MORE THAN A SCHOOL
BALBY CARR
11-18 COMMUNITY SPORTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE
POST:
Teacher of English
‘RELEASE YOUR POTENTIAL
RAISE YOUR GAME
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS’
BALBY CARR 11-18 SPORTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE
COLLEGE INFORMATION
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College.
Balby Carr is a vibrant and rapidly improving 11–18 Community Sports and Science College serving
the districts of Balby and Hexthorpe. Our most recent Ofsted Inspection (November 2009) recognised
that we are ‘clearly continuing to improve’ and ‘the College is well regarded in the local community’
and ‘examination results rose significantly in 2009’. Ofsted and other national agencies have identified
that our results at all the Key Stages show a significant increase in the standards achieved by the
students. Our National results in 2010 continued this upward trend and we are very proud of the fact
that our results have risen by over 47% in the last five years and we know and expect to do better next
year and we will continue to build upon our previous best results of 73% 5A*-C and 38% with English
and Maths. The College has ‘highly committed staff who provide targeted care and support to meet
the needs of the students’ and ensure an ‘above average proportion of students leave school with
qualifications at the highest levels’. As a result of the impact our specialism has made upon the
College ethos we fully expect to build upon our students excellent achievements over the past five
years and continue to drive to provide the best possible education for all our learners and the
Community.
Our achievements and most recent improvements are as a result of the hard work of all our students,
staff, parents and the community and recognition of our expertise in teaching and learning. This
expertise is now evident throughout the College and the hard work is reflected in the excellent
improvement in our national results. Our Vision as a Specialist College is to use the ethos of health
and well being to develop and prepare our young people to lead fulfilling lives in their future world of
work and leisure. We will continue to provide them with the opportunities to achieve their personal
goals and experience success, and continue to celebrate all successes whether this is academic,
through vocational learning programmes, in the Arts or through Sport. Our Specialist Status will
continue to allow Balby Carr students to contribute to their own futures as skilled members of
Tomorrow’s society.
We have 1300 students with a ‘very good and improving’ Sixth Form. In the Sixth Form and Academy
of Sport our ‘students develop good personal skills, they take responsibility for their own learning, are
good role models and provide strong support for other students in school and the wider community.’
We have strong traditions of excellence in Sports, the Arts, ICT and Business Studies, Technology,
Sociology and Psychology, and Personal, Social and Moral development and recent developments
have focused on raising student attainment through the continued improvement of the quality of
teaching and learning, the provision of a more varied curriculum throughout the key stages, improving
the climate for learning, increased use of praise and reward and the use of quality ICT to advance
learning and extending community links. We are a learning school committed to the development of
our students and the professional development of our staff. Our highly successful positive discipline
for learning system emphasises traditional moral and social values in a modern context, concentrating
on rewarding effort and achievement, whilst developing boundaries and consistency for students.
At Balby Carr Community Sports and Science College we value our students and our staff and we
ensure the climate for learning reflects this. The College occupies a large, attractive site and has
excellent links with our feeder primaries, our parents’ value the work we are undertaking and we are
continuing to build our good name within the community. Recent building programmes have taken
into account the need for a high quality learning environment and each department has access to high
quality ICT to enhance learning for both staff and students. A City Learning Centre, which is a centre
of excellence for ICT and offers the staff and students’ superb support, is attached to the College. The
school has excellent facilities with very good availability of ICT to support teaching and learning, every
classroom has interactivity through electronic whiteboards and we have an excellent Personalised
Learning Environment which allows our students to access learning in the home.
Whilst embracing the future technologies we continue to ensure our focus remains upon the provision
of good learning and teaching within our well ordered, caring and positive learning environment,
provided by highly motivated, valued and committed staff who encourage high standards in everything
we do at Balby Carr.
We are extremely proud of our Post 16 provision. We have recently developed our widely acclaimed
Sixth Form and Academy of Sport provision and our numbers have risen by over 200 in five years to a
school high of currently 308 students. We fully expect this to rise next year. A recent review of our
VI Form and Academy of Sport by the Local Authority highlighted Balby Carr as a ‘rapidly improved
Sixth Form provider offering very good success against national standards, (CVA 1025) and one of the
top Sixth Forms in Doncaster.’ We have developed a Sixth Form social and study centre as well as
using the PLE to promote our collaborative work with local schools. The Sports College developments
in student leadership have generated young sports Ambassadors who are held in extremely high
regard within Doncaster and nationally and we are extremely proud of the fact that over the past five
years 100% of all our Year 13 students wishing to progress to University have achieved places at the
University of their choice, a total of 182 students and amongst some of our most recent Year 13
graduates we have students studying medicine at Cambridge and enjoying a Sports Scholarship at
Penn State University USA.
Our Sports College status has brought with it state of the art sports facilities with a floodlit Multi Use
Games Area, recently re-turfed grass pitches and a new full size, floodlit third generation football pitch
and changing facilities, all of which will continue to develop our extended schools agenda; we are
continuing to build upon our excellent facilities with the development of an International BMX track on
site opening Spring 2011.
This is an exciting time for Balby Carr and we fully expect that, with the creative and innovative
proposals we have in place for our new curriculum we will continue to transform the learning and the
opportunities for young people in Balby Carr and achieve our vision of creating a 21 st Century school
that is recognised as excellent by staff, students and the community.
One of our core values has always been to create a community in which lifelong learning for all is
valued and ‘Being your Best’ is rewarded and provides ‘Success for All’. Our aim is to help all students
develop into positive, successful, well-balanced and caring young adults. The College is focused on
developing the academic and creative potential of students to enable them to succeed in the wider
world.
The world of education is continuing to change and at Balby Carr we will continue to be creative and
inspire everyone to aspire to achieve. We value education because it can improve people’s lives. We
recognise and celebrate the impact a good teacher makes and as a learning community we are
committed to the development and well-being of all our staff and students. We would like to hear from
you if you have a passion for teaching and a belief that all students can achieve, and we openly invite
you to come and visit the school. We are very proud of our students and their achievements, this is a
very exciting time to join a friendly, inspirational and dedicated group of staff and we are looking for a
teacher who will continue to help to move the College forwards.
We are looking confidently to the future and would be delighted to welcome you into our extra-ordinary
school community.
Martin Craig, Proud to be the Head Teacher of Balby Carr Specialist Sports and Science College.
Dream. Believe. Achieve.
Our most recent Ofsted Report is available on our website: www.balbycarr.org.uk
BALBY CARR SPORTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
We are a hard working department committed to ensuring that all the students in our care
reach their full potential and enjoy learning in English. We encourage the sharing of
resources, believe strongly in a team approach and support each other in all aspects of
school life. New ideas and initiatives are welcomed - faculty meetings provide a forum for this
and for the sharing of good practice. We also encourage informal team discussion to develop
ideas to ensure student achieve and enjoy in English. Decisions about English policy and
practice are made collaboratively within a supportive atmosphere. We are passionate about
both English and teaching.
The English Faculty has a wide range of well resourced and equipped teaching spaces, an
ICT suite, and a staff “sharing good practice” area. All of the teaching rooms are equipped
with either interactive whiteboards, projectors or have projectors with e-beams. There is a
range of Media equipment for use within the faculty.
All teachers in the faculty appreciate the importance of the environment in which they work.
Classrooms are places that actively encourage students to work and the faculty prides itself
on providing pupils with a positive learning environment. The English area has recently been
refurbished and some of the classrooms are ‘open plan’. This allows us to work closely
together both supporting each other and sharing good practice. Teachers working in this open
plan environment value it immensely.
Ofsted stated in November 2009 “Recent improvements to staffing and good leadership are
now ensuring students are making better progress in English lessons” and “All lessons
observed during the inspection highlighted good progress was being made; English results at
AS indicated good progress”.
The faculty work within the National Literacy Strategy Framework for KS3 and assess
students using Both NC and APP guidelines. Effective Schemes of Work are in place or are
being developed for the teaching of KS3 and KS4. SoW are reviewed, modified and updated
regularly and collaboratively. There is also scope for all faculty members to develop and
introduce new SoW and to share these with the faculty.
At Key Stage 4, we offer pupils GCSE English (WJEC), GCSE English literature (WJEC). Btec
Media Studies is also offered as an option subject and is taught by English staff. As an
alternative to GCSE, some pupils are working towards their certificate in English.
At present we offer Key stage 5 pupils the opportunity to study AS and A2 English Language,
AS and A2 English Literature, Combined Language and Literature and OCR Nationals in
Media Studies.
The English Faculty continue to run and develop a variety of clubs and extracurricular
activities. We also regularly give pupils the opportunity to take part in theatre trips and invite
theatre companies, writers and story tellers into school to spend time with our pupils.
We are very proud of our recent sustained success and we are very excited about the future
of our faculty and, if you share our enthusiasm and vision, we look forward to receiving your
application.
DONCASTER
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
Doncaster is a thriving town with one of the oldest markets in England. It is really on the
‘up’ and the signs of success are visible for all to see. This success is embodied in the
achievement of our schools and the continued rise in attainment both at Primary and
Secondary level. We want to do more and our vision is to make Doncaster a borough
everyone is proud to live in and to provide all our residents with 21st Century facilities.
Over the last few years Doncaster has been transformed and the regeneration of
Doncaster has encouraged public sector investment and 4000 new jobs. Almost £1 billion
pounds worth of new investment has been made in the Borough with the development of
projects that include the Frenchgate Interchange; the Lakeside retail and leisure park; the
new Doncaster College development and the exciting connection with Hull University to
enable, in time, Doncaster College to become a University.
There has been a multi-million pound investment into sports and leisure with the building
of the Keepmoat sports stadium and the revamping of the racecourse all of which
underpins Doncaster’s vision to improve the health and well being of all residents. The
investment in the social infrastructure, the new 300 million pounds investment in the civic
and cultural quarter and the International Robin Hood Airport, make Doncaster a
destination of choice for many people.
In and around Doncaster other places of interest include Conisbrough Castle, Brodsworth
Hall, Cusworth Hall and Country Park, and Doncaster Minster which displays splendid
architecture. Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery have varied exhibitions and regional
collections. Balby itself is close to Sprotbrough an area of natural beauty, and of course
“Open all Hours” was filmed in Balby, and the Mallard train was built here.
The Dome at Doncaster Leisure Park provides a variety of activities from swimming, iceskating, squash, badminton and the gymnasium. It is also host to many bands and
performers. The new Doncaster Sports Arena has been completed and provides a
stunning example of the forward thinking council. The racecourse has received a million
pound facelift and Doncaster has been recognised as an authority that takes the
promotion of health for all the community seriously. Doncaster is ideally situated to the
motorway network and other transport links providing the perfect location to access the
many suburbs of Doncaster and the outlying areas of South Yorkshire and beyond.
Balby Carr is a premier partner with Doncaster Rovers, Nuffield Health Centre and
Doncaster Rowing Club. All colleagues joining Balby Carr enjoy the innovative health and
well being package provided to help you become the ‘Best you can Be.’
To find out more about ‘The Spirit of Doncaster’ visit doncaster.gov.uk website.