Lessons for Life

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School

Headteacher’s Message

On behalf of the Governors, staff and pupils, I would liketo welcome you to St. Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic HighSchool. Choosing the right school for your child is not aneasy task, but I hope that this prospectus will give you allthe information you need to make that importantdecision.

St. Edmund Arrowsmith is a both a learning communityand a natural extension of the family. Every day, we striveto live out the values of the Gospel and our Catholic faith.It is the foundation of our Mission Statement, and ourrelations with each other and the wider world. Thegenerosity of spirit in our pupils has made everyfundraising drive a resounding success, and made asignificant difference to our partner school in SouthAfrica.

The school is also blessed with an experienced andcommitted staff that works tirelessly to offer our pupilssupport across their development. Teaching is truly avocation and so our classrooms are witness to stimulatingand informative lessons, and good practice is shared andhoned in collaborative relationships. But education is notonly delivered in books and on smartboards; respect,discipline, communication and understanding arefostered in the corridors, on the yards, and through ourPersonal Development Curriculum. Thus, our pupils aregiven every opportunity to develop their abilities to thefull, and to become mature and responsible citizens.

This maturity has ensured that our school has an excellentreputation within the local community. The higheststandards are expected from our pupils and we celebratetheir personal achievements. Sporting prowess, academicsuccess, community contributions, dramatic turns, literaryaptitude - everything is given equal praise andacknowledgement.

As a Specialist College in Music and Technology, ourpupils also benefit from the many opportunities that thisstatus brings to the school community, including state-of-the-art facilities in all curriculum areas, and stronglinks with local and national business and enterprise.

If you require further information, please do not hesitateto contact the school. You can arrange a personal visit ifyou wish; our pupils are our best advertisement and youwill be sure to find a warm and courteous welcome.Alternatively, for regularly updated news and information,you can visit our website atwww.arrowsmith.wigan.sch.uk.

Mr P. W. Phillips

School Mission Statement

Dignity - To respect the value and work of ourselves and others as children of God (Genesis 1:17 - “Created in the image of God”).

Mission - To let God be known through words and actions (Mt 7:12 - "Do for others, what you want them to do for you").

Understanding - To respond to the needs of others (Mt 7:7 - "Ask, and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you").

Nurture - To allow all to grow to full potential (John 15:5 - "I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit").

Discipleship - To follow Christ in Faith, Hope and Love. (Mk 1:16 "Follow Me").

Preparethe way ofthe Lord

A very special place

As a Catholic school we aim to be a loving and reconcilingfaith community in which Gospel values are evident as welive out our Christianity in our day to day routines andprocedures.

The strength of our school lies in the quality of therelationships that exist between teachers, pupils andparents. We are committed to working in partnership withfamilies to ensure that our young people are able torealise their full potential in a safe, caring and stimulatingenvironment.

We have very high expectations in every facet of schoollife. We expect exemplary behaviour from our pupils andencourage them to show respect and courtesy at alltimes. We believe that adherence to our uniform codepromotes self-esteem, together with a sense of identityand pride in the school’s traditions.

Our pupils are our greatest asset. They are the “heartbeat”of the school. Their response to the varied opportunitiesand high quality teaching available to them results inacademic performances and personal development ofwhich we all can be justifiably proud.

Inspectors’ Comments:

“Behaviour is outstanding and students feel extremelysafe at school. They show respect for adults and foreach other and their highly conscientious attitudes tolearning are an important factor in their achievement.”Ofsted 2012.

“The promotion of students’ spiritual, moral and socialdevelopment is outstanding.” Ofsted 2012.

“St. Edmund Arrowsmith is an outstanding CatholicHigh School committed to its mission to embrace andencourage each member in a spirit of discipleship.”Section 48 Inspection 2012.

Curriculum

We provide a balanced curriculum for each pupil in our school which isdelivered through a variety of subject areas and learning experiences.Pupils are encouraged to become active participants in their own learningto ensure that they possess the skills, knowledge, attitudes and valueswhich will lead to both academic and spiritual growth.

In Year 7, pupils are taught for one third of their time in ability sets in MathsEnglish and French and for the remaining two thirds in mixed abilitygroups. This enables pupils to meet with, and learn alongside, a widevariety of their peers from the Year Group. Once in Year 8, pupils are taughtin mixed ability groups for the expressive arts (Art, Music, and Drama) andare set by ability in all other subject areas. For the “core” subjects of Maths,English, Science and French, this marks the end of Key Stage 3 as three-year Key Stage Four courses commence. In Year 9, all subjects are set byability.

The curriculum in Years 10 and 11 is based around the notion of“personalised learning”. This means that pupils study a range of subjectsbased on need and aptitude which will provide an appropriate pathway forthem to progress, post-16, to either further education or employment. Wefirmly believe that every pupil should be given the opportunity to succeedand we therefore provide a range of vocational courses where GCSE studyis not an appropriate option. These include hairdressing, construction,travel and tourism, childcare and motor vehicle maintenance. Some aretaught off-site at our own purpose-built skills centres in Ashton inMakerfield and Garswood.

Beyond The Curriculum

Many opportunities are offered to develop (and sometimes discover!) thepupils’ varied talents.

For pupils at St. Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School learning andenjoyment extend outside the classroom and beyond the school day.

As a specialist Music College, we are keen to encourage membership of ourchoirs and instrumental groups. Visits to concerts and musical productionscement this interest.

Most departments offer extra-curricular activities and we even have a FilmClub.

For budding actors, there is an annual school production to audition forand regular opportunities to showcase skills and abilities in the Drama andPerforming Arts Clubs

Our Catholic Mission is reflected in our support for local charities in thecommunity and underpinned by our own Junior St. Vincent de Paul Society.

We encourage our pupils to aim high and have many links with local andnational universities. An annual Gifted and Talented trip takes Year 11pupils to either an Oxford or Cambridge College for a residential visit.

Our sporting prowess is well-known in the area and teams represent theschool in all major sports at every age and level. Whilst rugby and football(for both sexes) are prominent, opportunities exist to learn new sports suchas volleyball, hockey and orienteering.

R e s u l t !

Let’s Sing!The culmination of the Year 6induction programme is theLet’s Sing! event at the RobinPark Arena. Over 240 primary schoolpupils are joined by our schoolchoir and the staff choir tocelebrate the musical talentsof the school community.

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School

St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High SchoolRookery Avenue, Ashton in MakerfieldWigan WN4 9PFTelephone: 01942 728651 Email: enquiries@arrowsmith.wigan.sch.ukwww.arrowsmith.wigan.sch.uk

Lessons for Life