Amington
Virtual Open Evening
Welcome to Amington
Our Principal, Andrew Deen, would like to welcome you and your child to this Virtual Open Evening event.
To jump right into what Amington can offer your child, please see the following areas:
Our Values
Everything we do is underpinned by our values - we and our students will be:
AMBITIOUS
BRAVE
KIND
We are ambitious, every student is challenged to achieve their best. We are brave and face our problems together. We treat each other with kindness and respect one another’s values, beliefs and individuality.
We are the best people we can be.
Our Academy; our community.
Head to the 'About Amington' page to see our values in action in our Video Prospectus.
Our Students
We think we have the best students - so we asked a few of them to share their experiences of Amington with you. Head to the About Amington page to hear them.
Our Curriculum
We are so pleased to share all of the exciting subjects that you can learn here at Amington - click through and take a look!
Our Facilities
Amington is a beautiful place to learn. To take a virtual tour, head to our 'About Amington' page.
The House System
We're passionate about giving our students every opportunity to be successful, so not only will they be able to develop connections with students in their own Year Group, they'll also be able to form bonds with those throughout the school, within their House.
For more information about our House system, go through to our House System page.
SEND Information
To learn more about what we can offer children with special educational needs, please head to our 'SEND Information' page.
Admissions
We know there's a lot to consider when applying for a school, and we've collected the most important information in one place to help you with this process. Click through to take a look.
Follow Us!
If you like what you see here, why not follow us on Facebook and Instagram? That way, you can keep up to date with all of the goings on at Amington (and see some of the amazing work our students are producing every day!).
Curriculum
At Amington we are proud of our broad and diverse curriculum.
Students in Years 7-10 will enjoy five hour-long lessons per day, as well as a Tutor Time session. In Year 11, this increases to six lessons, so all students can be well prepared for their GCSE examinations.
More details about the curriculum of each subject area is available below.
Pastoral Care
Our learning experiences extend beyond the traditional classroom, and we are proud to offer a variety of levels of Pastoral care for our students.
Every day, students will experience a Tutor Time session with other students from their Year Group. This process is vital in the building of friendships as part of the transition process, and allows students to immediately feel part of the Amington community.
Tutor Time also allows us to cover Personal, Social, Health and Relationships Education - or PSHE for short. These life lessons will equip students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in the real world, long after their time at Amington has finished.
Tutor Groups will also attend weekly assemblies in their Year Groups, covering a variety of issues on a local, national and global scale. This helps our students become citizens of the world, taking an interest in everything around them.
We are, of course, dedicated to the well-being of our students, and we will be proactive in supporting students who are going through difficult times. We have trained counsellors ready to work with and guide students on their journey through adolescence and into adulthood.
Last year, we launched Amington Against Bullying, our campaign to tackle bullying head-on, and support all of our students in dealing with these pressures.
In addition to the experiences our students will have within their own Year Group, students are also divided into Houses. More information on our new House system can be found through the link below.
Get In Touch
We know that you might want to discuss things with one of our team, and we're more than happy to arrange a call to explore anything you wish to discuss.
If you'd prefer to ask a question with an email, feel free to drop us a message and one of our team will reply to you as quickly as possible.
More information on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities can be found here:
Support and guidance on the Admissions process can be found here:
The House System
In September 2020 the house system at Landau Forte Amington was re-launched and re energised. Our four houses are named after the biggest mountains in the world to remind us that we can tackle any obstacle and achieve.
Tutor groups are divided into four Houses, Elbrus, Everest, Denali, Kilimanjaro, each headed up by a staff House Champion.
The core purpose of the house system is to further support the intent of the curriculum at Landau Forte Amington by:
Fostering a sense of community, participation and personal developmentProviding wider opportunities for all students to access a range of cultural experiencesPreparing learners for life in modern Britain by, equipping them to be responsible, respectful, active citizens who contribute positively to society
Students will represent their houses in competitions and challenges. The house system will also involve students in developing links in the community and with charitable organisations.
Through the House system students will be encouraged to develop leadership skills and in KS4 become House Captain and prefect.
About Amington
Our Students
We think Amington is a great place to learn, but don't just take our word for it! Here are some of our students sharing their experiences of Amington.
Video Prospectus
We want all of our students to be Ambitious, Brave and Kind - please see our video prospectus to find out more about why we believe Amington is the best choice for your child's education.
Video Tour
Although we regretfully can't open our doors to you this evening, we can show you around. Please enjoy this video tour of the facilities we have here at Amington.
SEND Needs
For more information about how we can support the individual needs of your child, please see our section regarding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Contact Us
If you're looking to contact us, we'd be happy to talk to you about how we can support your child in becoming the best that they can be.
English
We will explore a range of texts including short stories, poetry, Shakespeare plays and non-fiction texts, including but not limited to: leaflets, articles and speeches. We build on prior Key Stage 2 knowledge from Primary learning, challenging pupils to excel in our subject. Each year we interleave learning, building on the previous schemes of learning, and we now track our schemes thematically to explore broader schemes that are relevant to young people including: friendship, voices, society, and villains, and we explore these big ideas through reading and writing. Each year has a balance of reading, writing, and oracy, and we aim to build confident students who communicate with ambition and bravery.
During their learning journey with us, students acquire a plethora of skills including an understanding of implicit and explicit information, and the ability to infer. Language analysis is a core skill that we focus on which not only gives pupils the tools to analyse writers’ language but it means they can deploy words as effectively in their own writing. We equip pupils with a range of reading skills including chunking, summarising, questioning and prediction so that they can tackle any material in front of them. In writing, we foster all pupils' ability to write imaginatively and train pupils to write with flair and passion but also to aim for a high level of grammatical accuracy. In oracy, we provide opportunities for pupils to become critics and confident speakers, learning how to persuade, and to use rhetorical devices and discourse markers to speak really confidently about topics they are passionate in.
You should study English at Amington because Team English are passionate about broadening all pupils’ horizons by introducing them to a range of texts. We’ve written a curriculum that challenges and engages pupils, one focused on travelling around the globe through the eyes of other writers. That’s not by mistake; it’s because we want to be part of a journey where pupils grow into ambitious learners. We are fantastically well resourced and have recently purchased a range of new texts. You won’t find a curriculum more exciting than ours.
Mathematics
In your time at Landau Forte Academy Amington, you will study a broad range of mathematics topics which cover the 5 main strands: Algebra, Number, Shape & Measure, Statistics & Probability and Ratio & Proportion.
You will explore a range of topics under each of these headings, learn new skills with calculating, solving problems and logical thinking. Some of the skills you can expect to learn during your time here at Amington include learning how to form and solve algebraic equations, how to multiply very large numbers (think billions!), how to work out the area or volume of shapes, how to deal with ratios and recipes, and many, many more.
Some of these skills will develop your ability with mental arithmetic, others will focus on written methods, and some will even utilise computers and calculators. All of these skills are vital in becoming an excellent mathematician and preparing you for the future.
It is an exciting time to join us at Amington to study maths as we have recently put a new curriculum in place which focuses on developing you to be an excellent mathematician through: procedural and factual knowledge of concepts; exploration of applied maths and how it fits into the real world; and learning how to understand, break down, and solve complex problems.
All of these skills will help you to prepare for life after secondary school, give you transferable skills for future careers and open doors for future study. The skills you will develop within maths lessons at Amington could well lead to a career in Engineering, Architecture, Aeronautics, Formula 1 Driving (or mechanics), Radio DJing and many more.
During your time here, you will have regular maths lessons, and will also get the opportunity to take part in extracurricular activities and competitions, as well as the possibility of going on maths based trips.
Science
Science is important because it influences most aspects of everyday life, including food, energy, medicine, transportation, leisure activities and more.
Science improves human life at every level, from individual comfort to global issues. Science is responsible for innumerable advances in modern medicine.
Science is also responsible for human use of electricity, a vital component of modern life.
At Amington our students study a wide range of topics, from cells to our organs, from the atom to producing millions of kilogrammes of steel, from a sound waves to wind turbines.
Students develop their understanding of the world around us through real world examples and hands on experience. As their knowledge advances so will their analytical skill, numeracy, and literacy.
These skills will equip them for a range of careers after they leave Amington.
Humanities
History
History is all about discovering the shared heritage of humanity; the people and events that tie us together across hundreds of years.
At Landau Forte Academy Amington, we have selected a range of topics to try to give a broad coverage of many elements of British and World History. We move chronologically from the Anglo-Saxons all the way through to the Cold War in the 20th century, as well as world history topics such as the First Emperor of China (Qin Shi Huangdi), the Mongol Conquests, Explorers from different parts of the world and more.
Understanding that we cannot cover every topic of interest, we have selected a range of interesting and important time periods that will allow students to develop the skills they need from History. Our intention is that students learn how to explain themselves, gather evidence, justify points of view, and extract information from historical objects and sources.
These should all enable students to study other time periods and things they are interested in that we might not be able to cover in our classes at school.
At Landau Forte Academy Amington, we have great enthusiasm and passion for the study of History, and always try to encourage this same enthusiasm with our students. We want to show all of our students that the skills they acquire are useful in a variety of settings, from other school subjects like English, to giving them the ability to discuss and argue different points of view more generally.
We also hope to show that we have lots in common with people from the past and from different parts of the world, so that students have a greater understanding of the world today and how we fit into it.
Geography
At Landau Forte Amington we aim to create a culture of excitement about the ever changing world around us. Using the national curriculum as a guideline and the current content of our Key Stage 4 curriculum we have selected a range of themes which promote locational and place knowledge throughout both Human and Physical Geography. Each topic forms a sequence of lessons which link together and create a basis for study at Key Stage 4 and beyond. At each stage of learning Geographical skills are practiced and revisited. Our homework policy links in with each topic enabling students to practice skills developed previously or extended their understanding of the current theme. At least one homework per topic also links to Geography in the news, promoting outside reading and a greater engagement in the world round us.
At Landau Forte Amington we aim to extend students’ locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries, using maps of the world to focus on Africa, Russia, Asia (including China and India), and the Middle East, focusing on their environmental regions, including polar and hot deserts, key physical and human characteristics, countries and major cities.
Landau Forte Amington offers a range of opportunities to develop your child’s love for Geography including Humanities club, year group trips in the UK e.g. Dovedale in the Peak District, and overseas residential visits to countries such as Italy, France and Spain.
Religious Studies
In their Religious Studies lessons at Landau Forte Academy Amington, students will study the six main religious traditions in the world: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Judaism. They will learn about the important beliefs and practices of each faith including Holy books, festivals, worship, and the ceremonies that mark the key stages in a person’s life. They will learn about some of the other religious beliefs that humans have and develop an understanding of what it means to have a religious belief. In Religious Studies lessons students will also have the opportunity to explore some of the Ultimate Questions we as humans have:
• Why do we suffer?
• What happens when we die?
• Is there a God?
• Is it ever right to kill a human being?
Over the course of their lessons in Religious Studies, students will acquire valuable skills and knowledge. The majority of people in the world today have some religious belief. Religion influences people in the decisions they make, both personally and professionally. We believe that it is important for students to understand the traditions and teachings that might influence those decisions. We want our students to be able to argue a valid point of view in an informed and critical way. This subject does not require or expect any religious affiliation – just an open and enquiring mind.
We believe that Religious Studies offers students a unique opportunity to explore ethical and philosophical questions that are at the heart of what it means to be human. They will be assessed regularly throughout their time with us. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum that will challenge what they think and help students acquire the necessary skills to go into the world confident in their ability to understand the impact of religions on the individual and society as a whole. We hope to foster students who are kind in their respect for others, ambitious in their desire to learn about people who are different from themselves and brave in their determination to succeed in this subject.
Modern Foreign Languages
Learning Spanish at Amington will help students develop a passion for languages through culturally engaging content. Students are taught to manipulate and use the target language effectively, independently and creatively, so that they have a solid basis not only to progress to A Level or employment but to take their place in a multilingual and global society. Main topics include:
• Identity and culture
• Local area, holiday and travel
• School
• Future aspirations, study and work
• International and global dimension
• At all stages of the learning journey, students will explore what life is like for young people in Spain.
Lessons provide a wide range of opportunities for listening, speaking, reading and writing. They will also be brimming with vocabulary learning in fun exciting ways like “vocabulary rockstars” and “Quizlet” games. Language and strategies from previous units are built on and recycled, so that knowledge is deeply embedded. Students also have the opportunity to complete a cultural unit that could be about an artist, a book, a film or the study of a custom or festival in the target language culture.
Learning Spanish will not only develop self-determination and memory skills but will also enable students to take risks and build confidence along the way.
Physical Education
Physical Education is a foundation subject, taught over four 60 minute periods a fortnight. We facilitate the opportunity for every student to fulfil the school’s mantra of being ambitious, brave and kind.
We will provide opportunities for students to be engaged, to learn and progress, and enjoy participating in physical activities. We are proud of our high expectations and the fact that all Landau Amington students want to aspire to achieve these standards. We are passionate about students who enjoy challenging themselves and wanting to be part of a team.
We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum to allow students to develop an understanding of:
All aspects of competitive sport Exploring and Communicating Ideas such as gymnasticsExercising Safely and EffectivelyUnderstand how to live an active and healthy lifestyleEvaluating performances to maximise improvementsDevelop life-long leadership skillsOutdoor and adventurous activities
There will be the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities and also to represent the school in sport. As students progress through the academy they will develop valuable lifelong inter-personal skills.
At Key Stage 4 all students will continue with two 60 minute periods a fortnight where they will be involved in developing more advanced skills and knowledge within a broad and balanced curriculum, vibrant extra-curricular programme, and competitive school sport.
We also offer the Cambridge National Level 2 in Sports Studies, which is a formal vocational qualification at Key Stage 4.
On behalf of the whole PE department, we look forward to meeting you next September.
Art
Art and Design at Landau Forte Academy Amington is an outstanding department with an exceptional record of progress for all students. As a department, we strongly believe Art is a fundamental element to the development of a range of universal skills, including; self-expression, creativity, independence, autonomy, problem-solving, critical-thinking and confidence, to name but a few.
We aspire to strengthen and cultivate our students’ interests within the creatives through a range of specialisms and media, while nurturing their abilities towards academic success at Key Stage 3 and GCSE level.
We encourage our students to become their own artist and truly connect with the work they are conceptually creating, alongside learning traditional or contemporary artists and a range of cultures and periods.
Students will be given the opportunity to experiment and develop skills within traditional drawing, painting, 3-D sculpture, a variety of print-making, and many more. We appreciate all levels of ability, style and aesthetic within Art and believe every student has something unique to offer, while guided through within the forefront of secondary art education.
We begin our curriculum in Year 7 with a focus on Culture, participating in a range of inspired work based around African Masks, before moving into a Biology focus, looking at Cells and Cytology.
In Year 8, students move on to a more refined study of skills within the formal elements through an initial focus on Reptiles and Fish, before moving onto Natural Forms.
In Year 9, students will focus on establishing, embedding and enhancing skills within a range of media, suitable for GCSE level, in an Insects or Footwear project, moving onto a Circus theme as the year goes on.
Students who wish to opt for GCSE studies will begin a Food Project in Year 10. Year 11 GCSE students will then move on to their Birds or Macro theme for their first project in Year 11, before the release of the examination project in January.
Joining us at Amington gives you access to the highest standard of opportunities available within the Arts. With a record of 100% pass rate at GCSE level for the past 6 years and many students going on to further education, we firmly believe that Amington can unlock anyone's artistic potential.
Performing Arts
In Performing Arts we aim to create confident students who are able to stand in front of a group of people and present themselves. We want our students to believe in their ability to learn new skills, take calculated risks, and understand how practise will make them better.
We want students to work confidently in groups, understanding the importance of listening to other people, justifying their own opinions and knowing how to reach compromises when needed.
Through practical activities students at Amington will be introduced to a variety of genres in Music, Drama, and Dance. Our aim is to make them familiar with genres from traditional or classical western performances as well as performances from other cultures and performances. These are breaking boundaries so they are able to have an informed opinion about the style even if it is not something they like.
By the time they finish Key Stage 3, all students will have partaken in performances, experienced what is needed to create a good performance, and will be able to review their own and others’ work. Through these activities students will have developed skills to deal with nerves and performance anxiety and will be able to stand in front of an audience both as part of a group and for solo performances.
The three Academy Values are fundamental in the work undertaken in Performing Arts sessions. Students are encouraged to be ambitious, taking on new skills and using them in rehearsals as well as performances and are, where possible, given the opportunity to create performances of professional standard. Students are expected to present their work, both during rehearsal and assessments, to their peers. This process requires them to be brave and learn to deal with nerves as well as being kind and respectful both during performances and when giving feedback.
Instrument tuition
We have a highly skilled set of instrument tutors covering strings, woodwind, brass, drum kit, guitar and vocal sessions. The sessions are available to all students to sign up for as either 20 minute shared or 20 minute solo sessions.
Performing Arts Clubs
In Performing Arts, we offer the students an opportunity to explore our subjects further after school. At Amington, students have access to a dance studio and a drama studio, both with access to light and sound, a music room with 4 practice rooms, and a recording studio. We encourage the students to use the facilities available. Weekly clubs include:
Drama club Dance club Music club Rock band Choir for lower school Acapella Singers Tech club Musical theatre
Showcases
Students are given the opportunity to showcase their performance skills to a paying audience. Students who participate in clubs and/or have instrument tuition are encouraged to participate and experience what it is like to prepare a piece and perform it to an audience. We aim to do a whole school showcases in December and June.
Annual Production
Every year, in February, we present a whole school production. Students from all year groups are invited to participate and we spend two months rehearsing most days after school. Recent productions have been: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (pictured below), Little Shop of Horrors (pictured below), Back to the 80s, Matilda, The Wedding Singer and Bring it On.
Design and Technology
Design & Technology at Landau Forte gives students the opportunity to explore their creativity and use their practical skills to bring their ideas to life.
Throughout KS3 students complete a range of designs, working on different projects which allow them to develop skills in Graphics, Resistant Materials, Textiles and Food preparation. Manufacture of products is carried out using a wide variety of hand tools, plus the opportunity to use Computer Aided Design and Manufacture, offering students the chance to practice their practical and their planning skills.
Computer Science
Do you want to be the next technology genius like Bill Gates, playing a pivotal role in developing the latest gadgets? Computer Science at Amington may be the answer. You will develop the ability to understand and write code in a variety of computer languages enabling you solve a variety of real life problems supported by computer science theory.
Throughout your time at Amington you will study the fundamentals of how a computer works, from the internal components and how they interact, networking and how computers communicate. You will understand key concepts around algorithms, and abstraction and decomposition helping to create the games designers, code writers and web developers of the future.
GCSE Subjects
Some of our Key Stage 4 only options are outlined below. Students will have the option to select these subjects as part of the Options Pathway process during Year 9, before studying these courses in Years 10 and 11.
Health and Social Care
Do you want to be a nurse or social care worker? Our society, in this day and age, needs people who are caring, and willing to devote their time and energy to helping vulnerable people in our societies to enjoy life and to grow as people.
At Amington we offer a diverse and enriching programme of study for Health and Social Care. You will learn about how to care for individuals and the rights that they are entitled to. You will learn a variety of communication skills that will also help you in the study of your other subjects, and when you venture out into the real world. You will also study how the human body works and the diseases and illnesses that can have a severe impact on it. Lastly, you will look at the ‘eat well plate’ and what a person needs to do to be healthy and maintain a balanced diet. You will also get the chance to cook a two course meal for the person of your choice!
Film Studies
At Amington we are proud to offer a course in one of the world's most exciting industries - Film.
Starting with the basics of camerawork and editing, students will be able to explore a variety of films from around the world, developing their understanding of how directors, cinematographers, production designers, sound engineers, and more, come together to create the spectacles we see on the silver screen.
Students also have the opportunity to create their own screenplay or even produce their own movie as part of the qualification.
If you're interested in movies this is most definitely the course for you.
Business Studies
Do you want to be the next millionaire entrepreneur like Alan Sugar or Karen Brady? Business Studies at Amington may be the answer. We offer a great introduction into the business world of today that will open up a wide range of further learning opportunities. You will learn about all aspects of Business Studies including Marketing, Finance, Human Resources and Operations, helping you make informed and balanced decisions about your own working life.
Throughout your learning we aim to equip learners with the skills and confidence to explore how different business situations affect business decisions. An engaging and relevant subject that will allow learners to develop skills that will enable then to become more financially and commercially aware.
Personal, Social and Health Education
At Landau Forte Academy Amington our PSHE programme gives students the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education is a school subject through which pupils develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to manage their lives, now and in the future. Students will study three themes throughout Key Stage 3 and 4. These are Living in the Wider World (including careers education and citizenship), Health and Wellbeing (including healthy living, mental wellbeing and drugs and alcohol education), and Sex and Relationships Education.
The PSHE programme at Landau Forte Academy Amington offers a holistic PSHE learning journey spanning the pupils’ secondary school career, with a progressive, spiral curriculum that addresses real needs in a rapidly changing world. This programme uses a mindful approach to PSHE, bringing together Personal, Social, Health Education, emotional literacy, social skills, mental health and resilience development in a comprehensive scheme of learning.
Home Learning
Students at Amington can expect to be set homework from the lessons they study.
In the majority of cases, this will be set through our Paperless Learning platform Microsoft Teams.
Using the Teams app is quick, easy and accessible for all students, and will allow your child to keep organised and on track with each task they are set.
Students will be able to view, edit and complete homework tasks they have been set on their own device, such as a phone or tablet, or on a computer.
Teachers can then provide feedback on the work straight to the device - no more lost sheets, and no more glue sticks!
Special Educational Needs
The SEND Team at Landau Forte Amington believe:
All children regardless of circumstances or need must be enabled to achieve to the best of their ability.
The Team
Mrs A Campbell - SENCO - co-ordinator of SEND provisionMrs K Burrows - Deputy SENCO KS4Miss C Powell – Assistant SENCO KS3Five LSAs who are trained in the County’s reading recovery programme, are attached to year groups, and who also specialise in areas of need such as Visual and Hearing Impairment.
The SEND Team endeavour to support students, parents and staff to enable all our students to succeed through regular contact with parents and a timely response to issues which may arise. Every student on the register had a face to face meeting to aid their reintegration following the Summer break. This approach has resulted in Amington having 11.7% higher attendance for students with an EHCP than the rest of the County in September 2020. We are ambitious for our students with SEN.
All students on the SEN register (both K and EHCP codes) have an Individual Learning Plan which is reviewed with students and parents and which all staff use as part of their planning and teaching process.
Students benefit from in class support and intervention within school in areas such as literacy, numeracy, and social skills, and there is a staff referral system in place to identify those who may need more support.
Teachers are regularly trained on SEN information and guidance and have an SEN Handbook providing information and strategies to support individual students. Teachers also can take part in innovative strategies such as Teachers around the Student meetings with our Educational Psychologist who is in school every month to meet with our students.
The SEND Team work closely with external agencies including: Staffordshire LA, Hearing and Visual Impairment Services, Autism Outreach, TORC Community Paediatrics, CAMHS, Malachi and many more.
We arrange for those students who require it to have examination access arrangements that enable them to succeed, and have invested in new technologies to encourage success and independence such as reading pens.
We have an intervention and calming space situated in our MAC room and the use of a smaller community space at lunch and break for those students who really struggle at busy times.
During Lockdown all students on the SEN register were contacted regularly each week - the team were available during lockdown and over the Summer to respond to calls and e mails. The Team came into school to offer 1:1 hourly sessions of mentoring for all Y10 students with an SEN and have continued to offer that support.
All of our policies relating to SEND students, the SEN Information Report and links to the Local Offer are available on our website, and we are happy to answer any questions - just visit the Get In Touch page.
Admissions
For most of our students, applications to join Landau Forte Academy Amington will be made to Staffordshire County Council. For more information directly from them, please see their website.
Applications for Secondary Schools are open from September until the end of October.
We would normally expect Secondary School offers of places to be made in the first weeks of March.
For more informtion about Admissions issues related to Amington, please see our Admissions policy.
Our website has more information on this process, along with some helpful links to other points of information concerning the Admissions process.
Please click through to learn more about Admissions.
