The Elizabethan Academy

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by The Elizabethan 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 The Elizabethan Academy is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.elizabethan.notts.sch.uk

23THE ELIZABETHAN ACADEMY |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018

Christine Horrocks, principal,

with the year 9 Debating Team,

winners of the regional heat of

the national “Up for Debate”

competition and going on to the

finals at Harrow in its first year

Collaborative

English lesson

The Elizabethan is a medium-sized comprehensive in

Nottinghamshire, with a mixed intake. Principal Christine

Horrocks – upon her appointment as principal in 2015 –

coined a mantra reflective of her personal philosophy on teaching

and newly implemented leadership structures at The Elizabethan:

“It is all about the students”. Herein, Christine discusses her holistic

approach to leadership, the school’s values-based ethos and her

staunch advocacy of inclusive and equitable school policies.

I was appointed principal at The Elizabethan almost three years ago, having

previously been principal of a school in Lincolnshire. Some of my contemporaries

tried to persuade me not to join a school with budget issues, which was in the

bottom ten per cent of schools nationally. I had, however, been a deputy principal

at the school previously, an experience which motivated me to continue at The

Elizabethan, whereupon I strove to further nurture their inclusive environment,

within which students were viewed as individuals andcontemporaries.

As a school, we have cultivated these aspects of school life which have become

key markers of our school culture. Moreover, we have been forthright in improving

standards across the board. A focal issue in the school before I was appointed as

principal were low expectations and aspirations from some students and staff. The

drive on improving standards through quality-first teaching and formalised wave

interventions has, indeed, been relentless, and staff and students have stepped up

to the plate.

We operate a Scholar’s Programme for our more academically able students and

have linked with businesses to raise the students’ sense of achievement and value.

REPORT CARD

THE ELIZABETHAN ACADEMY

»Principal: Mrs Christine

Horrocks

»Founded in 1914, and

converted to an academy in

2012

»Based in Retford,

Nottinghamshire

»Type of school: 11-18

»No. of students: 887

»Own Cadet Force

»www.elizabethan.notts.sch.uk

The Elizabethan

Academy

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

24 | THE ELIZABETHAN ACADEMY

Staff have been empowered and are

expected to take responsibility for

their own professional development.

Where students or staff are not

operating at a level they need to be,

swift and decisive action is taken to

provide appropriate monitoring and

support. We run a talent management

programme and have been innovative

in finding ways to retain and ensure

staff are developed. For example, our

faculty leader in maths is a scientist,

who is making an excellent job of

leading in this area – with appropriate

training and support. Moreover, staff

have the opportunity for secondments

with partner schools in the local area.

I want school to be challenging but

also rewarding; I want staff to enjoy

their work. We are making inroads into

staff wellbeing, but this is challenging

with current levels of funding.

I have tried to ensure that our values

are at the centre of everything I have

done as a leader in education, values

upon which The Elizabethan Academy

has thrived. In many cases, trying to

invigorate established systems and

implement positive changes has been at

a cost. An example of this is when we

were dubbed to be a coasting school

by the DfE, a spurious allegation that

did not reflect the efforts and personal

sacrifices of my stalwart staff. We are

an inclusive school and exclusion is a

last resort. I am delighted that our latest

Ofsted inspection in May 2018, where

we were rated “good”, recognised this

as a strength and that the new Ofsted

framework will investigate those schools

who are off-rolling or leaving students

in poor quality alternative provision.

Where necessary, we have tried to re-

engage students in imaginative ways

and through appropriate, high-quality

alternative provision. These students are

usually the most vulnerable in society.

They don’t achieve Progress 8 scores,

which help in the performance tables,

but we passionately believe there is a

moral imperative to get them the best

qualifications and support possible,

often in very difficult and challenging

circumstances.

Our philosophy of believing education

is broader than a set of qualifications

ensures that we invest in the growth of

Dylan the wellbeing dog

assisting DEAR (drop

everything and read)

time

It is all about the students

We are an

inclusive

school and

exclusion is a

last resort

“

25THE ELIZABETHAN ACADEMY |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2018

the individual through a host of extra-

curricular programmes and an active

social calendar. Our extra-curricular

programme has expanded every year.

We have our own Combined Cadet

Force, a thriving DofE programme,

sports teams and debating club. We

have been awarded Gold Artsmark and

won Worksop Music Festival 12 years

in a row. For me, being out of your

comfort zone – whether performing

onstage or climbing to the top of

Kinder Scout – is how you develop

character and resilience. We have a

highly successful student leadership

programme and I consider some of

our student leaders to be integral parts

of my leadership team, who impart

invaluable knowledge and ground-

level feedback. Furthermore, we

endeavour to provide students with

the qualifications, skills and attitude to

be successful in the future. We have

a broad curriculum which celebrates a

comprehensive spectrum of the arts,

sports and technology and provides

our cohort with a rounded and

meaningfuleducation.

I spent part of my youth in India

and this demonstrated to me the

importance of education and high

aspirations and standards – not only as

a route out of poverty, but to increase

life chances. I was lucky; I had a family

who encouraged me and provided

me with a range of opportunities.

My father was ahead of his time

and believed women should be

independent and pursue careers that

fulfilled them. I am passionate about

promoting women into leadership

positions and we have a vibrant

programme at the school – launched

by Nicky Morgan at our conference

in 2015 – which benefits a variety of

schools in different counties, while

supporting and encouraging coaching

across schools in the local area. The

focus is developing leadership, and

introducing a culture of distributed

leadership has enabled the school to

really progress. I let everyone know

when I have made mistakes, which, by

virtue of honesty, enables others to do

the same without fear ofretribution.

Being a stand-alone academy suits

us, as we can make decisions quickly

and we understand and can respond

to the issues in the local community.

There is something very special about

being able to work collaboratively

and in partnership with different

organisations of our choosing, while

retaining independence. My father

once told me that if you leave the

world a better place for one person,

it is a life well lived. As teachers, we

have the ability to enrich the lives of

hundreds of people; what a privilege

that is.

We celebrate

the arts,

sports and

technology

“

Geography lesson

Students performing Les

Misérables

www.elizabethan.notts.sch.uk

This article was sponsored by The Elizabethan Academy. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from The Rt Hon Theresa May MP.

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By The Rt Hon Theresa May MP

This foreword from the then Prime Minister appeared in the 2018/19 Parliamentary Review.

British politics provides ample material for analysis in the pages of The Parliamentary Review. For Her Majesty’s Government, our task in the year ahead is clear: to achieve the best Brexit deal for Britain and to carry on our work to build a more prosperous and united country – one that truly works for everyone.

The right Brexit deal will not be sufficient on its own to secure a more prosperous future for Britain. We also need to ensure that our economy is ready for what tomorrow will bring. Our Modern Industrial Strategy is our plan to do that. It means Government stepping up to secure the foundations of our productivity: providing an education system that delivers the skills our economy needs, improving school standards and transforming technical education; delivering infrastructure for growth; ensuring people have the homes they need in the places they want to live. It is all about taking action for the long-term that will pay dividends in the future.

But it also goes beyond that. Government, the private sector and academia working together as strategic partners achieve far more than we could separately. That is why we have set an ambitious goal of lifting UK public and private research and development investment to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027. It is why we are developing four Grand Challenges, the big drivers of social and economic change in the world today: harnessing artificial intelligence and the data revolution; leading in changes to the future of mobility; meeting the challenges of our ageing society; and driving ahead the revolution in clean growth. By focusing our efforts on making the most of these areas of enormous potential, we can develop new exports, grow new industries and create more good jobs in every part of our country.

Years of hard work and sacrifice from the British people have got our deficit down by over three quarters. We are building on this success by taking a balanced approach to public spending. We are continuing to deal with our debts, so that our economy can remain strong and we can protect people’s jobs, and at the same time we are investing in vital public services, like our NHS. We have set out plans to increase NHS funding annually by an average by 3.4 percent in real terms: that is £394 million a week more. In return, the NHS will produce a ten-year plan, led by doctors and nurses, to eliminate waste and improve patient care.

I believe that Britain can look to the future with confidence. We are leaving the EU and setting a new course for prosperity as a global trading nation. We have a Modern Industrial Strategy that is strengthening the foundations of our economy and helping us to seize the opportunities of the future. We are investing in the public services we all rely on and helping them to grow and improve. Building on our country’s great strengths – our world-class universities and researchers, our excellent services sector, our cutting edge manufacturers, our vibrant creative industries, our dedicated public servants – we can look towards a new decade that is ripe with possibility. The government I lead is doing all it can to make that brighter future a reality for everyone in our country.

British politics provides ample material for analysis in the pages of The Parliamentary Review

The Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Prime Minister