Head of Science

Why Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School?

Sir Thomas Boterler Church of England High School or 'The Boteler Family' as it is widley known, is a founder Academy within The Challenge Academy Trust (TCAT).  The School was fonded in 1526 by Sir Thomas  Boteler and became a voluntary aided Church of England High School in 2002.  The school serves the Diocese of Chester and Liverpool and has a Christian Ethos founded upon Anglican Beliefs and Practices.  The school is Nationally recognised for putting its Christian Values into action.  As a founder member of TCAT, the school leads on Faith, Vision and Values across the MAT.  The school formally became an Academy in June 2017.

The young people are the 'heartbeat' of the school and through High Expectations, High Aspirations and High Standards they feel motivated and encouraged to suceed at the highest level.

The ethos, vision and values underpin every aspect of school life and it stays true to its misson of  'Through God, We Care'.  The whole school community is relentless in the pursuit of excellence and are committed to raising standards so that each young person reaches their full potential.

There is a strong moral purpose at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School, which is to develop the whole child both academically and pastorally.  The school equips students with the skills, knowledge and understanding needed for lifelong learning in an ever changing society.  The school inspires, supports and challenges the young people, ensuring they attain academic excellence.

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School is an 11-16 school with capacity for 825 learners and it has a positive reputation in the community and across Warrington.  A new leadership team has been in post since 2014 and they have transformed the ethos and culture of the school through a relentless drive for 'High Expectations, High Aspirations, High Standards - You Will Succeed'.  The GCSE results of 2018 are the highest the school has ever seen in terms of progress.  There was a 16% increase in the Basics (English and Maths) measure at a grade 5 and most subjects were in line with or exceeded their FFT targets.  Triple Science and Music all secured 100% at grade 4, with French securing 94%, Drama 85%, RE 75%, Art 75% and English 74%.  While there are still improvements to be made, the school is on an exciting upward trajectory.

Professional Development

Staff development is very important at Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School and we like to pride ourselves on all development packages to ensure that we have the highest calibre of professionals within our school team.  NQTs have bespoke training programmes which has been deemed as 'best practice' and staff mobility is usually because of promotion.  It is a sign of our success that our staff are going on to secure Middle and Senior positions and we celebrate staff success wherever possible.

Staff wellbeing is crucial and we model best practice to be as efficient and SMART in our approach to everything we do.  Staff feel valued and go above and beyond in all aspects of school life to ensure that our young people succeed, because they have such a passion  for the school community.

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School sits within TCAT.  TCAT comprises of two Primary Schools (Great Sankey Primary School and Penketh South Primary School), four Secondary Schools (Beamont Collegiate Academy, Bridgewater High School, Penketh High School and Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School) and a sixth Form College (Priestley College).  It is the first MAT of its kind in the country as the provision is from nursery to post 16.  It is also the only non-faith MAT with a Faith School, in the country and this has been ground breaking in terms of our work with both the Church of England and the Dioceses.  The collaboration and school improvement opportunities within the MAT have been significant, Bridgewater High School is our Teaching School and we have many CPD events and opportunities to ensure that our staff are getting access to some of the best training and professional development there is across the North West.  We have a team of SLE's who have been trained through  the Teaching School and are able to support within and outside our institutions.  We also have many colleagues who are studying for further qualifications e.g. NPQML, NPQSL again through the many Teaching School Packages on offer.

Sir Thomas Boteler Church of England High School is a fantastic place to work and it has such strong relationships with its young people, staff, governors, parents and carers.  It is very proud of the community it serves and it is truly committed to improving the life chances of all its young people.  'The Boteler Family' is something you will sense as soon as you step into the school and it is something that is firmly embedded into every aspect of school life.  The whole school community is dedicated and passionate about High Expectations, High Aspirations and High Standards because by living this mission we will ensure that everyone within its community will suceed.