Welcome to the Elizabethan As Principal at the Elizabethan Academy, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our Secondary School and Sixth Form. We are all extremely proud of our exceptional school, its academic traditions, extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral support. Our students come first, as they are at the heart of everything we do. They are our biggest asset and best ambassadors. We believe in education in its broadest sense. Academic and vocational qualifications are vital, as they enable students to go onto the next steps in their education, realising their potential and achieving their aspirations. However, we postulate that ensuring students develop the right skills and attributes through the curriculum and extensive opportunities in which we provide, is equally as important. We develop confident, articulate, resilient individuals who go on to create a positive contribution to society. I am determined that students will achieve at the highest level, and that we continue to offer our 11 to 18 year olds the best quality teaching experiences, opportunities and personal development in either the state or independent sector. I encourage you to visit our fantastic Academy so that you can enjoy the positive, calm and orderly atmosphere and experience our ethos and high standards for yourself. Mrs Christine Horrocks Principal
Vision and values Our core purpose is to prepare students for the next steps in their lives and equip them with the confidence, skills, qualifications and attributes to become high-achieving and well-rounded individuals. This enables them to reach their potential and achieve their aspirations and goals in the real world. Personal development is critical for students’ current and future success. We support our students to develop confidence, self-discipline, flexibility and resilience through our curriculum, extra-curricular opportunities and our leadership programme. We are proud of our focus on whole school well-being We expect excellence from all; from our governors and passionate staff team who work here, from the students who learn here and from the parents who choose to send their children here. We offer students and staff an innovative, progressive, challenging, well-structured but supportive environment in which to thrive and learn. “The school has inspired my daughter to develop a strong work ethic and an enthusiasm to succeed.” - Year 11 Parent
Our three R’s of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience reflect our ethos. Respect is one of the cornerstones of the Elizabethan; respect for others, respect for others’ beliefs and respect for others’ differences. Just as critical is self-respect and self-discipline. Students are expected and taught to take responsibility for their actions and their learning. Our students must be effective team players and independent learners. Building resilience is vital to support mental health and well-being. Students need confidence, courage and self-belief to show strength of character when things can be unsuccessful - preparing them for society. Initiative is key. We are passionate about student leadership and want to shape the pioneers and leaders of tomorrow. We want our students to be enthusiastic about their learning, enthusiastic about extra-curricular activities and enthusiastic about school. “My children have developed the skills and confidence that has inspired them to develop their own individual talents, which has made me proud to be their parent.” - Year 9 and 11 Parent
Curriculum The curriculum which we offer is vital in preparing our students for future success. We are passionate about offering our students a curriculum which will equip them with the tools to become lifelong learners. Our broad and inclusive curriculum has opportunities that will challenge our young people and support them to develop the knowledge and skills they will need throughout life. Our curriculum provides various opportunities to excel both in and outside the classroom while developing knowledge skills and understanding to secure personal and academic success. We are extremely proud of our commitment to offer students access to a wide range of subject areas, which reflects students’ ambitions and aspirations, while preparing them for future local, national, or international career opportunities. We are an inclusive and diverse community, who respect others’ differences and promote understanding and tolerance of others’ beliefs. Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is flexible enough to challenge and extend the more able learners, whilst also providing additional support, particularly in the core subjects of English and Maths, for those who need it. In Year 9, we seek to personalise the curriculum to enable all students to pursue their strengths, interests and career aspirations. Students will typically study four options, alongside the core subjects. We offer a wide range of subjects such as photography, psychology, sociology, enterprise and engineering to name only a few! For students who would benefit from a more personalised approach, we also offer a Foundation Learning Pathway which offers smaller group support and a more tailored options programme. In the lead up to selecting their options, students and parents/carers receive extensive information, advice and guidance to enable them to make the right choice. This includes careers work in PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Careers Education) lessons and a one-to-one interview with a Senior Leadership Team member. The extensive work undertaken to shape the curriculum is further developed into Key Stage 5 for our Sixth Form students. A wide range of academic qualifications, vocational courses and T levels are offered to prepare our students to study in a variety of ways to support their pathway to ambitious destinations including degrees, high-level apprenticeships post 18 or employment.
Maths has lots of applications and is a vital asset in many degrees and career pathways. Receiving a good grounding in Maths is an essential life skill; it helps to develop your understanding of problem solving, logical reasoning and spatial awareness. In the Maths Faculty we believe in making Mathematics interesting for everyone. The team are all passionate about bringing it alive as a subject, promoting an awareness of its applications and most importantly, making it accessible for all the students that we teach. - Maths Through the exploration of language, we can discover how new worlds are created in the minds of the audience; how the written word can be persuasive and manipulate our thoughts through a range of media; how we can look to the words of the past to learn about ourselves in the present; and how we use words to communicate with others in a range of different situations. - English As well as covering a range of traditional design skills, we provide students with opportunities to learn about and use cutting-edge technologies such as our industry standard laser cutting and 3D printing machines. Our lessons cover the latest methodologies in each of the discreet areas within the department - Resistant Materials, Product Design, Food Technology, Digital Information Technology and Computing. - DT
The focus of the Key Stage 3 Science curriculum is to engage the natural curiosity of our students by allowing them to explore the world around them and investigate scientific principles. Lessons contain a wide variety of activities and handson experiments. Students can study Biology, Chemistry and Physics through Combined Science and in some cases Separate Sciences at GCSE and then specialise in their chosen area at A-Level, providing a fantastic platform to continue through into higher education and a career in many areas including Medicine, research, Pharmacy and Ecology. We also offer opportunities to study Child Development as a BTEC for years 9-11, and Applied Science, and Health and Social Care in the Sixth Form. - Science In Year 7 and 8, students study an innovative ‘blended curriculum’ where they can experience a range of engaging practical lessons and skills across the Expressive Arts subjects. These sessions, connected by termly topics or themes, will also provide learning on critical concepts and wider careers and roles within the Arts. At GCSE and A-Level, students can choose to study Drama, Dance, Music, Art, Photography, Textiles and Film Studies as discreet subjects. We have fantastic extra-curricular opportunities including one-to-one individual music tuition, an award-winning school choir and a variety of instrumental groups. This may include a visit to the theatre, both locally or in the West End, an art gallery, a musical concert and even a week in Hollywood for KS4 and 5 pupils! In 2018, the Arts Council of England awarded the school a Gold Artsmark award. - Expressive Arts
Humanities play an important role through providing greater insight into the world, helping to better understand both the past and the future and fostering a sense of empathy for those around us. All students at KS3 study History and Geography, whilst at K54 and 5 the choices expand to Sociology, Psychology, Criminology and Economics. Field trips even include the chance to visit Iceland! - Humanities Studying another language can improve cognitive skills such as memory, problem solving and critical thinking; it introduces us to new cultures and places and it helps to develop confidence in communication with others. Students have the chance to learn French, Spanish and German and can then develop these language skills on school visits to destinations such as Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. - Modern Foreign Languages As well as improving understanding and developing the skills needed to compete in a wide range of sports, PE promotes a healthy lifestyle, develops important social skills and increases self-esteem. We provide a wide range of opportunities for extra-curricular activities including competitive team sports against other local schools. A major highlight of the school calendar is the Whole School Sports Day. - PE
Nurture and enhanced provision We pride ourselves at The Elizabethan on being truly inclusive and our nurture group provision supports those students who would struggle to access a large secondary mainstream school in Year 7 and 8. Students are provided with a small group setting where they thrive in both their academic and social development. The curriculum has the same breadth as the wider school, but is delivered using more concrete and cross-curricular approaches. However, this does not mean that they are limited in their experience, whether it involves creating circuit boards to generate light or designing and creating pulleys, they are still working on building up their skills and knowledge in a range of areas. Some students struggle with the change from primary to secondary school and the nurture provision is a transitional model whereby the class has one teacher for the majority of their lessons, but a small number of other teachers from different faculties also deliver lessons, as well as the nurture students integrating with their wider year group in more practical subjects such as Design Technology and PE. This helps them to develop relationships with their peers and the wider teaching staff. Our nurture group students are an integral part of the school and love their learning and time spent in the nurture provision.
“I can work independently in a calm environment but still with support on lessons when I need it.” - Alternate Provision Student
“It’s really relaxed and settling at Idle Valley and there aren’t so many people around. It really builds my confidence.” - Alternate Provision Student
Another aspect of our commitment to being an inclusive school is our outreach classrooms at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve. Some young people, during their secondary school journey, may struggle to access their normal lessons and classes for reasons including anxiety, emotional and mental health, long term illness or behavioural issues and our off-site provision offers a therapeutic environment where education can continue and short-term turn-around interventions implemented within small groups. This provision is delivered by our own staff, as an extension of our school and is personalised to meet the needs of individual students. The Idle Valley setting offers an excellent setting to work in this unique and inclusive way and allows our students to complete some voluntary service in the environment that offers them so much.
Extra curriculum Whilst we pride ourselves on our academic excellence, we also expect all students to play a full part in the wider life of the school. Our extensive programme of extra-curricular activities provides opportunities for students to make friends, nurture talents and learn new skills. In addition, all students have an afternoon of enrichment on their timetable once a week where they participate in activities of their choice as diverse as Latin, trampolining, embroidery and carpentry, alongside 40 other cultural, creative and sporting activities. Our Student Leadership Programme is well embedded with student leaders and House Ambassadors in a variety of areas, with the most senior positions being that of Head Boy and Head Girl. For the past two years, we have actively participated in the Brilliant Schools Programme. This embeds positive habits and a growth mindset in pupils that lead to improved attitudes, parental engagement, well-being, pupil happiness, exam results, teacher mojo and doing the right thing. We are encouraging our students to have a growth mindset, mindfulness and being aware of their own well-being as well as the well-being of people around them. The ninjas of positivity support students and staff with a range of activities throughout the year, including the “Wear Yellow” and “Random Acts of Kindness” days. We are always looking for new recruits to join our team of well-being ninjas. Extra-curricular opportunities at lunchtime and after school are organised by every department in the school, ensuring there are plenty of options for students to be involved in an activity that aims to engage and develop their wider skills beyond the classroom. The school hosts a choir that regularly performs in local and regional festivals, a foreign film society, a variety of musical groups including a percussion group and wind band, as well as extra-curricular groups in Drama, Art, Science and Technology. Whatever the students’ interests are, there is something for them at The Elizabethan Academy. Success extends to the sports field too, with many individual and team successes across a range of sporting activities, including our Academy Equestrian Team!
Cadets and Duke of Edinburgh The Combined Cadet Force has long been established in the independent sector and the Elizabethan is one of a few state schools in the country to offer students this opportunity and our provision is expanding rapidly. The CCF, alongside the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, enables the development of students’ personal responsibility, leadership and self-discipline.
We have a proud tradition of excellence in the Performing Arts which has previously been recognised though a Gold Artsmark Award. Our high-profile productions such as ‘Chicago’, ‘In the Heights’ and ‘Les Misérables’ spearhead a range of opportunities for performers across all disciplines. This includes regular visits to see large scale theatre productions and workshops with professionals working within the arts industry. Recent graduates from our Sixth Form have progressed to some of the country’s finest drama schools including ArtsEd, East 15 Acting School and Birmingham Conservatoire, as well as working professionally in organisations such as The Royal Shakespeare Company. Performing arts
Trips at home and abroad We value the extensive experiences trips can offer our young people so organise a number of them within and outside of the country: visits to France, Spain and Germany to practice the language and experience the culture firsthand; ski-ing in Europe; Euro-Disney; Expressive Arts trip to Los Angeles, Camps International expeditions. Most subjects run trips to secure knowledge and understanding or widen experiences including museums, concerts, theatres, fieldwork, sports fixtures and a Year 7 team building trip to an outdoor education centre within their first half term.
Sixth Form Our core purpose is to provide all students with a wealth of opportunities, the highest quality teaching, excellent pastoral guidance and a springboard to university, training or employment. Sixth Form aims to challenge and support students every step of the way, ensuring they succeed both personally and academically and become responsible, informed adults who make positive contributions to the community and wider society in which they live and work. Elizabethan students are expected to be role models and play an active part within school; whether this be through active participation in our weekly personal development sessions, our mentoring and leadership programmes or charity work. Alongside the broad range of academic subjects that can be found in our course directory, we also offer a wide variety of extra-curricular enrichment activities which include the Extended Project Qualification, Cadets and Work Experience in Year 12, all of which are valued by universities and employers alike. Our extracurricular opportunities within Sixth Form allow even further independence and freedom for our young adults. “The Elizabethan Academy really pushed me to become the best I could be. They have supported me in achieving everything I set out to do, including getting to my first choice of university.” - Year 13 Student
All our courses are taught by specialist, experienced teachers who know exactly how to get the best out of our students. Our results continue to rise year on year with a very high pass rate in all subjects and the top grades of A*- B in line with schools nationally. Not only does this mean our students perform at the highest levels but it also enables them to gain places at their first choice universities, apprenticeship or other employment. We are proud that our students progress into further education or employment at a significantly higher rate than other sixth forms nationally. Whilst we offer a wide range of courses, we also recognise that not all students wish to follow the traditional A Level route and as such we have a range of applied courses and in September 2022, we started to deliver the new T Level qualifications. T Levels are equivalent to three A Levels with an extensive industry work placement opportunity complementing school study. This has provided our students with more scope for what they wish to do, giving them more options and opportunities. If you are a hard-working individual who wants to develop academically, personally and who wants to join a vibrant, student-centered Sixth Form then we would strongly encourage your application and be delighted to welcome you! Lee Dainty Assistant Principal & Director of Sixth Form
How to apply To our Academy All admissions for places in September of Year 7 are processed by the Local Authority. Applications open on 8th September and close on 31st October. We have a well-established programme of transition events which ensures that all students who transfer to us - whether from our own feeder schools or from elsewhere - settle and flourish quickly. We have 28 established feeder schools across Bassetlaw, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire, although we are receiving increasing numbers of applications from outside our catchment - including international students from Korea, Canada and America! This shows we really are a school of first choice! Increasing numbers of parents are applying to us mid-year, either because they are moving to a new area or because they are dissatisfied with their current school. We have chosen to process all in-year applications ourselves, as it allows us to streamline the application process.
To our Sixth Form Centre The majority of students here at the Elizabethan continue their studies with us and see it as their first and obvious choice. However, you don’t need to be a student of the Academy to join our excellent Sixth Form. Every year we welcome students from other schools from across the country and further afield. Application forms are available on our website along with supporting information and deadlines for submissions. If you would like to know more about our post 16 provision, please contact our Director of Sixth Form, to see what we can offer you. Lee Dainty Daintyl@elizabethan.notts.sch.uk
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