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Our Academy Day

Brooke Weston Academy has an innovative term structure and working day. We have five terms per academic year. Each term is eight weeks long, followed by a two-week break with the exception of the summer holiday, which is usually four weeks long. The school day starts at 8:35am and ends at 15.35 pm on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and at 16.30 pm on a Wednesday. There are five lessons, a 15-minute break for breakfast and a 30-minute break for lunch, plus assembly and tutor time. Our students do not have ‘playtimes’ as the emphasis is on creating a professional atmosphere. This also means an uninterrupted school day, greater concentration and fewer opportunities for behavioural issues or bullying to arise.

Students are able to use the school facilities from 8 am until 5pm, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. This extra time enables them to take part in the numerous clubs and activities that operate beyond the formal taught day, or to continue with their own private study.

Our longer school day means that, over the course of five years, our students have the equivalent of almost an extra year of tuition compared with the timetables of most schools. This has a tremendous impact on their educational outcomes.

Below is an example of a typical school day, with Wednesday different as it includes the elective.

School Day Details Times

Period 1

Includes 15-minute breakfast

08.35 - 10.00

Tutor Time

Assembly/Tutor time

10.00 – 10:25

Period 2 70-minute lesson

10:25 – 11:35

Period 3 Includes 30-minute lunch

11:35 – 13:15

Period 4 70-minute lesson

13:15 – 14:25

Period 5 70-minute lesson

14:25 – 15.35

School ends End of school day - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

15.35

School ends End of school day - Wednesday (due to elective for all students) 16.30
Post 15.35

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only. Private study time 

17.00

Post 15.35  On a Friday all students should vacate the premises at                            15.35
 

All students to vacate the premises Monday to Thursday by

17:00

“Without a staffroom you develop good relationships with teachers which helps with your studies.” Year 12 student

Transport

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.

Equipment

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 on-line ‘Wise Pay’ 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.

Tutor Group

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.

Uniform

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.

Enrichment and Learning Outside the Classroom

At Brooke Weston Academy we enrich students’ learning by providing a range of opportunities including lectures from visiting professionals, educational challenges, projects and residentials.

Brooke Weston Academy students are encouraged to take an active part in community life. They perform at dance and musical events, visit residential homes, assist at animal shelters and help local primary children with sports activities. We also encourage them to consider those less fortunate than themselves. This is reinforced in assemblies and by mufti-day collections that raise money for local and national charities and good causes.

There are weekly clubs in subjects including dance, maths, chess, art and debating that take place after school and details of these are posted daily on the screens around the building.

Participation in the arts is also an important part of the Brooke Weston Academy experience. Each year, talented students have many opportunities to perform in concerts and dance shows organised by our excellent Performing Arts department.

Older students may opt to join the very successful Brooke Weston Trust Combined Cadet Force (CCF) which teaches military skills and disciplines and allows students to join up with those from other schools across the Trust to take part in drills, firing exercises and training camps.

Trips, Residentials and Expeditions

Trips and visits underpin the curriculum and provide our students with a broad experience of the world around them. These trips may include visits to museums, art galleries, historic venues and places of worship, as well as universities, sporting arenas, the Houses of Parliament and language schools. In Year 7 and 8 students are encouraged to attend a residential as a year group, playing a vital part in bonding tutor groups and friendships.

For those who are more adventurous we run month-long trips to global destinations that have included Africa, Borneo, South America, and the Galapagos. Students are accompanied by staff members and experienced guides.

Attendance

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.

Careers Guidance

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.

Safeguarding

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 contact the school to speak to one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads.

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