Ursuline Sixth Form Prospectus

Sixth Form Prospectus

Message from the Headteacher

“Ursuline is such a special place and is a warm, supportive learning community with a caring family ethos. We are honoured to be part of a worldwide family of Ursuline schools. We are extremely proud at how our whole community; staff and students come together to do our best and achieve amazing things.�

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Thank you for your interest in our school.

I hope that this prospectus gives you some insight into who we are and what we stand for.

The Ursuline Academy Ilford is a four form entry Catholic comprehensive school for girls aged 11-19. Students who come here join a community that is committed to success. The school was founded by the Ursuline Order in 1903 and has been providing high quality education and pastoral care ever since. The school has a strong sense of community underpinned by Gospel values.

Visitors regularly remark on the purposeful working atmosphere in which all are expected to do their best. We have an inclusive and community-focused ethos of which we are very proud.

Our pupils are welcoming, engaging and articulate. They are ambitious for the school and for their own life beyond it.

Students who have spent their formative years at the school are already aware of the supportive and purposeful working environment within the school where all students are seen as individuals, each with her own strengths, potential and hopes.

Those who come to us having successfully completed GCSE studies in other schools work with already established Ursuline students in a spirit of co-operation and shared motivation to reach the highest standards of attainment and progress.

Further details can be found on our website www.uai.org.uk We look forward to welcoming you to our Open Evening.

Yours sincerely

Headteacher Keran Reilly, BSc (Econ) PGCE NPQH Headteacher

Our Mission We are a Catholic community of faith, love and service rooted in the spirit of St Angela. Through Christ and the Gospel and in our diverse community we strive to provide an environment for young women to flourish, spiritually, academically and socially.

Together we are The Ursuline Academy Ilford.

To help bring this about Governors and staff at the school commit themselves to: • Recognising the value and uniqueness of all our students • Ensuring that the school is a safe place to be and one where the interests of justice are served • Creating a community which is inclusive, one whose basis is mutual respect and equality • Maintaining the long tradition of trust, cooperation and courtesy • Generating good order and discipline based on sound relationships between staff, students, parents and carers • Nurturing the religious and intellectual lives of our students through curricular and extra-curricular activities • Inviting parents and carers to play an active role in their daughter’s development, academically, spiritually and morally.

“The Ursuline Academy Ilford is a melting pot of different cultures, religions and races, this environment creates a unique and stimulating learning experience.

This school has instilled in me the core values and qualities needed to flourish both academically and socially.”

- Head Girl

“Do something, get moving.

Be confident, risk new things, stick with it and then be ready for big surprises.”

- St Angela

Our Ethos We are a vibrant faith community inspired by our founder Angela Merici, whose motto was “Serviam” - I will SERVE. ‘Serviam’ lies at the heart of our daily routine and practice.

We aim to empower our girls to learn, to lead and to serve.

As Angela Merici faced new challenges by looking for new possibilities, so too are we committed and called to do things in new ways to ensure that the young women in our care are offered a nurturing and challenging educational environment in which they can learn and grow and develop the confidence to go out and make a difference in our world.

Message from Head of Sixth Form Thank you for your interest in our Sixth Form and I hope you find the information in our prospectus and on our website helpful in making your decision about where to study. Our sixth form is small and I believe that this allows us to really get to know our students and to provide them with the support they need. The two years at sixth form can be very challenging and will involve lots of hard work as well as important decisions about what you will do next. I believe that our school offers a caring and supportive environment for you to meet these challenges and so enjoy your sixth form studies and leave fully equipped to go on to the next stage of your career.

Our sixth form is made up of students from many different backgrounds and, for many of them, it is this quality that makes our school special. If you are keen to do well, work hard and join a community where kindness and service to others are at the centre of everything we do, we look forward to receiving your application.

Curriculum We are a small sixth form and our curriculum, whilst focused on academic GCE advanced level subjects, aims to be as broad as possible and cater for a wide range of interests and academic starting points. The majority of our students go on to study at university and a significant proportion of these go on to Russell group universities and highly competitive courses. In addition to A’ levels, we also offer Level 3 Extended Certificate in Applied Science and Business Studies which are accepted by universities but have a greater amount of portfolio style assessment than other A’ levels. For students who have missed the grade requirement to study level 3 qualifications in our sixth form, we have a foundation programme that lasts for one year and aims to provide the skills and qualifications needed to progress to level 3 (A’ level) study. In addition to our full A’ levels, we also offer AS level French and Further Maths as well as the Extended Project Qualification that can be studied to complement 3 A’ levels.

The majority of our students will study 3 A’ level qualifications, however in some cases students may study 4 A’ levels (subject to academic performance both at GCSE and during the course).

In exceptional circumstances, some students may study less than three A levels. All A’ level courses are linear with all examinations taken at the end of the two year course.

The sixth form operates a 2-week timetable and students receive 11 x 50 minute lessons for each A’ level per fortnight. In addition, all students attend form registration for 20 minutes at the start of each day. This time is used for assemblies as well as tutor mentoring and other activities to support students’ development. Students also receive 1 x 50 minute lesson of Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE) per week and, for those not studying Philosophy and Ethics at A’ level, 1 x 50 minute lesson of General RE per week.

Further information on the A’ level courses offered can be found on our website www.uai.org.uk.

“I chose to stay in the sixth form because I felt like the school provided a foundation for me to build on, mentally emotionally and socially. Being treated like an adult has allowed me to grow from a girl to a well-educated and respectful woman.”

Year 12 Student

Celebrating Success We are very proud of all of our students and the school has a long history of sending girls to top universities to study the most prestigious courses. Whilst the full range of universities and courses are too numerous to list, a significant proportion of our students go on to study at the Russell group universities in subjects as varied as History, English, Law, Engineering, Robotics, Biochemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Psychology and Criminology to name just a few. In recent years, we have also had students gain places at Oxford University as well as other students who have gained places at prestigious Art schools.

Whilst the vast majority of our students decide to pursue their education at university, a small number have progressed into work or apprenticeships and the school supports students with whatever they choose to do.

Tailored Support We appreciate that all of our students are individuals and have different interests and needs. Our provision aims to reflect this and we do everything we can to help all of our students achieve their full potential. Our foundation programme aims to give students who have not quite made the grade for level 3 study a chance to develop their skills and improve their level 2 qualifications in one year. This will involve studying the core subjects of Maths and English Language as well as GCSE Sociology and BTEC Business Studies. It is anticipated that upon completion of this year, students would then embark upon a two year A’ level course.

All students receive mentoring support from their form tutors as well as help with target setting and developing a good A’ level mind-set. We also have a range of support available for our most able students such as guidance for applying to Oxbridge or support with university entrance exams such as the BMAT.

“We are very pleased and grateful for the care that our daughter receives in school. She has grown in confidence and enjoys being at Ursuline.”

- Parent

Enrichment We believe it is very important that students have the opportunity and are encouraged to go beyond their taught A levels and take part in a wide range of opportunities.

Indeed, a key part of our Catholic ethos is that education should develop the whole person and not just focus on narrow academic outcomes.

To enable students to grow in this way, we have a wide range of activities available to sixth formers. Activities will often include the lower school and therefore enable sixth formers to take a more leadership based role. The opportunities available include, but are not limited to: sport sessions, music lessons, volunteering, school trips, university visits, work placements and many more.

At the outset of sixth form study, students complete a questionnaire about their interests and background to aid us in targeting opportunities to students. Whilst we do not take time out of the academic term to complete work experience at a set time, a large proportion of our students do secure work experience in a wide range of settings and complete this during the holidays or, where this is not possible, during term time with prior agreement from the Head of Sixth Form.

Towards the end of Year 12, students who want to develop their leadership skills further and take a very prominent role within the school community are able to apply to serve as prefects or as a member of the Head Girl Team.

“I chose not only to stay in a good school that can provide me with all I need to go onto further education but I chose to stay in a community where I know I can reach my fullest potential in an environment where I’m not restricted in any way.”

- Year 12 Student

“The Catholic ethos of the school is clearly evident and the overall approach is highly inclusive. The culture of the school is one which wants to care for the ‘whole child’ and parents and pupils alike recognise and value this approach highly.”

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OFSTED October 2016.

Pastoral Care For students to flourish during their sixth form study it is important that they are happy, safe and motivated within school. The pastoral care offered to students ensures that this is the case.

Faith Faith is very important in our school; it stands at the centre of everything we are striving to achieve. Chaplaincy, working alongside the RE Department, has a strong programme of retreats, events and clubs designed to encourage students to develop their spirituality and deepen their relationship with God. Everything we do stems from our Christian faith. All of the adults in the school support the pupils in their spiritual growth. We welcome pupils and staff of all faiths into our community, embracing them and the way they enrich our school/community.

All students are a member of a form group of around 25 students.

Their form tutor will meet with them every day and is their first point of contact for information sharing, answering queries and dealing with issues that may arise.

Besides the sixth form tutors, the team also includes the Head of Sixth Form, Assistant Head of Sixth Form and the Sixth Form Administrator. The team monitors students’ welfare and progress and intervenes whenever issues occur. Monitoring takes place through academic performance, attendance and punctuality data and teacher feedback. If intervention is required, students will often meet with the Head of Sixth Form and a plan or support put in place. We value the support that parents play in their daughter’s education and we involve parents where appropriate.

We also have the services of a school counsellor that can be used by sixth form students.

“I left the Academy at the end of Year 11 but came back again soon after because I honestly missed the comfortable feeling I used to get coming into the school community everyday. I feel happy coming to school again and am in the right mindset and environment to learn.”

Year 13 student

Facilities Located in its own block, away from the main school, Hume House provides a calm and exclusive space for our Sixth Form students. There is a dedicated quiet study room together with a more informal café area. Both rooms have state of the art IT technology for students to use.

The Café is open from 8am each day and serves a selection of hot and cold drinks and snacks. Sixth Form students are also welcome to use the main Dining Hall where a variety of popular hot dishes, including at least two vegetarian options, are served each day. A selection of made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and salads are also available along with a variety of soft drinks.

Scholarship The Ursuline Academy Ilford provides Academic scholarships to students with excellent GCSE attainment. The scholarship is intended to aid the most able students in reaching their full potential.

There are two levels of scholarship:

Scholarship 1 Eligibility – For students who enrol in the sixth form to study at least 3 GCE A’ level subjects and who achieved 8 or more passes at GCSE at grade 7 or better including English and Maths.

Scholarship details: • £500 in year 12 split over two payments of £250 made to the student’s bank account (the first at Christmas and the second at Easter). Whilst students can spend the money as they choose, it is intended to support them with their studies by paying for books / equipment or by enabling them to take part in extracurricular activities / university open days / work experience etc.

Message from the Headteacher • Priority access to trips and events aimed at the most able students (e.g. Oxbridge visits / Russell Group university sessions etc.)

• Mentoring and guidance throughout the sixth form to assist them with their next steps.

• Tailored support for university admissions tests e.g. BMAT LNAT etc.

Scholarship 2

Eligibility – For students who enrol in the sixth form to study at least 3 GCE A’ level subjects and who achieved 6 or more passes at GCSE at grade 7 or better including at least grade 6 in English and Maths.

Scholarship details: • £300 in year 12 split over two payments of £150 made to the student’s bank account (the first at Christmas and the second at is Easter).

Whilst students can spend the money as “Ursuline such a special place they choose, it is intended to support them with their studies for books / equipmentve or by enabling them to take andbyispaying a warm, supporti learning part in extracurricular activities / university open days / work community with a caring family experience etc.

Thank you for your interest in our school.

I hope that this prospectus gives you some insight into who we are and what we stand for.

Parental Engagement

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made my decision to return easier - and I don’t regret it at all.”

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Headteacher - Year 13 Student

Keran Reilly, BSc (Econ) PGCE NPQH Headteacher

Morland Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4JU T: 020 8554 1995 • E: uai@uai.org.uk

www.uai.org.uk Headteacher: Headteacher: Ms Ms KK Reilly Reilly BSc BSc (Econ) (Econ) PGCE PGCE NPQH NPQH

5 reasons to choose The Ursuline Academy Ilford 1.

1. Academic Academic Excellence Excellence 2. Friendly Friendly & & Supportive Supportive Staff 2.

Staff 3.

3. Wide Wide range range of of enrichment enrichment 4. to learn learn in in aa faith faith community community 4. Opportunities Opportunities to 5.

5. Town Town centre centre location location with with good good transport transport links. links.