Our Vision
As a staff we are committed to improving the life-chances of our students. We are ambitious for them and we expect them to learn and achieve, consequently the College ethos is grounded in students taking responsibility for their own learning and actions. There is a commitment to social justice and an emphasis on empowerment and self-respect. Equality of opportunity is successfully interpreted as a focus on individual student need. This concept is integral to our work, staff and students respect each other and listen to our students valuing them as individuals.
The organisation works within restorative principles and practice, which results in a culture of constructive and intelligent discussion with our students regarding their learning and behaviour. We are determined that our students succeed and we actively seek novel solutions to learning challenges, particularly when faced with complex behaviours.
We endeavour to establish a learning environment which, above all, gives excluded students optimism and the power to transform their future.
The College
Abbey Manor College is an 11-19 PRU based in Lewisham, South London. Students are drawn from a borough which reflects a diverse urban community with more than 170 languages spoken. Over 40% of the population are from black or minority ethnic communities, a figure which rises to around 72% within the school population. Nearly 22,000 households have no adult in employment and 17.8% are lone-parent households, compared with 11.6% in the rest of Inner London.
The College is on two sites: the John Evelyn Campus in Ladywell is for KS4 students and includes a new short-term intervention programme. The Broadoak Campus in Lee offers programmes for KS3, KS4 & KS5. The College also manages specialist assessment services for the Local Authority and provision for year 11 students new to the Borough.
Students are admitted to the College throughout the academic year, depending on when they are excluded. At Key Stage 3, all students have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools and the College makes every effort to reintegrate them back into school. In Key Stage 4, most students have been permanently excluded, with about 30% referred from school because they are on the verge of permanent exclusion. This is a long-term intervention strategy since all students in Key Stage 4 remain at the College for the remainder of their statutory schooling. The College also offers 6th form provision for students who are too vulnerable to access post-16 education at the end of KS4.
Abbey Manor students are drawn from working class families, many of whom rely on state benefits to survive. A significant number of students are also from lone parent households. The College receives Pupil Premium for all our students. In addition to high levels of learning support, the College also provides free breakfast and lunch for all students.
Key Stage 3
Students undertake an intensive programme of work designed to give them confidence in their learning so that they return to school able to access the curriculum successfully. The curriculum reflects that of a mainstream school and includes Citizenship and PSHE. The College has established close links with local secondary schools with whom our staff liaise closely to ensure that students can be successfully re-integrated back into mainstream settings.
KS3 Curriculum
There are 37 periods a week broken down as follows:
| English | 6 Periods |
| Food Studies | 4 Periods |
| Maths | 6 Periods |
| Performance | 6 Periods |
| Student Voice | 6 Periods |
| Science | 6 Periods |
| Fitness | 3 Periods |
Key Stage 4
At KS4 students stay at the College until they are 16. They attend for one or two years (years 10 and 11) depending on when they are permanently excluded, or when the school identifies them as being at risk of permanent exclusion. Students undertake vocational programmes at Level 2, with some students achieving success at Level 3. This is a professional, vocational curriculum, and resourcing reflects this. There is also an emphasis on students being prepared for work and the demands of particular industries. To this end, real work situations are a part of each course programme including work experience, or in the case of Catering, chef students prepare lunches for the whole organisation.
All programmes are accredited by BTEC, City and Guilds or other awarding bodies appropriate to Further Education.
Achievement at this stage is significant. Last year 80% of students achieved at Levels I – III with 60% achieving Level II or III qualifications. Our first students took up university places in 2009.
KS4 Curriculum
There are 37 periods a week broken down as follows:
| Vocational Core | 20 Periods |
| GCSE English | 7 Periods |
| GCSE Maths | 7 Periods |
| Sports | 2 Periods |
| Student Voice | 1 Period |
Sixth Form
Abbey Manor College has a small 6th form for students who are not able to access conventional post-16 education or training. This small group of young people remain at the College and complete Level 2 qualifications. They then receive support and mentoring in their transition to Further Education or work.
Ethos
The College offers a fresh start and students are expected to learn and achieve: our ethos is grounded in students taking responsibility for their own learning and actions. There is a commitment to social justice, and an emphasis on empowerment and self-respect. Equality of opportunity is successfully implemented as a focus on individual student need. The College offers an opportunity to achieve and recover from the damage of exclusion. Over time, young people who have become alienated from conventional educational settings gain confidence and start to learn effectively.
Equality Objectives 2016
· To increase participation by exceptionally challenging students.
· To narrow the gap in performance of White British students.
· To further develop targeted gender specific interventions.
· To reduce the number of homophobic incidents.
Student Support
Student support is a crucial element for successful work with our students. To this end, there is a team of Learning Mentors, Teaching Assistants, two Attendance Officers, a Psychological Therapist and a Police Officer. Teaching groups have a maximum of eight students with the support of a Teaching Assistant. Teaching staff are always on duty at break times, but receive a paid lunch hour with the proviso that they undertake some lunch duties. Students finish early on Fridays in order to facilitate staff team meetings. Timings are specifically designed so that as far as possible, staff can undertake meetings and other essential duties within a normal working day. We want healthy and stress-free staff who have a sensible work-life balance.