Oasis Academy Aspinal Prospectus
Aspinal is a very special place. We are an inclusive school where committed members of staff work hard to engage and enthuse children across all areas of the curriculum. We encourage children to enjoy learning, behave well, grow in confidence and form effective relationships that will enable them to make a positive contribution to our community. Aspinal recognises the significant role that parents play in helping their children to thrive in body, mind and spirit, and we are proud of the contribution that parents and families make to the life of our Academy. The relationship that we have with you the parents and carers of our students is extremely important to us because it s only by us working together, as a team, that your children can achieve their social and educational potential, and become good citizens, leading happy and rewarding lives when they leave school. We also recognise that children and families exist in a network of relationships within the community and that it is important for Aspinal to play a key role in promoting the well-being of that community. Your school is part of your community and Oasis Academy Aspinal is, and very much wants to be, part of your community. To achieve this aim, we seek to provide opportunities for all members of the local community so that we can learn and grow together. Principal s Welcome A successful school is one where everybody associated Oasis Community Learning with works together as an effective team with the aim of helping your children achieve their academic and social potential so that they can have better tomorrows and turn their ambitions and dreams into realities. Building Community Developing People This prospectus is designed to give you an overview of Oasis Academy Aspinal so that you have some key facts about the school to get started on. Once you ve looked through it, please take a look at our website www.oasisacademyaspinal.org which gives additional practical information about the school. Additionally, we warmly welcome and encourage you to come and visit us for a tour of the school. You can arrange this through our school office (0161 223 0053), and we will be delighted to see you and to answer any questions you may have. We all very much look forward to getting to know you and to working with you. A very warm welcome to Oasis Academy Aspinal. Best wishes, Neil Flint - Principal 1
Purpose and Aims As an Oasis Academy, we exist to provide a rich and balanced educational environment which caters for the whole person academically, vocationally, socially, morally, spiritually, physically, emotionally and environmentally. Our task is to serve our students as well as provide a learning hub for the entire community. In this way we will raise aspirations, unlock potential and work to achieve excellence through encouraging a can do culture which nurtures confident and competent people. Therefore at Oasis Academy Aspinal we aim to: Provide an exciting menu of learning opportunities for children so that everyone can experience success and be proud. Encourage each individual to achieve their full potential. Provide the highest quality curriculum and experiences within a safe, caring and attractive environment. Develop lively enquiring minds, enabling thoughtful and effective communication by all. Develop independent learners who increasingly have a stake in directing their own learning and developing their own interests. Provide opportunities for children to use new knowledge and skills in a variety of practical situations. Offer opportunities for children to understand, value and maintain happy relationships. Develop self-awareness in children, and an appreciation of their own and everyone else s talents. Be sensitive to different learning styles and the specific learning needs of others. Develop an understanding of their place in, and responsibility for, our local community and the wider world. 2
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Academy Day The Academy day begins at 9.00am and all doors will be open at 8.55am (the school site will be accessible through several gates at 8.45am). Prior to this there is a Breakfast Club that begins at 8.00am. Aspinal provides a full time nursery and therefore the day ends for all children at 3.30pm. The site will be open for parents from 3.15pm and children will be released by the teacher when they can see the parent/carer. Occasionally, children in Y5 and Y6 may be allowed to leave school unaccompanied but only after written permission has been given by the parent/carer. At the end of the day there is an After School Club (see later) that operates until 5.30pm. Please note that children not collected by 3.45pm will be taken to the school office as the school gates will be locked. After 4.00pm, uncollected children will be placed in After School Club and the parent will be charged the sessional rate. Child absence in term time The law is clear that parents/carers do not have the right to take their child out of the Academy during term time. In exceptional circumstances the Principal may authorise a short period of absence for example in the case of a family bereavement. However, the criteria for allowing such absences are clearly defined and independent written evidence must be produced by the parent/carer regardless of the exceptional circumstances. On considering a request for leave of absence, an Academy Attendance Officer will take the child s previous attendance figures into account. If parents/carers wish to apply for a leave of absence for their child during term time, they must fill out a Request for Leave of Absence form. This will be assessed and counter-signed by the Principal. This form will state on it the reason(s) why a request for leave of absence has been granted or not. Please be aware, that a parent/carer taking a child out of school during term time for an unauthorised reason could be subject to a fixed penalty fine. Admissions Statement Students admitted to the Academy are allocated places in accordance with the local authority s Admissions Policy. For further information and to view the city council admission policy, please look on: www.manchester.gov.uk/admissions. 4
Contact with Parents/Carers We view parents as true partners in ensuring that all pupils have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Therefore we look to build open and honest relationships with parents through a range of formal and informal opportunities. Parents evenings are held during Autumn and Spring Terms to discuss your child s progress and a full report is issued at the end of each academic year. We will keep you informed throughout the year to share your child s successes, to update you with any key themes or skills they will be learning or if we have any concerns about your child s progress or behaviour. If you have queries or concerns we encourage you to make an appointment with your child s teacher at any time during the year to discuss anything connected with your child s education or wellbeing. Please be aware that the beginning of the day is a very busy time and class teachers may not be able to immediately respond to your concerns at this time. Every Friday we hold a whole Academy assembly to celebrate the week s achievements. We also hold an annual presentation assembly in July to celebrate achievements and excellence during the year. There are also festival celebrations, social events and our annual Family Learning Week throughout the year. Parents are welcome to attend any of these events. 35
Uniform Children are expected to wear full Academy uniform every day. The uniform consists of: Light blue polo shirt (either plain or with Academy logo) Navy blue sweatshirt or cardigan (with Academy logo) Black or dark grey shorts, trousers or skirts Black shoes (or black trainers without logos) Navy blue gingham dresses can be worn in the summer Navy blue Fleece (with Academy logo) Navy blue polo shirt for PE (plain or with Academy logo) Navy blue PE shorts for PE Black PE pumps (or trainers for outside games) PE Kit bag (with Academy logo) School book bag (with Academy logo) All items of school uniform with the school logo can be obtained from Gorton indoor market. Healthy Meals, Snacks and Milk The Academy operates a healthy eating policy. Alternatively children may bring a packed lunch. Please note that children are not allowed to bring crisps, sweets or chocolate into the Academy at any time in line with the healthy eating policy. A chocolate-coated biscuit is permissible. Children in the Early Years and Key Stage One may have fresh milk provided. There is a small charge for this is facility, please enquire at the office for the current cost. In addition, these children also received a morning fruit/ vegetable snack for which there is no charge. Charging We charge towards the cost of coach and entrance fees for trips out of the Academy. Parents/carers cannot be required to pay for activities that take place during the Academy day but trips may not be able to take place without sufficient voluntary contributions. We ask for contributions for: Extra instrumental lessons Some extra-curricular clubs (to cover the cost of materials, equipment or coaches) Trips Residential visits Visits to the Academy by theatre companies, performers or special visitors. At lunchtime we encourage children to have an Academy meal. These are cooked on site and are nutritionally balanced and always offer a choice. Menus are available in the main office. The price may be subject to change through the year so please check with the office the current price. 6
Teaching... 7
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At Oasis Academy Aspinal, we believe that learning should be a journey of discovery and excitement as we encourage our children to become creative thinkers and independent life-long learners. We have developed a rich and varied curriculum, along with other schools in our locality, which is based on children s own experiences and the learning opportunities found in the wider community in which we live. We call this a Curriculum for the Community, known as C4C. We want children to understand and appreciate their own community; its history, geography and culture, and to value the cultural heritages within the school that give Aspinal its own unique identity. A comprehensive programme of visits and visitors support and enhance children s learning, and there are opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to take part in a number of residential visits. We also believe that learning is essentially a social activity and therefore seek to develop conversations and dialogue about both the task and the resulting learning. As children move through the school, they are encouraged to be reflective about the quality of their own work and that of their peers. Finally, learning is a lifelong activity. We aim to provide appropriate role models for our children by encouraging staff development and learning so that the pupils can see that even the Head is still learning. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to engage families and the wider community in the learning journey e.g. our successful annual family learning weeks and the partnership we are developing with the local community associations. Literacy and Numeracy The ability to understand language and communicate effectively is crucial to engaging children in this journey of learning and discovery. Oasis Academy Aspinal includes Success for All as part of its Literacy provision. This research-based programme is recognised as one of the most effective methods for raising standards of reading and writing and importantly development pupils cooperative learning skills. Therefore, every morning, pupils are taught in ability groupings across KS1 and KS2 in small groups that are assessed every 10 weeks to ensure that pupils making progress can move rapidly between groups. In addition to this, pupils also have regular guided reading sessions and whole class Big Writing lessons. Numeracy lessons are delivered daily in whole classes with a strong emphasis on the development of number skills at an early age. This is supported by regular basic skills sessions including rapid recall of number facts and times tables. Pupil s progress is monitored closely by assessment, teacher observation and regular pupil conferencing to ensure that all pupils make at least good progress in Literacy and Maths. Curriculum for Community Most other areas of the curriculum are delivered in a thematic approach through the C4C curriculum approach. This involves termly themes built predominantly around local people and places or learning opportunities within the wider community e.g. global links. These themes are organised into three strands of learning that inform how the theme links to the areas of the National Curriculum:- Culture Well-Being Enterprise Within these themes, a strong emphasis is placed on the Arts, Humanities and Science/Technology. Information and Communication Technology is used as a tool to support learning across the curriculum and wherever possible, these themes are used as an opportunity to apply Literacy and Numeracy skills. 9
Skills Based Curriculum At Oasis Academy Aspinal we believe that it is important to teach children the skills to be able to find out and use the knowledge that they need, when they need it. Our teaching is focused on developing children s generic learning and thinking skills as well as subject specific skills. We prioritise developing the key skills identified in the National Curriculum as follows: Communication: This includes the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing and using them across the curriculum and in everyday situations. Application of Numbers: this includes developing mental and written calculation skills, using data, interpreting measurements and being able to use these skills in different subjects and everyday situations. Information & Communication Technology: Including learners ability to choose ICT tools to find, analyse, interpret, evaluate and present information. They need to be able to decide when and how to use ICT. Learning to Learn: This is a process of discovery about learning. It involves a set of principles and skills which, if understood and used, helps learners learn more effectively and become learners for life. Problem Solving: We embed problem solving in all areas of the curriculum to help children develop skills and strategies linked to them. These are reinforced by the strong emphasis we place on developing six Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS). These are developed in the taught curriculum and across all areas of the Academy and are vital for children to be able to achieve well in all stages of education, work and life. The Six Personal Learning and Thinking Skills are: Self Manager: learning to organise themselves and others. They take responsibility and show initiative. They learn to cope with challenges and change. They manage their emotions and develop resilience and self help strategies. Independent Enquirer: learning to ask questions and carry out investigations. They learn to research and evaluate information and use it to draw conclusions. Creative Thinker: learning to think creatively by generating and exploring ideas. They look at problems from different perspectives to make connections and find solutions. They use imagination and intuition. Team Worker: learning to co-operate, understanding others needs and being able to work effectively as part of a team. They learn to take on different roles in different situations. Much children s learning involves working collaboratively as a way of developing and deepening each child s understanding. Reflective Learner: learning to reflect on and evaluating their own learning. They identify the strategies they have used and this helps inform the teacher to plan the child s next steps. Effective Participants: actively engaging with issues that affect them and others. They discuss concerns and find ways to make improvements. They play a full role in the Academy and community life. They negotiate and consider different views. 10
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Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education We place a strong emphasis on developing children s understanding of their own and others needs and feelings through a programme of PSHCE that may be taught as part of the C4C themes or as discrete lessons. In addition, we encourage children to take on a wide range of responsibilities both within school and in the wider curriculum to encourage them to recognise their responsibilities as citizens for their behaviour and their environment. Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) forms part of the PSHCE and science curriculum. Children learn about relationships within a moral, family-orientated framework. Parents/carers are informed of this and given the opportunity to discuss the resources and content of these lessons. Parents/carers have a right to withdraw their child from sex education and may discuss this with the child s class teacher. Home Learning At Oasis Academy Aspinal, we believe that parents are the first and foremost educator in a child s life. We also expect children to reinforce and extend the learning they are doing in the Academy at home. To this end, we set regular home learning tasks. The amount of time children are expected to spend on formal learning at home increases as they go through the Academy. Home reading is an expectation of all children and the time when parents can provide an invaluable learning role model. As such, pupils home reading is monitored closely and SFA groups with the best home reading rates celebrated in assemblies. Children are expected to read, learn spellings and times tables daily. In addition, they are given extended tasks over the holidays to reinforce themes current to at the Academy. Award Schemes The Academy promotes good choices and positive role models in all areas of Academy life. Many of these are celebrated weekly and include:- Star of the Week Smart Awards Class and Individual Attendance Awards Special recognition e.g. Citizenship Awards Class ECO awards e.g. Energy Enforcer Awards and Recycling Team Awards when the winners are selected by the pupils themselves Awards for activities outside school e.g. sporting trophies for community teams At the key points during the years, special recognition is also made of those children who have reliably and conscientiously carried out key positions of responsibility e.g. School Council, Lunchtime Buddies and ECO Teams. Extra-Curricular Activities To further enrich their lives, children are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities both within and outside of the Academy. Activities provided by the 12
Partnership... Academy vary from year to year but may include football, tag rugby, hockey, netball, gymnastics and athletics, gardening, art, dance, drama, chess and choir. These may be offered before school, during lunchtime or after school depending upon the activity. The Academy can also provide access to peripatetic music teachers if the demand for parents/carers to buy extra music lessons is sufficient. During the holidays, the Academy also arranges for performing arts (SingJam) and multi-sports camps to be run on the school premises. These may be fee paying or free and are dependent on the number of pupils booking onto sessions. Extended Childcare Arrangements Oasis Academy Aspinal runs both Breakfast Club and After School Club provision. These enable our working parents to drop of early and pick up later to support their working practices. They also ensure a structured learning environment provided by trained professionals before and after school. Breakfast Club runs from 8am in the morning and provides a range of activities combined with a healthy breakfast to ensure that children arrive at lessons ready to learn. The staff are part of the school support team and ensure that children are delivered to their classes in time for registration. After School Club runs from the end of the school day until 5:30pm. Children can do their homework or play games and enjoy a healthy snack before being collected by their parent/carer. Extended childcare is subject to a small sessional charge with reductions for multiple children. Please enquire at the office about current charging rates. Collective Worship There are separate key stage acts of worship. Awe, wonder and worship take place daily from Monday to Wednesday either in class or as a whole key stage. These are broadly Christian in tone but explore other cultures and beliefs as well as providing a chance to discuss moral issues. On Fridays, all classes attend a celebration assembly led by the Principal (or member of the Academy Leadership Team) to recognise achievements across the school. Parents/carers and friends of the Academy may be invited to attend these from time to time. Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their children from acts of collective worship. If you wish to do this, you should discuss this with your child s class teacher. 13
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Our Commitment to Equality Equality and inclusion are at the heart of Oasis. We have a passion to include everyone and a deep desire to treat everyone equally. We accept others for who they are and respect differences. Our aim is to provide an excellent education for all our students. Our way of doing this is to work hard to improve students attainment and the standards of teaching and learning continually. At the same time, we also aim to meet the needs of the whole person and the whole community because we understand that the whole of life is education and that everyone who is part of a student s life affects that student s understanding of life and, therefore, his or her education. In this sense, every person matters. Special Educational Needs We aim to meet the needs of all individuals within our Academy. Occasionally some children experience greater difficulties in aspects of their learning than others. These children are offered extra support within their class. They may be identified as having Special Educational Needs. In line with the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice these children are placed on the Academy s SEN register. Their progress is closely monitored and reviewed at regular intervals. Individual Education Plans may be written for children with Special Educational Needs and are reviewed with parents/carers at Parents/carers Evenings or by arrangement. If necessary the Academy is able to access many support agencies in order to help meet their needs. Gifted and Talented The Academy keeps a register of children who have specific talents or gifts in order to better meet their learning needs. Wherever possible, we adapt the curriculum to meet their specific needs including giving them the opportunity to experience learning opportunities beyond their year groups. We encourage and celebrate the achievements of Gifted and Talented children outside of school. Behaviour In order to ensure that all children are safe, happy and thrive as learners, we expect high standards of behaviour at all times. Good behaviour is a learned skill and is best promoted through frequent and meaningful praise and reward. However, boundaries and sanctions are also important to ensure poor behaviour is challenged and has consequences. Oasis Academy Aspinal and the Community Oasis Academy Aspinal has a long history in the local community and enjoys a close relationship with many other local organisations such as community associations, charities and churches. We also have strong national and international links including a long standing partnership with schools in the Kabwe District of Zambia. The Academy works hard through its C4C curriculum, ECO Green Flag status, school council and Friends of Aspinal group to ensure that: Pupils develop a responsibility for and sense of place within their local community Value and learn from the past and present wisdom of local people and places Grow up to become active citizens in the community and role models for future generations To encourage pupils to understand their own identity and to appreciate and value the diversity of people s different backgrounds and circumstances We also seek to provide opportunities for the wider community to develop a sense that this is their school and that together we can build the future for our locality. 15
Availability of Documentation Parents/carers should note that the Academy has a great deal of documentation. Essential policies and information are available by request from the main office or through the Academy s website: www.oasisacademyaspinal.org 24
How to contact us: Principal - Mr Neil Flint BSc (Hons) MPhil NPQH t: 0161 223 0053 e: admin@oasisaspinal.org You can keep up-to-date with developments at Oasis Academy Aspinal via our website www.oasisacademyaspinal.org If you wish to know more about Oasis Community Learning part of the Oasis group of charities please contact: 75 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HS www.oasisuk.org/education Registered number: 5398529.
Oasis Academy Aspinal Broadacre Road, Gorton, Manchester, M34 6FT 0161 223 0053 www.oasisacademyaspinal.org