MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Hamilton is an 11 – 16 mixed Community College catering for approximately 950 students from a variety of cultures. Hamilton is situated on the eastern outskirts of the City of Leicester. The College has Specialist Technology Status and is a Full Service Extended School.

Our school vision is that ‘Every Student Achieves Their Very Best and Feels Secure’. This is a vision that I feel passionate about and one that I know all teaching and associate staff share.

We were very pleased with our OFSTED Inspection, June 2010, giving the College a judgement of Good with many Outstanding features.

Extracts from the Inspection June 2010:

‘The College provides a good education for its students and has some outstanding elements in its provision. Its excellent leadership has engineered remarkable progress and demonstrates outstanding capacity for further improvement. The College has achieved record results year-on-year. Almost all groups, including new arrivals, make accelerated progress’

‘Care, guidance and support are Outstanding. Staff are always prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that students flourish in a safe and supportive environment. Students feel completely safe and respond positively to all that the College provides and enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities’

‘Good quality teaching is based on strong relationships, high expectations and the imaginative use of new technology. Ambition is genuinely embedded in every classroom. Good behaviour makes a strong contribution to learning. Behaviour around the College is often exemplary’

‘Social harmony is at the heart of the College’s work. Students of all ages and from different backgrounds mix easily and show respect for one another, new comers are made welcome and make excellent progress’

Extended School Provision 2007:

‘This is a truly inspiring school that has fully embraced Extended Services and the Every Child Matters Agenda as a way to provide whole school improvement’

‘This is an excellent example of a school that has taken the concept of Extended Services and used it as a ‘blue print’ to redesign what a school is and what it can stand for’

Art Inspection 2008:

‘The quality of Teaching & Learning is outstanding. Stimulating teaching has a very positive impact on student learning’

Remarkable student progress

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010 (Predicted)
5A*-C	34%	46%	56%	62%	71%
5A*-C Incl. En & Ma	19%	23%	31%	41%	45%
En GCSE C & above	26%	38%	43%	51%	51%
Ma GCSE C & above	28%	28%	44%	52%	55%

Recent praise of the Colleges’ achievement

In January 2010 the DCSF named Hamilton in the top 200 schools in England for sustained improvement since 2006. Indeed we were number 74 for rapid improvement of 5A*-C including English and Maths over a 4 year period.

In January 2010 Hamilton was presented with the highly sort after award from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for the school with the most sustained improvement over 3 years.

Specialist College Status

As a Specialist Technology College our IT resources are exceptional. We have 9 IT suites and interactive whiteboards in every classroom. Without a doubt, our IT facilities have enhanced teaching and learning and helped to raise standards across the College. We are also passionate about other curriculum areas. We now have the Arts Council Silver Award with Visual and Performing Arts being a particular strength of the College. We also have exceptional sports facilities and the Sport England Kite Mark.

The Curriculum

Our Curriculum is always changing to adapt to the needs of our students; we strive to provide a Personalised Curriculum for all.

At KS3 we have introduced four broad bands. Nurture where students are given intensive support with Literacy and Numeracy. Step-Up where the focus is for students to move up two levels in English from Level 3 – 5. For these students aspects of Literacy are taught in common across many curriculum areas. Booster, where the aim is to move students from Level 4 to 5. Flight for our more able students where there is a greater emphasis on independent study and extension work to enable students to achieve Level 6 and above.

At KS4, we have enhanced provision for the core subjects of English, Maths and Science. The majority of students study one of 8 Btec/OCR courses, which can be worth 2/4 GCSEs at A* - C including: Business, Art & Design, Performing Arts, Sport Leadership, Music, Resistant Materials, Science and IT. For our more able students we offer the 3 separate Sciences; Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Double Award Science and Citizenship and Law. GCSEs are also available in French, Geography, History and a range of Design subjects including Graphics and Textiles.

OFSTED stated: ‘The curriculum is suitably organised so that students with different abilities can follow particular ‘pathways’ that are well matched to their learning needs. Students can opt from an interesting range of courses at Key Stage 4, including an impressive number of vocational qualifications. Some unusual options, such as land management and law, really broaden students’ learning as well as providing useful qualifications. Good levels of participation in such courses demonstrate the attraction and value of widening students’ experiences’

Safeguarding Children and Young People

Hamilton Community College has a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of young people. We have robust processes and procedures and continuously promote a positive culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce.

OFSTED stated: ‘Procedures for safeguarding students are implemented and reviewed with exceptional rigour’

Above all, Hamilton is a happy school where students enjoy learning and taking part in the large number of extra clubs and activities we provide.

We look forward to the future with great confidence!

Many thanks

John Morris B.Ed Hons, MA, NPQH

Principal

 

Achievement of excellent standards is our first priority. In working for this we:

Work with parents throughout the time their children are at school. We have an active Parent Teacher Support Group that meets monthly to ensure parents are involved in the running of the College.

Teach a broad and balanced curriculum which challenges all students and enables them to exploit their strengths. Classes are grouped by ability in all years to ensure that lessons are geared to provide challenge and to raise standards. We are actively working towards "personalised learning" and "individual curricula".

Are noted for our excellence in special needs provision, with staff working closely with students to ensure each has the required support. Our learning mentors and learning support assistants enhance this support. We have an effective Learning Support Unit, to enhance the learning of students who have "barriers" to their achievement.

Celebrate success and effort throughout the College, so giving students skills and confidence to take an increasing responsibility for their own learning. We still have our annual Achievement Evening where awards are given for excellent achievement, improvement and citizenship.

Have high expectations of all students and encourage them to have high expectations of themselves. Each year group has its own Year Council with representatives selected for our College Student Council. Representatives from this sit on the Leicester Young People's Council and the Uk Youth Parliament. Students aspire to becoming Prefects during their final year at the College.

Invest in resources that support and accelerate learning whilst ensuring that students are equipped to deal with this high-tech world. We currently have a high number of up to date computers - both laptops and PC's, connected to a wireless LAN, running the latest software. We have interactive whiteboards, the latest CAD/CAM machines as well as computerised sewing machines etc. In short, we have the technology needed to provide a stimulating curriculum to prepare students for this technological age.