PROSPECTUS - Fairfield High School, Bristol · PROSPECTUS Allfoxton Road Horfield Bristol BS7 9NL...

PROSPECTUS

Allfoxton RoadHorfieldBristolBS7 9NLTel: 0117 952 7100Email: [email protected]

For more information including school day timings, full Ofsted report, or to sign up to receive Fairfield News by email, please visit www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk

Twitter @FHSBristol

The students here are like stars; they may be similar but each of them is unique, the diversity is what makes Fairfield High School.”- Former Head Boy

Excalibur Academies Trust: A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: Company Number: 08146633. Registered Office: Granham Hill, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4AX

Fairfield High School is no ordinary schoolFairfield High School is a unique school, greatly valued by its community. Our students have high aspirations - and so do we!

Our staff and parents are committed to working together to make sure our young people’s dreams come true.

FHS was rated Good with Outstanding Features by Ofsted in 2013 and since then we have taken several steps closer to being judged Outstanding in all areas.

We joined the Excalibur Academies Trust in February 2015 and we are excited by the opportunities this brings to share expertise and ideas for the benefit of our students.

We support all our students to realise their academic potential, while also helping them to develop and grow as people.

FHS students consistently gain excellent results and we have been recognised nationally for our outstanding achievement.

An increasing number of families are choosing Fairfield High School for their children – we are in the top five most popular schools in Bristol and have had to expand to accommodate demand.

Parents tell us they love the atmosphere created by having staff and students from such diverse

3Fairfield High School - Achieving Excellence | Prospectus www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk

I am delighted and proud to be the day-to-day leader of this exceptional school, where talents are allowed to flourish.

Our staff, students and parents work in partnership to ensure that each young person has the best possible chance of success.

We have high expectations and are confident that these will give students the values, skills and knowledge to move on to the next stage of education and excel in life.

At FHS, every individual is encouraged to challenge themselves, work creatively in collaboration with others and most importantly, achieve the sense of joy that comes from the determined effort to succeed in learning.

Mr Nick Lewis, Head of School

A family of schools achieving excellence and empowering individuality

Dr Patrick Hazlewood, CEO of Excalibur Academies Trust, said:

“EAT prides itself on a special blend of independence and collaboration; it is committed to schools retaining their identity. It is through close collaboration and a shared vision that together we achieve great things. We are a family of schools achieving excellence and empowering individuality.

“I am proud that Fairfield High School is one of our International Academy group. It has an outstanding record of adding considerable value to every student’s education and is, most importantly, a happy place where all can achieve more than they ever thought possible.”

Fairfield High School is proud to be a member of Excalibur Academies Trust. This is a group of primary and secondary schools with a shared vision of education to prepare young people for the opportunities and challenges of our global community.

EAT is founded on the core belief that every child deserves an outstanding education. Our academy leaders aim to develop capable, effective, independent learners with the resilience, determination and confidence to shape the world for the better.

Education is the most powerful

weapon which you can use to change

the world.” - Nelson Mandela

“

We are committed to providing the highest standards of teaching and learning, with a coherent, seamless approach that will best meet the needs of children and young people aged from three to 19.

Excalibur Academies have a family ethos based on strong values and a robust moral code that emphasises:

• respect for others

• personal pride

• determination

• outstanding personal integrity

backgrounds. More than 40 flags hang in our atrium, representing all the nationalities in our school.

Our students appreciate it too – and visitors frequently comment on how happy and hardworking they are.

If you haven’t yet experienced what one parent described as Fairfield’s “little bit of magic”, please come and visit. You will be made most welcome.

Ms Catriona Mangham, Executive Principal

4 Fairfield High School - Achieving Excellence | Prospectus www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk 5Fairfield High School - Achieving Excellence | Prospectus www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk

GLO

BAL

CIT

IZEN

SEveryone is valued for who they are and for what they can becomeIndividuals matter. In our diverse, creative and vibrant school community there’s capacity for everyone to be themselves and for students to achieve their best in all areas of school life.

Beyond academic learning, the children at Fairfield learn and display wonderful

social skills, tolerance, acceptance of diversity and camaraderie. They look out for one another. The school has a lovely energy. The teaching staff show real commitment to and interest in the students.”- Parent

Amy - In Year 10, when I started my GCSEs, I made a big realisation – that education is about you. I wanted to take control of my actions and start working hard because I realised what I did then would affect my whole life. I made some bad friend choices in the earlier years but I’m so glad I turned it around.

The start of GCSEs symbolised an end goal. I wanted to work hard and revise. I wanted to become respectful. I met some new friends. I can’t deny that I was lonely for a time when I pulled away from my old ones, but my new friendships have made me more happy and confident and passionate about school than I ever could imagine, they’re amazing!

My goal in life is to have a nice house, with a nice kitchen, and a nice car, but I knew to get this I needed a good job and education. The GCSEs put everything into perspective.

I recommend that people don’t leave it as late as I did, though. Hard work from Year 7 makes all the difference to the end goal. While I’m very proud of myself, I wish it had dawned on me in Year 7, right at the beginning.

So what’s on the cards for me now? Well I plan to go on to take A Levels in English Literature, Geography and Psychology; I hope to be an Environmental Lawyer one day. My dream job is to work for a big company focusing on energy usage, recycling and sustainability. I really want to help the planet; to make a massive impact.

Meet some students

The only way I can pay everyone at Fairfield back is by giving them the good results they deserve and I’m trying my very best to achieve that.”

Ewan - The teachers are the people who have made my experience at Fairfield so incredible. It wasn’t always easy for me and I found myself getting into a few difficulties; however the support and encouragement have driven me on and given me the confidence I needed.

The pastoral staff are great as well. They get to know you as a person, recognise if you need help and then find the right kind of help. Growing up isn’t easy!

I can honestly say FHS is a good school and I would recommend it to anyone.

Hope - I was worried about not making friends but I made loads straight away. Our tutor was brilliant at bringing everyone together. Everyone is really nice and friendly, even though we didn’t know each other beforehand and we’re from a whole mix of primary schools.

I was worried as well about getting lost, but I found my way around in the first week! It looks big, but when you’re there it feels much smaller.

One subject I absolutely love is Science. I was scared at first about the experiments as we hadn’t done anything like that before. Now we do exciting things like making rockets and using fire! I usually get about 85% in tests so I’m very proud of myself.

The teachers support me a lot and I really love my school.

A curriculum to meet the needs of all The school is outstanding in the opportunities it provides across the curriculum

Fairfield High School was congratulated by Ofsted for offering a good academic curriculum with outstanding features. We emphasise the skills of literacy and numeracy and offer a strong foundation in a wide range of subjects.

We understand that young people learn in a variety of ways and at different paces and our curriculum supports all students to succeed to the best of their ability. Our students are encouraged to unlock their creative potential in all subjects, from sport to science and from computer programming to drama. We challenge them to expand their skills and understanding from their very first day.

As they move through the school, our students are supported and guided towards selecting the most appropriate route of study based upon their aptitude, interest and motivation.

An extensive programme of visitors to the school and trips ensure our students are stimulated to go further in their learning.

Subjects offered vary slightly each year to meet the demands of our diverse student community.

Classroom teaching is supplemented by many visits and trips, which brings learning alive for our students.

FHS has developed partnerships with creative and media organisations in Bristol including Watershed, Aardman Animations and design agency Pace. This has led to success in the Sharp Shotz film contest and participation in the BBC Talent Ticket roadshow. We have excellent links to local employers and work closely in collaboration with national law company Burges Salmon to develop employability skills for our young people.

Languages are strong at FHS. Students have taken part in visits to a Christmas market in Cologne and an exchange trip to Hanover. We also offer residential trips to France. Whilst French, German and Spanish form the cornerstone of our curriculum, additional community languages are also on offer.

We work closely with both the city’s universities to develop further opportunities for our students.

Engineering is a popular GCSE option, thanks to links with Dyson, the Bloodhound project, Airbus and others. We pride ourselves on our provision for all STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects and offer triple science and additional maths.

Students reached the regional finals of the UK Maths Challenge and the maths department has been awarded the Prince’s Trust Teaching Institute Mark. We also take part in the Hour of Code.

I am very grateful to you and your colleagues who helped my son turn around his performance in some subjects, especially Maths and English Literature. I can’t thank you all enough for getting the best out of him.”- Former Parent

ASPIRATIONAL

The quality of teaching in a wide range of subjects is consistently good and sometimes outstanding.” - Ofsted

Science is out of this world – literally! The school took part in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Seeds Space project, planting seeds that spent several months on the International Space Station with astronaut Tim Peake. Science has also been awarded the Prince’s Trust Teaching Institute Mark.

FHS offers a wide range of GCSE options including an array of performance and arts based subjects such as sports science, art graphics, photography, dance and drama.

Our English department, singled out as Outstanding by Ofsted, leads a school-wide focus on the importance of reading. Programmes such as Accelerated Reader encourage a love of the written word. Popular authors Cathy Cassidy, Huw Powell and Joseph Delaney visited to inspire students about writing. Literacy and numeracy are vital core skills and our specialist teams make sure all students are challenged in these areas. Those students who need to make faster progress take part in short-term intervention programmes that support our effective classroom teaching.


Huw PowellSharp Shotz film contest

Fairfield High School students develop interests outside the classroom

Our extra-curricular activities build confidence and character in an environment where students are supported and nurtured.

CREATIVE

You have a wonderful school with a very special atmosphere, based, we thought, on outstanding relationships and a kind of energy and dedication that speak volumes about your values and philosophy in action.”- Visitor


Team Sports: Partnership with Bristol Rovers FC. All-weather sports pitches. Football, Netball, Basketball, Hockey, Rounders, Cricket, Rugby

Healthy Living: Swimming, Badminton, Athletics, Gymnastics, Trampolining and other individual sports encouraged. Nature club in on-site garden

Leadership: House system enables all to compete. Prefects selected by application and interviews to lead community and mentor others

Music and Drama: Creativity high on agenda. Choir, music, orchestra, samba drumming and drama clubs (including Flight Youth Dance Company). School productions. Performances at the Summer & Winter Galas

Adventure: Duke of Edinburgh Award. Outdoor and adventurous activities offered through PE department

Dance: Rise dance troupe in demand at community events. Finalist at Stages dance festival in Colston Hall

National Competitions: United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Team Challenge and Junior Challenges for our most able; BBC Sharp Shotz competition

Clubs: Debating, ICT, cookery, film, homework, Mandarin, Feminist Society – to name just a few

Trips: Annual Exmouth Camp popular. Bushcraft trip (Y7). Maths (Oxford University trips to Pitt Rivers Museum and Bletchley Park). Various visits abroad to suit historians, linguists, sports enthusiasts, artists

Community: Regular charity collections. Sessions with local primaries. Contact with MPs

Enterprise: Four regional Young Enterprise titles won

Success from Day One

All new students mark their start at Fairfield High School by planting a tree in the grounds, which they can watch grow over their time here. Alongside the trees, the students bury time capsules that they later dig up and keep as mementoes of their school days.

Year 8 and Year 11 students mentor Year 7 students when they join us to ensure we avoid the traditional ‘Year 7 dip’ in literacy and numeracy.

The House system is the key to the ethos and culture at FHS and provides each member of our community with a sense of belonging. Each student is placed in one of four Houses and is supported by a well-balanced programme of competitions and activities led by our Heads of House.

Every Friday in the first term parents are invited into school for a Parents’ Tea to meet their child’s new teachers, ask questions and meet other new parents in an informal and relaxed environment, so they are also supported and given the opportunity to develop new relationships from the very beginning. Regular contact is made throughout the year and events take place to feed back on progress.

Fairfield Parents Network is a fantastic group which meets once a term and is strongly supported by the school. It aims to help improve the school and hosts events to raise funds including a successful World Banquet for the community.

Laying down roots

INDIVIDUALS

My daughter found the Golden Ticket Day really useful. She came home saying that she wants to come to Fairfield even more now than she did before. It was reassuring for her and made secondary school less daunting.”- Parent

The move to secondary school means many changes for children - so we make every effort to know and understand the needs of individuals to try to ensure a seamless transition.

Fairfield High School is unique in offering a specialist Transition Team to help students make a positive transfer from primary school. The Achievement Coordinator that children meet in Year 6 stays with them in Year 7. This team of staff is experienced in dealing with the unique challenges that the first year of secondary school brings.

All prospective students are invited to come in and meet staff and other students starting with them in September, during our Year 6 induction programme. Those coming from primaries with only one or two others are invited to a special games event to meet other students who are in the same position.

Everyone joining FHS is invited to our popular Summer School; there are a variety of activities to help learners get to know the school building and facilities, and help strengthen relationships with staff and students.

Our work with future students continues all year. We run outreach activities with Year 4 and Year 5 children and our Year 7 students visit partner primary schools. Our renowned Golden Ticket experiences give Year 5 and 6 students the opportunity to experience FHS for a day.

Every child coming into our school is recognised as an individual. We want them to leave Year 7 as happy, successful and engaged young people – ready for the rest of their school careers.


@FHSTransition

Fairfield seems to be a very nurturing school which is very important to us.”- Prospective Parent

Student support

Fairfield High School is committed to providing high quality education in a challenging and stimulating atmosphere, enabling individual development for all within a culturally rich and caring school.

The tutor is the key adult in a student’s school life. The aim is for each tutor to stay with his or her group for the duration of the student’s time at FHS.

A large team including specialist support teachers, learning support assistants and other staff works to ensure that every student, with his or her unique talents and needs, is recognised and catered for.

The most able are stretched and challenged while bespoke assistance is provided for those who need it. We have excellent relationships with external support services, including educational psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language and health teams.

We like it a lot, you have high standards, kind people, nice teachers… excellent”- Prospective Parent

I love the fact that each child’s needs seem to be the focus of the school’s attention”- Parent

INC

LUSI

VE Our Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) department has extensive experience and expertise in supporting children who may face barriers to their learning, whether through cognitive or communication difficulties, social, emotional and mental health difficulties or sensory and/or physical needs.

Our Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) works closely with parents from the time their child is given a place at FHS and supports them in finding an appropriate next step at the end of Year 11.

FHS has the highest of expectations for all students, including those with SEND, and provides targeted interventions for anyone who needs them.


A range of strategies are used to support those students struggling to remain in mainstream education, including pastoral support interventions, restorative justice approaches and, if necessary, negotiated transfer.

We offer regular school nurse and counsellor appointments and offer support to young carers.

We use peer mentoring as a powerful tool for tackling issues of importance to students, such as bullying and e-safety. FHS has also been praised by the campaigning group Stonewall for the way our student champions spread the school’s messages on equality and diversity.

We use mindfulness techniques with groups of students to help manage stress, anxiety, poor concentration and impulsiveness. Many research projects have shown that these have a positive impact on resilience, optimism and learning.

SUPPORT

14 Fairfield High School - Achieving Excellence | Prospectus www.fairfield.bristol.sch.uk

We place great emphasis on values for life: respect for others, a responsible attitude towards the community, care for the environment and a pride in oneself.

Our Head Boy and Head Girl set the tone for the rest of the students, demonstrating ambition, articulacy and a desire to make the school and the community better for all.

We reach out into our neighbourhood with events such as our Winter and Summer Galas and we look beyond, into the nation and across the world. We are proud of our support for charities such as Refugee Aid and DEKI.

It is vital that our students understand that we are all global citizens. The school engages with Fairtrade Fortnight every year, takes part in debates and welcomes visiting speakers from an extremely diverse range of backgrounds. Cross curricular projects increase students’ knowledge of other cultures.

Thinking globally

We pride ourselves not only on the academic achievements of our students but also in developing the whole person to grow into a responsible, globally aware 21st century citizen.”- Ms Catriona Mangham, Executive Principal

Calais Aid Box Collection

It was a pleasure to be present in such a wonderful school to pay respect on my 1917 bugle “to the fallen” and see all the pupils standing silently.”- Bugle Player Ian Beattie

We also ensure that students develop an awareness of history and tradition. Our annual Armistice Day service in the atrium is a truly moving event. It is also a pleasure to welcome members of the Old Fairfieldians into school to share their memories.

PROSPECTUS - Fairfield High School, Bristol · PROSPECTUS Allfoxton Road Horfield Bristol BS7 9NL...

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