Good to Outstanding

From Good to Outstanding

Our Ethos

Heathcote’s ethos is one of success built on inclusion, care and support for all its learners.

At Heathcote School we will put learning and learners first in every aspect of school life

Our core purpose means that we ensure that every learning opportunity is tailored to and responsive to the needs of all our students

Our vision of moving from Good to Outstanding is based around the three central themes:

1.      Leading teaching and learning

2.      Developing the individual

3.      Developing the school and its wider community.

Theme 1:  Leading Teaching and Learning

Heathcote School will offer each child exceptional teaching, care and guidance.  We will make the Every Child Matters agenda an actuality ensuring that all students, wherever they live, whatever their background, whatever their age, have their needs met.

• We will deliver outstanding lessons which challenge and stretch our learners
• We will provide our students with problem solving skills to equip them for lifelong learning

We will do this by providing;

·          teachers and other adults have high expectations of all students and ensure that effective support is given to accelerate the progress of any pupil who is falling behind their peers

·          the range of teaching styles and activities sustains students’ concentration, motivation and application

·          subject knowledge is used to inspire students and build their understanding

·          time is used effectively

·          appropriate use of new technology maximises learning

·          resources, including other adults, contribute to the quality of learning

·          lesson planning is linked to a current assessment of students’ prior learning and is differentiated, so that it consolidates, builds upon and extends learning for all students

·          teachers and adults ensure that students know how well they are doing and are provided with clear detailed steps for improvement

·          effective questioning is used to gauge students’ understanding and reshape explanations and tasks where this is needed

·          teachers and adults assess students’ progress accurately and are alert to students’ lack of understanding during the lesson so that they can move swiftly to put it right.

To be outstanding we need to ensure:

·         Teaching is at least good and much is outstanding

·         Students are making exceptional progress.

·         Teaching is highly effective in inspiring students and ensuring that they learn extremely well.

·         Teachers have excellent subject knowledge which is applied consistently to challenge and inspire students.

·         Resources, including new technology, make a marked contribution to the quality of learning, as does the precisely targeted support provided by other adults.

·         Teachers and other adults are acutely aware of their students’ capabilities and of their prior learning and understanding, and plan very effectively to build on these.

·         Marking and dialogue between teachers, other adults and students are consistently of a very high quality.

·         Students understand in detail how to improve their work and are consistently supported in doing so.

·         Teachers systematically and effectively check students understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where they may need to intervene and doing so with striking impact on the quality of learning.

Theme 2: Developing the individual

·         We will inspire young people to continue to be a part of our school when they enter the world of work

·         Every student will leave the school hungry for knowledge, and with an enquiring mind

·         Their education, skills and attitude will bestow them with the important gift of choice

·         Our students will develop into outstanding citizens, able to make a positive contribution to society through their student leadership roles and avoid the pitfalls that lead to becoming a NEET statistic

·         Our staff will be given opportunities to develop and have a manageable work life balance.

·         We will continue to develop leaders who are creative and innovative through excellent professional development. 

·         Our leaders will be responsive to need and robust throughout.

·         We will do this by;

·         Building capacity through effective learning teams where all staff play a crucial role in the mentoring and guidance of young people

·         Harnessing the talents of young people at our school and through positive role modelling by members of our community, including business mentors

·         Ensuring our learners have made exceptional progress whilst attending Heathcote School, responding to targets which will always be aspirational and challenging  and rigorously monitored by our effective self evaluation processes; they will be literate and numerate, and will possess invaluable work and life skills (such as team-working, time-management, problem-solving and communication skills)

·         Furthermore, by high quality interventions we will ensure that those learners working below target are effectively supported

·         Developing further our work on improving the Health and well being of our students which led to Heathcote being awarded 11 to 18 Healthy Schools status.

·         To be outstanding we need to ensure:

·         Very well-targeted support for all students has enabled them to make the best of the opportunities provided by the school.

·         Students are known as individuals and have high levels of confidence in the school’s ability to advise them effectively.

·         The school’s work with families, children and a range of agencies to sustain the learning, development and well-being of individual students facing challenging circumstances is deeply embedded at all levels.

·         Our students acquire knowledge, develop understanding and learn and practise skills exceptionally well.

·         They have developed resilience when tackling challenging activities in a range of subjects.

·         Progress is at least good in each key stage, key subjects and for different groups and is exemplary in some.

·         Students say they feel safe at school at all times.

·         Groups representing a wide range of students are entirely confident that issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively by the school.

·         Students are highly considerate and very supportive of each other in lessons.

·         Behaviour for all groups around the school is exemplary and students encourage others to conduct themselves well.

·         Many students have adopted healthy lifestyles. Many groups, including those most at risk, are very keen to take action to improve their health and enthusiastically take up activities to do so.

·         Most groups of students are represented in taking on responsibilities. Students from a wide range of groups have a strong voice in decisions relating to their learning and well-being. The students’ involvement in the school and their interaction in the wider community are substantial and highly valued.

·         Overall attendance is high. Attendance is consistently high for all groups of students.

·         Students are aspirational, know precisely what they need to do and are determined to succeed.

·         Students resolve conflicts intelligently and seek consensus while accepting the right of others to hold different opinions and beliefs. They have a very good insight, based on first-hand experience, into similarities and differences between their own and others’ cultures and how these are constantly changing.

Theme 3: Developing the school and its wider community

Building on our success as a Science College and work with the local community our vision is to replicate this across the whole school.

We will work together with other schools for the benefit of all local children for example, attendance, behaviour and the curriculum offer

Establishing partnerships with local schools and enabling learners to access provision with our partners and extending provision in our sixth form.

We will do this by;

·         Development of our new sixth form at Heathcote to compliment borough provision by making applied learning accessible to learners in WF, fitting in with the area’s strategic planning.

·         Enhancing our already excellent parental links with the aid of ICT to facilitate supported learning at home