Academy News

In October, we asked families of students in Years 7 and 12 to complete a “settling-in” survey to help us understand how the transition into a new phase of education at Churchill had gone. 

We had a fantastic response to the survey and we’re pleased to share the outcome with you. 

Benchmarking

The results from the survey have been benchmarked against responses from similar schools, helping us gain a clear understanding of how the Academy compares with feedback from families at comparable schools nationwide. The image below provides an overview of the data for each question and how the Academy tracks against the benchmarked data.

As you can see from the breakdown above: 

• 89% of families feel their child has a good experience of school at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form, compared to 75% nationally - a 14% difference! 

• 92% of parents said it was easy to contact the school, beating the national benchmark by 10%. 

• Our responses to families scored 11% higher than the national benchmark

• Satisfaction with the amount of communication received from the school is 18% higher than the national benchmark

Student Transition Programme

Our Admissions and Transition teams have developed a transition programme that helps students moving from primary education or into post-16 education adjust to a new way of learning and their new environment seamlessly and positively. 

We’re proud to share that the provision we offer has been endorsed by our families as good as, or better than, the national average on every single metric across the questionnaire. 

 

Additional Feedback

Families also had the opportunity to give us feedback in free text. Parents of Year 7 students noted:

• That their children particularly enjoy the variety of subjects offered, including favourites such as Art, Drama and Spanish. 

• Making friends and participating in extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, were significant highlights. 

• Parents mentioned the supportive teachers and the school environment that encourages independence and new experiences.

• The food choices and improved lunches compared to primary school were mentioned positively, along with the school’s commitment to nurturing students.

Sixth Form parents were also very positive about the transition into post-16 education. One family commented, 

“He likes all his teachers, the quality of teaching, the site layout and the level of trust they are given as students in year 12.”

Another said… “[she] Likes the teachers, likes the familiarity, likes the independence and the fact she is treated more grown up now that she is in 6th form. It is also very local, modern and has a lovely green space.” 

Another said… “we are so grateful that we were offered a place in sixth form!” 

Areas for Improvement

The survey also provided us with helpful points to ensure we keep improving our provision, including clear communication around specific areas and information for students unfamiliar with Churchill, concerns about site cleaning in certain areas of the school and feedback about the lunch queues. With this crucial feedback, we have been able to address all of these issues and ensure that we make the experience for families in the future even better than it is now. 

Outcome

We are very grateful to all the families who took the time to complete the survey - both for the positive endorsement of our transition arrangements and for the helpful feedback to help us improve further. 

In addition, we are proud to confirm that the Academy now holds the Parent Friendly Schools charter mark, and we look forward to working more closely in partnership with families to ensure students have access to the best possible experience at secondary school and sixth form. 

This year, for the first time, the Academy has partnered with Axiom Maths, a national organisation who aim to "help every child with the heart and head for maths realise the potential of their power". 

Around 20 Year 7 high attaining and enthusiastic mathematicians were selected at the beginning of the academic year and have been attending Axiom Maths 'circles' twice a week. Each session has involved tackling a series of interesting, challenging maths problems or puzzles, with students encouraged to display the 3 A's: being adventurous, being articulate and being accepting. 

We have been very impressed and proud of the level of commitment shown by all Axiom Maths students and we are looking forward to starting a new block of Axiom maths problems in the new year.

Thank you also to Keziah, one of our Sixth Form mathematicians and an Axiom Maths Junior Mentor. She has been pivotal in setting up Axiom Maths at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form and I know she has been a huge help to students whilst working on the mathematics during our Axiom sessions. 

The Academy has been recognised for its outstanding use of Seneca, the online learning platform used by students for homework and revision tasks. This month, Seneca ran a Championships, comparing the engagement of schools across the country.

While we did not win one of the major prizes, the judges particularly commended our History department for their excellent use of the platform. As a reward, the Academy has received an upgrade to the Seneca Premium package.

We are excited to begin using the upgraded package, which will provide our students with even better homework and revision resources to support their learning and help them achieve their full potential.

This week, the annual student Christmas lunch brought festive spirit to the Academy Hall as students from all year groups came together to enjoy a delicious Christmas dinner with their friends.

The hall was filled with seasonal cheer as students pulled crackers, shared laughted and listened to classic Christmas tunes while celebrating the end of the year together.

We would like to wish all of our students and families a very Merry Christmas.

We’re excited to announce the arrival of a brand-new star to our Legally Blonde cast, Audrey the dog! 

The cast had the pleasure of meeting Audrey this week, and the verdict was unanimous: she is absolutely perfect for the role of Bruiser. With her charm, confidence, and irresistible stage presence, Audrey is sure to steal the spotlight.

Tickets for Legally Blonde: The Musical will be launching VERY soon so keep your eyes peeled for that announcement!

We are delighted to invite you to watch two performances on Monday 15th December,  which will showcase the talent and dedication of our Year 12 Performing Arts students. This double-bill evening will feature work from both our Musical Theatre and Acting specialists, offering a vibrant contrast of styles and storytelling. 

The show is free to attend and will be held in the Academy Hall at 5 pm. The audience will then move to the Drama Studio for the second performance at 5:30pm.

Our Musical Theatre specialists will present a selection of extracts from Les Misérables, showcasing powerful vocals, ensemble work, and some of the show’s most iconic moments.

Our Acting specialists will perform 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane.

Please note: 4.48 Psychosis contains intense and potentially distressing material, including themes of psychological crisis. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. The performance may not be suitable for all audiences, and we recommend a minimum age of 15+.

We welcome families, friends, and community members to support our talented performers. We hope to see you there for an evening of thought-provoking and inspiring theatre.