Prospectus Ifield Community College
Ifield Community College... Ifield Community College is a friendly, caring college that focuses on achievement. We stress the need for all pupils to gain knowledge, acquire skills and work well by themselves and in teams. We are committed to educating the whole person and have values and standards that we promote and maintain. Every student at Ifield is special and each is well known by the staff. Students are friendly and wear full school uniform. Teachers are caring professionals who set high standards. We want everyone to fulfil their potential and lessons are orderly, calm and enjoyable. We add high value to the education of our students.
We place great emphasis on the quality of teaching and learning not only in the classroom but also in our many extracurricular activities, to ensure that the talents and abilities of every student are developed to the full. Students are encouraged to take pride in their work and in their appearance and uniform is worn by all. We believe that learning should be fun, that relationships should be based on mutual respect and care for each other and that school life should be enjoyable. We teach students to accept responsibility for their own learning, since we know this results in good self-discipline and consideration for others. We judge ourselves by the success and happiness of our students and the positive attitudes they adopt and enjoy helping our students grow into confident adults.
We are delighted... We are delighted with our stunning new building which houses state of the art facilities. We have the latest computer technology, interactive whiteboards in every classroom and excellent sports facilities which include a large sports hall, fitness suite and all weather pitch.
Learning culture... Teaching and Learning There is a learning culture across the college and all students make good progress. The College is consistently identified as being a high value added school both by Ofsted and West Sussex County Council. We have repeatedly been in the top 10 secondary schools across England and Wales for the progress students make. Two of our staff have been recognised as being the best in their field in the whole of the South East of England in the Teacher of the Year Competition. Our exam results have increased dramatically and a record number of students go on to university. We are proud of our students achievements. The college curriculum covers the National Curriculum and ensures that every student experiences an education which is broad, balanced, relevant and appropriate to their needs. At Key Stage 3, all students study English, Mathematics, Science, Art and Design, Citizenship, Dance, Design Technology, Drama, French, Geography, History, Information Technology, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education and Spanish. Students are placed in groups which reflect their level of knowledge and understanding. Close liaison with feeder schools ensures continuity of progression. Student progress and grouping is reviewed regularly through assessment of classwork, homework and formal testing where appropriate.
During Year 9, students make choices of option subjects for study up to GCSE level. Students in Years 10 and 11 follow a curriculum which provides both a good general education and is relevant to the individual s own interests, aptitudes and career aspirations. Full information on the curriculum in Years 10 and 11 is presented in a separate booklet. At present all students in Years 10 and 11 follow courses in English, Mathematics, Science, Citizenship and Physical Education. In addition to these, students currently choose subjects from Art and Design, Business, Ceramics, Dance, Drama, French, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Information Technology, Travel and Tourism, Music, Product Design, Religious Education, Spanish, Sports Performance and Textiles.
Pastoral Care The pastoral care is a strong feature of the College and it is one of the reasons why all students achieve their academic potential. The Assistant Principal leads a large team of Heads of Year and their assistants. Together they ensure all students are well supported by their form tutors and that any problems, social or academic, are quickly resolved. Provision and delivery... Special Educational Needs The provision and delivery of a broad based, balanced curriculum to students with special educational needs (SEN) is the responsibility of all teachers. We acknowledge current legislation and recognise that a percentage of our children will have a special need at some stage in their school career. A number of children will have a Statement of Special Educational Needs. Students in the college have a special need if they have a greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children in their age group or if they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities. All students in the college are encouraged, valued and accepted equally, regardless of their ability. They are provided with a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum which is differentiated to meet their individual needs, enabling them to reach their potential through both the National Curriculum and the wider curriculum of the college. The college is fully equipped to welcome pupils with disabilities. The new building has been carefully designed to give disabled students the opportunity to participate fully in mainstream education. Facilities include lifts, height adjustable work stations in all classrooms and separate toilet facilities. The Curriculum Years 12 and 13 Students wishing to continue their education in the Sixth Form have a wide choice of subjects. They can choose from a combination of A level, AS and Vocational subjects. Full details of the sixth form courses are available in a separate booklet.
Working with External Experts Students achievements have been enhanced by working with Maths experts at Sussex University, Gillian Cross, author of the best selling The Demon Headmaster, members of the Ludas and Ricochet Dance Companies, experts at the Language and the World of Work event and members of National Companies such as De Loittes.
Sport & Leisure... Sporting and Extra Curricular Activities The sporting facilities are superb. We have a four court sports hall, a specialist gymnasium, a fitness suite, tennis courts, a large playing field and an all weather soccer/hockey pitch. Not surprisingly these are well used. The PE department offers a full timetable of college fixtures for every year group in athletics, basketball, cricket, hockey, netball and soccer plus interform competitions in badminton, football and unihoc. There are also regular badminton, gymnastics and trampolining clubs. We also have a PE development officer who is constantly expanding our provision and coaching expertise. We are proud of the part sport plays in the life of the college.
Extra Curricular Activities... Clubs Interested students join after school groups such as the Drama club and Technology club. There are homework clubs run by every department and every year we have an enrichment week. At the end of the summer term the timetable is set aside for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 to develop their interests through workshops, day trips and overseas residential journeys. All departments offer a wide range of extra curricular activities that expand students horizons, experience and academic achievement in trips, clubs, performances and working with experts. Trips Recently students have visited the Imperial War Museum, the First World War Battlefields in Northern France, the National History Museum, North Wales, the Dorset Coast, The Hawth Theatre, Venice, Italy.
Performances Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Night on Broadway were great successes, as was the performing arts students tour of Venice. Our choir has been a winner in the National Choir Competition three times and performed twice with the BBC Singers. The boys dance group were finalists in the UK championships. Copyright: Anton & Richard Paul Photo
Ifield Community College traces its origins back to the pioneering work of Miss Sarah Robinson who in 1854 set up the school in Crawley to be a Free School, open to those of all beliefs, as it is put in the Quaker literature of the time to receive children of the Established Church and those of any sector denomination, to be run on lines purely unsectarian. The school was known as the British School and it continued on its original site in Robinson Road, being rebuilt in 1916. However, with the New Town plans in the 1950s the premises became overcrowded and new building works were undertaken in Ifield. These buildings were the Sarah Robinson Secondary Modern School and the Ifield Grammar School, functioning separately when the old 11+ selection examination was operating, and joining together to serve the needs of all boys and girls when Comprehensive education was finally introduced in 1966. In the 1980s the School became a Community School, adding a wider range of courses for adults in the evening and during the day, and evening activities for the 14-20 year olds in our Youth Wing. Finally, with the change from 11-18 to 12-19, the School was renamed Ifield Community College in 1986, and a massive rebuilding and refurbishment programme was undertaken, joining the two original buildings. We now have a brand new college, which opened in September 2005 on a different part of the site admitting students from 11-18. An extract is recorded in historic documents from the turn of the century, from a farmer speaking of the British School and of his early days in Crawley which says that in those days Crawley was 40 years before other Sussex villages in Education privilege. We at Ifield Community College intend to keep it that way. Ifield Community College Crawley Avenue, Crawley, RH11 0DB Telephone: 01293 420500 Fax: 01293 420501