TheCityTimes It’s the little things that make a big difference: academy wins three SSAT Educational Outcomes Awards
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Key dates for the half term ahead APR
Staff training day Academy closed to all students
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Bank Holiday Monday Academy closed to all students
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First GCSE exam IGCSE English
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First AS level exam Economics - unit 1
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In recognition of the outstanding levels of progress our students make, evident in the exceptional GCSE results obtained last summer, The City Academy, Hackney has received not one, but three SSAT Educational Outcomes Awards.
Spring half term 2 March/April 2015
See page 4 for a list of events for the half term ahead or visit: www.thecityacademy.org/events.
The Awards for exceptional progress, attainment, and the performance of our students who are eligible for Free School Meals (for which the academy receives additional Pupil Premium funding) are to recognise the academy’s achievements, placing us within the top 10% of all schools. In fact, the academy was actually ranked the second best school in the entire country for ‘Value Added’ progress in the Department for Education league tables released in January.
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EXCEPTIONAL PROGRESS
ATTAINMENT
PUPIL PREMIUM STUDENT PERFORMANCE
So, what is the key to the academy’s success? Well, one answer comes from a surprising source - the Team GB Olympic cycling team. Featured in the London Evening Standard last Friday, Mr. Emmerson explained, “There is no magic bullet but we aspire to be the best in everything we do, we adhere to the core idea that brought so much success to the British cycling team. It is the aggregation of marginal improvements which when taken as a whole make the difference.” The philosophy was adopted by Sir Dave Brailsford, Director of British cycling at the time of the Olympics. “Marginal gains” were obtained from small actions such as riders taking the same pillow to training camps, and washing their hands properly to reduce the risk of them becoming ill. “We are always searching for the one thing that improves a school but all the little things when you add them together make a huge difference,” Mr. Emmerson remarked. Improving students’ punctuality by one percent, keeping the library open before and after school, offering free porridge, providing three hours of Additional Studies per week - none of these things are newsworthy alone but collectively they have helped our students achieve nationally significant levels of progress and attainment. Alongside the recent awards and milestones, the academy is to also feature in an upcoming SSAT publication looking at how to successfully set up a school from scratch entitled, Right from the Start. To read the London Evening Standard article in full, search ‘City Academy Evening Standard’.
‘Street language’ is not accepted Free porridge and Breakfast Club Additional Studies three days a week All staff, including receptionists and PAs, act as Personal Advisers Libraries open both before and after school, 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Family Dining: all students enjoy a hot meal together
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