Whether you are a prospective or current pupil, parent or member of staff, an educational professional or just a visitor to this site, I am sure you will find the information provided both useful and beneficial.

All of the students at Aspire have Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP) that identify SEMH as a primary need. All of the staff at Aspire are committed to providing an effective learning environment that aims to engage and inspire through lessons that take place in and out of the classroom. In our classes the individual needs of the children are paramount and the staff have a deep understanding of each of the students in their class providing opportunities to learn in a variety of ways.

We are currently undergoing a £2m development that will enhance the provision and allow us to work with more children and families. As part of the development we are introducing facilities to deliver a range of vocational qualifications such as construction and hair & beauty. These specialist facilities will supplement the new art room, food technology kitchen and dance and music room.

We are all hugely excited for the future development of Aspire and welcome the new children and families in the future.

If you would like to visit the school, please contact the main office to book an appointment.

Mr Peter Headeach
Principal

The AGC meets termly, the reports from this meeting are then fed to the Futura Learning Partnership trustees who meet termly to discuss Futura-wide issues and scrutinise the performance of all the schools in the partnership.

There is a robust and objective selection process for governors and trustees. Appointments are skills-based and made by recommendation from the AGC or relevant Trust committee – subject to the completion of a DBS check and declaration form. Governors are either parent governors, staff governors or community governors. They are usually appointed for a term of office of four years. In order to ensure good succession planning, however, a term of office for a governor may be varied by the board of trustees from between one and four years, subject to a maximum term of office.

Please see relevant links and documents below for further information.

If you have any queries relating to governance of the school, please email clerktogovernors@aspireacademy.org.uk

Or alternatively, you can write to the chair of governors, Diana Allez: c/o Aspire Academy, Frome Road, Odd Down, Bath. BA2 5RF.

Our governors

Peter Langton: Chair of Governors
Term of office: 01-09-2020 - 01-09-2023

Paula Black: Staff Governor
Term of office: 21 November 2018 - 20 November 2022

Paula is a primary teacher and has worked with Aspire in the primary AP unit last year and brings a wealth of experience to the centre.

Pete Headeach: Principal
Term of office: ex officio, appointed 27 January 2020

Maureen Glynn: Co-opted Governor
Term of office: 22 November 2017 - 21 November 2021

Maureen is a published author of art and SEN books. We are incredibly fortunate to have Maureen join the team.

Richard Morris: Co-opted Governor
Term of office: 16 November 2016 - 15 November 2020

Qualified management accountant, a career in internal audit, financial and risk management with British Gas and Knightstone Housing Association. Governor previously at Wellsway School and currently a member of the Wellsway MAT finance and resources committee.

Susy Summers: Staff Governor
Term of office: 21 November 2018 - 20 November 2022

Susy is a teacher in the primary centre and works with the youngest children in the school (KS1). Susy has over 10 years experience working with children with special needs and she loves her job. In her spare time Susy enjoys to travelling, reading and spending time walking her dog.

Lorraine Self: Clerk to Governors
Appointed: 1 March 2021

More information

• Annual reports and accounts
• Governor attendance 2019-2020 (Pdf)
• Declarations of personal/business interest and terms of office (Pdf)
• Scheme of delegation
• Structure of the Wellsway Multi Academy Trust Board
• Terms of reference

Admissions requirements

Parents/carers considering making an application for a place at Aspire Academy should contact the Special Needs Section at Bath and NE Somerset Local Authority as all admissions to the Academy are approved through them.

Students are placed at the Academy by the Local Authority seeking specialist placements for learners with Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) profiles. All students at the school need to have an active Statement of SEN or Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place, outlining their specific needs and the provision determined to meet those needs. Parents are advised to speak to their local SEN department, or current school placement, if they wish to enact provision of an EHCP for their child. Parents or Professionals wishing to pursue a placement with Aspire are very welcome, and actively encouraged, to visit the school. Visits can be arranged by contacting the school.

Parents may also wish to contact the SEN department within their local authority to advise that they wish to pursue a placement at the school.

Further information

• Bath & North East Somerset SEN
• SEND jargon buster (Pdf)
• Area wide local offer (Pdf)

Students are able to choose from a wide variety of break and lunch options. 

The menus currently available are attached for your information. Please note that there is a three-weekly rotation of the Menus 1, 2 and 3. For ease, dates are provided at the top of each menu to assist you with meal planning for your child.

• Zest's Primary School Temporary Lunchtime Menu: Term 1, September 2020 (Pdf)

We are please to announce that in March 2017 Aspire Academy was rated as good by Ofsted.

• Aspire Academy's Ofsted report: March 2017 (Pdf)
• Ofsted school entry

Senior leadership team

• Peter Headeach, Principal
• Amanda Tapsfield, Assitant Principal & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Vicky Tucker, Assistant Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead 

Teaching staff

• Paula Black
• Alex Carmichael
• Caoimhe Courtney
• Chloe Hubball
• Elly Owen
• Clare Glossop
• Amy Sanders
• Jon Parrett
• April Iles
• Tilly Butter
• Tom Gibson
• April Iles
• Nick Moore
• Jenny Newman 
• Tom Ramsden
• Leanne Wilding
• Susy Summers

Support staff

• Julia Swanborough, Safeguarding and Exams Officer
• Helen Whitley, EHCP Reviews manager
• Lorraine Self, Receptionist
• Frances Creevy, Finance Administrator
• Jerry Mitchell, Site Manager
• George Vinodu, IT Technician

• Stuart Rouse, Behaviour and Engagment Lead
• Olivia Jones, Teaching Assistant
• Shaun Lewis, Teaching Assistant
• Iain McNeilage, Higher Level Teaching Assistant
• Pansy Poolman, Teaching Assistant
• Travis Speedie, Teaching Assistant
• Louis Wilson, Higher Level Teaching Assistant
• Esther Stevens, Teaching Assistant & Nurture Lead
• Evie McCrea, Teaching Assistant
• Flo Mallon, Teaching Assistant
• Laura Howley, Teaching Assistant
• Martyna Roszman, Teaching Assistant
• Matt Donnelly, Teaching Assistant
• Rebecca Briggs, Teaching Assistant
• Shaun Lewis, Teaching Assistant
• Travis Roodt, Teaching Assistant
• Philippa Wellington, Teaching Assistant
• Lucy Young, Higher level Teaching Assistant

For information about our governing body please see the Academy Governing Committee (AGC).

Reports

• PE and sport premium impact 2018-19 (Pdf)
• PE and sport premium strategy 2019-20 (Pdf)

• Accessibility plan (Pdf)
• Admissions policy (Pdf)
• Attendance policy (Pdf)
• Behaviour policy (Pdf)
• Careers education, information, advice and guidance policy (Pdf)
• Charging and remissions policy
• Child protection and safeguarding policy (Pdf)
• Child protection and safeguarding policy addendum, June 2020 (Pdf)
• Complaints procedure
• Concern at work (whistle blowing)
• Data protection
• Equalities and diversity policy
• Esafety policy
• Exclusion from school
• Executive pay
• Freedom of information
• Gender pay gap
• Health and safety policy (Pdf)
• Inclusion policy
• Online safety policy (Pdf)
• Relationships and sex education policy (Pdf)
• Scheme of delegation
• SEND policy (Aspire)
• SEND policy
• Supporting children with medical conditions
• WMAT annual reports and financial statements

More information

• Futura Learning Partnership policies and procedures and statutory information
• If you require a paper copy of any of the school policies then please contact us, tel: 01225 832 212 or email: enquiries@aspireacademy.org.uk 

Ethos of behaviour management

We aim to support children develop the social, emotional, behavioural and learning skills necessary for them to be successful in school.  We actively promote and support their inclusion back into mainstream education or an alternative provision where appropriate.  

This is achieved thought the provision of a coherent and high quality curriculum, which stretches and challenges all our learners, as well as having a strong focus on developing emotional literacy skills underpinned by positive behaviour management.

Positive behaviour management

We work alongside parents and pupils to support them to positively manage their behaviour:

• Praise/stickers/certificates for good behaviour and effort in their learning
• We will often choose to ignore low-level, inappropriate behaviour
• All adults who work at The Primary Centre will model good behaviour
• Children will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour by making good choices and accepting that consequences may be positive or negative
• Children will be reminded and guided to make positive behaviour choices
• Students’ behaviour and learning is tracked lesson by lesson on a specialised system called Go4Schools.  It sets the students targets and at the end of the week a report is produced which shows their progress. Rewards are issued on a weekly basis
• Students are tracked and monitored regularly with relation to their IEP (Individual Education Plan) targets taken from the students statement of special educational needs (SEN).

Whenever possible, confrontation will be avoided. However, if physical intervention or restraint is deemed necessary, staff will follow safe handling (team teacher) guidance.

There is a withdrawal room in the Primary Centre. This facility is used to isolate unsafe behaviour and to allow other children to continue engaging with their learning opportunities. Use of this facility is logged and recorded, as well as monitored to see if patterns in their behaviour emerge.

Reflection time is used by the adult and child after the incident or later in the day whichever is the most appropriate.

We have strong links with all parents/carers of students at the Aspire Academy and this helps to achieve consistency in all aspects of behaviour management.

The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England. It’s designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better, and close the gap between them and their peers.

More information

• Spending allocation 2019-20 (Pdf)
• Impact report 2018-19 (Pdf)

As a provider of specialist education we hold a strong emphasis on the importance of both academic achievement and the development of social and emotional well-being.

All students are assessed on arrival so staff can tailor the curriculum to meet their needs. Our aim is for students to enjoy coming to school and enjoy learning. We aim to build their self-confidence, self-esteem and build resilient learners who will cope with the demands put on them.

At the end of their time with us students will have reached or exceeded their academic potential whilst being equipped with the social skills and tools required to continue their journey of success. We are proud to say we have not had any NEETS (not in education, employment or training) for four years.

KS2 and KS4 results

• KS2 2017/18 (Pdf)
• KS4 2017/18 (Pdf)
• Aspire Academy on find and compare schools in England
• Compare other insitutions on find and comare schools in England

• Ofsted report
• Privacy notice for pupils
• Pupil premium impact report 2017/18 (Pdf)
• Pupil premium spend report 2018/19 (Pdf)
• SEND local offer (Pdf)
• Sports premium (Pdf)
• WMAT accounts and reports

For more information please see Aspire Academy's school day (Pdf)

What is Thrive?

Thrive is a systematic approach to the early identification of emotional developmental need in children so that differentiated provision can be put in place quickly by the adults working most closely with the child. It is preventative, reparative, pragmatic and easy to use.

What are the guiding principles of the Thrive Approach?

• Every child is a unique person, constantly developing and learning in different ways and at different rates, each with his/her own abilities, talents and potential to be fulfilled
• Children’s healthy development, emotional well-being and learning are crucially dependent upon, and promoted through, positive relationships
• Children flourish when they are confident, self-assured, capable and resilient
• Children thrive in enabling environments, in which their individual development, learning experiences and needs are understood, responded to and supported through strong partnerships with parents/carers.

Further information

• Thrive parental ideas (Pdf)
• Thrive parent leaflet (Pdf)
• Thrive parent guide (Pdf)
• Aspire Thrive policy (Pdf)

Throughout the year we offer our pupils a range of reward activities and education visits, aimed to enhance their learning opportunities, develop their skills, knowledge and self-esteem and help to open their minds to other people, cultures and opportunities.

Trips and visits have included the following:

Educational trips:

• The Egg Theatre
• Trowbridge Fire Station
• Farleigh Castle
• Village study in Southstoke
• Roman Baths
• Bristol Zoo
• Fleet Air Arm museum
• We The Curious
• Visits to supermarkets
• Bath City Farm
• Allotments for seasonal activities
• Bath Cats and Dogs Home
• Visit to a garden centre
• War memorial
• Bath Abbey

Rewards activities:

• Laser Quest
• Ice skating
• Cinema
• Victoria Park
• Crazy golf
• Avon Valley Country Park
• Weston-Super-Mare
• Horse riding
• Swimming
• Go-karting

The school uniform is a black sweatshirt and t-shirt with the school logo, grey or black trousers or knee length skirt and black shoes. 

The school provides one sweatshirt, two t-shirts and PE kit (fleece, t-shirt and sport trousers). 

Parents/carers are expected to provide the trousers and/or knee length skirt, shoes and to replace lost kit which can be purchased through the school. Please contact the office.

Reports

Year 7 catch up premium report 2018-19 (Pdf)