Essential Guide Magazine 2023 51 St Thomas the Apostle St Thomas the Apostle School and Sixth Form is a boys’ Catholic school with a mixed sixth form in the heart of South East London. Their intake reflects the multi-faith community in which they are situated and they are a very popular choice in the local area, with families recognising the outstanding all-round education they are able to provide. The school continues to be proud of its outstanding results, which consistently place them with the top schools for progress nationally. Last year’s GCSE results show St Thomas the Apostle School to be the best state boys’ school in the country for progress, placing the school 12th in the whole country. Sixth form results are impressive, with all students transferring to their first or second choice university or apprenticeship, including Oxbridge for some. These exceptional results are consistently high thanks to hard work and dedication of students and their teachers, who also provide a rounded and extensive extra-curricular programme for every student. Ofsted (November 2018) praised every aspect of the school, grading the school as Outstanding in every category. Inspectors remarked that: “Pupils behave impeccably in lessons and throughout the school. They are polite, thoughtful and determined to do well.” “Staff at all levels go the extra mile to make sure pupils achieve, feel cared for and thrive within a supportive and productive learning environment.” They are looking forward to welcoming you to one of their September open events. Please check the website, www.stac.uk.com, and Twitter @stacsouthwark for the school’s latest news.
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 52 Lessons in Dyslexia Dyslexia is an increasingly common specific learning difficulty experienced by children and adults alike. In fact, at least 10% of the UK’s population are thought to be dyslexic (British Dyslexia Association). With growing awareness of dyslexia and its cousin, dyscalculia (when an individual has similar challenges in maths), many parents too are learning about the condition. You may have concerns about your child, or your child’s reading and writing skills, and be wondering ‘could this be dyslexia?’. This article is here to help Dyslexia is defined as: “... a learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.” Dyslexia is usually spotted and supported in children at primary school age due to increased awareness amongst teachers and support staff. While dyslexia in our children today is commonly picked up by school staff, you may think you have spotted early signs in your child, particularly if they have developed coping strategies that minimise how their challenges present themselves in a large setting like school. Most individuals affected by dyslexia will show signs of finding particular areas of learning challenging. Due to this, most cases will be picked up in schools. This isn’t always the case, though, especially if they have developed a host of coping strategies to mask their challenges due to fear or embarrassment. Equally - some children develop strategies to work around their challenges, not realising that this isn’t how it should be. Being aware of common challenges dyslexic individuals face could help your child access the support they need earlier. Here are some common signs of dyslexia from the NHS website: Pre-school age (0-5): • Delayed speech development compared with other children of the same age (although this can have many different causes) • Speech problems, such as not being able to pronounce long words properly and “jumbling” up phrases (for example, saying “hecilopter” instead of “helicopter”, or “beddy tear” instead of “teddy bear”) • Problems expressing themselves using spoken language, such as being unable to remember the right word to use, or putting What are dyslexia and dyscalculia? What are the signs of dyslexia? sentences together incorrectly • Little understanding or appreciation of rhyming words, such as “the cat sat on the mat”, or nursery rhymes • Difficulty with, or little interest in, learning letters of the alphabet” Primary school age (5-12): • “Problems learning the names and sounds of letters • Spelling that’s unpredictable and inconsistent • Confusion over letters that look similar and putting letters the wrong way round (such as writing “b” instead of “d”) • Confusing the order of letters in words • Reading slowly or making errors when reading aloud • Answering questions well orally, but having difficulty writing the answer down • Difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions • Struggling to learn sequences, such as days of the week or the alphabet • Slow writing speed • Poor handwriting • Problems copying written language and taking longer than normal to complete written work • Poor phonological awareness and word attack skills” Teenagers and adults: The NHS states that “as well as the problems already mentioned, the symptoms of dyslexia in older children and adults can include:” • Poorly organised written work that lacks expression (for example, even though they may be very knowledgeable about a certain subject, they may have problems expressing that knowledge in writing) • Difficulty planning and writing essays, letters or reports • Difficulties revising for examinations • Trying to avoid reading and writing whenever possible • Difficulty taking notes or copying • Poor spelling • Struggling to remember things such as a PIN or telephone number • Struggling to meet deadlines
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 53 Spotting signs that your child may be struggling can be unsettling and worrying, but rest assured, dyslexia is incredibly common, and there is a great deal of support available. It’s also important to remember that as dyslexia is a specific learning disability, this does not affect a person’s intelligence. With the right adjustments, they have every chance of going on to succeed alongside their peers. If you have concerns, the first thing to do is raise these with your child’s teacher. They may echo your concerns, especially if your child is new to their class, and appreciate your involvement with a more holistic view of your child’s progress. If your child’s teacher agrees that there is a chance your child could be experiencing dyslexia, they will usually refer them to the support of a Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo). A SENCo is a specialist teacher who has taken on further study to support the assessments and interventions for children with additional needs, be they learning needs, behavioural needs, or medical needs (or a combination). The SENCo will either carry out an assessment themselves, if they have the necessary qualifications, or bring in a specialist to do this. They may ask you to have your child’s overall health and wellbeing checked with a GP first (such as checking for vision and hearing problems), as well as assessing for any other learning challenges they think your child may have. They may begin with a screening test to decide how likely dyslexia is, and follow this up with a full diagnostic assessment if they feel they need to investigate further. You can also access a private dyslexia assessment, if you feel this is best for your child. You can look into this further on the British Dyslexia Association website: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/services/ assessments, or alternatively search for a registered psychologist with specialisms in dyslexia on the British Pyschological’s Society’s directory: https://www.bps.org.uk/find-psychologist. We hope this guide helps you and your child on their learning journey. Remember that just because your child exhibits some symptoms of dyslexia, this may not mean they are. The important thing is to raise your concerns with your child’s teacher as soon as possible, so that assessments can be made where needed and supports can be put in place. With the right support, your child can thrive and go on to pursue their passions! I think my child might be dyslexic, what do I do? What happens if my child receives a dyslexia diagnosis? Final thoughts If your child’s school suspects they are dyslexic, they can put supports in place before a formal diagnosis comes through. As dyslexia is such a common learning difference they are likely to have a breadth of resources and techniques available, which can be quickly put into place to support your child’s learning. The support required for each child will differ depending on the severity of their dyslexia and their age. Your child’s school will also gather information about your child’s needs during their dyslexia assessment. Common interventions for dyslexic children and young people include: Specialised reading materials with pale backgrounds that aren’t white - this can sometimes exacerbate dyslexia Specialised filters to put over traditional books which help with the reading process Specialised technology designed for dyslexic individuals, especially for older children and teenagers, such as screen-readers, reading pens and audiobooks, to help children develop enjoyment around reading Time spent with a 1:1 TA to focus on particular areas of challenge, such as spelling or handwriting Multimodal approaches to teaching reading, such as using lots of physical resources Support with organisation, especially for older children For further information and guidance on how you can support your child in their learning, The British Dyslexia Association has a fantastic guide on strategies for supporting reading, spelling, writing and homework, viewable at https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/ children/how-can-i-support-my-child/spelling. They also provide a list of recommended tutors, if you feel your child could benefit from additional support alongside that offered by their school. Equally, your child’s teacher may appreciate your concerns, but be able to reassure you that your child is unlikely to be dyslexic. If this is the case, they should be able to evidence their view with examples of your child’s progress and evidence of their overall abilities. If you disagree with your child’s teacher, you can raise your concerns directly with the school Special Educational Needs Coordinator, or a year leader - who will either provide further reassurance, or escalate your concerns. They may feel there could be other issues going on, such as vision problems - in which case, they’ll refer you to your GP for further support and advice.
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 54 At Sedgehill Academy we offer an outstanding education in a warm and supportive environment, uniting high academic achievement with strong development of character. Sedgehill Academy has been part of United Learning since 2020, one of the country’s leading education providers. Uniquely we cover both the state and independent sectors, close collaboration across the group allows us to draw on a very talented pool of education professionals to bring out the best in everyone in our school community. We have high expectations and aspirations for every student and reject the view that success in life is pre-determined or that our talents are fixed. We believe that with hard work, kindness, integrity, and excellence our students will find success. Last summer saw Sixth Form students from Sedgehill Academy securing places at a variety of prestigious Russell Group universities. This year, we are excited about the start of a Basketball Academy for talented and committed players. When you visit us, as well as the strong focus on students’ academic success, you will find a caring and friendly environment, with a culture of aspiration where everyone is striving to bring out the best in themselves and each other. But at Sedgehill we believe that there is more to a good education than just academic success. We aim to develop character, compassion, and service through the delivery of an Education with Character, which challenges, inspires and excites our students, helping them to become happy, confident, and successful young adults. OPEN EVENING Come and see us for yourself! SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 21 ST 6:00 - 8:00pm BOOK NOW at sedgehillacademy.org.uk OPEN MORNING TOURS Every Friday at 9am throughout the year FOLLOW US: @SedgehillAcad Sedgehill Academy
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 55 Prendergast Ladywell Prendergast Ladywell School is a coeducational, 4-16 school where young people from our local community are provided with an excellent education that enables them to achieve outstanding outcomes in a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment. We are a school that CARES; where Community, Ambition, Resilience, Effort and Success are valued. Reflective and kind students are led by well trained teachers and professional support staff. We believe that all our students can Achieve Excellence; it’s the motto written on the badge of every student in the school. Prendergast Ladywell School provides an excellent education with high quality teaching and a challenging and enjoyable curriculum that enables students’ progress and provides a range of enrichment activities. Our students are encouraged to make positive contributions to our school, our community, and become healthy, happy and engaged members of society. Our ethos is underpinned by the relationships that the members of our community have with each other. These relationships are built on the foundation of compassion, equity and mutual respect so that every member of our community has a sense of belonging and are free to develop into the best versions of themselves. PRENDERGAST LADYWELL SCHOOL We invite you to join us at our OPEN DAYS Open Evening Tuesday 12 September - 6:00 to 8:00pm Thursday 21 September, Virtual Open Evening (6-8pm) Open Mornings Thursday 14 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Tuesday 19 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Thursday 21 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Tuesday 26 September - 9:15 to 10:30am It is an exciting time to join Prendergast Ladywell School ● Strong Leadership; strong vision ● High standards and high expectations ● Academic excellence - progress for all ● Outstanding care - outstanding facilities ● A family school at the heart of the community Leathersellers’ FEDERATION OF SCHOOLS EDUCATION FROM FOUR TO EIGHTEEN Manwood Road, London, SE41SA www.prendergast-ladywell.com @prendergast_PLS Good Provider Achieving Excellence ‘‘We look forward to meeting you’’ Niall Hand - Headteacher Part of the Leathersellers Federation of schools we contribute to and benefit from the collaboration and support our family of schools provide. The forthcoming years at our school will be incredibly exciting. We warmly invite you to be part of our community. Niall Hand, Headteacher Prendergast Ladywell School
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 56 Welcome to Prendergast Vale School, an all-through school in the heart of Lewisham for children from the ages of 3 to 16. We are a small, inclusive and vibrant school community; as our school motto says ‘in perpetuum discimus’ - we are forever learning, with academic and personal excellence for all and developing creativity at the heart of our practices. We believe all our pupils can achieve success in life by working hard and being kind. As a small school, all of our pupils and their families are well known to the people who work at the school. Our subject specialists design engaging and high-quality curricula that enable our pupils to reach their academic potential and develop a thirst for learning. As a result, they will become confident, resourceful and independent learners who can pursue their ambitions and attend university if they wish. Not only should students have well regarded qualifications when they leave school, but they will also acquire character traits that will enable them to be successful in life. Traits such as optimism, resilience and confidence are developed throughout all subjects and through extra-curricular activities. We encourage pupils to value their education at Prendergast Vale and we equip them to achieve and excel in life after school. They leave our care as responsible, motivated young adults who are eager to make positive contributions to society. Prendergast Vale is a small school within a big community. As a member of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools, we are stronger together. The Leathersellers’ Federation of schools is made up of a group of three secondary and two primary schools as well as Prendergast 6th Form. We are very fortunate to be part of the Federation and receive a lot of support from the Leathersellers’ Company, which helps our pupils succeed. Edmund Coogan, Headteacher. Prendergast Vale School
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 57 Harris Academy South Norwood is an ambitious, thriving 11-18 school community with an ethos of academic excellence, citizenship and high expectations. We believe in traditional values of smart appearance, good discipline and working hard, all supported by our skilled pastoral leaders. We are also a happy and caring environment which helps our young people be the best people they can be. ‘We have a challenging curriculum and expert teachers. We offer a huge range of trips. We also offer a vast array of clubs ranging from Ta-Chi to Debate Club to Greek Mythology. We have some extraordinarily talented musicians, our sixth form band performed to royalty last year, and even headlined at Wireless festival. We expect our students to serve their community: over 50 students are doing their Duke of Edinburgh award. We are very proud of our open plan sky-lit design art court that provides an airy and inspirational area for our budding artists to work in. similarly, our modern open plan library provides an area of quiet reflection to many an avid reader. Please don’t take our word for it though, come and check out our happy Academy for yourself. We offer Open Morning Tours every morning. These can be booked on our website www.harrissouthnorwood.org.uk - Alternatively please do come to our Open Evening on Tuesday 19th September. Harris Academy South Norwood Proud to serve the children and families of Bromley, Croydon, Lewisham and Lambeth Morning tours starting from 13th September daily at 9.10am during term time. Booking form on website www.harrissouthnorwood.org.uk Open Evening Tuesday 19th September 2023 Open Morning Thursday 28th September 2023 4.30pm-7.30pm 9.10am-10.30am
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 58 St Columba’s – Valuing Children as Individuals St Columba’s is a Catholic Comprehensive Academy, part of the South East London Catholic Academy Trust. We are a welcoming, vibrant and happy community dedicated to faith, learning and achievement and we welcome boys of all academic and religious backgrounds. The school has a tradition of high standards and high expectations. As a caring Christian community, we work in partnership with parents to enable students to achieve their very best. Gospel values inform all aspects of school life and learning - in the school community everyone has the right to be happy, safe and achieve. We are proud to be an inclusive Catholic school that welcomes students from all faiths or none. During our last OfSTED visit in 2019, inspectors recognised this defining characteristic when they said ‘You and your governors aim to provide a highly inclusive education….The Catholic values you hold are evident in the safe and welcoming community the school has become.’ We are proud to be a school where every child is known and valued as an individual and this too was recognised ‘Warm and positive relationships are a strong feature of your school. As a result, pupils feel confident in lessons to ask questions and push themselves forward in their learning.’ Students are set by ability so that each individual is challenged to achieve their best. To support their successful transition, Year 7 students have their own playground. As a comprehensive school, every child really does matter and St Columba’s help each individual to grow spiritually, academically and socially. For more information, please visit www.st-columbas.bexley.sch.uk. St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 59 Welcome to The Charter School East Dulwich; we are an inclusive, dynamic and academically rigorous secondary school serving the vibrant communities of East Dulwich and South Camberwell. As part of The Charter Schools Educational Trust, we are founded on the conviction that excellent education transforms lives and strengthens the diverse communities that we serve. We are a school at the heart of our community, where families are important and all voices matter. Relationships are built on the foundations of compassion, equality and mutual respect, so that students, families and staff are valued and free to excel. We teach our students to be curious, creative, courageous and caring. They will be happy in themselves, excited about their future and ambitious for success. They will leave us with the knowledge, understanding, and character traits that enable them to play a full and productive part in our modern, democratic society. Our specialist staff support students in seeking and securing opportunities that enable an exciting and successful continued personal learning journey, in further education or work. Excellence requires hard work, and we have high expectations of all our students. We expect them to engage with powerful knowledge about the academic, physical and cultural world. Exemplary personal conduct is at the heart of our students’ development, and we expect them to build on this by contributing actively and generously to their community, having a positive impact on others. We expect them to commit to developing their individual aptitudes both inside and outside the classroom, participating enthusiastically in the extracurricular life of the school, through additional sports and specialist clubs and societies. In return, we provide high quality teaching based on academic excellence and an innovative but rigorous approach so that all students have the chance to perform above and beyond and where no child is left behind. Our staff work tirelessly to provide students with the support, expertise and encouragement needed in order to achieve their goals. Alison Harbottle, BSc Hons Headteacher Open Day Thursday 28th September 2023 Booking will be available from 1st September 2023 at 12.00pm on Eventbrite. 020 3873 2290 [email protected] Jarvis Road, London, SE22 8RB The Charter School East Dulwich
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 60 We are proud to be recognised as one of the top schools in the country for our achievement. Our students perform exceptionally well across all EBACC subjects at GCSE. We are consistently in the top 10% of schools nationally for our A-Level performance. We have been evaluated as outstanding by Ofsted since 2006, our most recent inspection being in 2022. The quality of our education is even better now than at the time of our last inspection. We are proud of our shared vision and strong values. Our teachers and support staff are creative, skilled, dedicated and enthusiastic professionals who work tirelessly to improve the outcomes for all our students. For proof of our success, you need to look no further than our students past and present. We are very proud of their many extraordinary achievements, including brilliant exam results, fantastic sporting achievements, excellent music performances, entry to the country’s top universities, and successful careers including as lawyers, doctors, engineers, musicians, and artists. We are a family school because we are large enough to provide a dynamic, challenging curriculum, yet small enough to pay attention to the needs of every child. We know that each child is different, and each child deserves success. Like every family, we have rules Year 7 Open Day Wednesday 27 September 2.15pm - 6.30pm Sixth Form Open Day Thursday 09 November 4.30pm- 7.00pm Please check the website to be kept up to date about this and other admissions information regarding Year 7 and Year 12 entry for September 2024. www.charternorthdulwich.org.uk The Charter School North Dulwich and routines, and we have high expectations for each child. Visitors always tell us what a happy and calm school it is, and pupils love it here because they feel inspired, busy, helped and challenged – but above all, they are learning and feel successful. We teach beyond a traditional academic curriculum to include the knowledge and skills to help our pupils confidently seize the opportunities of living in a globalised world. We have a wide-reaching ‘beyond the classroom’ offer, including the Duke of Edinburgh awards and many clubs, societies and visits. We are one of the few schools teaching Mandarin, and we have a broad programme of events that develop our students’ employability skills and prepare them for the world beyond school. Our goal at The Charter School North Dulwich is a simple one: to enable all students to develop the knowledge, skills, and character to be happy in life and be successful in higher education or the inspiring career pathway of their choice. Every child has different qualities. We will find and nurture your child’s unique strengths and support them to feel happy and successful, accomplish their goals and prepare for the future.
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 61 Orchard Park High School Open Evening Thursday 28th September 2023 5.00pm to 7.00pm Our Headteacher, Ms Moran, extends a warm invitation to prospective parents and students to our open evening. Booking is not required. If you are unable to attend the open evening, we will be holding a series of open mornings on 3rd to 6th October from 8.15am to 9.30am. See our website for details: www.orchardparkhigh.co.uk Orchard Park High School, Orchard Way, Croydon CR0 7N Situated on the border of Shirley and Beckenham. T: 020 8776 0220 E: [email protected] EXCELLENCE | INTEGRITY | DRIVE | COLLABORATION Orchard Park High School Orchard Park High School is a warm, happy and high achieving school, located in Shirley, on the border of Beckenham and Croydon. Our vision is that every student who belongs to our school community has a better chance of success than if they attended any other school and – our exam results place us as the highest performing non selective and co-educational school in the area. We are ambitious for all our students; when you visit, you’ll find that students are challenged, inspired and encouraged to reach their full potential. We are very proud to offer a safe and caring learning environment with disruption-free classrooms, where students can achieve the very best qualifications, broadening the opportunities for their future. We create the conditions for our students to be confident in who they are and strive to be the best possible version of themselves. We enjoy working with parents and carers to establish a community centred on high performance and excellence, regardless of a child’s starting point. If you would like to make an appointment to see the school in action, please contact the Headteacher’s PA on [email protected]
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 62 Sacred Heart Catholic School is an outstanding 11-18 educational institution which achieved outstanding grades from Ofsted in every category during our last inspection. Sacred Heart School consistently achieves outstanding academic results, way above local and national averages in every subject area for all pupils and all learning abilities. Our ‘Progress 8’ scores over last few years have placed us in the top 1% of schools in the country, reaching a remarkable 1.28 at its best - something we as a Sacred Heart community are very proud of. We also have an exceptional record and reputation for helping our pupils achieve more than they think is possible, both academically and through personal development. This shared vision, allows us to dedicate ourselves to enriching lives and increasing opportunity for all pupils in the future. Our superb academic records reflect Sacred Heart’s traditional and highly disciplined approach to education, and we are committed to even greater success in future years. We set our pupils challenging targets for continual improvement and we make sure that they make the most of their opportunities in each year. We expect total support and commitment from parents, and work in close partnership with them to ensure that all our young people find the success they deserve. We possess a state of the art building and a highly successful Sixth Form, which has already sent students to Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as many other Russell Group universities. Sacred Heart students embark on degree courses in Medicine, Law, Languages, Architecture and Engineering, to name but a few. We are a school which believes in living our Catholic faith, as demonstrated by our caring ethos and systems of pastoral support, as well as our extensive charity work in the local community and abroad. Our school also offers an abundance of extra-curricular activities and opportunities, – in the last few years, students have travelled to Thailand, New York, Santiago, Paris, Iceland and Barcelona, as well as participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme to Gold Level. Sacred Heart Catholic School Open Mornings Open Evening Monday 18th September 9.00am – 11.00am Tuesday 19th September 9.00am – 11.00am Wednesday 20th September 4.00pm–6.00pm The Open Evening will be conducted in two sessions at 4pm and 5pm. To obtain an invitation please visit the school’s website: sacredheart.southwark.sch.uk for further information. by Invitation Tours will be available. Open Evening last tour will be at 6pm and the Headteacher will address parents at 5.00pm and 6.30pm.
Essential Guide Magazine 2023 63 Ark Walworth Academy Ark Walworth Academy is a nationally recognised, multi award-winning school in the heart of the Southwark community. We have received the Bronze Award for Secondary School of the Year in the category of ‘making a difference’ and we feel this is a true reflection of the work we do for our young people. We are recognised on the honor roll by the UK Social Mobility Awards, and were highly commended in the TES national awards for Community and Collaboration – all of which is a testament to the inclusive and transformational school experience we provide. After another year of record breaking results for Walworth students, they leave us for elite destinations – to prestigious universities including Cambridge, Bristol, and Kings College London - and to top flight apprenticeships with companies such as UBS and Balfour Beatty. This is made possible through a school experience which focuses on developing young people as citizens and strong working relationships with industry partners such as BP, Nat West and a range of providers in the medical and healthcare field. We teach the full national curriculum and more, with integrated Community Weeks in which we focus on broader themes. These weeks enable young people to manage themselves in 21st century society with topics including personal safety, citizen’s rights, and financial literacy. On top of that, every student in our school does an hour of enrichment each week. Activities range from chess to first aid, samba drumming to crochet, engineering to community advocacy! We know young people need a range of experiences to enable them to find their future pathways and we have a proven track record in making this happen for our students. We know families are finding things tough at the moment so we do our best to support you too. All Walworth Academy families receive a uniform voucher to help with the cost of transition, and every Walworth student receives a laptop to support them during their time at school, totally free of charge. We provide free breakfast every day for all students, and we also work with partner organisations to provide family counselling and other support services at times of challenge if you need it. We think our school is offers a supportive community and an exciting place to learn; we’re really proud of our school and we look forward to sharing it with you at our Open Sessions!
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