focused and working hard.

In our achievement-oriented culture, all students work hardand aspiretobethe best that they can be. However,wewant our students to have agreat life, not just a top job and/or aplace at agreat university. Therefore, we aredeeply committed to opening the hearts and minds of our young people in every way

ANDTHATACHIEVEMENT IS WITHOUTLIMITIFTHEYCOMBINE EFFORT,HARDWORKAND DEDICATION

CheslynHay Academy

Cheslyn Hay Academy is an 11 to 18 school of approximately 1,200 students, including 180 in the Sixth Form.

Cheslyn Hay Academy’s large catchment area includes the villages of Cheslyn Hay, Essington and Featherstone, and the school has along tradition of taking students from further afield.

The school has astrong reputation for enabling the young people in its care to flourish, believing in unconditional positive regard and high expectations for all members of its school family

The school believes that high expectations lead to high levels of achievement and thereforesets high standards for its staffand students.

Cheslyn Hay Academy strives to ensurethat every lesson counts, for every child, every day –both in and outside

the classroom. The school believes in astrong moral purpose and ensuring that the whole child is developed so they can realise their aspirations and ambitions.

Cheslyn Hay Academy wants students to aspire to achieve their personal and academic potential and positively impact their communities.

Find out moreat cheslynhayacademy.org.uk

GreatWyrleyAcademy

STUDENTS ACHIEVETHEIR POTENTIAL

Great Wyrley Academy is aschool that helps students achieve their potential.

The school focuses on morethan just academic success. It aims to unlock students’ academic and personal potential, encouraging students to participate in a huge range of extracurricular activities that inspirethem tofollow their passions and develop new skills.

Great Wyrley Academy offers awarm and welcoming environment built upon a cultureofrespect, responsibility

and shared values. Students settle in quickly,make friends and enjoy their time at school.

Committed to continuous improvement, the school has gone from strength to strength in the past few years. There have been increases in exam results and student progress and significant investment into its buildings and resources, bringing the school into the twenty-first century and adding to its outstanding range of facilities.

Find out moreat greatwyrleyacademy.org.uk

Sandwell Academy

Offering an exceptional education in an inspiring environment, Sandwell Academy has established itself as one of the leading schools in the region.

Students benefit from state-of-theart facilities and modernequipmentinall areas, especially Science, Sport, Business and ICT

The Academy’sinclusive ethos means it caters for all abilities, with opportunities at every level and helps every individual child fulfil their potential.

Headteacher Ian Williams said: “A balance of academic and vocational qualifications ensurethat students benefit from apersonalised and tailored curriculum and our pupils’ consistently high results reflect the hardwork and

dedication of staff. Our focus on careers and strong industry links give pupils asolid foundation for asuccessful futureand they receive support for every step of their educational journey,fromstarting in Year 7 to completing A-levels in our Sixth Form.

“Sandwell Academy maintains high standards for its staffand pupils and has achieved three successive outstanding ratings from Ofsted, testament to the hard work of all involved.

“Inspectors have praised the Academy’sinspiring curriculum as well as our extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities.

“Weare proud to offer an extensive cultural, sporting and performing arts programme alongside our academic

provision and encourage participation at all levels. To support these activities, we arefortunate to have our own theatre, athletics track, fitness centre, dance studios and recording studio, as well as excellent curriculum facilities.”

The Academy opened in 2006 and now educates over 1,300 students, welcoming 200 students each year into Year 7and 180students into Year 12. Sandwell Academy works closely with partner schools, and is part of the Thomas TelfordMulti Academy Trust

Mr Williams added: “Students receive praise, support and challenge to help them achieve their goals and we provide asafe and caring environment with high levels of pastoral support and an emphasis on traditional values of good behaviour,mutual respect and excellent attendance.

“Our expectations of students arehigh andastrong work ethic and motivation to succeed arevital. Teachers and parents arerequired to work together in partnership to ensurechildrenmake excellent progress.

“Wepride ourselvesonmaking a genuine, positive difference to the lives of young people in Sandwell and help them become confident, roundedindividuals.”

If you areinterested in finding out more about life at Sandwell Academy,then please visit www.sandwellacademy.com for moreinformation.

STUDENTS BENEFITFROMAPERSONALISEDAND TAILORED CURRICULUMAND THEIR CONSISTENTLY HIGH RESULTSREFLECT THEHARDWORKAND DEDICATION OFSTAFF

West Bromwich Collegiate Academy

West Bromwich Collegiate Academy is abrand-new school, proud to be part of the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust.

The school opened in West Bromwich in September 2019 with state-of-the-art facilities and is asix-form entry 11-16 secondary school, with 156 places for students in each year group. The Academy is anon-selective, state school, welcoming children from all backgrounds and abilities, serving people from the local community

At its corewebelieve in an inclusive education for local students at every ability level, arigorous grounding in academic fundamentals and that every student should be equipped for the futurethrough the acquisition of cutting-edge skills.

Most importantly,webelieve that every student should be safe, happy,ambitious forthemselves and respectful of all. Highly ambitious for our students, we believe a student from Sandwell can be the equal of students nationally or globally if we give them the right opportunities and they seize them. Our students arealready doing us proud in this respect.

Our curriculum is technology-rich and every child who attends our Academy is provided with their own device that they use in school to enhance their learning.

West Bromwich Collegiate Academy runs the Literacy for Life curriculum which has been developed and refined over the past 13 years. Within this curriculum, students have asingle teacher for 17 hours in Year 7and 13 hours in Year 8.

This model allows children to make asmooth transition from primary to secondary school, allows us to produce great outcomes and in-depth learning and

means thereisateacher who has your child as their only priority.

Aseries of engaging themes arethe vehicle by which we deliver large aspects of the Key Stage 3National Curriculum. These themes arerelevant and make links to the wider world and careers, giving their learning areal context.

The Principal of the Academy,Mr George Faux said: “Over the past three years our brand-new Academy has gone from strength to strength. We are incredibly proud of our staffand students and all they have achieved. Ihope you will come and see us on our open day and consider continuing your child’seducation journey at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy.”

Hereare some comments from our families: “The amount of support offered to my child to help her achieve her goals at

the academy is amazing. From what Ihave seen in my child’stimeatthe academy it is clear that all the teachers have the children’svery best interests at heart, thank you.” –Year 7parent

“All the staffare very friendly &helpful; really couldn’task for abetter school!”

Year 9parent.

“My child enjoys going to school and learning. Even though he’saquiet child the school has catered for him and helped him to come out of his shell alittle bit at a time. He feels safe in school and likes the teachers and children. Thank you for all you do for him.” –Year 8parent.

“Weasparents arevery happy and satisfied with the communication from staff to us regarding our child. They arevery supportive throughout his life here. They aregoing above and beyond their job.”

Year 9parent

ACADEMYOFFERS AN INCLUSIVEEDUCATION FOREVERY ABILITYLEVEL ANDEQUIPS THEM FORTHE FUTURE THROUGHTHE ACQUISITION OF CUTTING-EDGE SKILLS

ShirelandCBSOAcademy

Shireland CBSO Academy will open its doors to Year 7students for the first time in September 2023.

In partnership with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), the Academy will be the first state school in Britain to be established in collaboration with an orchestra. This marks aradical new approach to music education, innovatively addressing the much-publicised decline in the position of the creative arts in many schools. The Academy will deliver an outstanding education for its students built on a foundation of academic and musical excellence.

Serving Sandwell and the wider West Midlands, it will be anon-selective state school that reflects the diversity of our community.Itwill deliver abroad curriculum and welcome children of all backgrounds who have apassion or talent for music.

We will have 150 places available in Year 7, with alimited number of places on our music aptitude programme for students who areparticularly gifted or talented in music.

Our school is part of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, amultiacademy trust with schools across the West Midlands, founded by the threetimes Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ Shireland Collegiate Academy

An outstanding music-centred education

At Key Stage 3, the Trust’swellestablished Literacy for Life programme, which has been developed over the last 15 years, will form the basis of students’

experience. At Shireland CBSO Academy, the Literacy for Life curriculum has been tailored to reflect our focus on music.

In Literacy for Life, students have 17 hours with the same teacher in Year 7, 13 hours in Year 8and 5hours in Year 9, easing your child’stransition from primary to secondary school. This also provides acontact for you in the school who really knows how your child is progressing in terms of both their pastoral and academic needs.

Students will be immersed in musical experiences throughout their time at the Academy,both inside and outside the classroom. This will allow them to benefit from the emotional, social, physical and academic benefits that active participation in music can bring.

Students will have the opportunity to practise, rehearse and perform together, developingtransferable skills that will support them to achieve academic and musical excellence as they grow to become confident and empathetic young people. Every student at the Academy will receive instrumental or vocal lessons.

Students will benefit from bespoke facilities at the Academy including performance spaces, arecording studio and music practice rooms. The building has been designed to support music education and performance, with careful consideration given to the acoustic requirements of such aspecialist venue.

Collaboration with aworld-class orchestra

Our partnership with the CBSO will ensurethat students have areal and genuine opportunity to achieve musically at an elite and national level. The Academy’sstudents will enjoy regular performances by the orchestra and work with its musicians, learning from the best.

Principal Designate David Green said: “Weare really excited to be opening Shireland CBSO Academy in September 2023. In Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, we have two leaders in their respective fields coming together to ensurethat young people from diverse backgrounds from across Sandwell and the wider area have an opportunity to excel both academically and musically.”

ANEW SECONDARY SCHOOL FORSANDWELL–THE FIRST STATESCHOOL IN BRITAIN TO BE ESTABLISHEDINCOLLABORATION WITH AN ORCHESTRA

ShirelandBiomedicalUTC

Shireland Biomedical University Technical College (SBUTC) is based on the High Street, West Bromwich, and looks forwardtowelcoming Year 7students for the first time in September 2022.

We areanon-selective state school committed to serving students from all backgrounds and abilities, providing them with awhole education that develops the skills, qualities and knowledge they need to succeed and thrive. SBUTC encourages students to be fantastic individuals as well as fantastic learners by taking coownership of their education.

Proudly part of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, which has an outstanding reputation locally and nationally,and supported by The Baker Dearing Educational Trust, we strive to deliver a student-centred curriculum that is nothing less than outstanding.

Students benefit from combining national curriculum teaching with workbased projects, which aredelivered in partnership with professional organisations and employers. This opens up abroad range of futurepathway opportunities that genuinely align and reflect students’ career interests, either going directly into employment, further study at university or higher and degree apprenticeships.

We deliver the well-established and successful Literacy for Life curriculum programme at Key Stage 3allowing for asmooth transition from primary school, which can be adaunting experience for students. Students will be taught by the same teacher for 17 hours per week in Year 7, which gradually reduces as students move up through the school. You can be sureyour child has adedicated teacher whose top priority is their progress and welfare, both personally

and academically.Moreimportantly,this provides acontact for you in school who gets to know your child extremely well.

We apply the best use of technology and state-of-the-art facilities to enhance learning experiences whilst preparing learners for an ever-changing world. All students will have access to their own device in school and each class has a Microsoft Teams site giving students access to the latest resources and developments in learning.

Post-16 students will have the choice to study avariety of courses across the Trust’ssixth form consortium, capitalising on opportunities provided by our facilities and links with industry partners.

Principal Mr Jaskiran Madahar said: “From the moment Ifirstwalked into the building Iwas impressed by the facilities we can offer our students. Iamlooking forwardtowelcoming our first ever Year 7

cohort in September 2022, as we begin ourjourney to becoming aplace of study for 11 to 18-year-olds.

“Our Literacy for Life curriculum is second to none, supporting students to make rapid and sustained progress both academically and personally

“Whilst we do have aHealth and Science specialism, we will offer all of the subjects that you would find at most other schools, and students will be taught by highly skilled and effective teachers who put their students at the centreof everything they do.

“I am afirm believer in ensuring we offer astudent-centred curriculum that best caters for the individual needs of all our learners, supporting them to become lifelong learners having acquired the skills to be successful in their future.

“I hope you consider us, and Ilook forwardtowelcoming you.”

OFFERING TOMORROW’SEDUCATION TODAYWITHA BROAD, INCLUSIVERANGE OF NATIONAL CURRICULUM SUBJECTS COMBINED WITH REAL LIFE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING ANDSTATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES

Perryfields Academy

Perryfields Academy is avibrant and inclusive school whereweare very proud of the ongoing successes and achievements of our students.

Our vision is one wherestudents aim to achieve the very highest standardtheycan and everyone is supported to maximise their potential.

The thread that runs through everything we do at the school is our desireand commitment to ensurethat thereare opportunities for everyone, whilst supporting them to achieve excellence. Our students areguided to develop and maintain positive personal values whilst enhancing their individual skills and qualities.

Our proactive and caring approach to developing positive outcomes for our students has been recognised by Ofsted, who confirmed in January 2018 that we area‘Good’ school.

We believe that our school thrives for its children and for the wider community Students receive an inspiring and engaging education, supported by passionate and committed teachers.

We welcome students of all abilities to become part of aculturewhereambition

and the values of good behaviour,honesty and mutual respect arethe hallmarks of school life. They areencouraged to be creative thinkers who areimaginative, resourceful and resilient.

We invite youtovisit and see for yourselves!

Due to popular demand, we arenow offering additional open mornings. Join us to discover what makes Perryfields Academy agreat choice for you...

Meet members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), teachers and students and have atour of the school facilities.

for asecondary school place in 2022?

Applying for asecondary school

in

THEVISION AT PERRYFIELDSISONE WHERESTUDENTSAIM TO ACHIEVE THEVERYHIGHEST STANDARD THEY CANAND EVERYONE IS SUPPORTEDTOMAXIMISE THEIRPOTENTIAL

Al-BurhanGrammar School

ACHIEVEMENT, AIMING TO INSPIREALOVEOFLEARNINGAND TO NURTURETHE SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED

in September

with the mission to be “dedicated

Personal growth and development….

Al-Burhan Grammar has areputation for excellent academic achievement, delivering both the National Curriculum and aspects of Islamic education.

it is the foundation for

Al-Burhan was graded “Outstanding” by Ofsted for the thirdtime in March 2018, graded outstanding in all categories. Academically outstanding… Stafftry to inspirealoveof learning in girls and adesiretoimprove academically Developing aproactiveand positive attitude to learning is key for us. Inspectors noted consistent evidence of this ethos.

Many of the pupils achieved grade 7-9 in their GCSE examinations including English and Mathematics in summer 2021. The GCSE pass rate (grade 9– 4) and higher pass rate (grade 9– 5) wereboth 100% which means all students achieved 5ormoreGCSEs at grades 9– 5.

Our top pupil achieved 10 A/A* (grade 7-9), with 7grade 9s in Biology,Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, History,Religious Studies and Computer Science, three grade 8s in English Language, English Literatureand Arabic.

Ofsted noted in March 2018 that: “Leaders have the highest aspirations for all pupils. Teaching across every subject and every year group is of the highest quality”.

Our girls arenot simply students. They arefuturemembers of our society,and will one day take their place in the wider community,sowealsonurture skills which will stand our girls in good stead for life.

Ofsted reported: “Pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is exceptionally well supported. Pupils areconfident and self-assured. Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable”

Ofsted noted that: “Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and understanding of fundamental British values areexcellent. Respect, tolerance and acceptance areactively promoted by everyone within the school”.

We invite youtowitness this first-hand by visiting the school for atour; we look forwardtoreceiving your call or email to book an appointment and look forwardto meeting you (from adistance).

The Entrance Test for September 2023 entry will be on Saturday,December 3.

Burhan Grammar School

EdgbastonHigh School

Founded in 1876, Edgbaston High is an ambitious and thriving school for girls that attracts pupils from across the West Midlands.

An independent day school, the school focuses on providing abroad,modernand inspiring education. The school has atrack recordofdelivering excellent academic results at GCSE and A-level alongside a character education that ensures EHS girls have the confidence, independence, motivation and ambition to succeed within and beyond the school.

With areputation for being ‘experts in educating girls’, at Edgbaston we acknowledge that agood education incorporates achieving excellent academic qualifications. However,anoutstanding educationgoesfar beyond this; it is about inspiring others to aspireand achieve in multiple areas, and to enjoy the process of this as much as the end result.

Achallenging academic curriculum featuring interesting subjects, the arts

and drama, and awiderange of sports, combined with avertical House system in asupportiveand caring community, means that pupils expand their horizons and realise their potential. All pupils in Year 7enjoy unrivalled academic opportunities, for example, having the chance to study French, Spanish, German and Latin.

Pupils arespoilt for choice with an expansive co-curricular programme that offers almost 50 lunchtime and after school clubs. From Dance Club and

Lifeguarding to Model UN and Mandarin, pupils areactively encouraged to discover their passions, develop new skills and test their initiative.

Our friendly and supportive school is renowned for its unique system of pastoral careand withanexcellent team of committed and experienced staff, new pupils soon settle in its warm and inclusive environment.

Applications to join Year 7in September 2023 arenow open, closing date September 24. We aredelighted to be able to offer scholarships and meanstested bursaries to Year 7pupils joining the school in September 2023.

Families areinvited to visit the 14acresiteinBirmingham to discover EHS for themselves. Visit the website to book for an open day at www.edgbastonhigh. co.uk/open-day-registration or to arrange an individual visit on aschool day contact the Admissions Team on 0121 4545831 or email admissions@edgbastonhigh.co.uk

PhoenixCollegiate

Phoenix is a‘great’ school, with an ever-improving reputation within the West Midlands.

As aschool, staffare seeking to continue to build on strengths to ensure that every student reaches their full potential, not only in academic terms, but also as confident individuals who are eager to take the next steps in fulfilling their ambitions and dreams while making a positive contribution to their community

We areone of the top performing schools in Sandwell, with exceptional GCSE results over the past few years

For Phoenix to continue its work towards being outstanding, staff will be looking at creating ever greater partnerships with parents/carers, as well as the whole community including enhanced links with local businesses.

The school will be responsible for helping students create their own identity and become active participants in society.They will acknowledge that learning never stops, and that it is essential to develop the grit and resilience to cope with futurechallenges.

Headteacher Mike Smith said: “I would encourage all members of the community,potential students and parents/carers, to visit the school during our September open events, to see our wonderful new facilities and experience the special atmospherewhich determines the quality of learning at Phoenix.”

The school’spresent population is approximately 2,000, drawn from awide area and is genuinely comprehensive. Almost 50% of students come from ethnic minority groups. By placing your children with Phoenix you arechoosingan environment which mirrors, as closely as possible, the diverse society in which we live and work.

The general facilities have improved tremendously over the past five years as the school has undergone acomplete rebuild and is now in brand new state-ofthe-art buildings fit for an ever-changing world. These include:

n General teaching roomsenhanced by specialist rooms

n 15 science laboratories

n 16 ICT suites

n Drama studios

n Ahall with well-equipped retractable bleacher seating with sound and lighting systems

n Aspacious sports hall with aclimbing wall plus two activity studios and afully equipped dance studio

n 7floodlit multi-use games areas

n Arecently refurbished all-weather running track and extensive playing fields

This summer,the school has completed the development of two FA standardfootball pitches and an artificial cricket wicket and plans aretofurther develop the site over the next year with additional classrooms, changing rooms and agym.Phoenix is also working with Football Foundation on the creation of a full size 3G pitch due Autumn 2023.

Alongside this, the school has invested ahugeamountintothe ICT infrastructure including in acomplete Wi-Fi solution with faster connectivity to support and accelerate the learning.

Staffing

Thereisanexceptional team of teaching and support staffwho pride themselves on developing strong relationships with our students.

It is aschool which prides itself on ahigh staffmorale and very low staff turnover,investing heavily in their ongoing training and professional development. This enables Phoenix to provide students with much smaller than average class sizes and ahigh stafftostudent ratio.

Curriculum

The curriculum offer is broad and balanced and wheremany schools have cut back on the arts, sports and vocational curriculum, this is something we continue to invest in. Our offer includes arich and

varied extra-curricular programme. There is aCCF Royal Navy section at the school and due to its success we opened an RAF section in September 2019. Plans arealready in place to expand further in 2023 with aRoyalMarine section. We also offer the Duke of Edinburgh’sAward. To support this we deliver our Phoenix Edge which enables students to develop their character education through acertified programme.

Transition

We recognise that any transition can be an anxious time and this is never truer than when starting anew school in Year 7.

At Phoenix we aim to empower students to positively manage all transition phases. For new students coming into Year 7, we work closely with their primary schools. As well as visiting the primary schools, we invite all students to atwoday transition event during July

When achild hasaparticular need around transition, we work with the primary school to provide abespoke transition plan. If you feel your child may need this, please either contact us by e-mail on transition@phoenix.sandwell. sch.uk or raise it with your primary school’sSENCO.

Further information can be found at www.aspirebelievesucceed.com

n Open Evening –Thursday 22nd September 2022 4pm –7.30pm

n Open mornings –Monday19th –Friday 23rdSeptember 2022 9am –11am By appointment only

SCHOOLHELPING STUDENTS REACHTHEIR FULL POTENTIAL ANDBECOMECONFIDENT INDIVIDUALSWHO AREEAGER TO TAKE THENEXTSTEPS IN FULFILLING THEIRDREAMS

Pool HayesAcademy

At Pool Hayes Academy,staff strive to provide the best learning environment for all pupils so that each individual is equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to develop into successful young people.

We develop our learners to embrace challenge, grow confidently from their mistakes and their ability to take risks.

StaffatPool Hayes Academy arefirm believers that excellent teaching is the foundation of excellent student progress. As such, we have adedicated team of Lead Practitioners, teachers recognised as having excellent professional knowledge, who continue to be instrumental in improving outcomes for young people at the academy

Mr TomMcDowall, Principal of Pool Hayes Academy,said: “Staffat our academy prioritise high standards of education and we areproud of the first-class learning experiences students receive. Moreover,wetake pride in the vast programmes of continued professional development opportunities we offer our stafftoensurethat everyone is highly trained in securing great outcomes for all our young people.

“HereatPool Hayes Academy we areextremely proud of our thriving Sixth Form Centreaswehave awide range of courses from A-levels to BTECs which provide appropriate pathways for all students.”

Whether students arelooking to move on to university or start ahigher level apprenticeship, Pool Hayes Academy Sixth Form will cater for all of their needs.

Pool Hayes Academy ensures that students arefully prepared forthe world of work. It has an extensive extra-curricular programme which includes links with

employers and higher education providers.

Employability is also strengthened through work experience placements with our professional partners. We are very proud to have received the first ever “Good” Ofsted report in the history of the Academy since first opening. School leaders werepraised for “creating aculture of excellence and self-improvement”.

This externally validates the high quality learning experience that students receive at Pool Hayes Academy.The way in which we nurtureand carefor ouryoung people is intrinsic to their success. Highly effective systems support achievement, self-belief and inspiration.

At Pool Hayes Academy,wehave a welfaresystem led by ateam of highly skilled Year Leaders who arespecialists in pastoral care. Priority is focused around

support, careand ensuring young people have aplatform to learnand succeed.

Students aresupported with personal challenges by the welfareteamand professional partners wherenecessary Pool Hayes Academy offers an environment wherestudents feel warmly supported and valued. Personal strengths aredeveloped by praise and encouragement, not pressure. We pride ourselves on positive parental engagement and parents and carers areincluded in all aspects of education and welfare.

By showing pride in celebrating diversity,keeping one another safe and accepting everyone in our community, Pool Hayes Academy is an outstanding place to learnand work in

Pool HayesAcademy –Unlocking Your Potential, Empowering Through Success

THEHIGHSTANDARDS,RELENTLESSFOCUS ON THEQUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING,COUPLED WITH EXCEPTIONAL CARE FOROUR YOUNGPEOPLE,MEANTHAT POOL HAYESACADEMY IS AN OUTSTANDINGPLACE TO LEARNAND WORK IN

Walsall Academy

At Walsall Academy,wepride ourselves on being adifferent choice of school and seek to empower our young people to be the very best that they can be.

We areaheavily over-subscribed and high achieving school with aGoodOfsted rating. Ofsted inspectors werequick to notice that ‘Pupils arehappy and well cared for in this welcoming school. Pupils feel safe and enjoy attending school’. We werealso commended for the increasing amount of personal development opportunities for our young people, through the numerous events and extra-curricular activities on offer This boosts their self-confidence, enables them to flourish and in turnbroadens their horizons.

We take great delight in having high expectations of what our students can achieve, exemplified by the fact that 75 per cent of our cohort areentered for the full EBacc suite of subjects, compared

with the national average of 38 per cent.

We strongly believe that affording our students the opportunity to embrace new experiences raises their aspirations and motivates them to fulfil their true potential.

Our school is ahappy place to be, wherestudents andstaff have amutual respect for each other,enjoy strong

relationships and arepassionate about their teaching and learning. We are immensely proud to have Oxbridge, Arkwright and RANK Foundation scholars amongst our inclusive and aspirational school community,withmany of our exalumni returning to sharetheir expertise with younger generations of learners.

One of our most recent Oxford undergraduates commented: “Tome, Walsall Academy means acommunity of wonderful staffand students that has enabled me to reach my academic potential, pursue my passions and interests, and develop myself as aperson. This has allowed me to achieve what Ihad never thought possible and has prepared me for the future.”

Don’tjust take our wordfor it, come and have alookfor yourself!

Full admissions information can be found on our school website www. walsallacademy.com and the closing date for registrations is 31 October,2022.

THEBESTTHEYCAN BE

St Thomas More

ASCHOOL WHICHBELIEVESTHATIFA CHILDISTOSUCCEED ACADEMICALLY,ITIS ESSENTIALTHATTHEYARE SECURE,HAPPY ANDVALUEDASAPERSON

Headteacher Siobhan Bowen explained: “I am exceptionally proud of the students in our school in every respect.

“They never fail to amaze me and continuously give their best. Those who visit our school regularly remark how warm and welcoming our students are, and how polite and how well behaved they are.

“I am also extremely lucky not only to work among but also to head up such a dedicated, loyal and committed body of staffwhose sole aim is to give their best, to provide the best possible carethey can and to live out their God-given vocation in the most evident way possible.

“Equally as important for us as a dynamic school community,isthe need to challenge ourselves. Not content to sit still, we embrace change and particularly so when it serves the needs of our students, their families and our local and global community.

“Our children regularly contribute to a wide range of charitable initiatives.

“Although our usual routines have been quite seriously interrupted over the last two years, we regularly welcome students from our catholic feeder primary school to St Thomas Morefor events.

“Ever concerned with the holistic development of our students, we encourage and support awide variety of

artistic and creative endeavours.

“As aCatholic school, the pastoral careweprovide for our students is not only anecessary element of our unique ethos, but is also the backbone of the successes we celebrate in other areas, e.g. academic pursuit. We firmly believe that if achild is to succeed academically it is essential that they aresecure, happy and valued as aperson.

“As adiverse school community,we arekeenly awareofthe need to ensure that our students areadequately equipped academically to pursue the career path of their dreams.

“In order to do so they must possess the best possible grades, be that at GCSE and/or A-level.

“Weare tremendously proud of the number of our students who move onto university education or apprenticeships.

“Weare proud to be aschool that demonstrates ongoing improvements and adedication to succeed.”

Proud

school

St Thomas More Catholic School

Blue Coat Academy

Blue Coat Church of England Academy has along-standing and proud history in Walsall.

The Blue Coat Foundation has an impressive recordofproviding excellent Christian education for students. This was founded hundreds of years ago, when education was provided for orphans and deprived children. This was to enable

to access the benefits that agood education could bring.

In the modernworld,the lives of young people may be completely different, but the desiretobewell educated within a caring family lives on in the heart of staff, students and their families and friends. We serve awide and diverse community and arerecognised as agood and continually improving school, committed to developing children as individuals whilst promoting our Christian values of wisdom, endurance, service, kindness and hope.

Our strong Christian ethos is central to all we aspiretoachieve and as a

community we thrive on developing positive relationships and building mutual respect. We hold high expectations for all students and encourage students, to make the most of their talents, whilst also enjoying the challenge of mastering new or existing skills.

Our Christian values underpin all aspects of our work and form the basis of our academic and behavioural standards. We have high expectations and we strive to continually enhance the Academy as alearning community,looking for ways

Values

to develop and improve, embracing new technology and adapting to the demands of the modernworld.Weare always looking for ways to learnfrompast experiences to build abetter future. This is the basis of our motto, “Respice Prospice” meaning “Look backward. Look forward”.

As aChurch of England secondary school, Blue Coat Academy is in aunique position in Walsall. We areconfident that our Christian ethos and values provide asecurefoundation for success and fulfilment. We understand the difficulty of choosing the right secondary school for your child and we firmly believe that our family ethos built on strong Christian values provides strong foundations for asmooth transition from primary school into asecondary setting geared towards promoting the academic, personal and spiritual development of all young people.

We would be delighted to welcome you to our Open Evening on Thursday, October 6, from 5.30pm to 8pm.

HASALONG-STANDING ANDPROUD HISTORYOFPROVIDING EXCELLENT CHRISTIANEDUCATION FORSTUDENTS

Dudley Building Society

Helping young people learnfinancial skills that preparethem for their adult life is becoming moreand more important.

At Dudley Building Society,weare passionate about promoting financial wellbeing for all ages. Getting young people thinking about money from ayoung age can help them navigate through life and have abig impact on their overall wellbeing. So, we have developed some exciting financial education activity packs and introduced anew savings product for children aged 0-10.

We’redetermined to make financial topics moreexciting for young people and have our very own savings mascot, Sebastian the Squirrel, who is an expert at saving acorns for the winter

In the activity packs, Sebastian tells a story about how the first acornof theyear wassaved, and how important it is to get into the habit of saving little and often. The aim is for young people to see the link between squirrels saving acorns for the winter and saving money for savings goals.

Parents and carers play an important role in helping young people become morefinancially awareasthey grow up. However,weunderstand that it might be difficult to know wheretobegin.

We’ve created activity packs with parents and children in mind, so that you can work through the activities together We also have handy parent guides available to provide guidance on how you can have money-related conversations with young people.

Research from the Financial Capability Strategy for the UK has shown that young people who have had financial education aremorelikely to save up frequently,have abank account, and be confident when managing their money.Understanding what good financial wellbeing looks like from an early age can also help to avoid getting into debt or experiencing financial exploitation.

From exciting games and activities including building society role play, to planning afun family day out; the activity packs aim to help young people understand the value of money and saving from an early age, no matter what financial background they may come from. We hope that the packs help you to start a conversation with young people about

financial wellbeing and ignite aspark to getyoung people moreinterested in understanding money.

Our new ‘My Squirrel Saver’ savings account has also been designed to promote good financial habits, with collectable badge rewards up for grabs for monthly deposits. Whether you deposit 50p or £50, we want to rewardregular saving habits within our branches!

This savings product is available in branch only,aswewant to encourage young people to interact with our friendly Customer Service Teams when they make deposits. We’ve introduced children’spassbooks, which they can get stamped with an acornstamp foreach month that they save.

Visit one of our five branches surrounding our heartland of the Black Country to talk to our Customer Service Teams about the activity packs and the product.

Keep your eyes peeled for updates from us, as we’relooking to introduce morefinancial education activities in the future!

To find out moreabout activity packs and ‘My Squirrel Saver’ account visit dudleybuildingsociety.co.uk/savings/ personal-savings/young-savers/mysquirrel-saver

HELPINGYOUNGSTERSUNDERSTAND THEVALUE OF MONEY ANDSAVINGFROMANEARLY AGESOTHEYCAN AVOIDGETTING INTO DEBT OR EXPERIENCING FINANCIALEXPLOITATION

BlackCountry Living Museum

TAKE ASTEPBACKINTIME AT THIS EXCITING MUSEUM ANDDISCOVER WHAT DAY-TO-DAY LIFE,INCLUDING SCHOOLDAYS, WASLIKEACROSSTHE REGION OVER 100YEARS AGO

Step back in time and explorethe past at Black Country Living Museum!

Have you ever wondered what people in the past had for dinner or what their toilet was like? Delve into history at Black Country Living Museum for some good old-fashioned fun and discover what life was like in the Black Country over 100 years ago!

As you exploreyou’ll meet the museum’shistoric characters who’ll tell you stories of what it was really like to live and work during this revolutionary period of history

See history brought to life before your eyes! Hear the clang of hammers, smell the smoke billowing from redbrick chimneys and taste the past with the museum’sfamous fish and chips. Plus, see how people travelled as you look around their vintage vehicle collection

and even have aride on some historic transport.

If you’ve ever wondered what school might be like in the past, why not go for an Edwardian school lesson at St James’s School? But don’tbelate –the teacher is strict so make sureyou’reontime!

Once school is over,you can find out how kids had fun back in time too with

vintage street games and abag of sweets from the museum’s famous sweet shop.

With awhole village of carefully reconstructed shops, houses, and industrial areas to see, smell and touch, you’ll learn so many stories about the Black Country

You’ll find out how steam power transformed this region into amanufacturing powerhouse; step into historic shops and speak to our shopkeepers; and see the types of houses people lived in over 100 years ago.

Plus, coming soon to the museum is their brand new 1940s-60s development. There’ll be even moreshops and houses to exploreasthe museum shares brand new stories from the 1940s, 50s and 60s –your grandparents might have been your age during this time!

CentralSaint Michael’sSixth Form

If you’reready to achieve all your goals for now and the future, Central Saint Michael’sSixth Form is heretoempower you in an aspirational and inspirational environment. We work with our ambitious students to ensurethey produce outstanding results, meet their full potential and arefully prepared forabright future.

Many of our students achieve top grades and progress to leading universities and into exciting careers. We offer awide range of A-levels and Diplomas in ever expanding and exciting new areas. If you aremoregeared towards coursework and practical skills, we give you the scope to study career-specific, professionally developed Diplomas –either alone or in combination with one or two A-levels –for ahighly personalised mix.

Many of our lecturers areexaminers, which means they have insight into a range of student responses from around the country together with expert training in mark schemes. This inspires their teaching and enhances their ability to accurately predict grades and help students with their exam preparation.

Destination Success

Destinations for Central Saint Michael’s graduates range from the University of Oxford, London School of Economics and Queen Mary University to the worldrenowned KPMG.

Pavanjit studied Medicine and became ajunior doctor while Anisa completed her Masters and is now ahospital pharmacist, recently selected for the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme.

Central Saint Michael’salumna

and University of Nottingham graduate Jessica was announced the Chamber of Commerce’sYoung Professional of the Year for her exceptional contribution to the content strategy and success of marketing firm EDGE Creative.

Trevaughn studied Film &Media Production at Birmingham City University and is now Assistant Post Production Editor for BBC3. And former student Carley is progressing her career as a tax analyst at Deloitte after graduating from the University of Birmingham in Accounting &Finance.

Workplace experience can seriously elevate your CV and our students regularly benefit from opportunities to get their

careers started while they arestill studying. Current Law student Nermen has been selected for asix month mentoring programme at the law firm Browne Jacobson LLP,ranked as the UK’sleading Social Mobility employer

University Style

Thereare four floors of ultra modern facilities in this distinctive and vibrant university-style campus, including an arts café, film &media room,recording studio, art workshop, science laboratories, break out pods, IT suites, solo study spaces, afully equipped learning centre, professionally-lit drama theatre, digital Fab Lab with VR/AR tech and an engineering laboratory.You’ll get real university preparation at Central Saint Michael’s. The lectures, seminars and tutorials are given by expert academics who have real industry experience.

Supporting Wellbeing

Our caring team of tutors genuinely careabout you and your wellbeing, and can help you organise your life and work. You’ll be assigned apersonal tutor who will encourage and support you, discuss your progress and review your goals with you. When you join us you’ll be part of avibrant, inclusive and diverse student community,witha dedicatedteam of staff keeping the campus area safe and secure.

For latest information on open days visit www.centralstmichaels.ac.uk/ opendays or apply online to see how we can help you exceed your potential.

AN ASPIRATIONAL ANDINSPIRATIONAL ENVIRONMENTWHERE STUDENTS AREALWAYS ENCOURAGED TO MEET THEIRFULLPOTENTIAL ANDARE PREPARED FORA BRIGHT FUTURE

Sandwell College

Make Sandwell College the centre of your future. With its award-winning teaching and dedicated student support, you’reatthe right place for starting your career

Sandwell College has adynamic and passionate teaching team, with awealth of knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm for all our subject areas. We pride ourselves on putting our students first and doing everything we can to support their creativity and make them successful.

Our industry backgrounds aremany and varied. We have wide-ranging experience in professional sectors from automotive, manufacturing and accounting to CAD/CAM, healthcare, hairdressing and electronics.

Outstanding Commitment

Automotive lecturer Dominic Whelan celebrated aSilver FE Lecturer of the Year Awardwin for his outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the students he works with every day

Since joining Sandwell College in 2014, Dominic has inspired hundreds of students. He integrates stories and experiences from his time in the RAF and from being apilot into his lessons, offering awider perspective from the automotive and engineering industries.

Art lecturer Rupinder Sandhu was also awarded the BTEC Tutorofthe Year Bronze Awardfor promoting students’ well-being and positive mental health. Due to Rupinder’sdedication, art students were able to produce architectural drawings for Multistory’sWednesbury project with Birmingham-based artist ClaireLeggett,

and work with artist Sophie Huckfield as part of the prestigious British Art Show 9. Sandwell College was afinalist in the FE Support for Learners TesAwardwhich celebrates institutions helping students gain the maximum benefit from their time with their learning provider.

Our Hair and Beauty teaching team also won the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists Award2022for Innovation for all the work they do to support their students’ progress.

FutureCareer

It’snever too early to get prepared for college and make asolid plan for your futurecareer,soyou get the qualifications and skills you’ll need to thrive in your chosen industry,and enjoythe ultimate student experience. By doing your research and considering your personality

and learning style, you can select from 100+ different courses at Sandwell College to help you find your next move.

From apprenticeships to TLevels and career-focused courses in specialist subjects, from automotive to animal care and dog grooming to fashion, we have excellently equipped facilities featuring a simulated dental surgery and areal aircraft fuselage so students can access real-life working environments.

TLevels arethe new two-year qualifications designed to give you a head start towards the career you want. TLevels –equivalent to three A-levels –really give you an insight into industry and can support you with developing the advanced skills needed for your pathway,whether that’sDigital Production, Design and Development, or Education and Childcare, Health, Engineering, Management or Construction.

Diverse Community

We have adiverse and inclusive community,promoting and embracing acultureofrespect and responsibility Every young person gets the opportunity to succeed and overcome any barriers to success. All 16 to 18-year-olds studying full-time at Sandwell can benefit from free MetroorBus travel, and financial and support packages areavailable for students in need.

To apply for acollege place or to find out moreabout our open events, where you can talk to current students, subject tutors and explorethe campus, visit www sandwell.ac.uk or if you prefer to talk things through first, you can give us acall on 0800 622 006.

COLLEGE’SAWARD-WINNING TEACHING,STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITIES ANDDEDICATED STUDENTSUPPORT WILL HELP PUTYOU ON THEPATHTOASUCCESSFULFUTURE