Lord Williams’s School Information Booklet 2020-2021 A very warm welcome to Lord Williams’s School Lord Williams’s School is a thriving and popular comprehensive school serving the community and its surrounding rural area. We are a split-site school, with Years 7 – 9 on the Lower School site at Road and Years 10 – 13 on the Upper School site at Oxford Road. We pay particular attention to each individual student by promoting their personal, social and educational development to enable all to achieve at the highest level possible. As a result of our continuing success, Lord Williams’s School is consistently oversubscribed. We promote high quality teaching and learning. We attract talented, committed and conscientious teachers who produce stimulating and challenging learning activities helped by experienced support staff. Teamwork is a key feature of our work.

We are an inclusive school; we cater for all abilities and we provide access for all students. This is reflected in our work with the more able students and those with a range of learning and other difficulties.

The school has excellent teaching facilities on both sites with accommodation that is suited to the demands of the curriculum. Aims & Ethos School Motto

Our school motto sums up what we believe is the entitlement for all our students and is as relevant today as it has always been:

Sic itur ad astra (thus the way to the stars)

 We aim to provide a rich, diverse and challenging education through excellent teaching and learning  We seek to develop lively and enquiring minds, healthy lifestyles and free spirits  We look to generate confidence, purpose, self esteem and outstanding achievement

a tous venaunts (for all comers)  We strive to create a welcoming atmosphere for all to share  We encourage generosity, respect and care for others and for the environment  We bring together students, parents, staff and community as partners in learning  Our aim is the pursuit of excellence for all. We strive for the development of individual potential and cherish the vitality of communal life Admissions

We work in partnership with the primary schools in Thame, , and in and with Brill and in . Our designated area also includes the villages of Crowell, , Henton, , Kingston Stert, Moreton, , Sydenham and Towersey in Oxfordshire and the civil parishes of Chilton, and in Buckinghamshire. A map of our catchment area can be found here.

The published Admission Number for the school is 320 in each year group. However, the Governing Body and the Senior Leadership Team have agreed that for the academic year September 2021 - 2022 there will be an additional form of entry to Year 7. Therefore the admission number for that year group will be 350. Primary to Secondary Transfer

At Lord Williams's School we are committed to ensuring that all students, whether from one of our partner schools or not, have as smooth and enjoyable transfer from their primary school as possible. The year leading up to your child starting in Year 7 runs as follows:

September/October - Normally, a series of open events for Year 6 students and their parents/carers is held. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, these will not be able to take place in the usual format. Instead of the Partnership and Non-Partnership School open mornings and evenings, we are preparing a virtual video tour for parents/carers to watch along with their child/ren. This will be available on the school website from Tuesday 6th October 2020.

31st October - Closing date for the return of application forms to local authorities.

1st March - Letters sent to parents from local authority offering places at secondary school.

March to May - Normally, our Head of Year 7 visits all partner primary schools to talk with the Year 6 teachers about each individual student. Information is also requested from all non-partner primary schools on all other children offered a place at Lord Williams's School. This information (both academic and pastoral) is used to construct the tutor groups for the new Year 7. Students who may need additional support with the transition from primary school to Lord Williams's School will be invited to attend the ‘Pioneers’ programme. This involves spending additional time at Lord Williams's School prior to transfer. We hope these events will be able to take place as planned in 2021.

Primary to Secondary Transfer

May - We will be sending you a letter in the post with individual details needed to register for cashless payments (sQuid) at Lord Williams's School. Once you have set up your child/ren's sQuid registration, you will then be able to book and pay for Summer School and for a locker via sQuid.

July 2021 - Taster Day – all students transferring to Lord Williams's School are invited to spend a normal school day here in their new tutor groups, experiencing a range of subjects and learning how the school operates. New Parents’ and Students' Late Afternoon/Evening Event – held shortly before the end of term. Wherever possible the new Year 7 tutors are present and time is spent meeting them. More details will be available nearer the time.

Summer School - August 2021 - tbc This is held exclusively for new Year 7 students and is run by Lord Williams's School staff. Summer school is optional but it is a great way to get to know other students, the layout of the school and members of staff in a relaxed atmosphere. Further details regarding Summer School will be available on the website in the coming months.

September 2021 - Year 7 students arrive at Lord Williams's Lower School one day earlier than Years 8 and 9 to give them a chance to find their way around in a quieter environment. Curriculum—Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9)

Lord Williams’s School aims to build on the knowledge, understanding and skills that students have developed in their primary school. Our aim is to develop: Successful learners who make progress and achieve Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

Key Stage 3 Students are placed in mixed tutor groups on entry to Year 7 and the majority of lessons take place in tutor groups with the exceptions of Mathematics and Physical Education.

Our curriculum aims to maintain at its centre our commitment to the principle of individual learning, offering the very best and most appropriate experience for each student. Students have the opportunity to study French or German on entry to Year 7 and a further opportunity to follow a second language, including Spanish in Year 9.

Subjects

Students study the following subjects at Key Stage 3:

 Art Religious Studies  Computing  Learning for Life (L4L)  Dance  Mathematics  Design and Technology  a Modern Foreign Language  Drama  Music  English  Physical Education  Humanities: Geography, History &  Science Pastoral Care

We are very proud of the pastoral care offered to students at Lord Williams’s School. We believe that children will thrive academically if they are happy and secure on the pastoral side. Whilst we cannot guarantee that all children will be happy all the time that they are at school we do promise that we will look into any incidents that we are told about, and that we will work with parents/carers to do the best for their child.

We believe it is really important that parents/carers and staff work together to support each child.

The first point of contact is usually your child’s tutor. The most common way of doing this is by leaving a voicemail for the tutor via the main school switchboard and the tutor will phone you back, usually within 24 hours.

Sometimes, however, you may want to speak to someone more urgently. In these cases we encourage both parents and students to contact their Pastoral Support Officer (PSO). PSOs are not teachers; they are therefore not ‘tied’ by a teaching timetable so are generally available during the school day. They will be happy to communicate with you in the first instance.

If the situation is more serious, or is on-going, the Head of Year may also be involved. Extra-Curricular

We believe that education beyond the classroom adds colour, excitement and perspective to the curriculum. We offer a wide range of challenging and exciting activities that take place in and out of normal school hours, locally or away from school. Exchanges and Visits The school believes in extending students’ horizons beyond Thame to further national and international understanding with local, national and international trips. Our inclusive ethos ensures that every effort is made to make these opportunities available to all students ranging from local and regional trips to more extensive international visits. Outdoor Education Outdoor education makes a unique contribution to school life. Our aim is to develop students’ independence, confidence, team-working and problem-solving skills, fitness and love of the outdoors. We aim to deliver Outdoor Education not Outdoor Activities! There is a high level of participation with over 200 students and 70 parent supporters involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels. Extra-Curricular

ACE Week – an Alternative Curriculum Experience involves the suspension of the normal school timetable for one week in July to extend students’ skills and experiences with a wide range of exciting opportunities not available in curriculum time taking place both in school and further afield. Clubs, Societies and Teams The range of lunchtime and after-school activities run by staff is vast and ever-growing, including topics in ICT, sport, music and drama to name but a few. Sports Our aim is to offer a full range of sporting opportunities both within and outside of lessons with an emphasis on promoting inclusion, healthy lifestyles and developing excellence. To support this, we deliver a balanced range of activities within lesson times supported by a broad range of extra-curricular clubs. Our tradition for excellence and inclusion is further supported by our extensive range of sports facilities on both sites. Dance and Drama The school has a long tradition for excellence in dance and drama and every year many students take part in plays, musicals, evenings of dance and combined arts productions. Students benefit from our close relationship with Thame Youth Theatre. Music Upper School and Lower School choirs, orchestras and ensembles are run for students of all ages. There are regular music concerts and the ever-popular Singer of the Year competition is always a sell-out. The Willie Howe Trust provides bursaries for individual students and support for workshops. Examination Results

Our GCSE performance shows that we are achieving results above those that are expected. In particular, the percentage of Year 11 students who achieved Grade 4 or above in both English and Mathematics was 8% above expectation and we are therefore in the top 13% of schools for that measure. It is an important one, as this is often the standard required for entrance to Level 3 courses at college and allows students to access Level 3 Apprenticeships, as well as entry to A-level courses in our Sixth Form and elsewhere. The national data comparison indicates that the vast majority of our GCSE subjects are achieving results above the expected level, including English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and all the EBacc subjects. Further information can be found here. Who we are

Jon Ryder Karen Vear Headteacher Deputy Headteacher

Ger Phillips Paul Hodgetts Assistant Headteacher Head of Year 7 Further Information

Lots more information can be found on our website, please visit:

www.lordwilliams.oxon.sch.uk Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or call 01844 210510

We hope you will choose Lord Williams’s School and look forward to welcoming you and your child soon.