School Prospectus...
Welcome to our school. We hope you find this brochure interesting and that it answers your questions about Shelley College. If there is anything else you would like to know about our school, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Click here for contact details
Shelley College is a special place - a forward looking and caring school which provides the time, space and opportunity for students to flourish and develop their talents. We take our responsibility for educating young people very seriously. We set out to help them develop confidence and self-esteem and we are proud of all that our students and staff achieve.
We aim for excellence in all that we do. We maintain high educational standards, high standards of discipline and we do all that we can to ensure our school is a safe and happy place in which to learn. We believe in hard work, in rewarding students successes and in
celebrating all their achievements. As a result we are very popular with both students and
parents.
We are proud of our record and our standing in the community we serve. Shelley College is an exciting place at which to be educated and we welcome your interest in our school. We very much hope you will decide to make it your school and that this is the start of a long and genuine partnership.
Mr John H. Fowler B.A. (Hons)
Headteacher
Ofsted Report
What is Shelley College like?
Shelley College is a modern, 13-18, comprehensive school set in rolling countryside
to the south of Huddersfield. Over 1400 students are on roll, including a Sixth Form of over 300, and they are helped in their education by ninety highly-qualified teachers and a very strong team of support staff. Ours is a successful school which enjoys a very good reputation amongst parents, employers and the local community. Students are very happy here. They learn well and achieve success in many areas of life.
There is strong liaison with our two middle schools and sixteen first schools. The headteachers work closely together and aim to provide continuity of education 3 - 19 for over 4000 children living in this area.
Our students gain excellent academic results year after year, well above national averages both at GCSE and post-16 level.
Results from national tests at the end of Year 9, GCSE examinations and at the end of Year 13 are always amongst the very best in Kirklees. We are very proud of our students excellent academic achievements. Over 70% of students continue their education post-16, the vast majority of them choosing to stay on into our Sixth Form from where large numbers of the Upper Sixth go on to Higher Education and degree courses all over the country, including the most competitive courses and institutions.
Ofsted Report
What do we expect of our students?
We have high expectations of students, not only academically, but also socially. We believe good discipline is essential in order for students to learn, to make progress and to feel secure in school. It also helps in the creation of a purposeful working atmosphere which encourages students to want to do well, to improve their skills and to become more selfdisciplined as they grow older. Good discipline is built upon high expectations, support and guidance and recognition of effort, improvement and achievement. These are the cornerstones of our approach to working with students, and as a result praise and rewards are built into our teaching. Visitors to Shelley frequently comment on the calm and orderly atmosphere of the school and the conduct and attitude of our students. At all times we aim to instil in students a sense of responsibility as well as caring attitudes to others in the community as a whole. As a general principle we aim to be firm, positive and constructive in our approach to discipline and to treat the students, as far as possible, as young, responsible adults.
Ofsted Report
What do we value in our students?
We place a strong emphasis on the education and development of the whole student. We aim above all to help to develop competent and confident young citizens who will achieve success in their own lives as individuals, parents and members of the local and wider communities. We aim to involve students in the running of the school through the Year Councils, the School Council and the Sixth Form Management Group. In addition, sixth form representatives attend meetings of our schools Governing Body. In recent years we have changed our school uniform, our lunch arrangements and our approach to recycling as a direct result of suggestions from our students.
How are our students looked after?
We work hard to ensure that ours is a community where students feel safe and confident. We believe that respect is the key to effective care and support and we demonstrate it in our daily work with students. We also encourage it at all times in our students. Students are placed in all-ability tutor groups when they arrive at our school and they meet with their form tutors every day. The form tutor is the first and most important link with home and deals with most routine problems and queries. A Year Head and Learning Mentor, working with the team of tutors, guide every student in a year group through the school. We aim to provide support for all our students and to identify and deal with any problems quickly. An effective partnership between staff, students and parents is central to our success. Each term regular assessments of progress are made in each year group and parents are informed of the results. The School Calendar and the Student Planner, which are issued to all students in September, give the dates when parents are invited to school to discuss their childrens progress with their teachers.
How good is our learning environment?
There are specialist facilities in all areas and provision for all subject areas is excellent. All year groups have their own indoor social areas and we have extensive school grounds. In recent years significant amounts of money have been spent upgrading the entire school. We now have a well-equipped Library and Resources Centre, four 30+ station computer rooms, eleven fullyremodelled Science laboratories and five fully-remodelled Design Technology rooms. We have upgraded our Sixth Form facilities, revamped our kitchens, extended our dining areas and undertaken an extensive painting programme. Further planned improvements and the building of new classrooms will ensure our school is ready for the twenty-first century.
Ofsted Report
Specialist School status
We gained specialist status for Science at the first attempt, in the summer of 2003. We are using the significant additional funding gained from specialist status to support all departments and to raise achievement at all key stages and across the entire curriculum. Our community plan sets out our aim to improve further our links with middle schools and partner high schools, whilst we are forging ever-stronger links with a variety of community groups and sponsors. Our intention is to make Shelley College a centre of excellence in the STEM subjects, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Ofsted Report
What subjects do students study?
Key Stage 3:-
In Year 9 students follow a broad course of study as laid down in the National Curriculum. This includes Mathematics, English, Science, Modern Languages (French and German), Humanities (Geography, History, and R.S.), Technology, Music, Art, Drama, Physical Education and Information Communication Technology. Students also have access to Careers Education and Citizenship.
Key Stage 4:-
During Years 10 and 11 students follow a core of Mathematics, English, Science, Physical Education, and Religious Studies. In addition, they develop their ICT skills and they have lessons related to personal and social development, including citizenship. A full range of optional subjects is provided to complete everybodys timetable.
Sixth Form:-
We have a large and very successful Sixth Form and students select courses from an extensive range of subjects. A wide range of A, AS, AVCE, GNVQ, and GCSE courses is available. A level results are well above national and local averages. For full details about our Sixth Form, please see our Sixth Form Prospectus. Teaching methods in all key stages are varied but we aim to provide variety and stimulus for all students. Lessons ensure that all learning styles are catered for and aim to stretch all abilities. In Year 9 some subjects are taught in mixed ability groups, whilst others are in ability sets. In Years 10 and 11 more subjects introduce ability sets.
How important is Homework?
It is very important that all students do regular homework. They
need to do this to reinforce work done in school, to fully complete examination syllabuses and to learn habits of regular,
independent study.
Each student has a Student Planner which includes a summary of our Homework Policy, an overall timetable for the year and a section for a homework diary, in which daily homework is recorded. If there are problems, the subject teacher will note these in the diary. There is a space for parents and the Form Tutor to sign if a special, regular check needs to be made.
In Year 9 each student should have around eight to ten hours of homework each week and this will rise to ten to twelve hours in Years 10 and 11. Students on GCSE courses will often have assignments or projects to undertake at home which might occupy homework in one subject for several weeks. Often this work is very demanding and needs to be carefully planned out and undertaken systematically rather than all left to the last minute.
All Year 10 and 11 students and their families are given a booklet entitled "The GCSE Years" which summarises all course requirements including exams, practical assessments and
coursework projects. Students are encouraged to make close reference to this
timetable so that work is well scheduled. There are supervised lunchtime homework rooms at school, which some students use regularly.
If there are problems with homework (including too much or too little apparently being set or done) please contact your childs Year Head or Form Tutor and the problem will be investigated.
Ofsted Report
What support is there for students with particular needs?
Each individual is important to us and has needs which we do our best to cater for. Staff have worked hard to develop approaches within and beyond the classroomwhich mean that the learning needs of all students are met.
Special learning needs:-
The Learning Support Department supports students with a wide range of special education needs. The Head of Department coordinates arrangements for supporting students who may require special help, in order to take part successfully in all areas of the school curriculum. Our policy for Special Educational Needs continues to reflect the requirements of the 1996 Education Act, and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001. We recently opened a Student Support Centre which enhances the work done in classrooms by our team of support assistants. The staff have worked hard to develop approaches within and beyond the classroom which mean that the learning needs of all students are met.
Gifted and talented students:-
Students with particular gifts or talents in areas of the curriculum will find opportunities to develop these within their regular lessons. In addition, there are a number of enrichment classes and other opportunities after school which focus on gifted and talented students.
Ofsted Report
What goes on outside the classroom?
It is important that all students gain as much as they can out of
school. Therefore we provide a full range of enrichment opportunities and extra-curricular activities thrive at Shelley. Students are involved in a host of activities, including sport, music, community work, drama, environmental work and outdoor pursuits. Activities take place at lunchtimes, after school, at the weekends and in holiday time. In addition, there are regular exchange visits and overseas trips, to the Continent, the USA and Tanzania.
Ofsted Report
How do we prepare students for the future?
We aim to give a broad and balanced curriculum to all students, which they will find challenging, demanding and interesting. We also aim to promote their spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development and prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. A full programme of careers advice and education is coordinated across the curriculum and involves subject teachers, form tutors and professional careers advisers.
Links between home and school
We believe that students will achieve most and be happiest at school when there is a good partnership between home and school. This means good understanding of each others aims and wishes and good communication between parents and school staff. Our job in helping students to learn well and develop as responsible members of the community is made much easier when we have the backing of parents over routine matters and over any problems which can sometimes arise. If parents and the school work together in a genuine partnership, then students are more likely to achieve their full potential.
What is our admissions policy?
Admission to our school is controlled by Kirklees LEA and it is intended that 367 students are admitted to our school every year. Full details of the LEAs admissions policy can be obtained from Schools Admissions, Oldgate House, 2 Oldgate, Huddersfield. The school itself controls admissions to the Sixth Form and full details of our admissions policy can be found in our Sixth Form Prospectus.
Ofsted Report