OPEN DAY 2008 – PRINCIPAL’S SPEECH

1. WELCOME – PARENTS AND YEAR 6 STUDENTS.
   
   
2. INTRODUCTIONS
   • YVM
   • JFC
   • ASPs
   • Head of Learning Support – Additional Educational Needs
     
     
3. WHAT AN  IMPORTANT TIME IT IS FOR YEAR 6 STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS – AND WHAT A DIFFICULT TIME. YOU ARE HAVING TO MAKE DECISIONS WHICH WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT YOU NEXT YEAR , NOT FOR THE NEXT 5, 7, 10  YEARS  EVEN BUT FOR A LIFETIME.

WHERE TO APPLY FOR YOUR SECONDARY EDUCATION.

I AM DELIGHTED THAT YOU HAVE COME TO LOOK AT KNIGHTS AND HOPE THAT TODAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL.

4. HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S KNIGHTS ACADEMY OPENED IN SEPTERMBER 2005 AS A NEW SCHOOL. WE QUICKLY ESTABLISHED OURSELVES AS A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL. THEN WE MOVED INTO THIS  NEW BUILDING WITH ITS EXCELLENT FACILITIES FOR TEACHING & LEARNING AND FOR SPORT, RECREATION, MUSIC, DANCE AND DRAMA ACTIVITIES.

KNIGHTS ACADEMY AND HATCHAM COLLEGE – TWO SCHOOLS ONE VISION FORM THE HABERDASHERS’ FEDERATION IN LEWISHAM.  WE  SHARE THE HABERDASHERS’ TRADITION AND ETHOS OF:

‘MUTUAL RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY; EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL’
WE BOTH AIM TO ‘PROMOTE EXCELLENCE’.

BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN KNIGHTS SPECIALISM AND WAYS OF DOING THINGS.
INNOVATION WORKING  ALONGSIDE TRADITION.

THE PROMOTION OF EXCELLENCE IS EVIDENT IN OUR OFSTED REPORT ‘
‘Knights Academy is a rapidly improving school that provides a good education for its students’
‘The academy successfully enables students to develop as well-rounded, friendly and confident young people’

Ofsted’s judgements note that Knights is ‘good’ overall, with and ‘outstanding curriculum’.

PROMOTING EXCELLENCE HAS RESULTED IN A RISE IN ATTAINMENT  FROM THE PREDECESSOR SCHOOL -  WITHIN 3 YEARS RISING FROM 9% TO 52% 5+ A* to C

WE HAVE A SIXTH FORM  170 BASED HERE – PART OF THE  FEDERATION SIXTH FORM SHARING WITH HATCHAM COLLEGE.  ALREADY A LEVEL RESULTS AT KNIGHTS ARE ENABLING OUR CURRENT YEAR 13 TO APPLY TO UNIVERSITY. ALREADY WE HAVE STUDENTS ABLE TO CONSIDER APPLYING TO OXBRIDGE.
 

5. SPORTS SPECIALISM – 10% of intake of 208  can be as sports scholars.

BUT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A POTENTIAL OLYMPIAN IN ORDER TO BENEFIT FROM OUR PROMOTION OF A HEALTHY LIFE STYLE. ALL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF CURRICULUM AND OUT OF HOURS SPORT. ALL STUDENTS EAT A HEALTHY DIET.

6. SPORT IS OUR MAIN SPECIALISM WITH ICT AS OUR SECOND SPECIALISM.

BUT WE OFFER A FULL CURRICULUM  (Ms Scott) BALANCING CORE SUBJECTS WITH ARTS AND HUMANITIES; PRACTICAL & CREATIVE. THIS  TOGETHER WITH LEADERSHIP AND ECONOMIC AWARENESS  PREPARES YOUNG PEOPLE  FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

7. LEADERSHIP – OPPORTUNITIES FROM YEAR 7 ONWARDS.  (Introduce )TRANSITION BUDDIES – their role will be to look support next year’s Yr 7; (Introduce)  STUDENT LEADERS; PREFECTS AND HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL.  WE HAVE TWO OLYMPIC AMBASSADORS – WORKING IN KNIGHTS AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS.

8. LOTS OF RULES AND REGULATIONS IN ORDER TO ENSURE A  SAFE  WORKING & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT; TO ENSURE RESPECT FOR OUR COMMUNITY – WITHIN SCHOOL AND OUTSIDE.  (Mr Jenkins)

WE VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNUTY – LOCAL – PRIMARY SCHOOLS; CHURCHESLEADERSHIP;  WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENTS;   LEAD SCHOOL FOR SPORTS PARTNERSHIP – INVOLVING 15000 PUPILS IN LEWISHAM.

9. OUR MOST IMPORTANT PARTNER – PARENTS.  PTA; PARENTS EVENINGS – CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION – EG. OPTIONS; KEY STAGE INDUCTION
   
   
10. INCLUSIVE SCHOOL – ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS – LEARNING; PHYSICAL; MORE ABLE/GIFTED AND TALENTED
    
    
11. IN CONCLUSION . KNIGHTS IS A LEARNING COMMUNITY  - STUDENTS COME HERE PRIMARILY TO LEARN AND WE HAVE HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF TO TEACH THEM. WE SUPPORT THE WHOLE CHILD - ‘EVERY CHILD MATTERS’;   EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
    
    
12. PLEASE HAVE A GOOD LOOK AROUND. SPEAK TO STAFF AND STUDENTS. THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU MAKE THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DECISION.