School Improvement Plan
Our Mission is to create an academy that is as innovative and agile as the best organisations that operate in a rapidly changing world and competitive environment.
Quarry View Primary school and Pennywell Comprehensive school are to close and a new-build Academy, catering for pupils from 4 to 16 years, is planned to open in 2009. The additional feeder schools, Pennywell Children's Centre, Highfield Primary, South Hylton Primary, St.Annes Primary and Broadway Junior School will be involved in the planning and development, to ensure all pupils have equal opportunities before they reach transition, at age eleven.
The proposed 4 to 16 Academy will offer an exiting and positive opportunity to streamline education in Pennywell. The good practice and teaching styles found in the Primary school will support pupil transition from year 6 to year 7 and may take the form of a transition key stage, where staff from key stage 2 and 3 teach together to provide a seamless join of the key stages. This will replicate the invisible join between key stage 1 and 2 already in place in the Primary school and between key stage 3 and 4 in the secondary sector. One school, with a shared vision that all pupils will achieve more than their potential, is our simple aim.
Quarry View and Pennywell face very similar barriers to learning and social pressures which a continuity of approach will benefit. Pupils who find education a challenge need to be motivated by a curriculum that is relevant to their interests and previous experiences. Gifted and talented pupils would also benefit from access to above age related skills and resources. An all-age, inclusive academy would ensure pupils felt safe and secure within one known, constant environment.
The quality and extent of educational and life services provided by the Academy will have a positive impact upon pupils, famililies and the community. This will be delivered in conjunction with the core principles of Every Child Matters, the Sunderland Children and Young People's plan and the Integrated Children's service models.
A unified vision and policy, from Foundation Stage through to Key Stage 4 and beyond, will set the scene for continuous links between social, emotional and cognitive aspects; learning handled in this way offers the chance to understand the whole of the child. A broad and balanced, future-proofed curriculum, based upon assessment of pupils' achievement in key skills and delivered through real-life, relevant contexts for learning will ensure progress. Assessment of and for learning will ensure personalised target setting is in line with reaching government expectations for pupils at the end of all key stages.
Delivery within the inclusive academy will be appropriate to need - with teaching spaces for individuals, small and large cohort groups and will be resourced to ensure all learning styles are catered for. Birth to 4 provision and 14-19 collaboration will be vital extensions to the proposed 4-16 provision.
Many pupils will mainly follow the academic route to fulfil their potential. However it is essential to provide Vocational specialisms to provide diversity of choice for many of our pupils. This will support the skills based curriculum as detailed above. The overall aim is to provide an academic and practical base for each child, to cover the range of skills necessary to be an effective citizen in our fast-changing culture.