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JANUARY 2020

WINDSOR ACADEMY TRUST

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CONTENTSISSUE 01 | JANUARY 2020

FROM THE CEOWELCOME

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Welcome from the CEO

Colley Lane Primary Academy

Rivers Primary Academy

Great Wyrley Academy

Executive team profile

Goldsmith Primary Academy

Tenterfields Primary Academy

Kingswinford Academy

WAT News

Manor Way Primary Academy

Cheslyn Hay Academy

Windsor High School and Sixth Form

We are really proud of the work that is being done in all Windsor Academy Trust (WAT) schools and we wanted to provide a showcase for the many things we do together, as well as the information you get from individual schools. I hope that you find this an interesting magazine that shares a greater understanding of what it means to be a part of a wider collaboration: a part of the WAT family.

It is exciting to have a combination of primary and secondary schools in WAT. The shared experiences and knowledge between teachers has helped make improvements in both primary and secondary and give a real sense of the learning journey from ages 2-19. We share our curriculum and training as well as exam boards as part of our genuine commitment to collaboration and cooperation. We have a thriving Student Senate where pupils/students have the chance to represent their school by engaging in improvements in teaching and learning that culminates in an Annual Student Senate Conference of over 100 young people!!

We want all our pupils/students to succeed academically and I am really pleased with their progress and achievements. Academic results remain with children throughout their lives and with this success comes increased confidence to enable them to make better choices for their future. However, as you read through the magazine you will see a vast array of activities undertaken by our pupils/students in sports, arts, leadership and many other aspects. We call this our personal potential and each school has a “pledge”, designed by the pupils/students and staff together that commits to exciting events such as trips and participation. We want our children to succeed academically and personally.

As well as outlining the work we do, there is a section on each of our schools. I hope that parents will be able to see not just what is happening at their school, but also at the others across WAT. For any future parents or staff, I hope you will get a real flavour of the exciting work we are doing together to ensure our children get the best possible education.

Welcome to our very first edition of the WAT magazine.

GoldsmithPrimary AcademyA part of the Windsor Academy Trust

Keith SorrellU

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Keith is CEO of Windsor Academy Trust which was formed in 2011. He fulfilled the dual role of Executive Headteacher and CEO from then until January 2016 when he became full time Chief Executive of WAT. The Trust consists of four secondary and five primary Academies, located in three different learning communities across the West Midlands. We are also excited as we are in the process of opening two secondary Free Schools, one in Walsall and one in Sandwell.Having taught in Staffordshire and Birmingham, Keith was appointed to the post of Headteacher at Windsor High School in January 1999. An 11-16 school of 1400, the school was in an OFSTED category swiftly moving to good and then outstanding. In 2010 it became an 11-19 school where it now has 300 in the Sixth Form. Keith is an NLE and worked as Secondary Headteacher consultant for the DFE part time from 2002-05 supporting the

Rob is Chief Operating Officer within Windsor Academy Trust, after having joined in July 2016 in the role of Operations Director. Rob has worked extensively in the education field within the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally.Early in his teaching career Rob gained rapid, successive promotions working within a number of schools in the Midlands. He moved in to local government for a decade, and at Northamptonshire County Council he led the review, reorganisation and transformation of a 3-2 tier school system, managed a £1bn Public-Private Partnership school infrastructure programme and helped transform the Extended and e-Learning Services through new commissioning arrangements. Rob was then promoted to a national post as an Education Director for a government agency and advised on educational transformation through capital investment.

Dawn is currently Deputy CEO and Education Director of the Windsor Academy Trust. Dawn has responsibility for a wide portfolio at the Windsor Academy Trust, including school improvement, teaching and learning, professional learning and Quality Assurance. Dawn has been a delegate on the Future Leaders (Ambition School Leadership) Executive Educators programme and is currently a facilitator on the Executive Headship programme. Dawn is the Vice Chair of the Board of a MAT in the West Midlands.Dawn was the founder and Chief Executive of the Student Engagement Trust (SET) dedicated to the advancement of student engagement, voice and leadership to drive educational improvement working with schools, multi-academy trusts and corporate educational organisations in England and the USA.Dawn has served on a number of national student voice and leadership advisory groups, including ‘My Education’ in partnership with Teach First and Pearson. Dawn spent ten years at the Youth Sport Trust where she supported pre-designation and re-designation and school improvement of specialist sports colleges. Dawn was the national lead for the coaching and leadership and volunteering strands of the government’s Physical Education and School Sport Strategy for Young People,

Matt is Director of Primary Schools for Windsor Academy Trust.Previously, Matt was one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for Ofsted and led over sixty five inspections across the West Midlands. During his time with Ofsted, Matt became the National Lead for Physical Education. He also led a Multi-Academy Trust summary evaluation and delivered training to other Ofsted inspectors.Prior to his time with Ofsted, Matt had two successful headships. The most recent being a three-form entry primary school which was part of a large Multi-Academy Trust. The school was judged ‘good’ by Ofsted after the predecessor school’s judgement had placed it into a category of concern. Matt was appointed as Lead Principal for the trust and was part of their national strategy group. Within this role, he provided executive leadership to a second school in the West Midlands. His first headship was a small rural school, which rapidly moved from an Ofsted grading of ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ under his leadership.Before headship, Matt worked in both primary and middle schools as a teacher and senior leader. During this time he led a school sport partnership in Worcestershire.

workforce reform agenda and Every Child Matters in particular. Keith gained a BEd from Loughborough University in Physical Education and an MA from the University of Warwick in research policy and methodology. Alongside a teaching career Keith was an International hockey coach, taking the England Mens team to the World Cup in 1994 and the European Championships, Wales Ladies 1986-91 and GB Olympic selector 1994-96. He also coached Cannock HC to National titles and European finals from 1999 -2002.Windsor High School and Sixth Form was one of the first outstanding secondary schools to become an academy and from there he began the development of Windsor Academy Trust. The development of the Trust was underpinned by the values of collaboration and cooperation that were very much part of the school ethos which thrived under its’ early status as a Specialist Sports College.

Given the extensive experience of working within the UK education sector, Rob was invited to advise on the future vision and strategy for the development of the general education system in Saudi Arabia. In this role he built and developed sustainable partnerships and cooperation with the international education community from the public, private and third sectors to support the capacity building of the Saudi education system. He latterly worked with AECOM, a global provider of professional technical and management support services, as its Regional Education Sector Lead on developing the strategic growth of its education market sector in the Middle East. Rob obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Warwick University Business School.

working closely with the Department for Education and the Department for Culture Media and Sport. During this time, Dawn also worked closely with government departments in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, India and Malaysia to support policy and national strategy development for the advancement of student leadership.Dawn advised the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on their legacy strategy for young people as well as leading the establishment of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Youth Board. Dawn’s early career was as a PE Teacher, Head of PE and Director of Sport. Dawn wrote a successful bid for her school to become one of the first few Specialist Sports Colleges in the country where she became Assistant Head teacher.Dawn obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Management and is a published author in the field of student engagement, voice and leadership. Dawn has presented at numerous conferences in the UK and oversees as well as speaking with the Education Select Committee in the Houses of Parliament and at Conservative and Labour Party conferences.

Matt did a four year BA (Hons) teaching degree at the University of Worcester, specialising in Key Stage 2 and 3.Outside of teaching, Matt previously competed for Great Britain as a junior in athletics and later became a level 3 endurance athletics coach, mainly coaching young athletes, including an international triathlete.

CEO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

DEPUTY CEO AND EDUCATION DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PRIMARY

DAWN HAYWOOD

MATT MECKIN

KEITH SORRELL

ROB DUNN

TEAM PROFILE THE PEOPLEEXECUTIVE MEET

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VALUESOURWe want to achieve the highest quality learning experience for all of our pupils/students and to achieve the best possible outcomes for all.The learning experience is based upon a set of learning and teaching principles that have been developed by teachers across our family of schools and provides a uniting philosophy that places the learning needs of all children at the heart of WATs work.Each Headteacher is responsible for the standards in their own school and they in turn are accountable to the Chief Executive who in turn reports to the Board of Directors. Whilst there remains considerable autonomy in each school there are some centralised strategic finance and operations functions that allow for very effective economies of scale and ensure a unity and consistency of purpose.Each school has its own Local Advisory Board (LAB) recognising that each school is at the heart of its own community. The LAB works with the Headteacher to oversee and support the curriculum, teaching and learning and the progress of all its pupils/students.

PERSONAL POTENTIAL

Whilst we are clear that we want all our children to succeed academically, we also believe they need to have opportunities to develop their personal potential. Within the

WAT family we place a huge emphasis on sports, the arts and extra-curricular activities and experiences. These experiences are a key part of childrens’ life at school and we

actively seek to appoint teachers and support staff who are able to add another dimension to their work in WAT by providing extra-curricular expertise.

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We have a Student Senate which allows children from all across the WAT family to come together to do important work. Their focus, alongside things like the Pledge, is how they can best support teaching and learning in the classroom. They give staff important feedback about the curriculum and support other pupils/students with regard to learning, behaviour and leadership.

SCHOOLFREEThe Government have asked WAT to build two new Free Schools in the West Midlands. This is really exciting for all of us and we will keep everyone informed as to how these plans are progressing. Both of these schools are secondary and will not only reflect the curriculum and the approach that has made WAT schools so successful but will also reflect the community each serves.The first will be in Sandwell and we expect it to be open for its first students in September 2022 and will be a sixth form entry. We have identified a site and are working in close partnership with Sandwell Local Authority and the Department for Education.The second is an 11-18 Free School that will be called the Windsor Swift Academy and will be in Walsall. We are uncertain as to the opening date for this one but look forward to continuing our work in the Local Authority where we already have two primary schools.

As well as the Free Schools we have been building a brand new school on our Rivers Primary Academy site in Walsall. This is due to open in February half-term next year and the two storeys are already in place. (Picture of build) The current school buildings are very old, these brand new facilities will be a great environment for the children to learn and for teachers to teach. Rivers already achieves exceptional results and this new school will help them to be even better in the future!

We have engaged with our primary children and secondary pupils/students to agree a Pledge. This is a list of experiences that we would like all children to have in our schools and in agreeing this we were driven by the exciting things that our children told us they would like to do.

SCHOOLNEW At Goldsmith Primary Academy, a mile away

in Walsall, we will be building a brand new nursery on site. These new facilities will provide a fantastic environment for the children as they begin their school lives and we are really looking forward to it opening in 2021.

We have engaged with our primary children and secondary pupils/students to agree a Pledge. This is a list of experiences that we would like all children to have in our schools and in agreeing this we were driven by the exciting things that our children told us they would like to do.

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We do this by encouraging and celebrating participation in extra-curricular activities in and outside of school. The impact of these activities is proven to be positive and children grow in confidence and self-belief. By participating and celebrating in these activities outside school, children realise there are a multitude of opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom. Annually, the children and family celebrate in ‘The Chancellor’s Hall at Wolverhampton University’ a ceremony where the children wear caps and gowns. We hope to inspire our children and make University accessible to them all if they so choose.

Children’s University is a charity that works in partnership with schools to develop a love of learning in children.

We work closely with our parents, family and community to provide the best, all round education where children are happy and share in our motto of ‘Never settle for less than your best.’Since joining Windsor Academy Trust in April 2017 we have gone from strength to strength, sharing best practice through collaboration. Our latest Key Stage 2 SATs results were above National, which shows the staff and students hard work were rewarded.Our curriculum is built with purpose, motivation and enjoyment in mind. Staff work together to develop creative and exciting learning experiences. Staff liaise with parents and carers before they start school, by visiting them at home and the children become familiar with

This is underpinned by being awarded the Sainsbury’s Platinum Mark in 2019, as well as the Gold Mark for the last 5 years. We are passionate about all sports, with all pupils having the opportunity to represent Colley Lane in a huge variety of events. Many of our pupils not only represent Colley Lane, but also go on to represent Dudley in their sport.

MISS HELEN HALE

PRIMARY ACADEMYCOLLEY LANE

their surroundings through transition days. This positive parent partnership continues throughout school, encouraging involvement and communication.Colley Lane has been serving families within the Cradley community and beyond for over 100 years. We are proud of our academic, creative and sporting achievements. The children are well behaved and take pride in, and look after, their purpose built school and grounds. We want pupils to leave Colley Lane as lifelong learners who are polite, independent, confident and resilient so they thrive both academically and socially.We are very proud of our school and encourage prospective parents to come and visit for yourselves to see what Colley Lane can offer.

I would like to warmly welcome you to Colley Lane Primary Academy.

Children’s University is a charity that works in partnership with schools to develop a love of learning in children.

We are extremely proud of our fantastic sporting accomplishments.

PASSIONATEABOUT SPORT

In the Autumn Term year groups are studying History and Year 4 are researching The Stone Age. An expert came in and the pupils studied archaeology, timelines and used Stone Age tools as part of their focus day.

Our curriculum is purposeful and enjoyable for the children where they have positive learning experiences.

Miss Helen HaleHeadteacher

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PRIMARY ACADEMYCOLLEY LANE

Year 6 children had a great experience on PGL in September, even if they did get a little wet! Year 6 went to Boreatton Park in Shropshire for 3 nights. They had fun raft building, abseiling, problem solving, physical challenges, quad biking and many more activities that the pupils showed perseverance, resilience and team building.

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WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF OUR FANTASTIC SPORTING ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

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As well as the Student Senate, the children love being involved in school activities and events such as our school choir, who will be performing a concert for ‘#helloyellow’ day, which is a charity that supports the mental health of children and young people. We will be creating lots of other opportunities for student leadership in order for them to develop their personal potential in particular reading champions, play leaders and buddies.

The Student Senate team at Goldsmith Primary Academy is made up of pupils from across the school and from all classes. Each elected member has already been active this year helping to highlight the issue of well-being and mental health and will continue to take part in activities throughout the year including assemblies, charity events, meeting with other Senators from our trust schools and other exciting events.

GoldsmithPrimary AcademyA part of the Windsor Academy Trust PRIMARY ACADEMY

GOLDSMITH

Since joining Windsor Academy Trust in September 2012, the school has had the pleasure of working collaboratively with other pupils and staff across the other academies; an opportunity that is allowing the pupils and staff of Goldsmith to flourish. We pride ourselves on our excellent relationships with pupils ensuring that they come to school feeling happy, safe and ready for learning.In January 2020, Goldsmith Primary Academy excitedly welcomes a new headteacher, Mrs Leanne Bridgwood. She is an experienced primary headteacher with an exceptional track record. Mrs Bridgwood will work in partnership with pupils, staff and parents to take Goldsmith into a new, exciting and successful era.We are a two form entry school with 458 pupils on roll and are located in the Blakenall area of Walsall. Our pupils believe that they can achieve anything in life, if they work hard enough. Staff have high aspirations for our pupils - we help them to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes that they need to reach their academic and personal potentialWe are very lucky at Goldsmith; we are based on an extremely large site and have a swimming pool.

MRSBEVERLEY WALKER-GORDON

As a result, we pledge that all of our pupils will be able to swim by the time they leave us in Year 6. It is an exciting time to be at Goldsmith because we are currently reviewing our large outdoor space and what we can do with it to enhance our children’s playtimes. We are now planning to put in place an astro-turf pitch, trim trails and other static play equipment, so watch this space! Windsor Academy Trust have also secured £1.2 million of capital funding to build much-improved early years classrooms and facilities for Goldsmith.‘Putting children first’ is definitely what we do and the academic year has started superbly. Pupils have come back motivated and ready to learn. Our young people are excited by the newly revised ASPIRE curriculum and have already started to think like knowledgeable historians! They are also flourishing with the extra-curricular and curricular opportunities that we offer. Particularly through music and sport. We also have specialist teachers for these subjects.The door is open anytime for you to come and visit the wonderful staff and pupils at Goldsmith Primary Academy. We would happily welcome a visit and to show you around our brilliant school.

It is a great pleasure to introduce you to Goldsmith Primary Academy which is a place where staff are ‘putting children first’.

Our pupils love it; they feel that it is a place where they can lose themselves in a good book! Our reading garden is the heart of our school, and our library is the centre of every child’s imagination. We have recently had a beautiful wall painted by a well-known artist. The wall is painted wonderfully with hundreds of well-known book characters - our children adore coming to see who they can uncover next time they visit the library.We use Accelerated Reader as a strategy to boost reading fluency and comprehension across school.

Our library is the most valued place in our academy!

IMMERSING OUR CHILDREN IN A LOVE OF READING...

STUDENT

SENATE

A child reads a book, takes an online quiz and gets immediate feedback. Our pupils can respond to regular feedback and are motivated to make progress with their reading skills. It forms a complete reading practice and assessment solution for our children of all ages and abilities- it really is a fantastic tool and it is embedded in our school to ensure rapid progress in reading. We are lucky enough to have a highly experienced Teaching Assistant, Mrs Franks, who is employed to solely focus on raising standards in reading in our school.

They are led by our Head Boy and Head Girl who have put forward their own ideas of what they would like our school to achieve this year including additional activities at lunch times; helping others with their learning; and setting up a buddy system. Their enthusiasm to make Goldsmith an even better place to come to school is inspiring and we are looking forward to seeing the outcomes from these ideas.

SIMONHEAD BOY

BLADEDEPUTY HEAD BOY

KATELYNHEAD GIRL

ACACIADEPUTYHEAD GIRL

Mrs Beverley Walker-GordonInterim Headteacher

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The Autumn Term is an exciting time to be at Goldsmith! We are taking part in the ‘#helloyellow’ charity event at school, as we try to raise money for a charity that supports children and young people with mental health problems. The children are all donating money to come to school wearing yellow; the kitchen are selling yellow treats throughout the day; the chef has planned a special yellow lunch; the children will

In Key Stage 2 the musical journey continues with children all receiving curriculum music lessons and instrumental lessons every week, including steel pans and keyboard tuition from “Rock It Music Projects”. We also hold a weekly singing assembly where children also learn about music history, the interrelated dimensions of music and learn great singing technique from a vocal specialist. They sing in two and three parts and learn a wide variety of musical styles.

GoldsmithPrimary AcademyA part of the Windsor Academy Trust PRIMARY ACADEMY

GOLDSMITH

The sporting year started with Windsor Academy Trust Schools - Rivers and Goldsmith - participating in a Year 5 and 6 friendly football festival with two 7 a-side matches taking place. The following week, pupils participated in a Black Country Unified Cricket Festival which involved children who would not normally have the opportunity to represent their school playing together. The focus of the festival was for children to play together to gain friendship and acceptance to break down the barriers that may exist for some children.Another event which was a highlight for the children was visiting the Commonwealth

Judo Championships, which was hosted at The University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus. The children were inspired by watching judokas from around the world in one of the first times Walsall has hosted an international sporting event. The children were also able to experience taking part in judo with a taster session led by two British Judo Coaches in the High Performance Centre at the University.A major part of the school sports offer during the year at Goldsmith Primary Academy, will be participation in the School Games programme. Goldsmith performed well at the Year 5 and Year 6 High 5 Netball showing good improvement throughout the tournament to finish with one win and one draw from four matches. Goldsmith were unlucky not to progress to the next round of the Year 3 and Year 4 football, missing out on goal difference. It has been very pleasing to see how well the children have worked together at these events and enjoyed each

Goldsmith Primary Academy has made an excellent start to school sport this academic year with seventy five pupils who have already represented the school at six different events during September.

Goldsmith pupils start making music as soon as they arrive in school. In our creative Goldilocks and EYFS areas, the children have singing together on a daily basis and colourful music making zones throughout the setting. Our youngest pupils create the sweetest memories by performing in a wonderful Christmas Nativity each year.In Key Stage 1, our pupils continue to experience a rich variety of musical experiences.

PERFORMING ARTSAT GOLDSMITH PRIMARY ACADEMY

UPCOMINGSPECIAL EVENTS

In the Summer term, children from Year 5 visit London to see a West End Show, take part in a workshop with a member of the cast at Pineapple Dance Studios and visit Covent Garden!Music is woven throughout the curriculum and we use the Sing Up website to sing songs related to our topics and the SuperMovers videos to support learning in maths and English.We have a fabulous choir who attend a wide variety of venues in collaboration with local businesses, charities and our sister school, Rivers Primary Academy. We perform at the Walsall Primary Singing Festival, Young Voices and our own concerts, including Love to Dance and our Excellence in the Arts awards ceremony. The choir also sing every term for the residents of Harden Hall Care Home.

Each pupil receives a curriculum music lesson each week as well as an exciting singing assembly. All pupils learn to play the recorder in Year 2 and start to learn to read music. They all participate in a Christmas Production or Carol Concert attended by family and friends. Our Key Stage 1 pupils also attend the annual Infant Singing Festival at Walsall Arena where they are always praised for their outstanding performances by the judges.

be having meditation workshops which will teach them techniques to help them to channel their emotions and finally, the children will be spending an afternoon creating presentations to educate others on the importance of looking after their mental health.Birmingham Christmas Market… eat your heart out… because the market is coming to Goldsmith in the form of ‘The Gold Christmas Market’. Our children will learn entrepreneurial skills; each class across the school will receive a budget. With that budget, the children will be coming up with a product that they can design, make and sell

on their stall at the Christmas market. The class who makes the most profit will win a special prize! However, our pupils won’t be expected to spend the whole event selling on the stall, they will have the chance to listen to our amazing choir performing Christmas carols, meet Santa in his grotto, drink hot chocolate and eat delicious mince pies!

Every child in school participates in a production every year with Year 3 and Year 4 putting on a show at Easter and the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils performing an end of year dazzling performance!Every Spring we collaborate with Rivers Primary Academy and the WAT dance specialist to put on a wonderful dance show called “Love to Dance” at the Walsall Arena, inspired by the curriculum and books that the children are studying.

PERFORMING ARTS

other’s success. Keep up the hard work and you will shine!

YEAR 5 ATPINEAPPLE STUDIOS

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Hello, we are the Head Boy, Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy, and Deputy Head Girl. We would like to welcome you to the one and only Manor Way Primary Academy.At Manor Way, we are caring and include everyone.At Manor Way, all of the teachers are happy, helpful, and hardworking. They are also dedicated to the learning for ALL pupils.From Reception to Year 6, our WAT pledge, 11 by 11, is that your child will:

Manor Way is a one form entry Primary school with 207 children and an outstanding 24 place Preschool situated in the Halesowen area of Dudley.We are privileged to be part of a forward thinking and dynamic Multi Academy trust which has the drive and ambition to support its family of schools, staff and children to reach their academic and personal potential.I joined Manor Way as Headteacher in 2016 and since that time we have been on a rapid journey of improvement. We were judged a ‘good’ school in September 2018 with Ofsted grading Leadership, Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare and our Early Years provision as outstanding.We have high expectations, are committed to excellence and we are ambitious in our MRS LISA

BUFFERY

PRIMARY ACADEMYMANOR WAY

drive to further improve outcomes for our children. Our aim is for children to be the best they can be in all areas of their life with our school motto being ‘Happy and Successful Learners’. Our ethos and outstanding behaviour is shaped by ‘The Manor Way’ and our ‘Aspire Learning Behaviours’.Children here experience an exceptional and exciting curriculum, they learn, laugh, get muddy and make friends. We expect children to leave Manor Way confident, prepared and ready to excel and succeed at secondary school.Collaboration and building strong partnerships and great relationships with you, your child and the local community is very important to us and fundamental to our success. So please come and visit us.

Welcome to Manor Way Primary Academy. I am proud to be the Headteacher of this incredible school.

Manor Way Primary AcademyBrier Mill Road, Halesowen, West Midlands. B63 3HA

Telephone: 0121 272 7310 www.manor.windsoracademytrust.org.uk Headteacher Miss Lisa Buffery

We have high expectations and are committed to excellence. Our aim is for children to be the best they can be in all

areas of their life. Children here experience a broad and exciting

curriculum, they learn, laugh, get muddy and make friends.

Manor Way Preschool‘Happy & Successful Learners’

Session Times: Morning 8.45am – 11.45am Afternoon 12.30pm – 3.30pm

‘Every day is an open day’ To arrange a visit please contact our school on 0121 272 7310

OUTSTANDING EARLY YEARSWe are passionate that the education we provide for our youngest children in Reception and Preschool are of the highest quality. Our children are nurtured and cared for every step of the way, along their exciting learning journey, by our highly skilled, caring and dedicated staff.

Ofsted agreed with us, and in our recent inspection, graded our Early Years provision as ‘Outstanding’. Ofsted said, ‘Children in the Early Years get off to a great start and make great progress in relation to their starting points’. They commented on the strong early years practice and highly skilled oversight of the provision.

LEIGHTONHEAD BOY

NARAYANDEPUTY HEAD BOY

CHLOEHEAD GIRL

ELYSIADEPUTYHEAD GIRL

WELCOME FROM THE JUNIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM• Go camping or have a sleepover• Visit London• Learn survival skills or have an

adventure• Take part in a safe, fun day• Learn to swim• Meet a famous person• Raise money for charity• Attend a live event/performance

(sport/art)• Become a first aider

• Visit a historical landmark• Represent our schoolYour child will be sure to master all of these skills and love these experiences by the time they leave for their next learning adventure at secondary school.Having been at Manor Way since Reception, we have been on residentials, represented our school in sports events, celebrated our successes and learnt lots. We have made many friends and grown in confidence. We love it here and we are sure you will too!

Congratulations to Olivia for inspiring all of us to reach for the stars. Olivia was one of 20,000 competitors from 62 countries competing at their country qualifiers and at the World Finals in Portugal, this year. Olivia represented England at the Dance World Cup and returned home with 4 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal! Olivia is now a world champion acro soloist and we are extremely proud of her achievements.

CONGRATULATIONSDANCE WORLD CHAMPION

Mrs Lisa BufferyHeadteacher

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The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.At Manor Way we provide many opportunities for our children to improve their physical and mental well-being and help them develop important skills such as teamwork and leadership. We believe sport helps build character, develop resilience, determination and self belief, as well as instilling values and virtues such as friendship and fair play.

Every child will learn to read and love to read. We read as a reader, we read as a writer and we read for pleasure.Reading is a priority at Manor Way and our mission statement above is known and understood by children and staff. Our children read daily and experience whole class, guided and 1:1 reading opportunities. Our Reading Ambassadors work hard to continue to raise the profile of reading across school and can often be found recommending texts! They look out for and celebrate children they catch reading.

“I LOVE READING LOTS OF STORIES BECAUSE THEN I CAN SHARE THEM WITH MY CLASS.” “BEING A READING AMBASSADOR IS GREAT BECAUSE WE GET TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO READ FOR PLEASURE.”

SCHOOL GAMES

PLATINUM AWARD

PRIMARY ACADEMYMANOR WAY

We provide a specialist PE teacher and a wealth of clubs including gymnastics, football, rugby, dance, archery, cricket, netball and many more.

We are delighted to announce that Manor Way Primary Academy, have achieved the School Games Platinum Mark Award for the second year running.

Every child will learn to read and love to read. We read as a reader, we read as a writer and we read for pleasure.

EXCEPTIONAL CURRICULUM

‘SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) ARE OUTSTANDING FEATURES OF THE SCHOOL’S CURRICULUM’ OFSTED 2018.

We are passionate about providing a stimulating and exciting curriculum that challenges and enthuses our children. Our pupils experience learning inside and outside of the classroom.“Leaders and staff have devised an excellent curriculum. This is having a positive effect on pupils’ personal and academic development. Science, sports and the performing and creative arts are very strong features of the school’s curriculum. Pupils are taught British values of respect, tolerance and understanding of different faiths, customs and traditions.”

Ofsted September 2018

The School Senate meet regularly to discuss children’s views on school matters such as the ASPIRE learning behaviours and improving personal and academic potential.

The Student Senate are part of our Junior Leadership Team and are newly elected at the start of each year to represent the views of all pupils and to improve standards and outcomes across school.

“I AM HAPPY TO BE ON THE SCHOOL SENATE BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE AND MAKE THE SCHOOL EVEN BETTER.”

YEAR 3 STUDENT SENATOR

WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL SENATE 2019

Last year’s School Senate worked collaboratively with staff and children to implement their actions on improving aspects of school. This culminated in the children working together to present at the WAT Student Senate Summit where the children shared with other schools the impact of their hard work.Some of the successes of the Student Senate this year include:• securing a funding grant to subsidise

‘Healthy Schools’ Week’ activities• designing recommended reading

reviews to promote reading• developing questionnaires and

analysing feedback to inform leaders of the views of children to initiate change

READINGAMBASSADORS

WE’VE BEEN CAUGHT READING AT MANOR WAY!

Our new Student Senate are excited to start action planning and raring to go with lots of ideas!

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Rivers Primary Academy truly is a ‘Special place to learn and thrive.` Since joining Windsor Academy Trust in November 2013, the school has gone from strength to strength. We pride ourselves on having exceptional outcomes and strong pastoral support for all our children and families, amongst many other things.We are a growing school that will be a two form entry throughout from September 2021. We are located in the Blakenall area of Walsall. In 2019, outcomes at Key Stage 2 exceeded not only local averages, but national too.

Our Student Leadership team are at the forefront of everything we do at Rivers. Throughout WAT you will see that Student Leadership forms a vital part of unlocking personal and academic potential. Here at Rivers, we have a variety of roles that our children can undertake and lead on with pride:

As Head Boy, I would like to make every pupil feel that they can have a smile on their face and I value our school motto - a special place to learn and thrive. I will encourage the use of kind hands and feet and ensure that everyone has someone to play with. I would like every pupil to display the ASPIRE values, in particular Active in our learning. I am looking forward to the year ahead and proving to everyone the difference I can make as Head Boy. Samuel Year 6

I am grateful for the opportunity to be Head Girl and I am excited about the forthcoming year. Firstly, I would like to show everyone what I am made of and represent the school. I want to do all I can to help and be a role model for all. I believe that every child should have at least one friend in school and that is one of my many goals for this year. In addition, I want to ensure that my fellow peers follow our school rules - Ready, Respectful and Safe. As Head Girl, I want to make sure everyone has an amazing time at Rivers, just like me. Joy Year 6.

MRS LUCY WRIGHT

PRIMARY ACADEMYRIVERS

It is a very exciting time at Rivers as we currently have a new school being built through the Priority School Build Programme 2. Due to open for summer 2020, it is going to be a great privilege for all of our children and the local community. Throughout the building work, the children have been at the heart of every decision, which is always the case at Rivers. Whilst implementing new initiatives and continuing to develop many successful things, our motto ‘A special place to learn and thrive’ has been fundamental in the decisions made.Please come and visit to see for yourselves the wonderful staff and children hard at work.

Mrs Lucy WrightHeadteacher

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Rivers Primary Academy. I am immensely proud to be Headteacher of this amazing school.

Our Head Boy and Head Girl are at the forefront of our Student Leadership team. Here are their messages that they wish to share.

STUDENTLEADERSHIP

HEAD BOY & HEAD GIRL

Our Student Senate team meet at events with other Student Senators across the Trust; they contribute to representing our school with the ASPIRE behaviours for learning and unlocking personal potential through the WAT pledge.

Being a Digital Leader is a highly important role within our school. Our Digital Leaders advise on topics they would like to cover, share internet safety advice, provide computing support to staff and pupils and they also ensure that all computing equipment is looked after in school.

STUDENT SENATE DIGITAL LEADERS

An exciting time for Rivers is the current building work of our brand new school due to open in 2020. The Building Squad are at the forefront of ensuring that the children are at the heart of the building and our builders keep us in mind. The Squad deliver assemblies to the rest of the school, providing regular updates and sharing information with parents on our weekly newsletter.

At Rivers our Prefects are always on hand to help out and lead the way. Helping out in assembly, at events and representing our school are all part of being a Prefect. Leading by being a role model is key to the job!

BUILDING SQUAD

PREFECTS

Our A*Stars Sheriffs are your first port of call for anything relating to road safety and health and well-being. They embark on a variety of training programmes and activities throughout the year, representing our school at events. Our Sheriffs promote the values and aims of the A*Stars Programme.

Each week, the Reading Team visit classes throughout the school during our reading time to share their love and passion for reading, telling children about their favourite author and even reading them a story! They show the children how to handle books, manage the book fair and ensure that our school-wide love of reading is shared with every child.

READING TEAM

A*STARS SHERIFFS

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PRIMARY ACADEMYRIVERS

Brand new for this year, Rivers are launching a Healthy Eating Squad. Linking in with our PSHE curriculum, we are currently in the process of electing members with a vision of our new Squad starting in the second part of the autumn term.

HEALTHY EATING SQUAD

Rivers is currently undergoing some major changes. Our brand new school is due to open in 2020. Throughout the whole process, our Building Squad have been at the heart of what our new school is all about. Last academic year, saw the arrival of our temporary classrooms where Years 1-4 are currently located.

RIVERS BIG BUILD...The Building Squad were on hand to assist the teachers and children with the relocation. At the end of the summer term, we said goodbye to part of our old school and it was knocked down to make way for our new school. The structure is already starting to go up and early October saw the arrival of the new building.

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As a Rights Respecting school, we value the importance of developing children’s independence, resilience and respect for each other. Children have the opportunity to thrive in leadership positions such as Sports leaders, Playground Buddies, helping to run our library, Eco Representatives, Head Boy and Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl and being part of numerous sports teams.Having opportunities to embrace responsibility is important in unlocking children’s academic and personal potential and we encourage opportunities within and outside of the classroom to allow pupils to thrive in these roles.Children have a significant voice at our school with our Student Senate acting as our ‘student voice’ body, listening to the perspectives of all pupils and working alongside staff to take positive actions to improve all aspects of school life, and many of their projects can be seen around school. They also regularly collaborate with the other WAT School Senates, making a difference Trust-wide.

Through the substantial leadership opportunities, our pupils develop their sense of self-worth, build their character, develop important life skills, learn to grow relationships and collaborate with others.The ASPIRE learning and behaviours are at the core of everything we do at Tenterfields Primary Academy. Leadership is modelled through these at all levels and the children, through their voice and leadership, have had significant impact in launching and embedding this. This has led to all pupils raising their expectations and they take responsibility for themselves and their learning by ‘living’ the characters associated with each letter of ASPIRE. We are very proud of the leadership development and opportunities at Tenterfields, and our children thrive as they grow. This has culminated in new and exciting roles that we will continue to develop, such as Class Dojo Captains for our reward systems.

PRIMARY ACADEMYTENTERFIELDS

Tenterfields Primary Academy is a one form entry school hidden in the heart of the community of Halesowen, with the community at it’s heart. We pride ourselves on the caring, nurturing ethos that is embraced by children, parents and staff. By working closely in partnership with parents, families and community, we aim to provide the finest, all round education possible for our children, with the motto of: ‘learning together, growing together’. The school opened originally in 1909 as three separate schools, for girls, boys and infants and in 1941 a nursery was added. The Children’s Centre opened in April 2008. The school has celebrated its excellent reputation and caring, family atmosphere, through generations of children.

MR DOMINIC SIMPSON

Since joining Windsor Academy Trust, the school has been on an exciting journey, of curriculum change and promotion of the ASPIRE ethos, which has led to improvements not only for key milestone outcomes but also in the opportunities and aspirations for our children and staff. We offer an amazing environment that incorporates forest schools, pond and gardens, sporting arena, basketball courts, early learning zone and opportunities to go beyond the classroom and embrace the outdoor environments. We have achieved the Platinum award for Sport and Health and the Primary Science Quality Mark amongst other accolades, all of which we are very proud of. A refined ASPIRE curriculum that enthuses all learners to be inquisitive and resilient, is at the heart of all our learning. We have had an incredibly positive start to this academic year, with staff reflecting on the success of the past few years, and are looking forward to the new and exciting adventures that will enable all children at Tenterfields Primary Academy to thrive and succeed.

Mr Dominic SimpsonInterim Headteacher

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Tenterfields Primary Academy. Although recently joining the school, the community feel of the school shines through with polite, happy and engaged children that are an asset to the school and their families.

“LEARNING TOGETHER GROWING TOGETHER” OUR CHILDREN

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PRIMARY ACADEMYTENTERFIELDS

Our strong partnership with Windsor Academy Trust has allowed us to unlock the academic and personal potential of our pupils, through offering exceptional opportunities in our ‘11 before 11’ pledge for all pupils. These incredible life experiences include things like: Weekly Mastery teaching at Windsor High School and Sixth Form by the highest quality experts; educational workshops at Pineapple Studios in London with theatre productions; WAT Olympic games for sporting potential and performances at Birmingham ICC during the annual conference. Embracing the collaboration with Windsor Academy Trust Schools has enabled us to refine and hone our curriculum, our Teaching and Learning principles and pupils academic achievements and aspirations.

WE HAVE EMBEDDED PARTNERSHIPS

We have been incredibly pleased with our improvement in progress at the end of key milestones over the past few years.We are very fortunate to have lead practitioners from across Windsor Academy Trust to work alongside our staff and children, to further improve our engaging curriculum in Maths, English and the wider curriculum. This has really helped us to reflect on the high expectations we set for all children, how they are retaining the knowledge and skills that they are taught and how challenge can be incorporated into learning. We are very fortunate to be able to have this support and are embracing it fully.Our strong links also extend to the wider community, and we are very proud of the work we do with Phase Trust, in supporting our pupils emotionally, and in preparation for later life. Also, the value of the work we do with charities and supporting local amenities. For a community school, we have embedded partnerships that are expansive, and fully support our pupils and parents.

Strong collaboration underpins our ethos at Tenterfields, with the family-centered approach extending across our pupils, community and the other Trust schools.

COLLABORATION

Open communication between school and home in which everyone is valued has been the success of our family orientated school.We have an active PTFA that has supported the school over many years and provided many resources as well as funding initiative projects such as ensuring that all children hold a First Aid qualification by the end of Year 3.

The community lies at the heart of Tenterfields and forms the foundation on which everything else is built.

OUR COMMUNITY Summer fairs, spooky discos, the legendary Ice-cream Fridays that has run for generations and other numerous, well supported events all bring the community together to share in the successes of Tenterfields Primary Academy and promote the caring, nurturing ethos.We promote an open door policy within the school and look for every opportunity to involve parents with their children’s learning. Daily access to the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher on the playground before and after school provides a positive welcome to the school day. Workshops, reading mornings, music evenings and praise assemblies are just some of the ways that

we invite parents into school and our wrap-around care with breakfast and after school club, supports parents with work or college commitments. We hold a variety of after school clubs from pottery, choir, martial arts, football and dance with links to clubs in the community. Regular communication through our website, newsletters and Class Dojo ensure that parents are kept fully informed and supported. Our newly introduced home learning grids have engaged the children and parents in the spark of learning and choosing what they decide to undertake.

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Our dedicated and purpose built Sixth Form Centre, positioned slightly away from the main building, provides a haven for those wishing to continue their studies post-16. With facilities for supervised study, recreation and relaxation, the centre supplements high-quality teaching to provide everything a student needs to be successful at post-16.

The Achievement, Challenge & Engagement Centre, or the ACE as it is known, is our inclusion centre, providing support for students who are experiencing a variety of challenges. Whether this is an educational or emotional challenge, every child who enters is given the support they need, from a dedicated team of professionals, to help them negotiate their barrier in order to re-engage with learning and build resilience. It is difficult to imagine how many children have thrived as a consequence of the support they have received from The ACE over the years.

Our library provides an archive of literature and other media for those seeking further information or a release from daily life into a world of fiction, film or music. A place to meet, read and review texts.

ACADEMYCHESLYN HAY

I have been part of the school for over ten years and am incredibly proud to have served as Headteacher for seven years. This year we have joined Windsor Academy Trust and are now part of a family of schools within the West Midlands with a focus on academic and personal potential, enhancing and moving Cheslyn Hay forward, with a focus on teaching and learning and student leadership. The school has a strong reputation for enabling the young people in our care to flourish, believing in unconditional regard for all members of our school family and our motto is:

“HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT.”

A BRIEF GUIDE TO OUR

FACILITIES SIXTH FORM CENTRE

MS NICKY CROOKSHANK

We believe that high expectations lead to high levels of achievement and so we believe in ensuring that the whole child is developed so they are able to progress to their future career and fulfil their potential. We simply want our students to be:• safe, happy and cared for in a

secure and supportive high school environment

• supported and challenged to do their best through excellent teaching, a comprehensive curriculum and a wide variety of experiences

• developed emotionally, intellectually and morally so that they are able to be successful in the rapidly changing, multicultural society in which we live

We are pleased that our examination results continue to improve at both Key Stage 4 and 5 and proud that students from Cheslyn Hay are able to successfully take their next steps in their journey, whether at University, an apprenticeship, work or following their passion. We look forward to another exciting and successful year at Cheslyn Hay Academy.

Our multi-purpose theatre, with its retractable seating system and dual large-screen projection screens, is as flexible as it is high-tech. Whether being used for a school performance, with full lighting and sound rigs, or as a large open space for exhibitions, teaching or meetings, our theatre is all things to all people.

Provides a single space for users to engage in personal and online learning, with 60 bookable computers and a large screen for collaborative learning activities, the learning centre is open before and after school to those who wish to extend their learning day.

Ms Nicky CrookshankHeadteacher

We are a large 11 to 18 comprehensive school of approximately 1300 students including 180 in the Sixth Form. Our large catchment area includes the villages of Cheslyn Hay, Essington and Featherstone and we have a long tradition of taking students from further afield.

We have sporting facilities that are the envy of most schools: a sports hall, gym, swimming pool, weights room, fitness suite and a wide variety of outdoor spaces, including an artificial pitch, an athletics field and tennis courts.

The words ‘Cheslyn Hay’ and ‘Sport’ have been intrinsically linked for decades.

THE ACE CENTRE

ART STUDIOS

LIBRARY

We have multiple art studios, catering for a wide range of artistic preferences; painting, drawing, sculpture, screen-printing, ceramics, etc. Our talented art teachers, experts in their fields, have filled their rooms with wonderful examples of past work; inspiring the next generation of artists.No wonder their results are in the top 5% in the country!

MULTI-PURPOSE

THEATRE

INDEPENDENT LEARNING CENTRE

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We are so proud of the charity work that our students complete each year. In the last year alone, we have been recognised for our work with Pathway Project, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Race for Life, Alopecia UK, Comic Relief,

ACADEMYCHESLYN HAY

However, investment in the facilities is on-going and we are proud of our ability to provide highly-effective learning environments for our students. Facilities include practical workshops, design suites, well-equipped science labs, music rehearsal spaces, several computer rooms, a drama studio, a media suite, a dedicated canteen, independent social areas for each year group as well as over sixty multi-purpose classrooms, equipped with technology to support learning in the modern age.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES AT CHESLYN HAY ACADEMY

OTHER FACILITIES

The debating club provides a platform for students to develop the skills they will need to persuade, listen and consider the issues that are most important to them.If you were to witness the debates, you would have every confidence in the ability of the next generation to make our world a better place for everyone; these are the future leaders, politicians and CEOs.There are many other opportunities for students to develop new or existing interests; game club, science club, recycling group, chess club, knitting club, brilliant club & school band to name but a few. Of course, every subject provides an extra-curricular opportunity where students can extend their classroom experience too. This may be a drop-in clinic for those needing additional support or an advanced content course for those seeking an additional challenge.

Some of our students achieve exceptional standards in an area of personal development and interest. Highlights this year include Scarlett who became

OUR BUILDING IS FORTY YEARS OLD. MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE JOINED US FOR OUR RECENT ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION.

We offer something to engage and challenge all students, catering for a wide range of interests. With some of the best facilities in the county, and under the expert coaching of our PE teachers, sporting activities remain as popular as ever, with school teams across the age ranges in many sports. We are proud to see many of the students go on to thrive at school, county, national and even international level. The performing arts team, most of whom regularly perform on stage with local societies themselves, are able to share their passion with the students on a regular basis. Opportunities for students to perform publicly include the Christmas Extravaganza, the School Showcase, Strawberry Tea, the Dance Show and the Summer Concert. To review highlights of last year’s School Showcase, with highlights from a repertoire of stage musicals. Visit our Facebook page to find out more.

Students have the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities.

OUR CHARITY WORK

EXCEPTIONAL PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT

CHESLYN HAY ACADEMY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

THERE REALLY IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT CHESLYN HAY ACADEMY.

Children in Need and Macmillan Cancer Support. We were particularly proud to be named as one of the hundred Fundraising Heroes for Birmingham Children’s Hospital this year. On an annual basis, our students raise thousands of pounds for local, national and international charities. The work we do supports personal development, embedding an awareness of those in greater need and signposting solutions to world issues.

You can find out more about our academy and the achievements of our students by visiting our website or following us on social media.www.cheslynhay.windsoracademytrust.org.uk@CheslynHayAcademy

Under 13 British Champion at the British Inter Regional Triathlon Championships, Manjeevan for passing grade 8 piano and keyboard, Freya-Mae who brought back a gold and silver medal from the 15th Irish International Karate Championships and ex-student Georgia for getting through to the final of the BBC’s The Voice.There were also many exceptional academic performances, details of which can be found on the school’s Facebook page. However, we would like to publicly congratulate Isabelle, Nicole, Ryan, Aaron, Hannah, Darcey, Kate and Grace for their post-16 results and Evie, Halle-Mae, Eloise and Charlotte for exceptional performance at Key Stage 4.

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Situated in South Staffordshire, the school serves the communities of Great Wyrley and Landywood, although we attract many students from Cannock, Bloxwich and North Walsall.Our school motto is “Relentlessly Pursuing Excellence”. This applies equally to our twin objectives of every student achieving academic success and fulfilling their personal potential.We are a school with a strong local reputation, built on traditional values. Our school charter- “The Wyrley Way” - is committed to by our whole school community and underlines our key principles

MR IAN MORETON

ACADEMYGREAT WYRLEY

of respect and responsibility. Our House system celebrates and encourages these characteristics every single day.We have been on a remarkable journey over the past twelve months. Our summer exam results showed significant improvement. I am incredibly proud of the students and staff who worked tirelessly to make this possible. We are amongst the most improved schools in the region, if not the whole of the country. In addition, we have significantly upgraded the school environment- investing in the building to provide better learning facilities for our young people. It is an incredibly exciting time to be at Great Wyrley Academy as we look to build on the excellent first year we’ve had as part of Windsor Academy Trust. Please come and visit us – we are incredibly proud of our school, staff and students and would love to show you around.

Mr Ian MoretonHeadteacher

It gives me enormous pleasure to write in this first edition of the WAT magazine on behalf of Great Wyrley Academy. I am extremely proud to have led the school since we became part of the Windsor Academy Trust family in September 2018.

RELENTLESSLY

PURSUING EXCELLENCE

Competition was tough with several private and grammar schools participating. However, the students did the school proud and showcased our engineering excellence when we were awarded ‘Highly Commended’. The feature in the Express and Star said,‘More than forty Year 11 students and A-Level students swapped their daily lessons to take part in the competition, which is funded by nine local SMEs and designed to inspire young people to consider a career in engineering by encouraging them to work together and ‘problem solve’.

‘The four-strong teams were given a box of goodies they could use to build a vehicle, which would be propelled by a pendulum’s impact, ensuring their designs could withstand the ‘strike’ whilst minimising weight.‘The tool kits presented to the students featured dowelling, plywood, duct tape, axles and wheels. Students were given the task of sketching out concepts and turning their designs into reality by using basic hand tools to come up with a vehicle that could travel down a monorail.‘A prototype testing area was also set up to encourage students to put their ideas through their paces before submitting their final solution.

In the summer term, four of our Year 11 students took part in the UK Manufacturing Assembly Network’s Design and Make Challenge.

‘Poppy, one of the students from Great Wyrley Academy, said, “We had a great day. The challenge gave us the opportunity to work in a team, contribute our own ideas to the design, test it and then refine it into one of the best vehicles out of all the schools. It’s definitely given me a taste of what a career in engineering looks like and I’m keen to find out more.”’

IN THE NEWS GREAT WYRLEY TAKES THE PLAUDITS AT

MAN DESIGN AND MAKE CHALLENGE

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We are extremely lucky here at Great Wyrley Academy to be not only equipped with superb learning spaces with our suite of specialist classrooms; on our large and tree-filled campus we are also privileged to have other excellent facilities that aid our students’ development and progress.

Students have the opportunity to thrive in leadership positions such as form representative, becoming a prefect, helping to run our library, being part of sports teams and leading our Eco Club. Student leadership is important in unlocking students’ academic and personal potential. Leadership is central to everything we do and we encourage our students to be leaders in all ways. Students have a voice and undertake leadership at all levels in school and the community. We start by enabling students to be leaders of themselves and then progress onto leadership at classroom, subject, house, school, community and potentially national levels.Through these substantial opportunities, Great Wyrley Academy students develop their sense of self-worth, build their character, develop important life

and employability skills, learn to grow relationships and collaborate with others; they develop a sense of purpose that enables them to think beyond themselves and make a difference for others.Our Student Senate also acts as a ‘student voice’ body, listening to the perspectives of all students and working alongside staff to take positive actions to improve all aspects of school life. They also regularly collaborate with the other WAT School Senates, making a difference Trust-wide.The ASPIRE programme lies at the heart of student leadership developments.All students are expected to take responsibility for themselves and their learning by ‘living’ the characters associated with each letter of ASPIRE. Students undertake an ASPIRE self-review to build self-awareness and take positive action to be the best learners they can be. House Senators work with their tutor groups to encourage students to ASPIRE.Students in Year 11 who have demonstrated leadership qualities throughout their time at Great Wyrley Academy have the chance to become Prefects. These students play a significant part in the day to day running of the school and are highly respected by staff and students.Student leadership is a key part of the Great Wyrley experience and a key driver in enabling students to be the best learners and become successful in their chosen path.

There is a strong value attached to developing students’ leadership potential throughout the Windsor Academy Trust schools and this is evident at Great Wyrley Academy.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

AMAZINGSPACES

Students have access to a superb 290-seat theatre where we put on drama and music showcases, dance events, as well as hold awards evenings, assemblies and meetings.

We are also equipped with fantastic specialist equipment in technology and art to help the students develop extended ideas and produce work of professional quality

WE HAVE A LARGE PLAYING FIELD, TENNIS COURTS AND A SWIMMING POOL.

ACADEMYGREAT WYRLEY

ASPIRE

ACTIVE FOCUS, AMBITION

SURE HONESTY, INTEGRITY, CONFIDENCE

POSITIVE DIGNITY, COMMUNITY SPIRIT, OPTIMISM

IMAGINATIVE CURIOSITY, EMPATHY, NEIGHBOURLINESS

RESILIENT PERSEVERANCE, GRIT, DRIVE

EFFORT TOLERANCE, RESPECT, CONSCIENTIOUS

DEVELOPINGLEADERSHIPPOTENTIAL

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We are proud to be a community school that has a historic and growing reputation for Academic Excellence and exceptional student conduct and character. Kingswinford Academy joined Windsor Academy Trust in November 2016 and has gone from strength to strength ever since becoming an increasingly popular choice within our community. To meet this demand we seek to accept more and more students every year so that we can maximise the impact of the Windsor Academy Trust ethos and approach across our community. We seek to ensure all students can ‘Be Extraordinary’, unlocking the potential within all young people to allow them to be exceptional academically and personally.I joined the school and our Trust family in September 2017 following the retirement of

MR TOM MACDONALD

ACADEMYKINGSWINFORD

my inspirational predecessor Mrs Bronwyn Hedley, and have the great pleasure of leading a remarkable group of staff and students on the next stage of Kingswinford Academy’s evolution into one of the nation’s very best schools. As a community we have worked hard to ensure that the student experience, both in and out of the classroom, is inspirational. I was so proud to receive Ofsted earlier this year for a short inspection where they specifically identified our students as ‘extremely polite and well-mannered’. This is no accident and comes from a deep focus on developing character alongside a relentless approach to raising academic expectations.I look forward to the next phase of our development, to see just how far our exceptional staff and phenomenal students can take our school on our journey to ‘Be Extraordinary’. You are more than welcome to come and visit us to see for yourself the calm, purposeful atmosphere of our school: testimony to the dedication of an excellent staff and superb students.

Mr Tom MacdonaldHeadteacher

Kingswinford Academy is a secondary school located on the border of Dudley and South Staffordshire drawing students from within Kingswinford, across Dudley and from Wombourne and its surrounding villages.

At Kingswinford Academy, and across Windsor Academy Trust, we challenge students to ‘ASPIRE’ both in learning and in life. We have developed a set of six ASPIRE characteristics for students to learn and grow throughout their time within our schools that will prepare them for a successful future. Students are rewarded, not only for their academic achievements, but also by demonstrating these ASPIRE behaviours both in and out of the classroom, and our ultimate accolades are reserved for those

We have worked hard to ensure that the student experience is filled with opportunities for personal development. Alongside our well developed WAT Student Leadership programmes that allow students to become Senators and Prefects, all of our students are presented with our WAT pledge: a commitment that students will take part in twelve exceptional experiences through their time at the school. From sleeping under the stars to presenting to a large audience, our students are stretched to go beyond the ordinary and learn outside the classroom. A programme of trips, visits, opportunities and experiences that take place throughout each year and culminate in our Active Learning Week, bring the academic curriculum to life and allow students to build character; develop their personality and show their extraordinary talents. Coupled with Work Experience, Duke of Edinburgh awards, inspirational speakers and an enormous range of extra-curricular clubs and sports teams, our approach truly allows all of our students to ASPIRE and Be Extraordinary.

ASPIRE AWARDS EVENINGexceptional students who demonstrate exceptional development of all six characteristics.In July we invited that elite group of students to join us for a very special awards ceremony and formal dinner, celebrating all of their achievements and highlighting two of our students - Bryn and Jake - for our highest honour: the ‘Be Extraordinary’ award. This award is reserved for those students who exceed all expectations and exemplify all of those characteristics at the very highest level.

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A PERFECT SCORE IN ART

ACADEMYKINGSWINFORD

James achieved ten grade 9s, the highest possible grade for each of his exams. Indeed, this flawless set of results included a perfect score in Art of 100%.James’s results are, we understand, the highest for any student across our entire region and place him amongst only a handful of students who have achieved this incredible feat across the nation. James is a wonderful example of what the WAT ASPIRE approach can unlock: not only is James an enormous academic success, he has won prizes across the Trust for his artistic talent; was one of Kingswinford’s student leaders; performed in our incredible musical theatre productions; and is one of the kindest, friendliest and most polite students you would care to meet. Truly Extraordinary!

James, a passionate artist, achieved a set of results that makes him extraordinary across the entire country – a ‘full house’ of grade 9s!

At Kingswinford, and across the Windsor Academy Trust family, we attract the most talented staff to pass on their skills and experience to the next generation. Mr Gould is a great example of what it means to be one of our extraordinary team of teachers. Mr Gould joined us as a PE teacher in 2018 following a successful stint as one of Great Britain’s top Gymnasts. Mr Gould regularly competed at a national level in all Gymnastics disciplines alongside many of the fabulous stars of the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. In fact one of Mr Gould’s career highlights was to compete against Louis Smith, World Champion and Olympic medal winning gymnast, on the pommel horse… and win!Mr Gould has now brought gymnastics rapidly into our curriculum and is building an extraordinary team of young people to compete across our Trust and throughout our region, bringing his expertise and incredible skill to Kingswinford. Who knows, he may be training a future Olympian already!

Each year, during our Active Learning Week, students travel the World in search of Extraordinary experiences to develop their personal potential and develop their ‘ASPIRE for Life’ skills.

EXTRAORDINARY STAFF MR GOULD

EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE

SURFING IN NEWQUAY

EXTRAORDINARY STUDENT JAMESStudents have travelled to Berlin, Krakow, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, New York and even Borneo to develop their understanding of different cultures and ideas, but one of the most successful trips is far closer to home. Each year students travel to Newquay to develop a new skill - surfing! Students from all years enjoy an intensive training week that packs in friendship and fun around a new and extraordinary experience.

We couldn’t be more proud of our Academic performance at Kingswinford over the last three years. Each year since joining the WAT family our results have leapt forward, culminating in meeting some incredible benchmarks this August. Our students, for the first time ever, achieved an average grade 5 across all of their exams! Indeed, 25% of all exams were grade 7 or above with almost 15% of students averaging a grade 7 or better! In the all important English and Mathematics performance, Kingswinford students also achieved some groundbreaking milestones. Just shy of three quarters (73%) of all students achieved a grade 4 in both subjects, whilst more than half (54%) met the ‘Strong Pass’ criteria with grade 5s.The real measure of performance, however, is in student progress from their starting point. Since joining Windsor Academy Trust, Kingswinford has had positive progress each year, outperforming the majority of schools nationally! This trend of improvement is set to continue, not only at Kingswinford, but across all of our family of schools, where improving results each year has rapidly become the norm!

As one of the basic building blocks of education, success in English is a key indicator of success across the curriculum and on into future education. It is no surprise, then, that we place a huge emphasis on English education. Our determined and relentless focus has paid off with a massive 80% of all students gaining the challenging ‘Strong Pass’ (grade 5) or better in English this year at Kingswinford. This amazing performance makes our English department the highest performing across the whole of Dudley and the perfect example of the success of our Windsor Academy Trust approach to developing teaching and learning.

RESULTSSUCCESS

SPOTLIGHT ON ENGLISH

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We were delighted to have three staff amongst the first cohort of teachers across the country to be accredited with Chartered Teacher Status from the Chartered College of Teaching. The Chartered Teacher programme helped to develop the staff’s pedagogical skills through undertaking extensive reflective tasks on identified focus areas and in liaising with and co-reflecting with practitioners from other schools and Trusts nationally. Moreover, it helped to ignite their interest and engagement within pedagogical literature and their confidence in undertaking effective practitioner-led, evidence-based research.

The School Games Mark was introduced by the Youth Sports Trust to recognise schools who have an outstanding commitment to physical education, school sport and physical activity. As a school who had previously been awarded five successive gold awards, Windsor High School and Sixth Form became eligible to apply for the new “Platinum Award” which was launched in 2017 to reward schools who have maintained consistently high standards with their school sport provision. In 2017/2018 only 104 schools nationally received this award and Windsor was the only secondary school in Dudley to achieve this honour. As a result of continued excellence in the provision of opportunities for young people in participation, competition and leadership Windsor High School and Sixth Form achieved their second Platinum award this year.

AND SIXTH FORMWINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL

We are a school committed to delivering the very best education for all of our students and we are delighted that yet again, we have delivered a set of positive exam results that place us at the top of government league tables.Our school motto is “Excellence for All” and it applies equally to our twin objectives of academic success and extra-curricular and enrichment provision.We are a school built on traditional values. Our ethos and beliefs are evident in “The Windsor Way”. This is a charter committed to by our whole school community and celebrates the twin tenets of respect and responsibility. Our active House system underlines these traits every day.Our pastoral structure is based on vertical House teams led by a Head of House. As well as allowing healthy competition between students, regular House assemblies focus on raising aspirations, developing physical and mental well-being and spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.

CHARTERED TEACHER

MR STEPHEN LANCKHAM

We are proud of our track record of success for our students. We are one of the top performing schools locally and nationally at GCSE and Post 16 levels. This has been the result of close collaborative relationships between staff, students and parents. Our students have taken on the responsibility of developing a set of core characteristics, attributes and behaviours instrumental to their success as learners. It is known as ‘ASPIRE’ and students aim high and achieve well. Student leadership plays a central part in the growth of our school. We also prioritise the development of our student’s character and our curriculum provides every student with the opportunity to discuss real-world events and issues. Using the ASPIRE framework, we teach students about the skills needed to become happy, safe and responsible citizens, with high aspirations.We have a thriving Sixth Form that welcomes students from our own Year 11 as well as students from other schools. It also has a reputation for academic excellence, a wide extra-curricular and enrichment offer and social and leadership opportunities. Our facilities are first class and represent a university environment.I hope that these few pages of our magazine give you a flavour of our school and the wide ranging success our students experience.

Coachmark is a prestigious award which contributes to a culture of learning in a school and supports broad-based leadership and high levels of professional quality in staff. It exists to support schools and to recognise, celebrate and develop excellent coaching practice. Windsor has been re-accredited with Coachmark Gold recognising ‘outstanding’ coaching provision and exceptional commitment to the quality of coaching for continual professional development.

‘Coaching is the art of facilitating and supporting others to reflect and improve to become even better’. Our mission here at Windsor High School and Sixth Form, is to create an on-going culture of helping each other to become even better’. This ethos is at the heart of our strategy for improving standards in teaching and learning at whole school level; for improving student self-involvement in their own learning, to improve the welfare of the student and to always ensure progress is made by all parties within the educational setting whether it be teachers, students, parents (in their home setting) or leaders.

Mr Stephen LanckhamHeadteacher

I am delighted to welcome you to Windsor High School and Sixth Form as part of our first Windsor Academy Trust magazine. We are proud to be the founder school in the Trust and I have been privileged to be the Headteacher here for the last 4 years.

SCHOOL GAMES PLATINUM

WINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM RETAIN COACHMARK GOLD STATUS

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AND SIXTH FORMWINDSOR HIGH SCHOOL

CELEBRATINGINSPIRATIONALPRACTICE

Last academic year, a number of our students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 at Windsor undertook a UKMT Maths Challenge (Junior/Intermediate). This is a national competition where students use their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving strategies, which are developed through their maths lessons, to solve interesting and complex problems. Students’ performances on this challenge are ranked against peers who participated in the challenge nationally, with a certain proportion being awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold award.One student achieved a Gold award on the Junior challenge and two students achieved a Gold award on the Intermediate challenge, meaning that they all scored within the top 7% of all students who entered the challenge, nationally! A fantastic achievement!

Windsor Science Department was successful in being awarded the Science Gold Mark, a quality standard, designed to recognise

and celebrate inspirational practice in secondary science departments across the UK.

UKMT MATHS CHALLENGE

SCIENCE GOLD MARK

The Year 7 Pledge week continued to be a great success with students learning first aid, visiting the sea and producing and delivering presentations to over 30 classmates. Students feedback as usual was extremely positive with over 97% recommending their activity to future students. In the words of the students themselves.“There were many things which were new and unique” “It was awesome”“I like team building - working together to solve the problems”“I challenged my fears”

The Sixth Form offers students from Windsor, Halesowen and the surrounding area, the chance to benefit from the excellent teaching upon which the school prides itself in a vibrant environment which encourages academic achievement and social development.Every September, we are delighted to welcome our own Year 11 students and students from numerous other schools into Windsor Sixth Form. We provide a supportive and challenging environment in which students are able to flourish. We are a thriving, friendly and supportive community.Our students have a wide variety of different aspirations. We pride ourselves on the support we offer to each individual to maximise their potential as well as develop their self-confidence and belief. The majority of our students aspire to study at university. Their chosen degree courses are wide ranging, including areas such as law, science and the performing arts. Students are also supported to secure positions in employment or apprenticeships.Life at Windsor Sixth Form is not just about academic success; it is also about developing as a person. Extra-curricular activities and leadership roles, alongside a broad tutorial and enrichment programme as well as work experience, enable our students to become well-rounded and confident individuals.It is with pride, every year, that we celebrate the success of our Sixth Form students at Windsor. We look forward to their future successes and to welcoming them back through our Alumni to inspire future generations.

The last week of term saw over 1,200 students engaging in activities week. Students participated in a wide range of activities including camping out for the week under their own homemade shelters, outdoor activities in Devon and participating in dance workshops at the world famous Pineapple Dance Studio in London. Many students took advantage of day trips from zorb football to the Think Tank, to various theme parks to outdoor challenges.

ACTIVITIES WEEK

Three hundred and fifty six educational visits took place last school year, this included away fixtures, dance performances and leadership activities. Day trips including theatre visits, lectures at local universities, library visits, conferences and visits to local companies. Of these nineteen were residential trips, including six international visits.

EDUCATIONAL VISITS

Our Sixth Form has topped government league tables in Dudley for the last 2 years!

WINDSORSIXTH FORM

Forty nine Year 10 students and five members of staff travelled to Belgium and France on the annual Battlefields trip. Whilst this trip is part of improving understanding for GCSE Historians, the experiences gained by the students travelling and seeing the Battlefields is extraordinary and one that they will never forget.

During February Half Term, forty seven students and six staff travelled to Wildschonau in Austria for the school ski trip. For many students this was their first experience of skiing on snow, as their preparation lessons had taken place on artificial slopes. With great weather students soon progressed and improved their skills, with all students making it to the top of the mountain range by the end of the week.

Forty three students and five staff spent part of the Easter holiday in Porto participating in the school football tour. Students had a great time with high quality coaching from the Porto staff and matches against local teams.

Three six formers and one member of staff were selected to participate in a trip to Auschwitz. The experience was an emotional one for those involved, but certainly a trip to remember. As part of raising awareness students have led assemblies and participated in workshops.

Nineteen Year 10 GCSE dance students from Windsor joined with their Kingswinford counterparts to participate in a visit to Disneyland. Whilst there, the students participated in workshops led by professional dancers and were able to observe the professionals participating in the parade and other show pieces.

The language department took sixth form Spanish students on a cultural visit to Barcelona during October half term. As well as using their language skills students visited Gaudi Park, the Sagrada Familia and Las Ramblas.

BATTLEFIELDS

SKI TRIP

PORTUGAL FOOTBALL TOUR

AUSCHWITZ

DISNEYLAND PARIS

BARCELONA

Our Sixth Form prospectus is available on our website (www.windsor.windsoracademytrust.org.uk) along with lots of information including course overviews.

WINDSOR ACADEMY TRUST

T: 0121 602 7594

E: info@windsoracademytrust.org.uk W: windsoracademytrust.org.uk@winacadtrust

Windsor Business CentreTrinity PointHigh StreetHalesowenB63 3HY