Sixth Form Applications for September 2022
Pastoral Care
As Principal of Ark Acton, it is my role to create an environment that is calm, scholarly, and supportive; where every child feels safe and is given the opportunity to thrive. We achieve this environment with a pastoral system that ensures no child is left behind. As a member of the Ark network of schools, we have access to a range of impactful resources and comprehensive policies carefully shaped by sector leading expertise.
Mr. Oliver Knight, Principal Ark Acton
Behaviour
We believe in maintaining a focus on discipline and good manners. We will recognise, encourage and reward good behaviour. We do not tolerate bad behaviour and maintain clear rules, not accepting excuses.
Inclusion
Our diverse curriculum is reflective of our community and ensures all cultures are equally represented. We have been working with Dr Robin Whitburn from UCL to ensure our curriculum tells a world view and involves global texts.
Safeguarding
Our staff and governors see safeguarding the welfare of our pupils as their number one priority. We have robust systems to ensure the safety of all our pupils, at all times, within the academy and on related school trips and other activities.
Mental health
We recognise that adolescence is a time of immense change and uncertainty; coupled with the experiences of a global pandemic and school closures. We place utter importance on offering expert care and support for our young people. We have an extensive range of mental health provision onsite from adolescent psychotherapy through to counselling and CBT.
Anti-bullying
We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying. We adopt the attitude that ‘it does happen here’ and as such we have developed clear systems to enable any student or parent to report an issue or concern to us at any time. Our non-teaching Heads of Year ensure that every student is known to an adult and that we can intervene swiftly where required.
Physical health
We want all of our young people to lead happy and healthy lives. To help us achieve this we make full use of our outstanding sports facilities. All students complete a minimum of 2 hours per week of PE in the curriculum. We run over 50 clubs each week and every student has to take part in our compulsory co-curricular club that includes sport. We have fully qualified coaches who run sports clubs every lunchtime and after school to enable every student to take part.
Curriculum
Our purpose as a school is to ensure our young people can go out into the world and live a life of choice and opportunity. We want them to leave Ark Acton having been inducted into systems of worthwhile knowledge that enable them to participate in and shape the national discourse. Our academic curriculum sits at the heart of this.
As an Ark School we deliver the Ark Mastery Complete Curriculum Programmes in English, Maths, Science, Geography and Music. This means that every child has access to a world-class curriculum that is delivered in every Ark School.
Acquiring Disciplinary Literacy is the ability to read texts that are authentic to the subject as a means of learning substantive knowledge. Students are then able to think deeply about what they have read and write in appropriate formats.
To ensure every child can continue to learn our curriculum at home as well as at school, every Year 7 student is issued with a Chromebook tablet. This is taken home and used to access our online learning platform.
The Acton Canon is 50 great books we believe every student should have read by the time they leave Ark Acton. Each day begins with a guided reading session led by a teacher, providing space for students to immerse themselves in a good book.
A teacher affects a pupil's achievement more than any other factor. We invest in recruiting and training the very best teachers and support staff. As part of Ark Schools, they access sector-leading training and expertise from across the network.
Our Values
We have the courage to be truthful so that we all become the best version of ourselves.
At home and at school, we do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to succeed.
We do what's right, even when it is difficult, so that we are proud of who we are becoming.
Co-Curriculum
We enable all students to develop their individual interests and passions through our carefully sequenced co-curricular programme.
The co-curricular programme provides an array of experiences for students to build life skills – confidence, articulacy, social skills and teamwork. Over their whole time at Ark Acton, students track the development of these skills in their character passports.
Developing strong oracy skills are central to helping our students go on and live a life of choice and opportunity. We have a co-ordinated programme of debating and public-speaking for all year groups.
School trips form an integral part of the Ark Acton experience and we provide funding to ensure every child can attend. The trips are designed to broaden horizons, build confidence and provide experiences that our students will cherish for a lifetime.
Our excellent sports facilities include a state-of-the-art fitness suite, dance studio, netball and basketball courts as well as extensive outside playing fields for football, rugby, tennis and hockey. We have competitive teams in 8 sports across all year groups and a wealth of after school sports clubs.
We support every student to complete work experience and host several employer visits per term from a range of Ark’s partner organisations. Students are given significant guidance for their University and degree options by our dedicated careers team.
