Ashcrorr ftHigh School

A message from theHeadteacherAs Ashcroft High School’s Headteacher I amfortunate to be part of the Ashcroft Family, acommunity of committed and talented staff,students and governors.

In October 2013 the school was judged to have‘outstanding leadership and management’ by ateam of Ofsted Inspectors.

The whole of the school community is immensely proud of this achievement as it recognises the hard work of our staff and governors, the unique qualities of our students, and the support of their parents.

I am also proud of our new school building, which includes modern classrooms, a theatre, a café and youth community facilities. Our smart school uniform is a visual symbol of Ashcroft’s high standards.

I have very high expectations of myself, of staff,students, parents and governors. I am proud ofthe way in which we constantly work together as members of the Ashcroft family to improve our school. That is the ‘Ashcroft Way’.

The school continues to improve due to ourshared determination to achieve excellence.

We would welcome the opportunity to show you why we are so proud to belong to the Ashcroft family, and encourage you to join us.

Ms M AustinHeadteacher

The Headteacher provides outstanding leadershipthrough high expectations for achievements andbehaviour, a clear vision for school development

and highly effective arrangementsfor developing teaching.

Ofsted October 2013

The school provides opportunities for high-qualityoutcomes in a wide range of academic, work-related

and sporting subjects, which are well matched to theneeds and aspirations of the students.

Ofsted October 2013

Our ValuesAt Ashcroft High School we value people andlearning above all. Our work is guided by thebelief that every child matters and has somethingunique to offer.

We believe that individuals achieve more in an environment that sets high standards and demands their personal best. In a rapidlychanging world we believe that the values wepromote must be enduring and provide thefoundations for individual and collective success.

Our AimsAs a group of staff and governors we aim todevelop a community of individuals who aimhigh in all they do and view themselves aslifelong learners.

We are committed to working in partnership withparents, governors and external communitiesto develop skills and attitudes that will enableour students to succeed in their personal andprofessional lives.

Our School MottoA Learning Community driven by High Expectations and Respect For All

AchievementsAshcroft students choose our school because ofthe progress they make in both their academicand personal development.

We expect every student to make good tooutstanding progress, no matter what theirstarting point. As it states in the school motto,Ashcroft is driven by high expectations. Weset our students challenging academic targetsthat they regularly meet. To quote the Ofstedinspectors, the progress made by students in theschool is good and, as a result, their attainment at the end of year 11 is above average.

Students are known as individuals and treatedaccording to their different needs. As a resultall groups of students make good progress atAshcroft because we make sure that the quality of their learning is good to outstanding.

GCSE results for all groups of students aresignificantly above expectations because of thevalue that we add to each student’s education.

Students make outstanding progress in English, and

GCSE pass rates are above average.

Ofsted October 2013

Independent learning skills are crucial if students are to makeoutstanding progress. The new Learning Resource Centre

is an exciting, modern facility which students use forindependent learning during lunchtimes

and after school.

Teaching and learningTeaching and Learning is the school’s mainfocus. We work hard to ensure that, on a dailybasis, every lesson across the school is a positive learning experience for each student.

Many teachers are described as ‘inspirational’ bystudents, and Ofsted described relationshipsbetween teachers and students as ‘alwaysoutstanding.’ Ashcroft teachers are constantlydeveloping new ways of making learning evenmore inspiring and memorable in their lessons.They work in teams across the school and withteachers in other schools to share their expertiseand good practice.

Teachers are very ambitious for Ashcroft students and expect a great deal of them; students respond positively to this challenge and work well with their teachers.

All students are assessed by their teachers on aregular basis to identify their progress and anyareas for improvement. Teachers give clear advice on how to move up to the next level, and students are given time to act on that advice.

Students play an important role in improvingteaching and learning at Ashcroft. They work with their teachers to plan lessons, giving valuable advice on which teaching strategies help them to learn best.

Independent learning skills are crucial if studentsare to make outstanding progress. The newLearning Resource Centre is an exciting, modernfacility which students use for independentlearning during lunchtimes and after school.

Behaviour and SafetyAshcroft is an exceptionallycaring school and we placethe excellent guidance andsupport we provide at theheart of our work. This enablesstudents from many differentbackgrounds to make the verybest of the opportunitieswe provide.

We are ‘parents’ to our students during the school day; if what we offer would not be good enough for our own child,then it is not good enough forour ‘Ashcroft child.’ Ashcroftstudents enjoy coming to school because they know staff provide for their needs outstandingly well and that they are very safe. Our students respond by participating in, and contributing to school and community activities.

The school’s clear andstraightforward behaviourpolicy ensures that behaviourin lessons and around theschool is good to outstanding.Our students are typicallyconsiderate, respectful andcourteous. They show a positive attitude to teachers, to their learning and to one another.

Students show great pridein their new school, andunderstand that being part ofan outstanding school demands an outstanding attitude. They understand the concept of ‘The Ashcroft Family’ and their responsibility towards others in the school community.

The Ashcroft Family Code setsout clearly the expectation that

all members of the Ashcroftfamily will treat one another with kindness, will be proud of one another and help each other to grow, both academically and socially. As a result, our students are very sympathetic to other people’s feelings, values and beliefs. Students from many different backgrounds work in harmonytogether and with the localcommunity.

Bullying and racism are nottolerated by staff or students.Ashcroft students have a strongsense of right and wrong andwill not turn a blind eye toinjustice. They understand thatsuch behaviour is not part ofthe ‘Ashcroft Way.’ Incidents are dealt with swiftly and decisively.

The Leadership and management are outstanding.The Headteacher, senior leaders and governors

share the same commitment to securinghigh standards in the school.

Ofsted October 2013

Leadership andManagementThe school is led by an outstanding seniorleadership team. Our ambition for the school isextremely high and fiercely uncompromising.Our expectations are communicated to staff,students and parents on a consistent basis.

The school is organised on a House system; each of the 4 Houses is led by a House leadership team. This structure breaks down the large school into 4 ‘mini-schools,’ and ensures that no child at Ashcroft is forgotten or overlooked.

Leaders at all levels of the school understand thecommunity that we serve.

Ashcroft’s strong relationship with parents is akey element in our success as a school. Staff

and parents work as partners in educating each child, and we value regular communication withparents. As a school we have developed effective ways to inform our parents about the work of the school, as well as their child’s progress and well-being. These include meetings, phone conversations, parent/teacher evenings, parent/Headteacher coffee mornings, email messages, text alerts, website information and regular newsletters.

Ashcroft has a strong and committed governingbody. Governors work closely with the schoolstaff, with students and with parents to ensurethat standards in all areas of the school areoutstanding.

The CurriculumAshcroft’s curriculum is imaginative, well-organised, and provides a wide range of learning opportunities to suit the needs and interests of all students.

Gifted and talented students, students withspecial educational needs and students withEnglish as an additional language are all cateredfor exceptionally well.

The year 7 curriculum develops key competences and independent learning skills that are needed across all subjects.

Students in year 9 receive individual guidanceon the most appropriate GCSE pathway thatsupports their interests and future career plans.

The GCSE curriculum in years 10 and 11 provides a core of compulsory subjects that are studied by all students. Students are then able to choose from a range of optional subjects at various levels. These options include both academic and vocational subjects.

Ashcroft High SchoolCrawley Green RoadLutonBedfordshireLU2 9AG

Tel: 01582 436100www.ashcrofthighschool.co.uk

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