Teacher of English & Media

Ilkley Grammar School

A Moorlands Learning Trust School

Together we achieve our Personal Best

As an outstanding comprehensive academy, our vision is to provide an exceptional, inclusive learning experience at the heart of our community. Our aim is that students will achieve their academic Personal Best and will also be equipped with the confidence and skills to make a positive difference to their own lives and the lives of others. We are very proud of our excellent reputation in the local community, as well as the wider Leeds and Bradford areas and pride ourselves on the outstanding quality of education we provide to our students.

Located in the beautiful Wharfe Valley, Ilkley Grammar School is a high achieving and high aspiring academy. Founded in 1607, we have a long and proud tradition of providing high quality education. With a school roll of over 1600 students (including over 400 at post-16), we were the first in Bradford to convert to Academy status in July 2011. We have further developed our academy trust by becoming the founding school of Moorlands Learning Trust MAT (Multi-Academy Trust) and look forward to being part of developing the trust and working closely with future MAT partnership schools.

Ilkley Grammar School serves its immediate catchment area of Ilkley, Addingham, Burley in Wharfedale and Menston. Within the four communities there are 7 main feeder primary schools and these, together with Ilkley Grammar School, form a partnership in which there is a considerable degree of cooperation and consultation. Our local governing body is extremely supportive and the school is consistently, significantly over subscribed, with a £4.7million buildings expansion project being completed this year to accommodate our growing roll.

Ilkley Grammar School achieves excellent examination results at both GCSE and A Level. Hard work is an expectation of all and we strive for continual improvements year on year by challenging and supporting our staff and students to excel. It is also important to us at Ilkley Grammar School that students enjoy their time here, and we have a caring school environment, as well as a diverse range of academic and enrichment opportunities available to all; many visits and residentials both in this country and abroad are offered.

We recognise every student as an individual, with different needs and talents, and we work hard together to make sure we support and nurture successful, happy and confident learners who achieve in the widest sense of the word, and not just academically. We do our utmost to ensure our students are well prepared to achieve future success once they move on from school, with the vast majority of our students going on to university study after Sixth Form. This is epitomised by our ‘Personal Best Time’ programme, which is a dedicated timetabled slot designed to develop students’ wider skills through a range of activities and charity fundraising.

Our Ofsted inspection of March 2017 confirmed us as an ‘Outstanding’ school in all areas, where:

· there is a tangible culture of high expectations for both pupils and staff

· pupils demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to learning

· pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is exemplary

· teachers’ high expectations are at the heart of teaching in the school

· teaching is challenging, enjoyable and develops pupils’ resilience

· leaders have successfully created a culture of high academic performance alongside developing well-rounded, thoughtful and caring young individuals

· pupils not only attain high standards at the end of key stage 4 but also make excellent progress from their starting points; students make outstanding progress from their starting points across a wide range of subjects at Post 16

At Ilkley Grammar School, partnerships matter and we value our work with an increasingly wide range of stakeholders. This includes the Red Kite Teaching School Alliance and Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance, where we work with a number of schools across the Leeds, Harrogate and North Yorkshire regions, for the training and development of teachers. We are also committed to working with our fellow Bradford schools to support the delivery of the best outcomes for children, young people and our communities across the Bradford District. Links with the local community are also numerous and there is a very active Parent Teacher Association.

Ilkley Grammar School has high aspirations for every child and we endeavour to inspire ambition for all. We work hard to develop and innovate our learning and teaching experiences, for example through our ‘iPads for learning’ initiative, and put inspirational and inclusive learning at the heart of all we do. We continually advance our curriculum to be responsive to student need and skills for life and work in a global twenty first century, and invest in the professional development of our staff to keep ourselves at the cutting edge of educational development. In short, we want everyone at Ilkley Grammar School to be ambitious and to always aim high. However, whilst the highest standards of academic achievement are promoted, we do not forget that behind every result is an individual and we celebrate and value progress as much as attainment.