RSA Academy: creating a new academy with a new approach to the curriculum

Case study

Building a new school has allowed the RSA Academy to make radical changes to curriculum delivery. The new curriculum, new buildings, and new routines have all been designed to put the student experience at the centre of all the academy does.

Key facts

Type of school: academy
Number on roll: 1,100
Age range: 11–18
Cost of development: £30 million
Date completed: September 2010

Background

Situated in Tipton, the RSA Academy serves an area of the West Midlands that has seen more than its fair share of social challenges in recent years. The academy opened in September 2008 in the old buildings of the predecessor school until the new building is ready in September 2010.

Vision

The vision for the school is based on the key principles of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) Opening Minds curriculum, which focuses on citizenship, learning, and managing people, information and situations. Sponsoring the academy gave the RSA an opportunity to build on the work it has done with several schools previously, as well as make a positive contribution to the ethos of the school. Students are held in high esteem, and where appropriate, they are trained as learning mentors.

Stakeholders

The RSA, as sponsor, has been and continues to be a key stakeholder, and it has used its experience of working with Opening Minds pilot schools to good advantage. It brought together a strong governing body under the chairmanship of Sir Mike Tomlinson, and a headteacher was appointed 16 months before the school was due to open. This group allowed firm decisions and clear leadership to be embedded as all stakeholders of the previous school were brought into the planning process.

Consultation

Meetings were held with the existing staff of the school to explain the principles of the Opening Minds curriculum, and opportunities were given to see first hand some of the pilot schools in operation. Parents were kept fully informed, and were offered the chance to attend meetings to learn more about the very different routines of the new school. The wider community was also engaged, and 3,000 fliers were distributed to neighbouring homes to explain what was happening.

Transformational change

Significant change lies at the heart of this school. There are three schools – maths, science and technology; art, humanities, sports and leisure; and language and communication. Pupils have three-hour learning sessions within each of these schools, where the curriculum is fully integrated. There are no traditional heads of department, but a team of staff supports maximum integration of subject knowledge. An Opening Minds team leader in each school ensures there is coherence across teaching materials throughout the school. Tutor groups and the house structure are composed of pupils of mixed ages, and are run by all staff. Post-16 learning offers the International Baccalaureate, which fits well with the principles of Opening Minds. The school operates a five-term year.

Lessons learned

Early preparation is essential, and the appointment of the headteacher as soon as possible was a good investment. Getting the new curriculum started in the old building has also been a wise move, as pupils and staff have been able to concentrate on the teaching and learning rather than the new building in the short term. This has established a pattern of behaviour that will make the transition to the new premises easier. Care was taken to get the image of the school right; high-quality communications for parents and money spent on the old building all reinforce the message that high standards are expected from students.

Impact

Key Stage 3 students are already showing themselves to be far more confident than previously, both as learners and as young people. Relationships generally between everyone on the school site have improved and the changes have led to a climate of trust and a calmer atmosphere more suited to learning. There was a 10 per cent improvement at Key Stage 4 at the end of the first year of the academy’s operation, in spite of the fact that the new building is yet to open. Student voice is working and it is becoming accepted that ‘it’s cool to be successful’. There has been a dramatic increase in attendance, and the vertical groupings have helped to reduce potential conflict situations.

Next steps

Move into the new school in September 2010.
Fully embed the International Baccalaureate curriculum post-16.
Develop further a competency curriculum at Key Stage 4.
Increase work with the local chamber of commerce to increase local employment links.