Shared values and beliefs
Haggerston School is an inclusive, responsive learning community with high standards and high expectations enabling everyone to succeed. A love of learning is our priority. We work in partnerships based on mutual respect and equality. We develop confident, creative responsible young women with the integrity to contribute to and lead society in the 21st Century.

About the School
Haggerston School is a thriving and successful community school serving Hackney and the neighbouring boroughs of Islington and Tower Hamlets. The school is less than a mile from the city which makes it easy for us to promote links with the business community and employers to benefit students. The school is set in beautiful grounds and is a listed building, designed by the famous, visionary architect Erno Goldfinger. We provide secure, safe premises and accommodation. We will be changing from a girls’ school to a co-educational school with a Sixth Form from September 2010. As part of the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ scheme, refurbishment of buildings is planned for the school. The new Headteacher is available to see parents once a week during dedicated parent meeting times.

Current achievements at Haggerston School

• Most improved secondary school in Hackney with a highly qualified, experienced and dedicated staff who are committed to learning and every student achieving their potential
• GCSE results improved by 14%. GCSE grades A*- C = 54%
• 100% of students achieved 1 or more grades A* - G at GCSE
• 98% of students achieved 5 or more grades A* - G at GCSE
• 100% of students with special educational needs achieved 1 or more grades A* - G at GCSE. One
  student with SEN achieved 7.5 A* - C passes.
• Highest ever achievement at Key Stage 3 SATs Ofsted judged the school to be very good when it was
  last inspected
• We are a specialist Science, Maths and Technology College and our excellence in these areas is to the mutual benefit of both our own students and our neighbouring schools with whom we share good practice and specialist resources
• Students attend Master Classes for budding young mathematicians
• We hold a special week of events in the summer term and include our primary partners in Science, Maths and Technology – including exciting trips and in-school events to inspire students’ learning
• We have a Technology College collaboration with the pan-European Comenius Project, involving science, art and modern foreign language faculties with European partner schools
• We are the only secondary school in Hackney that is a Training School, which gives us the capacity to train and develop our teachers to their full potential
• We recently became one of a hundred schools to be invited to take on a second specialism. We have recently been designated a specialist Language College and offer excellent teaching in French, Spanish, Turkish and Bengali to GCSE level. Chinese School is held on Saturdays
• Trips abroad to Spain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic have taken place this year
• We have newly refurbished Science Laboratories with the latest ICT equipment to assist in learning and teaching – we are leading other schools in the transition to the 21st Century Science GCSE with work related elements of at least 55% of the course
• Our school has 4 ICT suites for students to use and students enjoy full access to the Learning Resource Centre which is equipped to support students’ progress in becoming independent learners
• There are regular public performances and events in the Arts including exhibitions, school productions, concerts, Hackney Sports and dance
• Students achievements in English and Drama are well known through performances and training sessions for student teachers at The Globe Theatre
• Purpose built Drama studios stimulate students to develop confidence with performance and they achieved 93% A*- C
• We are fortunate to have the biggest sports facilities of 35 any school in Hackney. With a purpose built Sports Hall, a large mirrored dance studio, a new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and floodlit pitches which can also be used by the wider community out of school hours
• Sports Day is held on a professional track at The New River Stadium in Tottenham
• We are recognised for our Arts provision with an Artsmark Gold Award
• We have a full school orchestra and choir that works with professionals from the LSO and regularly performs in public
• Students can learn new instruments or improve existing skills with our peripatetic specialist teachers in sound proof purpose built rooms
• The Music Department have fully equipped specialist rooms
• We are a Creative Partnerships School and are well known for our innovative approaches within the curriculum and shared with the community
• Our Student Voice is a strong aspect of school life. The girls are frequently consulted by government representatives about issues affecting young people. Our girls learn to be articulate and are encouraged to express their opinions and ideas in appropriate ways
• In order to ensure that bullying or conflicts do not escalate we have SISTAZ (Someone in School To Ask Zone) a peer mentoring initiative run by students and supervised by the inclusion team
• There is a strong sense of community and a strong caring ethos. Racial harmony is very good and we have an excellent reputation for valuing one another’s cultures - we celebrate our cultures with events and assemblies
• We have a dedicated prayer room for student and staff use

Curriculum Organisation and Learning
From Year 5 we start to include students from our feeder schools in some of our events and learning opportunities – such as working with our Year 9 students in Drama workshops.

During Year 6 we start to build up knowledge of students coming to Haggerston School by finding out about their learning, special needs and abilities so that we can ensure that their learning potential is maximised and continues smoothly from the moment they arrive. Parents have several opportunities to visit the school during the working day and in the evening to meet the teachers and other adults working with students. Parents will be impressed with the working ‘atmosphere’ around the school.

Year 6 students spend a whole day at Haggerston School in July, so that they start to feel familiar with their future school.

When girls arrive at the start of Year 7 they are welcomed by their Head of Learning and take part in an induction programme to help them settle in and understand how the school works.

In Key Stage 3, students are taught the subjects of the National Curriculum mainly in mixed ability groups, and in Maths they are set. Although they have some lessons in tutor groups of 30, we teach many subject areas in smaller groups. All students have their learning needs assessed so that special arrangements and help can be put in place where necessary, such as mentoring, counselling, learning support and learning enhancement opportunities.

In Key Stage 4, Years 10 and 11 students work towards their examination courses. We also offer some non-GCSE courses and work with colleges and other providers to offer work related qualifications.

Supporting Learning
The Language and Learning Faculty team ensure that all students have the best opportunity to achieve their potential, whatever barriers to learning may exist. The team is made up of special educational needs teachers and teaching assistants, ethnic minority achievement teachers, learning mentors and a teacher responsible for gifted and talented students. We have a suite of newly refurbished rooms that form a dedicated resource base for students with additional needs.

A range of support is offered to students: in-class support, workshop sessions to improve literacy, numeracy, thinking skills, interpersonal skills and motor skills. There are induction courses for beginner bilingual students. Activities and clubs are offered at lunchtime and after school to improve reading, develop study skills and enhance our mainstream curriculum offer.

The involvement of parents and students is important to our assessment, monitoring and review procedures. Parents are regularly invited to meetings to discuss their daughter’s progress.

Students with additional needs are identified for their particular needs and provision is made to address that need. A review takes place twice yearly and the progress of each individual is closely monitored.

Pastoral Organisation
It has been noted by Ofsted that Haggerston School provides excellent pastoral care.

Within each of our five Year Groups there are six tutor Groups who remain with the tutor allocated to them from Year 7 until they leave school in Year 11. Each Year group has a Head of Learning with a team of six tutors. The tutor is the key worker and significant adult for students within the group and they monitor learning, progress, behaviour, uniform, attendance and punctuality and homework diaries. Tutors teach Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship lessons once a week, work with parents when there is a problem and meet parents on Parents’ Consultation Evenings to discuss the progress of their child. The Heads of Learning monitor and track learning, progress and personal and social development of all students in the year group. The Heads of Learning are available at parents’ evenings to talk to parents and meet with parents by appointment throughout the year.

Assemblies and Reflections
The Senior Leadership Team and the Heads of Learning lead assemblies held on every day of the week. The assemblies address our values, beliefs, learning ethos, reflect our multicultural community and are nondenominational. They are a time for celebrating success, as well as drawing attention to areas for improvement. We provide a daily reflection which supports the values of the school and the cultures within it.

Parental Involvement
All parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their daughters’ learning and to work in partnership with the school. The Haggerston School Association meets twice a term and influences our thinking about educational provision, fun events and other matters.

Parents and students are kept informed about the school through The Haggerston Recorder which is published half termly. This newsletter is about our school and its students and celebrates our achievements.

Another valuable way in which parents contribute is by attending an Individual Action Planning appointment. At this meeting the student, her tutor and parents discuss targets for the year ahead. They discuss the steps the student must take to achieve success and how the targets will be monitored.

We expect all parents/carers to attend the annual consultation evening for their daughter. In Year 11 we have a high profile leaving ceremony to which parents/carers are invited. It is a celebration of their achievements at Haggerston School and this is followed by an evening event held in a local venue.

Behaviour for learning
Many external visitors and government officials have commended our exceptionally high standards of behaviour. The highest expectation of student behaviour creates a positive, calm, safe learning environment. We develop positive attitudes based on mutual respect of one another as well as personal and school property.

All students are expected to keep to the Haggerston Rules by:

• Showing respect to staff, students, visitors and all other members of the school community
• Working together and sharing responsibility
• Working hard, listening carefully and following instructions
• Bringing in the right equipment and wearing school uniform
• Taking care of the school environment
• Celebrating achievements and the achievements of others
• Seeking help and accepting support to improve where necessary
• Attending school every day and arriving to school and lessons on time
• Accepting sanctions for breaking theHaggerston Rules

Uniform
All students are expected to be properly dressed for the school day, which means appropriate clothes, jewellery and accessories.

• Plain white shirt with collar which can be long or short sleeved
• White shirt should not show below sweatshirt
• Haggerston blue skirt, trousers or salwar kameez (not tracksuit bottoms)
• Haggerston blue sweatshirt
• In winter a white roll-neck top can be worn under the shirt
• Plain blue, black or white headscarf
• Black flat shoes or sandals with a back or white or black trainers
• Sensible tights/socks (white or black)
• Coats to be worn outside and taken off inside the building
• Only one pair of stud earrings/sleepers to be worn – no other jewellery
• Facial or body studs are not allowed
• No make-up or nail extensions/varnish is allowed
• Mobile phones/personal stereos are not to be seen or heard in school PE Kit
• Haggerston tracksuit bottoms and blue leggings or blue cycle shorts
• White Aertex shirt
• Trainers or plimsolls

P.E. Kit

• Haggerston tracksuit bottoms and blue leggings or blue cycle shorts
• White Aertex shirt
• Trainers or plimsolls

Extra Curricular Activities
A wide range of lunchtime, after school and holiday activities take place. These range from revision for SATS and GCSEs, homework club, catch-up sessions, mini-enterprise activities, a variety of dance and sports activities, music clubs such as steel pans, strings, choir or orchestra, drama rehearsals, technology clubs, Gifted and Talented activities, after hours GCSEs such as Modern Foreign Languages or Music. There are Turkish folklore and Turkish drama clubs, Vietnamese and Yoruba clubs and a West African dance club. We organise trips abroad and to various places of interest to support students’ learning. Year 10 do a two week placement of work experience.

Oversubscription criteria for community secondary schools
Children who have a school named in their Statement of Special Educational Needs are required to be admitted to the school and will be counted against the admission number. We will make every effort to offer your child a place at the school you prefer but if the school is oversubscribed we will be unable to meet every preference. If this happens, places will be allocated in accordance with the following criteria:
1 Children looked after by a local authority.
2 Children whose acute medical or social need justifies a place at that particular school*.
3 Children with brothers and sisters** at the school at the time of the proposed admission (not including Year 11).
4 Applicants living nearest to the main entrance of the school as measured in a straight line on a map or using a GIS mapping system.

Distance as measured in 4 above will also be used in any tie-breaker decisions for priorities 1 and 3 above.

Open days and evenings
The school will be pen at the following times for visits by parents:

Wednesday 19 September 2007 9am – 10am
Friday 21 September 2007 9am – 10am
Monday 24 September 2007 9am – 10am
Thursday 27 September 2007 5.30pm – 7.30pm (The headteacher's talk is at 5.45pm and at 7pm

Subjects

For Secondary School Admissions:

Tel: 020 8820 7197
Tel: 020 8820 7402

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