Our students enjoy the benefits of working in a school that has a happy, caring and purposeful environment. The school’s mission is `Helping Learners Succeed' and our students are encouraged to do their very best in every aspect of their lives and to reach the highest standards. Our School aims state that:

At Higham Lane School, we work in partnership with young people, parents and carers to ensure that every student will:

• feel safe, happy and healthy and know how to keep themselves, and others, safe, happy and healthy;
• enjoy high-quality learning opportunities, in a school at the leading edge of innovation;
• feel challenged and inspired to achieve excellence in every aspect of their lives.
• become fully-rounded and responsible citizens, making a positive contribution to the school, local, national and global community.

Our Values State:

The learner is always at the HEART of everything we do at Higham Lane School

• H igh standards and high expectations of ourselves and others
• E mpowering teaching and enjoyable learning
• A chievement and effort, regardless of ability
• R espect for others, our environment and our community, feeling happy, healthy and safe
• T enacity, enthusiasm, honesty and confidence in each and every one of us

Achievement in all its forms - artistic, academic, social, cultural, sporting and intellectual is equally valued in our diverse five-year, knowledge-rich curriculum. We are enormously proud to have performed in the top 20% of schools in England for student progress at GCSE in 2019. (As you are aware, schools have not published results for 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic).

We are also delighted to have achieved impressive A level results in our high-performing Sixth Form. Our progress figures indicate that our teaching and learning, student behaviour and engagement are strong. We rarely have any students leaving us to become NEETs. We are also delighted that the Department for Education has given us permission to open a new secondary Free School, Higham Lane North Academy, within the next few years after we have formed the new Higham Lane multi academy trust.

In July 2021, we were granted World Class Schools status, one of a very small number of schools to achieve this. Our school has a strong ethos based on mutual respect between students and staff and very clear expectations regarding students’ effort and behaviour. You will find a happy, caring and purposeful environment at Higham Lane. Students get on exceptionally well, both with each other and with our staff, who take pride in working here.

Our students are encouraged to do their very best in every aspect of their lives and to reach the highest standards, irrespective of their ability. We encourage them to “Be the best you can be!” Staff are very proud of the school and are committed to continuing to provide the best education they can for students.

A number of our colleagues choose to send their own children to our school. Higham Lane was judged as outstanding by Ofsted in May 2019, one of only a small number of schools in England to have achieved the highest rating that year. Our Ofsted report noted the following: “The school is proud of its inclusive ethos, where every pupil is valued and cared for. Leaders take decisive action to ensure that pupils’ needs are met.

Leaders and governors, inspired by the headteacher, share a powerful commitment to an ambitious vision for all aspects of the school’s work. As a result, they have created a culture that enables pupils and staff to excel. Teachers have exceptionally strong subject knowledge.

They use questions highly effectively to ensure that pupils understand the subject content and to address and correct any misconceptions. This highly skilled questioning captures and sustains pupils’ interest and demands that pupils think more deeply about their learning. Teachers plan lessons well as they have a secure knowledge about pupils’ needs. Pupils are given time to reflect, embed their skills and secure their understanding. The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.

The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The school is a calm, orderly environment. Pupils’ impeccable conduct reflects the school’s effective strategies to promote high standards of behaviour. Safeguarding is well led and a strength of the school.

The local authority education safeguarding service has recognised the school for its good practice and has adopted some of its resources in supporting safeguarding training in other schools. Governors are highly committed to the school.

They have considerable experience and a range of appropriate expertise. This is used effectively to work collaboratively with senior leaders to set the strategic direction for the future.”

The full Ofsted report can be found here: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50085247

Our Ofsted judgement is a reflection of a great deal of hard work by our team of staff, but only forms part of what makes Higham Lane so special as a school. The school’s success is rooted in really effective teamwork at all levels. We celebrate the fact that our school has a huge number of strengths and our community is enormously proud of the achievements of our students and staff, but we by no means rest on our laurels; instead, we strive to be even better and continuously improve.

1.1 Review the curriculum offer at KS3, 4 and 5 to ensure that it has appropriate intention, implementation and impact to meet the needs of learners and makes the most efficient use of available resources.

1.2 Revise our Key Stage 4 Curriculum offer to ensure that 90% of students are studying EBacc subjects by Sept 2022. (We are also intending to move to a 3-year Key Stage 3 for students joining the school in Year 7 in September 2022).

1.4 Develop and embed the use of on-line learning resources across all aspects of teaching and learning to enhance the learning experience of students.

1.5 Embed cultural capital opportunities through both the curriculum and extra-curricular offer and participation.

1.6> Adapt schemes of learning for current Y10 and Y12 to take account of the lost learning time due to Covid 19.

2.1 Enhance methods of gathering termly student feedback to ascertain their attitudes on a range of issues.

2.2 Review the reward system for KS4 students.

2.3 Review the Behaviour for Learning Policy and procedures and personal development provision.

3.1 Review the Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision and well-being support for all students including school refusers and those with poor attendance.

3.2 Enhance students’ personal development by defining and creating opportunities for the development of ‘Higham Habits’.

4.1 Become a Multi-Academy Trust and Sponsor.

4.2 Further develop the capacity and effectiveness of governance through governor training, accountability and improved opportunities to support the school using the findings of the governance skills audit and review.

4.3 Review the provision for staff wellbeing.

4.4 Review the School’s values and vision in line with becoming a MAT.

5.1 Continue to develop the impact of leadership by ensuring the value-added progress on Level 3 qualifications is above average across nearly all subjects.*

5.2 Review the Sixth Form curriculum offer and embed super-curricular and cultural capital opportunities as part of our provision for KS5 (see also objective 1.5).

* Ofsted inspection May 2019 key issue.

At Higham Lane, we appreciate that our staff are our most precious resource. We are committed to offering them:

Excellent continuous professional development (CPD)

• we are passionate about curriculum, teaching and learning, always developing our practice and learning from each other!
• our approach to performance management is on developing staff.
• Conversations are based around celebrating teacher strengths and focusing on how to be even more effective. This is also reflected in the way we do lesson visits and learning walks.
• our CPD is second to none and highly-regarded by our staff, many of whom often lead sessions themselves. Our staff have led presentations for Pixl and Osiris.
• all staff receive regular training in the most effective teaching and learning techniques based on pedagogical research by leading practitioners such as Lemov and Rosenshine.
• we provide bespoke career stage training such as NPQSL, NPQML and the new, reformed NPQ programmes as well as Olevi programmes for improving and outstanding teachers as well as outstanding leaders. In addition, this year, two of our senior leaders are taking part in the Department for Education’s Exemplary Leadership Programme (ELP).
• we have expertise in teacher training and formed the Higham Lane School Partnership comprising 13 partner schools across both primary and secondary phases in collaboration with the University of Warwick, Birmingham City University and the University of Leicester. We are a Designated Lead School for School Direct.
• we are local delivery partners for the Early Career Teacher and Mentor Induction programmes.
• we are actively leading school-to-school support within our local area, sharing our strong practice and expertise and learning from other schools about their effective approaches. Our Director of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer is a mentor on the ESFA CFO Mentoring Programme.

Reducing staff workload

• we are committed to reducing staff workload by always looking to streamline our ways of working, for example in our Feedback Policy, which makes greater use of whole-class feedback, rather than pointlessly marking excessively. Non-judgemental quality assurance conversations with staff celebrate strengths and consider how to make our curriculum and teaching and learning even more effective.
• we minimise admin and data entry so we can truly focus on what is important to allow meeting time to be dedicated to teaching and learning.
• we value our staff as experts in their field. Subject teams have dedicated weekly time and space to work together to develop their practice.
• staff work very effectively in their subject teams to collaboratively produce schemes of learning and resources, so that teachers are not wasting time creating their own materials.
• students use knowledge organisers for revision during homework and peer-assess themselves in our Do Now knowledge tests, enhancing their subject knowledge and reducing teacher workload.

Behaviour for learning that empowers staff

• we empower teachers to teach and students to learn!
• students’ behaviour is excellent.
• our SLT and Progress Leaders move around our site during every lesson to supportively visit lessons, support teachers and uphold our ethos.
• where students do not behave according to our expectations, we address this promptly.
• parents/carers fully support our Behaviour for Learning Policy.

Staff wellbeing

• staff wellbeing is very important to us. We care about each other. Staff know that they can always approach SLT members and staff governors with any wellbeing or workload concerns.
• we believe that successful schools are rooted in strong teamwork where everyone plays their part and is valued.
• we ensure a work-life balance in the way we organise our meetings and INSET days and release our calendar before the start of the academic year.
• we ensure emails are used sparingly and only at agreed times (7am-7pm, Mondays-Fridays).
• we support staff to look after themselves, for example by signposting health awareness events.
• we discuss what is working effectively and what needs to be done differently in our half-termly Staff Governors and Unions meetings.
• we get on well together and celebrate our many achievements in a range of social events.

Serving our community

• students play an active part in the running of our school (such as through the Junior Leadership Team, Year Ambassadors, Student Voice groups and so on). Students’ views are important to us and influence the school’s strategic planning.
• we have excellent relationships with parents/carers and value their feedback.
• we actively support our local community through fundraising and supporting local charities such as the Nuneaton Food Bank.

Higham Lane School and Sixth Form is delighted to have achieved the World Class Schools Award, which is the result of a great deal of impressive work from our students and staff. The World Class Schools Quality Mark has a unique assessment framework which assesses the students for their demonstration of World Class skills and competencies.

A World Class student is highly literate scientifically, mathematically, technologically and culturally; consistently out-performs students from similar contexts, and is committed to continually improving their performance; is an excellent learner, dedicated to life-long learning; is a compelling candidate in their field for higher education and/or employment, being globally aware, confident and prepared for life in an international environment. World Class schools equip students with knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive in a challenging international environment where those who succeed take risks and continually pursue improvement.

World Class students are educated to be active and effective citizens who have qualifications which give them choices, and the competences to choose well. They have developed a level of emotional and intellectual literacy which enables them to navigate a potentially bewildering plethora of opportunities and achieve success and contentment for themselves.

The recognition from this award will give our students even more educational opportunities to develop their world class character and skills and our staff will receive even more training and support as a result of the award.

Higham Lane Sixth Form

Higham Lane Sixth Form provides an outstanding post-16 experience where students can study and develop their wider skills, in order to achieve to their very best on their journey to university, an apprenticeship or employment.

We have planned every aspect of our work to ensure that students receive excellent provision. Our purpose-built Sixth Form facilities provide students with the perfect physical environment for learning, allowing them to be independent and able to study at a time and pace or place that suits their needs.

Our highly-qualified, experienced and committed staff provide students with the highest-possible quality of teaching in every subject area and keep a careful check on students’ progress, providing comprehensive support through our academic tutoring. Partnership between our teachers, students and parents/carers is central to the way we work.

Students engage in a wide range of enrichment activities to develop their leadership skills including working with younger students, supporting the community and taking part in a number of exciting opportunities. We are proud that our students have extremely high expectations of themselves and aspire to achieve as highly as possible.

In 2021, 80% of our Sixth Form students went on to higher education, including to Russell Group universities; 13% into employment or apprenticeships; 5% had a gap year or deferred entry into higher education and 2% joined the armed forces.

What do our Sixth Form students say about Higham Lane Sixth Form?

‘I enjoy being at Higham Lane Sixth Form. I made the right choice.’ Natasha K

‘A very focussed and independent environment to learn in.’ Abigail E

‘There is always support from teachers as they know you well as individuals.’ Jack G

‘The Sixth Form encourages independence with excellent support. Enrichment offers so many opportunities.’ Lauren B

‘There is always a positive attitude in the Sixth Form.’ Jessica P

‘All the facilities are well equipped to meet the demands of my learning’. Chris B

‘As an external student, everyone was warm and welcoming towards me. This is a great motivating atmosphere to learn in’. Olivia C

‘I feel empowered’. George C

Information about the courses we offer in our Sixth Form can be found here:

We have an ethnically-diverse, committed, inclusive and enthusiastic Governing Board comprising parent governors, member-appointed governors and staff governors (representing teaching staff, learning support assistants and other support staff).

Our parent governors and member-appointed governors are drawn from a wide range of professions including finance, the health service, education, the police, business and industry. Our governors are committed to the National Governors Association (NGA) code of conduct and we make use of the NGA’s excellent on-line training materials as part of our on-going professional development, as well as governors visiting the school for our annual Governors’ Conference.

This event enables governors to have lunch with the students, visit lessons, question students about their experiences at school and complete training led by members of our SLT and fellow governors. We carry out an annual skills audit and agree actions for further developing governance.

All academic subjects and other key areas of the school’s work (such as health and safety) have a link governor who visits during the school year and reports back on their findings to the governing board.

To give you a flavour of our approach to key aspects of our work as a school, for example on curriculum, teaching and learning, behaviour and safeguarding, please look at the policies and information below:

Our Curriculum Policy and curriculum plan can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1686&type=pdf

Our Teaching and Learning Policy can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1849&type=pdf

Our Extra-Curricular activities can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1871&type=pdf

Information about Higham Lane Sixth Form can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/sixthform

Our Behaviour for Learning Policy can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1879&type=pdf

Safeguarding

Information on our approach to Safeguarding can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/school-information-safeguarding

Information on Remote Learning can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/remote-learning

School day timings

Information on the school day can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/page/?title=School+Day+Timings&pid=181

Governance

Information on our governance structure can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/page/?title=Governance&pid=183

Pupil Premium

Information on our approach to Pupil Premium can be found here: https://www.highamlaneschool.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1624&type=pdf

School Performance

The latest information about our 2019 school performance can be found here: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/137767/higham-lane-school/secondary

The Contribution of Our Former Students

Several of our former students have returned to work in the school as teaching staff or support staff. We are delighted that Charlotte Bailey, who won the BBC’s Dragons’ Den and who has set up her own highly-successful business, Rheal Superfoods, came to speak to our students about enterprise as part of our Able and Ambitious Programme.

In addition, Hasnain Khan, currently studying Medicine, who was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his work in supporting communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, is mentoring our Sixth Form students who are applying to study Medicine.

Nuneaton is a traditional market town in Warwickshire in the heart of the Midlands, close to the county border with Leicestershire and the West Midlands. It is located within the golden triangle of the M1, M6 and M42 and is situated between major urban centres such as Birmingham, Coventry and Leicester.

It sits on the west coast mainline which links it to both London within one hour and Birmingham within 40 minutes. The town is famous as the birthplace of the Victorian novelist George Eliot, who lived there from 1819 to 1841. Due to its transport links, Nuneaton is to some extent a commuter town for nearby Coventry and Birmingham.

However, a relatively large number of businesses involved in the automotive, aerospace and engineering supply chains industries are active in the area. MIRA Limited, formerly the Motor Industry Research Association, is based to the north of the town.

Nuneaton is growing with housing allocations planned for up to 15,000 homes over the next 10 years. The town has an immediate catchment area of 125,000 residents. Most students attending Higham Lane School come from four nearby primary schools- St Nicolas CofE Academy, Milby Primary School, Weddington Primary School and Wembrook Primary School, although the school takes students from over 20 primary schools within the local area.

The Transforming Nuneaton Programme

Warwickshire County Council and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council are working to deliver the Transforming Nuneaton Programme. This is a suite of projects that, together, will provide Nuneaton with the economic boost it needs and help it become a strong hub for its community. Investment in the town centre will be sought to improve:

• leisure and business opportunities
• education and skills
• unlocking housing development
• rail, highway and cycle infrastructure

This will support economic growth within the borough and wider area whilst ensuring that the town helps reduce its impact on climate change.

The vision is to transform Nuneaton into a prosperous town centre. A town where people choose to:

• Live – with high quality, easily accessible town centre housing and a strong and diverse leisure offer
• Do Business – with excellent transport connections and high-quality office space for all entrepreneurs
• Shop – with a mix of national, independent and specialist retailers
• Visit – through the creation of high-quality public realm and enhancing the heritage and cultural opportunities

Further information about Transforming Nuneaton can be found here:https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/transformingnuneaton