Bishop Ramsey
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BISHOP RAMSEY A CHRISTIAN LEARNING COMMUNITY BISHOP RAMSEY A CHRISTIAN LEARNING COMMUNITY Ethos Statement Bishop Ramsey School recognises that every individual is created in the image of God. We seek to nurture each member of our community to develop his or her skills and abilities in a positive and ordered learning environment, so that students mature into responsible and caring adults, and that all members of the School community recognise the value of every individual in God’s eyes. As a Church of England School we wish students to grow in the faith. While being firmly committed to this, we encourage an understanding of and a respect for other faiths. The principle of Christian stewardship underpins our approach to the use of the School’s resources. Our approach to our relationships is based on the Christian view of God’s love for Strategic Aims each of his human children and of Jesus’ command to forgive Over the period since 2010, the Governing Body has and love our fellows. We base our approach to achievement adopted the following 5 strategic aims. They are deliberately and the provision of opportunities for development on Jesus’ aspirational and they guide the School as we make decisions statement that he came to offer ‘life in all its fullness’. about our policies and the way we use our resources: Mission Statement 1. Every learner an empowered learner 2. Every lesson an outstanding lesson With the collective input of each individual we aspire to be a caring Christian Community: 3. Every day at school a rich experience • where inquiry is prized and where truth is sought 4. Every relationship a positive encounter • where people are valued and achievement is celebrated 5. A school that looks outwards and beyond • where teachers are proud of their profession and where These five aims act as our compass as we plot the School’s students discover that learning is valuable for itself course on a year by year and week by week basis. • where there are many activities and where there is space for quiet reflection Our Website • where there is respect for order yet a desire to question You will find a wealth of information about the School on our and be creative. website: www.bishopramseyschool.org 2 BISHOP RAMSEY A CHRISTIAN LEARNING COMMUNITY Bishop Ramsey: A brief amalgamate on our Upper School site. Building work began history of the School in May 2007 and we spent the academic years 2007/08 and 2008/09 learning and teaching against the backdrop of our Bishop Ramsey is a thriving, well-established school new emerging buildings. It is a testimony to the whole school providing high quality education in a disciplined and caring community that, throughout the building project, exam environment. results were outstanding and school life continued in all its This co-educational Church of England Academy was vitality. Development of the school site has continued with created as a six-form entry Comprehensive Day School in the expansion and refurbishment of the PE changing rooms in September 1977 by the amalgamation of Manor School 2013 and further improvement to our Science Labs in 2014. In and St. Martin’s Church of England School and accepts January 2017 we completed having our Sports Hall extended boys and girls from all parts of the London Borough of to increase its usefulness as a teaching space. Hillingdon and neighbouring boroughs. There is a full and Over the years Bishop Ramsey School has gained national part-time teaching staff of 95, assisted by over 80 support and local recognition as a school in the forefront of staff, and a roll of approximately 1,250 students, including education with outstanding public examination results, a flourishing Sixth Form of over 300. a wide range of extra curricular activities and a caring, The School is situated in the northern part of the borough Christian ethos. In 2001 Bishop Ramsey was awarded in Ruislip in superb buildings, completed in April 2009 at a a DfEE Achievement Award, because of the sustained cost of over £21 million, giving us the outstanding facilities academic achievements of our students over several and state-of-the-art accommodation that we feel our years. In July 2003 we received notification that our bid to students deserve. become a Specialist Science College had been accepted by the DfES. As a result of this bid, the range of opportunities Before then the School was operating on two sites, just in Mathematics, Science, Information Technology and over half a mile apart. The Upper School catered for other subjects at the School was increased. students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 while Years 7, 8 and 9 were accommodated in older buildings on Eastcote In 2013 the School was awarded a Gold Arts Mark to reflect Road. Both sites were regularly improved as resources the continuing high quality of creative arts in the school and a permitted. However, in 2005 we bid successfully for funds to ‘Green Flag’ for our environmental awareness. 3 BISHOP RAMSEY A CHRISTIAN LEARNING COMMUNITY In November 2006 the School was inspected by Ofsted Worship at Bishop Ramsey and recognised as 'Outstanding' in all 36 areas that Ofsted judges. We were thrilled by their affirmation of the work Bishop Ramsey School is a Church School and as such we done by everyone in the School community. In April affirm the spiritual dimension of life. Worship of God is at 2008 the School was recognised as a 'High Performing the centre of our school life. Worship breeds a community Specialist School' and also a 'Local Support School' with which is genuinely caring for all its members. In spite of a remit to support other schools. Later in the same year the size of the School and our own human limitations, Bishop Ramsey was recognised as an 'International School' we believe that we can continue to grow in our Christian because of our extensive links with schools in other life together. As a Church School, we encourage honest countries, not least Malosa School in Malawi, which we enquiry in the search for religious truth and integrity. have visited every other year since 2007 and supported The established pattern of worship at Bishop Ramsey financially throughout that time. is firmly based on the Holy Communion Service of the Church of England, while attempting at the same time to Bishop Ramsey – A Leader in create an atmosphere in which all students – in the spirit the Community of Schools of the late Bishop Ian Ramsey – may search for a faith by which to live. Each school day begins with Christian The next phase in the development of the School saw assemblies or form prayers. us make the most of our new resources, develop an increasingly flexible curriculum to offer challenge to all our Our School Chapel is deliberately situated right at the learners and build on the links we have made both locally heart of the School. The Chapel is used for quiet reading and in other countries, so that Bishop Ramsey remains a and prayer and is the venue for various informal Christian beacon of excellence as a Christian School. groups. An indication of our capacity to do this was the School’s Each student takes part in three Communion Services each accreditation as a National Support School in February year, one in our Main Hall, one at St. Lawrence's Church in 2010. This prestigious accreditation recognises the School’s Eastcote, our parish church and one, with other members willingness and ability to support other schools who may of their form, in the School Chapel. These services provide be experiencing difficulty. students with the opportunity to worship together in the Anglican tradition and to learn about the different styles of Since 1st September 2011, Bishop Ramsey has been an Anglican worship. Academy. We feel that as a confident, high performing school, we are well placed to make the most of the A major feature of our school life is ‘The Virtue Project’ freedoms Academy status offers us. Students are encouraged to show humility, courage, In March 2013 we were inspected in terms of our work wisdom, integrity, compassion and a passion for justice. as a Church School. We were delighted to be recognised These acts are celebrated by the presentation of button once again as ‘Outstanding’ in all key areas of Leadership badges in assemblies. and Management, Collective Worship, RE and overall The Christian life of the school is led by our Chaplaincy effectiveness. Team which includes an Assistant Headteacher, Mr. Britton No sooner had we digested this excellent news than we and our Lay Chaplains, Mrs. Dand and Mr. Bishop. heard that we had been accredited as a ‘National Teaching School’ to lead other schools in developing new and Worship Prefects existing teachers. In September 2016 we opened our doors to our first trainee teachers as a SCITT, working on Each form elects a worship prefect who is responsible for behalf of all Hillingdon Schools. In the same month we working in a team, to develop resources for Form Prayers, established ourselves as a Multi Academy Trust and also Assemblies and Eucharists and to take a leading role in delivering Form Prayers each week. learned that our bid to open a sister school to Bishop Ramsey had been approved by the DfE. This new school will be called Bishop Arden. An Exciting Education We were delighted in September 2015 to be one of only 26 We take our third strategic aim very seriously and work state schools to be awarded the prestigious ‘World Class hard to make every day at School a rich experience.