1 NORTHFIELD SCHOOL AND SPORTS COLLEGE | 1 EDUCATION EDITION Left: Gold Standard Sports College Right: Headteacher Craig Walker and members of the school council I n 2014, Northfield was judged to be Requires Improvement due to underperformance in a number of areas. To address this underperformance we decided to resist the temptation to focus exclusively upon Ofsted criteria and continue to be an outward-looking school providing opportunities for staff and student development within and beyond the classroom. Two years later, Ofsted’s judgement in July 2016 that Northfield School and Sports College was Good in all categories was validation of the school’s hard work and determination to address the issues outlined in the 2014 inspection. Central to this progress has been an ethos of active involvement from everyone in the drive for improvement. Ofsted’s comment that staff morale is outstanding reflects the school’s culture of creating a learning environment where everyone matters. The Investors in People Gold Award, achieved by only 2% of establishments, is a further validation of our partnership involving governors, staff, students and parents. That Northfield continues to be a very popular school receiving over 420 applications for its 270 places in each year is evidence of parental approval of the success of our ethos. Improved academic attainment The school’s intensive programme of student support and improved teaching and learning has led to considerable academic improvement. » Students’ 5+A*-C (including English and maths) has improved from 48% in 2013 to 65% » Three levels of improvement in English which has improved from 52% to 78% and in maths from 65% to 79% REPORT CARD » Headteacher: Craig Walker » School motto: Many Minds, One Heart » 11-16 Local Authority Comprehensive School » 1,362 students » 92 teachers » 105 support staff » 33.5% Disadvantaged students » 15% Special Educational Needs students » Strategic Partner of Campus Stockton Teaching Alliance » Provision for Visually and Hearing Impaired students Northfield School and Sports College
Transcript
1NORTHFIELD SCHOOL AND SPORTS COLLEGE | 1
EDUCATION EDITION
Left: Gold Standard Sports CollegeRight: Headteacher Craig Walker and members of the school councilIn 2014, Northfield was judged to be Requires Improvement
due to underperformance in a number of areas. To address this underperformance we decided to resist the temptation
to focus exclusively upon Ofsted criteria and continue to be an outward-looking school providing opportunities for staff and student development within and beyond the classroom.
Two years later, Ofsted’s judgement in July 2016 that Northfield School and Sports
College was Good in all categories was validation of the school’s hard work and
determination to address the issues outlined in the 2014 inspection. Central to this
progress has been an ethos of active involvement from everyone in the drive for
improvement. Ofsted’s comment that staff morale is outstanding reflects the school’s
culture of creating a learning environment where everyone matters. The Investors
in People Gold Award, achieved by only 2% of establishments, is a further validation
of our partnership involving governors, staff, students and parents. That Northfield
continues to be a very popular school receiving over 420 applications for its
270 places in each year is evidence of parental approval of the success of our ethos.
Improved academic attainment
The school’s intensive programme of student support and improved teaching and
learning has led to considerable academic improvement.
» Students’ 5+A*-C (including English and maths) has improved from 48% in 2013
to 65%
» Three levels of improvement in English which has improved from 52% to 78%
and in maths from 65% to 79%
REPORT CARD
» Headteacher: Craig Walker
» School motto: Many Minds, One Heart
» 11-16 Local Authority Comprehensive School
» 1,362 students
» 92 teachers
» 105 support staff
» 33.5% Disadvantaged students
» 15% Special Educational Needs students
» Strategic Partner of Campus Stockton Teaching Alliance
» Provision for Visually and Hearing Impaired students
Northfield School and Sports College
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
2 | NORTHFIELD SCHOOL AND SPORTS COLLEGE
The disappointment of the 2014 Ofsted report motivated the school to develop various areas of excellence. We believed that the key to improvement lay in empowering staff and students.
Accordingly, to empower ambitious staff, an internal programme for aspiring middle leaders and senior leaders was introduced. Members of these groups were given ‘real’ issues to tackle and devise effective solutions. As a result, the school’s marking and assessment policies were revised and improved. Aspiring senior leaders worked closely with members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), shadowing them and working alongside them to gain an understanding of senior management. Both programmes have been developed, with staff at the school now leading the Campus Stockton Teaching Alliance’s Teacher of Excellence, Middle Leader of Excellence and Learning Support Assistant of Excellence programmes, providing training and support for teachers across the region.
Each year, two middle leaders have the opportunity of formally joining the school’s SLT for a year as Associate Assistant Headteachers.
All staff, including Learning Support Assistants, have autonomy in determining their professional development, choosing from a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities throughout the year that provide bespoke training opportunities. The school has moved from a culture of ‘closed classrooms’ to an ethos of shared practice. Good practice is shared through TeachMeet, Spirals of Enquiry and, most recently, the use of IRIS, a system allowing staff to film lessons for self- or peer-assessment as a means of improving teaching.
International links
One of the ways Northfield has developed as an outward-looking school is through adding an international element to our CPD programme. The school’s partnership with Whole Education culminated in a visit to the school by internationally acclaimed Canadian educationalists Judy Halbert and Linda Kaser who worked with over 130 staff to develop their expertise in teaching and educational research.
Furthermore, as part of our commitment to being an internationally outward-looking school we promote the moral and spiritual development of staff and students through our work as a Holocaust Education Lead School and as an Anne Frank Trust Ambassadors school.
Empowering students
We believe that the key to engaging our students and raising attainment also lies in providing them with opportunities to develop leadership skills and ‘grit and resilience’ within, and beyond, the classroom.
I cannot praise the school highly enough, I have absolute admiration for every teacher Sheerie Dunn, parent
“ “
Student Alex Chorlton-Wilson, Deputy Youth Member of Parliament for Stockton
3NORTHFIELD SCHOOL AND SPORTS COLLEGE |
EDUCATION EDITION
As a national flagship school for the
Duke of Edinburgh Award, each
year over 250 students succeed in
facing personal challenges to attain
their awards. Students also have
opportunities to develop their artistic,
performance and presentation skills
through participation in the schools
Artsmark programme which has been
awarded Gold (Exemplary) status and
by participating in NTC, Northfield’s
own theatre company.
Staff and student sporting excellence
Northfield School is proud of its
success as a Gold Award Sport
College. The school was placed in
the top 10 sporting state schools in
2016 by School Sports magazine for
the national and international success
of its students. The school has also
used sport to create a positive ethos
amongst its staff, several of whom
now coach and compete nationally
and internationally. To demonstrate
to students that staff can also rise to
the challenge all staff are encouraged
to participate in a number of sports
and each year take on a sporting
challenge. As a result, in 2015, the
staff came second nationally in the
education establishments category in
the Workplace Challenge. In 2016,
45 staff and governors completed
the Duke of Edinburgh Diamond
Award. Our 2017 challenge involves
24 members of staff competing in the
Yorkshire Marathon Relay, once again
demonstrating our commitment to
being a school that promotes grit and
reliance amongst its staff as well as
its students.
At Northfield, we have worked hard
to promote confidence and a ‘can
do’ culture amongst our students and
staff. Our vision has been to attain
success and validation through a wide
range of opportunities and awards at
the same time as improving academic
attainment and Ofsted judgements.
Staff and students have risen to the
challenge. Trusting in the quality of
all at Northfield and in our ethos of
‘Many Minds, One Heart’ has certainly
paid off.
We are very proud of our teaching staff who work tirelessly to provide our students with a first-class education Les Wadey, Chair of Governors
