This is no ordinary school. We are breaking the mould and transforming the learning experience for all our students. We ensure they achieve academic success, whilst developing the social skills and emotional maturity to succeed in life. We continue to innovate and evolve, so that our students are sought after by further education colleges, universities and employers, because of the skills, knowledge and attributes they gain while in our care. We are creating bright futures.
In many secondary schools you will see classes of thirty students, sitting in rows, facing the front – with a teacher sharing his or her knowledge. This is not enough for us. We believe we should be helping students develop valuable skills for learning, such as independent thinking, problem-solving, research skills and team-working. This will ensure they are properly equipped for future learning and successful careers.
We want our students to gain deep rather than superficial understanding. We don’t believe in force-feeding information to get them through their exams early, simply because it might make us look good. We believe they need the skills to continue on their learning journeys long after leavingKingswood.
Kingswood’s new building has been specifically designed to facilitate personalised learning pathways, so that we meet the needs of every learner – it’s not one size fits all. Academic success is our priority, but provision is tailored to the needs of individual students, rather than arbitrary benchmarks. Each of our students follows a curriculum matched to their needs, ensuring that they leave Kingswood well prepared and confident to meet the demands of higher education and work. Focused pathways for the most academic students are enriched by opportunities to develop in areas where they are particularly gifted or talented.
In our building, there are a range of flexible, open-plan spaces and a host of specialist areas and facilities, alongside traditional classrooms and smaller group-rooms – and outside learning spaces to rival the very best. We are able to cater for a breadth of needs and aspirations.
Our curriculum is based on the development of functional skills that are transferable and can be applied in the real world. This is achieved through our innovative, cross-curricular approach at Key Stage 3, building on the success of our bespoke ACE curriculum, which breaks down the barriers between traditional subjects, makes learning more meaningful and enjoyable, and provides a foundation for more personalised Key Stage 4 programmes.
Three Directors of Learning are each responsible for one of three learning themes in the new building and lead on one of three key aspects of our innovative curriculum. The Investigate floor includes Business, Enterprise and Applied ICT, Geography and Religious Studies, Mathematics and Science. The Discover floor comprises History, Languages and PSHE. The Create and Perform floor combine sArt and Design, Theatre and Drama, Food and Catering, Graphics, Media, Manufacturing and Construction, Music Technology and Physical Wellbeing.
Students are scientists in our industrial standard “super-lab”. They are chefs in our restaurant. They are linguists, graphic designers, market gardeners, computer programmers, beauty therapists, statisticians, decorators… in realistic, purpose-built facilities.
Our state of the art professional theatre is central to the Create and Perform curriculum. It offers regular academy performances, a home to amateur groups and is set to become an established circuit theatre for professional artists and companies – as well as being fully equipped to operate as a cinema. The Create and Perform curriculum offer allows all students to be involved in theatre – as performers, technicians, set designers, marketing executives, costume-makers or caterers.
We believe in developing creativity, problem-solving and innovation. We are developing a culture of enterprise and encourage students to establish and run their own businesses, including our restaurant, allotment, recording studio and hair salon.
We are developing the digital skills of our students, so they know how to use new technologies safely to support their learning. We don’t believe ICT should be taught in isolation and you won’t find computer rooms in the new Kingswood– instead, we have invested in the very latest mobile and interactive devices, so that students can choose what is the most appropriate to the learning activity in an ever-changing world.
We offer access to adult education, with full day-care facilities for parents engaged in work or study. We provide opportunities for local people to develop valuable skills and knowledge for employment in a competitive market.
