Academy Life

How are the students organised? (top)

There is a strong climate of encouragement for success and students can receive awards and prizes throughout their Academy career. Many students go on to further education and a substantial number proceed to university.

Students are based in form groups, which are organised vertically in houses. A teacher assigned to the group as a Form Tutor. Each house has a Head of House who is responsible for the welfare of students in that house.

The aim is to keep form groups small so that relationships can develop between students and their tutor who often remains with them for the whole of their five years of secondary education.

Children attending neighbourhood Primary Schools will be familiar with Shireland as the nearest secondary school through visits and shared events.

From Year 5 in the Primary School, children meet teachers and take part in lessons. Close collaboration between teachers at Shireland and the Primary Schools ensures that we build upon students' prior achievements.

How is student progress monitored and recorded? (top)

There is a strong climate of encouragement for success and students can receive awards and prizes throughout their Academy career. Many students go on to further education and a substantial number proceed to university.

What incentives are provided for student achievement? (top)

Prizes and commendations are given out in assemblies and there are opportunities to gain successes in a wide range of subjects and activities such as Sport and the Arts.

Merit points are given for outstanding effort and achievement in any aspect of school life and are recorded in the Academy organiser. These lead to Head Teacher's and Governors' Awards.

How are parents actively involved in student learning? (top)

We have replaced the traditional parents' evenings with a Parents' Day. This is a new way of communicating with parents which, we believe, is informative and useful to us all. Form tutors contact parents to arrange a mutually convenient appointment between 8.00am and 7.00pm on Parents' Day. This day allows our staff to talk to family members in a more private and relaxed manner.

We believe that this arrangement enables parents to spend more time with the tutor looking at your child's books, discussing progress and identifying what else we can all do to enable your child to achieve even more.

Educational Evenings - These are arranged to inform parents about curriculum matters, to give parents a chance to speak to subject tutors about courses. There is a Key Stage 4 evening, Key Stage 3 evening, an evening for Year 7 students and a new intake evening. They are also an opportunity to see examples of student work and celebrate success.

How does the Academy deal with bullying? (top)

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our students so they can learn in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Everybody has the right to be treated with respect. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our Academy. If bullying does occur, all students should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Students who are bullying need to learn different ways of behaving.

What is Bullying?
There are many definitions of bullying. We consider it to be:

• Deliberately hurtful (including aggression)
• Repeated, often over a period of time
• Difficult for victims to defend themselves against

Bullying can be:

• Emotional being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting (e.g. hiding books, threatening gestures)
• Physical pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
• Racist racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
• Sexual unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
• Homophobic focussing on the issue of sexuality
• Verbal name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing

If you are being bullied:

• Try to stay calm and look as confident as you can
• Be firm and clear look them in the eye and tell them to stop
• Get away from the situation as quickly as possible
• Tell an adult what has happened straight away After you have been bullied
• Tell a teacher or another adult in Academy
• Tell your family
• If you are scared to tell an adult by yourself, ask a friend to come with you
• Keep speaking up until someone listens and does something to stop the bullying
• Use our peer support service
• Don’t blame yourself for what has happened

When you are talking to an adult about bullying, be clear about:

• What has happened to you
• How often it has happened
• Who was involved
• Who saw what was happening
• Where it happened
• What you have done about it already

If you find it difficult to talk to anyone at Academy or home telephone

Childline - Freephone 0800 1111

or write

Freepost 1111
London
N1 OBR

The phone call or letter is free. It is a confidential helpline.

You can also contact our Academy Counsellor

Objectives of our policy

• All governors, teaching and non-teaching staff, students and parents should have an understanding of what bullying is.
• All governors and teaching and non-teaching staff should know what the Academy policy on bullying, and follow it when bullying is reported.
• All students and parents should know what the Academy policy is on bullying, and what they should do if bullying arises.
• As a Academy we take bullying seriously. Students and parents should be assured that they would be supported when bullying is reported.
• To encourage students to develop strategies to deal with bullying.

Procedures

• Anyone who knows that bullying is happening should tell someone.
• Parents and teachers should cooperate in identifying such behaviour.
• Parents and teachers should cooperate in developing preventative strategies
• Preventative strategies may include:
• Improving social skills
• Raising self-esteem
• Conflict resolution
• Stress management

Where students do not respond to preventative strategies tougher action will be used to deal with persistent and violent bullying.

Sanctions may include:

• Removal from the group (in class)
• Withdrawal of break and lunchtime privileges
• Detention
• Withholding participation in any Academy trip or sports events that are not an essential part of the curriculum
• Fixed period of exclusion
• Where serious violence is involved, the head teacher can permanently exclude a student.
• Academy will keep a record of all reported incidents

Intervention Techniques

The curriculum will be used to:

• Raise awareness about bullying and the anti-bullying policy
• Increase understanding for victims, and help build an anti-bullying ethos
• Teach students how constructively to manage their relationships with others
• Explore issues of diversity and difference - discussing what schools and society can do to end discrimination

Trained peer mediators will be used to solve problems between students. The usual process is:

1. Define the problem: in turn, participants describe their perspectives - without interruption but within set time limits. The mediator clarifies the feeling of each participant and then summarises what has been said
2. Identify key issues; listed on paper, divided into conflict and non-conflict issues
3. Brainstorm possible options; both parties suggest solutions which are written down. They consider the implications for themselves and each other
4. Negotiate a plan of action and agreement; the mediator asks which solutions will most likely satisfy both parties.
5. One solution is identified and a written agreement is made and signed by all participants. Both parties shake hands
6. Follow up; evaluate outcomes
7. The Academy will recognise and challenge any abusive behaviour
8. The use of CCTV will be used to supervise the site.

What are the arrangements for religious education? (top)

Religious Education is taught to the Sandwell Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and all students receive a weekly lesson. It is also available to all students as an additional examination subject. Assemblies are held regularly, and reinforce the messages which we believe to be crucial here at Shireland.

How is sex education approached by the Academy? (top)

The Governors have prepared a Sex Education Policy for the Academy. This forms part of each student's curriculum in a number of subjects. Further details are available from the Academy.

How can I address suggestions or complaints to the Academy? (top)

There is a formal procedure established under Section 23 of the Education Reform Act for complaints regarding the curriculum. The arrangements made by the Authority for parents to register a complaint about the curriculum provision are available from the Head Teacher or the Education Department. It is hoped that any matters of dissatisfaction can be resolved at the earliest opportunity.