St Katherine’s School

St Katherine’s School Ham Green North Somerset BS20 0HU Telephone 01275 373737 Fax 01275 372787 Email [email protected] Web www.stkaths.org.uk

Only 2.9 miles from the Clifton Suspension Bridge to St Katherine’s School, or 7 minutes by car.*

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Directions from the Clifton Suspension Bridge:

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Travelling West, take the B3129 Bridge Road, turn right onto the A369 Abbots Leigh Road, straight on at the traffic lights on the A369 Pill Road, after 2.5miles turn right at the sign for Ham Green, Pill Road. St Katherine’s School is on your right.

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A369 CLlFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE A369

Directions from the M5 Junction 19: BRISTOL

Take the A369 Martcombe Road towards Pill, turn left at the sign for Ham Green into Pill Road, St Katherine’s School is on your right. *Source: www.theaa.com/routeplanner

A warm welcome to St Katherine’s School We are a dynamic and aspirational school with high standards of behaviour built on the collaborative relationships fostered between staff and students.

We are proud to be a relatively small school with teaching staff that support every single student and help them to fulfil their potential. We value effort and perseverance, encouraging children to fulfil their potential regardless of their starting point. We nurture young people through our strong pastoral care and our learners achieve highly, finding their way to varied higher education and employment opportunities. We believe

Our Vision “Students behave well and feel very safe in school. The school provides them with an outstanding level of care and support.” Ofsted 2015

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Nurturing young people to achieve highly, develop confidence and character; with a healthy mind, body and spirit.

in treating young people as complete human beings and nurture their skills in the academic, creative, physical, emotional and practical domains. We are proud to have been rated ‘Good with Outstanding Leadership’ in October 2015. In their report, Ofsted inspectors said “The school has a deservedly high reputation for high-quality work in several areas.”

Our Ethos We believe in education for academic excellence, individuality, community and citizenship.

Our Values • Achievement • Creativity and growth • Safety and care • Inclusion and tolerance • Respect and good behaviour • Perseverance & pride.

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Why St Katherine’s?

Starting at St Katherine’s

Our ambition is for every student to be happy and to thrive at St Katherine’s, ultimately achieving their full potential.

We know that the step up from primary to secondary school can be a time of anxiety for most students, so we make every effort to ensure that starting at St Katherine’s is a smooth, happy experience.

Every student is valued for who they are and what they can become, we celebrate achievement in many forms and value students’ positive contributions to school life. With smaller than average class sizes and targeted support from teachers who are passionate about learning, we keep a close eye on attainment and progress, and nurture effort, perseverance and self-improvement.

In a semi-rural location, just 7 minutes by car from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, St Katherine’s School is a tranquil learning environment free from the bustle and distraction of the city.

In July we offer an induction day, when new students can experience taster lessons, friendships are formed and the site becomes familiar before the summer break. During the evening we invite parents and carers to meet tutors and receive information about the year ahead. Pastoral Care Each child has a ‘Personal Tutor’ who looks after their progress and well-being throughout their time at St Katherine’s. We believe that our Tutors play a central role in students’ personal and academic success. Tutors are the first point of contact for parents and will facilitate meetings with other members of staff when necessary. The school’s tutorial programme is designed to help students develop

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study skills, social responsibility, self-confidence and respect for others, both in school and beyond. Tutor groups also lead whole-school briefings and assemblies, and showcase activities. Parents and Carers receive clear, frequent feedback on their child’s learning and we ensure that they receive regular updates on performance. We regard our relationship with home as a partnership to promote the success and happiness of our students. The year group is led by a Head of Year who also organises year Councils, rewards, assemblies, charity events and educational visits.

“The school’s work to promote students’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.” Ofsted 2015

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Curriculum We aim to provide an inspiring curriculum that will enable students to maximise their future choices and opportunities. We believe in engaging students through high quality, creative teaching that fully utilises specialist resources. At KS3 students follow the full National Curriculum: English, Maths, Science, Design, Art & Technology, Modern Foreign Languages, Humanities (Geography, History, Philosophy & Belief), Physical Education, Music, Drama, PSHE, Citizenship. At KS4 we provide the flexibility for students to follow their own direction, and to facilitate further study Post-16. All students study a core of GCSE: English, Maths, Science, ICT, Philosophy & Belief, PE, PSHE and Citizenship.

Students can also choose to study GCSE in: Geography, History, French, Spanish, Drama, Art, Resistant Materials, Textiles, Food, Media & Film Studies, Graphic Design and Health & Social Care. Students study either Double Award Science or Triple Award Science, and there is also a BTEC Applied Science Course. Vocational courses such as BTEC in Performing Arts, Sport, Business, Travel & Tourism, Music, and OCR National Course in ICT are also offered.

“They [Teachers] also set tasks which successfully motivate students to give of their best and so produce work which is presented well and often shows a very good depth of understanding.” Ofsted 2015

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Extracurricular We hope you share in our belief that secondary education is not only academic but a time to develop life skills and knowledge outside of the classroom. There are many clubs to join, run by our enthusiastic teachers, including a wide range of sports (trampolining, fencing, rugby, netball and many more), humanities, community and charitable projects. Our performing arts faculty stage spectacular annual whole school productions as good as many professional shows.

Outside school, we are actively involved in the Pill Music Festival, and in making friends overseas through our Global Partnership Programme. The Library Resource Centre is outstanding and offers a wide choice of activities and author visits.

“… students told inspectors how much they enjoy the wide range of clubs, societies and visits outside of the classroom. All students have the opportunity to take part in these events.” Ofsted 2015

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Post 16 Most of our students decide to stay on in our Sixth Form which provides academic and vocational courses to suit a wide range of talent. The Sixth Form inspires students by promoting a love of learning and independent inquiry, and aims to equip students with the necessary skills to continue onto further/higher education, training or employment. We provide AS and A2 courses, Applied A’ Levels, BTEC courses at First and National Levels, Apprenticeships in hospitality and catering, and a range of core GCSE resit opportunities.

“A’ level results for 2015 were the highest ever for the school, with almost half of students attaining the two highest grades.” Ofsted 2015

“The sixth form has been increasingly successful and provides a good education for students following both academic and vocational courses.” Ofsted 2015

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Catering Facility St Katherine’s School is proud to provide a unique training experience for those studying Hospitality and Catering qualifications. Our award winning facility boasts professional kitchens and a restaurant. ‘The Leaf at Ham Green’ is open to the public every Thursday evening during term time. This gives our students the chance to gain valuable practical experience under the watchful eye of their tutors.

Hospitality and Catering Apprenticeships

BTEC Hospitality - Level 2 and 3

Through our contacts with local employer partners such as restaurants and hotels, we now provide the following Apprenticeships:

Students in Years 10 and 11 can choose to study a BTEC in Hospitality at Level 2. Students in years 12 and 13 can choose to study a BTEC in Hospitality at Level 3.

Apprenticeships can be studied via our Post-16 Centre in conjunction with our partners, Weston College. Apprentices will be able to enjoy all the support of a large college, whilst still being part of a Sixth Form community.

• Professional Cookery at Level 2 and 3 • Food and Beverage Service • Hospitality Services • Housekeeping As with all apprenticeships students are employed and learn ‘on the job’ whilst earning a wage. Specialist workshop training and technical exams will take place in our state of the art professional kitchens and training restaurant.

“The professional kitchens are amazing to learn in - it’s just like working in a real restaurant.” Year 10 Student

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We hope we have given you an introduction to life at St Katherine’s.

Why not take the time to visit us and find out for yourself the great things we can offer you? You’re sure to receive a warm welcome!

St Katherine’s School Ham Green, North Somerset BS20 0HU Telephone 01275 373737 Fax 01275 372787 Email [email protected] Web www.stkaths.org.uk 13

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