The Background of Neale-Wade

Situated a mile to the south of the town centre in a very pleasant setting opposite St. Wenredas
Church. Neale-Wade Community College has a long and distinguished history of education in March.
It started when two benefactors William Neale (1696) and Henry Wade (1717) left money to provide
schooling in the town.

Since September 2005, Neale-Wade has been a Specialist College in Mathematics and Computing.
Our aim is to raise the standard of achievement and participation within the College, our partner
primary schools and the community.

We have been able to:

• Make a substantial investment in new

hardware and training.

• Increase resources which are available for

community access and use.

• Develop the use of ICT to enhance learning

and teaching and raise levels of attainment.

• Expand the provision for learning both within

the curriculum and outside school hours.

• Work with local partners to improve and

extend community provision for ICT.
A im s

“ To be a centre of excellence”

Academic
To provide opportunities for the full ability
range in the community:
For quality and range of experience
For recognised achievement
For fulfilling potential
For individual guidance

Ethos
To provide an environment which is:
Secure and orderly
Caring
Purposeful
Which has a sense of community

So c i a l
To nurture:
Self-discipline and independence
Self respect
Respect for others and their property
Respect for the College and its site
Moral, cultural, physical, spiritual and social
development

Our vision for ICT

”The College believes that the effective use of current, new and emerging ICT enhances the
experience of the whole College community supporting our ability to engage, enthuse and
empower all learners. This will enhance understanding, raise achievement, improve
communication and thus have a positive impact on work life balance.”
The Curriculum

We aim to provide the best possible opportunities for all our learners. Students will be encouraged to
take responsibility for their own learning, be involved in the assessment of their work and become
lifelong learners.

Students will be encouraged to:

• work as individuals and in teams;
• develop self-confidence;
• be reflective about their work and evaluate what they do;
• set targets for themselves with the guidance of their teachers;
• develop skills of enquiry, questioning and appreciate different points of view.

Lessons are 50 minutes long and all students in Key Stages 3 and 4 study for 30 lessons per week.
In addition there is a 20 minute Tutor Period each day, where students complete activities to support
their learning.

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3, students follow a broad and

balanced curriculum which meets the
requirements of the National Curriculum.
The year groups are divided into 3 bands for
timetabling purposes. In Year 7 students are
set by ability in English, Maths and ICT and
taught in mixed ability groups for the
remainder of the curriculum, this includes
Science, Design Technology, Art, Music,
Drama, PSHE, History, Geography and IBC
(ideas, beliefs and culture), Languages
(either French or German) and PE.

At the end of Key Stage 3 students can

choose from a wide range of GCSE subjects
and alternative vocational courses to
broaden their subject choice. They all
receive an ‘Options’ booklet which details the
choices available to them.
Key Stage 4

All students in Years 10 and 11 follow GCSE

courses. There is a core curriculum of English
(Language and Literature), Maths, Core
Science, ICT, IBC, PSHE and PE. Students
can additionally opt from a wide range of
subjects which engender our personalised
ethos, these are detailed in the ‘Options’
booklet.

Extra Curricular Study

We provide out of hours support for students of
all abilities with their learning. The library is
open after school, along with the ICT suite and
we provide revision classes after school,
holiday revision courses and summer schools.

Sixth Form

At Key Stage 5 the college offers a wide range of Advanced GCE courses. The minimum entry
requirement is 5 GCSE grades at A* - C. Student options are tailored to their individual needs and
abilities with the majority studying four AS courses plus enrichment in Year 12 and 3 A level courses
in Year 13. A wide range of enrichment opportunities are available to the students. More details can
be found in the Post-16 prospectus available from the college.
Support For Learning

We have a strong commitment to support all students

with their learning needs. Students with special
educational needs are given a great deal of support. The
Learning Support Faculty links closely with all faculties to
assist students as required and students with specific
learning difficulties or persistent literacy difficulties are
withdrawn for short, regular sessions to work on reading,
spelling and study skills.

Our STEPS Unit (Social Training, Education and

Pastoral Support) provides time limited support for
students who are experiencing difficulties in some
mainstream lessons.

We recognise that many students are particularly gifted

and talented in one or more areas. There is a wide range
of extra curricular activities which allow these students to
develop their talents including an after school club and a
summer school for students from Year 6 to Year 8.
Teachers work hard to extend gifted students to the full in
their lessons.

Extended Study at Home

We see homework as an important part of every
student’s education and a major part of our
partnership with parents. Homework helps them
to work on their own and complete tasks on time.
Also to follow up the work done in class, helping
to improve their understanding, encourage further
interest in the topics being studied and improve
their standards of achievement by reinforcing
learning.

Homework is expected to be completed on a

regular basis and achievement in examinations
will be improved by a student’s application to their
home study. Students are issued with a diary and
should make a note of all homework set. Parents
and tutors will sign the diaries regularly as this is
an effective means of home–school
communication.
Ethos and Expectations

We believe that a positive ethos is of primary importance to

our community. We achieve this through:

• Our strong commitment to a pastoral support structure that

helps students to learn and develop as active citizens. Our
pastoral system consists of 6 Houses with vertical tutor
groups. Each group contains students from Years 7 to 11.

• A Behaviour and Attendance policy which supports

students and staff by providing clear expectations,
guidelines, sanctions and rewards.

• Our belief that any form of bullying is unacceptable.

Students are aware of how to respond to a problem.

• Our commitment to student involvement in their college.

This can be seen in our peer support groups, our Student
Leaders, our consultation processes and particularly our
College Parliament. Students from all tutor groups are
represented and have a real input into the development of
the College.

• Our rewards system which values all students. House

points are available for a wide range of reasons and
Houses compete to be the most successful. Good work
may lead to a letter home or being displayed. Student
leaders are chosen in Year 11 and sports colours are
awarded to those who represent the College.
Beyond the Classroom

We strongly believe in providing extensive opportunities for students to take part in ‘out of hours’
learning, these include:

• Music developed through a wide variety of classes and events including visiting tutors, concerts,
orchestras, bands and choirs.

• Sport clubs and teams which meet on a regular basis throughout the year. This spans a wide range
of activities and occurs on both a recreational and competitive basis. We have well established
links with partner providers, specifically local clubs and The Fenland District Council Youth
Development Programme. Indeed the College is the focus for local sport in the area.

• A number of after school clubs which cater for special interests, these include Computer Club for
Girls, Chess and Story Writing.

• Special events throughout the year such as charity events, the Madd Show, the annual production,
Arts Week, and the Duke of Edinburgh scheme where we have students completing Bronze, Silver
and Gold awards.

• A range of field trips and excursions to sites of local interest including language exchanges, visits
abroad and a battlefield visit to Belgium and France. Our students can also opt to host student
visitors from Holland. Residential Geography visits go to the Lake District, Wales or
Northumberland.
Other Aspects of the College

Academic Mentoring
Students’ progress across their subjects is monitored by their Form Tutor and Head of House. An annual Academic
Mentoring interview is held for each student so that parents, the Form Tutor and the student can discuss the
student’s progress against their targets. Subject specific parent’s evenings take place once each year.

Involving parents
Parents’ views are also sought on many of our policies and practices through our Parent/Teacher Forum. The
College Profile is available on the DCSF website giving both student data and general information about the
college. The College also has a very interesting and exciting website which contains a summary of College
publications, news and general information. The website address is www.neale-wade.cambs.sch.uk.

Religious Education
In Religious Education, students follow the County Agreed Syllabus for RE. We aim for students to develop an
understanding of tolerance towards religious beliefs, whilst having the scope to consider their own values and
beliefs. This is done through a thematic approach in Key Stage 3, a ‘short’ GCSE course at Key Stage 4 and a
whole day conference at Key Stage 5.

Reports
You will receive one progress report with full subject comments each year. In addition, during the year teachers
review and assess the effort and progress of all students and parents receive information about this review, which
is called an interim report.

Sex Education
All students study sex education through their PSHE lessons. The students are taught by a specialist team of staff,
who aim to help them become both well informed and have a deeper understanding of the moral issues. Requests
for students to be exempt from Sex Education lessons should be made in writing to the Principal.

Attendance and Punctuality

High standards of attendance and punctuality are expected of our students; therefore we ask parents to telephone
the college on the first day of absence. Clear guidance is available on request as to when we will and will not
approve family holidays.

Careers
Careers education is part of PSHE. In Year 9, all students develop a Personal Learning Plan, considering the
career they would like to pursue and identify how they are going to achieve it. All students in Year 10 participate
in work experience and all Year 10 and Year 11 students are entitled to an individual interview with a Connexions
Adviser.

Admissions
Please see the LEA Admissions Booklet for more information.

Community Links
The College maintains strong links with the community of March. Through these links, the College enhances its
provision, offering our students citizenship activities, preparation for the world of work and the responsibilities of
adult life. We also have strong links with local agencies including the careers service, police, social services, the
youth service and many more. The College is also designated a Community College, which means that its facilities
are widely used by community groups, organisations and clubs.