Strategic Priorities 2022-2023
  1. OFSTED Action Plan
    The main priority of the school in the academic year 2022-2023 is the successful and rapid delivery of the OFSTED action plan. The detailed plan is available here.
  2. Safeguarding, Wellbeing & Staying Safe*
    According to the guidance set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education (2022) We will ensure that safeguarding is effective and that a culture of safeguarding pervades the school. Leaders will ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding. Governors and trustees will hold leaders effectively to account for the impact of their work. Governors and trustees will assure themselves accurately about the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements to safeguard pupils. Leaders and staff will have a suitable understanding of statutory guidance and their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. Leaders will ensure that accurate records are maintained of the school’s work to protect and support pupils.  Leaders will check that all staff have knowledge of safeguarding risks including identification of discrimination, sexual harassment, child on child abuse and bullying and understand their responsibilities to take action where pupils may be at risk of harm. We will work to ensure that students are confident about reporting bullying and harassment and that it will be effectively resolved.
  3. Behaviour and safety review
    To ensure the highest standards of behaviour and safety through thorough review of policy and practice and consistent and effective implementation of the behaviour policy and procedures by all staff.. To continue embedding School values, including understanding of the impact that discriminatory language and harassment can have. To review communication, alertness and response to incidents of bullying. Leaders will ensure that when bullying occurs, policies and procedures are in place and followed so that it will be dealt with effectively by adults in the School. Students will understand that racist, homophobic and other discriminatory language is not tolerated in School. Leaders will ensure that when such language is used policies and procedures are in place and followed so that it will be dealt with effectively by adults in the School.
  4. Teaching & Learning
    To develop teaching and learning across the school so that the intent, implementation and impact of teaching and learning ensures effective delivery of the curriculum.  Teaching and learning will support learning though being sharply focused on: identifying gaps in prior learning, sharing curriculum expectations so that students know what their learning journey is, adjustments to schemes of work as may be required, formative assessment to inform teaching by identifying gaps in understanding and responding to them, frequent spaced retrieval practice, promote strategies for reading, and exploiting the potential of online learning as may be required.  The Teaching & Learning Community will drive improvements across the school through dissemination of good practice and closer ties with the CLT and working with the Literacy coordinator.
  5. Student Progress: KS3, KS4 and KS5*
    Across three key stages we will ensure all students are equipped to achieve their potential and that gaps in achievement are narrowed. In practical terms this means: students at KS3 achieving their Minimum Expected Targets (MET) which are based on progress in the top 20% of students nationally. At KS4 this means GCSE outcomes in line with FFT targets and at A Level, in line with ALPS target grades.
  6. Quality of Education
    To review curriculum intent, implementation and impact. In all subjects, leaders will have ensured a well-planned curriculum. This will help teachers to be clear about what pupils should learn and remember. In all subjects the curriculum will have been precisely planned out so that there are no inconsistencies in what teachers intend for each year group to learn. In all subjects, curriculum plans will identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils should be taught. This means that all teachers will share the same expectations about the content that pupils must learn and remember. Curriculum leaders will ensure that curriculum plans precisely identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils must learn and remember.
  7. Pupil Premium Strategy
    To ensure that the PP strategy is delivered so that students in receipt of the Pupil Premium achieve at least expected progress, that gaps in achievement between PP and non-PP students are closed and that PP students are supported to access all the opportunities that the school offers in curricular and extra-curricular terms.
  8. Attendance Review
    Implement systems, procedures and practices to embed the requirements outlined in the DFE “Working together to improve school attendance” document.
  9. Enrichment Curriculum Review
    Appointment of SLT lead on enrichment who will be tasked with the review of provision and access to enrichment curriculum across all year groups and sub-groups to ensure a rich and varied diet of enrichment activities that is responsive to student voice and is accessible to all.
  10. Student Voice/Student Council
    To further develop the student council together with regular student panels so that the school is responsive to student voice on a range of issues to include curriculum, Quality of education, safeguarding and enrichment.
  11. PDC and Relationships & Sex Education
    To develop policy and practice so that Relationships & Sex Education is fully compliant with statutory requirements and adapted for delivery via PDC lessons, assembly, and form time through centrally produced and delivered curriculum. To ensure PDC continues to be an effective well-planned curriculum with a range of opportunities and responsibilities for students. To ensure students understand the issues surrounding homophobic and other discriminatory language and that it is not tolerated in school. To Students receive the information they need at the right time. To ensure the school’s curriculum supports pupils to develop an appropriate understanding of the safeguarding risks they may face.
  12. Communication and Remote Learning Strategy
    To ensure that the school remains prepared for disruption and continues making best use of all means of two-way communication to ensure stakeholders are well informed and remote learning is facilitated. Building on the investment in personal laptops for all students in Years 10-13 and the dramatic upskilling of all staff through experience of using Teams and other tools during national school lockdown.
  13. Compliance & Website
    To ensure whole school policy, practice and risk registers are compliant, up to date and fit for purpose.
  14. Early Careers Framework (ECF) Strategy, Implementation and Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
    To operate the Early Careers Framework in partnership with the Potentia Teaching Hub and DCC as appropriate body ensuring access and support for two-year induction and ongoing career development support. To reestablish our ITT involvement both building on and forming new relationships with ITT providers
  15. Finance Review
    Review of policies and practice in line with Academies Handbook 2022. Chief Finance Officer to oversee move to new finance software package.
  16. Facilities Master Plan
    To develop the plans for replacement of D Block with a state-of-the-art Technology teaching facility housed in a new two-story building.
  17. Leadership & Governance – External Review of Governance
    To ensure the school is well led and managed and is held to account and challenged by its Governors including undertaking external independent review of governance and review of the articles of association and scheme of delegation.
  18. Literacy and Numeracy
    To raise literacy levels of students who arrive to school with below expected reading age. To develop a love of reading in our students, including reading for pleasure. To implement a 3-year Literacy Strategy which follows the EEF recommendations.
  19. Staff wellbeing
    To ensure that staff feel supported, valued and listened to in their role so that they are able to perform their job to the best of their ability.