The Chalk Hills Academy
Luton, United Kingdom
About The Chalk Hills Academy
Welcome to The Chalk Hills Academy, one of the four Academies under The Shared Learning Trust.
Vision and Values
'Strive, achieve, believe!' - We want our children to strive for their goals, achieve those goals and believe that with the right drive and motivation anything is possible. We provide opportunities for all our students and adults to be aspirational and develop a passion and excitement for learning. Working with our communities, we ensure all students are able to achieve beyond their targets to reach the success they deserve. Our students develop a strong self-belief so that they flourish and develop into well-rounded, self-respecting young people.
'We recruit people for attitude and train for skills' - We aim to recruit people who have the right attitude. If you have a love for teaching and are passionate about seeing children succeed, we can help you do the rest. We can offer custom-made support packages that focus on the quality of teaching and learning, curriculum development and all aspects of Leadership and Management. Whether you would like help with planning, preparing and delivering outstanding lessons, building your confidence within the classroom or developing your behaviour management strategies, we have all the CPD and training you need.
About The Chalk Hills Academy
Providing the very best education for all our students is the simple goal for The Stockwood Park Academy. Whilst firmly rooted in traditional values, we have made our Academy a vibrant and exciting place with a positive ethos that runs throughout the Academy. We want our children to flourish and develop into decent, disciplined, well-educated and employable adults. We have an innovative curriculum, which makes the transition from primary to secondary education an enriching and enjoyable experience and enables students to follow a personalised route to success. Our students are achieving the highest standards in the classroom, on the sports field and among the community. Our state of the art building which we moved into in February 2011 offers cutting edge facilities that are benefiting students even further. Our hardworking and motivated staff are providing outstanding lessons and are given the best possible support. We work closely with parents and carers, encouraging their children to achieve and ensuring that excellent progress is made. With the rigorous use of data, constant assessment of student progress and quality assurance methods, together, we are achieving more than we ever thought possible. We instantly respond if students experience difficulties. Dialogue with teachers is encouraged as a framework for students to develop ideas, ask questions think about their learning.If you want to lead in a highly effective team, contribute to raising standards and aspirations of young people then Chalk Hills is the place for you!
Ofsted at The Chalk Hills Academy
Leadership and Management: ‘GOOD’
- The purposeful and caring leadership of the Principal and the senior team have created a strong academy identity and a positive ethos shared by all members of the community. The strength of leadership is recognised without exception by the academy’s staff. The atmosphere created allows teachers to teach effectively and students to learn well.
Behaviour and Safety of Students: ‘GOOD’
- The behaviour of the students is good. Students are calm and orderly when moving between lessons and at breaks and lunchtimes. They are unfailingly polite and courteous to staff and each other. The atmosphere in lessons is calm and studious, attitude to learning are routinely positive as students want to learn and these characteristics have a strong impact on their progress.
Quality of Teaching: ‘GOOD’
- Teachers help create positive learning environments in their classrooms. Constructive, trusting relationships have been developed throughout the academy and teachers and students share an expectation that learning will begin as soon as each lesson starts. Students are confident to engage actively in lessons and feel safe to venture answers to questions and make mistakes. Teachers are committed to improving their own skills and they regularly take advantage of the high quality professional development opportunities available at the academy. This has enabled continuous improvement in the quality of teaching.
Achievement of Pupils: ‘GOOD’
- The proportion of students that attain five or more good GCSE passes including English and mathematics is higher than the national level. When compared to other schools nationally the progress made between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 at the academy overall is extremely high. Most ability groups make very strong progress and finish Key Stage 4 with standards of attainment which are above average.
About The Shared Learning Trust
The Shared Learning Trust is a stand-alone multi academy trust which runs a family of five schools based in Bedfordshire:
- The Chalk Hills Academy, Luton, ages 11-1
- The Stockwood Park Academy, Luton, ages 11-18
- The Linden Academy, Luton, ages 4-11
- The Vale Academy, Dunstable, ages 2-11
- The Rushmere Park Academy, Leighton Buzzard, ages 2 - 9
- The Sixth Form, Luton, ages 16-19
Our Academies are supported in their work by our Teaching School, based at The Chalk Hills Academy.The structure of our family of schools means that we can be with a child every step of the way, from teaching them to tie their shoe laces right through to congratulating them on their university place or their first job.Our Trust is vibrant and friendly, supported by 3 state-of-the-art buildings. It is a learning environment where all students have the opportunity to be high achievers, make good friends, contribute to their community and take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
CPD and Training: Our Teaching Trust - WE INVEST IN YOU!
All five Academies at The Shared Learning Trust are a part of our Teaching Trust. We aim to offer exception teacher training and high quality professional development programmes to new and experienced staff to support them in excelling in their career. Our programmes are facilitated by experienced school leaders, who have exemplary records in leadership and improving outcomes for their students. We are able to cater for specific requests and can offer custom-made support packages that focus on the quality of teaching and learning, curriculum development and aspects of Leadership and Management. We currently offer 'The National Award for Middle Leaders', 'The Outstanding Teacher Programme', 'The Improving Teacher Programme' and 'The National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership'.
As Chalk Hills Academy is part of a Multi-Academy Trust, there are fantastic opportunities to climb the career ladder. The Shared Learning Trust are a firm believer in helping all staff reach their full potential and developing their career within our Academies. If you are willing and wanting, we will do all we can to put you on the relevant courses and give you the right opportunities so you can keep achieving more in your career. If there isn't a current opportunity at The Chalk Hills Academy for promotion, there will be opportunities to move to one of our partner Academies.
Facilities
The Sports Zone:
- 2 Football Pitches (floodlit, FA approved, full size and 3G Astro Turf)
- Large Outdoor Hard Court
- Four Tennis Courts
- Three Netball Courts
- Full Size Basketball Court
- Full Size Netball Court
- Four Badminton Court
- Large Indoor Football Pitch
The Performance Plaza:
- Theatre (tiered seating, professional lighting and sound system, curtains and backstage changing facilities)
- Dance and Fitness Studio (sprung floors, dances barres, floor to ceiling mirrors, full PA and music systems)
Classroom Facilities:
- Projectors
- Smart Boards
- Laptops
Why work for The Chalk Hills Academy?
If you're not convinced by what you have just read, here are some more benefits for working at The Chalk Hills Academy!
- £30 million state of the art building with well-equipped classrooms and equipment to match the level of courses offered
- You’ll be working alongside a collaborative, forward thinking Principal and Senior Leadership Team who are here to support and develop you
- Unparalleled CPD opportunities with free courses every Thursday catered to your developmental needs
- All teaching staff receive a laptop
- Freshly brewed coffee for staff on arrival to the academy every morning
- Employee of the month scheme winning shopping vouchers
- Local subsided gym membership
- Free parcel collection and drop off
- Dry-cleaning collection and drop off
- Free sight test
Location
I started working for Chalk Hills Academy 3 years ago. The school is only a short distance away from where I live and therefore it is a good opportunity to serve the community close by. I started my role as a Receptionist, a very busy enjoyable role. However, I had an opportunity to progress and changed my role to a Science Technician with which I can offer many other skills. I really enjoy working for Chalk Hills, it is a successful and expanding school, the staff are really friendly and supportive.
- Julie Hughes, Science TechnicianI started working at the Chalk Hills Academy in September 2018 as a PE and Maths Teacher. I was very fortunate to have trained at Chalk Hills for 4 months in 2017 before I was officially employed. I knew from these months training that this was the place I wanted to begin my teaching career - for a multitude of reasons. The biggest reason for me were the people around the building. All staff were really polite, helpful and supportive all the way through as well as being genuinely good people. Members of staff in leadership roles were extremely supportive and made you feel at home the minute you entered the building. I vividly remember Thomas Vandenbergh showing me the ropes in PL time and Bryony Smith looking after me in PE and the way these two supported and treated me as a trainee made me want to work here for real. It wasn't just these two I should mention but also my mentor and the entire PE department who were so welcoming. There was this amazing atmosphere that was so exciting to be around which really drew me in. When I was officially employed I had a head start compared to perhaps some other staff due to my training but nevertheless the atmosphere and buzz around the school didn't change at all. As I delved into school life the pupils at this school continued to surprise and impress me day by day. A lot of the pupils here aren't as privileged as others and have difficulties at home I can only imagine - but when they come through the front doors in the morning you'd never know. They work hard, try their best and overcome a variety of challenges every single day. Deep down this is the other main factor for me enjoying working here alongside the staff around the building. I also cannot ignore the fact that Chalk Hills provides opportunities for staff to progress if they work hard enough and earn it. I was promoted to a Head of Year in the July of my first year of teaching and I now work alongside Natasha Jabbar who again is extremely supportive and helpful and has contributed massively to my successes so far. It motivates you to work hard and do well when you're recognised and rewarded for your efforts and that gives me motivation to carry on working in the way I do. It feeds your ambition when you're in an environment that supports you to be better and where you are truly appreciated.
- Carl Tappin, Head of Year 7 & Teacher of PESince starting with the academy in 2010, I have been lucky enough to be part of an amazing organisation. TCHA offers access to countless courses for professional development, and I have gained an immense amount of knowledge since I started as a newly qualified teacher. It is also a place of many opportunities for career growth, allowing teachers to explore their passions, and take on new roles and responsibilities beyond being a classroom teacher. However, being in the classroom is my favourite part. The young people we encounter every day make it an exciting place to work, and I genuinely enjoy getting to teach the subject that I love on a daily basis. In my department, we share planning and resources, and collaborate, so that we always feel supported and can offer our pupils the best learning experiences possible. I can't imagine working anywhere else!"
- Candice Ross, Teacher of English“The minute I walked through the door I knew this was the place I wanted to teach. It might sound rhetorical but after many decades teaching abroad and some months working as a supply teacher in the area, I had that exact feeling when I arrived at Chalk Hills five years ago. The splendid modern building and excellent facilities are, of course, an attraction but what really struck me that day was the genuine, warm welcome and enthusiasm of everyone I met. The school population is diverse, vibrant and exciting to be with. A culture of kindness and politeness permeates the Academy and a real wish to live the school motto “Strive, Achieve, Believe” by example is reflected in the everyday actions of staff and pupils alike”
- Helen Putterill, Teacher of English