Headteacher’s Welcome
At Wellfield Academy, our mantra is ‘Nothing but the Best’ and this permeates everything that we do for all students in our care. We value our responsibilities and, at Wellfield, nothing less than our own individual, personal best will do. We work as a team and we want the best for every student in our care.
Wellfield is an ambitious and thriving school which is growing year on year. Situated in the heart of Leyland and working with Endeavour Learning Trust, one of our many strengths is our community spirit and family feel which is genuinely tangible. Each student is known as an individual and supported by key staff, as well as being challenged to be the best they can be. At Wellfield, we believe that every child should be treated as we would want our own children to be. As a result, our students feel safe and valued in an environment where we find the right balance between support and challenge. We also build strong relationships with our parents and we take our role at the heart of the Leyland community seriously.
At our school, students experience inspirational and challenging teaching, excellent pastoral care and a genuine belief that every child can succeed. It is an incredibly exciting time for our school. We are one of just a small number of schools nationally to be chosen for the Department for Education’s Schools Rebuilding
Mr J Lewis
Project. In addition, our fantastic reputation in the local community has secured a significant growth in the number of students attending Wellfield. The number of families choosing Wellfield as their first-choice secondary school has more than trebled in the past three years and we are excited to welcome more staff and students into the Wellfield family as a result.
We are a school that is dedicated to developing students who are aspirational, inclusive of one another and rooted in their community. Additionally, we are extremely passionate about ensuring the successful development of each individual child within an ambitious learning environment. Our students behave well, and they thrive in our warm and inclusive environment. Ensuring we provide the very best for each and every one of our students on a daily basis is what drives our culture and ethos of high expectations and standards in all areas of school life.
We hope our prospectus gives you a flavour of who we are and what we do for our students. We enjoy talking to prospective students and their families about the exciting journey we are on so please feel free to contact us for a tour of the school. Wellfield is a school that I am incredibly proud to lead on a daily basis and one that we would love you to visit.
Our Values
Our mission is to provide the very best for all of our comunity. This means creating an inclusive environment where staff and students, who are known as individuals, endeavour to be the best they can be in a highly aspirational learning community.
Inclusive
Equality of opportunity is central to our school and we invest heavily in genuinely knowing our staff and students as individuals so that everyone is included, supported and challenged to remove any barriers to success and provide the chance to be their very best.
Community Centred
We foster authentic, positive relationships which are based on the foundation of respect, listening, kindess, support and constructive challange. We are a school with a ‘family feel’ and one which genuinely cares about our whole school and local community.
Aspirational
We believe in the promise of each individual in our school and ensure we inspire, support and challenge in proportionate measure, so that we all thrive and are able to achieve our own individual best potential in an ambitious environment.
Pastoral Excellence
In line with our whole school commitment to build and grow a community centred culture of inclusivity, Wellfield makes pastoral excellence a priority. Every student is allocated a dedicated Head of Year who is responsible for ensuring that the students in their care feel happy, safe and ready to reach their potential. The student services team help to support students with any issues that they encounter both in school and at home. We also benefit from the expertise of a Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager, an Attendance Manager and an Attendance Officer. This comprehensive team work together in the Student Services Centre, a safe space in school where students know that they will be listened to and cared for.
The pastoral care of each child, however, extends beyond the Student Services Centre and is embedded throughout all aspects of school life. Each of our children belongs to a tutor group, which is their extended family in school, ensuring they feel part of the whole school community and have a familiar face to greet them at the start of each day. Leading the tutor programme are our Heads of Key Stage who, together with the tutors, work to support, mentor and track the academic progress of each student.
The overriding aim of the pastoral team is to help students learn and grow by treating them as individuals and by providing them with the culture and environment that they need to thrive.
Teaching and Learning
At Wellfield Academy, we deliver an ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum in a supportive environment conducive to progress for all. The school promotes high aspirations for all students. One key principle to support this is to create appropriate challenge within all lessons which ensures that students have high expectations of what they can achieve. All students can access learning and succeed with even the most challenging content as lessons are scaffolded appropriately. Retrieval practice is a learning strategy that is used regularly in lessons to support students with recalling material that they have previously learnt from their long-term memory. One example of this is the ‘Do Now Activity’ which helps students recap prior knowledge. We encourage and support students to develop into independent learners who, with practice, are able to master new material.
Wellfield Academy has a culture of ‘Nothing but the Best’ and students take pride in their work which is celebrated across the academy in a number of different ways.
Our teachers know who their students are on an individual basis; who they are as people, what makes them tick as learners, what motivates them, their prior data, their potential, their reading level and any particular identified needs, and adapt their teaching as appropriate for the individual. Teachers model a love for lifelong learning through their own scholarship, promoting intellectual curiosity through the development of their disciplinary pedagogy and curricula. We reteach, encourage, praise and reinforce behaviours when things are going well, as everyone is more receptive and will listen to correction in moments of calm.
Our Curriculum
Our aim is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, focused on maximising student potential and progress that allows all students to flourish and be the best they can become.
On starting at Wellfield Academy every student is allocated a Personal Tutor and is placed into a tutor group. Each tutor team is led by a Head of Key Stage and a Head of Year (a non-teacher dedicated to pastoral support). Tutors, Heads of Key Stage and Heads of Year together with the Head of Learning Support and Subject Leaders ensure a focus on progress, early intervention and support for individuals.
In Key Stage 3, our students study English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Spanish, Religious Studies, Design Technology, Art, Drama, Music, Computing and PE. Where appropriate, a smaller group of students work together following the same curriculum with additional support focused on developing literacy and learner confidence.
At GCSE, all students study English Language and Literature, Maths and Science leading to GCSE qualifications and continue to participate in a core PE programme. Students choose at least one GCSE option from Geography, History and/or Spanish from the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) suite of subjects and up to two further GCSE options from either the EBacc subjects listed above and/or Art & Design, Computing, Music, Design Technology, Food Preparation & Nutrition and Religious Studies and a Cambridge National in Sport Studies.
We will undertake a curriculum review on an annual basis that takes into account Government legislation and the views of students, parents, the Local Academy Council and staff.
Personal Development
Personal Development is at the heart of all that we do, by delivering a curriculum that promotes spiritual, moral, social, cultural, emotional and physical development and prepares students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences for later life.
Every student in the school has a timetabled weekly lesson of Personal Development to enable dedicated time to explore areas of Health and Wellbeing, Relationships and Living in the Wider World. Mandatory Relationships and Sex education (RSE) is covered in these lessons in addition to a varied range of topics and skills that foster holistic growth beyond academics, helping them develop essential life skills, emotional intelligence, and character.
In addition to these discrete lessons Personal Development is weaved throughout the curriculum, providing our young people with the knowledge and skills to embrace the exciting opportunities this modern world brings, and to deal effectively with the challenges
and risks they may encounter. Through this, our students clearly understand how to keep themselves, and others, safe and healthy (both online and offline), to be accepting of diversity, to show empathy and kindness, and to make a positive contribution to their school, local, and wider communities.
Our PD curriculum plays a key role in the safeguarding of our students; adopting a preventative approach and signposting to people/organisations to offer support, advice and guidance. Whilst it has clear intent and structure, the curriculum is also flexible and responsive to dealing efficiently with school, local and wider issues as they arise – providing a safe and supportive environment to discuss complex, sensitive and current topics.
By recognising Personal Development as a priority within our Curriculum we ensure that students consistently engage with these important life skills and values, helping them grow into well-rounded, responsible, and capable individuals.
Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
At Wellfield Academy, we are dedicated to preparing our students for their future beyond the classroom by offering a comprehensive Careers Education programme. We believe that every student should be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed decisions about their career paths, whether that leads to an academic route or vocational training. The Gatsby benchmarks are closely followed so that our students are provided with the best possible careers education, information, advice, and guidance.
Our Careers Education program is integrated into the Personal Development lessons and weaved throughout the school experience, ensuring that students:
• Explore diverse career options through workshops, career fairs, and guest speakers from various industries, having a rich diet of employer encounters.
• Receive personalised guidance and support from our dedicated Careers Advisor, who helps each student identify their strengths, interests, and aspirations.
• Develop essential employability skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and leadership, through both academic and extracurricular activities.
• Learn from labour market information and be made aware throughout their studies of subject links to careers.
• Engage in meaningful work experience opportunities, providing valuable insight into the professional world.
• Prepare for further education or employment through tailored advice on applications, CV writing, interview techniques.
Our commitment is to ensure that every student leaves Wellfield Academy with a clear sense of purpose and the tools they need to achieve their career goals. Our Careers programme is designed to be aspirational, empowering every student to reach their full potential and pursue ambitious career paths. Our program aims to nurture high expectations and broaden students’ horizons, helping them envision and work towards futures they may not have previously considered and ensuring they are well supported to make aspirational post 16 choices.
Extra Curricular
Extra-curricular activities are an important part of our school life. We have a variety of clubs and activities which is updated on a half termly basis. Our clubs include: debating society, chess club, drama, puzzle club, creative writing, Coding and Italian to name just a few. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helps students to gain essential skills and attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications
To encourage participation and acknowledge those students who attend clubs, we place a strong emphasis upon rewarding students for attending clubs or activities. Our newly developed rewards programme specifically for attending extra-curricular clubs ensures students receive positive reinforcement and the acknowledgement they deserve.
Every child should have the opportunity for a fully rounded education. Sport and physical activity not
only promote a good foundation for a healthy lifestyle, they also help with life skills, such as teamwork and leadership skills. We provide an outstanding environment, where children are actively encouraged to seek their talent, whilst being supported to nurture it, enjoy it and achieve in their chosen sport.
Children benefit from outstanding facilities which include our purpose-built Sports Hall, which can accommodate a wide range of sports such as basketball, badminton, indoor football and netball. In addition to this, we have a fabulous Dance Studio as well as extensive playing fields, football and rugby pitches and a cricket pitch, alongside track and field amenities.
There are excellent opportunities for children to take part in competitions across the South Ribble area, with some students being selected to play their sport at a regional level.
SEND & Inclusion
At Wellfield Academy, we are committed to and passionate about providing a nurturing and inclusive environment where every student, can thrive. Our school team is dedicated to providing ‘Nothing but the Best’ and all work closely with students, their parents, and external specialists to ensure that the right support is available for each child.
As a school we recognise the importance of early identification and intervention to address the needs of pupils with SEND. The transition from primary to secondary school is a critical period for all students, but it holds particular significance for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We work with primary colleagues from approximately
30 feeder schools to ensure all student transition successfully.
Wellfield offers a wide range of resources, adaptations and in-class support, and access to targeted interventions, allowing all students to participate fully in school life. By fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and collaboration, we ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.
Appointments can be made to discuss your child’s needs via the school office or by emailing SEND@wellfieldacademy.org
Endeavour Learning Trust Values
Next steps
After reading through our prospectus you will have a good idea of what Wellfield has to offer. We would strongly encourage you to come and view the school for yourself, meet the Head, the staff and students so you can see first hand what makes Wellfield Academy truly unique.
Once you have decided we are the school of choice for your child, your next step is to fill out an online application form via the Lancashire County Council website (https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/apply-for-a-schoolplace/) before the deadline date.
On the LCC website you will also be able to find lots of useful information when it comes to your application, from important dates to all kinds of additional advice and support.
Any questions?
If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you. Our friendly admissions team is available to speak to you on the phone or in person. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Wellfield Academy.
enquiries@wellfieldacademy.org www.wellfieldacademy.org 01772 421303