To provide All with the Opportunity to succeed, to build confidence and pride in our community
Opportunity + Success = Confidence & Pride
When pupils complete their learning journey through Neale-Wade Academy, they will depart as: self-motivated individuals who are independent problem solvers confident and ready to take an active role in society, proud of their achievements.
These characteristics will support pupils to achieve their best future whether it be academic, vocational or into employment. Our curriculum offers a range of pathways which pupils begin to diversify into from the end of year 9. This diversification is based on strong careers' guidance and opens up different opportunities for some pupils to experience a more vocational pathway or to continue to follow a more academic route. In all cases, our curriculum still allows pupils to access a broad range of enrichment, social, leadership, cultural and creative experiences that enhance their life experience and understanding of citizenship. It also maintains flexibility so that pupils are not locked into a route that is not appropriate for them. '
Our subject specialist Curriculum Leaders have crafted a rigorous curriculum in each subject that promotes curiosity and develops a depth of understanding. At each point the knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills that need to be mastered to move on are clearly defined. All subjects prepare our pupils for future study, leaving no doors closed, as they take ownership of their future choices and move through their education at Neale-Wade.
We commit extra support for English, Reading and mathematics in every year group. This allows pupils to quickly develop literacy and numeracy skills and to close any identified gaps from Key Stage 2. Furthermore, pupils are taught about the importance of linking and applying knowledge and skills cross curricular.
Progress through our curriculum is measured regular via the completion of low stakes assessment activities and teacher judgements, alongside the completion of end of year assessments from years 9-10 and two mock assessments for years 11 and 13. Pupils are expected to complete a range of home learning tasks throughout the year. Through all this, our pupils are challenged to become independent learners, creative thinkers, and problem solvers. Parents are invited to meet teachers at least once each year to discuss their child’s progress and strategies for further improvement.
We have identified reading as the ‘golden thread’ in our curriculum in order to highlight the importance of this skill across all subjects. Children need to be able to read with confidence and fluency as well as comprehend all different types of reading material not only to be successful in their subjects but also to be fulfilled in life and access all the opportunities available to them.
In order to achieve this, we have in place a rigorous testing strategy to enable us to identify struggling readers and provide appropriate intervention programmes. We ensure that all students have a reading book with them at all times with regular access to the library as well as a pastoral reading programme during tutor time.
In addition, reading is one of our Six Pillars of Teaching and Learning and students should experience 5-7 minutes of reading in every lesson of every day with a focus on vocabulary. We have identified our Seven Golden Rules of Reading and each faculty has a Reading Champion in order to drive this at a faculty level. Students in Key Stage Three read at the start of every English lesson for 15 minutes.
Our aim is to ensure that every student can access the university or career of their choice and so our goal is for every Neale-Wade Academy student to:
• Develop good behaviours and skills, such as communication, creativity, problem solving, digital literacy and resilience in the face of challenge
• Have access and exposure to a range of opportunities which help build a picture of what they want their future to look like
• Make ambitious and informed decisions about their future
Our careers strategy enables students to be:
• engaged in understanding the world of work and motivated to pursue a job or career
• aware of options in the labour market, locally, nationally and internationally. They are also aware of their current strengths and interests
• able to make choices that support their aspirations and are aligned to labour market opportunities
• able to acquire skills and behaviours necessary to attain their desired employment
• able to attain and transition to their desired employment, or are en route to doing so in their career
‘The Student Leadership Team is a prestigious group of students who are working towards improving the experience of all who attend Neale-Wade Academy with the overall aim of providing first class opportunities to the pupils. There are areas of improvement that they are focusing on. These are: Community and Competition, Academic and Pastoral and Wellbeing and Anti-bullying.
The aim of the student leadership team is to enhance the learning, environment, and opportunities of all. They have the opportunity to work with external agencies, the community, SLT, governors and the students to make a positive impact on the school.’
Our enrichment programme ensures all students have the opportunity to take part in different activities away from a lesson-based environment. We recognise that opportunities both in the curriculum and through extra-curricular activities leads to success in a wide variety of areas. This in turn gives our students confidence as well as skills to support them in their next steps. We want our students to develop a sense of pride, both in their academic achievement as well as the additional opportunities, Neale-Wade can offer.
We offer a range of activities run by our staff as well as in conjunction with other organisations such as Insight Media and 20Twenty Productions Ltd.
Other activities include Chess Club, Craft Club, Media Club, various sports and music clubs to support and challenge students.
