Davenant Foundation School Prospectus 2023 to 2024

DAVENANT FOUNDATION SCHOOL

It was in February 1680 that the Reverend Ralph Davenant drew up his will leaving all of his household goods and plate to his wife with the provision that it shall eventually be sold and the moneys raised be used to build a school for 40 poor boys of Whitechapel. Boys were to learn reading, writing and arithmetic and girls were to learn reading, writing and sewing.

A site was found in the Whitechapel Road on the Lower Burial Ground. The site of the buildings still exists adjacent to the Salvation Army buildings and close to the Royal London Hospital and so the school was built in 1686. This building existed until the mid-Seventies, when, in a state of poor repair, it was demolished and the land sold to the Salvation Army for redevelopment of the Victoria Home for Men.

The Charity School continued to function in the original buildings, which were eventually enlarged in 1818 to accommodate 100 boys and 100 girls. The school now maintained two institutions educating 1200 people (not bad for 1818).

The third strand of the school came into being in 1858 when a Commercial or Grammar School was built in Leman Street then in 1888 the two charities of Whitechapel and Davenant were brought together and the combined schools were renamed: The Foundation School.

In 1896 the new Renaissance Building was erected behind the 1818 building providing additional up to date classrooms and a magnificent assembly hall which remains to this day.

In 1939 the school was evacuated and the buildings were taken over by the Heavy Rescue Service who did irreparable damage to the buildings and destroyed many of the documents and honours boards (which were used to board up broken shop windows.

In 1966, at the invitation of Essex Education Authority, the school moved to new buildings at Loughton where many of the East-End families now lived, there being no Grammar School provision there. Then in 1980 the Governors and Trustees of the school decided, after much deliberation, that the time was right to further develop the work which Ralph Davenant had put into motion 300 years earlier and so it was that in April 1980 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother came yet again to Davenant to mark the restoration of the co-educational nature of the school and ongoing development as a Christian Ecumenical School for 1000 girls and boys.

In 2021 Davenant Foundation School is a Christian, ecumenical, 11-18 comprehensive school catering for pupils of all abilities. We became an Academy in April 2011 and have continued to be a very successful school nurturing mind, body and spirit gaining outstanding outcomes for our pupils.

Davenant

will: ReflecttheloveofGodinallaspectsofthe Communityby ‘ nurturingmind , bodyandspirit’

Students, Parents and staff will be:

Compassionate

To encourage and show concern for others whilst displaying kindness and honesty.

Determined

The desire to succeed in school and life with energy commitment and diligence, showing persistence.

Open-minded

The willingness to be quick to listen and slow to speak; accepting each other’s differences and new ideas.

Respectful

To show fairness and consideration through acting in a thoughtful and understanding manner.

Inclusive

Displaying tolerance and acceptance of different religions, denominations, race, age, abilities and sexuality.

THE SCHOOL DAY AND YEAR

Assembly, attended by all students and staff, and Religious Education form an important part of the life of the school.

Parents who have asked for their son or daughter to attend Davenant must appreciate that all students participate in these aspects of the school’s provision, as it is integral to the ethos of the School.

The length of the teaching week is 25 hours plus registration and form time.

Attendance is a legal requirement and it is therefore essential that any absence is supported by a parental note.

EXAMINATION RESULTS 2023

A summary of the main outcomes from 2023 is as follows:

Key Stage 4 (GCSEs) 182 students in the year group

We had an outstanding year putting Davenant as one of the most successful schools in Essex. The students and staff worked hard and this is reflected in the results.

All scores are significantly above both Essex and national average.

Key Stage 5(A Levels) 180 students in the year group

STUDENT DESTINATIONS 2022/2023

THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Years 7 – 11

All students follow a curriculum with time allocations (in hours per week) as follows:

*RWP stands for Research, Write and Present and is a unique KS3 project reflecting the demands of the Sixth Form qualification

At Davenant, we believe that a broad, engaging and exciting curriculum is imperative for development and progress. We fully promote the Arts and Sport both within the school day and with a large number of extra-curricular opportunities.

School trips and visits are an essential part of learning at Davenant and with over 120 different opportunities within the year, there is always something for everyone. It could be Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver or Gold, a trip to Russia, the Victoria and Albert or a walk in Epping Forest

There is always an exciting educational opportunity to take part in.

‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire’ W.B.Yeats

Extra Curricular & Enrichment Activities

Davenant is well known for the outstanding range of opportunities that are provided for our students throughout the school. We believe that this extensive programme enriches the experience of students and helps provide a fuller and more comprehensive education. The following list gives some examples of the activities offered in the past few years and possible future.

Mathematics

UK Junior, Intermediate, Senior Maths Challenge

Inter House Maths Challenge

English

KS3 Creative writing club

KS3 Debate and Public Speaking club

KS4 Annual trip to see A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic theatre,

KS4 Annual Macbeth performance

KS4 Debate and Public Speaking club

Year 11 Weekly revision sessions

Drama

Key Stage 3 Drama Club

Workshops with professionals

Whole School Production

Visits to theatre

Creative Studies

Mindful Art sessions - Weekly

Year 8 Art Club

Various Art Gallery trips

Visiting artists

Year 8 & 9 Textile Club

Humanities

Year 9 Trip to Flatford Mills

Year 11 Visit to Jack the Ripper’s Whitehall and the London Dungeons

Year 11 Fieldtrip to Epping Forest and the Olympic Park, Stratford

Year 11, 12 & 13 Optional Trip to Iceland

Year 13 Residential trip to Margam, South Wales

Year 12 Day trip to the Houses of Parliament

Year 13 Optional residential trip to the USA (New York and Washington DC).

Library

Juniper Book Award Ceremony

Weekly Book Club

Bookbuzz (A free book for each student)

Scholastic Book Fair

World Book Day Event

Author Visits

Accelerated Reader Competition

Student Librarian Group

National Reading Champions Quiz

Modern Foreign Languages

Cultural activities celebrating the French speaking & Spanish speaking worlds

Film Club (Key Stage 3)

Language Leaders (Year 9)

Language Experts (Key Stage 4)

BFI film studies trips to London to study French/Spanish film (Key Stage 4)

Theatre trips (Key Stage 5)

Mandarin Enrichment (Year 12)

Gifted & Talented

Gifted and talented activities e.g. attendance at summer schools

Academic residential courses

Visits to universities including Oxford, Cambridge and London

AS Level Thinking Skills

Music

Music lessons taken by 200 students

A full range of Bands, Choirs, Ensembles and School Orchestra

Termly concerts including performances at other local venues

KS3-KS5 Recitals

Overseas music tours

Concert visits and workshops with professional musicians

Physical Education

Sports leaders supporting a wide range of events:

- Race for Life, primary school competitions and sports partnership events

A full range of house and sporting activities, including district, county and national championships

Ongoing involvement in a range of Olympic and Paralympic activities

Ski Trip to France

Clubs: Netball, Football, Rugby, Cricket, Athletics, Cross Country, Swimming, Water polo, Basketball, Badminton, Tennis, Fitness Suite, Trampolining, Boccia

Religious Education

Christian Union (Senior and Junior)

Special Services for Religious occasions

Various charity events for School Charities (£10K+raised)

Collections and support for T4U at Christmas, Shoe Box

Business

KS3 Enterprise club

KS4 & KS5 Participation in local and national competitions

Computing Code Club

Bebras Challenge

HOUSE

A full range of House competitions for all students to get involved in

Year Group Activities

Year 7 Windmill Hill Residential Activity Weekend

Year 9 Bushcraft Activity Weekend

PSHE

Variety of drop down days covering topics including:

Mental Health

Healthy Relationships

Relationships Education

Home, fire and road safety

Conflict

Consequences

Knife crime

Gang awareness

Resilience

Drug and alcohol education

Sexual health

Mindfulness

Financial education

Cancer awareness and the importance of self-checking

Anti-radicalisation

First aid

Self esteem

Student Leadership

Student Council, Year Councils, Sixth Form Council, Peer mentoring

KS3 & KS4 Ambassadors, Sports Leaders

Student Support

Psychology Intervention

Beyond Davenant

Overseas links

Eco-schools projects

Charity work and international awareness

Sporting Links

Team GB link to Motomiya in the run up to the Olympic Games in Tokyo

Duke of Edinburgh

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Gold, Silver and Bronze

Debating

Debating Competitions – Parliamentary, National, School and local

Community

Beyond Davenant – Charity both local and global

Careers

Key stage 3 and 4:

Careers assemblies and tutorials

Careers talks (optional)

Individual careers guidance interviews in key stage 4

Careers fair

Child to work day

Year 8 careers lessons

Access to a careers library

KS4 & Beyond Evening

Key stage 5:

Mock interviews

Careers assemblies

Careers talks (optional) and Careers guidance interviews

Careers fair

Careers lessons covering post-18 options, gap years and student life with external speakers

University trip

Group careers guidance interviews

Access to a careers library

Post 18 evening for parents

DAVENANT FOUNDATION SCHOOL ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS 2024/2025

Arrangements for admission to Year 7

1. The agreed admission number for entry at Year 7 is 180. The school will accordingly admit 180 students if sufficient applications are received.

2. Applications for places at the school will be made in accordance with the Local Authority’s co-ordinated admission arrangements and will be made on the Common Application Form provided and administered by the Local Authority.

3. Applicants will be invited to complete an Online Supplementary Information Form (SIF) which can be accessed via the school website. (A paper version of the SIF form will be available on request from the school, for use only, if a parent/legal guardian is unable to access the online form). The SIF requests parents/guardians to give details of the frequency of their attendance at a place of mainstream Christian or Jewish worship during the last seven years and to nominate referees who can confirm their record of attendance.

A place of mainstream Christian worship in the United Kingdom is defined as one which is a member of, or affiliated to, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance or Affinity Church affiliation should be current at the time of application. Referees will be asked to confirm, on the form which is sent to them, that the place of worship satisfies this definition.

All churches named over the past seven years should have held affiliation during the full period of attendance. Where there is any doubt, applicants and/or churches may be asked for evidence of affiliation

Affiliations will be checked and attendance rank ordered, up until the ministers’ reference form deadline in November, as stated in the Notes for Guidance. From then on, the application will be treated as late and re-ranked with confirmed church attendance/affiliation and distance, after the 1st March offers have been made. Information provided in the SIF will be used to allocate places if there are more applications than there are places available.

4. Applications will be processed on the basis of the home address for the child at the time of application and determination, as stated on the Local Authority application form. The home address is considered to be the address at which the child resides on a permanent basis and is generally the address of the parent/carer.

5. The school will send reference requests to the nominated referees who will complete the references and return them to the school.

6. The school will follow the timetable below to process applications:

a) June/July – The school will publish in its prospectus, and display on its website, information about the arrangements for admissions. An application pack consisting of the prospectus, information regarding links to the Online Supplementary Information Form, Admission Arrangements and Notes for Guidance will be available to applicants via our website or collected from reception.

b) October – The school will arrange an open evening for applicants and provide other opportunities to visit the school. Application packs will be available at the open evening.

c) October – Common Application Form to be completed and returned to the Local Authority. Online Supplementary Information Form to be completed.

d) November – Reference requests sent to nominated referees.

e) December – Local Authority sends list of all parents who have expressed a preference for the school.

f) December – School returns a list of all applications, in rank order based on admissions criteria, to the Local Authority.

g) February – Local Authority applies agreed admissions scheme for all local schools.

h) 1st March – Offers made to parents.

7. Applications will be considered on the basis of a parent’s commitment to the Christian or Jewish faith. All applications will be graded according to the frequency and length of attendance at a place of worship, with the attendance over the last 7 years of one parent or a legal guardian counting, based on the information provided. Only one Parent/Legal Guardian’s attendance at a place(s) of worship will be requested and references sought for that parent/guardian only.

Each application is given an attendance score which is calculated by awarding:

20 points for each year of confirmed weekly attendance

10 points for each year of confirmed fortnightly attendance

5 points for each year of confirmed monthly attendance

1 point for each year of confirmed occasional attendance. The list of applications will be ranked in order of attendance score.

In the event that during the period specified for attendance at worship the church or synagogue has been closed for public worship and has not provided alternative premises for that worship, the requirements of these admissions arrangements in relation to attendance will only apply to the period when the church or synagogue, or alternative premises have been available for public worship.

8. Applications based on attendance at any other non-affiliated church are considered under Criterion 3 of the School’s Admission Policy. (see Clause 10. c) below.

9. The school will consider all applications for places. Where fewer than 180 applications are received, the school will offer places to all those who have applied.

10. Where the number of applications for admission is greater than 180, applications will be considered against the criteria set out below. After the admission of students with Statements of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plans where the school is named the criteria will be applied in the order in which they are set out below:

a) Children who are looked after, or children who were previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, residence, or special guardianship order.

b) Children of parents committed to the Christian or Jewish faith, determined by attendance at a place of mainstream Christian or Jewish worship by at least one parent or legal guardian. Preference will be given to the greater number of years attended and frequency of attendance during the last seven years, as confirmed by referees. Where applicants have the same record of attendance, places will be allocated in the following order:

1. Children of members of staff who have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which application for admission is made, or who are recruited to fill vacant posts for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage

2. Children with siblings in the school who will still be in the school at the time of proposed admission; and

3. Children living nearest to the school measured in a straight line to the school’s address point, as detailed in the Secondary Education in Essex Booklet.

c) Other children, with places allocated in the following order:

1. Children of members of staff who have been employed at the school for two or more years at the time at which application for admission is made, or who are recruited to fill vacant posts for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage

2. Children with siblings in the school who will still be in the school at the time of proposed admission; and

3. Children living nearest to the school measured in a straight line to the school’s address point, as detailed in the Secondary Education in Essex Booklet

A looked after child is a child who is in the care of a Local Authority or is being provided with accommodation by a Local authority in the exercise of their social services functions.

Straight line distances are calculated electronically by the Local Authority using data provided jointly by the Post Office and Ordnance Survey.

11. The Admissions Committee may, in exceptional individual family circumstances which are fully supported by independent evidence provided at the time of application, consider an application which does not meet the criteria set out in paragraph 10 above. Supporting paperwork in this regard must be clearly marked ‘Consider under Clause 11’ and sent to the School Admissions Officer.

12. A relevant sibling is a child who has a brother, sister, adopted brother or sister, stepbrother or stepsister living in the same family unit in the same family household and address who attends Davenant in any year group excluding the final year. Biological and adopted siblings who attend Davenant in any year group excluding the final year will also be treated as siblings irrespective of place of residence. A sibling link to a child in Year 11 or Year 12 at the time of application and determination will be taken to exist where there is a reasonable expectation that the child will be returning to the school for a post 16 course of study. Children residing in the same household as part of an extended family, such as cousins, will not be treated as siblings.

13. Since residency is relevant to an application for a place at the school, applicants will be required to provide proof of their home address when they complete their Supplementary Information Form (SIF). This must be a copy of each of the following:

• council tax notification

• child benefit statement or child tax credits or medical card/letter

• two utility bills dated within the previous three months Where there is reasonable doubt as to the validity of a home address, the school reserves the right to take additional checking measures. If a place at the school is secured through false information regarding a home address, the offer of a place may be withdrawn.

14. Following the allocation of places on 1st March, the Local Authority will operate a waiting list based on the rank ordered list until the start of the academic year in September. Places that become available will be allocated from the waiting list. Waiting list positions can change, for example, as a result of an offer of a place being made or as new applications for the school are received. It is therefore possible that a child’s position on a waiting list could move down as well as up as each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with the oversubscription criteria.

15. After the start of the academic year, the school will maintain the waiting list for the duration of the Autumn term. Beyond this period, the school will continue to maintain a waiting list for children whose parents indicate in writing that they wish their child to remain on the list. Each added child will require the list to be ranked again in line with

the published oversubscription criteria. When places become vacant, they will be allocated to children on the waiting list in accordance with the oversubscription criteria.

16. Repeat applications in relation to the same academic year of an unsuccessful application will be considered only if there has been a material change in circumstances.

17. Parents will have the right of appeal to an appeals panel, independent of the school, if they are dissatisfied with an admission decision of the school. The arrangements for appeals will be in line with the Code of Practice on School Admission Appeals published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The determination of the appeal panel is binding on all parties. Parents will be provided with information on appeals when they receive their offer of a school place.

Arrangements for admission to Year 12

1. The total number of Year 12 students in the Sixth Form will vary a little each year but will be no fewer than 160 in total. The admission number for entry at Year 12, by students not previously on the school roll, is at least 80. The School will accordingly admit a minimum of 80 students in addition to those existing school students wishing to enter Year 12.

2. The school will publish a prospectus for admission to Year 12 during the preceding Autumn term and will hold an open evening in November when would-be applicants can view the school.

3. In the event of oversubscription for the 80 places, applicants will be assessed on their suitability for the courses offered, commitment to the school’s Christian ethos and their likely involvement in the extensive extra-curricular programme.

DAVENANT FOUNDATION SCHOOL

Chester Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 2LD

Telephone: 020 8508 0404

E-mail: reception@davenant.org

www.davenantschool.co.uk

Headteacher: Mr. A Thorne

Chair of Governors: Mr. G Anthony

We aim to give maximum notice to parents where changes are undertaken during the course of the year

Davenant Foundation School fully complies with information legislation. For the full details on how we use your personal information please see the school’s website or call 0208 508 0404 if you are unable to access the internet.

Davenant Foundation School is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with registered number 07540256

Registered Office: Davenant Foundation School, Chester Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 2LD