Prospectus
Details correct as of September 2018 but subject to change without notice.
Welcome to Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, a new school for this historic old town – a heritage we are proud to honour in our name and our badge. There’s a lot more to school than just passing exams. Every good teacher knows that, and we offer excellent sporting and cultural opportunities for our young people. But, when push comes to shove, pupils need those grades. Good grades open doors, and open up a lifetime of opportunity. At Charter we want the best grades for all of our pupils. We want to keep those doors of opportunity wide open. We demand respect from our pupils for
their teachers, their classmates, and their community. In return we respect them and encourage them. We keep pushing them on to achieve their best, even when they may want to give up; especially when they want to give up. As part of the Inspiration Trust we have access to an incredible family of schools that have demonstrated repeatedly that children in East Anglia are the equal of any in the country. We can all achieve, and we can all do better. I want our pupils to be the great in Great Yarmouth, for today, tomorrow, and for the future. Barry Smith Headmaster
Welcome
We are part of the Inspiration Trust, a not-for-profit charity twice ranked as the country’s top comprehensive schools group for pupil progress to GCSE. Our schools follow a knowledge-rich curriculum, structured by traditional subjects, to ensure systematic and thorough teaching for all. We also offer the widest range of sporting and cultural opportunities to our young people, and encourage them to play an active role in their school and the wider community. Our family of schools work together to ensure that all students have access to the very best teaching expertise, exceptional facilities, and extracurricular activities to excite and broaden young minds.
Key Stage 3 Pupils follow a broad curri culum that ensures they have a good foundation of knowledge and can pick their GCSEs in confidence. Where pupils need addition al support in English and maths they are able to follow an alternative curriculum that emphasise s literacy and numeracy. There is also a programm e during form time which covers British value s and encourages pupils to consider their role in the school and wider communities. The main curriculum curre ntly covers: English; mathematics; science; dra ma; geography; histor y; French; art; music ; physical education; and personal, so cial, health and religious education.
Key Stage 4
Our curriculum
Our curriculum offers breadth, depth, and flexibility and provides our pupils with many choices. Our aim is to provide each pupil with opportunities to meet their potential and achieve excellent outcomes. We used a mixed approach of form teaching and ability sets depending on the subject, to provide the best guidance and outcomes for pupils. Our subject leaders regularly monitor the progress and attainment of all pupils to ensure that each pupil is always in the most appropriate set for their ability.
pulsory core of Pupils currently take a com from four options; subjects and then choose nt demand. They are these var y based on stude that they both enjoy encouraged to take subjects their chosen career path. and that will help them in other professional We offer GCSE, BTEC, and qualifications. guage; English Core subjects: English lan ence. literature; mathematics; sci development; drama; Option subjects: art; child y; music; photography; French; geography; histor phy; religious physical education; photogra studies. s covering sport All pupils also have session social education and personal, health, and courses. alongside their examined
Teaching and learning
We follow a traditional curriculum where our pupils can benefit from the knowledge and passion of their teachers. Our aim is to provide the best possible education for our pupils and give them every opportunity to succeed though promoting good behaviour, a strong work ethic, and respect and nurture for the whole school community. We place a strong emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy skills so that pupils have full access to the curriculum and out of class opportunities. Intervention and support are used to improve reading, writing, and numeracy skills in individual pupils identified through our tracking process. Homework We see work completed at home as a valuable part of a pupil’s learning. The amount of homework set will vary across subjects, but will tend to increase as pupils move towards exams. Tasks may include reading, tests, project work, and research activities. Library Our library is at the very heart of the academy, a colourful interactive space supporting learning, inspiration, and initiative across the curriculum and all year groups. We have thousands of books, fiction and nonfiction, supporting our Accelerated Reading Programme – we aim for every pupil regardless of ability to have access to exciting new titles to inspire and challenge them.
Able, gifted, and talented programme We aim for every pupil to fulfil their potential. Every teacher uses a wide range of strategies in the classroom to ensure that able, gifted, and talented (AG&T) pupils are fully challenged and engaged. This could include twilight sessions such as further maths or an extra language, visits to universities, or attendance at AG&T events and competitions. We also work with The Brilliant Club, an award-winning national organisation that exists to widen access to top universities for outstanding pupils. Special educational needs and disabilities We offer effective interventions and in-class support for pupils’ individual needs, delivering targeted support so that pupils can access the curriculum. We work closely with Norfolk County Council SEN Team and other outside agencies in order to ensure every child is supported and provided with the assistance they need to progress. English as an additional language We offer pupil-focused, individual and smallgroup support to all pupils learning English as an Additional Language. Pupils are also given opportunities to continue studying their home languages as a means of maintaining and improving literacy levels. Pupils have the chance to learn about and integrate with British culture, including regular trips with a focus on building skills whilst learning about Britain and its history.
Preparing for the future
All pupils will have to make key decisions during their time at the aca demy. To help pupils understand the qualities, attitudes, and skills needed to succeed in worki ng life and independent living we have a varied an d inspirational careers and fur ther education pro gramme. This includes visits to industry, trips to col leges and universities, work experience, inspirati onal guest speakers, and tailored workshops for all pupils at key decision points to inspire and educate them on available options. We work closely with our local post-16 education providers to ensure that pu pils are fully aware of the options available to them after they complete their studies wit h us.
We value our close links with the local community, and our extensive sports, arts, and meeting spaces are used by a wide range of organisations, clubs, and societies. We also often arrange community projects for our pupils, such as working with local care homes to document social history, or creating Christmas trees for St Nicholas Church. We believe that a key element in educating our children is to integrate into the local community, which allows them to learn, grow, and develop people skills.
Smart in every way Feeding mind and body
tandard Our cafeteria offers a high-s day, with our ry healthy menu to pupils eve parents can be cashless system meaning only being spent sure that dinner money is on good quality food. ilies to apply for We encourage eligible fam no child need go free school meals so that hungry. exciting As well as our varied and er a breakfast lunchtime menu we also off acks and menu before school, and sn refreshments at break.
We have a smart uniform that helps pupils feel part of the academy commu nit y and ensures they are focused on learning rat her than fashion. With a blazer, shirt or blous e, and tie, the uniform helps prepare for the world of work and keeps our pupils looking smart as they represent the academy on the way to an d from school. We also have a standard PE kit to ensure that pupils can perform at their peak when playing sport. Uniform items carrying ou r school branding are available from Harriso ns, a local school outfitters. Other items can also be bought there or from other suppliers, bu t they must meet the uniform guidelines pu blished on our website.
Life beyond the classroom
We are lucky to have spectacular facilities for pupils to explore their interests and abilities outside the classroom, from our on-site swimming pool and extensive sports fields to our well-equipped theatre space. We have competitive sporting events in year groups, and fixtures against other schools take place regularly. We may also offer intervention and booster groups for selected pupils outside of the school day. We place an emphasis on active citizenship, with pupils encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and to look after their peers.
Supporting our pupils
We pride ourselves on having a caring and supportive pastoral system, based around year groups. On entry pupils are placed in tutor groups with the tutor responsible for each pupil’s welfare and their overall academic progress. Pupils will often stay with the same tutor throughout their time with us. They are supported by our heads of year and their teams, who provide support across behaviour, attendance, and attainment. They reward the pupils for good behaviour and good attendance and help the pupils feel safe by tackling any conflicts which may arise between pupils. Assessment and reports We want to ensure that every pupil is challenged in their learning to achieve their very best. Each pupil has challenging academic targets in every subject. We track the progress of each pupil against these targets throughout the year, providing regular feedback to pupils on their
successes and what they need to do to boost their learning further. School reports are published every term and each pupil will receive two short reports and one, more detailed, long academic report during the school year. Pupils will be assessed regularly in lessons through marking, homework, and verbal feedback from teaching staff, as well as through formal exams. Transition to high school We work closely with our main feeder schools to ensure pupil transfer and transition is as smooth as possible. We offer visits and individual tours to families and pupils who may need bespoke support to aid transition, with specialist staff available to work with Year 6 pupils on a one-to-one basis if required. Additional support is provided to more vulnerable pupils through our special educational needs and disabilities department and Year 7 pastoral teams.
How to apply for a place
To apply for a Year 7 place starting in September, please use the online system run by Norfolk County Council at norfolk. gov.uk for secondary school transfers. This typ ically runs from September to October the year before entry, with places offered in March. Places may also be availa ble in other year groups and starting mid-y ear. To discuss your requirements before you ap ply, please get in touch. We are always happ y to hear from you. We hold a formal open eve ning in the autumn term each year – please vis it our website for details. We are also happy to arrange visits at other times so please get in touch if you would like to see life at the acade my for yourself.
Salisbury Road · Great Yarmouth · NR30 4LS 01493 842061 · www.gyca.org.uk