Lyndon School Prospectus

Summit Learning Trust

The Summit Learning Trust family is currently made up of three secondary schools, four primary schools and a sixth form college educating almost 8000 learners. All of our academies are located in the Birmingham and Solihull areas which allows us to work closely together for the benefit of all our children, young people and the communities we serve. After another highly successful year, all of our academies have now been judged by Ofsted as ‘Good’ providers with an increasing proportion of ‘Outstanding’ features.

We are relentless in our ambition for all our children and young people to make exceptional levels of academic progress and achieve strong portfolios of qualifications. Across Summit, our focus is on developing responsible, knowledgeable, highly skilled, global citizens who will have a positive impact on our communities now and in future years. We are developing our already established links with higher education establishments, local employers and charitable organisations to ensure that all our young people can benefit from these positive partnerships within our wider communities.

Our Trust is committed to providing vibrant learning communities in our schools and college, where our children and young people are happy, safe and supported to work hard. We are all acutely aware of our core purpose of educating all learners through exceptional teaching and learning, underpinned by high levels of care and support and we challenge our children and young people to do their best, every lesson, every day. We strive for all our learners to have as many life choices available to them as possible.

Being part of the Summit Learning Trust family means that all our academies benefit from a wide range of expertise, support and challenge. Leaders, teachers and support colleagues work with each other across our academies to develop and share excellent practice and provide support where needed. Our academies benefit from highly-trained, expert, hard-working and dedicated staff teams who are all committed to providing an outstanding education and the highest levels of care for all our learners. Whilst other schools and colleges struggle to recruit and retain high quality, specialist teachers and support colleagues, we are proud that we attract a high calibre of professionals due to our happy, warm, and hard-working environments and the growing reputation of Summit Learning Trust as a great place to learn and work in.

We pride ourselves on working in partnership with parents, carers and families and hope that this prospectus provides you with an insight into our school. We look forward to welcoming you and working with you.

Vince Green Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to Lyndon School

I am delighted to welcome you to Lyndon School. As a parent, I place huge importance on high standards of education and care for my own children; as a Principal, I have the same high standards for the children in my care. As a result of this philosophy, we are proud to be recognised as a ‘Good’ school by Ofsted (March 2022) and to be one of the most improved secondary schools in Solihull in recent years.

At Lyndon School, our aim is to provide young people with the qualifications, skills, and attributes they need to lead successful and happy lives. At the heart of Lyndon’s ethos is an absolute belief that every child has the potential to achieve and succeed. We work closely with our families and community to shape and deliver the best education and outcomes possible for the children of Lyndon School.

Although our school is amongst one of the largest in Solihull, we take pride in maintaining a small school ethos to ensure children and young people feel, safe, secure, and supported to achieve the best outcomes possible. Our dedicated team of staff are friendly and professional, and thoroughly committed to the education and welfare of your child. Enhancements in the provision and use of modern technologies, along with facilities that are continually improving, allow us to further transform the learning of our young people and ensure that Lyndon School remains synonymous for its inspiring and creative approaches to teaching. Every member of the school community is expected to treat others with the utmost respect. In order for our students to achieve their full potential, we have high expectations for attendance, punctuality, uniform, behaviour, and outcomes. Our drive for every child to maximise their performance at GCSE will ensure that all of our learners are successfully prepared to be able to overcome any challenge they may face in the 21st century.

I look forward to meeting you and working with you to ensure that your child receives the first-class education they deserve.

Abid Butt Executive Principal

As such, we have a dedicated team of Teaching and Learning Ambassadors that are recognised as having excellent professional and pedagogical knowledge, to drive improvements in teaching and learning to deliver exceptional outcomes for our young people at Lyndon School. Staff prioritise high standards of education and we are proud of the first-class learning experiences students are afforded throughout their time with us. Our comprehensive programmes of continued professional development ensure that our workforce is at the cutting edge of pedagogy and practice and highly trained in securing exceptional outcomes for all our young people.

Exceptional Outcomes and Ambition

As a learning institution and as leaders of learning, we work collaboratively to share best practice with other schools and academies within and outside our Trust. This ensures that members of staff receive, as well as lead, on professional learning of the highest calibre. The additional support from colleagues within our family of schools, further strengthens our offer and has resulted in the significant impact we have had on the provision, experience, and outcomes for our students.

“Teachers use assessment effectively to identify any gaps in pupils’ learning“

At Lyndon School we firmly believe that excellent teaching is the foundation of excellent student progress.

Ofsted 2022

Exceptional Care within a ‘Family Academy’

It is our firm belief that the way in which we nurture and care for our young people is intrinsic to their success. Highly effective systems support achievement, self-belief, and inspiration.

At Lyndon we have a highly effective and unique pastoral system led by a team of highly skilled Pastoral Leaders who are specialists in pastoral care. The Pastoral Leaders are responsible for a year group throughout their time at the school. They prioritise their efforts on providing support and care to ensure all our young people have a platform to learn and succeed.

Students are supported with personal challenges by the Pastoral Leaders and external professional partners where necessary. Professional partners are fully integrated into our school to support our pastoral systems and provide the highest level of care for children and young people. This integrated and coherent approach promotes an ethos of kindness, humility and acceptance where young people are encouraged to support each other and contribute to a safe and happy environment. As a result, our young people are assured and confident in the knowledge that well-managed problems will not stand in the way of their future success and, wherever possible, learning is never compromised.

Identifying and supporting young people and promoting emotional health and wellbeing is of utmost importance to all colleagues at Lyndon School. There are many staff who are trained Mental Health and Wellbeing Ambassadors, holding the necessary formal qualifications to ensure that our excellent pastoral systems are complimented by specialist mental health and wellbeing support for our students.

Lyndon School offers an environment where students feel warmly supported and valued. Personal strengths are developed by praise and encouragement, not pressure. We pride ourselves on positive parental engagement including parents and carers in all aspects of their child’s education and welfare. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, staff and visitors to the school.

Wellbeing

In the current climate of wellbeing and the need for more resources, our Lyndon School community are proud of the Mental Health and Wellbeing support available to our young people.

Identifying and supporting young people and promoting emotional health and wellbeing is a priority. At Lyndon School there are a wide range of staff who are trained to support students including the pastoral team who are all trained as Mental Health and Wellbeing Champions. They all hold the necessary formal qualification to be on hand to support the wellbeing, confidence and resilience for anyone experiencing any challenges.

Students are aware of where to access help and support with emotional wellbeing and we extend our care to parents, carers and families by being able to signpost them to a number of services in challenging times.

Achievement for all

At Lyndon School, we value the talent, ability, and achievement of each and every one of our students. We strive to provide first class learning environments for all of our young people so that they can thrive with the confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding required to develop into successful young people. We aim to develop our students to be respectful, courteous, and accepting of those around them so that they collectively create a better world.

At Key Stage 4 the majority of our students follow the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway. The Department for Education strongly recommends that all students study the EBacc which is a combination of GCSE subjects (including a Modern Foreign Language) that offer an important range of knowledge and skills to young people. Our students’ achievement across these subjects at GCSE provides them with the broad knowledge, skills, and attributes that all employers look for. In addition to the excellent portfolio of academic qualifications our students are afforded the opportunity to work towards wider qualifications including the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award; allowing our students to set themselves apart from others when they move on to further education, employment, or training.

Our relentless ambition for all of our students, coupled with the extensive careers education offer at Lyndon school has resulted in significant numbers of students moving onto some of the best universities in the United Kingdom.

Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are fully included in all aspects of school life, and all are encouraged to maximise their potential, both academically and socially. We run a very successful Learning Support Unit which has transformed the delivery of education to students who have specific challenges and barriers to overcome.

Our amazing team of staff are available before and after the school day to further support our students with their studies and all aspects of school life.

Student Leadership

“At Lyndon School, staff inspire us to focus on achieving the very best outcomes possible for us. With the support we receive from all staff we can flourish to reach our full potential. Lyndon School is not only where students achieve academically but where we are prepared to be ready for the future ahead. Our school has a good reputation in the local community as a place where young people are safe and looked after. Our GCSE outcomes are good; students leave the school with results they are proud of. This is primarily due to the continuous support the school and staff provide us with. Students enjoy learning here as we are all given exciting opportunities that simply can’t be missed. Teachers are extremely knowledgeable and have a great passion for the subjects they teach, they go out of their way to make sure that we are achieving exceptionally whilst enjoying our lessons. Lyndon School promotes a safe environment where

young people not only feel secure but mature too. New students and staff alike will feel instantly welcomed here as we are not just a school, but a community. Settling into the school is easy with a plethora of extracurricular activities, helping students to make friends from around the school and take a break from their studies.”

“As members of the Student Leadership Team we would happily recommend the academy to anyone ‘looking at’ secondary education for their child. The Student Leaders are proud to be involved with decision making to ensure their peers have the best opportunities available for them in order to be successful.”

Our Curriculum Intent

Our broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum is designed to cater to the needs of all of students and support them to flourish in whatever career pathway they choose to follow.

At both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 all students will participate in a knowledge-rich curriculum which provides a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities, to deepen knowledge and broaden horizons. Our curriculum intent is underpinned by our ethos and values of success through endeavour, ambition through challenge and strength and diversity. As a school, we want our students to become immersed in new learning experiences; our curriculum is designed to support students in making links between subjects through the sequential building of knowledge and the enhancement of their cultural understanding.

All students have the same entitlement to the full range of the school curriculum and we are committed to making this accessible to all our students, whatever age or ability. Support and extra provision are readily available to all, including the most able students, which includes providing greater challenges in their learning and providing opportunities to demonstrate and develop their abilities. Lyndon School also extends the school day for every Year 11 student with an additional lesson after school to allow for more in-depth teaching and learning across all subjects.

Lyndon School is a popular choice within the local area and is now heavily oversubscribed in Year 7. Our links with local primary schools, the community and local businesses makes us a school that is often the

number one choice for future students and parents, as our community sees the school as one that motivates and inspires its students.

At Lyndon School we have a huge array of facilities that complement the learning environment and enhance our students experience at school including; interactive media in each classroom, access to a dedicated Sports Hall, Gymnasium, Library, various ICT suites, bespoke Engineering workshops, Dance and Drama studios as well as a state-of-the-art Design block.

We are also proud to have a dedicated inclusion area, designed specifically for our SEND students to learn in and socialise in during social times. This, allied with our inclusive approaches to teaching and learning, has resulted in the school recently being accredited as a Centre of Excellence for the Inclusion Quality Mark for the second year running.

In summary, our ambition to deliver nothing short of excellence through outstanding leadership, and excellent teaching and learning is why we are one of the most improved secondary schools in Solihull.

“Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported successfully”

Ofsted 2022

Enrichment

Our curriculum is fully supported by a systematic programme of additional learning experiences, including regular holiday classes and booster sessions to help raise aspirations, foster ambition, and provide direction at crucial times in our students’ studies.

We believe that these opportunities are a vital ingredient in our children’s social and emotional development. These valuable activities are available to all students and the only qualifications needed are enthusiasm and a willingness to contribute regularly, in an environment of mutual respect.

An extensive programme of educational excursions, residential trips, in Britain and abroad, are organised each year to develop the cultural literacy of our students enabling them to develop into well rounded global citizens. We actively encourage students to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular enrichment activities offered each day during the school week.

Safeguarding

Lyndon school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children – all staff and volunteers at Lyndon school share this commitment.

We work closely with the both Solihull and Birmingham Safeguarding Boards. We have a number of policies and procedures in place that contribute to our safeguarding commitment, including our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy which can be viewed on our website in the Safeguarding section, along with our Trust Safeguarding Strategy.

“Lyndon School is a happy, friendly and caring place” Ofsted 2022

Parent & Carer Voice

At Lyndon School we strongly believe that a strong partnership between our families, wider community and our staff is key to ensuring we realise the full potential of every student.

We encourage the active involvement of parents and carers in all aspects of school life in order to raise aspirations, promote ambition and celebrate the success of our students at every stage. During our recent Ofsted, the Parent View survey results confirmed very high levels of confidence in the school and its leadership. This confidence is testament to our effective partnership between our families and staff. With this is mind we use an intelligent behaviour management system called Arbor. Through Arbor staff award positive behaviour points for excellent behaviours seen in lessons and across the academy. These points build up for students whilst at Lyndon School and can result in further rewards and recognition when they meet different award thresholds. As well as an online system, Arbor is also available on iOS and Android apps for parents and carers, providing a fantastic mechanism for parental engagement. You can easily stay up to date of your child’s positive behaviour rewards as well as attendance. In today’s busy world we want to utilise technology where we can provide you with real time updates on your child’s progress – Arbor allows us to do this.

Research shows increased parental engagement has a big influence on children’s attainment and we want to continue this with all students at Lyndon School. When your child begins in Year 7, we issue information and codes for families to set up an account via the Arbor app or an online account to start viewing your child’s achievements.

We also use Arbor as our chosen method of communicating with parents and carers to ensure that essential information is shared efficiently and effectively.

Community

Lyndon School has demonstrably improved outcomes related to ‘progression’ through its strategic alliances both within and outside of the educational sector.

Our community partners continue to play a pivotal part in our future and of our Summit Learning Trust. These key stakeholders bring a shared social conscience and a genuine aspiration to make a difference, always putting the families that we serve at the centre of all we do.

Careers

At Lyndon School every student is afforded access to a high-quality careers programme which is delivered jointly through the curriculum and organised activities throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.

This robust careers programme is structured around the eight Gatsby benchmarks and is ambitious for every child. The effectiveness of this approach is borne out in the proportion of learners continuing their learning journeys into further education, employment or wider training remains consistently higher than the equivalent measures across the borough of Solihull.

We will continue to benchmark our performance using the Life Ready programme with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to ensure our careers guidance continues to be world class.