The proposed academ

y at

West Salisbury

“We have started the consultation process for a new academy to replaceSalisbury High School. If this consultation stage is successful, the newacademy will open in September 2010 with brand new buildings ready bySeptember 2013.

The Diocese of Salisbury already supports 11 Church of England secondaryschools with around 11,000 young people across Dorset, Wiltshire andPoole. Now, here in West Salisbury, the Diocese is delighted to be workingalongside Bryanston School and Wiltshire Council to create an academy ofwhich students, staff and parents will be proud.

Our mutual aims are to:

• drive up standards of achievement, offering personalised supportand broader learning opportunities for every student

• build a strong, inclusive community which boosts confidenceand resilience amongst individuals, families and society

• raise the aspirations of our students and expand their scopefor career progression.

We look forward to combining our strengths, experience and innovativeideas not only to transform secondary education across Salisbury, but tocreate a learning and social hub to be enjoyed by the whole community.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback during this importantconsultation stage.”

Chris ShepperdDiocesan Director of Education

Sarah ThomasHead, Bryanston School

Martin CooperSecondary Strategy Manager, Wiltshire

Foreword from the sponsors

The proposal is to replace Salisbury High School with a new Church ofEngland academy, in order to address underachievement and socialdisadvantage within our West Salisbury community.

The new academy will serve a total of 1200 students aged 11-16, with anadditional 250 in the sixth form. The academy’s values will be rooted inChristianity and its main objectives will be to:

• raise the current attainment standards of Salisbury High School to matchand then exceed national standards

• offer an extended range of courses with an exciting, creative approach toteaching and learning

• provide innovative, technologically advanced facilities which are suitedto 21st-century learning

• act as a hub for wider health and community services

• contribute to the wider regeneration of Salisbury’s secondary schools

• instil in students an enthusiasm for lifelong learning andencourage their progression to further and higher education.

Introduction

What is an academy?Academies are a new form of inclusive secondary school designed to meetthe needs of students in the 21st century. They are independent of theirlocal authority but publicly funded and monitored by the Department forChildren, Schools and Families and Ofsted.

The academies programme is a major component of the government’seducation reform agenda, which encourages sponsors from private, publicand not-for-profit sectors to establish all-ability schools.

Each academy has a board of governors with local stakeholderrepresentation, including the local authority.

As main sponsor to the proposed academy at West Salisbury, theChurch of England will provide high-quality education for every childin the local community, welcoming students of all faiths and of none.

The partnershipThe Diocese of Salisbury already supports 11 Church of England secondaryschools and is currently sponsoring two academy projects. Wiltshire Councilhas had recent experience of developing the Wellington Academy. This isthe first academy project for the high-achieving Bryanston School, to whichit brings innovative ideas in transforming education.

Together we have a unique blend of experience and skills underpinned byshared values. High-quality learning and outstanding achievement will bethe focus of everything we do.

The visionClose supportRecent organisational changes at Salisbury High School allowed for smallerlearning groups – which staff, parents and students said they liked. We willdevelop this further with the new academy, operating a house-basedsystem to create a ‘small school’ feeling.

Christian ethosWhile the academy’s ethos will be based on Christianity, we will supportstudents of all faiths or of none with their spiritual explorations. Everygroup of new children will be welcomed and nurtured by staff who careabout them and their individual hopes.

Good communicationParents have an important role in the education of their children, so wewill welcome a close relationship between school and home. A member ofthe senior leadership team will be responsible for family support – and theschool will meet with every parent and carer at least three times a year.

Twenty-first century systemsNo school can meet the needs of all its students by itself. The academy willdraw on the strengths of our sponsors, other schools, colleges and agenciesto offer a wider range of educational experiences, particularly for the new14-19 Diplomas.

Specialised learning spacesStudent and community learning will take place in 21st-century learningspaces, offering modern technology and high-quality sporting, cultural andrecreational facilities – all made available to the whole community.

Visible improvementsThe new academy buildings, planned to open in 2013, will signpost a freshstart for the school and help us to inspire students and staff; deliverincreasingly high standards; nurture successful learners and be at the heartof community regeneration.

Nurturing confidenceStudents’ voices will be critical to the academy’s development. As studentsprogress through the school, they will be encouraged to help shape schoolpolicy and take responsibility for their learning.

Admissions: how it will workStudents already attending Salisbury High School will automaticallybecome students of the new academy. If demand for places cannot be met,the present oversubscription criteria of Salisbury High School will almostcertainly be used, giving priority to children who:

• have a special educational needs (SEN) statement which namesthe academy

• are designated as ‘Looked After Children’

• have a brother or sister attending the school at the time of theproposed admission

• live nearest the school, as measured in a straight line.

Where applications to the sixth form exceed the number of places,priority will be given to students who:

• currently attend courses for 11 to 16-year-olds at the school

• have a brother or sister already attending the school

• live in closest proximity to the school.

“A high-achievingschool at the heart of thecommunity, with an ethos

rooted in Christian values.”

Ways of learning: a revolutionThe new academy will take advantage of innovative learning styles anddeliver them:

• in ‘stage not age’ grouping within a highly flexible timetable (to includecreative arts and daily physical activity)

• with a ‘small school’ feel, drawing together pastoral and teachingsupport for younger students

• in specially built educational spaces which include ‘learning plazas’,enabling large groups of students to be team-taught

• according to each student’s needs, including via one-to-one mentoringwith a suitably matched adult

• through a personalised curriculum pathway supported by teachers whopossess outstanding knowledge and skills

• through residential experiences to foster teamwork and build confidence.

Raising levels of attainmentWithin five years of the academy opening, the sponsors expect:

• key performance measures to match and exceed national averagesin attainment

• that the academy will exceed the national average of studentsremaining in education or training, or proceeding to employment

• external and internal inspection ratings of at least ‘good’

• buildings which fulfil the sponsors’ design specifications(particularly for sustainability and community access) and supporttransformational learning

• for the academy to be an example of best practice as a schoolwhich serves its nearby residential and rural communities.

At Key Stage 3, the curriculum will link directly in from those of ourpartner primary schools. Salisbury High School currently has a single,dedicated ‘primary classroom’ for students who respond best to a gradualintroduction to a multi-teacher programme. The new academy will build onthis model, offering younger students a small team of staff who get toknow them well. As students develop greater skills and confidence they willmove onto a more personalised curriculum.

At Key Stage 4, the curriculum will closely match each student’s interests,offering a diverse range of experiences. Students will study in groupsallocated according to their needs – rather than their age – ensuring noone is held back or left behind. Before and during KS4 our mentors willensure each student receives tailored advice and guidance, allowing themto understand their own preferred learning style and shape their choicesand curriculum accordingly.

Salisbury High School’s strong vocational team currently delivers14-19 Curriculum courses that include Food Technology, BTEC Sportand BTEC Business – and we would like to build on this range. Vocationallearning will be a high priority for the new academy and we may focus onemployment-growth sectors, such as ICT, health, hospitality, media, sports,retail and construction. There is the possibility of setting up a commercialtraining kitchen, allowing students to enjoy real workplace experiencewithin the academy.

The new and expanded sixth form will encourage students tocontinue their studies, as well as allowing teachers to become fullyengaged in delivering diploma, A Level, apprenticeship and foundationlearning courses.

Literacy and numeracy driveThe new academy will focus strongly on literacy and numeracy, ensuringthat students are competent in mathematics and English, acquiringhigher Level 2 qualifications and having the opportunity to advance toLevel 3 accreditation. A supportive intervention team will tackle specificlearning needs.

For some students, we may offer accelerated learning programmes, as wellas the extra support of teaching assistants.

Extracurricular activitiesOpportunities for learning will extend beyond the main curriculum, with ahost of activities after the formal school day and at weekends and holidays.We will draw from Bryanston School’s great tradition of regular sports,music, drama and dance, promoting teamwork, performance skills,charitable fundraising and community service.

The curriculum

The academy specialismsMathematicsThe new academy will build on Salisbury High School’s current goodpractice in mathematics, taking innovative, exciting and challengingapproaches to teaching it.

Mathematics will infuse the whole curriculum – for example, it may be usedto develop presentation and discussion skills, using hypotheses and rivaltheories or it can help students to make sense of the world throughpatterns, numbers and statistics.

The ArtsBy choosing Arts subjects as the academy’s second specialism, we hopeto develop the talents of our students, individually and collectively –helping to fulfil their creative potential and express themselves.

We believe that a creative curriculum will raise the self-esteem of ourstudents and provide many opportunities for community engagementand teamwork.

The communityThe academy site will become a centre for the whole community, a placewhere local diversity is celebrated. It will also create and strengthen linksbetween the local community and Salisbury city. It will allow parents andcarers to access a range of services in one location – including training,health, voluntary organisations, community police, social care and housing.The academy will provide skills training sessions for parents and carers, andsupport the development of distance learning packages. Particularemphasis will be placed on working with parents and carers, throughtailored outreach programmes.

We are planning to create an all-welcoming academy which acts as ahub for learning, for access, for leisure, for healthy living and forspiritual growth.

Location of the new siteWhen it first opens in September 2010, the new academy will start in theexisting building.

The academy building programme may include refurbishment of existingbuildings as well as new build. This may be on the Westwood Road site oran extended site.

Improvements will be completed in September 2013.

Consultation processWe look forward to hearing your suggestions for thenew curriculum, the styles of learning, the facilities,the academy ethos and anything else you wish tocomment on.

In the coming weeks there will be many opportunitiesfor open discussion, questions and answers – and thesponsors will be readily available throughout theconsultation process.

Want to know more?More information about the new academy for West Salisbury is availableon our dedicated consultation website at www.wsacademy.org

Get in touchYour comments will help to determine the way forward, so please do nothesitate to get in touch and offer feedback.

Post: fill in the attached response form

Email: comment@wsacademy.org

Call: Cindy on 01722 428 429

www.wsacademy.org

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