Stantonbury Campus - Ethos

Ethos

Stantonbury Campus is the second biggest comprehensive schools in the country (Nottingham Academy being the largest since 2009). Having been a 12-to-18 school from its inception, it admitted students in Year 7 from September 2006, following reorganisation of secondary education in Milton Keynes. The campus is organised into five halls, four for 11-16 year olds and one for sixth-form students. All pastoral support takes place in the halls, and students have much of their teaching there too. The proportion of students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than is normally found. These include difficulties with speech, language and communication; hearing impairment; autistic spectrum disorder; and behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The proportion of students eligible for free school meals is below the average. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is similarly below average but, given the size of the campus, this represents a large number of students. Just over 20% of students are from minority ethnic groups. There are considerable numbers of students in the sixth form in receipt of the Education Maintenance Allowance. The campus has been a specialist Arts College (for performing and visual arts) since 1998 and, from 2006, has added two further specialisms - mathematics and computing, and applied learning.

Stantonbury Campus has a unique ethos which are guiding principles in the management and the day-to-day life of the school. These are based upon equal value for all members of the school community (regardless of whether they are pupils or staff) and determined optimism for all. It has a proud history of educational innovation and has successfully defended the principles of comprehensive education in a climate which has sometimes been hostile to its inclusive and learner-centred ethos.

The Campus has a first name policy which means students call staff by their first name rather than the normal convention of Mr A which is used in most schools. Stantonbury Campus was the first secondary school in the country to not have a uniform, and 38-years later the school is introducing a uniform for years 7-9 for the September 2012 term.

Stantonbury Campus has excellent facilities such as; an athletics track with all athletic sport equipment, a leisure centre complete with a swimming pool, a drama theatre, and proper Science labs.