ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Pingle School is a co-educational, comprehensive foundation school for pupils aged between 11 - 18 years. The school is over-subscribed; its roll is growing and now stands at 1380, of whom over 250 are in the sixth form.

The school opened in 1965, and had further extensions in 1972 and 1974. Major refurbishment work has been carried out from 1993 to the present time. The specialist accommodation at present includes a range of science laboratories, technology block, music rooms, new sports hall, gymnasium, swimming pool, library and hall. Most subject departments have suites of rooms in close proximity.

The site includes outdoor facilities for sport; having football, hockey and rugby pitches, tennis, basketball and netball courts. We currently have plans to develop our school playing fields further.

Our pupils are taught by 85 teachers, supported by a librarian, teaching assistants, technicians, clerical, finance and administrative staff, catering and premises staff and a qualified first-aider.

There is a flourishing adult and community education programme, which offers over forty vocational and non-vocational courses mainly on Monday and Thursday evenings.

CAREERS EDUCATION

Careers education is an integral part of the Personal and Social Education curriculum 11 - 18. The objective of careers education is to enable pupils to achieve all-round competence and confidence in moving about their social world and working environment, performing adequately within it and responding with confidence to its many challenges and opportunities. The school works closely with the Careers Service and has developed a comprehensive careers library. Individual discussions will be held at intervals with school staff and formal interviews are arranged with Careers Officers in Year 10 or 11.

The specialist Careers Officer will attend annual reviews for those pupils with a statement of special needs from Year 9 onwards and appropriate work experience organised.

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

Each year group has two acts of worship a week. These provide opportunities for personal reflection on the spiritual dimensions of life and are designed to foster a sense of community and shared values. They are of a broadly Christian character but share other expressions, both religious and secular, of these values. No pupil is expected to express views or feelings that they do not have. However, parents who wish their child/children to be withdrawn from collective worship should write to the Headteacher.

DAILY ROUTINE

Pupils should arrive at school by 8.25am for morning sessions and 1.00pm for afternoon sessions. Please ensure that pupils do not arrive before 8.15am when the programme of staff supervisory duties commences.

Each morning there is a twenty minute lesson with the form teacher during which time assemblies take place. There are five further lessons of one hour; three in the morning and two in the afternoon. Morning school finishes at 12.05pm and afternoon school finishes at 3.10pm.

When pupils are collected by parents in cars these cars should not enter the school grounds. The school drive must be left clear for buses.

CURRICULUM

The subjects studied by the pupils make up the curriculum. The school delivers the curriculum in a regular timetable of lessons which are in units of one hour. There are five lessons every day.

AIMS

• To provide a support system for pupils.
• To raise pupils' aspirations and teachers' expectations.
• To target the academic progress of all pupils.
• To encourage pupils to monitor their own progress and identify strengths and weaknesses.
• To help pupils to set targets which will actively improve their performance during Key Stages 3 and 4.
• To increase the self-esteem and confidence of the pupils by giving regular feedback on targets and achievements in relation to their personal ability.
• To raise pupil expectations and encourage life-long learning.
• To provide strategies to help pupils with interview skills, time management, coursework planning, revision skills, examination techniques and career planning.
• To encourage pupils to set their own target minimum grades based on their previous performance and measures of potential ability.