Headteacher's Welcome

It is a privilege to be the Headteacher of Priory Academy and it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to our school website.

We are a mixed extended secondary comprehensive Academy with approximately 800 students on roll. Our Academy is extremely popular in the local area and there are waiting lists for places across the year groups.

All staff place a great deal of emphasis on pastoral care and very close links with parents, alongside excellent academic achievement. We also have very high behaviour expectations.

We pride ourselves on our sense of community – both within the school itself, and in the wider locality. We want our students to become good citizens and know how to work successfully with others: our students actively support local charities, as well as having an involvement with local events. We have a thriving house system and each house has a charity that is supported via a variety of events throughout the school year.

Priory Academy is an ambitious school where all are encouraged to achieve their full potential. This is based on a culture of high expectation, challenge and providing the support needed, so that by working hard together, we can all achieve our goals. We have an excellent reputation both academically and pastorally. This reputation is based on outstanding teaching and learning and high standards and expectations. We expect all our students to work very hard but recognise that the very best learning takes place when it is harnessed to interest and enjoyment. Our curriculum is therefore innovative and relevant and whilst there is a great emphasis on English, Maths, Science, Humanities and Languages, this is balanced by a promotion of and dedication to the arts and creativity.

As a learning community, academic achievement is of course incredibly important. Of equal importance is helping our students to develop strong values and therefore our curriculum is driven by our cooperative values of:

• Achievement: Academic, artistic, sporting and cultural through perseverance and resilience 
• Care and kindness: in whatever we do in our community and beyond
• Excellence: in our standards, manners, personal integrity and uniform

These values support our young people in gaining a strong sense of their place in their local, national and global communities. In addition, student leadership is a driving force within the school community and is a further opportunity for our students to acquire the skills and confidence needed to be the leaders of the future, in a diverse and competitive world.

Mr I. Bailey, Headteacher