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Our Academy
We are very proud of our building and facilities, which are modern and kept in pristine condition. Visitors are usually surprised that the building is over 30 years old and everyone benefits from working in a clean and cared-for environment.
Brooke Weston Academy sits within acres of well-maintained grounds that are invaluable for sports, science and nature studies. The building is also exceptional, forming a pentagon around a central courtyard. Each two-storey section is connected by a glass link block. Each department is located along its own designated corridor and contains a study area with computers and soft seating.
Sports facilities are also excellent. As well as the indoor sports hall, there are also all weather sports pitches outside, plus cricket nets and other grass pitches which are used by students during the day, and by the community at evenings and weekends.
Our Library and Sixth Form Study Area is a well-stocked resource. It is equipped with banks of fixed computers used for self-study and laptops that may be loaned out for a lesson. We also have a 300-seat theatre, a small lecture theatre and a boardroom.
Our restaurant provides a wide choice of food for both breakfast and lunch. Students may eat the restaurant food, which is very good and competitively priced, or bring their own food to eat in the restaurant. Please note, we are an Allergy Aware school in line with all Brooke Weston Trust schools.
Outstanding attendance at Brooke Weston Academy is an important focus and part of our day-to-day approach. Students are given the knowledge to understand correlations between attendance and achievement; this is done through a range of Academy forums and strategies. Our ethos towards attendance is reinforced by a thorough system, with an emphasis on home-school communication. For more information on attendance at BWA, please click here.
Careers education and guidance is provided as part of the curriculum and we have our own on-site advisor who offers information on opportunities, university courses and apprenticeships, along with one-to-one support for students seeking employment. All services are delivered impartially in line with Government requirements.
Every student is allocated their own locker and they will need to supply their own padlock for security. Students are expected to leave possessions in their locker except for the equipment they need for their immediate lessons.
They will need to supply their own stationery, including pens, pencils and a calculator. No valuables should be brought to Brooke Weston Academy as we cannot take responsibility if they are mislaid or damaged. Mobile phones must not be used in the school, and, if brought, should be switched off and placed in lockers until the end of the school day.
All students are issued with a multi-functional ‘smart card’ that includes an information chip and their photograph. This is required to register attendance and it also acts as a bus pass, a library card and a payment card for the restaurant.
Payment can be loaded onto the card either via standing order, through the online Wisepay facility.
Students cannot use each other’s cards. If the card is lost, any balance can be reloaded onto a replacement which needs to be purchased from finance
Safeguarding is paramount at Brooke Weston Academy. We are committed to promoting the welfare of all students and the Academy has robust safeguarding systems. All Academy staff recognise the importance of students being offered the correct support and we place our duty of care at the heart of everything we do. Students are guided towards appropriate avenues of support and are provided with the knowledge to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.
For further information regarding safeguarding at Brooke Weston Academy please visit our Safeguarding page, contact the school to speak to one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads.
Students can arrive at school on foot, by bicycle, car or on the school buses which pick up at stops throughout the catchment area. Parents will need to pay if they wish their child to use the buses. Details on routes and prices will be in the information pack supplied to our new intake students. You can learn more about our transport service, here.
The role of the form tutor is key at Brooke Weston Academy. As there are no student care Heads of Year, the tutor deals with all student care issues. They are supported by their Head of Department and, if necessary, the Senior Management Team. The tutor takes the role of ‘parent in school’ for the tutees in their care. Every student is placed in a tutor group of approximately 27 students. The tutor meets with the tutor group on a daily basis and acts as their advocate providing advice, guidance and discipline if necessary.
Tutors track student attendance and their progress across all subjects. They are also the link between home and school. Communication with parents is very important and we value the support we receive from the parent body. Where possible, students stay with the same tutor as they move up the school, so they get to know each other really well. We also have an 11-16 student care team if students need any extra support.
There are clear dress standards at Brooke Weston Academy and everyone is expected to dress in a professional way. The uniform for Years 7 to 11 consists of basic black trousers/skirt and shoes, teamed with a plain white shirt and a Brooke Weston Academy tie and jumper. For sports lessons, each student should wear Brooke Weston Academy sports kit and provide their own trainers. In Years 12 and 13, students do not have a set uniform but are required to dress in formal business attire. All students are expected to maintain a neat and tidy appearance with no extreme piercings, acrylic nails, tattoos or hair styles. Hair dye, if used, should be of a natural tone.
For more detailed information please refer to our uniform policy.