FEATURE FOCUS: VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
Ensuring schools are taking the time to talk to their students
experience included. We are proud to be one of the largest providers of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, with nearly 180 students taking part in their bronze and silver award this year. We have successfully applied for grants and raised funds to buy equipment for this so that any financial barriers to taking part are removed. Our academy vision is really clear; we truly believe that whilst education outcomes are of upmost importance, they are not the only aspect of a truly exceptional educational experience. We place huge emphasis on developing our youngster’s cultural capital and wider school experiences to ensure that they develop into well rounded world citizens ready for the world of work.
What changes have you made since becoming principal?
I
n our View from the classroom feature this month we catch up with Clare Watson, Principal of Lees Brook Academy in Derby, who tells us why she has introduced INSET days for her students and how it has improved the school’s communications with pupils and parents.
Tell us about your school
Lees Brook Academy is a large secondary school and sixth form centre in Derby. We have an increasingly diverse school community of more than 1,100 students which is growing year on year. Our post-16 centre offers a range of vocational courses and qualifications with real life
As the new principal of Lees Brook Academy in Chaddesden, it was my vision that all Year 7 pupils would go to university before starting school with us.
They all visited the University of Derby before they started their term at the school in September.
I wanted them to see what their educational journey could be. It isn’t just about university, it is about encouraging them to have high aspirations. As teachers we are not here to quash dreams, we are here to develop them. It’s why, if a pupil tells me they want to be a hairdresser, for example, I tell them that’s fantastic, and ask if they’ve thought about doing business alongside it
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to help them set up their own hair salon or brand of hair products once they’re qualified. I also introduced INSET days for pupils. This meant that, the day after the teachers had their INSET days, pupils came into school for a day and had theirs, so they were up to speed with changes being made such as new behaviour systems, the implementation of the ‘Lees Brook Lesson’ and the changes to the homework policy which includes new knowledge organisers. Building cultural capital is also a huge passion for me and that’s why I introduced a free school trip for every pupil each year. This started at the end of the last academic year when the school paid for Year 7 pupils to go to the Peak District, Year 8 to Twycross Zoo, Year 9 to Scarborough and Year 10 to London.
During lockdown pupils really couldn’t experience wider opportunities like school trips and last year schools were focusing on a recovery curriculum, but I really felt it was important that pupils were given a range of opportunities outside the classroom and so the school paid for every single child to go on a school trip. It was important to us that it was free for pupils because no child should have a barrier to their learning. The feedback we had from pupils and parents was amazing and it is something this school will do every year.
Why did you introduce inset days for students?
At the beginning of every academic year, February 2023
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