English is an exciting subject that lets students explore the world through literature, poetry and through many forms of writing and speaking. The skills students learn in English are vital for all their other subjects and for almost every career they might pursue.

The English department is made up of a large open learning zone surrounded by 11 classrooms in the newer part of the building. In addition, English teachers often make use of our large and well-stocked library, which can comfortably accommodate a whole class. Our professional theatre is also used by our English department to bring the curriculum to life.

All students from Years 7-10 have a 20 minute reading session, three times a week, during Tutor Time. In this time, they are read to by their Form Tutor and they follow along.

A range of texts have been chosen to help develop a joy for reading and cover a range of cultures, traditions and time periods. These books have been chosen to provide pupils with high-quality fiction and non-fiction texts while highlighting important themes and ideas in the lives of our young people. 

Various studies indicate the power and importance of being read aloud to for young people and their learning:

The ​‘Simple View of Reading’, proposed by psychologists Philip Gough and William Tunmer (1986), defines reading comprehension as the outcome of an interaction between word reading (decoding) and spoken language comprehension. The act of reading aloud to the class from a challenging text may support the development of the children’s spoken language comprehension and therefore contribute to their reading comprehension skills

(Education Endowment Foundation Blog, Reading aloud with your class – what does the research say?).

Reading is led by the Tutor during these sessions, with students following along using a bookmark provided for them. The main focus for these sessions is on fluidity of reading and engagement with the text. Form tutors use Reciprocal Reader techniques (Predict, Clarify, Question, Summarise) to ensure students are fully engaging with the text and to develop their comprehension and understanding. 

Our aim in Maths is to prepare students for their exams and for the real world by equipping them with a variety of useful skills whilst also seeing that solving mathematical problems can be fun!

The Sciences are exciting subjects that let students investigate how things work. Our aim is to develop students’ curiosity about the world they live in, and to give them methods for investigating the world around them.

The Science Learning Zone is served by 11 well-equipped labs plus additional classroom spaces. The Science teachers are supported by a team of technicians, and together the department delivers a range of highly engaging lessons.

In PE, students experience a range of fantastic sports that develop a broad set of skills and a knowledge of healthy living, from cross-country and football to orienteering and gymnastics, with other sports including netball, basketball, rugby, trampolining, athletics, fitness, striking and fielding on the way.

Our excellent PE facilities include a spacious sports hall, 3G Pitch and athletics field, as well as a fitness suite, climbing wall and tennis courts.

RE is a great subject that opens students' eyes to the world around them and asks big questions about our place in the world. 
 

PSHE is Personal, Social, Health & Economic education. This subject helps students develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain.

RSE (Relationships & Sex Education) is learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, sex, sexuality and sexual health.

Citizenship provides students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare them to play a full and active part in society.

In Geography, students are encouraged to understand their role in society by considering different viewpoints, values and attitudes. Our Geography department aims to educate students to be better and more empowered citizens of the world.

In an increasingly global world, it is important for our young people to develop practical communication skills including being able to interact with people from other cultures and languages. To this end, academy students have the opportunity to study French or Spanish.
 

In an increasingly digital world, it is important for our young people to develop practical communication skills including being able to use computers to achieve a variety of goals.
 

In Art, students learn about different cultures of the world and think about their own identity through exploration of natural forms, portraiture, architecture and more.

Students benefit from amazing facilities including well-equipped art rooms with natural light provided by our specially designed skylights.

In Drama, students learn about characterisation, interpretation of text and various approaches to structuring drama work.

Our versatile drama studio space and professional theatre with tiered seats include LED lighting and modern sound systems to create the atmosphere for amazing performances. 

In Music, students gain experience of listening and appraising, performance, composition and group work. They learn to compose and perform in a variety of musical genres.

Our music classrooms including ensemble spaces, a music technology lab and seven instrument practice rooms

We are a partner of MyHub – the music education hub for the City of Manchester. Music Education Hubs develop a range of partnerships with schools, families and diverse cultural organisations to deliver a wide set of music education opportunities for all children and young people.

Technology looks at how things work. Our students have great opportunities to design and build a range of exciting products in the areas of Food Technology, Product Design, Graphics and Textiles.

Our facilities:

The Technology department has a number of specialist kitchens for food technology and workshops for Product Design and Textiles. We have a wide range of equipment to help students learn about technology in the working world.