PROSPECTUS 2024-2025
Our two schools are located next to each other and we work in close collaboration to achieve our Vision of “Success for Everyone”. This means that we are highly inclusive and place the needs of our students and their community at the heart of our work. All that we do is driven by two values – Care and Unity. By Care, we mean that we show a level of consideration and commitment to each-and-every student that we believe is unmatched. This means that each student is seen as an individual and treated with the care that they need to achieve great things. Unity means that we always work together – with our two schools, with our community and with our wider partners – to ensure that we are delivering the best strategies to create success for everyone. Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys has a very long history of success (indeed, the actual school is over one hundred years old!). We have a track record of impressive exam results and impressive levels of pastoral care and we ensure that the environment for learning is always one which is safe, positive and enjoyable. We work very hard to create strong relationships within our organisation and we welcome strong parental involvement. We know that our students will only achieve their best if they are safe and happy. The main school is supported by a large and successful Sixth Form on the same site which admits girls as well as boys. I do hope that you find this prospectus exciting and that it persuades you to come and visit us to see what makes us special. I am confident that you will not be disappointed! WHY CHOOSE WOOLWICH POLY? POLYMAT OPERATES TWO VERY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS IN THAMESMEAD – WOOLWICH POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND WOOLWICH POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE
I AM DELIGHTED TO WELCOME YOU TO WOOLWICH POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL FOR GIRLS "Our g i r l s of today wi l l become our l eader s of tomor row through the i r academi c exce l l ence . " BECOMING PART OF THE POLY FAMILY SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE Our school is committed to providing excellence in education for young women. Our vision of success for everyone is built upon our core values of care and unity. We empower our girls to become strong role models and the leaders of tomorrow through our three pillars of leadership, excellence and resilience. Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls is an environment that fosters girls’ talents and abilities. We believe that every student is unique and special and has the potential within them to succeed. Being an all-girls’ school, we have created an environment that is free from gender stereotyping. Our girls will not only excel in subjects such as english, drama, languages, and art, but also in subjects that have, historically, been male dominated, such as maths, physics and design and technology. We believe that our girls of today will become our leaders of tomorrow through achieving academic excellence in a broad range of subjects. Our staff body is dedicated to ensuring your daughter has a world class education in a state-of-the art new school building: a place where ‘Poly’ girls take centre stage. This allows them to achieve their true potential academically, socially, emotionally, and ethically. Every girl’s personal development is equally as important to us as their academic progress. Our outstanding pastoral care ensures that our students develop into well- rounded, confident, and articulate young women who are ready to enter the world and create change for the better. We have high standards and high expectations of behaviour from our students so that our school is a safe and happy space for everyone. We believe that respect for each other; caring for your environment and behaviour for learning requires resilience, commitment, punctuality and courtesy. This is important for us, both inside and outside of lessons. Our students are taught, and understand, the importance of kindness and responsibility to ensure no student feels left out. We are part of the PolyMAT multi-academy trust which enables collaboration and sharing of good practice between schools in the belief that we are “stronger together”.
Trust-wide vision Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls shares the PolyMAT vision for raising standards
Our vision is “Success for Everyone”. We aspire for every member of our community, regardless of circumstances or background, to be the best version of themselves - confident, successful students, committed, successful staff, who are committed to growing and developing as practitioners, and engaged stakeholders who unite in celebration. We achieve our Vision through our two core values of CARE and UNITY. The value that ensures that our impact is greater than it ever could be if we worked alone. This means that our schools, teams and individuals are always pulled together in ways which share the workload and create solutions from which everyone benefits. We are determined that nothing can divide us when we put the needs of our community before everything else. The overriding feel within our Trust is that we care more than anyone else could expect. We care for all aspects of our practice and, in particular, we care for: Everyone’s safety and happiness Everyone’s personal development and growth Everyone’s outcomes Everyone’s standards Everyone’s learning Everyone’s well-being Everyone’s relationships This is reflected by the fact that we call ourselves the Poly Family and we are an organisation based on relationships above all else – we are individual people first and students, staff and parents second. C A R E 01 U N I T Y 02 OUR SHARED VISION SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE
C A R I N G F O R O U R G I R L S PASTORAL CARE SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE At Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, safeguarding and pastoral care is our number one priority. As well as academic qualifications, we want every student to embody our pillars: Leadership, Excellence and Resilience as they encompass the skills needed to be successful and well-rounded individuals. Form tutors and a Head of Year will be assigned to your daughter and remain with her throughout her journey at the school, which allows for the consistency needed for partnerships to fully develop between the school, the student and the parents or carers. This is an outstanding and compassionate team that will ensure your daughter succeeds academically, socially and personally. At Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, we celebrate our diverse and multicultural community. Students and staff alike will always respect each other’s differences and show acceptance to all. We will support our girls with any difficulties that they might have and believe that every student can thrive in the safe and happy environment that we have created. We have a celebratory and thankful ethos where we inspire our girls to reach their full potential by rewarding their successes, both inside and outside of the classroom. Students and staff show gratitude to one another daily and have a mutual respect for one another’s roles. We do promote our ‘warm, strict but fair’ expectations with confidence, as we believe that it is the very essence of what students need to thrive. Students that do not follow our three simple rules, be ready, be respectful and be safe, will be sanctioned. However, we believe in pre-emption and restoration, which is why we have an introductory week at the start of September, where we teach our young women how to be polite, show gratitude and kindness. Our sanction system includes ‘Reset’ in place of detention and ‘Refocus’ in place of internal exclusion, leading to rebuilding of positive relationships and moving forward with a clean slate. All staff at Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls are trained in safeguarding and report to a Designated Safeguarding Lead who is specifically trained for the role. We recognise our moral and statutory responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all our students. We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment, where students and staff feel respected and valued and promote a culture of openness, where both can talk and are listened to. As a school, we will refer to outside agencies when deemed necessary in order to support the welfare and wellbeing of every student.
At Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, we are committed to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning and to raising standards of achievement so that all students can be successful. Our commitment to raising those standards is evident within our extensive CPD programme that aims to develop all teachers, both pedagogically and professionally. Consistent and high-quality teaching is a priority for us at WPSfG. As result we have Poly Routines that are embedded into all areas of school life. This is to ensure all pupils receive quality teaching in every classroom. Students are provided with purposeful homework and a comprehensive timetable that consolidates and builds upon lessons taught with knowledge and skills at the forefront. We believe that all young people have unique and special abilities, and it is our role to foster and develop this within our community. Our staff are committed, subject specialists who aim to make learning enjoyable so that we can ensure success for everyone. SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE L E S S ON S F O R S U C C E S S TEACHING AND LEARNING "Leader s th i nk care fu l l y about the needs of i nd i v i dua l s . They make sure that a l l pup i l s l earn a broad and amb i t i ous cur r i cu l um. Teacher s ensure that they de l i ver l earn i ng i n a way that enab l es pup i l s to under s tand new i deas and knowl edge . " OFSTED 2023
PN "Learn i ng i s impor tant here . Our sub j ec t and form tutor s care about us and he l p us ge t be t t er as i nd i v i dua l s and i n our sub j ec t areas . " YEAR 9 STUDENT PARTNERS FOR SUCCESS CURRICULUM At Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls, we aspire for all students to excel, both academically and personally. The curriculum enables our students to know more, understand more and do more, empowering them to become leaders of their future lives. It reflects the diversity of the modern world, preparing them to become resilient and contributing members of society. A successful Poly student is one who is ambitious and has high expectations of her own learning. Through determination, being ready to learn and facing challenges, they will reach their full potential in all aspects of their education. They have a breadth of knowledge, skills and concepts and have developed skills of reading, writing and oracy. The successful Poly student is respectful, articulate, and ready to lead. A successful Poly student is ready for university, apprenticeships, and the world of work. We provide five Character Days per year. On these days (but not limited to), our students will have a variety of workshops that include external speakers, teambuilding activities, celebrations of different cultures and educational visits to develop leadership skills, their resilience and their excellence. We believe in success for everyone. We believe every voice and every child matters. Our students receive thirty 50-minute periods of timetabled lessons a week with the additional benefit from an extended curriculum via a range of clubs, activities and subject specialist lessons after school. We believe our success will be based on thriving partnerships between parents and carers, students, staff and governors. We expect parents and carers to take an active role in their daughter's journey through secondary school and there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate your daughter's success with us. It is parents' and carers' responsibility to ensure that their daughters attend school on time and the school is informed of the reason for any non-attendance. High attendance and punctuality are expected and is required if students are to meet their potential.
"Leader s a im to fos t er a s t rong sense of commun i t y i n the schoo l and ensure that pup i l s f ee l we l l suppor t ed . The schoo l prov i des pup i l s wi th a we l comi ng l earn i ng env i ronment . " OFSTED 2023
We have a wide variety of after school clubs and enrichment that are available to all students, including dance, sports, drama, music, art and technology. Students are often given the chance to showcase their talents to a far wider audience than the school. Instrumental lessons are offered to enrich students' learning. A variety of instruments are on offer (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, guitar, bass guitar, drums, singing and keyboard). Students have a paired 20-minute lesson, once a week and all students receive an instrument to take home to practise. These lessons are available for a small fee. More details available on application. Our extensive extra-curricular activities are designed to motivate and challenge students and explore their interests beyond the curriculum. We believe that learning transcends barriers and reaches out into the local community and beyond; therefore, we actively encourage students to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities. ENRICHMENT SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE OFSTED 2023 “Pup i l s are ar t i cu l at e and i nt eres t ed i n the i r l earn i ng . The schoo l prov i des pup i l s wi th a we l comi ng l earn i ng env i ronment . Leader s th i nk care fu l l y about the needs of i nd i v i dua l s . ”
UNIFORM At this school, we follow the Halo Code. We recognise and celebrate our staff and students’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on anyone's ability to succeed. UNIFORM MUST BE SMART , CLEAN AND TIDY. All students are expected to wear the school’s uniform and to possess the necessary kit for physical education. Clothing must be smart, clean and tidy. All students are expected to wear this uniform on the journey to and from school, as well as in school. If for any reason the student is unable to come to school wearing the correct uniform, she should bring a note of explanation from home. There may be occasions where students are sent home for incorrect uniform. Hats, trainers and hooded jackets/sports tops are not permitted at any time. If students are found wearing these items, they will be confiscated until the end of the day. Jewellery is not permitted in school with the exception of a wristwatch (not a Smartwatch) and a single pair of stud earrings in the ear lobes. Other piercings and jewellery are only permitted for religious reasons, but if they can be removed, they should be. All hairbands and accessories (headbands, clips etc.) are to be plain black or dark green. We do not allow students to wear make-up, false nails, or nail varnish. SCHOOL UNIFORM Black blazer with school badge* White shirt/blouse (can be long or short sleeved) Black V-neck jumper (optional) School tie* Black pleated skirt (knee length). Longer skirts for cultural or religious reasons are permitted OR plain, black straight legged trousers (no leggings, tracksuit bottoms or ‘bodycon’/fitted style trousers are permitted) Shoes - black flat shoes or boots (trainers are not permitted) Plain opaque black tights or black ankle socks Black/dark green hijab (A sports style hijab can be purchase from the Brigade website if required) A lanyard (these are given to students in the first instance but if lost will have to be purchased online). PHYSICAL EDUCATION KIT School PE shirt* Black PE shorts (or plain black tracksuit bottoms)* Trainers Leggings can be worn for some aspects of PE (Dance etc.). Please check with your class teacher each term. CASHLESS PAYMENTS The school operates a cashless payment system. The school finance office will no longer accept cash as a method of payment unless there are exceptional circumstances. The school is able to accept card payments which is operated by MCAS. All parents/carers will be issued with a username and password and details of how to access the system. The system can be used for all payments including catering, educational visits, lanyards and revision guides. CASHLESS CATERING SYSTEM Cash loaders around the school allow students to use their identity cards to add funds to their accounts. Students are discouraged to bring cash into school and electronic payment is the preferred option. *These items can be purchased on-line direct from the manufacturer. Please see the school’s website for the link to the uniform provider. Orders can be collected from the school or sent directly home.
OUR PILLARS: LEADERSHIP, RESILIENCE & EXCELLENCE SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE Developing res i l ience and leadership t rai ts as wel l as pursuing academi c excel lence gi ves al l students the means to succeed. Through developing the conf idence and character of our students , we are empower ing them to enact pos i t i ve change both wi thin themsel ves , the school and wider communi ty . Each year group has one ' character day ' each hal f - term, where they are inspi red by t r ips , workshops and external speakers who wi l l develop our students . Each day has a theme, that both promotes the spi r i tual , moral , soc ial and cul tural (SMSC) development of students , and examples of these themes are char i ty , sustainabi l i ty , democracy and c i t i zenship, Internat ional Women ’ s day , and careers and ambi t ions . We take an hol i st i c approach to developing our students , whi ch al lows us to recogni se and real i se the ful l potent ial of each of our students . Here at Woolwi ch Pol ytechni c Gi r l s ' School , we equip our students wi th the sk i l l s to real i se thei r potent ial . "Pup i l s are taught to respec t a l l i n the d i ver se schoo l commun i t y . S taf f th i nk care fu l l y about how to mee t needs and keep pup i l s saf e , both i ns i de and out s i de the schoo l . " OFSTED 2023
PN Our careers programme begins in Year 7 and focuses on the skills, experience and qualifications required by leading employers and prestigious universities. Not only is careers taught during Personal Development, but we also have a whole host of opportunities to learn from employers and employees from a variety of industries and professions. In addition, we ensure all students have individual guidance tailored to their specific needs and receive information in a variety of ways, such as work-related learning workshops, theatre performances, external business speakers, one to one interviews, transition support – all of which will inspire and inform students along their chosen career pathway. Our students will also participate in Work Experience in Year 10. In addition to the above, each subject area will have other opportunities for students to experience the link between learning in the classroom and earning in the workplace. We also teach our students about their environmental responsibility and the importance of sustainability. We emphasise the importance of citizenship, charity and social action. Students experience the merits of community volunteering from a young age. Our focus on Leadership allows us to recognise students’ accomplishments and accredits the leadership skills, knowledge and attributes sought by top universities and employers, feeding directly into our vision of nurturing today’s young people and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders. SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE CAREERS "S taf f are knowl edgeab l e and we l l t ra i ned . They are very proud of the i r pup i l s and cont i nua l l y work to prov i de wi der enr i chment oppor tun i t i es for a l l , i nc l ud i ng career s gu i dance . " OFSTED 2023
Celebrating Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls Class of 2024 GCSE Results! The summer of 2024 will be forever remembered as a significant moment in our school’s history as our founding cohort receive their GCSE results. Over the past five years, we have grown and developed as a school that is fully committed to ensuring that our vision of ‘Success for Everyone’ is reflected in all that we do. Today we reap the rewards of a hugely committed student and staff body: the hard work, ambition and perseverance shown by all members of our school community has led to a set of GCSE results that we are incredibly proud of. Over 20% of our cohort have achieved at least 5 GCSEs at the top grades of 7-9 with 43% students leaving with a grade 7+ in English. Moreover, in some option subjects, over 30% of students achieved a 7+. For English and Maths, 78% of the cohort have achieved a 4+ in both subjects. Ms Williams, Headteacher, says: “I am so pleased to see that our girls will leave school with qualifications that will open up doors to them and enable them to continue on their journey of success. Everyone has played their part in making this possible and I want to thank our students, staff and families for making this year a success.”. Mr Plumb, CEO, says: “We are delighted with our GCSE results for the girls’ school. We are thrilled that many of our students will continue their journey of success with us as they progress on to our 6th Form”. Top performing students: Li Na: 8 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 Iqra: 6 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s Lara: 6 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s Zaira: 5 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Kiran: 5 grade 9s, 3 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Olivia: 7 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Nishat: 3 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 2 grade 7s Joanna: 4 grade 9s, 4 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Safa: 2 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Iqra: 3 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s, 1 grade 7 Zara: 3 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s SUCCESS FOR EVERYONE GCSE RESULTS 2024
Our Sixth Form is co-educational, meaning that girls as well as boys can benefit from an education of the absolute highest standards. Our Sixth Form reflects the ethos of the school in valuing hard work and outstanding learning and teaching. Sixth Form students benefit from two modern study areas, both with state-of-the-art IT facilities. We encourage and support students to develop independence in their study skills and in their general attitude to life. Our outstanding pastoral care system extends to Sixth Form students and is the foundation upon which their success is built. It is with tremendous pride that Woolwich Polytechnic Sixth Form, rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, celebrates the success of the Class of 2024. 60% of our students achieved A*-B grades, with students securing their offers to Cambridge, Warwick, UCL and Newcastle, amongst others. Headteacher, Mr Tom Lawrence states, “Our class of 2024 have done themselves proud, achieving some of the best key stage 5 results that we have seen, including those years before the pandemic. Our headline figures show an almost perfect 99.2% pass-rate, and our average grade is an impressive B grade. For those grades that really matter to get into university, A*-C grades, our overall percentages hold up very well indeed with our students achieving at least 86% C grades, 60% B grades, and 23% A and A* grades. These grades mean that the overwhelming majority of our students will access their first-choice universities and high-end apprenticeships; few have had to worry about clearing; many more will be accessing the illustrious Russell Group universities. The results day itself has been a great day of rightful celebration for staff and students.” Ms Susan Principe, Deputy Head of Sixth Form and Head of Year 13 comments, “It is an honour to celebrate with the students and staff after all the hard work that has been put into place in preparation for this day. Year on year, I am amazed at what our students achieve, and the Class of 2024 did not disappoint. ‘Proud’ is not a strong enough word to describe how I feel about being part of this community and I cannot wait to welcome our largest cohort to date as we expand our Sixth Form in September. Our students are truly ‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’.” Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Carmen - A*A*AA - Economics at Cambridge Toyosi - A*AA - Medicine at UCL Nikita – ABB - Medicine at Newcastle Ibrahim - A*A*A - Economics at Cardiff Simeon - A*AB - Psychology at UCL Deanne - B, Distinction* & Distinction* - Law at Birmingham 60% OF OUR STUDENTS RECEIVED A* - B GRADES, WITH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER CONTINUING THEIR ACADEMIC PATHWAYS AT RUSSELL GROUP UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING CAMBRIDGE, EDINBURGH, WARWICK AND UCL AMONGST OTHERS.
SCHOOL ADDRESS: BIRCHDENE DRIVE, THAMESMEAD, SE28 8RP TELEPHONE: 0208 059 2800 EMAIL: INFO@WOOLWICHPOLYGIRLS.CO.UK WEBSITE: WWW.WOOLWICHPOLYGIRLS.CO.UK TWITTER: @WPOLYGIRLS CONTACT US
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