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2026-2027 PROSPECTUS
We help students achieve their ambitions
greatwyrleyacademy.org.uk 2026-2027 Prospectus
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Great Wyrley Academy
Contents
Welcome
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Why Great Wyrley Academy?
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Recommended by Parents and Students
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Helping Students Achieve their Ambitions
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Brilliant Facilities
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A Welcoming and Supportive Environment
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Inspiring Teaching and Learning
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Extraordinary Opportunities
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Preparing Students for their Next Step
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How to Apply to Join Our School
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Visit Our School
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Part of the Windsor Academy Trust Family
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2026-2027 Prospectus
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Welcome Welcome to Great Wyrley Academy. It is an honour and a privilege to be the Headteacher of this brilliant school. Alan Brooks Headteacher
Welcome to Great Wyrley Academy – a school where every student is known, valued and supported to achieve their very best. Our school motto, ‘Relentlessly Pursuing Excellence’, reflects our commitment to ensuring every student is challenged, inspired and empowered to fulfil their potential. At the heart of our school is The Wyrley Way: a shared commitment to being Respectful and Responsible. These values shape how we learn, behave and support one another as a community. They reflect our ambition to develop not only successful learners, but wellrounded, confident and compassionate young people. Our moral purpose is to ensure every student achieves both their academic and personal potential. We are proud of our strong tradition of academic excellence, but we are equally passionate about developing the character, creativity and confidence our students need to thrive in life beyond school. Through high-quality teaching, a broad and ambitious curriculum, and a wealth of enrichment opportunities, we create an environment where students are inspired to aim high, work hard, and become the best version of themselves. As part of the Windsor Academy Trust, we benefit from innovative practice and collaborative learning across a family of schools – while maintaining the unique identity and community spirit that makes Great Wyrley Academy such a special place. I warmly invite you to visit and experience The Wyrley Way for yourself, where you will find the warmth, ambition and pride that defines our community. At Great Wyrley Academy, students don’t just learn; they grow, lead and flourish. 4
Great Wyrley Academy
Why Great Wyrley Academy? There are lots of reasons for choosing Great Wyrley Academy as your first choice for secondary school. Here are just a few.
Brilliant Facilities We have brilliant facilities, particularly for performing arts and sport. Highlights include our 150-seat theatre, dance studio, workshops, swimming pool and brand new artificial 3G pitch. We also have lots of outdoor space for students to relax and have fun with friends.
More than Academic Success We focus on much more than just academic success. Students have the opportunity to take part in a huge range of extracurricular activities that allow them to follow their passions, develop new skills and unlock their personal potential. Encouraging participation in house competitions and extracurricular activities fosters teamwork, healthy competition and a sense of belonging among our students. ‘Pupils can develop their interests outside of the classroom by taking part in a growing range of activities’ - Ofsted 2023
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Why Great Wyrley Academy?
Inspiring Teaching and Learning Our fantastic teachers are committed to unlocking every child’s academic and personal potential and providing them with the skills they need for their future. Powered up by digital technology, our inspiring teaching and learning helps students generate a love of learning and achieve their potential. ‘Many staff are experts in their subject; they have a deep understanding of how pupils learn’ - Ofsted 2023
A Welcoming Environment We are incredibly proud of the warm and welcoming environment at our school. Built upon a culture of respect, responsibility and shared values, students settle in quickly, make friends and enjoy their time with us.
Please read the full Ofsted report here.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Recommended by Parents and Students What do parents and students think of our school? See for yourself below! Our son really struggled with the transition from primary school to secondary school, but, with the help and care from staff and teachers at Great Wyrley Academy, he has now settled in well and turned himself around, achieving his best work. The support has been amazing, and he knows that he can ask for help when and if he needs it. He has now joined two after school clubs, football and choir, and made so many new friends. School is now a positive place rather than somewhere he doesn’t want to be.
— Year 7 Parent
We asked some students what they liked the most about Great Wyrley Academy following our Ofsted inspection. This is what they said here. “Great Wyrley Academy offers a supportive and inclusive environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential. The dedicated teachers go above and beyond to ensure high-quality learning experiences in and out of the classroom. The school provides excellent extracurricular opportunities, from sports to performing arts, helping students develop well-rounded skills. Strong leadership and a clear vision for the future make Great Wyrley Academy a place where success is nurtured. The sense of community at the academy creates a safe and inspiring space where students feel valued and confident.” Callum Standing, Head Boy
“Being a student at Great Wyrley Academy means being part of a community that truly supports and pushes you to be your best. I’m proud to attend and represent the school, knowing that I’m encouraged to aim high and try my hardest. All of the staff are supportive and are always there to help, but they also challenge us to think independently and work hard. What I love most is the wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom - from trips and clubs to leadership roles - that help us grow in confidence and discover what we’re capable of.” Louisa Dudley-Mowe, Head Girl
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Helping Students Achieve their Ambitions Helping students achieve their ambitions drives everything that we do. Our goal is to unlock students’ academic and personal potential, and we accomplish this through excellent teaching, an engaging curriculum and extraordinary extracurricular opportunities. One thing that makes our school truly unique is our ASPIRE framework. ASPIRE develops our students’ character virtues and learner skills to become the best learners and best people they can be in every lesson, every day.
Character
Academic and Personal Potential
Learner skills
I am
I can
respectful
resilient creative compassionate courageous
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Attitudes
Values
responsible
be organised
Knowledge
Skills
Knowledge
I know Threshold concepts
become unstuck self-quiz give and receive feedback be collaborative communicate clearly
Great Wyrley Academy
As well as developing character and learner skills, we focus on developing students leadership skills. Leadership is central to everything we do, and we encourage students to be leaders in all ways. Students have access to lots of leadership opportunities in the classroom, as part of the school senate and within their school houses, to name a few. Our teaching and learning is powered up by digital technology to provide students with the essential skills they need in a rapidly changing and digital world. Our teachers create inspiring learning experiences through the use of technology and iPads for Learning - a partnership with parents which provides students with an iPad to use in school and at home as part of their learning. Learning at our school goes way beyond the classroom. Students have the chance to take part in a vast range of extracurricular activities and incredible opportunities. This includes joining school clubs, working with employers and former students, supporting charities, participating in house competitions and our famous activity week.
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Our Students ASPIRE Our ASPIRE framework develops both the academic and personal potential of our students.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Learning Beyond the Classroom Learning extends way beyond the classroom with a vast amount of house activities, extracurricular and leadership opportunities.
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Brilliant Facilities We are incredibly proud of the brilliant facilities that we have at our school. Many of our facilities aren’t available elsewhere, and they provide a great learning environment for our students. View some of our facilities on this page and take a virtual tour of our school by scanning the QR code.
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Great Wyrley Academy
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A Welcoming and Supportive Environment We understand that joining secondary school is a big step for your child. That’s why we offer a comprehensive transition programme that enables students to settle in quickly and make the best start to secondary school life. Our transition programme includes inviting children to our New Intake Day, where they can get to know their way around school, experience taster lessons and make friends with other students joining in year 7. Parents are also invited to our New Intake Evening, where they meet our leadership team, heads of year and form tutors, and get essential information to prepare for their child joining our school.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Once at our school, your child will experience our welcoming and caring community. This is built on traditional values and the ‘Wyrley Way’, a charter committed to by our whole school community that promotes respect and responsibility. We provide excellent care through our pastoral team and house system. The pastoral team consist of heads of year, form tutors and a non-teaching pastoral assistant who oversees your child’s progress and provide the support they need to succeed. Students are managed pastorally through year groups. The school is then divided into houses which are overseen by House Leaders. Our school is divided into four houses that provide students with the opportunity to participate in charity work, a range of activities and inter-house competitions. This builds students’ confidence, develops their character and, importantly, allows them to have fun!
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Helping Students Settle Our comprehensive transition programme helps students settle quickly into secondary school life and make new friends.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Outstanding Student Support Our pastoral team support students throughout their time at our school.
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Inspiring Teaching and Learning We aim to engage, enthuse and inspire students in every lesson, every day. We have a culture of high aspirations, and our brilliant teachers challenge and support each student to develop and achieve their potential. Our broad curriculum builds on learning experiences from primary school and focuses on helping students master the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to progress and succeed. Our curriculum is based on research-based evidence, and we continuously review and improve it to provide a world class learning experience that achieves excellence for all.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Our curriculum is powered up by digital technology to provide a modern and innovative learning experience. This maximises progress and provides students with the essential digital skills they need for their future. Students will study in a digitally-rich environment with computer suites, interactive whiteboards and digital tools, including G-Suite for Education and Apple Classroom.
Empowered - Providing free iPads to students Our 1:1 digital learning approach provides all students in Years 7 to 11 with their own iPad to use in school and at home. Taking place across all schools in the Windsor Academy Trust family, the initiative is part of our a shared commitment to unlocking academic and personal potential. 1:1 digital learning is fully embedded into our curriculum to provide inspiring learning experiences that maximise learning and progress in and outside the classroom.
Developing great learners and great people We don’t just focus on academic development. Through our ASPIRE framework, students develop their academic and personal potential. Students develop their initiative, independence and resilience and learn the learner skills and character virtues to become the best learners and best people they can be.
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Powered by Digital Technology Our curriculum provides students with the essential digital skills they need for their future.
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Great Wyrley Academy
High Expectations Our culture of high expectations challenges and drives students to achieve their full potential.
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Extraordinary Opportunities At our school, your child will have access to extraordinary opportunities that support their development. The WAT Pledge is our promise to students of 12 experiences/ accomplishments that they will achieve before leaving school. This includes cultural, educational and personal development experiences that stretch and challenge students to unlock their potential.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Within our houses, students participate in inter-house competitions and participate in a wide range of activities such as charity work. In addition, our thriving extracurricular programme offers a vast range of opportunities that allow students to develop essential life skills and follow their passions. To further expand learning beyond the classroom, we run trips and visits, run the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, invite former students back to our school to inspire students and host our famous activity week - a week of brilliant, fun-filled activities! Student leadership is an essential part of our school experience. Students have access to substantial leadership opportunities within the classroom, their houses and as part of the student senate. This helps develop tomorrow’s leaders today and enables students to develop essential skills needed for their further education and future careers.
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Our Promise to Students The WAT Pledge guarantees students will achieve 12 experiences/accomplishments before they leave school.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today Student leadership is an essential part of our school experience.
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Preparing Students for their Next Step At Great Wyrley Academy, we are committed to preparing all our students for successful futures. Our careers education, information, advice and guidance programme is a vital part of this journey, supporting students to make informed, ambitious and aspirational choices about their next steps in education, employment or training. Through a carefully planned and progressive careers curriculum, students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to explore a wide range of pathways. From Year 7 through to Year 13, they receive ageappropriate guidance and experiences, including employer encounters, workplace visits, college and university tasters, and apprenticeship insight events. We work in close partnership with employers, further and higher education providers, apprenticeship organisations, and the wider Windsor Academy Trust network to ensure our provision is current, relevant and impactful. This ensures our students leave us not only with strong academic foundations, but also with the awareness, resilience and ambition to thrive in an everchanging world of work. Our goal is clear: to inspire futures, raise aspirations, and ensure that every student leaves Great Wyrley Academy ready for the opportunities ahead.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Aspire Sixth Many of our students choose to continue their education at our sixth form, Aspire Sixth. Students can study a wide range of A Levels and vocational courses (eg BTECs) and use their own dedicated facilities at our school, including study rooms and a UCAS library. Students studying at Aspire Sixth benefit from subject specialist teachers, fantastic student support and access to the brilliant facilities at both our school and Cheslyn Hay Academy. Exam results at Aspire Sixth are consistently good, and students progress to brilliant destinations, including leading universities and apprenticeships.
Find out more about Aspire Sixth at aspiresixth.org.uk
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Excellent Progression
98%
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of sixth form students have progressed to a university of their choice in the past three years.
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How to Apply to Join our School Admissions to our school are handled by Staffordshire County Council. You will be contacted directly by the council to apply for a place in Year 7 and can apply online or by completing a paper application form. The council will then contact you in March to inform you which school your child has been allocated to. The timeline on the right shows the key stages of the application process.
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Great Wyrley Academy
Admissions Timeline
1 September 2026
30 September 2026 5:30pm – 8pm
6 October, 7 October, 8 October 2026 9:30am – 10:40am & 11:00am – 12:00pm
31 October 2026
1 March 2027
2026-2027 Prospectus
Applications Open Apply online or by completing a paper application form.
Visit Our Open Evening Gain a real experience of our school and find out if Great Wyrley Academy is right for your child.
Visit Our Open Mornings Visit us during the school day to see what life at our school is like.
Applications Close Make sure you get your application in before this date!
Offers Sent to Parents The Council will contact you to let you know which school your child has been allocated to.
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Visit Our School There’s no better way to experience Great Wyrley Academy and to find out if it is the right school for your child than by visiting us.
Visit Our Open Evening and Open Mornings Our open evening and open mornings provide the ideal opportunity to visit our school. This year, they take place at the following times: •
Open Evening - 30 September 2026 - 5:30pm – 8pm
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Open Mornings - 6 October, 7 October, 8 October 2026 9:30am - 10:40am & 11:00am - 12:00pm
Find out more at greatwyrleyacademy.org.uk/open-events
Arrange a Visit If you can’t make one of our open events you can arrange a school visit. To arrange your visit, simply scan the QR code below.
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A Warm Welcome to the Windsor Academy Trust Family Welcome! We are so proud that you are thinking of joining us. When your child becomes a student at one of our secondary schools, they don’t just join a school; they become part of our Windsor Academy Trust family. We are a family of fifteen local primary and secondary schools, all working together with one simple, shared mission: to unlock the academic and personal potential of every single child. So, what does being part of our family mean for your child? It means they get the best of both worlds. They will belong to their own brilliant school, with its unique character and community, while also getting exciting opportunities from being part of something bigger. •
More opportunities to shine: Being in a family of schools means more shared adventures! From competing in sports tournaments and performing on stage at our ‘WAT a West End Star!’ events, to taking part in creative camps with students from our other schools, your child will have extra chances to discover new talents and make new friends.
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Great teaching, every day: Our teachers and staff from all our schools work together as one team. They share their best ideas and get the best training, which means your child’s lessons will be inspiring, challenging, and full of creativity.
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Support to be their best self: We promise to see and celebrate your child for who they are. We want to help them find their spark – whether that’s a passion for science, a talent for football, or a love of art. We believe in helping our students grow into confident, kind, and responsible young people who are ready to make a positive difference in the world.
We look forward to welcoming you.
Dawn Haywood CEO, Windsor Academy Trust
Great Wyrley Academy is proud to be part of the Windsor Academy Trust family. We are privileged to work with, and learn from, all the schools in our Trust. By joining us, your child is becoming part of a community that will support them to be all, and more, than they ever thought they could be.
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Great Wyrley Academy
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Hall Lane, Great Wyrley, WS6 6LQ 01922 419311 info@greatwyrley.windsoracademytrust.org.uk
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Great Wyrley Academy