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Prospectus
Going beyond
what schools ordinarily do
‘Since opening the school in September 2015, the head teacher
01
has quickly established an ambitious culture which demands
excellence for all.’ OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
Welcome
02
from the Head Teacher
It is my great honour as the first Head Teacher of The Kingston Academy to welcome you
to your new local secondary school. In the few years since it was established, The Kingston
Academy has grown rapidly to become an important educational establishment serving
the local community and gaining the strong approval of local families. The school has
recently received a ringing endorsement from Ofsted who delivered a faultless inspection
report in June 2018 and judged the school to be Outstanding in all categories.
Set up by Kingston Educational Trust, a collaboration between Kingston University, Kingston
College and Royal Borough of Kingston, TKA is an innovative 11 – 18 academy which opened
its doors to pupils in September 2015. The school has grown annually by a single year group.
Currently with the four year groups of 7, 8, 9 and 10, we will reach capacity in 2022 with around
1200 pupils, to include a sixth form.
TKA is enviably located in newly renovated premises in North Kingston not far from the River
Thames. We will take full possession of our significant state-of-the-art extension in 2019, which
will include science laboratories and modern classrooms, a versatile lecture theatre, catering hall,
fitness suite and sports hall, amongst other premises.
The unique partnership of our founding Trust provides many advantages for enriching our
pupils’ educational experience, through accessing a range of additional facilities and learning
opportunities (from art gallery spaces to theatres to science experiments and much more
beyond). The school also offers an abundance of exciting enrichment opportunities for your
child to explore in sport, enterprise, music, community engagement and cultural opportunities.
We want pupils to look beyond their own school and engage with the community around them
and all it has to offer.
I am committed to leading an inclusive school that focuses on the serious business of
achievement for all our pupils. We have very high expectations from our pupils in terms of
behaviour, hard work and demonstrating the commitment to embrace all the opportunities we
will share together. Our school nurtures respect, responsibility, reflectiveness and collaboration.
Above all, I am determined that our pupils will move forward in life as kind, resilient, confident
individuals who are equipped to make a positive contribution, anywhere in the world.
We make it our priority to ensure a smooth transition from primary to secondary through
excellent pastoral care. We also work closely with our feeder primary schools, learning from their
experience with your child in order that we can deliver the very best start for all.
It is my responsibility as your Head Teacher to provide your child with an outstanding education
that nurtures their talents, interests and aspirations and, in line with our school motto, goes
beyond what is ordinarily possible. In partnership with parents, the community and our
prestigious educational partners, I know that we will deliver a memorable experience for your
child, the product of which will be happy, inspiring individuals who are equipped to face their
future aspirations and challenges.
Ms Sophie Cavanagh M. Ed NPQH
Head Teacher
03 ‘Trustees know the school very well and are determined to ensure
that all pupils achieve the best they can…. They provide a high level
of challenge and support to senior leaders’. OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
Kingston Educational Trust
The Kingston Academy is a unique school, established as Ethos , Values, Beliefs and Intentions
a result of a partnership between Kingston University, The development of an appetite and preparedness for lifelong
Kingston College and Royal Borough of Kingston. KET’s learning is essential.
three partners have substantial and successful experience of KET schools will:
strategic leadership and day to day management of educational • remember that intelligence is not fixed and can be
institutions. developed and grown as learning is itself a skill and children
and young people can be helped to develop it;
Our access to the expertise, resources and facilities of our • challenge children and young people to learn more
partners gives us unrivalled opportunities to enrich the learning effectively through stimulating their curiosity and
experience of our pupils. Since its inception, the school encouraging them to risk failure, to collaborate, to reflect on
has staged numerous events with our partners such as a their experiences and to persevere to overcome adversity
Celebration Evening in The Rose Theatre, pupil art exhibitions and difficulty;
in the Creative Industries Centre and The Tempest, Midsummer • ensure that their children and young people will leave with a
Night’s Dream and The Lord of the Flies in the Arthur Cotterell range of experiences and qualifications that are of genuine
Theatre. value to them and which will enable them to progress to
their next stage of learning or work.
Kingston University and Kingston College students often work
with our pupils on exciting collaborations such as constructing Children and young people have an entitlement to teaching
and launching water rockets, running the extra-curricular that is exemplary.
science club or assisting with our Going Beyond Programme. KET schools will:
The school House Cup was designed through a project involving • expect that all teaching is outstanding;
44 students from Kingston University’s Faculty of Art, Design • insist that all teaching leads to outstanding progress for all
and Architecture (FADA). learners, regardless of their individual challenges;
• lead learning through inspiring, enthusing and raising the
By working closely with our founding partners to the mutual aspirations of all learners.
benefit of their students and pupils alike, and through links and
interactions with many other educational institutions, we play a (Further details of the Trust’s ethos can be found in the
key role in enhancing learning across the Borough. Governance section of the website)
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our school
‘Leaders have established a stimulating learning environment. 04
Teaching successfully challenges all groups of pupils to aim
high and achieve their best’. OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
‘Outstanding’
– Ofsted’s judgement
The Kingston Academy received the wholehearted
endorsement of the national school inspection system in
June 2018, when Ofsted inspectors judged the school to be
‘Outstanding’ in every category, following the school’s first full
inspection.
A team of inspectors assessed the quality of teaching, learning
and assessment, outcomes, behaviour, personal development
and well-being and leadership and management of the school.
They also spent much time with pupils, asking them about their
experiences at school, as well as conducting a parent survey to
get a clear view of their perspectives.
Their report was expansive in its praise for everything that TKA
does and for the quality of educational experience pupils enjoy
as a result. You can access their published report through the
school website: www.thekingstonacademy.org
‘We are delighted with the outcome of our recent
inspection. Our success is the result of a community
of great people, especially our fantastic pupils who
understand that hard work gets results. As a growing
school, we still have much more to do. We look
forward to an exciting future and to the challenge and
opportunities that we will face along the way.’
Ms Sophie Cavanagh, Head Teacher
05
‘The curriculum is rich and creative, which broadens pupils’ minds and
helps them to think critically’. OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
An Aspirational and
Inspirational Curriculum
The curriculum at The Kingston Academy is designed to stimulating teaching that enables successful learning. We want
provide an excellent education for all pupils. Our core our pupils to be challenged by their curriculum in a safe but
values of Resilience, Integrity, Generosity, Fulfilment and competitive learning community.
Creativity underpin the curriculum. Pupils are challenged
to become independent learners and to develop a Pupils are taught in mixed-ability teaching groups for all
Growth Mindset. The use of digital technology, alongside subjects, apart from maths, where pupils are taught in either
traditional teaching methods provides an accessible and a core or advanced class. The table below shows a typical week
challenging learning environment for all. for a pupil at TKA.
All our pupils use Chromebooks and we have adopted Google The morning programme of assemblies, reading challenge and
Classroom which enables collaborative learning and frequent Aspire-SMART provide a purposeful start to each day for pupils.
and effective teacher feedback on pupil performance. The Aspire-SMART programme focuses on the development of
pupils’ personal skills and ability to learn.
We also believe that education should take place in a creative,
purposeful and disciplined environment which demands
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
0840 KS3 Assembly Aspire-SMART Reading Challenge House Assembly Aspire-SMART
0905 Maths Science Phil. & Ethics English Maths
1000 Geography Maths Digital Literacy History English
1055 Break Break Break Break Break
1115 English Spanish Maths Science Spanish
1210 PE English Science Maths Geography
1305 School council Lunch Choir Lunch Lunch
1355 Science PE Drama D&T
Going
Beyond
1450 History Music Art D&T
1545 Study Support Fencing
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our school
06
Lesson Allocations
Subject specialists ensure that lessons provide opportunities for
Years 7
Subject Year 9 Year 10 all pupils to make progress, through effective planning which
and 8
makes use of assessment data on pupils’ aptitude for each
English 5 5 5 subject. Pupils with Special Educational Needs are supported
through the work of the Inclusion team, who work with
Mathematics 5 5 5
teachers to ensure they can access the curriculum.
Science 4 4 6
Guided Choices
Art 1 1 3*
At the end of Year 9 pupils and parents / carers receive
Design & extensive support to enable them to make the GCSE choices
2 1 3*
Technology
that interest them, reflect their strengths and provide them
Digital Literacy 1 1 3* with a breadth of knowledge. Pupils study either 9 or 10 GCSE
subjects in total (depending on whether they take separate
Geography 2 2 3*
science GCSEs or the combined award, accounting for 2 GCSEs).
History 2 2 3*
Our Sixth Form will continue to offer a varied choice for all, to
Music 1 1 3* ensure that pupils are equipped to compete and succeed after
Philosophy & school. Outcomes at the end of KS4 will form the stepping
1 1 3* stones to Key Stage 5 where we anticipate that most pupils will
Ethics
study A levels, with some taking BTEC qualifications instead of,
Physical Education 2 2 3*
or alongside A levels. Our partnerships with Kingston College,
Spanish 2 3 3* Kingston University and local industry will provide pupils with
access to an innovative curriculum.
Going Beyond 2 2 1
Pupils at The Kingston Academy follow a traditional but unique
Media 2 2 3*
curriculum that includes many extra-curricular opportunities.
*Depending on whether taken as a GCSE option The school’s extended day offers exciting opportunities to
ensure we go beyond what schools ordinarily do. Clubs,
additional subjects such as Mandarin and Latin, sports
competitions, enterprise initiatives, public speaking, trips and
the Duke of Edinburgh Award are just some of the enrichment
activities that complement the curriculum. We are committed
to ensuring all pupils participate in enrichment activities.
07 ‘The school provides an inspiring and wide-ranging extra-curricular program
and curriculum-based competitions. …Pupils are extremely positive about th
to develop their interests and personal skills, including communication skills
Teamwork, Enrichment and Going Beyond
Teamwork 700mm
All pupils belong to one of four houses: Berners-Lee, Curie,
Hawking and Lovelace.
These provide a broader source of identity as well as providing
opportunities for pupils to work together as a team. A wide
variety of inter-house competitions fuel a friendly rivalry and
lead to the awarding of the annual House Trophy. House
captains assist the Heads of House in organising and delivering
events and activities. Pupil leadership is an integral element of
the school, and pupils are encouraged to apply for the following
leadership opportunities:
• Head Boy and Girl • Art Ambassadors
• House Captains • STEM Leaders
• Sports Captains • Going Beyond Leaders
• Chrome Captains
Enrichment
A wide range of enrichment activities are on offer at lunchtime and after
school to enhance the educational experiences of our pupils. These include:
Creative
Photography writing
club club
Chess History
Rugby Orchestra
club club
Science Acapella
Fencing Football
club group
Drama School
Karate Technology
club council
club
Politics
Rowing Choir Zumba
club
Minecraft
Netball Art club
club
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our school
mme, including sports, creative workshops 08
he ‘going beyond’ sessions, which help them
s’. OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
Going Beyond
Pupils participate in our unique ‘Going Beyond’ programme
to ensure that the education on offer here genuinely exceeds
the standard secondary curriculum. ‘Going Beyond’ opens
our pupils’ minds to a diverse range of opportunities such as
conservation, volunteering, extended research, enterprise or
cultural explorations – learning for learning’s sake right on
Going Beyond
the doorstep of London, one of the world’s most exciting and
diverse cities. The majority of pupils participate in The Duke of
On Friday afternoon all pupils participate in our unique ‘Going
Edinburgh Award scheme, helping them to develop skills such
Beyond’ programme to ensure that TKA goes beyond what
as leadership, perseverance, team work and communication.
schools ordinarily do. The ‘Going Beyond’ programme is designed
We are continually exploring new opportunities for enhancing
to promote our core values of Resilience, Integrity, Generosity,
the range of enrichment and Going Beyond activities on offer.
Fulfilment and Creativity, as well as encouraging pupils to adopt
a Growth Mindset philosophy in how they tackle challenges.
Our pupils have the opportunity to hear from experts drawn
from a wide range of fields to enhance their learning. Some
examples
Year 7include a school
take part visit by LeylaYear
in 4 activities Hussain, social
8 take part activist
in 6 activities
and campaigner against
on an 8 week cycle: FGM, pupils meeting with Sir David
on a 6 week cycle:
Attenborough at The Royal Geographical Society, school
assemblies run by
• Modern a prominent oncologist,
dance a qualified
• First aid engineer,
a veterinary scientist, a construction project
• Conservation manager,
• Life skills firemen
and police officers
• Outdoor amongst many others.
activities • School magazine
• Karate • Navigation and campcraft
• Debating
• Art project
‘Leaders and staff keep a close eye on pupils’ welfare to ensure
09
that they benefit from the support that they need, both
academically and in their personal development.’
OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
Care, Guidance Working
and Support with Parents
The 180 pupils that enter Year 7 each year are placed into one Parental involvement is crucial to the success of both the child
of 12 tutor groups. These groups contain just 15 pupils to aid and developing our school within the local community. We
the often daunting transition of moving to secondary school. hold regular drop-in sessions for parents which provide a
They form the building blocks of the pastoral system and are forum for parents to discuss developments at the school with
led by a staff member trained in pastoral tutoring, whilst being members of our senior leadership team.
overseen by a Head of House. The tutor groups also provide
pupils with a source of identity and a vehicle for competition A new parents’ welcome evening is held in July prior to entry
and celebration, as well as their house allocation. The role of in September. A priority at this meeting is to advise parents
the tutor is central to achieving our goals regarding the pastoral about communications systems and expectations of the school.
care of our pupils – each tutor oversees their tutee’s progress A curriculum evening for parents is held early in the autumn
and is responsible for managing their conduct. term which focuses on how the curriculum will be delivered ,
assessment methods used and how parents can support their
In each year group, pupils are taught in 6 classes which are child’s progress at home.
made of up of those from different forms. Pupils in Year 7 are
assigned a ‘buddy’ from the cohort above to help them settle in We enjoy the positive support of a vibrant parents’ association:
quickly. Friends of The Kingston Academy (FoTKA). Every parent, carer
or guardian of our pupils is automatically a member. Since it
was established in 2015, FoTKA has found a wealth of parents
willing to give their time and energy to organise a huge range
of fundraising and charity events. They have successfully
raised significant additional funds for the school, enabling the
purchase of a school minibus amongst other resources.
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our school‘Overall, pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) 10
and/or disabilities, including pupils in the specially resourced
provision, make substantial progress’. OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
SEND and Inclusion
TKA has a fundamental commitment to inclusion. We are
ambitious for all children and want every child, every day to
be well supported in achieving their full potential within a
mainstream setting.
We are proud to have established an Enhanced Provision
for children with a statement or EHC Plan for ASD. Our
aim is to provide these pupils with tailored support that
nurtures learning and personal development within the
haven that is our school community.
Places to this provision are allocated by the Local Authority
in partnership with the school, taking into account the
needs of the individual child and our ability to appropriately
support a child’s uniqueness.
Each academic year we complete a thorough transition
process for pupils in year 6, liaising with parents/carers,
teachers, SENCo’s and support staff in order to create
detailed profiles of the pupils prior to their September
start. This information is then delivered to all teaching and
support staff, in order to raise their awareness of the SRP
pupils needs.
‘The provision staff provide extra support in the areas my son
finds the most challenging, allowing him to make really good
progress and not feel overwhelmed or different from his peers’.
(TKA Parent)
‘My child has been given amazing opportunities since joining
TKA, from meeting David Attenborough to visiting a vets’
university, this provision inspires my child and excites him for
the future’. (TKA Parent)‘The school has introduced an inspirational internship
11
programme, which runs across all subject areas. All pupils
involved in the programme are challenged to develop a wide
range of skills.’ OFSTED REPORT, JUNE 2018
i-TKA is a unique internship programme designed to foster
excellence and shine the spotlight on pupils who have
a passion for STEM, History of Art, Architecture, Music,
Coding, PE, Languages and Creative Writing.
Pupils apply to be part of the i-TKA internship and successful
interns have the opportunity to be mentored in their chosen
subject for one year during which they are introduced to a
wide range of creative, academic or sporting opportunities for
furthering their knowledge such as cultural visits to museums
or galleries, lectures or sports events.
This internship programme provides a rich platform for pupils
with a genuine passion for their subject to develop a lifelong
interest.
‘Teaching young children Spanish has provided us with a great
opportunity to improve our own Spanish skills, confidence,
communication and enthusiasm for learning languages’.
i-TKA linguist
‘As an i-TKA sports intern I was lucky enough to be invited to a
charity dinner at Richmond Rugby Club where former England
Rugby Captain, Lawrence Dallaglio was guest speaker.’
i-TKA sports intern
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our schoolSport at TKA
At TKA, we understand the immense benefits that participation Fixtures
in sport offers our pupils. Not only is it both physically and We run an extensive programme of fixtures, providing pupils
mentally rewarding – and proven to enhance academic with a motivating and focused sense of team and the challenge
performance - but it prepares our pupils for the fundamental of competitive sport. Our teams play against local schools in
competitive realities of life. the Surrey Schools Cup, London Schools Cup and the National
Cup for boys and girls football and in the Borough leagues
Through our partnerships with the YMCA Hawker Centre for all competitive sports. TKA pupils represent the school in
and local universities we are able to deliver a comprehensive Surrey Schools sports and the London Youth Games.
sporting programme across all age groups both as part of our
curriculum and through the enrichment programme. Sports Day
TKA’s annual Sports Day is a significant highlight of the
Our new building, coming on stream in 2019, will provide us school’s sporting calendar, held in the summer annually at
with the opportunity to offer a wide range of additional sports the Kingsmeadow Athletics Centre and attended by the whole
in a state-of-the-art indoor sports hall and fitness centre, from school.
basketball to badminton, indoor hockey to netball, trampolining
and gymnastics to yoga. The new facility will also provide us Sports Presentation Evening
with a number of floodlit outdoor hard courts. Sporting achievement is celebrated throughout the school year
but particularly at the dedicated Sports Presentation Evening
Many pupils have selected to take PE to GCSE level and will when individual and team sporting triumphs are recognised
have the opportunity to study the subject at ‘A’ Level. and rewarded.
Enrichment
Sporting enrichment clubs run before and after school 5 days
a week and are hugely popular. The enrichment programme
offers all pupils the opportunity to develop their skills and
fitness to a higher level and is not exclusive to members of the
school sports teams.13
Admissions
Determined Admissions Arrangements for entry in places available, places will be offered in the following
September 2019 order of priority and after taking into account any children
for whom the school is named in a Statement of Special
Educational Needs:
Approved by the Board of Trustees of The Kingston Academy 1. Places will be offered firstly to Looked After Children
on 11 December 2017 i.e children who are looked after by a public authority
and are in public care,
The Kingston Academy and previously looked
is a co-educational, after children* who were
non-selective, non-faith adopted, or subject to a
secondary Free school for residence order, or special
the local community and guardianship order,
its families. The school immediately following
provides places for young having been looked after.
people aged 11 to 18 Applications made under
and has a fully inclusive this criterion must be
ethos, which welcomes accompanied by details
all who wish to come to of circumstance and
the school, and requires professionally supported
everyone to be valued for evidence (e.g.from a social
who they are and what worker);
they offer. 2. Places will be offered next to children who have a
brother or sister, including an adopted, foster, half- or
Entry into Year 7 in September 2019 step- brother or sister, living at the same address and
Full details of the application process are available in your attending the same school at the time of admission;
local authority admissions booklet. The Kingston booklet
‘Admissions to Kingston Secondary Schools 2019’ is available 3. Places will then be offered in cases of exceptional
from Kingston Council’s website at www.kingston.gov.uk . family, social or medical need (which must be described
In completing the common application form, The Kingston on the application form and verified by professionally
Academy must be listed as one of the preferences on supported evidence) which makes the school the most
your local authority form. Inaccurate or false information suitable one for the individual child and why these
on the form could result in the place being withdrawn. needs cannot be met at any other school;
Applications must be submitted to your Local
Authority by no later than 31 October 2018. 4. Places will then be offered to children (including
adopted, foster, half- or step-children) of staff at the
The published admission number is 180 places in each
school who have been in post for 2 years at the point
year of entry into Year 7. The school will admit up to
of the child’s application;
this number for entry into Year 7 each year and the
admissions arrangements for the school are set out
5. The remaining places will be offered to children who
below.
live nearest to the school, as measured by a straight
line from the home address to the nearest school
Children with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
gate. All distances will be measured using Kingston
or Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN)
School Admissions computerised Geographical
Any child with an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP)
Information System.
or Statement of Special Educational Need (SEN) where
Kingston Academy is named on the Statement or EHCP,
Further detail on our Admissions Process can be
will be admitted to the school before all other applicants
found on our website: www.thekingstonacademy.org
are considered.
OVERSUBSCRIPTION CRITERIA for entry into Year 7 in
September 2019 and subsequent years of entry
Where more applications are received than there are
See thekingstonacademy.org for the latest information on our school14
Headteacher – Ms Sophie Cavanagh, M. Ed NPQH
The Kingston Academy
Richmond Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT2 5PE
T: 0208 465 6200
email: enquiries@thekingstonacademy.org
www.thekingstonacademy.org
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