Cantell School

Cantell Maths and Computing College
File:Cantelllogo.png
Address
Violet Road Southampton , Hampshire England
Information
Type	Secondary
Established	1986
Department for Education URN	116469 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Head teacher	Ruth Evans
Age	11 to 16
Enrollment	1300
Website	http://www.cantell.co.uk Cantell School

Cantell School is a secondary comprehensive school in the Bassett area of Southampton, England. The School has Specialist status for Mathematics and Information and Communication Technology, awarded in September 2003 and is thus now officially referred to as Cantell Mathematics and Computing College. The school has also been largely rebuilt funded through the Private Finance Initiative. Cantell is situated to the north of Southampton City Centre, close to University of Southampton.Cantell Maths & Computing College is a happy, thriving and successful specialist school with nearly 1000 students.Cantell's broad and diverse curriculum gives all there students the chance to shine; From those with special educational needs to the most gifted and talented, Every student can realise their full potential here and beyond.Cantell's focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning has built a supportive, positive and motivated approach to learning. Cantell ensures that there classes are stimulating, challenging and rewarding, allowing individual talents and strengths to develop and excel. Whatever the student's forte, they say they will find it and foster it. Cantell has created an environment in the school that promotes high standards, mutual respect and creativity. Above all, students at Cantell work hard and enjoy their learning.Cantell's students’ progress is central to every thing they do. Cantell aims to develop students' understanding, knowledge and communication skills and promote their emotional, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They encourage students to take initiative and take responsibility for their own learning

History

The school occupies the site that was previously home to Glen Eyre School. Cantell was formed as an amalgamation of this and Hampton Park Secondary School in 1986. In 1988 the school occupied an area of some 4 hectares (9.9 acres) and it was proposed that 0.1 hectares (0.25 acres) of this be sold off for housing.

Present

The head teacher is Mrs. Ruth Evans who took over from Mrs. Ruth Johnson in 2008. Mr. David Burge was headteacher before Mrs. Johnson. He left in 2004 to go into retirement.

The school last received an OFSTED inspection in Autumn 2004 and was in the special measures category because it was failing to give its students an acceptable standard of education. As a result, the school was receiving visits from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education to inspect its progress. The school considerably improved and as of July 2006 the school is out of special measures after the last inspection in June 2006.

In January 2006 there were 1,177 students at Cantell (532 boys and 645 girls) out of the full capacity of 1,300.. The school has a code of conduct that reads:

At Cantell we believe that a safe environment of mutual respect and co-operation results in the most effective climate for learning and teaching.

We believe that the highest standards of challenge and expectation result in the highest levels of achievement and attainment.

Facilities

The current school building was built in 2003 at the cost of £15 million , it replaced the previous building which was constructed in the 1960s, which was in a state of disrepair.

As Cantell is formally known as "Cantell Maths and Computing College" and is a specialist ICT centre, during the two-week school break over Christmas 2006 and 2007, Cantell installed 90 brand new laptop desks (split between 4 ICT rooms) costing £2500 each. Over the 2007 summer holidays for students, 30 more of these laptop desks were installed in another ICT room. The laptops are set up so that teachers can monitor the students' work, thus, the amount of inappropriate behaviour in ICT lessons has decreased.

Oscar the school dog

Every school has its teacher’s pets.But one in Southampton has taken things further – by getting its own dog.Chocolate Labrador Oscar is the newest, and furriest, addition to Cantell Maths and Computing College.The rescue dog is already proving a big hit with pupils, and helping dramatically cut behavioural problems at the Violet Road school.As part of the school’s restorative approaches (RA) scheme, youngsters who get in trouble in class, fall out with friends or just need somewhere to feel safe are able to go to a special classroom run by a mediating team.There they can carry on with their work quietly and talk through problems with staff, including four-legged Oscar, who arrived at the school last term after his owner, RA co-ordinator Des Anderson, suggested he would benefit pupils.

He spends every day in the RA base, where pupils are encouraged to play with him, read to him, or just sit and stroke him. Mr Anderson said: “He’s a best mate for the kids. Sometimes we get kids who come in and they’re angry. Oscar doesn’t know he’s doing it, but he goes over and calms them down, because it’s very difficult to be angry with a Labrador.“It means we can work with them within the hour, rather than having to wait until the next day.“Rather than having a punitive approach we have a restorative approach where we try to get them to acknowledge what they’ve done wrong.“It might be falling out, it might be bad behaviour, it might be having a bad time somewhere else.Our mantra is this is a safe place to have a difficult conversation.We record everything and I would say we’ve reduced the incidents that we have to deal with by 40 per cent since September, but what’s really key is we’ve improved the students’ ability to put things right.”Pupils love having a furry friend to play with.Year 7 pupil Matthew Manning, 12, said: “He’s really fun and he’s really cute. I love him to bits.“All the times I’ve been upset he’s come over to me to cheer me up.”Jennie O’Neill, 15, has responsibility for taking Oscar on walks.She said: “Oscar has been such a credit to the school and the RA base.“Some of the kids who come in here come on walks with me and they really love doing that.“They love having him around and having the responsibility of being able to take him for walks.”

Students

Uniform

Year 7-9 students must wear black trousers, black shoes and a navy blue polo shirt with the 'Cantell' logo. Years 10-11 Students must wear black trousers, black polo-shirts with the 'Cantell' logo and black shoes. Optional blue sweatshirts and fleeces with the Cantell logo are also available for these years. Girls have an option to wear skirts which may not be too long or short, unless for religious reasons. For the PE uniform it must be a sky blue shirt and black or blue shorts (summer) and jogging bottoms (winter).

Ability

Although the students have a wide range of ability, their standards on entry to the school are marginally below those found nationally. The proportion of students for whom English is an additional language is approximately 23% and increasing. In addition to a higher than average proportion of students from ethnic minority backgrounds there are a number of students who are refugees or asylum seekers. Approximately 25 % of all the students have learning difficulties, which is above the national average. However, only four students have a statement of special educational need which is low. The school includes a specialist 24 place unit for students with specific learning difficulties. In addition the school offers its own provision off-site for more challenging students and on-site provision for vulnerable students. The proportion of students entitled to free school meals is 25% which is above average.

Some of the school curriculum

English

Assessment: Assessment is ongoing throughout each year, with core outcomes for each unit of work given a National Curriculum level by the class teacher. Students will also assess their own progress with target setting a central part of the process. Verbal and written feedback is given in lessons and, more formally, there are end of year tests for Year 7, 8 and 9 students.

Course Outline: We believe that good English teaching forms the basis for success in all subjects. The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in speech and in writing is a vital skill that every student needs in education and beyond. The key skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar are constantly taught and refined throughout key stage 3. Through inspiring and motivating teaching, skills in reading, writing and speaking and listening can be developed to support students' progress and encourage an enjoyment of reading.

Year 7 Units: Students study a range of units including work on: non-fiction, poetry, contemporary fiction, narrative writing and research skills. They will develop the ability to analyse texts and write creatively for a variety of purposes and audiences. Speaking and listening skills are developed with group projects and drama activities.

Year 8 Units: The range of units studied includes: an introduction to Shakespeare, stories and poems from different cultures, reading a play-script, newspapers, a study of language evolution and ballads. Students further develop their skills in reading and writing a range of texts for different purposes and audiences. They are encouraged to read widely and use ICT in lessons effectively.

Year 9 Units: In Year 9, students are taught with a focus towards the GCSE exam which is taken in year 10. They study a range of units including: study of a Shakespeare play, working on speeches and debate, reading and writing a range of non-fiction texts, poetry and gothic horror stories. Skills are developed to promote independent work as well as group work and students are encouraged to evaluate their skills and progress. At the end of year 9 students will sit a GCSE-style exam to assess their strengths and weakness and allow teachers to personalise the teaching of the students in year 10.

Student Groupings: Students are set according to ability in all years

Time Allocation: 8 lessons per two week cycle.

Maths

Assessment: In all years assessment consists of a variety of methods including; student assessment from verbal feedback in the lessons, homework, end of unit tests (with detailed feedback), end of term tests (with analysis).In addition Year 9 sit Mock Key Stage 3 tests and the Key Stage 3 tests themselves.

Course Outline: Mathematics is the backbone for all science subjects, it helps the students to form opinions and test hypothesis. It allows students to solve problems; from everyday money calculations through to the use of complex equations. It is a spiralling curriculum such that each year builds on prior knowledge and moves the student towards the next level of learning in each topic.

Year 7 Units: Students will be taught in accordance with the Year 7 National Numeracy Strategy, covering the Programmes of Study in Number and Algebra, Shape Space and Measure, and Data Handling. Students of above average ability will work to an extended programme of study, with an expected end of year level of high level 6. At least 1 investigation will be completed.

Year 8 Units: Pupils will be taught in accordance with the Year 8 National Numeracy Strategy, at a level appropriate to their ability. They are taught using a mixture of resources including the Collins Framework text books, investigations and computer based activities. The work throughout Year 8 builds upon the skills learnt in Year 7.

Year 9 Units: Students are taught in accordance with the National Curriculum, at a level that is appropriate to their ability, preparing them for the SATs test. The average student will target high level 5- level 6, with the most able targeting top level 8. After the SATs all Year 9 students begin studying the materials for KS4.

Pupil Groupings: In Year 7 students are set based on their Key Stage 2 test scores and teacher assessments. Throughout KS3 setting is reviewed on a termly basis: movement is based on test results and teacher assessments.

Time Allocations: 8 lessons per two week cycle.

Science

The Cantell Science Curriculum is being revised. From September this year, 2011, all exam boards have developed new specifications. The Science Department is in the process of reviewing these now that the courses have been accredited.

The choice of exam board will be influenced by our decision to begin GCSE studies in Year 9.

Presently we are satisfied that our Year 7 and 8 programme of study is fit for purpose, even when GCSE studies are brought forward.

ICT

Assessment: National Curriculum levels awarded at the end of each unit. This is supported by continual peer and self assessment throughout the course. Teachers will also give written and oral feedback on a weekly basis.

Course Outline: In ICT, students acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of: The quality and reliability of information and how to access and combine amounts of information through a variety of media. A range of increasingly complex tasks using a variety of ICT tools. How ICT can help their work in other subjects, developing their ability to judge when and how to use ICT and where it has limitations. The application and use of ICT in the outside world.

Year 7: ICT in this year is taught in the Year 7 base. The emphasis of ICT in Year 7 is on allowing students to develop more independence in their learning. Together with other subjects they complete projects choosing suitable software packages to enable them to complete the tasks.

Year 8 Units: In Year 8 students complete mini projects within the theme of First Gear their Car Company. Through guidance from their teacher they use different software packages to promote their company.

Year 9 Units: In Year 9 all students will complete Unit 1 of the OCR Nationals. This along with a further unit of work which will be completed in Year 10 and 11 will go towards an equivalent GCSE qualification.

Linking to this they work through other National Curriculum requirements enabling them to complete their full core entitlement.

Student Groupings: Set according to Mathematics teaching groups.

Time Allocation: 2 lessons per two week cycle.

Drama

At Cantell Maths & Computing College they have previously done school productions including,Grease ,The Wiz and most recently Oliver! performed by a group of students across the range of the whole school. The next drama production will be hosted towards the end of 2011 and it will be a production of Mary Poppins.

Assessment: Students are assessed against National Curriculum levels three times a year. There is continual peer and self assessment throughout the course.

Course Outline: Drama raises questions with young people which enable them to explore the world, form opinions about it, and create and shape their place in that world. Department schemes of work allow students to do this using the Arts Council for England’s recommended framework: Making, Performing, and Responding. Schemes studied introduce students to a wide variety of practitioners, skills and issues. Students are taught to work in an evaluative and reflective way to develop their own abilities and responses. Assessing and Reporting on students’ Attainment in Drama

The Nature of Assessment Formative assessment, in which the teacher helps the student to identify the progress they are making in a diagnostic way, lies at the heart of Arts Education. Formative assessment is both supportive and motivating, encouraging students to explore fresh possibilities and take increasing responsibility for their learning.

Summative assessment in drama, based upon Key Stage criteria, takes place at then end of the scheme of work as well as during the school’s four assessment periods throughout the year.

To ensure continuity in drama, students require clear learning goals and frequent opportunities to reflect upon their work. They should always be able to place what they are learning in the wider context of the drama curriculum as a whole.

The structure of the drama curriculum should also make it clear to students how they can progress. There should be a general increase in the level of dramatic knowledge, understanding and of skills, as students pass through the key stages. Progression in drama will be recognised by the extent to which students are able to Make, Perform and Respond with increasing levels of complexity, control, depth and independence.

Homework Drama is assessed in three areas:

1. Making 2. Performing 3. Responding

While all three areas are assessed by the class teacher in all schemes of work taught, Responding is partially fulfilled through the form of a written log book which is completed after every drama lesson for homework.

In their Drama Log Books students are expected to reflect upon their learning during lessons by outlining the skills and techniques they have experienced and acquired. Students are expected to be analytical and evaluative when completing their log books. A student’s drama log homework equates to a third of their overall drama level.

Because drama is studied for a double period once a fortnight at Key Stage Three, the drama log helps to provide continuity between each lesson and the learning that takes place. It is therefore important that the drama log books are completed after each lesson and brought to each drama lesson. The logs are marked every three weeks, with teachers linking their comments to the ‘responding’ element of the level descriptors.

Drama homework is considered an important extension of class work and while the department understands that students sometimes ‘forget’ to bring their log book, we do operate a three strike policy. One/two strikes equates to a slip home reminding students to bring their log book in; whereas after three strikes the student is required to spend thirty minutes in the department under the supervision of their class teacher. During this time, the student will complete any aspects of the log that are incomplete.

‘Extended project’ homeworks sit alongside the completion of the drama log books and are designed to compliment the learning that is taking place in the scheme of work currently being studied by the student. The exact focus of a project is at the class teacher’s discretion, but will generally be aimed at developing the students understanding of the scheme of work’s central practitioner.

Differentiation Differentiation by task will be achieved by organising tasks that encourage learning by building on existing attainment. Differentiation by outcome accepts that some students will complete tasks more successfully than others.

Successful differentiation by task is achieved when teachers are aware of individual students’ strengths and weaknesses in drama and organise tasks which encourage learning by acknowledging and building on existing attainment.

Learning Objectives, Aims and Outcomes Each scheme of work should have clear leaning aims which are achieved through completion of each lesson. Each lesson should have clear objectives and outcomes that will reinforce the department’s assessment procedures. All aims, objectives and outcomes should be conveyed to the students at the start of the scheme of work as well as at the start of each lesson.

Recording, Diagnostic Feedback and Marking Each scheme of work will have a variety of actives that cover the three main elements of drama: Making, Performing and Responding. Throughout each scheme the class teacher will assess students in each of the three areas and award levels in accordance with the Arts Council Document. All levels are recorded in the class teacher’s planner as well as on the central school system. For example: 4C (denotes a low Level 4) 4B (denotes a mid Level 4) 4A (denotes a high Level 4)

Generally there are three expected levels of progress at Key Stage 3:

A student performing as expected for their age in Year 7 should approximately achieve a Level 3 A student performing as expected for their age in Year 8 should approximately achieve a Level 4 A student performing as expected for their age in Year 9 should approximately achieve a Level 5 Discussions with students regarding their work and progress are a routine part of classroom procedure. When criticism is made, it should be constructive, precise and take account of the student’s ability, in order that it can be seen as positive in nature.

Year 7 Units: Please refer to the Year 7 area of the website (www.cantell.co.uk)

Year 8 Units: Learn how to create ‘skip theatre’ through the study of Grotowski’s Poor theatre. Learn how to create effective characterisations by exploring Stanislavski’s System. Learn Non- naturalistic techniques through the study of a thematic scheme of work. This year the scheme focuses on Knife Crime Study texts from different times and cultures, as well as a range of genres. This year, students will study Commedia Dell’ Arte and the works of Shakespeare.

Year 9 Units: Re-visit comedy in the form of Melodrama. Prepare for the skills needed at GCSE by studying a scheme on devising work. Learn the practices and methodologies of Brecht Create a Silent Movie. Through this students learn about the silent movie genre, how to film their work, edit their work and learn how to create a sound track to accompany their work.

Student Groupings: Mixed ability based on tutor groups.

Time Allocation: Year 7 have four discreet lessons per fortnight Year 8 and 9 have a double lesson per fortnight

Music

As a reference towards music at Cantell,Will Champion, Drummer of Coldplay was an ex-student from Cantell from the years 1990-1994 and quoted "Cantell was,at the time, the only school I knew that had a steel band, a jazz band, a woodwind band, a pops choir, a capella group and a fully fledged Latin department! It was this opportunity to have a broad spectrum of choices that i found invaluble and now as a parent, look for in my own children's eductation"

Assessment: Students are assessed against National Curriculum Levels at the end of each topic. This forms part of the end of Key Stage Teacher Assessment along with self and peer assessments throughout the course.

Course Outline: By engaging students in making and responding to music, they can extend their own interests and increase their ability to make judgments about the quality of music. This will also support their learning in other areas and provide skills that are needed for employment and life.

Year 7 Units: Samba, Rap, Graphic Notation, Rhythm Boxes, Rhythm & Beat, Melody, Harmony, Opera, Jazz Riffs, Stave Notation, Music Technology.

Year 8 Units: Blues; Sibelius DTP; Programme Music; Guitars (Notation and Performance); Extending an idea; Rondo Form (Cub as is Sequencing); Rondo Form (Acoustic); Medieval Music.

Year 9 Units: Jazz Harmony (4 note chords and Sib el ius); Irregular rhythms; Gam elan/Metamorphosis; Film Music (Cubas is Sequencing); Reggae/Song; Backing Tracks (Cub as is), Battle of the Bands.

Pupil Groupings: Mixed ability classes. Taught in tutor groups.

Time Allocation: Depending on year group.

Notable alumni

• Will Champion, drummer for Coldplay
• Tom Deacon, Radio 1 DJ and Stand up Comic
• Wade Elliott, footballer

External links

• Official school website
• Cantell Secondary School on Southampton Cityweb
• Ofsted Website