New College Leicester has achieved IQM Flagship School status.
Strong Ambition and Truly Inclusive
New College Leicester is vibrant and serves its students and community exceptionally well. There is a strong ambition with a heart and soul that marks out this truly inclusive school. The professionalism of leaders, governors and staff is palpable and there was clear evidence of this in the manner in which they responded to the possibility of a remote review amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Background
New College Leicester is an 11-18 community college serving over 900 students, based towards the west of Leicester City. It is a Foundation School that established Trust status through the National School Challenge programme back in 2010.
The school serves a catchment area that has significant levels of social and economic disadvantage. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals and those with learning difficulties and disabilities are significantly higher than the national average.
The population of the area is predominantly white British with many of the families having lived in the area for generations. However, there is a steady increase in the number of ethnic minorities and Eastern Europeans in the College and a number of different languages are now spoken.
Inspirational and Transformational
The school embarked upon a journey that proved to be both inspirational and transformational. This has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of education, a rapidly improving trend of results and a remarkable change in the behaviour and attitude of students. Since my first visit four years ago, I have seen the impact and the improvements achieved through astute leadership and skillful practice in classrooms. Throughout this journey, the inclusivity of provision has remained central. Indeed, leaders, governors and staff recognise the importance of inclusive provision and work with great integrity in maintaining this ethos whilst striving relentlessly for school improvement.
Passionate Trustees and Governors
The Trustees, Governors and all of the staff at the school are passionate about the mission to provide a rounded, diverse and challenging curriculum for all young people that results in “Outstanding Progress for All.”
IQM Cluster Group
At the November 2019 cluster meeting which New College hosted, they presented their ambitious vision for success and the blueprint for cultural change which is driven by four key, intersecting strategies which place young people and their community at the heart of what they do:
• Teaching and Learning strategy which ensures that all young people are fully challenged and engaged in an education that prepares them for future learning and employment.
• Arts and Culture strategy which develops vital life skills such as creativity, critical understanding, empathy and collaboration – all important for building resilient individuals and communities who believe that anything is possible.
• Sport and Physical Activity strategy which ensures that every student has access to world class sports facilities and physical and health education to ensure that they have a healthy and fulfilling life.
• Health and Well-being strategy which ensures that every member of the college community has the knowledge, tools and confidence to take care of their own physical and mental well-being and to encourage those around them to do the same.
These strategies, combined with respectful relationships, a strong team spirit and a drive for excellence underpins the college ethos. Staff are not only skilled, but their dedication, enthusiasm and support for the students means that every child who attends this college is prepared for life and future success.
The School Curriculum
The school curriculum is genuinely broad and balanced and the allocation of curriculum time is based upon need which is carefully researched. It offers a rich and interesting curriculum, part of which has been recognised nationally by recently achieving the Artsmark Gold Award.
Courteous Behaviour and Skillful Teaching
Although unable to see the school in action during this review, I can report from my visit in November when the school hosted a cluster meeting, that during the tour, I saw yet again, engaging lessons, excellent and courteous behaviour and skillful teaching and support. The school building and grounds are in good order and top quality display reflects the school’s inclusive nature and culture of high expectations. The school has specialist equipment for subjects and access arrangements are good. Community and sporting facilities are excellent and recently a great deal of investment has been put into creating a facility that has 8 tennis and netball courts.
A New Forum for Student Voice
A new forum for student voice has been established this year with the creation of a Student Parliament comprising an active team of year 11 students. Students can participate in a range of committees which include the following; tutor ambassadors, social action ambassadors, education ambassadors, communication ambassadors, environmental ambassadors, anti-bullying ambassadors, arts ambassadors the Sports Leadership Academy.
Governing Body
Governance is exceptionally strong. I spoke with the Chair of Governors and I was so impressed with her deep understanding and knowledge of the school and her unswerving resolve to ensure that the school offers the very best for everyone. It is clear also, that these qualities and values are shared amongst all Governors who bring a vast array of experience and skills. Governors are currently planning a re-introduction strategy for the time when school re-opens and returns to some form of normality.
Find out more about the IQM Inclusive School Award
If your school is interested in obtaining the IQM Inclusive School Award or you wish to talk to a member of the IQM team please telephone:
028 7127 7857 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm)
or email: [email protected] for further details.
Want more information on the IQM Award? Click here to request your free IQM information pack.