Lakes School Prospectus 2011

Troutbeck BridgeWindermereCumbria LA23 1HW

T 015394 40810F 015394 40811E [email protected] www.thelakesschool.net

Excellence in a caring, learning community

Visiting the SchoolAny students who are considering coming to The Lakes School, or their parents,are welcome to see us at work – just telephone beforehand for an appointmentto be shown round.

For more informationCopies of policies and other documents can be obtained from the school officeby request. You can also visit the school website.

Use the QR Code on yoursmart phone and jumpstraight to our web site

Dear Parent/Carer

Welcome to The Lakes School Prospectus, and thankyou for showing an interest in our school.

Choosing a secondary school can be a daunting taskbut I hope we are able to give you the information youneed. In addition to this prospectus, we are veryhappy to provide you with any other details or toshow you around the school.

The Lakes School is an 11 – 18 mixed comprehensiveschool, with around 640 students.

We are immensely proud of the school and theachievements of our students. High academic performance, excellent standards of behaviour, attitude and appearance, and ensuring that all learners are happy, secure and stimulated are thegoals which lie at the heart of our school. We care passionately about achieving the best for each youngperson and we will work tirelessly in partnership with

you, the parents, to ensure that your child’s time at TheLakes School is as happy and successful as it can be.

Our school continues to perform very well in nationalexamination league tables as well as in ‘value added’measures.

I look forward to welcoming your child to The LakesSchool and working with you in the future.

Dr David Selby

1

Welcome

The quality of care, guidance and support provided for students is good.Students are known as individuals, their needs are well understood

[OfSTED, March 2011]

Vision, Values and Key PrinciplesVisionThe Lakes School is:

• a place of excellence and enjoyment where each person strives to fulfill their potential in academic, personal and physical developmentby being challenged to be their best,

• a caring place where each person sees their owncontribution and is respected and valued as anindividual,

• a place of partnership between young people,parents, staff and governors and our wider local,national and international communities.

Values• Be enthusiastic about learning

• Try to fulfil your full potential

• Be equipped to learn

• Get involved in the challenging opportunities offered

• Make a positive contribution toschool and community

• Show respect to all others in our community

• Be healthy and active

• Develop quality relationships

• Care for each other

• Respect our unique environment and appreciate its impact on our culture

Key PrinciplesLearning: with every student having a broad

range of experiences and challenges,both inside and outside the classroom,and receiving first class teaching to ensure that they achieve their full potential.

Caring: where every student is safe and secureso that they can learn with confidence,and where consideration for othersand self discipline are developed.

Community: to be a centre for learning for ourwhole community and, throughthis, to provide the best possible opportunities for every person whouses the school.

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All quotations attributed to OfSTED are taken from the OfSTED Inspection Report in March 2011, copies of which are available fromthe school.

High expectations and a range of teaching andlearning styles challenge the students well


The Lakes School Curriculum

The Lakes School prides itself on the broad and balanced curriculum we offer our students. Monitoringand evaluating our students’ progress is one of the keysto our success and we set challenging but realistic targets throughout their school career.

Our curriculum aims to challenge and stimulate, andto meet the needs and aspirations of our students.To enable all students to achieve their very best, somesubjects are grouped according to ability whilst othersare taught in mixed ability classes. We inform parentsabout their children’s sets before the start of the academic year. Detailed handbooks give more information about individual subjects.

Key Stage Three (Years 7 to 9)

All students follow the National Curriculum with itscore and foundation subjects. Additionally, we enrichstudents’ academic experience by providing themwith the opportunity to study modern languagesand drama. They also take part in outdoor and adventurous activities.

Key Stage Four (Years 10 and 11)

In addition to the common core of National Curriculum subjects (English, Mathematics, Biology,Chemistry Physics, Physical Education and ReligiousStudies), which is enhanced by a programme of personal, social and health education, we offer the following options:

Art HistoryBusiness Studies MusicCatering Outdoor EducationDance Physical EducationDrama Product DesignEnglish Literature Religious StudiesFrench SportGeography TextilesGerman

Each student’s Key Stage 4 programme is planned tomeet their individual needs, preferences and plans forthe future. We use vocational and other work-basedapproaches in some areas, and have well establishedpartnerships with other educational providers including Kendal College and local employers to helpus do this.

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Excellence in our Curriculum

Key Stage Five (Years 12 and 13)

Any of the subjects taken at Key Stage 4 can be continued in the sixth form together with:

Media Studies PhotographyComputing PsychologyFurther Maths SociologyTravel and Tourism

Commitment from students both in class and inhomework is essential in developing self-disciplineand independent study, resulting in academic success.

Academic Excellence

We believe strongly that all students, whatever theirability, should be encouraged to fulfil their individualpotential and their ambitions. Our target setting procedure means that all students aim high. Studentsare entered early for GCSE examinations where appropriate. Every year these policies lead to manyoutstanding academic performances. In recent years,several young people have achieved 9 or 10 A* or Agrades each at GCSE level, with individual studentsbeing identified as achieving examination success inthe top ten marks of all students across the country ina number of subjects

Marking, Targets and Reports

All work is marked in accordance with a commonmarking policy, which allows students and parents tosee at a glance how well an individual is doing in anysubject.

Students are awarded a grade for academic achievement and for their attitude to learning. Theseare based on individual target grades for every subject, which are agreed at the beginning of each academic year.

The school provides parents with formal progress reports three times a year but we welcome enquiriesabout any individual’s progress at any time.

The Sixth Form

We are justifiably proud of our excellent Sixth Form.Our results are strong and above the national average.We offer a wide range of subjects and very good facilities.

Our Sixth Form students are involved in all aspects ofschool life, as ‘buddies’ to new Year 7 students, as prefects, as positive role models to younger studentsand in helping with activities such as after schoolsports. They work hard in a stimulating atmosphere ofco-operation and friendly competition.

Educational Visits

Many departments take students on educational visits, locally, nationally and internationally. The purpose of such visits is to enhance the curriculumand give opportunities for active learning.

Fieldwork is a regular part of Key Stage 3, GCSE andA level Biology, History and Geography. Theatre visitsare frequently arranged for students in most yeargroups. Year 7 students take part in outdoor activitiesas part of their induction to the school in their firstterm.

Recently students have visited Ecuador, France andMorocco, skied in Andorra, France and Italy, visited Windermere’s twin town Diessen, in Germany, attended the Clothes Show, visited local businessesand participated in personal development and teambuilding exercises with the Brathay Trust. Students arealso offered the opportunity to participate in the Dukeof Edinburgh Award Scheme at bronze, silver and goldstandards, for which the local environment is used toits full extent.

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Target setting is realistic but challenging and the impact can be seenin the good progress and above-average attainment


The school provides high-quality care, guidance and support for all students. There are goodarrangements for students when moving in and out of school at key transition points


Excellence in CarePastoral Care

We believe that the pastoral care of each student inthe school is of the greatest importance. We have astrong pastoral care system overseen by the deputyheadteacher, directors of progress and a team of formtutors. The form tutor sees students twice eachday and is therefore able to monitor academic performance, attendance and behaviour. Studentsnormally retain the same form tutor throughout years7 to 11 to ensure a continuity of relationship betweentutor, student and parents.

We provide various avenues for students to confide insomeone if they have concerns or worries. In most instances, the student will approach their form tutorwho is central to their life in the school. Parents alsohave the opportunity to build relationships with theform tutor through parents’ evenings, contact by telephone or email or via the students’ planner. In addition to this we have regular counsellors visitingthe school who may be consulted by studentswho have concerns which they wish to talk over in confidence.

Transition into The Lakes School

When a student moves on to secondary school, parents and the student may have concerns with alarger building, more movement around school to different lessons and many new teachers and students. We use a range of successful strategies tohelp ease the transition process. These include:

• Taster days for all students in Year 5 from ourfeeder primary schools.

• A full induction day for all Year 6 students transferring to The Lakes School.

• Regular visits to all of our feeder primary schoolsby a director of progress and our transition andspecial needs co-ordinators.

• A parents’ evening for all parents of students inYear 6.

• An open evening and open days for possiblenew students and their families.

• The use of older students as ‘buddies’ for Year 7students.

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Behaviour and Attendance

Without excellent school attendance and good behaviour, students will not reach their full potentialin education.

We emphasise the quality of relationships betweenstudents, their peers and all adults working at school,and believe that this contributes to the good attitudesof our students. These relationships reflect the sizeand friendliness of the school. We know that studentsof all ages are very appreciative of our teachers’ effortsin providing quality education and a wide range ofextra curricular activities. Taken together, we find thatthis means that our students want to come to school.Attendance is therefore very good. Any attendanceproblems are followed up immediately by contactwith parents.

The school has an active behaviour policy which aimsto promote self-discipline. We believe that it is moreeffective to praise good behaviour than to punish bad,although sanctions are also necessary for a minorityof students. We expect parents to support our rewardsand sanctions systems.

We do not tolerate bullying of any kind. If relationshipsbetween students do become difficult, then this isacted on before problems can develop. We use ourpastoral support staff, supported by our partners, including our connexions advisor, school nurse andeducation welfare officer, if needed.

Rewards

Rewarding good work, effort and achievement is aconstant feature of life at The Lakes School. We use amerit system which allows us to recognise individualsuccess. Certificates are presented to students in ourassemblies. We have a formal celebration assembly atthe end of each term to reward students for their attitude to learning, progress, attendance, attitudeand outstanding achievement.

Special Needs Provision

The Lakes School prides itself on being an inclusiveschool catering for all children from the community.In particular, we are a designated centre in the SouthLakes area for students with physical or medical needs.

The Learning Support Department consists of teachers and teaching assistants providing specialistteaching and in-class support for students with a widevariety of needs. It works throughout the school withthe aim of guiding and helping students to achievetheir full potential.

All Year 7 students take reading, spelling and cognitiveabilities tests. These help staff identify which studentsmay need extra help and to monitor their progressthrough school. In addition, our learning support staffare qualified to make detailed individual assessments.Some students have extra lessons to address any lit-eracy difficulties; these can be as individuals or insmall groups. In Years 10 and 11 students may haveextra small group support for their GCSE work.

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A very large majority of students, parents and carers say thatthe students feel safe and are kept safe in and around school


There are well-established systems in place for regularly monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the school's work by senior leaders, middle leaders and the governing body


The excellence of The Lakes School is primarily determined by the quality of our teaching and learning. As such we aim to ensure that our teachingand associate staff teams are well qualified and experienced. These staff are developed by focusing onthe following areas:

• An emphasis on teaching and learning – the observation of lessons to identify good practiceand then share this with others.

• Provision of professional development opportunities – regular training opportunitiesrun by staff and our partners in the South LakesFederation of Schools and Colleges to assist colleagues in key areas in order to develop skills, which are then reflected in the wider opportunities for our students.

• Use of sophisticated student information systems – using robust reporting and trackingsystems to support the progress of all of our students.

• The development of Information Technology tosupport teaching, learning and administration –expanding the use of IT for both students andstaff as well as enhancing and using staff expertise.

Excellence in the Quality of Staff

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Students make a strong contribution to local, regional and international communities.There is a strong sense of community spirit within school


Opportunity in the Communityand Extra Curricular ActivitiesThe Lakes School is the community school for the central part of the South Lakes area. We aim to serve ourcommunity by providing the best possible experiencefor its young people but we also believe in developinglinks with the wider community. We have been recognised for this by the Department for Educationand have received a full ‘Extended School’ award.

Our school facilities are used by a wide range of people and organisations. We offer a weekly adult education programme and work with other partnersto offer an increasing range of high quality sportingand other opportunities. Through this, we aim to liftthe aspirations, expectations and achievements of thewhole community, and to put The Lakes School at theheart of it.

Sporting and outdoor opportunities

We believe that sport has the power and positive influence on students to motivate them to learn andto help them raise their level of achievement. This, inturn, raises whole school standards. We believe that

sporting achievement and academic standards gohand in hand and, we aim for both of these goals. Webelieve that high quality PE, school sport and outdooreducation can help self-confidence, self-discipline andconcentration to be improved. We work very hard toensure this happens for all of our students. We offeropportunities for all to participate and excel in a widerange of games and activities, both as part of the curriculum and outside of normal school hours.

Sports Teams and Clubs

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Athletics

Badminton

Basketball

Cricket

Cross Country

Dance

Fitness

Football

Gymnastics

Hockey

Netball

Roller Hockey

Rounders

Rugby

Swimming

Tennis

Trampolining

Outdoor education is a strong feature of The LakesSchool and all students experience this from theirYear 7 onwards. The Outdoor and Adventurous Activities Programme within Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9)includes abseiling, canoeing, climbing, kayaking andproblem solving, as well as other activities. At KeyStage 4 (Years 10 and 11) we have range of accreditedcourses in outdoor adventure, including BTEC Outdoor Education and other, National Governing Body, awards.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is a very popular programme with over 100 students involvedand we offer the full range of bronze, silver and goldawards. Additionally, we offer a very wide range ofoutdoor pursuit activities after school; these are opento all students and include:

Adventure Courses Fell Running

Camping Sailing

Canoeing Skiing

Climbing Mountain Biking

Other Enrichment Activities

There is a rich variety of opportunity for students outside of the formal curriculum of The Lakes School.Students are actively encouraged to get involved inthe many activities available to them, and the schooloffers a number of clubs in addition to sport on a regular basis. After school activities include art, debating, drama, information and communicationtechnology, music, science and technology, as well asrevision classes in many National Curriculum subjects.We also offer a wide range of educational visits and recent trips include Dove Cottage, the InternationalSlavery Museum in Liverpool, university visits, overseas experiences and a variety of theatre visits.These activities allow our students to develop skillsand interests that can be pursued in adult life.

The Lakes School Environment

We are fortunate to have a stunning location withinthe centre of the Lake District. The school itself is wellresourced and is set in extensive playing fields with amodern floodlit artificial turf pitch and an all weathermultiuse games area.

Facilities

The school has a public hall and stage, a large sportshall with a spinning room, a gymnasium and access tothe swimming pool situated on our campus. All lessonsare taught in specialist classrooms which include sixlaboratories and six ICT rooms. There is also a purposebuilt sports room and performance laboratory. Thereare numerous computers in classrooms and work areasthroughout the school. We have a large and professionally staffed library. Work in the arts is supported by a performing arts studio, drama roomand a music suite with individual rehearsal and practicefacilities. These allow many students to make use of theperipatetic music teaching on offer, which ranges fromtraditional instruments to electric guitar and drums.

The School Governors

Our governing body takes an active interest in all aspects of the school and takes its work very seriously.Contact between parents and the governors is alwayswelcome and may be made through the Clerk to theGovernors or direct to the Chair of Governors.

The School Council

The school council is an important part of school life,giving the students a voice in the running of theschool. They express their views and share in developing our work. The School and The Friends ofThe Lakes School provide the School Council with abudget for students to spend on agreed projects. Italso provides representation on South Lakeland District Council’s Schools Council Forum and has beenused for many years in the appointment process forall new staff at the school.

The Friends of The Lakes School

Our ‘Friends of The Lakes School’ can include as members anyone linked to the school. All parents areautomatically members. The enthusiastic committee organises regular social and fund raising events andmembers support the school in many large and smallways.

Parents of new students are encouraged to take an active role in the Friends of The Lakes School. Theirnew ideas, support and assistance are always welcomed. Contact can be made through their Secretary or Chair.

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Troutbeck BridgeWindermereCumbria LA23 1HW

T 015394 40810F 015394 40811E [email protected] www.thelakesschool.net

Excellence in a caring, learning community

Visiting the SchoolAny students who are considering coming to The Lakes School, or their parents,are welcome to see us at work – just telephone beforehand for an appointmentto be shown round.

For more informationCopies of policies and other documents can be obtained from the school officeby request. You can also visit the school website.

Use the QR Code on yoursmart phone and jumpstraight to our web site

Documents

Lakes School Prospectus 2011