Life in All Its Fullness - Information for Applicants
School’s Context
The Ilfracombe Academy is an 11-18 Church of England academy, with approximately 1070 students on a rising roll, including an expanding Sixth Form. Our students come from a wide coastal belt and represent the full socio-economic and ability range. Ilfracombe is the largest town in the catchment area, and the surfing village of Woolacombe, the holiday resorts of Lynton, Lynmouth and Combe Martin together with a widely spread rural population, are also part of the school community. The school had its first SIAMS Inspection in February 2017 and was graded Good with Outstanding leadership. The school was inspected by OFSTED in April 2017 and judged to be Good in all categories.
The school has recently been rebuilt under the school’s PSBP scheme. We moved into our new main teaching block in October 2017, four months ahead of schedule. The school also has new sports facilities and a Sixth Form Centre.
The school became an Academy with the Diocese of Exeter on 1st May 2013 and has a strong Christian ethos and clear values. As an Academy, we are part of the St Christopher’s C of E (Secondary) Multi Academy Trust. This is a very rewarding time and we believe that the school is an exciting place to work and learn. There is a dynamic leadership team across both senior and middle leaders and a staffing structure which is responsive, providing opportunities for development for all our staff. Staff responses to OFSTED and also internal CPD reviews tell us that staff feel very well supported to develop in the profession. As well as a flexible, regularly reviewed curriculum, there are also a very wide range of enrichment opportunities on offer to all students.
Recent Inspections
The curriculum is broad and balanced and a strength of the school with a number of popular subjects being available at Post 16. We are a Good and improving school; the last four years have seen the school on an upward trend at Key Stage 4 and at A level. Student and parent satisfaction with the school is very high, saying that the school is a safe and happy place to learn and that the quality of teaching is good. The community have also been very supportive of our blended remote learning provision and pastoral support during the recent lockdown. We are committed to ensuring that every student has the teaching and wider opportunities that will allow them to achieve their potential in all aspects of life.
Support for Students and External Links
There is an extensive range of support offered by the school to students and their families. Student Services provide a range of support for our students including effective partnerships with other external agencies, such as health, social care and police. Our school has a very successful track record in supporting vulnerable students and provides effective liaison with their families. The school is in the top quintile for the proportion of SEND students. Student Services consists of a Head of Year for each year group who works with the year Pastoral Co-ordinator to provide a consistent and supportive network of care and support for each student.
We also have well established links with several universities including Exeter, Plymouth and Oxford and have a very good record of students moving on to higher education, including Oxbridge and other Russell Group Universities. As well as a flexible curriculum, there are also a very wide range of enrichment opportunities on offer to students.
School Ethos
We are proud of being an honest and open school that evaluates its own work critically and constructively. We know that whilst all recent inspections and visits have rated the school as good, we do need to continue to focus on improving progress outcomes for students, and all staff accept this.
Applicants are very welcome to contact the school for further, informal information about any of our vacancies. In making an application for any post you will be assessed to see how you fulfil the requirements of the role. This process will include considering your suitability to work with children and references will be called following shortlisting, prior to interview. Any areas of concern, discrepancies or anomalies picked up from information provided or from references, will be explored with you at interview.
Regarding the recruitment of ex-offenders, we are committed to the fair treatment of staff, potential staff or other users of the school’s services, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background. Having a criminal record is not necessarily a bar to working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offences. Further information on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available from the Academy.
All applicants will hear from us to confirm whether they have been shortlisted for any positions applied for.
Here are the links to our latest reports:
OFSTED http://www.ilfracombeacademy.org.uk/about-us/ofsted/
SIAMS http://www.ilfracombeacademy.org.uk/about-us/church-school-status/