Excel prospectus

Expect Excellence

Welcome

It is a privilege to welcome you to The Excel
Academy. Our guiding principle is that we
expect excellence and I hope this prospectus
captures the essence of our exciting, foward-
looking and successful academy.

Pride and mutual respect are fundamental to our
success and the relationship between home and
The Academy are of paramount importance.
Should you choose to join Excel, we will have the
opportunity to work in partnership to ensure that your child leaves as an aspiring,
motivated and confident young adult. We believe that parents value the same things
as us - we want children to achieve the very best that they are capable of: children
who work hard children who behave well; children who are happy, known and
valued and children who get involved with wider school life - whether in sports, the
arts, the outdoor environment, the community or the world of work.

Our outstanding new building creates a safe, vibrant environment with cutting edge
facilities which, together with our innovative and personalised curriculum, provide
the basis for success. What truly makes us distinctive is the warmth of feeling and
sense of belonging that The Excel Academy engenders in the students, staff, parents
and friends of the school.

We welcome you to visit the school, either on our Open Evening or during the
normal working day, to experience for yourself what The Excel Academy has to offer.

Mr. D. Bishop
Principal

“The Excel Academy is now the school of choice for an
increasing number of parents.”

OFSTED

1

The Alpha Academies Trust is a partnership of schools
and academies in North Staffordshire that provide
excellent academic tuition, outstanding vocational
experiences and engaging enrichment programmes for
young people in our primary and secondary schools.
‘Expect Excellence’ supports a growth mindset culture
throughout the Trust with our focus on inspiring
students to achieve their goals, equipping them with
skills for life and the workplace.
We work in partnership with employers, schools and
colleges and other organisations to create innovative
opportunities to support learning in the classroom and
the workplace. We want every student to possess high
levels of literacy and numeracy at all ages and be fully
prepared to progress to further and higher education,
apprenticeships and employment when they leave
secondary school.

2

Pride and Respect

The Excel Academy’s ethos is built on a strong sense of Pride and Respect. We have
high expectations of all stakeholders which is what we refer to as ‘The Excel Way’.
We believe this helps to set the scene for outstanding learning and allows students
to personally grow through character development programmes and the attributes
of Growth Mindset which are shown below:-

Expect Excellence

We expect all staff and students to;
• Demonstrate maximum effort
• Be motivated to work hard and do the best they can
• Challenge themselves
• Have ambition and confidence to exceed targets
• Overcome obstacles
• Demonstrate resilience and independence in finding solutions
• Use feedback
• Seek advice to continuously improve
• Inspire and be inspired
• Aim to make a difference and inspire others to achieve
Our strong foundation of Pride and Respect remains a very important part of our
basic expectations across the academy.

3

Pride and Respect

4

Excellent Teaching and Learning

Our inspiring, balanced and relevant curriculum provides students with the skills,
habits and attitudes needed for success in the global marketplace. There is a strong
emphasis on the core skills of Literacy and Numeracy which is complimented by
a focus on Oracy and a blend of traditionally academic, vocational, creative and
technical learning options. Our aim is to maximise the success of our students by
ensuring that lessons are enjoyable and motivating.

We believe that teaching and learning should promote resilience in students through
a culture of positive relationships and respect which, in turn, leads to positive
engagement. Students’ success is celebrated and failure is seen as an opportunity
to learn and develop because staff and students are motivated to be the best that
they can.

Our high expectations of students and their positive mind-set for learning ensure
that effective teaching and learning takes place and students also benefit from
our range of extended learning opportunities including after school study support,
small group tuition and a range of educational visits that encourage and support
students to excel.

Excellent Outcomes & Opportunities

The Excel Academy has a record of strong academic outcomes borne from a culture
of working hard and a desire to achieve. In every lesson students are assessed
according to their mindset for learning and they are regularly assessed against
Academy Targets. Regular feedback from a range of assessment types including
classwork, extended writing and tests are used to give diagnostic feedback, which
is used to support students in improving outcomes further.

Much emphasis is placed on students’ awareness of their own progress, together
with excellent processes and systems. This includes annual parent evenings and an
online reporting system, which allow parents and teachers to fully support their
children to succeed and exceed their goals.

Students are supported through a range of interventions and strategies that are
bespoke to each child’s needs throughout their time at the academy. Our staff
value and respect parental engagement and will communicate with you as and
when the need arises.

5

“Teachers expertly match
work to meet students’
needs There are examples
of outstanding teaching
across several subjects.”
“Pupils make very strong
progress in English.”

OFSTED

Challenge Yourself

6

Excellent Ambassadors

Students relish opportunities to make a positive contribution to their life in the
academy and community. Our student council allows students to shape the
direction and decisions made by the academy community. There is also an
expectation that students develop their leadership and demonstrate this through a
student leadership role, such as Sports Leaders, Peer Mentors, Prefects and Subject
Ambassadors.

Excellent Care & Support


At The Academy we are immensely proud of the pastoral care and support systems
we have in place. The experienced team of welfare and support staff ensure all
students feel safe and have the opportunities to excel. The welfare team works
closely with external agencies to ensure each student has access to the support they
need. Additional support is always on hand via our SENCo and inclusion team for
any students with learning needs.

Positive relationships with parents and carers are key in ensuring good lines of
communication are in place. We encourage parents to communicate via telephone
or email with any questions they may have.

The first point of call for all students is their Form Tutor. Each year team is led by a
Head of Year who oversees all aspects of Personal Development, Behaviour,
Welfare, Attendance and Achievement for their year group.

Any issues of bullying are dealt with swiftly. Students can report any bullying by
speaking to a member of staff or via the website by pressing the Blue button.

The Excel Academy is a compassionate community where, through our fundamental
values of Pride and Respect, we expect excellence and embrace diversity. We provide
a balanced curriculum, where core British Values are at the heart of every subject.

“The teachers have really high expectations of us, and
want us to do well.”

YEAR 10 STUDENT

7

“Students feel extremely
well-cared for because
relationships with staff
are highly positive.
Behaviour and safety are
good”

OFSTED

Overcome Obstacles

8

Excellent Transition

The move from primary school can be an exciting yet daunting prospect for many
students and we aim to ease the transition process. We ensure that all students feel
safe and confident in joining our academy through our strong relationship with
primary schools. Our transition programme includes:-
• Taster days for Year 5 and 6 students
• Regular visits to primary schools by our staff including Senior Leaders
• Open evening for prospective new students
• Open invitation for parents to come in and see our academy
• Orientation afternoon for parents and new Year 7 students before
their first day at the academy in September
• Induction day on the first day to our academy in September
• Parent evening early in the autumn term to discuss any transition
issues

Admissions

The Excel Academy Admissions Policy can be found by contacting The Academy
or viewing the website.

We are happy for prospective parents and carers to visit the The Academy, whilst an
open evening is arranged during the Autumn term for both parents and students.

In Year 6 parents receive information for secondary education via their primary
school. Please contact The Academy for details of the application process.

www.excelacademy.info

PARENT QUOTE
“My daughter is currently a Y11 pupil at The Excel Academy
about to leave. I have never been anything other than pleased
and impressed with the school. The academy has both
excellent and supportive teaching staff who go above and
beyond to help pupils achieve to the best of their ability. I just
want to thank you for making the past 5yrs of high school
enjoyable and fulfilling. Thank you.”

9

“Staff and students have a strong team
spirit across the schools and are
committed to the school’s ethos of
pride and respect.” OFSTED 2016

Maximum Effort

10

Email: [email protected]

Enquiries to Mr. D.Bishop - Principal
Mrs. J.Dodd - Chair of Governing Body

The Excel Academy is an 11-16
Independent educational establishment
which is part of the ‘Alpha Academies
Trust’.

All our policies can be accessed from our website. Performance information can be found on the website on the Academy Evaluation tab.
The Excel Academy is committed to equal opportunities within all aspects of the organisation of the academy and equal access to learning for all students
in all areas of the curriculum and promotes and encourages positive attitudes in all our pupils