Priory school prospectus 2014-2015

T: 01743 284000 // www.priory.shropshire.sch.ukThe Priory School, Longden Road Shrewsbury, SY3 9EE

Prospectus2014 / 2015

The Priory School, Shrewsbury

Business & Enterprise College

An Academy Trust

“In pursuit of excellence - together we can make it happen”


View videos on ourYouTube Channel byclicking the links below:

Welcome

Art

Business

Design Technology

Drama

English

Food and Textiles

Geography

History

Computing & ICT

Languages

Learning Resource Centre

Life

Maths

Music

Physical Education

Religious Philosophy

Science

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAVP_0BXm20&index=1&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4UjsjaCKl4&index=2&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AttDEKIU65g&index=3&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMECVJOdFIk&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv_fiwUjvY0&index=6&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0e0NTdjmGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oV9Z0cOHbk&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKupgCaPDUw&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXabV6GnRiI&index=14&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgg0kScdpOE&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQvWOm-g5-k&index=10&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQMYLLAW0w4&index=15&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uND370Z4I1Q&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=16

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WHZlXL_Hqw&index=9&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CefPX5DB6oY&index=4&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um7rHrkaFZw&list=PLgGpyvn7THocuBKi3k1evdDTA9zgiafG0&index=13

The information in this booklet is correct at the time of printing but it is

possible that changes may be made before or after the school year starts.

More detailed information, including policies and procedures can be

found on our website: www.priory.shropshire.sch.uk

Welcome ................................................................4

GCSE Results .........................................................6

Examination Results 2014........................................7

The School Day.......................................................8

The School Curriculum ............................................9

Curriculum ............................................................11

Content and Organisation of Curriculum .................12

Beyond The Classroom .........................................14

Activities and Visits ................................................16

Homework ............................................................18

Communcation with Parents on Student Progress...19

Academy Status....................................................21

Provision for Students with Special Needs ..............22

At The Priory School, We Believe In... .....................23

Our School Code of Conduct ................................24

Student Life...........................................................25

Charity Fundraising ................................................26

Absence and Illness ..............................................27

Uniform.................................................................28

Getting To and From School ..................................28

Parent Pay @ The Priory School .............................29

What is the Priory School’s Admission Process? .....30

Mid-Term or In-Year Admissions..............................32

T: 01743 284000 // www.priory.shropshire.sch.uk

3

Welcome from the Chair of Governors

Dear Parent/Carer

We are delighted that you are considering The Priory School for your child.

The Priory School prides itself on providing a safe and happy environment which has been

described by parents and students as like being part of a large family.

All of our efforts are aimed at achieving our motto:


We believe that every student has the capacity to achieve their own personal excellence and it

is our pleasure to support them on their educational journey through secondary education.

We provide students with a rich and wide variety of learning, both within and outside of school,

that aims to fully engage students. We encourage students to grasp the wide range of extra-

curricular activities offered by the school.

We hope that our prospectus provides you with the information you require but would urge you

to visit our school website: www.priory.shropshire.sch.uk, where you can find out even more

about the school.

Yours sincerely

David CoullChair of Governors

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At the Priory School we aimto help each student by...

enriching his or her life

prepare them for educational choice

supporting their learning through monitoring their progress against expected grades

and taking appropriate action as and when required

offering guidance or counselling, helping them to make their own decisions

assisting them to develop their own life-style and to respect that of others

maintaining an orderly atmosphere in which all this is possible

At The Priory School we believe that...

The education of every child is of equal value, so that the best possible opportunities

shall be pursued according to individual ability and aptitude

All academic ability should be recognised and fostered so that individual excellence

can be achieved

The social, moral and spiritual development of the students is of equal importance and

that, in seeking to develop these, high standards of conduct, speech, social awareness

and personal relationships shall be fostered and encouraged at all times


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Overview of GCSE Results 2014

All Boys Girls

Number of Candidates 168 95 73

Achieving 5+ A* (including English and Maths) 132 73 59

Achieving 5 A*/A 45 20 25

Achieving 5+ A*- C 141 79 62

Achieving 5+ A*- G 168 95 73

APS 440 435 446

Average Capped Score 354 348 360

NOTES

The comparative tables of school performance information provided by the Department forEducation and Shropshire Education Authority are published in November and may be obtainedfrom school on request.

APS - In order to report all approved qualifications in the Tables, the Department for Education(DfE) assigns a points value to all qualifications in order to allow comparison betweenqualifications of different level, size and grading system. These performance measurementfigures are based on the relative challenge and size of a qualification.

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Number of students: 169

Boys: 95

Girls: 74

GCSE Results

Examination Results 2014

Art & Design 48 2 9 11 15 5 4 1 1 77.08 41.88

Graphics 28 0 5 10 9 4 0 0 0 85.71 43.43

Drama 20 3 12 2 3 0 0 0 0 100 50.50

Music 16 1 2 5 3 4 0 0 1 68.75 41.50

Business Studies 47 3 9 16 9 6 3 1 0 78.72 43.57

D&T Food Tech 28 5 10 5 4 3 0 1 0 85.71 47.29

Product Design 40 0 8 10 10 6 4 2 0 70 40.90

Child Development 20 1 1 6 5 3 3 1 0 65 39.70

Economics 13 1 4 4 1 1 2 0 0 76.92 44.62

English 118 9 26 39 27 11 5 1 0 85.59 44.78

English Literature 118 5 32 35 34 10 1 1 0 89.83 45.03

English Language & Literature 50 3 9 16 14 6 2 0 0 84 43.96

French 68 8 20 14 22 3 1 0 0 94.12 46.44

Spanish 10 0 2 2 2 4 0 0 0 60 41.20

Geography 79 16 26 18 14 3 1 1 0 93.67 48.35

History 78 7 26 18 13 5 3 2 4 81.01 43.90

Religious Study F 63 12 19 23 9 0 0 0 0 100 49.24

Religious Study S 100 0 7 31 36 10 9 4 3 73.27 39.19

Information Technology S 143 14 65 46 13 4 1 0 0 96.5 48.90

Mathematics 163 16 26 46 55 8 7 3 2 85.12 42.63

Media Studies 50 0 5 13 19 8 3 2 0 74 40.36

Psychology 93 14 40 20 13 3 2 1 0 88.68 44.30

Statistics 136 4 21 38 56 14 3 0 0 87.50 43.18

Biology 29 3 9 9 5 2 1 0 0 89.66 46.62

Chemistry 29 5 8 8 5 3 0 0 0 89.66 47.45

Physics 29 4 7 7 8 2 1 0 0 89.66 46

Science Core 139 1 14 26 41 32 17 6 2 58.99 38.37

Science Additional 118 3 13 28 39 31 4 0 0 70.34 41.22

Sport/PE Studies 16 0 7 2 3 4 0 0 0 75 44.50

EPQ 12 0 2 3 3 4 0 0 0 0 100

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A Level Equivalent


The building is open for access by the children from 8.15am and the school day starts at8.35am. Lessons end at 3.00pm and the building remains open until 10.00pm as weencourage community use of the building for adult leisure, recreation and learning.

The Learning Resource Centre is open every day until 4.00pm.

The day is divided into five lessons of 60 minutes each as follows: -

8.35am Registration

8.40am Lesson 1

9.40am Lesson 2

10.40am Break

11.00am Lesson 3

12.00am Lesson 4

12.50pm Year 7’s go into the canteen for lunch

1.00pm Lunch Break

1.40pm Assemblies or Tutor Period

2.00pm Lesson 5

3.00pm End of Day

We believe that it is important for students to feel part of the larger school community throughregular Assemblies. Assemblies are led by senior members of staff and are either for individualyear groups, combined assemblies for Years 7, 8 and 9 or Years 10 and 11. Building a senseof community is very important to us.

The School Day

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The School Curriculum

The school’s curriculum aims to offer a broad and balanced education suited to students

of all abilities.

Students follow a broad and balanced two year Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8) during which the

foundation for further learning is embedded. Please refer to the chart on page 10 for a full list

of the subjects studied.

In Year 9 students have an enrichment year during which they have the opportunity to have a

real flavour of higher study within their subjects.

Core subjects (English, Maths, Science, including those students going on to study Biology,

Physics and Chemistry) have the opportunity to start elements of their GCSE courses

towards the summer term in Year 9. Students are provided with an opportunity to

make some subject choices for their studies in Years 10 and 11.

Students in year 7 and 8 will receive 6 hours of Chinese/Mandarin.

Chinese is delivered by withdrawing students from lessons on a rolling

programme.

We want our students to:

do their best

enjoy learning and come to see education as a life-long process

develop the attitudes, understanding and skills necessary to build high self-esteem,

exercise independence and initiative and to work, participate and thrive in a

democratic society

develop lively, enquiring minds and the ability to:

find and use information

question and debate rationally

apply understanding and skills in order to address issues, solve problems and carry

out practical tasks

develop personal values and gain understanding of the values and ways of other

people and other cultures;

understand the world in which they live and the interdependence of individuals, groups

and nations;

develop appreciation and concern for the environment;

work co-operatively with others


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We currently offer five different pathways in Year 10 and 11 and continuously strive to ensure

the curriculum is as personalized as possible. For students who are more academically able,

we offer the opportunity to study up to 12 GCSE’s and for academically gifted students there is

also the opportunity to study the Extended Project Qualification at A/S level. Other students

study between seven and ten GCSE’s.

We also offer very personalised routes for these students who are not yet ready for GCSE’s,

with courses at ‘entry level’ which provide a good foundation to go on to study GCSE’s at a

later stage.

Parents can be confident that the school ensures that they are fully informed and involved in

student choices for Years 10 and 11.

The school also aims, through its emphasis on business and enterprise,

to enhance the curriculum by:

Building and extending on our excellence in academic standards

Active involvement with the local community

Preparing students effectively for the world of work and further education through

enterprise curriculum enrichment and partnerships with business that leads to

diversified 14-19 educational pathways

Business is taught for one hour per week in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Students can then opt to study Business or Economics GCSE in Years 10 and 11.

The School Curriculum (cont)

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Curriculum

4 lessons GCSE course in English Language and English Literature

4 lessonsGCSE course inc Statistics for some students

5 hours triple Science, (Biology, Chemistry andPhysics), OR Core Science and AdditionalScience OR Cambridge National Science

2 lessons Core

Resistant Materials, Food Technology

1 lesson each2 lessons optional

GCSE courses

2 lessons optional GCSE courses

French and Spanish 3 lessons

French and Spanish 3 lessons

French 3 lessons2 lessons optional

GCSE courses

Geography, History, Business & Enterprise, Religious Philosophy1 lesson each

Religious Philosophy 1 lessonGCSE short/full course

Setting in Maths andEnglish from first

half-term.

Mixed ability in allother subjects

PE do set studentson occasions

according to thesport / activity being

undertaken

Setting within broad ability bands in Maths,English, Science, Languages, Humanities

Mixed ability in other subjects

PE do set students on occasions according tothe sport / activity being undertaken

Setting in Core subjects

28 252528

Literacy/ Numeracy for students who do notstudy Spanish 1-3 lessons

Yr 10 & 11 Students chose 4 options from thefollowing subjects: Applied Art, Art &

Design,Business, Child Development, Drama, ‘AS level’ Extended Project (AS), Food, French,

Geography, History, Computing & ICT, Law,Music, PE, Personalised Learning,Psychology,Spanish, Computer Graphic Design, Product

Design.

28

3 lessons 3 lessons 3 lessons

1 lesson

Art, Drama & Music 1 lesson each

2 lessons optional GCSE courses





Literacy/Numeracy for

students who donot study French

3 lessons

Students experience 6 hours of Chinese per year

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The school has moved to a two year Key Stage 3 with the Key Stage effectively ending at theend of Year 8. Students then move onto a “bridging / enrichment year” (Year 9) where they aregiven a wide range of experiences of work at GCSE level.

Business and Enterprise College activities extend throughout the school. Students areprovided with opportunities to develop business and enterprise skills through learningexperiences in academic areas.

Students are placed in classes according to their ability in English and Maths shortly after they arrive in Year 7 to ensure they continue to make progress in these subjects. In Year 7English and Maths are taught in eight classes to allow for more focussed intervention. InPhysical Education there is some grouping according to ability and the sport that is beingtaught.

Drama, Music, Art and Technology are taught in mixed ability groups throughout the school. All other subjects are taught in mixed ability groups in Year 7 and in sets according to their ability and level of achievement from Year 8 onwards.

Those students who arrive in school below Level 4 in English and/or Maths are withdrawn fromFrench. Parents are consulted on this decision. The students then study extra numeracy andliteracy.

The size of the teaching group varies according to the subject and set. The average number ina classroom based group is usually 28, and in Design and Technology the average is around20.

The Learning Support Department offers help and guidance for those children who experiencelearning difficulties, as well as students who have statements of special educational needs. The school has a policy of including all students in the broad and balanced curriculum.

Students with mobility difficulties gain access via two lifts in the school to the first floor of thebuilding and so have access to all subject areas.

Content and Organisation of Curriculum


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We encourage the use of ICT as a learning tool in all subjects. The school maintains an internalnetwork, which can be accessed in five specialist computer rooms and across the school inteaching classrooms and the Learning Resource Centre. There is also a Business andEnterprise Resource Centre which provides students with a learning experience akin to a mini-conference centre. The school also has a Virtual Learning Environment which students canaccess from home as well as at school. This allows access to subject specific software andresources as well as students own work.

Each academic area is led by a School Improvement Facilitator (SIF). They are responsible for the subject content, in line with published national curriculum criteria and programmes ofstudy, the deployment of teachers in the team and the allocation of children to groups or sets.Teaching Assistants are deployed to support individual students with their learning and also provide support for the teacher in carrying out their professional duties.

Content and Organisation of Curriculum (cont)

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Providing students with opportunities to be involved in school productions and sportingactivities is essential.

Our school calendar of productions is as follows:

26 – 28 November – School Production – Fame

12 March – Pro 15

9 July – Summer Concert

We continue to achieve success across a range of sports.

In football Years 8 and 10 won their tournaments to be crowned District 5 a side Championsfor 2014. In addition, Years 7 and 10 were runners up in the district 11 a side competition.

The Year 8 boys cricket team defeated 5 other Shropshire schools before finishing as runnersup in the U13 County Cricket ‘Chance to Shine’ competition.

The school also enjoyed great success in netball with Years 8, 9, 10 and 11 ending the year asDistrict Cup winners.

The district rounders’ tournaments also went well for the girls with Years 7 and 8 finishing asrunners up and Year 9 winning their tournament.

The school also entered the badminton competition in the Wenlock Olympics and studentswon silver and bronze medals.

We believe that clubs and activities taking place outside the classroom and after school hoursare an important part of the life of the school. These activities enrich the education weprovide, they help our young people to develop their own personal qualities and strengths anduse their initiative.

Beyond The Classroom



Help and homework club, extra revision sessions, “top up”sessions after school to students wishing to do full course GCSE

French and Spanish conversation practice after-school for Year 11

The Learning Resource Centre is open all day and students canuse this at break and lunch time and for an hour each evening afterschool. There is homework club on two evenings per week and areading club called Blurbs at lunch time three times a term

Ju Jitsu & Martial Arts, Rock Solid Club, Jewellery making.

Bronze Award for Years 10 and 11. Open Gold Award expeditionin collaboration with Shrewsbury Darwin Rotary Award for Year 11.

Fund Raising - through the year group and other organised events

Competitions - Sport, Quiz, Pro 15, House Credits andCommendations for good work.


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Beyond The Classroom (cont)

Year 10 Young Enterprise, Business Academy Key Stage 3

Netball, Rugby, Dance, Gymnastics, Badminton, Football, TableTennis, Tennis, Rounders, Athletics, Cricket, Softball, Volleyball,Trampoline, Health and Fitness and Basketball.

Violin, Woodwind, Guitar, Brass, Drumkit, Piano and Keyboard,instrumental lessons are available. The tuition is provided by arange of teachers and further details are available on the schoolwebsite in the Parents sections entitled Music Provision Booklet.

Clubs include Wind Ensemble, Violin Ensemble, SchoolProduction, PRO talent shows and Showstoppers Choir.

Drama Club. In addition, there are yearly school productions andthe series of PRO shows which showcase talent.

A chance to catch up with work after school. A variety of themedArt Clubs run throughout the year.

Weekly help and homework club, extra revision sessions, GCSEone to one support when necessary.

Weekly GCSE support, GCSE One-to-one support whennecessary, Study support Year 7 – 9 (Food and Textiles asrequired).

Business & Enterprise:

Sport:

Music:

Drama Club:

Art & Design

Geography/HistoryPsycology/RP:

Activities and clubs available are:

Food Technology:

Learning ResourceCentre:

Other Clubs:

Charity:

Houses:

Religious Philosophy:

Languages:

Duke of EdinburghAward:

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A wide range of activities and visits has taken place during the 2013-2014 academic year. Thepurpose of these is to engage students in learning beyond the classroom and build links withthe community through extending learning opportunities. These visits also provideopportunities for personal and social development.

Residential visits were made to New York (Year 11, Business Studies/History), Paris (Year 10French), Cantabria, (Year 8), Arthog (Year 9), Amsterdam, Andorra (skiiing all years) and PGL,(Year 7). In addition, expeditions were organised for Year 10 and 11 participants in the Duke ofEdinburgh Award Scheme.

Visits out of school during the day or evening have been made to various businesses such asEnginuity, RAF Cosford, Chester Zoo, Crocky Trail, The Quarry, Cineworld, Pizza hut, RadbrookShopping Centre, Charles Darwin Shopping Centre, NEC, Telford Ice Rink, Theatres,Magistrates Court, High Ropes Course, Liverpool Art Galleries, AMF Bowling and Big BangFayre.

Activities and Visits


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The following are guest business speakers who have visited the school:

The Priory School always ensures the right level of supervision as safety is priority.

Activities and Visits (cont)

Film Technology Group

Shrewsbury Hospital

Alstrom

Turtle Doves

The Fergus Care Home

Shrewsbury College

Barclays Bank

Cruckton Hall

Aanar Heating

Andrews, Orme & Hinton

Whittingham Riddell

Community Fire Service

Morris Care

Saxonby Construction

Farm Friends

Reaseheath College

Fran O’Boyle Storyteller/Writer

Faulkes Telescope

Walford & North Shropshire

College

RAF

Andrew Fusek Peters

Coverage Care

Police Service

Armed Forces

Harper Adams University

Royal Navy

Kelly Dancewear

Ringway

Dyke Yaxley

Robotics Renewable Energy

Book Feast, R. Robinson Author

Caterpillar

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College

Wave-length

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A well-planned and well-managed homework programme helps students to develop the skillsand attitudes they will need for successful lifelong learning. Homework also helps create instudents a sense of responsibility for their own education, provides opportunities for them toreflect on their learning, supports the development of independent learning skills and providesparents with an opportunity to take part in their child's education.

Any learning activity that students are asked to do outside of normal lesson time can beregarded as homework.

We offer a variety of tasks for homework which include:

Homework

Reading

Listening

Watching

Researching

Drawing

Memory work

Investigating

Report writing

Drafting

Model making

Revising

Designing

Interviewing

Essay writing

We provide parents with information about their child’s progress at a consultation evening withsubject teachers, via an annual written report to parents and then through the PersonalisedPlanning Day interview with the Form Tutor.

We also actively encourage parents to contact us to discuss any concerns or where they wantclarification about any issue.

We provide a variety of ways by which you can contactus:

Email contact for parents for all teaching staff. These can be found on the Contact Us section of the website.

By phone. Our school is open all year and there is always someone that can help.

We also communicate with parents in a range of ways:

Email and texting.

Parents receive a calendar of events for the academic year in September and a copy ofour “Essential News for Parents” newsletter is sent home at the start of each term and at the end of the Summer Term with copies also posted on our website.

Our website is very important in providing parents withlots of up to date information on the school, including butnot limited to:

School Policies

The termly Priory News which contains information on activities at the school

Governing Body information, including minutes and Headteacher’s termly reports

Curriculum provision

Examination results

A link to the School’s Admissions processes

A link to the Department for Education Achievement and Attainment Performance Data

A Home-School agreement which reflects our commitment to parents and student and how wehope you will support us, has been produced after consultation between teachers, governors,parents and students. All parents and students joining the school are asked to sign this.


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Communication with Parents on Student Progress

The school recognises achievements in a variety of ways….

We also believe in rewarding students for their positive approaches to learning and have a wide ranging reward system.

End of term assemblies are used to celebrate success.

“Student of the Term” Certificates are awarded in each year group at the end of eachterm.

“The Sheila Laws Award for Services to the Community” is awarded annually.

Trophies for outstanding contributions in academic areas are presented annually tostudents in Year 11.

Book tokens are presented annually to students in Year 8 for outstanding contributionsin relation to ‘progress’, ‘effort’ and ‘achievement’ in all academic areas.

Year 9 are awarded subject awards based on specific projects at varying points in the year.

“Fab Fridays” are awarded to students in recognition of exceptional performance.They are invited to join the Headteacher to share their achievements during registrationtime the following Friday and receive a Headteacher’s award, which is equivalent to 3house credits.

House credits are awarded to students for producing very good work in Year 7 and 8which they collect and can work towards Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Awards.

Throughout Years 9, 10 and Year 11, students are awarded Commendations by theirsubject teachers. Commendations are awarded for students working consistently hardand achieving their own personal bests. Students who achieve Commendations in themajority of subjects are presented with certificates.

All members of staff share the responsibility for the wellbeing, welfare, discipline and safety ofthe student at the school. Form tutors are supported in their work by our Heads of Year whoact like mini-headteachers of each year group, our Assistant Headteacher for Inclusion andfour senior members of staff, including the Headteacher.

The form tutor is the key person in our school and, if any Parent/Carer has aparticular concern regarding the wellbeing of their child then we encourageparents to contact them. If a parent has a concern about a specific aspect oftheir child’s academic work at school then we encourage them to approachthe appropriate subject teacher in the first instance. The average size ofeach tutor group is 28, which ensures that the form tutor can get toknow the students well.

20


Communication with parents on student progress (cont)


21

As an academy, we have freedoms not enjoyed by local authority schools. We have freedomto set our own curriculum which allows us to ensure we deliver the right programmes of studythat will develop assertive, confident students who are able to achieve their own personal bestat GCSE.

In addition, as an Academy, we have total control over our finances. Our first priority is tosustain our staffing levels and we continue to develop our buildings and have redesigned andrefurbished our dining hall so that it has more modern fixtures and fittings.

In 2013 we were given a grant to replace the flat rooves around the school which are also nowinsulated.

During the last academic year we have totally redesigned and opened our Learning ResourceCentre which provides a wonderful place for students to study. Students have access to a setof laptops. We also have a great selection of fictions books that students can take out on loan.We have also spent money refurbishing the senior girls toilets and one of our ScienceLaboratories into a multi use classroom.

Academy Status

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We welcome students with a range of special educational needs and barriers to learning andtake pride in our ethos of a caring and orderly environment, within our comprehensive policyfor meeting the needs of all students.

Special educational needs is a broad term and covers a wide range of need, from thosestudents who may require some temporary support with their spelling or handwriting, to thosewho have long term needs recognised in a statement issued by the Local Authority.

Our policy is based on the following principles:

That all teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs and have aresponsibility to meet those needs with the advice and support of the learning supportteam.

That all children are entitled to access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

Those students with special educational needs will be integrated as fully as possibleinto the life of the school, enabling them to maximise their potential as learners andexperience and contribute to the social and cultural activities of the school.

That provision for students should:

match needstake account of the wishes and feelings of the studentbe in partnership with the student’s parents.

Please follow our link to see full details of our SEN provision.

Provision for Students with Special Needs


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It is important to be constantly thinking about “what next?” in terms of sustaining ouroutstanding teaching and learning. After all, we live in a world that is forever changing.However, it is equally important to remember those things that remain consistently important toretain.

The consistent features of The Priory School are setting the highest expectations of allstudents in terms of behaviour and ‘doing their best’. Being polite, courteous and friendly to allare important qualities in society. We expect all members of our school community to be ableto work in a safe environment that supports learning.

Equally important is that when students make a mistake and behave inappropriately, they aredealt with fairly. For this reason, we have a very consistent approach to consequences forpoor behaviour, which operates throughout the school.

In a school community of 800 children there are sometimes incidents of bullying. This is notsurprising given that children are still learning how to form relationships. The school hasclearly defined systems for dealing with incidents of bullying. Our Life programme involves aprogramme of study which stresses the importance of telling people when problems occur inrelationships. This builds on the great work already done in our local primary schools.

Full details of our strategies for dealing with bullying can be found on our website in theParents section under Policies.

In addition, we work in partnership with parents when students are experiencing problems withtheir behaviour. Through working in partnership we aim to support students in changing theirbehaviour.

Support for families….

Students and families can have times in their lives when they need additional support and help. For this reason, we have a Student Support Officer and Learning Mentor. They are both fulltime members of staff who work exclusively with students and families who need support.

At The Priory School, We Believe In...

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We believe in ….

Trust, respect care and honesty

Doing our best

Being happy, healthy and safe

Personal responsibility

Creativity and enterprise

Being polite, courteous and friendly to all

Embracing diversity

Priory school students should...

show respect and courtesy towards all members of the school community at all times

be hardworking and considerate of others.

take a pride in the school and their uniform.

use mature means of resolving difficulties.

Priory students should not be involved in...

racism or offensive language.

physical or verbal bullying.

any form of violence

Our School Code of Conduct

Joining the school at eleven

We hope to make the transition from primary to secondary education as smooth as possible.The Head of Year (HOY) for Year 7 acts as a mini-headteacher for the year group withresponsibility for monitoring students progress and wellbeing and works with the AssistantHeadteacher on Inclusion to ensure there is a smooth transition. We arrange to meet allchildren transferring to us at eleven in their primary school and have an induction day in earlyJuly. Parents are also invited to an Induction evening in July when they can meet form tutors,view the school and discuss the details of arrangements for joining us in the Autumn Term.

Our liaison programme involves curriculum discussion with primary colleagues, visits for staffand students and access to facilities where requested. We are also involved in outreach workwith primary schools as part of our Primary Liaison programme.

Student Responsibilities

Giving students responsibility is important in developing self-esteem and providingopportunities for students to engage in the wider life of the school.

There are lots of opportunities for students to take on responsibility, whether as a member of asporting team, contributing to school productions, through our House system or via the SchoolParliament.

The school has a House system. The Houses’ names are Acton, Baxter, Clive, Darwin,Housman and Webb. In each year group, one form is linked to a House, i.e. 7 Acton, and eachhouse has a total of 5 forms, one from each year group.

The house system is run entirely by Year 11 House Officials. The activities they run vary fromsporting activities, inter house competitions and to the annual Priory Review shows whichshowcase the talents in performing arts of the students.

Year 11, as senior students, hold a range of responsibilities – approximately 60 different rolescurrently exist, including the Head Boy, Head Girl and Deputy Head Boy and Girl, who areelected by the school community. We believe these are important additions to students’

experiences.

The School Parliament allow students to take on key responsibilities and is animportant consultation groups on key issues. During the last year they had a

major role in discussions on the Students Code of Conduct and how tospend the money raised for Rainy Days.


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Student Life

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Charity Fundraising

The school has a strong tradition of raising funds for charity. During the academic year eachYear group holds a Charity half-term when they organise events to raise money.

During the last academic year the students raised in excess of £4,000 for Rainy Days. This isthe last Rainy Days fund raising for the school. The students raised money through a widerange of activities such as non uniform days, business projects (Year 7), discos, sponsoredevents, big bakes, trips and other very enterprising activities run by individuals, small groupsand year groups. Students have elected to purchase a 3D printer for use in Design andTechnology.


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For the last four years The Priory School has been awarded The Shropshire Attendance Award for the highest student attendance figures in Shropshire. Our average rate of attendance stands at an amazing 96%. We know that students enjoycoming to school and only stay at home when they absolutely have to. Good attendance is vital for effective learning and we are delighted that parents understandthe importance of their child coming to school.

There are, of course, exceptional occasions when parents will need to request leave for their child and on those occasions parents are asked to write to the Headteachersetting out the reasons. This process emphasizes that the school expects these occasions tobe rare.

The school will actively seek to encourage all students to achieve a full attendance record. Wecelebrate good attendance at regular intervals and attendance information will be provided inthe students’ annual reports and on request with all absences, authorised and unauthorised,being reported to parents/carers.

The school has a very clear process for supporting students with medical conditions that arelong term with acute episodes which can be found on our website.

Absence and Illness

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We are often asked the question why are you so strict with uniform? Well, the answer is quitesimply that smart appearance reflects a readiness to learn. We believe boys should wear theirties in a business-like manner and girls’ skirts should be worn at an appropriate length.

We want students in school to focus on learning and not be distracted by fashion and, for thisreason, we restrict jewellery to stud earrings and a watch.

Year 11, as senior students, enjoy the privilege of wearing a different colour sweatshirt, whichalso means that younger students can clearly identify someone who might be able to helpthem.

We know that buying a new school uniform and replacing it as children grow can be anexpensive process, so we always keep an eye on the cost, to ensure it is affordable.

Full details of our uniform requirements can be found on our website. Key school specificitems of uniform can be bought from our suppliers:

www.schoolshopdirect.co.uk

We think that one of the ways of developing students’ independence is through them travellingto and from school under their own steam. Walking to and from school where possible is agood way to socialise and is healthy. Safe Cycling is also a great recreational activity and onewe like to encourage.

For several years Priory has had one of the largest numbers of regular cyclists than at anyother Shropshire School. We provide three cycle shelters with a total capacity of 140. Cyclistscan access the school via the main pedestrian entrance on Longden Road or from Bank FarmRoad. Although, cycling is not permitted on the school site itself.

Uniform

Getting To and From School


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In 2013, The Priory School introduced a newcashless biometric system for students so thatschool lunches can be paid for without havingto bring cash into school.

As part of this project, we introduced‘ParentPay’ where parents could top up theirchild’s dinner money account on line as well aspay for school trips, activities and revisionguides. This has been enormously successfulfor both parents and the school. The benefits forparents include:

Being able to pay for school dinners / trips without the need to find cash;•Children can only spend money on schools lunches, they can’t spend it on the way to and•from school;Improves student safety;•Parents can keep track of their child’s eating habits through the ParentPay portal.•It saves having to return a trip permission slip as this is done on line.•

During the summer holidays parents are emailed with a username and password so they canactivate the ParentPay account. They can then start paying for their child’s dinner money andmake payment for the PGL trip.

However if you would still prefer to make payment via cash or cheque this is still possible. Wewill be showing your child how to do this in September.

Parent Pay @ The Priory School

As an Academy, The Priory School has decided that it’s Admissions policy will remain as setout by Shropshire Council for Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury’s admissions procedures are complex.All admissions from Year 6 to Year 7 are dealt with by Shropshire Council’s admissions team.They produce a booklet called “Parents’ Guide to Education in Shropshire” each year with upto date information about schools and a full explanation of the admissions processes. Thebooklets are available in school or from the Admissions Team or can be accessed on theShropshire Council website. Parents and Carers who may wish to speak directly to anAdmissions Advisor may also contact them through the Admissions Team.

The contact address is:

or email:

website:

Catchment areas for schools can be viewed on Shropmap which can be found on the abovewebsite address.

Before making decisions on which schools to apply for, Parents/Carers and their children areinvited to visit the school. An Open Evening will be held each autumn term, as well as theschool’s Open Morning when the school is in session or please contact the school to make apersonal appointment.

This school has a Published Admission Number (PAN) of 168 for the Year 7 intake in 2014. InSeptember 2014 this number will apply to all years For the year commencing September 2014the number of preferences received and places allocated was as follows:

What is The Priory School’s Admissions Process?

Date ofAllocation

Admissionon Limit

No of 1stpreferencesrecieved

Total Placesallocated

2ndpreferencesallocated

3rdpreferencesallocated

March 168 200 168 4 02014


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Parents/Carers of Year 6 children and residents in Shropshire will be required in the Autumnterm, prior to the school year of transfer, to apply online via the Shropshire Council websitewhere 3 preferences can be stated. Where there are more applications than there are placesavailable, allocations will be made in accordance with the oversubscription criteria. Full detailsof these criteria are given in the Parents’ Guide To Education in Shropshire (Page 38);therefore it is essential that parents read the booklet before completing an application form.

Children who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs which names this school as theappropriate school to meet those needs will be offered a place.

Most secondary schools work closely with their local primary schools and often invite studentsto attend for various activities. Such visits have nothing to do with the admissions processand do not in any way give any guarantee of a place at the school. Shropshire does notoperate a system of feeder schools, as the home address of your child is the arbiter of beingoffered a place. That home address will be checked against data sources to ensure potentialapplicants are not, for example, using other relative’s addresses, work or office addresses toachieve a higher priority under the published criteria.

Where applications are not successful, parents/carers may wish to put their names on awaiting list or appeal against the decision. The Admissions Team will be able to advise you onthese matters. Members of the school staff and Governors are legally not allowed to write aletter of support for appellants so please do not ask them to do so. Nor is the school allowedto give any guarantee that a place will be offered at the school.

What is The Priory School’s admissions process? (cont)

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Where families move house at other times of the year after the start of Year 7, please completea Mid-term Application Form available from the school or directly from the Council'sAdmissions Team. The completed form should then be returned to The Priory School forconsideration. Where there are more applications than places available, the publishedadmissions criteria will be used to determine priority for places. The School will then ensurethat the parent/carer is advised as soon as possible about the outcome of their application.

The Priory School operates a waiting list for any unsuccessful applications for admisions andplaces are allocated as outlined in our oversubscription admissions criteria published on ourwebsite.

Mid-Term or In-Year Admissions

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T: 01743 284000 // www.priory.shropshire.sch.ukThe Priory School, Longden Road Shrewsbury, SY3 9EE

The Priory School, Shrewsbury

Priory school prospectus 2014-2015

Documents

Transcript of Priory school prospectus 2014-2015