Academy Vision

The Ormiston Sandwell Community Academy will be committed to a fully
inclusive vision that will transform learning, extend opportunity, raise aspirations
and standards and place it at the heart of the regeneration of its community. The
Academy will also play a significant role in the realisation of the Sandwell
Partnership Vision for 2021, through fostering a ‘can do/will do’ culture of
achievement that will address and overcome the significant barriers to success
that presently exist in the Tividale district. In particular, the Academy will
challenge low aspiration and self esteem, in a community in which levels of poor
health, unemployment, English as an additional language and NEET teenagers
are all higher than national averages, by providing an inspirational learning
environment which nurtures confidence and achievement through collaborative
community endeavour. The Academy will meet all the expectations for the
Twenty First century school.

The Academy, and the Ormiston Trust, its sponsor, totally embrace the “Every
Child Matters Agenda” which will provide the foundation for the academic,
vocational, social, moral and spiritual development of students in such a way that
they will emerge as independent, responsible, cooperative and well presented
young people, ready to be good citizens and to make a positive contribution to
their community and society. Through this commitment to the development of
the whole person, the students’ personal and social skills, sense of enquiry, and
their resilience and capacity to adopt a healthy lifestyle and face life challenges
with confidence will emerge.

The Academy will provide a child centred and personalised learning environment,
removing barriers to learning with an imaginative curriculum and the use of best
and innovative practice to transform learning and teaching. By broadening
horizons, raising expectations and enhancing students’ self confidence as
successful learners, both now and also in the future, the Academy will narrow
the gap in levels of achievement historically associated with areas of high
disadvantage. Students will be active partners in their learning, as will their
parents and members of the wider community, and will be empowered by a
learning culture in which everyone feels they can succeed and knows will receive
praise and recognition for their achievements. High quality Continuous
Professional Development for all staff and innovative use of staffing and
curriculum organisation will ensure that all students have the opportunity to work
alongside experienced, highly skilled and inspirational adults and the Academy’s
aim to become the first school of choice for families in its community will be
realised.

All students need to develop excellence in their core skills of reading, literacy and
numeracy as well as in their social skills of teamwork and leadership, and this
process will be reinforced by the Academy specialisms in English/ Literacy and
the Arts and also through close liaison with partner primary schools to ensure a
seamless transition between the different phases of education. The students will
have full access to the new technologies, including digital media, to both
enhance their learning and also prepare them for the information and
communication technology challenges of a rapidly changing society. All students
will have every opportunity to achieve standards that match their potential and
are reflected both in public examination success and also their ability to be
effective lifelong learners, thus adding value to their life chances.

The Academy will be a vibrant community based on good relationships between
its members, and student behaviour which comes from mutual respect, empathy,
tolerance of diversity, fairness and justice. Shared values will come from an
agreed academy ethos and morality, with student voice fully involved in setting
and maintaining these principles, and all possible opportunities being available to
develop student leadership skills. Care, guidance and support will always be
there, and related to individuals, with a special concern that all potentially
vulnerable families, students, or groups of students do not face any inequality of
access, opportunity or outcome, and it will be a community where all students
feel safe and wish to attend each day.

The Academy and the Ormiston Trust believe that its total commitment to raising
standards and improving performance will be best realised through collaboration
and partnership with families and the wider community. Cooperation and
interaction with all stakeholders will create a community pride in its academy and
a desire to be involved in its work. In addition, key partnerships with other
organisations such as those in further and higher education, industry and the
public sector will offer further opportunities to enhance learning and add to work
related and enterprise education, supportive careers advice, and the
development of economic well being and independence. The Academy will
access best practice in a range of specialisms through the Ormiston Network of
academies, and the strengths of the Tividale Academy will similarly contribute to
the improvement of others, so that this close collaboration of Ormiston
Academies will provide a gateway to achievement.

The Ormiston Trust also has a specific commitment to the development of the
Extended School whereby, using the resources of the Academy and also the
community, there will be programmes and activities provided for students, their
families and the wider community which support community cohesion, learning
and enjoyment.