Ethos & Values
We Educate
Our curriculum of high expectations and ambition supports everyone to be confident, highly effective communicators and creative problem solvers; in summary, the best that they can be.
We are proud to offer a wide range of learning experiences with a distinctive business and enterprise curriculum including:
- business-related specialist subjects, such as GCSE Economics and Computer Science
- high quality, high status, vocational courses such as BTEC Business Studies
- hands-on, practical work-related learning in food technology, music and performing arts
- explicit teaching of employment skills and economic understanding underpinned by a firm foundation in literacy and numeracy
- a highly focused, 'Gatsby' bench-marked, careers curriculum rooted in 'what really works' to prepare students for the future
We Support...
At Lancaster Academy we place students' welfare at the heart Of everything we do. We establish a safe and positive learning environment where students aim to be the very best at what they do. Our students take pride in their performance and themselves, are ready for business and for life. Pastoral care is underpinned by a culture Of high expectations and ambition, supporting all students to develop an enterprising mindset. Students grow in confidence and resilience and are supported to be self-reflective learners thus promoting continual improvement.
The personal development curriculum reflects our values:
- Respect - for everyone around them, listening, behaving and contributing positively.
- Employability - having the core literacy and numeracy skills, being adaptable, enterprising, resilient and reliable.
- Accountability - having high expectations and self-belief, taking responsibility for their own actions and a pride in their standards.
- Diversity - celebrating difference and being a team player.
- Young Ambassadors - having strong opinions and ideas, participating, showing innovation and leadership, being role models.
We are proud that students thrive in our diverse community where every student has a voice and is listened to. Effective behaviour systems ensure that students learn unhindered and therefore achieve their full potential whilst with us.
We Inspire...
There is rich diversity in our school community and so clubs and educational experiences are far reaching. From Modern Foreign Language/History trips to Berlin to Duke of Edinburgh expeditions at the Dark Peak, from visits to the House of Parliament to orienteering at Bradgate Park we aim to nurture inquiring minds, cultural capital and a sense of adventure.
Employability is central to our ethos and we ensure that every student participates in highly aspirational work experience tailored to their next steps beyond Lancaster Academy. Our READY for the future enrichment curriculum engages students with inspirational people from all business sectors so that they can make informed and ambitious choices about their next steps.
We promote Young Ambassadors in many ways, through our student council, the Prefect system and through sports leadership. Lancaster Academy boasts a proud history of sporting prowess and we continue to promote healthy living through a variety of sports clubs and teams.
‘READY for the Future’ identifies that we want our students to value and be inspired by:
Respect, Employability, Accountability, Diversity and Young Ambassadorship.
As part of our commitment to developing our students appreciation of British values, we also ensure that our Spiritual, Social, Moral and Cultural development programme underpins both the taught and wider curriculum. Our programme of assemblies, shaped by our inclusive ethos, are there to inspire students and encourage them to become thoughtful, compassionate, tolerant and successful individuals. In addition, our Religious Education curriculum supports British values in a variety of different ways. Through following the Curriculum document Leicester Agreed Syllabus -Harmony and Diversity we aim for our students to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal Religions in the UK, including Sikhism, Hinduism and Islam and other religions as appropriate. This addresses, amongst others, the values of democracy and Human Rights, with the aim that students are able to respectfully disagree and understand there may be different contesting views.
Ensuring the welfare, health and safety of the young people at Lancaster is paramount, and this is evident not only in our Health and Safety and Behaviour Policies, but also that we hold the Anti-bullying award.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC)
The academic, personal development and well-being of every student in our academy is of paramount importance to us here at The Lancaster Academy. This includes understanding the importance of providing a range of opportunities for our students that supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC).
SMSC provision at Lancaster is supported by our academy ethos and values, and through the contributions of every curriculum subject.
Our academy ethos underpins the promotion of SMSC through:
- Ensuring individuals feel valued and where personal endeavour and responsibility are encouraged and rewarded.
- High levels of morale and confidence and a model of professional standards and leadership.
- Strong pastoral support for students and staff, including effective support to families and liaison with outside agencies.
- Good behaviour supported by policies and practice which promote self-discipline and responsible attitudes.
- A sense of community throughout the academy, and strong links between the academy, local schools and the wider community.
- A well maintained learning environment fully compliant with Health and Safety legislation; with grounds, building, and equipment and learning resource conducive to students’ learning.
- A commitment to opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
- A pride in fair and competitive, sporting participation in local and national competitions.
- A recognised success in regular, ongoing support of a range of local and national charities.
It is very important to us to excel academically and offer a sense of community throughout the Academy and within the wider community in order to help our students to reach their full potential. The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in particular raises confidence, self-esteem, motivation and leads to better learning. We are dedicated to empowering our students to be confident, healthy, happy and thoughtful people who are able to make informed choices and decisions. We are very proud of our Academy, its students and staff, and take every opportunity to celebrate its achievements and successes. We celebrate them through assemblies, our regular newsletter, prize giving evenings, our website, parental contact, and in the media. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that students need to enjoy their time at school and, when they leave, be prepared to live as independent a life as possible whilst being responsible citizens.
SMSC is evident in all areas of the Lancaster Academy; in classrooms and corridors, on our sports fields and in the way we interact with the Leicester community.
