Ark Boulton Academy

Welcome to Ark Boulton Academy, where we serve the children and families of Sparkhill, Birmingham. Our mission is to provide a quality education that empowers all individuals to flourish and make a positive contribution to their community, culture and wider society.

Our core values of respect, curiosity and perseverance reflect the ethos of our academy and support us in achieving our mission. We know that all children can and will achieve success as our staff work hard to nurture, support and provide challenge to make this a reality.  We believe in the importance of developing character and in providing leadership opportunities for our pupils so that they can positively contribute to our school community and beyond, in line with our school mission. This sits alongside our unrelenting focus on excellence in the academic curriculum.

Not only will Ark Boulton pupils be confident securing the best academic outcomes possible, but they will also develop strength of character for which they will be recognised in society as kind, caring, respectful, and generous young adults.

We cannot do justice to this crucial undertaking alone. We are committed to working closely with parents, families, the local community, faith organisations, business, commerce, and education partners to meet the needs of the whole child.

Our vision

We will fulfil our mission through our vision which is framed through our ‘Boulton Gears of Practical Wisdom’.

High Aspirations: Individuals will have high expectations of themselves and others. They will learn and develop their interests and passions in an inspirational learning environment. Horizons will be broadened through a wide range of additional opportunities to enrich the subject curriculum, strong careers provision and bespoke pathways. A culture of performance and competition will be promoted throughout the school year.

Exemplary Behaviour: A calm and orderly climate will be consistently visible through the means of explicit teaching, self-regulation and an ethos of celebrating success.

Broad and Balanced Curriculum: We will provide a broad and balanced curriculum which will give all individuals the depth of knowledge required to achieve mastery. To foster a love of learning, we will deliver a well sequenced learning journey which will enrich, inspire and cultivate an intellectual curiosity, leading to excellent progress and attainment.

Development of Leaders: We will empower all leaders, pupils, parents and staff, to enable them to have a voice, be inspired to learn, lead change and strive for excellence. We will provide opportunities for personal and professional growth in order to thrive in an inclusive learning community.

Strong Identity: We will nurture a strong sense of self-worth for all individuals, allowing them to express themselves clearly and confidently. We will create a united community that is inclusive, celebrates diversity, whilst also being connected to a strong Boulton identity.

Character Development: Individuals will develop a well-rounded character which will drive the Boulton Gears of Practical Wisdom. All gears must work in harmony, enabling members of our community to make wise choices, allowing them to flourish.

Our approach

As an Ark academy we subscribe to, and are passionate about, the six pillars that we believe are fundamental to an excellent education.

High Expectations
Ark Boulton children reach higher to become articulate and confident, securing the very best academic outcomes. We will provide opportunities to develop outstanding character for which they will be recognised in society as compassionate, charitable and self-disciplined young adults who have the humility to be role models for generations to follow.

Excellent Teaching
At Ark Boulton we are teachers of subject, literacy and virtue. We take our students on a learning journey through the scripting of rigorous, objective driven lessons, as a result of a deep understanding of what great looks like. ​As a result, our students are committed, curious learners who make strong progress that is evident within their developed oral and written responses.​

Exemplary Behaviour
We believe that in order to be successful students must develop self-discipline and be given autonomy to make the right choices. This will enable our students to learn the habits of mind and character traits to be leaders and role models in their communities.​ The climate and conditions for learning in the academy are focused on purpose rather than control. Exemplary behaviour is a consistent expectation of students; not an aspiration. Whenever students meet or exceed our expectations we celebrate this joyfully.

Depth for Breadth
Students are taken on a deep, rigorous and joyful learning journey at Ark Boulton Academy. Our teachers are fluent in the specifications that they teach and are able to use their expertise to systematically plan backwards to ensure students reach their end academic objectives. Students are supported to improve thanks to quality feedback and effective re-teaching of difficult topics.
Language is the foundation of learning; ensuring that students build a rich vocabulary and are articulate enables them to enjoy academic success and deepen their love for learning throughout their lives.​

Knowing Every Child​
We love our children. Ark Boulton is a family where staff care for students as they would their own children.

We believe that preparing our students for life in modern Britain goes beyond providing knowledge of subject disciplines and careers. In addition, we provide opportunities for students to develop morally, socially, spiritually and culturally. These themes run throughout our Virtues Curriculum. Here, students learn about themselves, others and the society in which they live, and about democracy, tolerance, diversity and the rule of law. Our students demonstrate their understanding of these themes through expositions and service to their local and global community.​

In addition, ‘The Boulton Pledge’ underpins the importance of supporting our students to learn about themselves in depth.​ It prompts them to explore themes relating directly to their emotional, mental and physical health and wellbeing, as well as positive relationships and how to keep themselves and others safe.

Always Learning
The philosophy which underpins our work at Boulton is that we are always seeking to become the best versions of ourselves through our teaching and leadership. We are a community of professionals who value each other and know that it is our collective responsibility to support and develop each other, every day. As a result of this, we can provide excellent teaching and strong outcomes for our students.

At Ark Boulton we are teachers of subject, literacy and virtue. Our weekly Subject and Virtue Curriculum Deep Dive supports this valuable work within teacher learning communities. Where possible, our teachers teach within one Key Stage. This enables them to refine their practice and plan in greater depth.​

We are part of the Ark family of schools and as such, our staff value a collegiate approach to working and accessing a regional support network in Birmingham and across the Ark network. This gives continual opportunities to share best practice, act as critical friends and access world-class training and development. ​