KEY STAGE 4

Overview to Key Stage 4

Teaching and Learning is at the core of what we do at the Academy and we are keen to give our pupils intellectual challenges and we encourage independent thought at all times.  Encouraging students to enjoy taking ownership of their own learning is one of the major curriculum aims of the school.

Every student has a tutor who is responsible for monitoring academic progress, advising students’ on academic matters, liaising with subject teachers to ensure the students’ progress and providing a link between subject teachers and parents. We track every student academically, ensuring that they are given the specialist help and attention they need to succeed. As Academic Director my role is to ensure that our students are given every opportunity to achieve or exceed their target grades.

Tutors meet weekly with their tutees on an individual basis to plan the week ahead and reflect on achievements or issues arising from the previous week. It is vital that parents/carers and teachers communicate and the student planner is a way of keeping up to date and informed of your child’s progress. In addition, the pupil planners have details of forthcoming academic meetings, important coursework deadlines or other academic commitments, sporting fixtures, music performances and drama rehearsals. This weekly review enables the Tutor to monitor the academic and pastoral welfare of their tutees very closely indeed, and to facilitate the provision of various, more formal, support measures if necessary. Communication with parents is a very important element to the success of the child.

Years 10 & 11 are important years within any school, however here at the Academy we pride ourselves on the support, mentoring, and the leadership opportunities we give to our students. The tutor program is a vital component to the success of your child’s education and central to our tutoring programme is our mentoring provision which each student is a part off. Students depending on progress being made are placed into a group and work individually with members of staff. This programme has been very successful and gives the students an opportunity to focus on areas of learning which are limiting their potential.