PROSPECTUS 2012/13 SPECIALIST STATUS IN BUSINESS AND ENTERPRISE Welcome... ‘The Olympic Rings’ - Batik fabric painting by student Chloe Adams-Pickford Dear Students, Parents and Carers Welcome to our school Prospectus. I hope it will give you a useful insight into our school and provide you with the information you require. As the Principal, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to lead the school in its next exciting phase of development as we enjoy the fantastic facilities in our new Advanced Learning Centre. Penistone has a long tradition of success on which to build and is now in a position to become a flagship school. The most important part of any school is the quality of relationships. Above all, Penistone is a happy school with a supportive and welcoming environment for all students. As a result young people grow in confidence and are able to participate in the wide range of opportunities available at Penistone. We encourage our students to follow their interests, develop new skills and most importantly, fully enjoy all aspects of school life. Presented to Sir Steve Redgrave on the official opening of Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre 12 July 2011 Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre is a learning community; we work together in a creative way to provide a dynamic learning experience for all. We want our students to reach their full potential by following a learning programme that meets their individual needs. We want our young people to learn how to learn, to be articulate and to make a positive contribution so that they can take their places as active, thoughtful citizens of the 21st Century. The task of choosing a school that is right for your child is no doubt uppermost in your mind. At Penistone Grammar School ALC we quite simply want to provide the best education in the broadest sense for all of our students. We recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents and the wider community and hope that your interest in our prospectus is the start of a happy and productive working relationship between home and school. Ms Jo Higgins BA (Hons) Principal penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... fulfilling aspirations We are committed to creating a dynamic, vibrant and welcoming learning environment that will give rise to a lifelong love of learning for all our community. Through the latest technology, innovative teaching and an extensive range of extra curricular opportunities, students can realise their aspirations whilst developing tolerance and mutual respect. Students who come to Penistone Grammar School ALC are taught that it is good to be ambitious and to aspire to all that the world has to offer. They will be supported and nurtured in their aspirations because they deserve the very best. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... learning & achieving “The deeper we understand learning and the learning process, the better able we are to facilitate it in others” Mike Hughes At Penistone Grammar School ALC we aim to meet the needs of all our students. The professional development of the staff enables them to match their teaching to individual learning styles. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all students have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential through personalised learning programmes and Gifted and Talented provision. Year 7 spend eight lessons per week developing their personal learning and thinking skills as part of an integrated English, history, geography and citizenship course designed to encourage independent learning. We want our students to develop confidence self esteem and the determination to succeed. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... enterprise “Through the specialism, students are given outstanding opportunities to take part in enterprise activities” Ofsted 2009 We are proud of our Specialist Status in Business and Enterprise. Enterprise learning requires students to have opportunities to interact with each other, make decisions, take risks, realise that there is not one right answer to a problem and evaluate outcomes. The knowledge, the skills and attitudes learnt through the development of an understanding of enterprise are applied across the curriculum. This enables us to raise achievement across the school and prepare our students for their future economic well being. Enterprise activities include: • • • Opportunities to support the local business community e.g. organising Business Breakfasts and online Business Directory. Curricular opportunities to interact with local businesses e.g “The Real Business Challenge”. Young Chamber activities including, ”The Stockmarket Challenge” and “Make your mark with a Tenner”. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “Education should not be the filling of a pail but lighting of a fire” William Butler Yeats challenge Our supportive environment encourages both personal growth and an enjoyment of learning. In our all ability school, we cater for all levels of aptitude. Our curriculum structure allows students to work at a pace appropriate to their ability along with the support and encouragement that allows them to achieve success. Students with learning difficulties are assisted by the Learning Support team in achieving their targets. Specialist teachers and assistants support the students through a range of strategies. Students who have a special skill or ability in a particular area are encouraged to perform to the highest levels. Our job is to develop these talents through excellent classroom teaching and mentoring. Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre recognises the importance of individual challenge and personalised learning programmes. Key Stage 4 students are offered a range of additional courses such as construction, hairdressing, catering and health and social care which enable them to achieve success through personal ambition. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... encouragement “Pastoral support is strong, with good care and support helping students to develop personally” Ofsted May 2009 Students at Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre are expected to do well. Achievement and effort is recognised and acknowledged in a variety of ways. Good news postcards, letters and phone calls home, subject certificates and prizes. Celebration assemblies are held at the end of each term for each house group. Students' work is displayed in all areas of the school, their success reported in the school newsletter and celebrated at our Presentation Evenings. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “My teachers have high expectations of me and are always there when you need them ” Year 9 student support The Penistone Grammar Schools Advanced Learning Centre house system is an outstanding success helping all students to feel part of the wider community, make a positive contribution through Inter-House competitions and excellence in class. Students can represent the views of their peers at their House Council and the school Student Council. Each of our Learning Leaders are assigned to a year group, working with the Tutor and Heads of House to provide each student with the supportive framework that they need to develop into responsible and enquiring young adults. Each House is divided into 11 ‘vertical’ tutor groups made up of students from each year group. This helps to ensure that youngsters get to know older students and that they have access to familiar and friendly faces from the senior school. Vertical groups help to break down negative year group identities and also offer excellent opportunities for peer mentoring and paired reading schemes. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “Students make an outstanding contribution to their own and the wider community” Ofsted May 2009 student involvement Our students play an integral part in the decision making process of what happens in our school. It is important that we know what students think and feel about their school. Here are a few of the ways in which Student Voice has made important contributions: • Working with the Building Schools for the Future partners. • Planning fundraising activities for events such as Red Nose Day and • • • • the World Challenge project to Uganda. Eco project for recycling of waste paper, cardboard and aluminium to reduce our carbon footprint. Contributing to the interview process of appointing new members of staff to the school. Student coaching. Organising enterprise events with the help of Young Chamber. School life should be a happy experience. To achieve this some of our students are given responsibility such as prefects, library assistants and peer mentors for the welfare of others. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “The provision of activities outside the school for students and the local community is well developed” Ofsted May 2009 community partnership The school values its partnership with families. Parents/carers are encouraged to contact the school and in return the school expects you to support us in any rules or sanctions. Family members are encouraged to play an active role in their child’s education and in return will be kept informed of progress and achievement. A Parents’ Forum is held regularly to ensure family participation. The school also maintains strong links with the local business community, other local community groups and educational establishments to further enrich the curriculum for our students for example: • Student debates with Sheffield Hallam University • Cultural Diversity Week • Year 11 mock interviews with the local business community • Fairtrade activities penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “My GCSE courses prepared me for my Sixth Form choices” Year 12 student opportunity & progression Students are offered a range of enrichment and enhancement activities to broaden their minds and develop self confidence. Students are encouraged to join in and take full advantage of every opportunity offered. Year 12 and 13 students enjoy a thriving and vibrant Sixth Form which prepares them well for higher or further education and life beyond the school. We pride ourselves on our students’ success and our ability to place students on the route to their future careers, whether through University or straight into the world of work. Our sixth form students set an outstanding example to the whole school community and are involved in supporting the learning and progress of younger students. Please refer to our sixth form prospectus for further information. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... “In the future leaders will be those who empower others ” Bill Gates future leaders Parents/carers and students can feel confident that Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre can deliver a high quality education for all young people and their secondary experience will be challenging, successful and fun. Our students will go on to play an active role in local, national and international life. Some will become our future leaders, empowered to go out into the world as respectful, caring and responsible citizens who understand and celebrate their role in the culturally diverse community of tomorrow. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Never stop flying.... our Advanced Learning Centre... Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre opened in May 2011. This £35 million state-of-the-art learning centre provides fantastic facilities for students and the surrounding community. The ALC provides students with a 21st century learning environment; a place to raise young people’s motivations and aspirations. Extended services including careers guidance, and easy access to professional services maximise the support offered to every student. Methods in learning and teaching have changed considerably over the past years. Advancements in technology, and heightened aspirations for our young people mean that education must continually adapt to provide all learners with the necessary skills to succeed in life. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Outstanding sports facilities... Penistone Grammar School ALC has top quality, international standard sports facilities available to all staff, students, adult learners and community members after school hours as well as on weekends. • A third generation synthetic pitch with fencing and floodlighting (one full size football or three 5-a-side football). • Sports Hall. • State of the art fitness suite with techno gym “wellness system”. • Indoor Cricket Nets. • Trampolines. • Dance Studio. • Fenced hard games courts (two 5-a-side football, seven tennis and six netball/ basketball courts). • Two shot put/discus areas. • Two long jump/triple jump areas. • One 400m grass athletics track with white lining for javelin etc in the centre. • Three rounders pitches. • Training grids. • Trim trail with eight orienteering/exercise stations. • Cricket pitch with synthetic cricket wicket. • One large football pitch. • Two medium football pitches. • One small football pitch. • Two medium rugby pitches. State of the art ICT... £1 million has been spent on E-Learning to introduce and enhance ICT based learning. As the world changes, and information technology increasingly becomes our central means of communicating, working and even socialising, it is important to equip our students with the skills they require to develop in a technological world. Our new E-Learning facilities include: • Microsoft Learning Gateway – An intranet for students and teachers to access and share information. • Learning Platform. • An intelligent building equipped with the latest ICT to ensure the students are safe and secure, ie. Access Control Systems, Electronic Registration, Cashless Catering, and CCTV across the ALC. • Library Management System (LMS) “Spydus”. and much more... penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Centre of the community... We aim to provide the community with a social hub, to unite the neighbourhood and evoke a sense of local pride. Penistone Grammar School ALC hosts a range of events, in the social, cultural and business sectors. The ALC is open from 7am up until 10pm, five days a week, with additional opening at weekends, for up to forty eight weeks per year. The fantastic Sports and ICT facilities benefit the entire community, as the ALC will be available for leisure and learning activities for all. Adult learning... Penistone Grammar School ALC has the very best facilities for post-16 learners, including those on new Diplomas or adult learning courses. All ALCs have developed the idea of a community ‘zone’. This has been expressed in different ways within each ALC but each has the key feature of the ability to zone the space and so allow adult use during school hours and be available for community use outside school hours. Penistone Grammar School ALC.... • Iconic building, designed to fit in with the local landscape. • Central ‘heart space’ containing learning resource area, cafe, • • • • • • • • • dining and assembly areas. A place to study socialise or browse the web. Multi-functional spaces, lecture theatre/drama studio/assembly area. Professional standard sports pitches, including all weather pitches. Stimulating landscape design with external learning spaces. Lockers for every student. Flexible learning spaces that may be adapted to suit the requirements of every group. Learning zones specifically designed around each specialism. New pedestrian bridge, safety is important to every parent and student. Extended car parking facilities for staff, visitors and students. Sustainable school. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre Further information... Admissions... For admissions at the normal time of secondary transfer, details are available in the Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council booklet ‘Admission to secondary school - a guide for Parents’ and online at: www.barnsley.gov.uk/admissions-secondary-school-places If your child is currently in a primary school in the Barnsley area complete the application form and return it to the headteacher of his/her primary school. If you prefer you can now apply online just log on to the authority website above and locate the apply online link. Parents wishing to enrol their son or daughter in Year 7, should complete and submit/return their application form no later than 31 October 2011. If you live outside the authority or would like to transfer your son or daughter into another year group, please contact Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s Admission Department. (01226 773677) to obtain the appropriate application form. School Uniform Please refer to the separate leaflet or the school website which provides information to parents/ carers regarding the Penistone Grammar School ALC school uniform and prices. School website... Detailed information about Penistone Grammar School Advanced Learning Centre is available on the school website at: www.barnsley.org/penistone-grammar This includes information about the curriculum, the times of the school day and term times, the cashless system for school dining, the school uniform and further useful information. Please note that examination results will be available to parents on the school website once they are released by the Department for Education. This document relates to the school year 2012/13 and although correct for this year on the 14 August 2011, it should not be assumed that there will be no change affecting the relevant arrangements or some matter particularised:(a) before the start of, or during, the school year in question; (b) in relation to subsequent years. penistonegrammarschooladvancedlearningcentre PENISTONE GRAMMAR SCHOOL Telephone: 01226 762114 Fax: 01226 370328 ADVANCED LEARNING CENTRE Email: [email protected] Penistone, Sheffield, Web: www.barnsley.org/penistone-grammar South Yorkshire, S36 7BX Principal: Ms J Higgins BA (Hons)
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