THE SCHOOL Farlingaye High School is an 11-18 (Group 8) comprehensive co-educational school which has 1890 students on roll (including 440 in the Sixth Form). Situated in the picturesque town of Woodbridge, approximately 10 miles north of Ipswich, the school is recognised by Ofsted as outstanding (2007 and April 2013). We were delighted to become a Teaching School, in partnership with Kesgrave High School in 2011 – one of just 57 secondary schools/partnerships at the time to receive this highly prestigious award. The school was awarded specialist school status for Maths and Computing in 2002 and in 2006 it was awarded a second specialism in Creative Arts and English. This resulted in some excellent opportunities for staff and student development, as well as new resources. We have been a Leading Edge school since 2003 and have been able to fund exciting initiatives linked to thinking & learning skills and this will continue. The school was given National Support School status in 2009 and the Head is a National Leader in Education. We became an Academy in July 2011. ICT class STAFF BENEFITS FOR THOSE WHO WORK AT FARLINGAYE 1. NQTs have a special package to give them a lighter teaching load than other staff. 2. We are members of a Well Being Scheme and our staff are entitled to telephone access for guidance and personal support, as well as personal and some private medical support if needed. 3. The maximum any of our staff teach is 84%. 4. Generous full pay paternity allowance is given and we do all we can to support parents of young children returning to work. 5. In accordance with our Admissions policy for entry 2015/16, children of staff employed by the school are given priority where they have been employed for two or more years or if they are recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a skill shortage. 6. The school pays into the national teachers’ pension for all staff. 7. We run an outstanding CPD programme to ensure all staff have access to developing both their professional and personal skills. 8. Due to our size as well as Leading Edge and Specialist Subject Status, we have had several opportunities each year for teaching staff to take on additional paid activities or 2 research projects which give staff the opportunity to add to their CV and help their professional development. 9. As a large school, we have great opportunities for internal staff promotion. Some jobs are only advertised within the school. For example, last year, eight staff were internally promoted to permanent posts. 10. We are understanding of staff needing time for personal reasons. 11. Ufford Park Health Club offer all Farlingaye staff the following discounts on their health club memberships: no joining fee to sign up to the Health Club (which is usually £29). 25% off any membership package (day or anytime) for the leisure facilities. As a member you would then have 20% off the spa experience and between 10-20% off treatments. Art students OFSTED In April 2013 the school was visited by a team of Ofsted inspectors who looked into every aspect of the school. The OFSTED report is available on the internet or from the School Office. It was fantastic, with both the school and sixth form being designated ‘outstanding’. Here are a few quotes:- “Those who have special educational needs make excellent progress.” “Pupils make outstanding progress…because teaching is excellent at all stages.” “Training and support for teachers are exceptionally good.” “Sixth form students highly appreciate the high-quality teaching and personal and academic advice they receive.” “The sixth form is outstanding.” “Pupils say they would not hesitate in going to any member of staff for help if they were worried.” “The behaviour and attitudes of pupils are outstanding. Pupils are exceptionally keen to learn.” “The school encourages tolerance and understanding of individuals and different groups of people exceptionally well.” “The Headteacher provides excellent leadership. She works successfully with other leaders and governors to raise standards and improve pupils’ progress, as well as provide effective training to improve the quality of teaching.” 3 “Teachers promote the development of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and computer skills exceptionally well.” “Students thoroughly enjoy school.” THE CATCHMENT AREA Farlingaye High School serves a 200 square mile catchment area. Woodbridge itself is an extremely pleasant and popular market town, which has developed alongside the River Deben, and about a third of our students can walk to school from the immediate area. The rest of our students are bussed in from the outlying villages. The catchment area is mixed and fed by twelve partner primary schools which, together with the High School, comprise the Farlingaye Pyramid. These schools work actively together to develop the links between the students and staff across all the centres, with major events in the calendar being shared, and cross-phase teaching occurring. We work closely with Kesgrave High School and share our Teaching School work with them. PHILOSOPHY We aim to provide our students with a high quality teaching and learning experience within a safe, stimulating and caring environment. We encourage this not just through lessons, but also by providing them with an enriched curriculum which offers the opportunity to succeed in a variety of ways and to participate in a wide range of activities. High expectations in all aspects of school life foster high standards and sound values. We believe students work best when they are encouraged and treated with respect. Science Students ORGANISATION OF THE SCHOOL There is a leadership team of eight: the Headteacher, two Deputy Heads and five Assistant Headteachers, one of whom leads our Learning Support team. The teaching staff is organised into ten faculties, each being led by a Learning Co-ordinator. Each faculty area having its own team room where staff tend to base themselves socially and for quiet working. The pastoral system is provided through Year Learning Co-ordinators who rotate through the school, alongside their tutors, staying with Year 7 until they reach the end of Year 11, when 4 the Sixth Form Team assumes oversight of Years 12 and 13. The majority of staff are tutors. There is a Lower School Co-ordinator for Years 7, 8 and 9, an Upper School Co- ordinator for Years 10 and 11 and a Sixth Form Co-ordinator for Years 12 and 13. They have oversight of the curriculum and support the Year Co-ordinators in dealing with pastoral concerns. The Learning Support Department operates a mixture of support and withdrawal; a counsellor and Behaviour Support Assistants provide further advice and help for our students. In addition, a range of mentoring programmes run across the school, including over 100 of our Sixth Formers who, as trained buddy mentors, support younger students. There is a large team of extremely supportive non-teaching staff, who are managed and led by the Administration and Finance Manager and the Support Staff Personnel Officer. School Leadership Team Headteacher Sue Hargadon Deputy Head Peter Smith Deputy Head Ian Piddington Assistant Headteacher (Lower School Co-ordinator) John Tunaley Assistant Headteacher (Upper School Co-ordinator) Louise Gilmour Assistant Headteacher (Assessment, specialisms and ICT) Chris Moran Assistant Headteacher (Support for students, Pupil Premium and Celebrating Achievement) Cathy Laird Assistant Headteacher (Director of Learning Support) Debbie Pritchard Heads of Faculty Creative Arts Tracy Hetherington English Peter Etchingham Humanities Nick Webb Languages Catherine Millican Maths Andrew Gemmell Science David Williams Technology Hugh White Vocational/General Studies Nigel Edge Learning Support Debbie Pritchard PE Kate Alexander Year Co-ordinators (2014-15) Year 7 Heather Enright Year 8 Toby Read Year 9 Geoff Harris Year 10 Luke Wakeley Year 11 Paul Macdonald Year 12 Graham Tait Year 13 Penny Tyndale-Hardy ACCOMMODATION The school has excellent facilities and is geographically organised into faculty areas, plus a sixth form block. There is a central administration area with the Maths department housed above it. The other faculty areas are based in specific blocks. The classrooms are supported by good ICT facilities in each faculty area. There is a well-equipped Library and Information Centre; the PE facilities are fantastic, with gym, newly decorated sports centre, newly equipped fitness studio, performance studio and playing fields allowing access to a wide 5 range of sports. It is important to us that the environment remains visually stimulating and celebrates the work and achievement of the students in these areas. A £2 million Sixth Form block opened in 2006, providing a study area and Sixth Form common room, in addition to a conference room, ICT facilities, laboratories, and teaching rooms. This block provides a showcase exhibition space for the art produced within the school. Bus Park Information English Centre Languages Technology 6th Sports Humanities Form Centre Dance S.E.N. New Hall Studio Maths & ICT Science Dining Upstairs Hall Art Main Drama Entrance Music Caretaker Ransom Bikes Road A Site Plan of the School ETHOS We believe that students are entitled to:- be safe be given the opportunity to achieve the best possible exam results be taught a broad and balanced curriculum, through the National Curriculum have access to the best resources available in the school high quality teaching be given work which is appropriate, yet challenging have