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Queen Elizabeth’s School:

Vision and Strategic Plan 2016-2021

Commitment to Hope

The relationship between Church foundation and the school ethos.

500 years ago, a grammar school was founded with a close association with the

church of Wimborne Minster, later amalgamating with a county school, to form

the current QE School, a state funded C/E Voluntary Controlled School. The

school thus combines Church and secular foundations and any statement of its

ethos needs to be inclusive, and value-based rather than doctrinal in nature.

Each aspect of the school ethos below is derived from a key Christian teaching,

expressed in a way that people of different belief systems can identify with.

1. Who do we think we ARE?

Christians believe humans are made in the image of God, for an enriching

lasting relationship with God and each other. Each person should be

treated as a uniquely valuable individual, in whatever circumstances we

relate to them. It is important that in the area of relationships we aspire

to EXCELLENCE and not merely to equality or mutual tolerance.

2. How are we meant to treat one another?

We aspire to a model of community where the ethos is one of mutual

service – the welfare of the other is sought in preference to one’s own.

This is supremely exemplified in the lifestyle and self-sacrifice of Jesus. We

seek to move beyond loving our neighbour as ourselves, towards the ideal

of loving our enemies. Those with gifts and advantages can use them for

the benefit of those less able and gifted than themselves, so the school

encourages students to look out for ways of helping and supporting one

another, beyond the circle of close friendships or peer groups, into the

wider school community. Authority will always be used to build up those

who are being served. Mutual respect is a minimum standard - beyond

this we will seek to celebrate one another’s achievements and take real

pleasure in the success of others. These are challenging but achievable

goals.

3. Tackling success and failure

Christian teaching recognises that there is much wrong with the world we

live in, including within ourselves. We believe that there are external

absolute standards of right and wrong, and that individuals have

responsibility for making good choices in life, and accepting the

consequences of their own actions and decisions.

Commitment to Hope

We will reward those who make good choices while seeking to robustly

correct those making bad choices, helping them to develop more positive

attitudes and actions. We recognise our shared responsibility when things

go wrong, and we value the experiences and opinions of others. We aim

always to try and balance the needs of the individual against the needs of

the community.

4. What happens when we make mistakes?

The Christian message is about transforming grace, not simply reward for

success and punishment for failure. We have a bias towards hope, we

expect the best from people (while being realistic when things go wrong),

we believe that people can and do change for the better, and that we are

not the prisoners of past mistakes. When individuals genuinely recognise

their own responsibility for failure, there is tremendous potential for

healing, reform, and renewal, especially when other individuals from the

school community demonstrate this belief in practical ways, with the

generous gift of their time, their trust, and the offer of new opportunities.

When we have been hurt by the actions of others, forgiveness offers a

way of escape, freeing both the hurt person AND the one who has done

the hurting, to move forwards and be involved in creating a new and more

positive future.

5. A commitment to hope.

The Christian church believes that we are all already on a journey towards

wholeness and maturity. We are therefore, committed to hope and a

better future, however challenging our present circumstances. We believe

in working hard to provide living examples of what is possible in our

school community, in the midst of the ups and downs of our present-day

lives, so that we can inspire others to emulate our example, and to do

better than we have!

Commitment to Excellence

Queen Elizabeth’s School Vision:

Our Academy will be known for:

1. Our commitment to hope

2. A community of mutual service

3. A community that delights in success.

4. Our commitment to rewarding effort and challenging those who make poor

choices.

5. Our commitment to a better future for all who study and work in our

community.

6. Challenging assumptions that only some students can succeed and a

commitment to lifelong learning for all.

7. A local, regional and national presence on the educational landscape

8. Leading action research by teachers

9. Life-enhancing education that teaches the whole child through a broad

curriculum

We will only succeed by:

1. Improving and increasing student recruitment

2. Telling our story

3. Building partnerships

4. Governance based on the mutuality of challenge and support

5. Controlling costs

6. Growing income

On a strong foundation of:

1. Investing in and developing world class staff

2. Utilising data and information effectively

3. Developing effective leadership at all levels

4. Promoting a culture of ambition, excellence and enterprise

5. Aligning our activities with our strategy

6. Pace, progress and agility to meet ever-changing contexts.

Commitment to Excellence

Strategic Aims & Key Indicators

The Academy Board will use the key indicators to assess progress against each of

our aims.

Aim 1

Accelerate the pace of raising attainment for students, promote

achievement and deliver a significant increase in outcomes.

All of us at QE recognise the need to ensure that we attain the highest

possible outcomes for our students, whether measured internally or

externally. We are committed to ensure that the work of our staff has the

maximum impact upon student outcomes. The two key academic

priorities are to raise achievement and to close the gap between

disadvantaged students and others.

Success Criteria 2021

Student achievement exceeds national averages as measured by

Progress 8 at KS4 and ALPS at KS5

The gaps between the performance of disadvantaged students and

others declines on a yearly basis

The gap between boys and girls performance declines on a yearly basis

All students achieve positive and appropriate progression outcomes,

whether this be to further education, training or the workplace

Curriculum design is flexible and innovative in order to support the

aims above.

Reporting Body

Learning and Achievement Committee

Commitment to Staff

Aim 2

The recruitment, retention & reward of high calibre staff who are

motivated to accept and meet the challenge of the future vision of the

school.

It is understood by Governors that there are significant challenges facing

all schools when trying to recruit outstanding teachers, leaders and

support staff. We at QE are committed to ensuring that we do all that we

can to ensure that our recruitment and retention policies are such that

they attract and retain the highest quality personnel. We will continue to

work with our partners in initial teacher training and also our partners in

continuing professional development to ensure that we attract the best

possible teachers. Governors will continue to monitor our remuneration

and other personnel policies to ensure they assist in this aspiration.

Success Criteria

The school policy for recruitment, retention and reward is recognised

for its brand and reputation and attracts high performing talent

QE continues to be a fantastic workplace; staff are fully supported in

their aims to deliver first rate educational opportunities and enjoy the

formidable challenge of their work

Effective CPD and succession planning allows all colleagues to

continually improve their practice and provides opportunities for

career progression

Reporting Body

Personnel Committee

Commitment to Community

Aim 3

Provide regular and meaningful communications between governors, staff, pupils and parents, encouraging parental involvement in their child’s learning, progress and the life of the Academy.

Governors and senior leaders recognise that we must make concerted efforts to ensure that parents are fully informed about their children’s progress and that staff and Governors respond efficiently and appropriately when concerns are raised.

Success Criteria

Survey/feedback evidence that communication systems and processes

are effective and that governors, staff, pupils and parents feel valued

and good relations prevail

There are clear pathways for parents to access Governors and Staff.

The School Website is upgraded and improved alongside effective use

of social media to promote the school brand

Reporting Body

Community and Environment Committee

Commitment to Leadership

Aim 4

Ensure our structures of Governance & Compliance remain robust and

that we recruit and retain Governors with the appropriate set of skills

and experience to support the vision and strategic aims.

The development of an effective, efficient and relevant Trust Board is

essential for the successful development of QE school. The Governing

Body is committed to ensuring that the constitution of the board is

aligned with the priorities of the academy and that the skills set on the

board is appropriately aligned with the growth ambitions of the Trust.

Success Criteria

All trustees are familiar with and comply with the Code of Governance

Trustees ensure they have a clear overview of the vision and strategic

aims of QE enhanced by their active involvement with the school

Trustees ensure that the vision and strategic aims are reflected in

the school improvement plan and that enhancing student

outcomes is central to this

Trustees are enabled to support and challenge through their

knowledge of the school, informed by visits as well as data; this

being evidenced clearly in the minutes of meetings

Trustees have skill sets that reflect the variety of support and

experience required to ensure good governance

Trustees have the opportunity for training to support reflective

and effective practice

Reporting Body

Full Governing Body

Commitment to Environment

Aim 5

We are committed to continually maintain and improve our campus to

maximise our business development opportunities and to develop links

with local communities to ensure we maintain the best facilities in our

region.

Governors recognise that we are ideally placed to serve both our existing

students and our wider community as our campus is a major asset to the

whole community. We wish to work very closely with our local community

in all its sectors, business, cultural, economic, voluntary and others.

Success Criteria

Campus fully utilised with effective use of space

Increased business development and revenue streams generating

additional revenue of over prior financial year

Community use of campus extended from current baseline.

Reporting Body

Community and Environment Committee

Commitment to Opportunity

Aim 6

To sustain and develop a leadership team, capable of creating formal

partnerships and able to lead/sponsor a Multi Academy Trust (MAT).

Governors have invested in the leadership of the school to ensure that the

Trust has the capacity to develop and support its ambition to develop a

multi-academy trust. The Board has the vision and determination to see

the Trust grow with the addition of other schools as part of a MAT.

Success Criteria

Achieve Multi Academy Status and establish partnerships with other

schools

University Technical College opens as part of Multi Academy Trust

Leadership team shows excellent capacity leading improvement

programmes in QE and other schools in the MAT resulting in high level

of achievement by students

Reporting Body

Full Governing Body

Commitment to Sustainability

Aim 7

Ensure the financial stability and sustainability of the Academy

Success Criteria

Produce a balanced budget to include a small surplus

All revenue opportunities are maximised and are supported by an

effective and efficient management of the MAT

High calibre staff are recruited

Plans for improving the building and its maintenance are implemented

Successful teaching and learning is supported by high quality resources

and enrichment activities

Reporting Body

Finance and Audit Committee

Queen Elizabeth’s School

Wimborne

Dorset

BH21 4DT

Tel: 01202 885233

Email: office@qe.dorset.sch.uk

Website: www.qe.dorset.sch.uk

Queen Elizabeth’s School (Wimborne Minster): a company limited by guarantee Registered in England and Wales: Company Number 8696394

Registered Office: Wimborne Minster, Dorset. BH21 4DT

Updated 22nd Nov 2016