WELCOME TO OUR SCHOOL!

Many parents choose Eastbury because they feel that each child in our care is offered a broad and balanced curriculum and can be assured of support and encouragement to attain their full potential.

Learning

We aim to encourage and enable all students to be confident, independent and successful learners. We want our students to:

• Strive for excellence, widen their perspectives and prepare themselves

   with the skills needed in the rapidly changing world in which we live;

• Understand how to learn, taking account of their preferred learning styles,

   and understand the need to learn;

• Explore and reach an understanding of their creative talents, and how to

   make best use of them;

• Value learning for its own sake and as part of understanding themselves,

   so that that they develop an enjoyment of learning which will be lifelong;

• Achieve high standards in literacy, numeracy, and information and

   communication technology.

Community

We aim to encourage and enable all students to be confident, independent and successful learners. We want our community to:

• Participate in a well-ordered, secure and stimulating learning environment

   in which all students can enjoy the challenge of achieving the highest 

   possible academic standards;

• Provide a caring school, free from fear and harassment, in which students

   are open minded, tolerant and mutually respectful;

• Strive for different types of achievement, which will be valued, recognised

   and celebrated;

• Develop the partnership between school, students and parents in order to

   maximise learning opportunities both in and out of school;

• Work with business to develop our Specialist School status as a Maths and

   Computing College, and develop the skills to succeed in these and other

   related areas of employment.

Years 7-9 Ages 11-14
(Key Stage 3)

We aim to make the transition between the primary school and the secondary school as smooth as possible. Teachers from Eastbury meet regularly with  teachers from local primary schools to ensure that we are building on the skills, knowledge and understanding that children have acquired at Key Stages 1 and 2 in their primary schools.

Students follow courses in English, Mathematics, Science, French, Art, Music, Drama, Design & Technology, Physical Education, Information & Communication
Technology (ICT), History, Geography, Citizenship and Religious Education. They
also follow a programme of Personal and Social Education (PSE).

Students are placed into sets of different ability for the teaching of most subjects. The curriculum is differentiated - meaning that each student is given work suited to her/his ability and aptitude. Students experience a variety of learning situations: individualised programmes, group work, and whole class teaching. All students should find the curriculum stimulating and challenging.

Years 10-11 Ages 14-16
(Key Stage 4)

The Key Stage 4 curriculum is designed to achieve breadth, balance and coherence.  Like most secondary schools, we divide the programme into a compulsory part, to ensure key skills are covered and assessed, and an optional part, to provide choice based on aptitude and interest.

All students study English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, PSE including
Religious Education & Citizenship, and Physical Education. Students then choose
from a wide variety of options which includes French, Art, Photography, Music,
Drama, Food Technology, Physical Education as full GCSE, ICT, History, Geography, Religious Education as full GCSE and Business Studies. We are
developing our Vocational GCSEs for students who want a course with a
practical and work-orientated approach. 

Key Stage 4 is a demanding time, but our intention is that our students will reach the age of 16 with a wide range of options open for their future.

The Curriculum for Years
12 and 13

We are fortunate in having a new purposebuilt Sixth Form Centre and a large number of students staying on to further their studies in one or two year courses. We offer a range of AS & A level subjects and vocational courses.

Many students go on to Further and Higher Education courses at a variety of
Universities and Further Education Colleges.

The Sixth Form is an exciting and dynamic time for our young adults, with many
opportunities to take part in clubs, trips and fund-raising activities.

We have a separate Sixth Form prospectus, which is published annually and gives full details about the courses and facilities we offer.

Homework

We regard homework as an essential part of every student’s curriculum and learning experience. In all subjects, students are expected to continue their studies outside the classroom. All subjects set homework regularly, usually on a weekly basis.

Students are given a homework timetable, indicating when homework will be set for each subject and a homework diary to help them organise their studies. Every parent is asked to ensure that students devote adequate time to homework and sign their child’s diary each week.

Homework will not always be written work, it may be drawing, reading, research,
revising or memorising. The importance of regular reading cannot be over-emphasised.

The school has a large Learning Resource Centre, including a well-stocked library, and we expect all students to use it.

Gifted and Talented Students

As part of assessment and monitoring, we identify students who are gifted and
talented in the school.

Teachers responsible for these students set suitable challenges throughout the
curriculum.

A full programme of additional activities, out of school time, is also organised to allow students to develop their talents to the full.

Curriculum access for students with Special
Educational Needs

For students who experience difficulty with learning, the school has a team of Special Needs teachers which can provide support with learning and help students to access their basic entitlements of the National Curriculum. We work towards ensuring access throughout the curriculum, providing an education which is appropriate to the needs of all our students.

Further information about our Special Educational Needs policy, which details the
provision for all students with Special Educational Needs, both with and without
statements, may be obtained from the school.

The Hearing Impaired Base

We are proud to house the Local Education Authority’s Hearing Impaired Base specially equipped rooms, thus enabling students with hearing difficulties to be educated in a comprehensive school.

School Examination Entry Policy

The school values the success of all students. All students who complete
course requirements will be entered for public examinations.

Visits & Clubs

There are many different lunch-time and after-school activities such as computing, music and sports clubs. In addition to these, after-school sports teams regularly compete with other schools.

Various drama, dance and musical productions are organised throughout the
year and are eagerly joined by students of all ages.

Eastbury organises foreign exchanges, water sports, holidays and outwardbound courses for all students throughout the year. Most students are given the opportunity to take part in residential trips both at home and
abroad.

A complete programme of events and activities is produced at the beginning of the year.

Sports and Physical Education

Staff are committed to providing a full extracurricular programme. Clubs and matches take place before school, at lunch-time and after-school, as well at weekends.

Competitions are arranged both within the school and with other local schools.

Students make full use of our new Sports Hall and Fitness & Weights Room during formal lessons, clubs and matches. The school is very fortunate to have access to some of the best sports facilities in Barking:

• A large Sports Hall
• A smaller gymnasium
• A fully equipped Fitness Room with a range of fixed weights and aerobic
   equipment
• A large hall, with a wooden sprung-floor for Dance
• A table tennis room
• Excellent and extensive sports fields, which allow for the development of
   Football, Cricket, Rounders, Athletics (Field and Track)
• An outdoor hard court area for Netball

Music

Students have the opportunity to learn a wide range of musical instruments,
including:

• Clarinet • Drums • Guitar • Trumpet • Tenor Horn • Baritone Horn
• Piano • Saxophone • Trombone • Flute

Charging for Activities

A range of extra-curricular and optional activities are offered to all students
throughout their time at Eastbury.

These are subsidised by the school with voluntary contributions from students.

Pupil School Dress Autum Spring Term

Students are expected to wear their school uniform with pride during their first five years at the school. 

The uniform is designed to be simple, practicable, serviceable and smart.

Boys:

Black blazer with School badge, black traditionally tailored trousers, black shoes, School tie, white shirt and School black ‘V’ necked jumper (optionally worn under a blazer).

 

Girls:

Black blazer with School badge, black traditionally tailored skirt or trousers, low-heeled black shoes, black or white plain socks, or neutral or black tights, School tie, white shirt and School black ‘V’ necked jumper (optionally worn under a blazer).

 

Protective clothing for practical subjects is essential.

 

PE Kit:

Plain white collared aertex PE T-shirt

Plain navy blue PE bottoms - which may be shorts, tracksuit or jogging bottoms

Plain white socks

Plain navy blue sweatshirt,  which may be worn over  the plain white collared aertex PE T-shirt when working outside.

Training shoes with non-marking soles

 

(No sports logos on any kit please)

Pupil School Dress Summer Term

As above, or students may replace shirts with polo shirts, and maintaining the following standards:

Polo shirts with Eastbury logo only to be worn, tucked into trousers or skirts

Polo shirts with Eastbury logo not to be worn for PE lessons

No outside jackets to be worn as a substitute for the blazer

School tie need not be worn with the Polo shirt

Pupils not wishing to wear the Summer uniform should remain in normal school uniform, i.e. Blazer, Shirt and tie.

The emphasis for all school dress is to look smart in the traditional sense.

The Sixth Form have their own dress code.

Students are expected to wear smart, casual dress with the following items unacceptable:

Blue Jeans
Tracksuits*
Combat Trousers
Football Shirts
Hats

Students who do not comply with this code will be asked to leave the premises.

* Students studying BTEC Sports and Fitness will be allowed to wear smart  

   tracksuits on the days when then have practical lessons.