Pudsey Grangefield Prospectus 2017

2017/18 PROSPECTUS

Respect

Resilience

Integrity

Compassion

Ambition

Message from Principal Welcome to our prospectus. It is designed to give you an overview of the school with further detailed information available on our website at www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

of whilst experiencing a range of opportunities which are second to none. As a result, the school is extremely popular with our community and is frequently over-subscribed.

Pudsey Grangefield School is an oversubscribed mixed comprehensive secondary school located in the heart of Pudsey. The school has over 1100 students with a thriving Sixth Form of 190 students, all taught in a state of the art building.

The innovative and unique design of the building creates a calm atmosphere, very different to that of many secondary schools.

We are proud to be a school which has a thriving Sixth Form providing our students with an excellent Post-16 education.

We have recently invested in our Sixth Form and provided a new social space for the students, catering facilities and a large new study area. We also offer the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award to our post-16 students. We host an annual Careers Fair for Y10 – 13 students and parents which attracted the very best local and national employers, colleges and universities with over 100 organisations represented.

The school was inspected by Ofsted in September 2016 and achieved good judgements for leadership and management, personal development behaviour and welfare and also for the quality of our Sixth Form. In addition to this, the school was identified in May 2016 as one of only 50 in the North of England (and the only one in Leeds) as a ‘beacon of success’ for the achievements of our disadvantaged students by the Institute of Public Policy Research.

The school has a long tradition in the town, being established as Pudsey Grammar School in 1908. Although the school is taught in a state of the art building, our core values are highly traditional based on the goal of ensuring that every student reaches their true potential. Our school is not just about the students gaining knowledge and qualifications, although these are extremely important. We believe in teaching young people core values of decency, social skills and how to be a good citizen in an ever changing world. We want their character to develop and grow and for them to leave us with an inquiring and independent mind. We want our students to gain the best qualifications they are capable Page 2

Our staff are exceptional in their dedication and commitment to the students. Relationships in the school are extremely strong and this underpins the ethos of the school. We have an excellent pastoral system with a team of dedicated staff who provide support to our students in a number of ways.

We have a 20 minute Form Time session at the start of every day which provides every student with a teacher who can support them on a daily basis. In addition to this we have a Year Leader for each year group who works closely with students, parents and staff to provide further support and guidance.

In addition, teaching and learning is the key focus of the organisation and everything that we do is designed to ensure that the classroom experience for the students is excellent. We pride ourselves in the fantastic support and professional development that we offer to staff which ensures that they are equipped with all the necessary skills to deliver excellent lessons to the students on a daily basis.

‘the principal’s vision for the school is rightly ambitious. Since his arrival he has improved the school culture, making it highly collaborative and supportive’ – Ofsted 2016

www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

We hold an excellent record in preparing our students with the necessary skills to allow them to go on to their chosen career paths. We have well established links with employers, further education providers and universities to provide advice for students and their parents regarding the potential career paths they could take whether it is into employment, a high quality apprenticeship, college or university. We do encourage students from an early age to consider going to university if it is the right pathway for them. We also hold an Information Evening for parents regarding the benefits of sending a young person to university. As direct result of this we usually send over 80% of our Year 13 students to university with 24% going on to the prestigious Russell Group of universities.

The school is a Foundation Trust school and our partners include global companies such as HSBC bank, M&S, the IT company RM, Warwick University which is member of the Russell Group of UK universities, alongside leading local training providers Appris. Through our high quality Trust partners we provide fantastic careers advice and guidance for our young people.

The school is also a member of the Red Kite Teaching Alliance group of schools which includes many of the best schools in the region.

Pudsey Grangefield School has a long and proud history of being a school at the heart of the local community, providing an education which has allowed our students to leave not only with excellent qualifications but also fully equipped and prepared to realise their aspirations in the next phase of their lives.

Page 3

Our Core Values Our vision Pudsey Grangefield School is a truly inspirational and caring community of learning where everyone within it is developed and supported to achieve their very best. Our students leave with great resilience and an excellent set of skills which allows them to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

A culture of excellence across the entire school captivates students and results in them exceeding the high expectations which the school has embedded in previous years.

Our values l Respect - we show respect for ourselves, others

and for people who are different from us. We show respect for the building, our local and wider environments. We are mutually respectful, treating others the way we want to be treated ourselves. l Resilience - we have a clear self belief, determination and understand that making mistakes is a key part of learning. We know that the more effort we put in, the better we will become. l Integrity - we are trustworthy and honest, true to our word and take responsibility for our actions. l Compassion - we care and are considerate towards others.

We value kindness, empathy and understanding and have a strong desire to make the world a better place. l Ambition - we value educational achievement, have high expectations of ourselves and aim to be the best person we can. No matter how good we are, we always strive for improvement.

Page 4

www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

Transition We work closely with our local primary schools to ensure that our new Year 7 students make an excellent start at Pudsey Grangefield School. This process begins whilst the students are in Year 6. Our dedicated Transition Coordinator works with the Year 6 teachers to establish a full picture of each student so that we can fully meet their needs and ensure that they reach their true potential.

In the summer term we arrange for all of our new students to visit us and students are welcomed to the school, meet their teachers, experience lessons and are given the opportunity to make new friends before they begin in September.

We appreciate the importance of supporting parents in the transition of their child to secondary school, especially if this is the first time. We hold an Information Evening in the summer term for all of our new Year 7 parents so that they are given the opportunity to meet the key staff who will be supporting their child, to pass on all of the key information they will need and to answer any questions that may arise.

‘Pupils have higher aspirations for their own learning and their futures’ – Ofsted 2016 Page 5

Progression There are several key points where our students move onto the next stage in their education. The first of these points takes place in Year 8 where the students begin the process of choosing their options subjects. Deputy Principal for curriculum works with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that all students experience a broad and balanced curriculum and that the choices on offer allow all students to embark on their future career paths. By starting GCSE courses in Year 9 we allow the students to study all of their subjects in more depth than is the case in a traditional two year GCSE system.

The Director of Studies and the Year Leader work closely together to prepare the students for the choices that they make and there is also an Information Evening for parents.

We have a vibrant Sixth Form at Pudsey Grangefield School and when our students reach Year 11 we interview them all individually to discuss their future plans and how we can best support them to achieve their goals. The Year 11 Director of Studies and Year Leader are heavily involved in this process, as are our Sixth Form team. Parents are also kept fully informed via information evenings.

Page 6

As result we have an excellent record of ensuring that all of our students embark on the right career path for them either as part of our vibrant Sixth Form, by ensuring they gain their desired place at college, securing an apprenticeship or gaining employment.

(If you require further information on our Sixth Form, please see our website).

‘Behaviour has improved rapidly since the last inspection’ – Ofsted 2016

www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

Support The school has a comprehensive structure which ensures that students are supported and cared for at every stage.

Each student will have a Form Tutor who will meet with them every morning – this provides consistent support and advice for the student. In addition each year group is supported by a Year Leader who deals with any pastoral issues that arise.

Each year group also has a Director of Studies who monitors and supports each students’ academic progress throughout the year. A member of the Senior Leadership Team is also assigned to each yeargroup to provide additional support.

We have our own full time Attendance Officer who works closely with the Deputy Principal to ensure that our students have excellent attendance and to support both students and families in achieving this goal.

‘The school provides a great selection of activities to do during and after school which I really enjoy’

We also have our own School Nurse who can deal with and advise students and their families on health related matters.

In addition to our daily Form Time, students will participate in focussed days across the year which are focussed on personal, social and health education topics. We also run sessions for both parents and students regarding e-safety.

– Sophie Year 7

The ethos of the school ensures that bullying is not tolerated and as a result such instances are low and dealt with swiftly. We also have a small team of child protection staff who support students’ well being and safety.

We pride ourselves in being a highly inclusive school.

We have an extensive team of support staff led by our Director of Special Educational Needs who ensure that the needs of every student are fully met. This team work very closely with students and their families to support them throughout their time at Pudsey Grangefield School.

‘Progress in the Sixth Form is good because teaching and learning is good’ – Ofsted 2016

Page 7

Uniform and Basic School Equipment Uniform and Basic School Equipment

l Make-up is discouraged. If worn it should be

Trainers

The wearing of school uniform plays an important part in the school’s Discipline Policy. We believe that this promotes good behaviour and proper regard for authority amongst pupils. It also discourages competition which can be particularly upsetting for some pupils as well as expensive for parents. School uniform must be worn at all times.

minimal and natural-looking. Only clear nail varnish is acceptable. No false eyelashes or drawn-on eyebrows, heavy or extended eyeliner, contouring, heavy eye-shadow or lipstick or false nails. l Jewellery: for health and safety reasons students are asked not to wear jewellery, apart from watches and earrings (one pair of small studs only). No facial jewellery is permitted.

Trainers should not be worn except in supervised PE lessons when it should be appropriate trainers only. For medical emergencies where advice is given against wearing school shoes, black trainers may be worn for the period of time indicated by the doctor. The relevant Year Leader will need to see a note or letter from a medical practitioner on the day or in advance.

Uniform

PE

Basic equipment

l Black v-neck jumper with the school logo. l Formal white shirt with collar (to be

l White polo shirt with collar and school logo. l Black and red school outdoor shirt

Being fully equipped for school is a key part of the ‘HomeSchool Agreement’. Students should expect to be sanctioned if they do not carry the correct equipment for school.

tucked inside trousers/skirt). l Black with red stripe clip on tie. Students are

required to wear the school tie all day. l Plain black full length school trousers-tailored,

straight, bootcut or skinny. (Not allowed: nonblack zips, buttons on the outside, jeans, tracksuit bottoms. leggings or trousers that appear to look like leggings and have no pockets or zips / fly). l A black tailored skirt is optional for girls but should be no shorter than just above the knee. l Shoes: should be single colour black, leather/leather type.

(Not allowed: trainers, sandals, open toe, boots or UGG style, pumps/canvas style). l Hair colour must be of a natural shade and not cut in an extreme fashion. l Students are not permitted to wear caps or fashion hats.

Page 8

(reversible) with school logo. l Black shorts with PGS shield. Girls are

not permitted to wear leggings. l Long black socks. l Optional black and red PE hoodie with school logo. l Optional black PE tracksuit. l Black trainers. l Football boots.

Coats Students should wear outdoor coats which are appropriate for the weather conditions when walking to and from school.

Students should not wear “hoodie” type tops or leather or denim coats/jackets. Coats should not be worn in the school building and should be stored in lockers or bags.

All students should ensure that they have the following basic equipment for use in all lessons: l Black or blue point pen (and a spare) l Red pen l Pencil l Pencil eraser l Pencil sharpener l Ruler 15 or 30cm l Pair of compasses l Protractor l A set of coloured pencils/fine fibre tips l Scientific calculator l Glue stick lA school bag ‘fit for purpose’ – to carry A4 size

books without folding, e.g. rucksack.

Equipment will be available to buy every morning before school, at break and at lunch time and checked every day by the form tutor.

www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

School day info Period Form Time Period 1 Period 2 Break Period 3 Period 4 Lunch Period 5

Times 8.30 – 8.50am 8.50 – 9.50am 9.50 – 10.50am 10.50 – 11.10am 11.10am – 12.10pm 12.10 – 1.05pm 1.05 – 1.40pm 1.40 – 2.40pm Friday P5 would finish at 2.30pm

‘Staff are enthusiastic, motivated and share the principal’s vision to drive the school forward’ – Ofsted 2016

Page 9

Activities We are developing a new student rewards system in consultation with the students.

This will be launched in September 2017 once it has been finalised. Student achievement and effort features highly at Pudsey Grangefield School with thousands of achievement points being awarded to students across the school each week.

The school offers a massive variety of extra-curricular activities for students to get involved in. We have a strong record in sport with our students featuring in both local, regional, national and in some cases international sporting events. Our PE team run a variety of clubs after school which the students can freely participate in.

One unique feature at Pudsey Grangefield School is that if your child wants to learn how to play a musical instrument or would like to continue with an instrument they already play, we will ensure that they can do this free of charge. Most other schools would ask parents to pay for this additional tuition, but at Pudsey Grangefield School we want to ensure that there are no barriers for students to learn new skills. We have a strong performing arts faculty who work hard to ensure that a significant number of our students have the opportunity of learning key skills relating to performing. The annual school production is a highlight of our year and is a highly professional experience for both cast, crew and the audience.

There are also opportunities for students to travel abroad with the school such as our Year 8 battlefields trip to Belgium and our popular ski trip to name but two. In addition we offer an exciting range of residential trips for students.

The school has a strong reputation in the field of science and we work closely with higher education partners and charities such as the Ogden Trust to promote scientific education to all of our students. In July a team of three Year 9 girls won a national Business Enterprise competition for their innovative design of a smart litter bin. This was done in collaboration with Leeds University and the University College London. We have excellent links with Leeds University and our students visit their world class engineering laboratories to gain an insight into university life and the careers they can consider.

Page 10

www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk

‘the school has a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils say there is a strong feel of community in the school’ – Ofsted 2016

Bewerley Park Year 7 Residential

Contact Pudsey Grangefield School Mount Pleasant Road Pudsey Leeds LS28 7ND Telephone 0113 2558277 Email contactus@pudseygrangefield.co.uk Twitter @PudseyGS Website www.pudseygrangefield.co.uk