To encourage and develop relationships between home, parish, school and the wider community in order to prepare our pupils to become responsible, caring citizens.

Communications and Relationships

To develop an effective system of communications and relationships which is based on the Gospel values of mutual respect, tolerance, care and understanding towards all members of the school community. Individual Support and Development

To celebrate the unique nature of each person and to encourage their development as individuals. Curriculum

To introduce all pupils to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum and to equip pupils with the necessary knowledge, skills and Christian values required in a rapidly changing society. To provide a curriculum for our pupils which develops them academically, spiritually, morally, culturally and physically.

Our AimsIn accordance with our Mission Statement the School’s aims are:

Faith and Worship

To help us to grow spiritually as followers of Christ and as members of a Catholic community: to make prayer, worship and liturgy central to school life.

School and Community

To ensure that all pupils receive their entitlement to a first class education our school recognises that additional provision of support and guidance may be required to further enable some pupils who have particular needs. Our Special Educational Needs Policy is designed to precisely identify and match specific individual needs to appropriate help and support.

The school operates a staged approach to special educational needs in accordance with the Code of Practice document on the identification and assessment of Special Educational Needs as outlined by the Department of Education.

St Ambrose Barlow School fully endorses and adheres to the Government’s Inclusion Development Programme which focuses on supporting, training and empowering staff to identify pupils’ specific needs and support those pupils in the most effective ways in the classroom.

Whilst each pupil is at St Ambrose Barlow School, their progress is carefully monitored through our detailed assessment and reporting procedure and use of tests which can identify special abilities or difficulties.

At St Ambrose Barlow School we have a Learning Support Centre in addition to our Special Educational Needs Department, this is to support pupils on a short term basis who may have particular difficulties which prevent them from accessing the curriculum effectively at certain times throughout their school career. We also offer some alternative qualifications in key stage 4 to pupils who may have difficulties with traditional optional subjects.

If a pupil is identified as requiring additional support, an assessment is made in consultation with parents and all those concerned with that particular pupil’s education. An individual education plan is then devised where targets are set and a review date arranged to ensure that progress is being made. We regard the parental partnership as vital in ensuring that pupils are successful in achieving their targets.

In most circumstances our procedures and support occur in the classroom under the direction of the classroom teacher.

We feel that our experience of tactfully and sensitively responding to a wide range of different pupils’ additional educational requirements has contributed to the educational achievement at St Ambrose Barlow School.

Special Educational Needs Statement

St. Ambrose Barlow RC High School

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

NOVEMBER 20TH 2015 Issue 3

A National Teaching SchoolA National School of Creativity

ST AMBROSE BARLOW RC HIGH SCHOOL

open eveningdepartmental information

IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Year 11 Retreats November 24th School Remembrance Service November 27th Careers Focus Week November 23 - 27th 6th Form Open Morning November 28th 10.00am Year 9 reports to parents & guardians December 11th Barcelona Trip December 12th - 13th

Advent Liturgy December 15th School closes for Christmas December 18th 12.00 pm School reopens January 4th 2016 8.45 am

OUR RESPONSE TO THE PARIS ATTACKS This week we have taken the opportunity to consider the terrible events that took place in Paris in a number of ways. Assemblies throughout the week dealt with the issues that arise from the attacks and pupils and staff together prayed for the victims and for peace as well as being encouraged to think critically about the public response. Pupils in Years 7 - 9 used their weekly chapel lesson to explore British values, debate the issues in more depth and to think about the ways in which the attacks represent deeper divisions in the world. As a Catholic school it is vital that, at times like this, we use our eternal and unchanging Gospel values to guide our responses in prayer and through learning in classes. We will continue to pray for Paris.

Celebrating 60 Years of Outstanding Learning

60

I love coming to work here each day.

Often it doesn’t feel like work. We are a Catholic community of faith where it is a privilege to see our young people flourishing, to speak with them, to learn their ways and watch them grow in confidence. They are an inspiration. Every day, every lesson great adventures and stories unfold born out of curiosity, imagination and creativity. Our equally inspiring staff are dedicated to nurturing every young person in their care. They may get outstanding results, but their commitment brings so much more to the education of our students. We believe in doing things differently so that every child can realise their gifts and talents and celebrate who they are. Doing this means that we are bringing to life the Catholic mission and ethos of the school.

There is great spirit and energy in this school. You can see it in the range of extra-curricular activities, in the array of research projects undertaken by staff and in the creativity that flows through our learning. There is also support and care: no-one is left behind, no-one is left out. Visitors often comment on the quiet sense of purpose they find in the school; this comes from outstanding relationships, particularly those between teachers and pupils.

We thrive on connections: with parents and carers, with parishes, with businesses. We love to look out and have give our pupils a global perspective on learning. By doing this our students can see a higher purpose in their learning. It isn’t just about passing exams, getting a job or going to university. It is about pursuing passions, developing new skills and building character so that life after school can be rich and fulfilling lived in the service of others. Our pupils go out into the world with the capacity to contribute, to lead and to play their part in the community with joy and hope. The greatest measure of our success is seeing students who have the capacity to take charge of their future (at a time when the world is changing faster than ever), to be curious, make change and be comfortable in their own skin. As a parent myself I hope for the same for my own children.

If you like the sound of this, please come and see us. Everyone is welcome here. I look forward to meeting you and saying, ‘This is Ambrose...’

Ben Davis

Headteacher

Celebrating 60 Years of Outstanding Learning

1955 - 2015

ENTERPRISE VISIT

Young Enterprise pupils visited Barclays Redbrooke Hall Technology Centre on Wednesday with Mrs. Cheshire to learn more about finance and business. The pupils spent the day finding out about the systems that underpin the operations of Barclays as part of the Global Entrepreneur Week focus. Expect to see their products soon!

We held our second PSHE Super Day of the year this week. Years 7 - 10 focussed on anti-bullying whilst Year 11 and Sixth Form went through their mock interviews. The anti-bullying work offered some challenge and provided opportunities for pupils to consider this important issue and role everyone can play in stamping out bullying behaviour. Some pupils wrote letters whilst others composed and recorded raps or created art.

Year 11 (who, according to Mrs. Norris, Head of English, looked like candidates for The Apprentice or extras from ‘Bugsy Malone’) each had an interview with a member of the local business community. This experience was designed to build their interview skills in preparation for work.

super day: anti-bullying & mock interviews

PRESENTATION EVENING

Thursday saw our Annual Presentation Evening. Nearly 400 awards were given out at the event that took place at Salford University’s Maxwell Hall. On the night 800 guests watched as pupils collected certificates for Progress and Merit and received rewards for their GCSEs. It was a delight to see our first Upper Sixth students receive their BTEC Diplomas. Our guest of honour was Marilyn Comrie OBE, who spoke with passion about the importance of imagination, quoting Einstein, she exhorted the young people to prize their imaginations as this was the starting point for everything.

Year 11 Drama pupils visited the Lowry Theatre this week to watch the acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The pupils recently performed extracts of the play at the Monologue and Duologue Evening and received very positive responses from the audience. They felt the same way about the professional show and have learnt a great deal about performance from attending saying: ‘Most amazing and inspiring production for us as a school. All of our students loved it - Learning gold. Thank you.’

CURIOUS INCIDENT THEATRE TRIP

We welcomed Holly and Claire from More Than Minutes to the school on Wednesday to help us make our ambitious school improvement plan come to life. Throughout the day groups of staff, parents and pupils discussed a 3 - 5 year plan for the school and Holly and Claire captured their ideas and hopes in a huge artwork that will grace the school’s entrance way. This will be our improvement plan and will be emailed to all parents, displayed around the school and hung on the railings. It contains a cryptic image of Buzz Lightyear - answers on a postcard as to why please.

school improvement comes to life!

MP and MYP visit school

We welcomed two special guests to the school this Friday. Local Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Salford’s Member of Youth Parliament Laura Edwards met with pupils from across the school and representatives from the Student Council to discuss a huge range of issues and answer questions from pupils on politics. Throughout the afternoon the pupils debated and questioned with our guests on topics such as tuition fees, educational reform and mental health. A team of student journalists captured the event for the school magazine. Rebecca commented: ‘you have inspiring students with lots of ideas!’ Both guests were keen to return to continue their discussions.

T H I S W E E K I N P I C T U R E S

Your students have the WOW factor! I was seriously impressed. Exceptional teachers! exceptional school

This is such an amazing school. An amazing Presentation Evening always makes me so proud to work with talented students and

“presentation evening

theatre trip; enterprise visit

FROM TOP: the Year 11 pupils at the Lowry Centre for Curious Incident; Young Enterprise pupils getting to grips with business at Barclays

improvement plan;

mock interviews FROM TOP: Holly and Claire from Visual Minutes capture the discussions and the plan takes shape; pupils discussing their priorities for school improvement; Year 11s ready for mock interviews; the finished plan at the end of a long day.

RESPONDING TO PARIS;

REMEMBRANCE RIGHT: samples of work on British values and identity from chapel lesson.

LEFT: a poem of remembrance and Year 8 pupil Logan who co-ordinated and led Remembrance assemblies.

mp & MYP visit

Photos from the discussion sessions with local MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Salford’s Member of the Youth Parliament of Great Britain, Laura Edwards.

creativity superhero!

Exceptional artwork from the sketchbook of Year 11 student Anthony Thompson.