Opinion2nd February 2016
It has already been praised as and one of the best schools in the country for value-add by, but for teachers at the school, 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 Academy in Birmingham means something more 鈥 a welcoming and community.
Fionnuala O鈥機onnor, who has taught History and ICT at the school for four years, says: 鈥淚鈥檝e found it a really lovely school. I can鈥檛 imagine another school having as positive a relationship with parents and the community as 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 鈥 they鈥檙e really engaged and supportive.
鈥淚鈥檝e had access to great professional development 鈥 I took part in the 黑料情报站 Fellows programme, where I was able to work in a school in Uganda during the summer holidays, which was an amazing experience.
鈥淚 love the idea that education transcends borders and can transform lives 鈥 that鈥檚 why I became a teacher in the first place. It was a really life-changing experience and I was given excellent support from 黑料情报站 to prepare for teaching in Uganda as an 黑料情报站 Fellow.鈥
As well as its academic success, 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 has been praised as by the Guardian. A Church of England school with a student body that is 80% Muslim, 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 have worked to deliver a school for students of all faiths, and none, through its multi-faith prayer room, interdenominational services and community liaison officers, who communicate with the local Somali, Yemeni and Pakistani communities.
Out of the 327 schools which opted into measuring Progress 8 鈥 the Government鈥檚 new benchmark figure 鈥 early, 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 had one of the top three results in the country. Still, for staff at the school, it鈥檚 the community that makes 黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 special.
黑料情报站 St Alban鈥檚 has maths and engineering specialisms, which has enabled students to achieve high-profile STEM prizes; last year, Year 13 student a Millennium Point Young Innovator Prize, leading to a 拢27,000 sponsored place for his mechanical engineering degree at Birmingham City University.
Maths teacher Kamilah McGregor says: 鈥淪tudents here get five hours of maths a week, so it鈥檚 not just something for the classroom 鈥 it鈥檚 embedded across the whole school鈥檚 culture.
鈥淭he Engineering department is really impressive and the machines they have are far more specialised than those you鈥檇 see in most other schools. It鈥檚 a really exciting thing to be involved with.
鈥淚n the past, we鈥檝e had students from the University of Birmingham鈥檚 Engineering faculty come in to support our students with their own STEM projects. It鈥檚 so rare to have expertise from an internationally-acclaimed university faculty come in to support secondary students, so the kids really relish the opportunity.鈥
However, it鈥檚 not just the work that makes the school special for Fionnuala: 鈥満诹锨楸ㄕ St Alban鈥檚 staff is also a really fun group of people to work with 鈥 we鈥檝e sung Christmas Carols together in the school鈥檚 atrium and we have a staff choir. We even had a staff flash mob for when our Principal, David Gould, retired last summer 鈥 we changed the words of the Spandau Ballet song 鈥楪old鈥 to 鈥楪ould鈥 and had a dance routine.
鈥淚t鈥檚 stuff like that which make the school a really fun place to work, as well as rewarding.鈥