Strategic Plan
Our Governing Body place children at the heart of the school's strategic development, and have defined six key areas that will help children progress, meet parents’ needs and deliver value for money. These form our Strategic Plan.
Strategic-Plan (ID 1039)
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1. Improve attainment and progress
1. Improve attainment and progress
We will continue to be above the national average in SATs.
We will continue to aim for all children to make at least expected progress and to close the gap for children who need extra help and support.
We will continue to drive the Powell Corderoy curriculum to meet the needs of children in the lowest 20% of learners in all subjects, drawing on best practice from education providers.
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2. Differentiate our school
2. Differentiate our school
We will continue our innovative approach to educating children, building on our successes to date.
We intend to improve educational outcomes and deliver significant differences in the quality of our offer and how it is delivered. These differences will encourage parents to choose Powell Corderoy instead of other local schools.
We will differentiate through the wider Powell Corderoy curriculum, built on some rare assets. Currently our curriculum goes beyond the requirements of the national curriculum and includes 'learning outside the classroom', referred to as LOtC, more than just ‘Forest School.’
- Learning is geared towards children achieving real life outcomes.
- Teaching of core academic subjects engaged in learning outside the classroom.
- An inclusive and non-denominational school, celebrating all faiths and none.
- Significant space and outdoor facilities on the school site.
- Increased environmental sustainability.
- Dedicated outdoor learning co-ordinator.
- Results of research into outdoor learning from the Deputy Head’s MA research.
Outcomes will include:
- Improved attainment & progress by engaging a broader range of learning styles.
- Increased resilience, problem solving experience and community engagement.
- Improved levels of mental and physical health.
- Enhanced CPD offer to staff, supporting recruitment & retention.
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3. Develop partnerships
3. Develop partnerships
As a relatively small school, we lack the economies of scale that help sustain larger schools. To gain economies of scale, we need to partner with other schools.
We intend to share resources through partnerships, which might include:
- suppliers,e.g. printers, energy, premises
- services, e.g. Finance, HR, ICT
- career development, e.g. leadership / specialism development opportunities
- teaching, e.g. cover for absence
- peer review, e.g. progress & attainment
- training & expertise, e.g.phonics, SEND
- policy development, e.g. safeguarding
We will explore other schools’ needs to find common ground for resource sharing.
We will explore forms of partnership to decide which best suits our needs; informal, formal, federation and academy. We are open to pursuing multiple partnership arrangements across state and independent schools. This will require capacity from governors and senior leaders and will become a major focus for the governing body.
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4. Improve workforce effectiveness
4. Improve workforce effectiveness
Our approach to recruitment has always been consistent with quality first teaching and we remain committed to this. However, as a small school with limited resources, we have to balance this commitment with financially sustainable recruitment and supportive career development for our staff.
We will improve our capability for recruiting and developing Early Career Teachers (ECTs), so that they are well supported despite the challenges of a one form entry school.
As a small school, it is harder to allocate capacity to train and develop ECTs. We will partner with other schools to put in place mutual arrangements for the development of ECTs.
We will distribute leadership by developing middle leadership, leading to effective succession planning. We will develop a clear offer of CPD pathways to improve recruitment and retention and enable us to target CPD to address gaps in our expertise.
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5. Promote mental health and wellbeing
5. Promote mental health and wellbeing
We recognise that mental health challenges often form a significant barrier to learning.
We are committed to taking positive action to support children, families and staff to promote resilience. This will include working with SCC as a broker for support and resources.
We will promote positive mental health through the Powell Corderoy wider curriculum. We will equip children to inhabit and appreciate a diverse society. We will help every child to develop a love of lifelong learning through:
- An understanding of themselves
- Skills for learning
- Positive, safe relationships
- Understanding and belonging to communities
- Skills and Resilience for life
We will continue to support staff mental health and wellbeing through a healthy work/life balance, flexible working arrangements, modelled by the SLT, and through a stronger CPD offer.
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6. Increase environmental sustainability
6. Increase environmental sustainability
We will use the wider curriculum to engage children in environmental sustainability and to build their resilience through effective solutions.
We recognise that our impact on the environment extends beyond the school gates, through the development, manufacture and disposal of the products & services we buy, as well as the behaviours of our staff, parents and children.
We will carry out an external review and draw on leading practice, insight and benchmarking to broaden our understanding of environmental sustainability.
We have taken practical steps to support environmental initiatives and recognise the trade-offs between cost and sustainability. We will pay more, when necessary and affordable, for products and services that offer a lower environmental impact.
We will work with Surrey County Council to understand what other schools are doing and how we can place environmental considerations at the heart of all we do.
We expect that parents and stakeholders will value this approach and that it will further differentiate us from other schools.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
EDI underpins everything we do at Powell Corderoy, including recruitment, development and learning & teaching. EDI forms a sense of belonging to the Powell Corderoy community. We continue to challenge ourselves to ensure our practice stays current.
We value the diversity of thought, belief and background in our community and beyond, that enables the school to be effective at challenging accepted norms and resilient in the face of continual change.
We aspire to a fully inclusive culture and believe that we play an important role in preparing children for living and thriving in a diverse world. We strive to offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements and inclusive facilities to support our staff.