Ormiston Sudbury Academy

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Ormiston Sudbury Academy's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Ormiston Sudbury Academy is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Blunkett signature Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett, MP
Pickles signature Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles, MP

www.ormistonsudburyacademy.co.uk

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
28 | ORMISTON SUDBURY ACADEMY
Executive Principal CarolineWilson
Students rehearsing for a
showcase performance
Ormiston Sudbury Academy is part of the Ormiston
Academies Trust and is focused on providing its students
with a broad curriculum that supplements core areas
with vocational teaching. In order to improve its pedagogy, the
academy is involved in a wide range of projects, including acting
as the lead associate for the Royal Shakespeare Company for
the eastern region and working with the charity BIRD. Principal
of the academy, and Executive Principal within the trust,
Caroline Wilson tells
The Parliamentary Review
about the design
of their curriculum and how they aim to develop the workforce
of the next generation.
Our passion is to create a culture of work, resilience and accountability where every
student has the skills required to be employable and self-sufficient. We are part
of Ormiston Academies Trust, a leading multi-academy trust that supports many
vulnerable and disadvantaged students. It is both a benefit and a privilege to offer
a good education to all students – we are all-inclusive and have the same high
expectations of all our students.
Being part of a trust allows us to develop links across other academies. As
Executive Principal, my work gives me the chance to share good practice across a
triad of academies and develop networking and in-house continued professional
development, for experts by experts.
REPORT CARD
ORMISTON SUDBURY
ACADEMY
»Executive Principal:
Caroline Wilson
»Established in 2012
»Based in Sudbury, Suffolk
»Type of school: Secondary
academy with sixth form
»No. of pupils: 700
»
www.ormistonsudburyacademy
.
co.uk
Ormiston Sudbury
Academy
29ORMISTON SUDBURY ACADEMY |
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Balancing core subjects with
vocational teaching
We cater for students from 11 to
18 and we offer a wide and varied
curriculum to engage students in
different skills. It is all too easy to
think, “we have an app for that”,
but good employees can think for
themselves and problem-solve using
physical and mental skills. When we
look at our children, we don’t know
what they will ultimately become and
we cannot afford to make decisions
which may channel ability but disallow
creativity or talent. It is unlikely that
our academics knew in which field
they would excel or our engineers
which discipline was their preference.
For these reasons, we design and
deliver a curriculum which incorporates
traditional academic subjects including
the three sciences, English language
and literature, maths and humanities
subjects, and those considered more
vocational subjects such as drama,
music, dance, DT, engineering, food,
nutrition and art. This ensures every
cohort has the opportunity to master
skills that they may not experience
away from theclassroom.
To support the teaching of such
mastery, we are further developing
our pedagogy to promote outstanding
teaching and learning by increasing
creativity and active learning within
our classrooms. Across the academy,
on a day-to-day basis, we observe a
vast range of teaching styles where
staff take risks to embed knowledge,
understanding and retention. We are
proud to be the lead associate school
for the Royal Shakespeare Company
in the eastern region and one of only
25 across the country. We work closely
with the company to consider new
teaching styles and allow students
to access the full range of what
Shakespeare can offer across a variety
of subjects and ages including students
within our local primary schools.
Through our links, we are seeing
how working with the language of
Shakespeare has significantly improved
student language acquisition and skills.
The importance of creativity
and self-sufficiency
Creativity is often seen as a soft skill,
yet ask any adult how they relax and
they will answer that they listen to
music, go to the cinema or theatre,
watch television or read a book. We
prioritise creativity alongside our
full academic curriculum and all of
these lessons are delivered by skilled
practitioners who serve the creative
and artistic industry.
We now offer vibrant working
environments in which students can
be challenged, where they can debate
Patience being
developed through art
Good
employees can
think for
themselves
and problem-
solve
“
“
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2019
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
28 | ORMISTON SUDBURY ACADEMY
Executive Principal CarolineWilson
Students rehearsing for a
showcase performance
Ormiston Sudbury Academy is part of the Ormiston
Academies Trust and is focused on providing its students
with a broad curriculum that supplements core areas
with vocational teaching. In order to improve its pedagogy, the
academy is involved in a wide range of projects, including acting
as the lead associate for the Royal Shakespeare Company for
the eastern region and working with the charity BIRD. Principal
of the academy, and Executive Principal within the trust,
Caroline Wilson tells
The Parliamentary Review
about the design
of their curriculum and how they aim to develop the workforce
of the next generation.
Our passion is to create a culture of work, resilience and accountability where every
student has the skills required to be employable and self-sufficient. We are part
of Ormiston Academies Trust, a leading multi-academy trust that supports many
vulnerable and disadvantaged students. It is both a benefit and a privilege to offer
a good education to all students – we are all-inclusive and have the same high
expectations of all our students.
Being part of a trust allows us to develop links across other academies. As
Executive Principal, my work gives me the chance to share good practice across a
triad of academies and develop networking and in-house continued professional
development, for experts by experts.
REPORT CARD
ORMISTON SUDBURY
ACADEMY
»Executive Principal:
CarolineWilson
»Established in 2012
»Based in Sudbury, Suffolk
»Type of school: Secondary
academy with sixth form
»No. of pupils: 700
»www.ormistonsudburyacademy
.
co.uk
Ormiston Sudbury
Academy
29ORMISTON SUDBURY ACADEMY |
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Balancing core subjects with
vocational teaching
We cater for students from 11 to
18 and we offer a wide and varied
curriculum to engage students in
different skills. It is all too easy to
think, “we have an app for that”,
but good employees can think for
themselves and problem-solve using
physical and mental skills. When we
look at our children, we don’t know
what they will ultimately become and
we cannot afford to make decisions
which may channel ability but disallow
creativity or talent. It is unlikely that
our academics knew in which field
they would excel or our engineers
which discipline was their preference.
For these reasons, we design and
deliver a curriculum which incorporates
traditional academic subjects including
the three sciences, English language
and literature, maths and humanities
subjects, and those considered more
vocational subjects such as drama,
music, dance, DT, engineering, food,
nutrition and art. This ensures every
cohort has the opportunity to master
skills that they may not experience
away from theclassroom.
To support the teaching of such
mastery, we are further developing
our pedagogy to promote outstanding
teaching and learning by increasing
creativity and active learning within
our classrooms. Across the academy,
on a day-to-day basis, we observe a
vast range of teaching styles where
staff take risks to embed knowledge,
understanding and retention. We are
proud to be the lead associate school
for the Royal Shakespeare Company
in the eastern region and one of only
25 across the country. We work closely
with the company to consider new
teaching styles and allow students
to access the full range of what
Shakespeare can offer across a variety
of subjects and ages including students
within our local primary schools.
Through our links, we are seeing
how working with the language of
Shakespeare has significantly improved
student language acquisition and skills.
The importance of creativity
and self-sufficiency
Creativity is often seen as a soft skill,
yet ask any adult how they relax and
they will answer that they listen to
music, go to the cinema or theatre,
watch television or read a book. We
prioritise creativity alongside our
full academic curriculum and all of
these lessons are delivered by skilled
practitioners who serve the creative
and artistic industry.
We now offer vibrant working
environments in which students can
be challenged, where they can debate
Patience being
developed through art
Good
employees can
think for
themselves
and problem-
solve
“
“
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
30 | ORMISTON SUDBURY ACADEMY
and be independent. We aim to
teach students to not simply answer
questions in examinations, which
will be forgotten over the summer
break, but to become a resilient future
workforce. On a day-to-day basis, this
is the diet for students here.
There has been a recent trend for
schools to become overly concerned
about student outcomes and allocate
every intervention and resource
available to the year 11 cohort. This
is not sustainable or realistic and
some interventions carry students
rather than support them, meaning
ownership of outcomes is handed
to the school, not the individual. As
we know, this does not create the
self-managers with ambition who we
hope will become the next workforce.
It is a step in the right direction for
Ofsted to now look at the complete
diet for students and allow schools to
deliver to children who can access the
mainstream education on offer and
meet expectations with the support
ofparents.
In education there are many
challenges. For us, it is our aged
building, shrinking budgets and the
need for teachers to be so much more
than educators: a nurse, a counsellor,
a mediator and sometimes parent.
Despite this, all staff that work with
me dismiss any barriers and appreciate
that it is an honour to work alongside
students and to watch them develop
and succeed. Our students go on to
utilise their academic and creative
skills and return to share with us
their current experiences in further
and higher education as well as in
apprenticeships and posts. Students
move on to Russell Group universities,
drama schools, dance schools and
conservatoires as well as enrolling
onapprenticeships.
Our vision isn’t simply within our
academy walls: we promote our
strengths in collaboration with
other schools and charities such as
BIRD, which support our mission
to develop creativity and enjoy the
outcomes with passion. Through
our collaborative approach, we have
secured the Gold Arts Mark and School
Games Gold Award. These links are
highly recommended to ensure the
continuum of shared positive practice.
Developing every individual
Learning shouldn’t stop or indeed
start in the classroom – we firmly
believe enrichment is a key element
to developing skills and enjoying
a different angle to a subject. For
this reason, we offer a plethora of
extracurricular activities as well as trips
and visits to cement understanding
and encourage wider reading.
We believe that there is success within
every individual and it simply has to
be unlocked, nurtured and developed.
I believe we create strong individuals
who make a significant contribution
to our society and I am proud of how
we are preparing the next generation
of workers who can self-manage,
problem-solve and enjoy their roles.
Enrichment is
a key element
to developing
skills
“
“
Practice is key to
perfection
31KINGHAM HILL SCHOOL |
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Headmaster Nick Seward
The library mezzanine: encouraging reading for
pleasure is fundamental to a KHS education
Kingham Hill School was established in 1886 to provide
orphaned and destitute boys with a family home and an
education. It subsequently become a fee-paying school
but remains committed to this focus and works with donors,
charities and local authorities to secure fully funded places
for pupils from vulnerable backgrounds. Alumni include Lord
Adonis, who received such funding after being placed in care.
Nick Seward has been headmaster for 11 years and discusses
their unique curriculum and original vision.
Founded in 1886 by a Christian evangelical philanthropist, we are blessed with an
extraordinary history. Charles Baring Young devoted his entire wealth to construct
a school for vulnerable or destitute boys from the East End. The objectives of the
trust were to provide these boys with an opportunity to hear the gospel while
giving them an education that would increase their life chances. Over the years, as
financial constraints tightened, the school had to liquidise assets to cover the costs
of this free education. Unfortunately, following the Second World War, this was no
longer viable, so we became a fee-paying independent school. I was attracted to
the school by its founding ethos, and I wanted to move the school back towards its
original foundation, refocusing on disadvantaged children.
This has been the driving vision of my time at the school. Over this time, we have
moved from a difficult financial situation into surplus, grown by 50 per cent and
achieved record exam results, testament to our dramatic academic improvement.
We have also launched a “Founder’s Pupils” initiative, which saw two fully funded
year 7 pupils join us last September, in addition to those who benefit from more
REPORT CARD
KINGHAM HILL SCHOOL
»Headmaster: Nick Seward
»Established in 1886
»Based in Chipping Norton,
Oxfordshire
»Type of school: Independent
secondary
»No. of pupils: 334
»www.kinghamhill.org.uk
Kingham Hill School

www.ormistonsudburyacademy.co.uk

The Parliamentary Review Publication, in which this article originally appeared, contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss

Even by the standards of the day –this has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable years in British politics.

The leadership election we’ve just seen marks a huge moment in our country’s history. This government is taking a decisive new direction, embracing the opportunities of Brexit and preparing our country to flourish outside the EU.

As international trade secretary, I’ll be driving forward work on the free trade agreements that are going to be a priority for the government. Free trade isn’t just an abstract concept bandied around by technocrats. It is crucial for a strong economy and for the ability of families to make ends meet. Free trade benefits people in every part of our country, as British firms export to new markets and people doing the weekly shop have access to a wider choice of goods at lower prices.

The essence of free trade is in the title: freedom. It’s about giving people the power to exchange their goods without heavy government taxation or interference. Commerce and free exchange are the engine room of prosperity and social mobility. I’m determined to tackle the forces who want to hold that back.

One of my priorities is agreeing an exciting new free trade deal with the US, building on the great relationship between our two countries and the Prime Minister and US President. But I’ll also be talking to other partners including New Zealand, Australia and fast-growing Asian markets.

And with the EU too, we want a friendly and constructive relationship, as constitutional equals, and as friends and partners in facing the challenges that lie ahead – a relationship based on a deep free trade agreement. Our country produces some of the world’s most successful exports, and the opportunity to bring these to the rest of the world should make us all excited about the future. It is this excitement, optimism and ambition which I believe will come to define this government.

For too long now, we have been told Britain isn’t big or important enough to survive outside the EU – that we have to accept a deal that reflects our reduced circumstances. I say that’s rubbish. With the right policies in place, we can be the most competitive, free-thinking, prosperous nation on Earth exporting to the world and leading in new developments like AI. To do that, we’ll give the brilliant next generation of entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed. Since 2015, there has been a staggering 85 per cent rise in the number of businesses set up by 18 to 24 year olds – twice the level set up by the same age group in France and Germany. We’ll help them flourish by championing enterprise, cutting taxes and making regulation flexible and responsive to their needs.

As we do that, we’ll level up and unite all parts of the UK with great transport links, fibre broadband in every home and proper school funding, so everyone shares in our country’s success.

2019 has been the year of brewing economic and political revolution. 2020 will be the year when a revitalised Conservative government turbo charges the economy, boosts prospects for people across the country, and catapults Britain back to the forefront of the world stage.



Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
Secretary of State for International Development