Cardinal Pole Catholic School PROSPECTUS

Cardinal Pole Catholic School PROSPECTUS

Leadership is principled and robust OFSTED, 2017 Our headteacher I am delighted to have this opportunity to welcome you to Cardinal Pole Catholic School, a mixed comprehensive school for 11-19 year olds. Our already exceptional resources will be enhanced by an extension housing a new library and additional classrooms in Autumn 2017. This means your child has the opportunity to attend a high achieving and established school with an outstanding Sixth Form. Cardinal Pole is a school built on strong foundations of disciplinary and moral purpose. We offer a lively, dynamic and successful learning environment which provides substantial opportunities for young people to achieve. We want our students to have the ambition to develop their God given potential to become the people they can be and take their place in society with confidence. Thank you for considering Cardinal Pole Catholic School for your child. We hope that you choose to become part of our thriving community and look forward to welcoming you. The Cardinal Pole ethos values Accountability We are accountable to each other and to God Compassion We care for each member of our school community Equality We recognise that each of us is unique and equal, working together for the Common Good Ms. J. Heffernan Headteacher Integrity We strive to act according to Gospel Values High Expectations We use our God-given talents to excel and achieve 2 Cardinal Pole Catholic School

Our vision Cardinal Pole Catholic School is an educating community with a shared ethos based on Gospel Values and our core principles of accountability, compassion, equality, integrity, high expectations and respect. It is a vibrant school, which recognised the importance and individual needs of all. OFSTED 2017 described support for students personal development and welfare as outstanding. The school is led by skilled professionals, praised by OFSTED 2017. Challenge and encouragement are vital in creating a climate where each child can achieve their full potential, supported by outstanding teaching. The Sixth Form is outstanding OFSTED, 2017 The school creates confident, creative and fulfilled young people and staff. They are celebrated as individuals unique creations of God who receive our support, love and trust as they begin their journey in life. The curriculum All students study a core curriculum in Year 7 and 8, with particular emphasis on Maths, English and Science. In Year 9, as they begin options Key Stage 4, we offer an extensive range of courses. The curriculum is designed around the development of the whole child. It is an exciting and enriching experienced built on strong foundations. At Key Stage 4, students broaden their subject choice which forms the English Baccalaureate. They are encouraged to progress onto our outstanding Sixth Form. Our school has state of the art equipment providing a learning environment for the 21st Century, delivering innovative and creative teaching through specialised resources and cross-curricular themes. The curriculum is creative, dynamic and engaging and resourced very well Diocese of Westminster, 2016 We offer: English Literature and Language, Maths, Science (Chemistry, Physics and Biology), Computer Science, Business, Religious Education, Modern Foreign Languages, (French, Spanish), History, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Physical Education, Art, Design and Technology, Music and Drama. School Prospectus 3

How our students learn The curriculum is designed around the development of the whole child. It is an exciting and enriching experience built on strong foundations. All students study a five year curriculum with particular emphasis on Maths, English Science and RE. In Years 7 and 8, all students study English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Geography, History, Computer Science, Art, Modern Foreign Languages, Design Technology, Drama, Music, Dance and PSHE. At Key Stages 4 & 5 we offer an extensive range of courses In Years 9, 10 and 11 at Key Stage 4 students study English, Mathematics, Science and Religious Education in addition to option choices. Options for GCSE include Separate Sciences, Technology, Spanish, French, Art, PE, Drama, Music, History, Geography, Business and Economics, Business Enterprise, Computer Science and imedia. Progress is monitored continuously throughout the academic year and parents are notified as to how their child is progressing following each assessment. In addition to this subject teachers provide regular feedback, including detailed marking. Your child s Head of Year and Form Tutor also take an active role in ensuring your child makes better than expected progress, by holding academic review meetings with your child. The targets discussed in these meetings are then shared with all stakeholders for your child. This is supported by regular progress reviews, parents evenings and remote access to progress and behaviour information. Pupils achieve well and make brisk progress OFSTED, 2017 4 Cardinal Pole Catholic School

Preparation for the future Careers education at the school is exceptional and the school has recently scored the investors in careers award. During their time at Cardinal Pole, each child will receive a range of opportunities of our affiliated Higher Education providers, giving your child an insight into studying at University. We have held regular trips to Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as many of the Russell Group Universities. Extensive links with industry, apprenticeship opportunities and alumni ensure that all avenues to success are available. Students are encouraged to progress onto our Outstanding Sixth Form. Supporting individual learning Provision for Gifted and Talented children is extensive. Our children have access to a range of exciting opportunities including the Debating Society, trips and visits, extended learning and sporting activities. Having served Hackney education for 60 years, our school is well placed to understand the local community and has established effective links with proven outcomes. Our teaching and support staff help students achieve by setting challenging goals, having high expectations of success and tailoring teaching to individual learning needs. Students are confident learners and conduct themselves extremely well in lessons and around the school OFSTED, 2017 School Prospectus 5

Pastoral support We are confident that you will hear our students talk warmly about the caring atmosphere in the school and the way they find all staff motivating and approachable. Careers education and advice are strong. Our students have a strong sense of belonging and feel secure. Our uniform provides us with a common identity and a sense of pride. Bullying is not tolerated. Children are guided by a tutor and supported by a Head of Year and a range of staff, who ensure that the transition from Primary to Secondary is a positive one. The school s Catholic ethos provides a clear moral and spiritual framework OFSTED, 2017 Our Catholic ethos Cardinal Pole Catholic School is rooted in Gospel Values which permeate all aspects of work and relationships. Our recent inspection from the Diocese of Westminster validated that the school was outstanding in every category. We organise religious retreats for each class, every year, giving students and staff the opportunity to reflect our shared faith. Assemblies and school Mass bring the liturgical year to life for our students. They are celebrated by our Chaplain and local Catholic clergy, who are an integral part of our Catholic School community. Students are encouraged to be open to the witness and examples of those from other faiths and none Diocese of Westminster Inspection, 2016 6 Cardinal Pole Catholic School Religious education is central to the life of the school and permeates every facet of life for student and staff Diocese of Westminster Inspection, 2016

Extra-curricular and sporting activities We encourage all our students to enrich their learning with extra-curricular activities. From music to performing arts, from the Duke of Edinburgh Programme to educational trips abroad, every child has opportunities to discover new interests, to learn different skills and to celebrate achievements. This includes extensive extended day provision and prep. Sport is very popular and highly successful at Cardinal Pole. All students are encouraged to participate at every level in a wide range of activities - from trampoline and weight lifting to tennis, judo and outward bound opportunities. We have regular fixtures for all of our sports teams, who have great success in local and regional competitions, particularly in football, rugby, basketball, netball and athletics. There is a wide range of opportunities for students to develop and celebrate their gifts and talents through an extensive extra-curricular programme. Diocese of Westminster, 2016 Breakfast club Chess Home language tuition Sporting Events Music / Drama / Art Spoken Word Debating Weightlifting We have regular trips for students to France, Slovakia, Spain, Italy and Poland, as well as academic and cultural based residentials. Gifted and talented All groups of students make outstanding progress from their starting points due to strategic targeted interventions Diocese of Westminster, 2016 The gifted & talented provision at Cardinal Pole Catholic School is an integral part of the school s broader development of all students and states our commitment to providing an environment in which all pupils are enabled to realise their potential and includes providing a sufficiently challenging curriculum for our most able students. Within this programme the school works with prestigious educational establishments and key employers within industry to ensure our students are challenged out with their curriculum studies. Examples of this include the school s participation in The Brilliant Club where students work with PhD students from top universities, Medical Skills Days at King s College London, alongside taster days at both Oxford and Cambridge University. Our pupils desire to succeed and reach their potential sees them gain access onto competitive programmes such as UCL Sutton Scholars, Pathways to Law and Medicine. Our most able students also access work experience placements at top organisations such as Allen & Overy, Barclays, Capgemini and UCL Hospital. It is through opportunities like this where our students are given stimulating and engaging opportunities which prepare them well for life after Cardinal Pole and mean they have been well prepared for gaining access to top professions in their adult life. School Prospectus 7

The school s work to promote pupils personal development and welfare is outstanding. OFSTED, 2017 Pastoral Care at Cardinal Pole Catholic School Care for the individual is at the heart of our mission as a Catholic School. When your child joins Cardinal Pole they will benefit from the excellent pastoral system that underpins everything we do. We believe that children achieve best academically when they are nurtured emotionally and spiritually our pastoral system ensures that your child is able to flourish in all areas of their school life. The Pastoral Team Each year group is led by a Head of Year, who is supported by an Assistant Head of Year and Pastoral Support Manager. The year group is made up of seven forms, each of which have their own Form Tutors. Form Tutors are the first point of contact for all parental queries and concerns. The role of Form Tutor is an extremely important one at Cardinal Pole Catholic School and is crucial in helping your child to settle into life at secondary school. Heads of Year are part of the Middle Leadership Team in the school and are responsible for the welfare and progress of a year group. They work closely with Heads of Department and subject teachers to ensure that each child within their year group is able to reach their full potential. Pastoral Support Managers assist Heads of Year in the day-to-day running of the year group. They arrange parental meetings, liaise with teaching staff and outside agencies and contact parents to discuss matters such as attendance which may cause a barrier to a child s academic progress. The Assistant Head of Year works closely with the Head of Year to monitor progress and arrange support where there are concerns. The Inclusion Team The Inclusion Team works closely with the Pastoral Team to ensure that your child is able to overcome any barriers to their education. The Inclusion Manager and Learning Mentors support and assist students to manage their organisation and behaviour, while the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) leads a team of Teaching Assistants who provide support for students with SEND. The Chaplaincy We are fortunate to have a full-time Chaplain who works to enrich the spiritual life of the school and is always available to the students for advice, guidance and pastoral care. Counselling and outside agency support The school employs two fully-qualified counsellors from the Catholic Children s Society who are available on two days a week to support students; we also work closely with a range of outside agencies including Family Action and Young Hackney to give our young people the best care and support possible. 8 Cardinal Pole Catholic School

Cardinal Pole a learning community In order to ensure that our teachers have the best possible training opportunities, we run an in-house Masters degree in Education, in conjunction with St Mary s University Twickenham. We also have a full programme of continuing professional development and training; our teachers work closely with local and national networks and societies, and many of our staff play a leading role in their professional associations. Leadership placements from other local schools are offered to share leadership expertise and senior staff are seconded to support at the Learning Trust and the Diocese. Cardinal Pole also has a proud history of training teachers for London schools. As a Lead School for Teacher Training, we work in collaboration with a great many partner schools, and providers. For teacher training, we have particularly close links with London Metropolitan University, Teach First and Imperial College, and work with a number of other providers, such as the UCL Institute of Education, St Mary s University Twickenham, and Goldsmiths College. The school is a powerful witness of Christ to the local community Diocese of Westminster 2016. School Prospectus 9

My mother selected Cardinal Pole Catholic School when I was in Year 6; I chose to stay in the Sixth Form Emmanuel Farinre, Head boy Sixth Form - An outstanding place to study The Sixth Form is a natural progression for our students, with a proven track record in securing places at prestigious Russell Group universities or further vocational training. Our oversubscribed Sixth Form is well-established in Hackney as an outstanding provider of Post-16 Education, with an emphasis on helping our students develop the maturity and social skills that will enable them to cope independently as they transfer into adulthood. Excellent results mean that the school is consistently in the top 10% of the sixth forms in the country. The quality of teaching is outstanding and subjects as diverse as History, Psychology, Economics and Health and Social Care have been placed in the Top 20 in the country for progress. As well as academic excellence, students in our Sixth Form enjoy small tutorial groups, personalised support in mentoring and work experience and a varied and exciting enrichment programme. High quality UCAS preparation enables students to access prestigious universities. In recent years all of our students who wished to pursue degree level courses have gone on to higher education. Our record of securing places at top universities, including Oxbridge and Russell Group, is three times the national average. Past students are now studying degrees in medicine, law, engineering and education. Students benefit from Oxbridge support classes and a whole range of mentoring schemes designed to complement their formal academic studies. All students benefit from a teaching ratio of one teacher per twelve students. This gives our students a far more personalised education than they would receive in most colleges or Sixth Forms. The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities. Our enrichment programme gives opportunities to develop wider skills in the arts, music and sport and all students are eligible to participate on our Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Students are also encouraged to play an active part in the school community by taking part in our Prefect scheme or becoming mentors, helping others to develop key skills. All of the opportunities on offer help to develop our students so they are ready to take their next steps. 10 Cardinal Pole Catholic School

Accountability We are accountable to each other and to God Compassion We care for each member of our school community Equality We recognise that each of us is unique and equal, working together for the Common Good Integrity We strive to act according to Gospel Values High Expectations We use our God-given talents to excel and achieve

Cardinal Pole Catholic School, 205 Morning Lane, London E9 6LG Telephone 020 8985 5150 enquiries@cardinalpole.co.uk www.cardinalpole.co.uk Hackney Central Station Hackney Town Hall Mare St Paragon Rd Ponsford St Morning Ln Chatham Pl Retreat Pl Homerton High Street Morning Ln Shepherd s Ln Flanders Way Digby Rd Sedgwick St Mackintosh Ln Homerton Overground Berger Rd Daley St Wick Rd Barnabas Rd Oriel Rd Hassett Rd