ACE_prospectus_16pp.110210233

Everyone Successful.
Every Day.
EDUCATION WITHOUT LIMITS
PROSPECTUS
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 1

Welcome
Everyone Successful.
Every Day.
Thank you for the interest you have shown in The ACE Academy. We are incredibly
proud of our Academy and our developing reputation for providing a safe, supportive
and aspirant learning environment for all of our students, where everyone can be the
best that they can be. Our students and staff work incredibly well together to achieve
the best possible results for every individual child.
Our Sixth Form is growing year on year and it is our expectation that students starting
in Year 7 will be with us for 7 years, moving into Sixth Form after gaining excellent
GCSE results at the end of Year 11. All of our students enjoy state of the arts facilities
designed specifically to enhance the excellent teaching at A level and Vocational
courses, which therefore creates incredibly strong foundations for them to progress
to University or other forms of higher education and training. Our strong relationship
with the University of Wolverhampton through being the largest member of Education
Central Multi Academies Trust, also plays a pivotal role in ensuring our students are
ready for the next stage in their learning career, whether it be at our local Universities
or further afield.
ACE stands for ‘Alexandra College of Enterprise’ and therefore we hold the
development of skills based learning relative to being an entrepreneurial success,
in high regard. As a result, our students enjoy a number of enterprise events and
opportunities to engage with local and national businesses as an integral part of their
curriculum experience. We are very proud of how our students rise to these challenges
and the positive image they project of themselves and the Academy as a result.
As an Academy we have a strong commitment to traditional values and a focus on
continuous improvement and development. That said, we embrace innovation and
new technologies that can enhance our students learning experience.
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 2 THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL •
3

At The ACE Academy we fully appreciate that ‘Better Never Stops’. Our ambition is to
deliver a world class education and allow our students to become highly successful and
qualified people, with as strong sense of moral purpose.
We make no apology for placing a high priority on excellent behaviour, attendance
and the highest possible standards as an expected norm. We care about our students’
development and achievements and endeavour to provide first class support and
further opportunities for our students to thrive. We want our students to enjoy their
learning experience and demand more from us to satisfy their desire for success.
We really do believe that we can offer a high quality education experience to every
child who chooses to attend the Academy and wants to be a part of its ethos, vision
and values. We care about our students’ development and achievements and we
endeavour to provide first class support and further opportunities for our students
to thrive. Our staff regard it as a real privilege to serve this community.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Academy and working with you in securing
the best possible education and success for your child.
Core Values
The ‘ACERS’
•
Achievement
•
Challenge
•
Enjoyment
•
Respect
•
Self-discipline
•
Our Vision
The ACE Academy will become the ‘Academy of choice’ for the Tipton community
and surrounding areas, where students experience ‘education without limits’ and are
inspired to achieve beyond their expectations.
We will be an outstanding place of learning and we celebrate and experience success
through the achievements of our students and staff, resulting in a legacy of excellence
through every single person striving to be ‘the best that they can be’ every day.
The Academy will therefore, prepare young people to play an active part in a
technologically mature society by providing them with exceptional knowledge, skills,
attitudes and moral purpose to significantly contribute to our global society and
experience 70+ fantastic years in an internationally competitive world.
ACHIEVE, CONTRIBUTE, EXCEL
‘Better Never Stops’
4 THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL •
5

DRESS
SMART
BE
SMART
Policies
Please visit our website www.acesch.co.uk for Academy policies.
Policies are located under the ‘Policies’ tab.
Pastoral Care
Appearance and uniform
There is an expectation that all members
of the Academy will strive to look their
best. For students this will mean wearing
the Academy uniform correctly and with
pride travelling to, from and within The
ACE Academy.
There should be no evidence of dye or
tints applied to the hair, and it should be
an appropriate style and length. Make
up and jewellery should not be worn.
Please refer to the Academy website for
guidance on our uniform policy.
Advice is always available from the
Academy and parents are encouraged
to ask when uncertain. Students can
and will be disciplined if they are not
wearing the correct school uniform in
the Academy, to and from the Academy,
as well as and on trips.
Year Teams and Tutor
Groups
Children are allocated to a Tutor group
and a House when they enter the
Academy and will stay with that tutor
group and House throughout their
Academy career. All aspects of support
for academic progress and pastoral care
take place within that tutor group and
Year team. Your child’s tutor should
be your first port of call for any issues,
concerns or queries that you may have
regarding your child. It is our expectation
that the tutor should know your child
better than anyone else in the Academy
and provide the necessary support for
them to flourish.
A Head of Year, Behaviour Manager and
an Administrator will also be part of the
team that is responsible for the pastoral
care and academic progress of your child.
They will work with tutors to ensure that
students remain engaged, enthused and
inspired in their education at The ACE
Academy.
6
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 7

Curriculum Structure
Each student will follow a timetable that spans two weeks, 50 periods in total, 25 periods per week. Each period is an hour long.
Our aim is to provide, a rich, broad and balanced curriculum that motivates our students to want to learn and achieve more.
It will also allow our students to identify real areas of strength that they may wish to pursue in their own time or through the
variety of wider-curricular clubs and activities that the Academy provides.
Key Stage 3
Teaching hours per
fortnight
English Maths Science PE History Geography RE French ICT
Music/Art/
Drama
Technology
8 8 7 3 3 3 2 3 2 6 3 2
Students who require additional literacy or numeracy will not study French and will have extra Maths and English lessons.
*ACE time includes SRE, Citizenship and Financial awareness
Key Stage 4
Teaching hours per
fortnight (Yr 10)
Teaching hours per
fortnight (Yr 11)
English Maths Science PE Citizenship Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
7 8 10 3 2 5 5 5 5
8 7 10 3 2 5 5 5 5
All students study a GCSE in Maths, English, Science (2 GCSEs) and Citizenship (including SRE and RE).
ACE
time*
Post 16
Students’ subject choices are guided within range of both Academic and Vocational
Qualifications at Level 3, each subject has 10 hours curriculum time. Our offer at
Post 16 also includes a personal development course named ASPIRE, preparation
for ‘the next stage of their learning career’ with individual and group ‘Information,
Advice and Guidance’, plus a varied range of enrichment opportunities.
Students can choose up to 4 Level 3 options from:
Business Studies
French
PE
Drama
Geography
History
Health and Social Care
Art
Music
Media
Design Technology
Sociology
IT
Accounts
Chemistry
English
Physics
Photography
Travel and Tourism
Textiles
Biology
Psychology
Maths
Hair/Beauty
Law
Provisional Exam Results
The most recent examination results and
Students have a choice of 4 options these include:
information on OFSTED can be found
Business Studies
Drama
RE
Music
under the ‘Ofsted’ section of our website.
Computer Science
Geography
Health and Social Care
ICT
French
Resistant Materials
Art
Media
PE
Third Science
Food Technology
Design Technology
Statistics
History
Travel and Tourism
Sociology
8
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 9

“We are all
better than we know.
If only
we can be brought
to realise this,
we may never be
prepared to settle for
anything less.”
Kurt Hahn
Wider curricular Success
We are very proud of our students’
achievements in activities outside of
the normal academic curriculum too.
Students across various year groups have
taken an active part in community life in
the following ways:
We actively encourage them to take part
• Organising and delivering a Citizenship
in activities that enrich their curriculum
campaign at local Methodist Church
experience and represent the Academy
with Adrian Bailey, local MP
and themselves with pride.
• Musical performances the local
In addition to various sporting accolades Methodist Church for the elderly
here are some achievements from last
year that have made our Academy
community very proud.
• Flag bearer at Tipton Cemetery to
celebrate the cemetery winning a
community award.
Year 9 students of History designed a
monument which has been shortlisted
for the ‘Football Remembers’ competition
to design a National Memorial Arboretum
in Staffordshire. If the students win, their
design will be built in the arboretum and
their prize awarded by Prince William and
Theo Walcott.
Please visit http://www.acesch.co.uk/news
for more information about our wider
curricular success.
Everyone Successful.
Every Day.
10
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL •
11

Admission of Primary
School Students
Our admissions process is part of the Local Authority co-ordinated scheme.
The Academy’s admission number is 300. Where the number of applications
is lower than the admission number, all applicants will be admitted.
If The ACE Academy is over subscribed, after the admission of students with statements
of special education needs where the Academy is named in the statement, priority
for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below, in
priority order:
1. Children who are in public care and children who were previously in public care
but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence
order or special guardianship order).
In all cases, if the number of applicants
exceeds the number of places available,
places will be allocated on the basis of
distance between home and Academy,
as measured in a straight line from home
to the main entrance to the Academy.
Priority will be given to those living closest
to the Academy.
2. Children with a particular medical condition which can be met most appropriately
by the Academy. Applications must be accompanied by a medical declaration
form signed by the child’s General Practitioner or Consultant confirming the
condition and detailing the child’s needs. All applications under this criterion
will be assessed by the Governors to decide whether the child’s needs can be
met most appropriately by the Academy.
3. Having a brother or sister at the Academy (but not in 6th form) at the time of
admission.
4. Distance measured in a straight line from a child’s home to the Academy’s main
entrance (as determined by the Head Teacher).
12
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 13

Admission to Sixth form
Up to 20 Post 16 places will be made available for students who are not currently
attending the Academy.
Post 16 Student and Academy Life
At The ACE Academy we are committed to providing an outstanding education.
You’ll find a warm, friendly atmosphere where you’ll make friends and can be yourself.
With a range of experiences in and out of the classroom from morning until early
evening, we will help you enjoy and succeed at this stage of your career. You can
expect to do lots of things you haven’t tried before. You will make friends for life as
well as getting the right experiences you need for the future. As a Post 16 student,
your leadership will guide others through the Academy.
Post 16 Advice and Guidance
The Academy is a big family; it is full of people you can trust and rely on for help.
There are teachers who will challenge you to think for yourself and people who will
prepare you to take your first step into the working environment.
The Post 16 team is able to offer advice and guidance about:
• Careers and employment opportunities
• Further study, including university level courses
• Student funding and financial support
• Travel cards and the Academy buses
• Support to overcome any learning difficulties, from dyslexia to physical difficulties
• Having your say while at the Academy
• The program of sporting and social activities.
Post 16 Study
When undertaking Post 16 qualifications you will find that learning is more challenging,
and requires deeper thinking. This is a big leap for those students who have previously
completed GCSE study. Our Post 16 centre will support you to use your time efficiently.
We will work with you to further develop the genuine skills of independent learning,
both at home and using our fully equipped study areas. An AS or A-Level subject
receives 5 hours of tuition per week. To be successful we would expect students to
look to put in a similar amount of independent study and expect all students to use
their non-contact time effectively to do self-directed study.
Post 16 Personal Tutor
You will have a personal tutor who will be the key person to share your successes and
support you throughout your time with us. We want you to make the most of your
time here.
You will meet with your personal tutor and the other members of your tutor group
at scheduled times to discuss issues we hope will be relevant to life during and after
you leave the centre. We also aim to build up important life skills such as study skills
and interview skills. In addition you will meet regularly with your tutor for discussions
about your progress.
14
THE ACE ACADEMY • ACHIEVE • CONTRIBUTE • EXCEL • 15

A member of the Education Central Multi Academy Trust, University of Wolverhampton
Everyone Successful.
Every Day.
The ACE Academy, Alexandra Road, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 7NR.
Telephone: 0121 521 1540 Facsimile: 0121 521 1541 www.acesch.co.uk