Upper Shirley High School - A Cooperative Trust Specialist Maths and Computing College

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A Cooperative Trust Specialist Maths and Computing College

Upper Shirley High is a coeducational school in the heart of the Upper Shirley geographical area of Southampton. New cluster arrangements ensure that the junior schools of Shirley and Hollybrook are the main primary links and recent developments have cemented existing collaboration between our schools, including the infant schools of Shirley, Hollybrook and Wordsworth, into something much stronger and concrete – the Upper Shirley Learning Community. Alongside the close partnerships with Tauntons College we now have dynamic progression from ‘reception’ through to post 16 for all children in our local area. Great Oaks Special School is also a member of the Learning Community. This is a really exciting time for all of us.

I have had the very real pleasure of being the Headteacher here since September 2004 and can testify to this school being a truly dynamic organisation, with improving academic results. At the time of writing we have just received the GCSE results for this year and I am delighted to say that for the second year running we have exceed our targets Our most recent Ofsted inspection suggested that our targets were too challenging and graded the school on the previous year’s attainment despite clear indicators of improvement. We know our school to be a good school and are absolutely determined that our academic performance will continue to improve as dynamically as it has recently. Last year we admitted girls very successfully into Year 7 and have just inducted our new mixed gender cohort. Careful liaison with the students themselves, their parents and their schools ensured a smooth transition to coed status. The students at our school, both boys and girls, feel happy, safe and enjoy their learning. With so many more of our students coming from the local area it is a very real pleasure to see them all walking to school.

We have carefully fostered our caring ‘family’ ethos which places the individual child very firmly at the heart of our development. We pride ourselves in being a small school where every child is known by name and is encouraged to develop his/her own individual personality and strengths. While we put the child at the heart of our school community we strive to be at the heart of our local community, providing support and resources for a range of community activities; a ‘Village Fair’; A Community Firework Display; hosting a range of sporting events to name a few. Our ‘University of the First Age’ runs successful after school and holiday learning programmes for students in Years 6 – 9.From the start of September 2009 we now host a fully Ofsted approved breakfast and after school provision for the very youngest of the community.

Central to our ethos is the pastoral organisation of the school which is based on a family system of four school houses: Aviators, Engineers, Mariners and Venturers. Each is led by a teaching Head of House, whose focus is primarily on teaching and learning and academic achievement. They are well supported by a student House Captain and Sport’s Captain. The student voice is extremely important in our school and students hold a number of key responsibilities from prefects to sports captains, from librarians to student mentors. Student council elections are held every year and the council meets with me on a half-termly basis. The student council is subdivided into working groups with responsibilities for charity work, international links and working with teachers on improving teaching and learning. We have family tutor groups, including students from year 7 - 11, this enables the older students to support the younger ones in school, be positive role models and prevent bullying. Our older students also support activities in our cluster schools from literacy support programmes with infant aged pupils to organising and supervising sporting activities.

In April 2009 we became the first Cooperative Trust school in the South of England. Our association with the Cooperative Society underpins our school values of Self-help, Self-responsibility, Democracy, Equality, Equity, Community and Ethical Values. Membership of the cooperative family has delivered a unique network of other cooperative schools as well as enriching our international links and global awareness. Our other trustees InTec, Oil Spill UK, Tauntons College and a Graphics Company are central to the improvements in the school, developing our curriculum and progressing life opportunities for our students.

Life continues to be exciting at Upper Shirley High. Working together with parents, governors, students, staff and community representatives we have a clear view of how great we want our school to become and how we are going to get there! The future is about developing a quality education for all of our children in their own community. ‘Upper Shirley High is a rapidly improving school…Alongside a successful drive to retain the school’s best teachers, good recruitment strategies have led to appointment of new dynamic teachers with strong subject expertise.’ (Ofsted 2008)

‘Students enjoy their learning…behave very sensibly during break times and feel safe and well supported within the family style tutor groups and house system. …Community participation is outstanding and the students make a real and valued contribution to their school and wider community.’ (Ofsted 2008)

Our school is a dynamic and exciting organisation constantly striving for continual improvement. We like to challenge each member to be the best they can be and celebrate success at every opportunity. I hope our web site gives a small insight to our school and community and will encourage readers to find out more about us.