aspire • enjoy • include • respect • communityCockermouth School

At Cockermouth School, we are proud to offer all of our students a first-rate education founded on high quality teaching and an expectation of hard work.

Building on our excellent reputation and success, we embrace the idea of being a ‘restless’ school; a school that evaluates all that it does to ensure the very best experience for all of our students.

We are rightly proud of the outstanding academic achievements of our students and have high expectations of everyone. We passionately believe that the high quality teaching of a broad curriculum enables all students to flourish.

We understand the need to achieve highly in the core subjects to enable future

success and we also understand that school is about more than performance in exams. All students are exposed to a wide range of subjects including arts, languages, sports and technology so that individual passions are catered for.

Complemented by an enormous range of opportunities outside of the classroom and a dedicated pastoral support team, life at Cockermouth School is busy, enjoyable, rewarding and enables our students to achieve in every area of school life.

As a high-performing, truly comprehensive school, our core values of aspire, enjoy, include, respect and community underpin everything that we do. We aim to be the best school we can be, endeavour to make the school experience enjoyable and inspiring, understand that difference and diversity are to be celebrated, respect the right of everyone to learn and work closely with parents, encouraging our students to be ambassadors within our community.

Dr Rob Petrie BSc PhD Headteacher

Welcome to Cockermouth School

“We are committed to being the best school that we can be.”

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aspire to achieve our very best in all that we do3

Our well-qualified, experienced and passionate staff tailor their lessons to the needs of the individual, providing a stimulating environment and challenge for all students. Subject leaders work closely with our local primary schools to ensure that classwork and expectations develop smoothly from Key Stage 2.

The school curriculum is carefully balanced to provide breadth, with students studying at least 14 different subjects in Key Stage 3, supporting the opportunities available in Key Stage 4; additional lessons in Maths, English and Science help maximise progression in the core subjects.

Our recently developed virtual learning environment supports students’ learning

beyond the classroom; students can watch videos of science experiments, view model responses to problems and access additional resources that stretch and challenge. Parents have their own access that additionally enables them to monitor homework and contact class teachers with ease.

Inside the Classroom “Our teachers give generously of their time to personalise the learning experience for our students.”

A broad and balanced curriculum that aims to inspire and challenge

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Outside the ClassroomWe offer a wide and varied range of extra-curricular activities to enrich the learning experience of all our students.

Active partnerships are maintained with schools all over the world, providing opportunities for students to work with people their own age from a range of continents, in a variety of subject areas.

We have a full British Council International Schools Award. The “Connecting Classrooms” project enables our students to explore and share current global

education themes such as climate change, innovative technology, biodiversity, health and fitness and global citizenship with our international partner schools.

In addition to the host of sporting activities, students can participate in a broad range of extra-curricular opportunities offered at both lunchtime and after school.

“Creativity, teamwork and enthusiasm deliver stunning theatrical performances.”

“Our student-led Amnesty and UNICEF groups campaign, raise awareness and fundraise on global issues in and out of school.”

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Providing a positive learning environment where students thrive and succeed

It is important that our students enjoy school and feel cared for and supported. We believe passionately that our success as a school depends on ensuring that each student is respected, feels confident and understands and supports our core values and works with us on striving to achieve them every day.

We are incredibly proud of our students and, through our pastoral system, we know that they will be given the best possible advice and support when it is needed. Issues are dealt with sensitively and effectively, and as a community school we take a great deal of care in ensuring that all students who join us make the transition into school quickly and effectively.

It is equally important that our students maximise their potential, both inside and outside of the classroom. At Cockermouth School we place high expectations on our students and we celebrate success. This can be about achieving excellence, but it is always about students being the very best that they can be.

In order to do this, they will be provided with a broad and balanced curriculum and lessons from highly skilled and well-motivated staff that will allow them to succeed but also feel challenged. Alongside this will be the offer of a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, which provide huge opportunities and add immeasurably to the secondary school experience.

Mr Ian Routledge Head of Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3

aim to enjoy and succeed by displaying a positive attitude to learning

“Every member of the school community has a responsibility to behave well and the right to enjoy and be inspired by their school experience.”

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We pride ourselves on the breadth of subjects offered to students at Key Stage 4; three different pathways are designed to suit different students’ abilities.

In addition to the core GCSEs, most students study an additional four preference subjects, with both academic and vocational courses on offer. We are able to meet almost all students’ subject combinations. Our hardworking and well qualified staff deliver lessons that develop students’ understanding of the curriculum, but also engage students with links to knowledge beyond the scope of exam specifications.

While the focus within the classroom is on ensuring that each student makes the best possible progress, we are also immensely

proud of our work supporting students to plan for their future; while the majority of students stay on to our sixth form, we offer individual guidance to all students, regardless of their intended destination.

Mr Rik Smith Head of Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4We are an aspirational, primarily academic Sixth Form and offer a broad range of A Levels.

Our well-qualified staff communicate real enthusiasm for their subjects, which inspires our students to enjoy their learning and develop their own academic

curiosity. Most students progress on to university and a number take up higher level apprenticeships. We expect a good deal from them in terms of engagement and commitment but ensure that they have the support and encouragement they need to meet the challenges head-on. We place real importance on our non-qualification curriculum, comprising our Enrichment and Futures Programmes. We believe that our young people need to leave us as well-educated, independent, confident and engaged young adults, well-prepared for the next stage of their education.

Mrs Charlotte Dumbill Head of Key Stage 5

Key Stage 5

strive to include and value everyone as individuals a school at the heart of its community

“We encourage students to develop good study skills and the ability to learn independently.”

“Supporting younger students with mentoring, accelerated reader and sporting activities is an important part of our Sixth Form programme.”

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InclusiveAt Cockermouth School we value everyone’s contribution to the life of the school and recognise that different students have different strengths. As a result we support the needs of all students as individuals to allow everyone to fulfil their potential.

We celebrate the wide range of cultural influences that shape our lives, engaging with different cultures and opportunities to develop the skills and attitudes needed for life in a diverse world.

We encourage honesty, integrity and dignity in recognising right and wrong, accepting responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Students develop and demonstrate virtues of care, forgiveness, trustworthiness, helpfulness, courtesy and politeness in their interactions with others. They reflect on experiences and develop character, personal values and beliefs, while exploring and valuing those of others with humility.

“We recognise the importance of creating and promoting a positive, supportive, neutral and secure environment where students can develop a sense of being valued and heard in their own right and where they feel safe, secure and respected.”

Ambassadors for our school within our community

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show respect to each other in our daily interactions

At Cockermouth School we pride ourselves on the priority that we give to the transition from primary to secondary school.

Students join us from a wide range of primary schools in the area; they are all equally welcome and we work hard to ensure that we meet all students in advance of them joining the school.

Towards the end of June, we invite all Year 6 students who will be joining Cockermouth School for two intake days. These are very important and enjoyable days, where the students will learn a great deal and gain a huge amount of confidence ahead of the summer break.

In September, we ensure that the Year 7 students are quickly made to feel part

of our school community. We establish routines and ensure the students become familiar with the facilities in our Year 7 area and know how to effectively find their way around our school site. We believe that it is vital that students have a successful transition into Cockermouth School, as this means that they have the opportunity to enjoy school and excel from the day that they join us.

Miss Andrea Fox Head of Year 7

Transition Questions & AnswersI am worried about getting put into detention, do students get put into detention at Cockermouth School?

They do, but only if you do something really silly or if you don’t complete your work. Most students in Year 7 do not get any detentions at all.Cameron Clague

How does Cockermouth School support students who join from another secondary school?

I visited the school and all my questions were answered by the helpful staff, they told me all I needed to know and gave guidance when I needed it. Then I was placed in a form group with some girls who quickly became good friends and they made me feel very welcome.Molly Rankin

I am worried that I will not be able to do the work. Does the work seem much harder at Cockermouth School than at primary school?

It is more difficult, but to be honest you don’t really notice that it is getting harder. It isn’t that it feels much harder it just feels different.Fraser Hemingway

What about at lunchtime, is there a good choice of food available?

There is a really good choice of food available in the canteen. I sometimes don’t know what to pick.Daniel Woodcock

How does the curriculum at Cockermouth School compare with primary school?

It is a lot more fun because you get to study lots of different subjects and learn new things that you didn’t get to do at primary school.Charlotte Bone

How do you manage not to get lost at Cockermouth School?

You will be fine, because for the first week the teachers take you to your lessons. This gives you time to learn your way around. If you ever do get lost after that there is always someone to ask.Natasha Stewart

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Cockermouth School is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England. Company No: 09679536

Headteacher: Dr Rob Petrie BSc PhDChair of Governors: Mr Paul Moody P

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Cockermouth School Castlegate Drive Cockermouth Cumbria CA13 9HF

01900 898888 reception@cockermouthschool.org www.cockermouthschool.org @cockermouthsch CockermouthSchool