Aylesford School - Sports College
Encyclopedia
Aylesford School – Sports College is a secondary school
in Kent
, England
, housed in recently completed (2008) modern buildings, situated in Teapot Lane, and serving an area to the west of Maidstone
.
Aylesford is a mixed-sex school comprising years 7 to 11, with an added Sixth Form
making up years 12 and 13.
The School achieved Specialist status as a Sports College
in 2004, which ensures that a focus on sport is introduced to all aspects of the curriculum.
Aylesford School – Sports College states in its mission statement
that it is: "committed to excellence by providing an education which prepares pupils for life-long learning and equips them with the skills and values necessary for the opportunities offered by citizenship of the 21st century."
-sponsored PFI
scheme which also included two other local secondary schools, Holmesdale in Snodland
, and The Malling, in East Malling, and three others elsewhere in Kent. Construction of the new school was headed by Costain
. Unlike the other schools involved, space constrictions on the site meant that the new buildings had to be built over the original foundations, so a "temporary village" of classrooms was constructed on part of the site to house the majority of pupils and staff during the reconstruction period.
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
, Ed Balls
, accompanied by local MP
Jonathan Shaw
and officials from KCC, officially opened the new school buildings on 28 May 2008. Referring to the three local schools, the Minister said: If we can do around the country, what we've seen in these three schools, we could really transform education in Britain.
Because of the restricted site at Aylesford School, it was necessary to rebuild the school largely in the same location on the site that the old buildings occupied. This required careful planning and a certain amount of disruption to both staff and pupils. When the school was housed in the old buildings, its reputation was very poor. Even with the news that new buildings were on the way, the school was still considered to be underperforming. During the rebuilding process many of the old buildings were demolished and replaced with 23 small mobile classrooms, which become known as the Learning Village. Only B block (Science), C block (Technology and Art) and M block (English, and the library) remained in use from the old school. The mobile huts were difficult to maintain in a clean and tidy manner, especially as they were often surrounded by construction work and materials, and teaching was considered very difficult. Many believe this is the reason why many teachers and pupils left. Over 40 teachers have left since 2005.
However, once the new, state-of-the-art, buildings were completed, the school started to regain its former good reputation, and is currently (2008) full in all years. It is reported that over 400 pupils are applying to join in September 2009, and there is also a large number of parents interested in transferring their children to the school. The new build has also attracted many new teachers, dozens have joined since the opening of the new buildings.
The School now consists of 4 Main Buildings named after famous sporting venues: Twickenham, Lords, Wembley and Wimbledon. Wimbledon - formerly known as C-Block, is the only building to remain from the old school, and has been fully refurbished. The School also boasts a large Hall with a performance stage, an indoor sports hall containing 6 badminton courts and mechanically retracting basketball nets, a separate gym with dance mirrors, gymnastcs/trampoline facilities and an indoor climbing wall, an outdoor assault course and fitness area, and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). Funding is currently being sought for an Astroturf football pitch.
The school is also equipped with state-of-the-art ICT facilities, with over 500 desktop PCs, over 200 staff and student laptops, fixed and portable projectors, interactive whiteboards and interactive learning zones.
Each mentor group belongs to one of four larger groups known as 'Schools of Learning'. These allow for peer group mentoring to take place naturally, greater involvement for each and every child and more of a competitive atmosphere when it comes to Sports Day and similar events, as well as reducing incidents of bullying and intimidation, breaking down barriers across year groups, easing year seven pupils into secondary school education, and helping to build civil responsibilities and shared experiences for all. Each School of Learning has a Director of Learning who acts as a mini Headteacher for that particular "School" and a dedicated Pastoral Support Manager (PSM) who deals entirely with student issues, parental contact in school hours and helps the students on a more personal level.
The School Curriculum has also taken a diverse turn by placing students into a personalised "Learning Pathway" at the start of Year 7. This pathway aims to play to the students strengths and develop their weaknesses by ensuring that the most able students are pushed further (many of which look at taking certain GCSEs in Year 9) whilst less abled students are given more focused teaching and learning, more support and are ensured the chance of securing good grades and skills by the end of Year 11
A new uniform - Royal blue polo shirt with school name and badge, black plain jumper, crew or v-neck, Black tailored full length trousers/knee-length black skirt and black leather ankle-height footwear - was introduced in 2007 to coincide with the new building and the change to the schools internal organisation. A range of PE kit and outerwear was also introduced at the same time, giving a degree of choice while retaining a uniform look
The sixth-form is part of the Medway Valley Sixth-form Consortium - collectively known as WHAM - a collaboration with Wrotham School, Holmesdale Technology College and The Malling School, which offers a wider range of A-level and equivalent courses than any one of the schools could provide individually. Aylesford has a particular strength in Business Studies provision..
in May 2008, and before that, in December 2003.
In the latest report, the school is rated overall as Satisfactory, and the Sixth-form: Good.
The report also comments that:
"Aylesford School - Sports College is on a journey of improvement. From a legacy of significant underachievement, the school is now providing a satisfactory standard of education, and has the systems in place to reach a good level of performance."
This was reflected by the School's 2007-08 GCSE results where 60% of pupils achieved 5 A*-C grades (28% including both English and Maths), the best results the School has ever achieved. Kent County Council and the Sports College Trust recognised Aylesford School's achievement revealing it was the "most improved school in the county" and second most improved Sports College in the country.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, housed in recently completed (2008) modern buildings, situated in Teapot Lane, and serving an area to the west of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
.
Aylesford is a mixed-sex school comprising years 7 to 11, with an added Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
making up years 12 and 13.
The School achieved Specialist status as a Sports College
Sports College
Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports...
in 2004, which ensures that a focus on sport is introduced to all aspects of the curriculum.
Aylesford School – Sports College states in its mission statement
Mission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
that it is: "committed to excellence by providing an education which prepares pupils for life-long learning and equips them with the skills and values necessary for the opportunities offered by citizenship of the 21st century."
Reconstruction
The school site at Teapot Lane - originally built largely by Italian prisoners of War during the 1940s, was redeveloped in 2005-2008, as part of a KCCKent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
-sponsored PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
scheme which also included two other local secondary schools, Holmesdale in Snodland
Snodland
Snodland is a small town in the county of Kent, England, located on the River Medway between Rochester and Maidstone. It has a population of about 12,000 people....
, and The Malling, in East Malling, and three others elsewhere in Kent. Construction of the new school was headed by Costain
Costain Group
Costain Group plc is a British construction and civil engineering company headquartered in Maidenhead. It was part of the original Channel Tunnel consortium and is involved in Private Finance Initiative projects.-History:...
. Unlike the other schools involved, space constrictions on the site meant that the new buildings had to be built over the original foundations, so a "temporary village" of classrooms was constructed on part of the site to house the majority of pupils and staff during the reconstruction period.
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. The post was created on 28 June 2007 after the disbanding of the Department for Education and Skills by Gordon Brown. The first Secretary of State was Ed Balls, a former treasury aide to Brown...
, Ed Balls
Ed Balls
Edward Michael Balls, known as Ed Balls, is a British Labour politician, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2005, currently for Morley and Outwood, and is the current Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer....
, accompanied by local MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Jonathan Shaw
Jonathan Shaw
Jonathan Rowland Shaw is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Chatham and Aylesford from 1997 to 2010...
and officials from KCC, officially opened the new school buildings on 28 May 2008. Referring to the three local schools, the Minister said: If we can do around the country, what we've seen in these three schools, we could really transform education in Britain.
Because of the restricted site at Aylesford School, it was necessary to rebuild the school largely in the same location on the site that the old buildings occupied. This required careful planning and a certain amount of disruption to both staff and pupils. When the school was housed in the old buildings, its reputation was very poor. Even with the news that new buildings were on the way, the school was still considered to be underperforming. During the rebuilding process many of the old buildings were demolished and replaced with 23 small mobile classrooms, which become known as the Learning Village. Only B block (Science), C block (Technology and Art) and M block (English, and the library) remained in use from the old school. The mobile huts were difficult to maintain in a clean and tidy manner, especially as they were often surrounded by construction work and materials, and teaching was considered very difficult. Many believe this is the reason why many teachers and pupils left. Over 40 teachers have left since 2005.
However, once the new, state-of-the-art, buildings were completed, the school started to regain its former good reputation, and is currently (2008) full in all years. It is reported that over 400 pupils are applying to join in September 2009, and there is also a large number of parents interested in transferring their children to the school. The new build has also attracted many new teachers, dozens have joined since the opening of the new buildings.
The School now consists of 4 Main Buildings named after famous sporting venues: Twickenham, Lords, Wembley and Wimbledon. Wimbledon - formerly known as C-Block, is the only building to remain from the old school, and has been fully refurbished. The School also boasts a large Hall with a performance stage, an indoor sports hall containing 6 badminton courts and mechanically retracting basketball nets, a separate gym with dance mirrors, gymnastcs/trampoline facilities and an indoor climbing wall, an outdoor assault course and fitness area, and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). Funding is currently being sought for an Astroturf football pitch.
The school is also equipped with state-of-the-art ICT facilities, with over 500 desktop PCs, over 200 staff and student laptops, fixed and portable projectors, interactive whiteboards and interactive learning zones.
Organisation
In 2007, Aylesford introduced a new structure: although most teaching and learning continues to be carried out in year-based classes, instead of pupils being in year-based tutor groups, they join small mentor groups with pupils from all years. These meet regularly to focus on removing the barriers to education, so improving pupil's behaviour and achievement levels, through generating a family-based sense of belonging.Each mentor group belongs to one of four larger groups known as 'Schools of Learning'. These allow for peer group mentoring to take place naturally, greater involvement for each and every child and more of a competitive atmosphere when it comes to Sports Day and similar events, as well as reducing incidents of bullying and intimidation, breaking down barriers across year groups, easing year seven pupils into secondary school education, and helping to build civil responsibilities and shared experiences for all. Each School of Learning has a Director of Learning who acts as a mini Headteacher for that particular "School" and a dedicated Pastoral Support Manager (PSM) who deals entirely with student issues, parental contact in school hours and helps the students on a more personal level.
The School Curriculum has also taken a diverse turn by placing students into a personalised "Learning Pathway" at the start of Year 7. This pathway aims to play to the students strengths and develop their weaknesses by ensuring that the most able students are pushed further (many of which look at taking certain GCSEs in Year 9) whilst less abled students are given more focused teaching and learning, more support and are ensured the chance of securing good grades and skills by the end of Year 11
A new uniform - Royal blue polo shirt with school name and badge, black plain jumper, crew or v-neck, Black tailored full length trousers/knee-length black skirt and black leather ankle-height footwear - was introduced in 2007 to coincide with the new building and the change to the schools internal organisation. A range of PE kit and outerwear was also introduced at the same time, giving a degree of choice while retaining a uniform look
The sixth-form is part of the Medway Valley Sixth-form Consortium - collectively known as WHAM - a collaboration with Wrotham School, Holmesdale Technology College and The Malling School, which offers a wider range of A-level and equivalent courses than any one of the schools could provide individually. Aylesford has a particular strength in Business Studies provision..
Ofsted and results
The school was inspected by OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
in May 2008, and before that, in December 2003.
In the latest report, the school is rated overall as Satisfactory, and the Sixth-form: Good.
The report also comments that:
"Aylesford School - Sports College is on a journey of improvement. From a legacy of significant underachievement, the school is now providing a satisfactory standard of education, and has the systems in place to reach a good level of performance."
This was reflected by the School's 2007-08 GCSE results where 60% of pupils achieved 5 A*-C grades (28% including both English and Maths), the best results the School has ever achieved. Kent County Council and the Sports College Trust recognised Aylesford School's achievement revealing it was the "most improved school in the county" and second most improved Sports College in the country.