Get in Touch
- Academy Type: Medical Academy
- Principal & Main Contact: Lucy Stocker (Principal)
- Senior Administrator: Emma Tennant
- Careers Leader: Jane Watson - jlwatson@waveedu.org
- Designated Safeguarding Lead: Judy Richardson – jrichardson@waveedu.org
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Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead:
Lucy Stocker – lstocker@waveedu.org
Jane Watson - jlwatson@waveedu.org
Jonathan King - jking@waveedu.org - Address: CHES Academy, Glynn House, Treyew Road. Truro. Cornwall. TR1 3AS, United Kingdom
- Phone: 01209 715079
- Email: CHES@waveedu.org
- Opening Times: Mon-Fri 0830-1600 - 35 hours per week
About
CHES Academy is a medical provision academy that provide education for children and young people with complex medical and/or mental health needs which prevent them from attending school. We pride ourselves in providing pupils with access to high quality education, ensuring they are thoroughly prepared for the next stage in their learning journey. Personalisation is the cornerstone of our pedagogy; the curriculum is bespoke and programmes are crafted to meet individual needs which demands a totally flexible and adaptable approach to teaching and learning from all involved.
Our medical provisions provide personalised education through a combination of centre teaching, individual teaching and online learning. CHES has three teaching centres in Cornwall; Glynn House our school base in Truro; our Hospital School room in the Royal Cornwall Hospital and our Education Unit within Sowenna, the adolescent Tier 4 unit in Bodmin.
Cornwall's Local Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Offer
Careers information:
Follow us on Twitter to see the wonderful things we get up to at North Cornwall Academy:
@ChesAPA
Staff
Helen Casson
Director of Education
After graduating from the University of East Anglia in PsychoSocial studies, Helen completed her PGCE at Sheffield Hallam University. She then taught in Sheffield for a few years before moving to an inner London school as Assistant Headteacher, leading on student and staff wellbeing. After a move to Cornwall in 2011, Helen became Deputy Headteacher at Looe Community Academy. Helen is a trained SENCo and a Thrive practitioner and is passionate about ensuring the needs of all young people are met. Helen sat on our Wave MAT board for number of years before joining the Wave team. Outside of school Helen and her family enjoy exploring Cornwall in their rusty VW camper and bright orange beetle!
Lucy Stocker
Principal
Lucy has been a teacher since 1995 and has worked in Primary Schools and at Cornwall College Camborne before joining CHES in 2008. Lucy started out as an English teacher with CHES and moved on to being the SENCO in 2012, then Vice Principal in 2016 before becoming the Head of School at CHES in 2019. She completed the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination in 2014 to help her support SEN pupils within CHES. Lucy is married and enjoys spending time with her family.
Jane Watson
Assistant Head of School
After graduating form Bath University, Jane completed her PGCE in Religious Education at Kings College. She then worked for a number of years as a Head of Department in east London. After moving to Cornwall, Jane worked as Lead Teacher for EAL in Cornwall. She then moved to Camborne Science Academy, where she was Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics. Jane is passionate about enabling all pupils to achieve their potential through meeting their individual needs. Jane loves exploring Cornwall with her family, and is a volunteer with the Cinnamon Trust.
Judy Richardson
Pastoral Lead
Judy originally trained and worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer in Pathology and then moved on to work in the pharmaceutical industry supporting medical professionals to set up asthma clinics. Judy was then a full time mum bringing up her three children. Judy has worked in education for the past 10 years and has worked in both primary and secondary education. She has a keen interest in supporting families and understanding their needs. Judy has extensive experience in working with other agencies to ensure families and young people can access the services they need. Judy is a Thrive practitioner, this ethos and training is at the heart of her working practice. She has a keen interest in supporting young people to become more emotionally resilient. When Judy is not at work she loves spending time with her family. She is a keen kayaker, coast walker and runner. She is very proud that she has completed 2 marathons. Judy also loves cookery, crafts of all sorts and reading.
Angeline Hadfield
English Subject Lead
Angeline studied English Literature at the University of Exeter, before completing her PGCE at the University of Bristol in 2009. After 6 years teaching English at a secondary school in Newquay, Angeline moved to Truro and Penwith College where she worked as a lecturer and subject lead for the English Language and Literature A Level. In 2021, Angeline joined the team at CHES where she delighted to work as an English teacher and English Subject Lead.
Angeline believes firmly in the value of English skills as a gateway to future opportunities and is committed to helping all young people realise their potential in this subject. Alongside working with the dedicated team of English teachers, Angeline also works with the wider CHES team to promote the delivery of literacy skills across the curriculum.
In the classroom, you are most likely to find Angeline with a smile on her face and promoting the joy of English Language and Literature. Outside of work, Angeline enjoys spending time with her young family and is a keen member of the local running club, though she never seems to get any faster!
Louise Jarrett
Maths Subject Lead
Louise completed a BSc in Maths with Geography in 2000 at Southampton University, she then continued with her interest in maths and environmental geography and completed an MSc in Coastal Engineering. Following time travelling, she went and worked as a Numerical Modeller for ABP Marine Environmental Research, in Southampton. Louise decided that teaching was her passion, and after completing a PGCE at Cambridge in 2004, the sea called and she moved to Cornwall to teach in local schools. Louise has had various positions of responsibility at Cornish schools, including Head of Faculty at Hayle Academy. She moved to CHES in 2019 where she has taken on the Maths Subject Lead.
Louise is passionate about Maths and loves the daily challenges that pupils pose to her. She believes as a maths teacher you inspire and motivate your pupils to develop their mathematical and numeracy skills. She enjoys to see pupils learning and understanding how numbers work and the relevance of mathematics to daily life.
If Louise is not teaching, she will be at the coast. She loves to surf or swim with her children or challenge herself out on the trails. She is a keen member of her local surf lifesaving club and volunteers to help the local children. She has competed in many local trail races and swim-run events, including the ‘Classic Quarter’ ultra-marathon.
Paul Pilling
Teaching & Learning Lead
Paul completed his joint Honours degree in Geography and Art and Design, and then a PGCE in Lancaster. He has taught for a quarter of a century, in Morecambe, Blackburn, Birmingham, Evesham, and then Looe, as a teacher of Geography, PE, Art, and as Teaching and Learning coordinator, Head of Geography and then Leader of Humanities. After all this time he is still exploring ways to help build students learning power, and the true belief in themselves that they can be bold, brave and beautifully brilliant! Generally happiest under or on the water, or exploring forests, mountains, and volcanoes, Paul loves travelling, eating, rugby, surfing and having fun hanging out with his family
Emma Hope
SENCO
Since graduating from Winchester Emma has taught across all primary age ranges from Reception to Year Six. She quickly fostered an interest in the additional needs of children. Emma’s overarching passion is to ensure that barriers to learning are overcome. She endeavours to make sure that children are supported appropriately to enable them to achieve their full potential. Emma also taught at a Special needs school for children with MLD and Complex needs.
Since living in Cornwall with her husband and 2 children Emma has continued to specialise in SEN, gaining the PG Cert and, National Award for SEN. Emma has worked as a SENDCO across 2 Primary Schools and is the SENDCO for CHES, a position that reflects her core values of inclusion and improving learning experiences. Emma is also a Trauma Informed Schools and Thrive practitioner.
Outside of work Emma has a keen interest in running, rowing, cross fit and gardening (when she is not being mum taxi!). Emma has recently started a new hobby of bee keeping.
Helen Woodger
Science Subject Lead
Helen has worked as a Science Teacher at CHES Academy for the past 3 years, having previously taught in many mainstream schools across Devon and Cornwall. She is a Biology specialist in her 18th year of teaching, but highly experienced in teaching all three branches of Science and secretly prefers Chemistry! Helen is a Science Teacher with Mathematics as her second subject, as a result of completing the Plymouth University MEP course.
In the classroom Helen is a bubbly and nurturing teacher with a creative flair, willing to bring art, creativity and problem –solving into the classroom so that it sparks a curiosity and eagerness to learn in our students. She is always planning something unusual such as holding a `dinner-party debate`, building a planktonic raft or a fractal Christmas tree!
In her spare time Helen can be found doing something creative such as sewing, silver smithing or gardening and enjoys spending time with her young family. Helen is a self-proclaimed fidget and enjoys being active: swimming, running, walking or sailing in the Carrick Roads. Her favourite place is the beach, favourite animals are frogs, but cannot bake anything edible and apparently has terrible taste in music!
Our Curriculum at CHES
Curriculum Resources
Please click on the link to access a host of fantastic resources from across the curriculum at CHES
Pupil Website
Follow this link to CHES' pupil website
Our Curriculum at CHES
At CHES we offer a broad and ambitious curriculum that aims to ensure that the students’ health and exceptional circumstances do not adversely affect their education. All of our pupils have had disrupted education prior to joining CHES and as such we offer a curriculum that re-engages pupils with education and prepares them to be successful in the future. We have high expectations of all of our pupils and believe that we provide the right environment to help them thrive. At the centre of our curriculum offer is the intention of:
- Ensuring pupils are not disadvantaged
- Keeping pupils safe
- Building confidence in educational settings so that we are able to support them to return to school or college when appropriate
- Closing any gaps in learning
- Challenging pupils to exceed their own expectations
- Ensuring that age Year 11 students leave us with a range of recognised qualifications and can successfully access a further education placement
- Providing a range of enrichment opportunities
- Developing pupils with education, knowledge, language and habits that are valued by society
- Developing pupils to become resilient, accepting challenge and tolerate other viewpoints
We achieve the above through the delivery of an individualised programme of education for everyone. CHES Students have access to a number of different provisions dependant on their age and medical needs.
At CHES we have subject leaders across the school who lead the development and planning of their subject area in line with our above intentions across all Key Stages. We also have the support of subject specialists who work across WAVE to provide training, resources, support and advice to our teaching team.
Reading
We encourage staff and pupils to read for pleasure and to share their love of reading. We celebrate the sense of well-being reading brings through greater self-awareness, insight and empathy. We appreciate that reading inspires curiosity about the wider world, which is vital for our pupils.
Literacy leads in each subject actively promote cross-curricular vocabulary curiosity and subject specific reading. We recognise that developing reading skills across the curriculum improves vocabulary, comprehension and topic specific understanding. It also deepens pupils’ ability to make inter-disciplinary connections and improves their lateral thinking and problem solving skills.
Reading assessments are completed on entry and a literacy intervention programme is put in place to support pupils when required. Teachers promote and embed opportunities to develop fluency and comprehension in reading through the use of bespoke strategies to meet individual pupils’ needs.
We recognise the importance of teaching phonics and strategies for early reading and all primary pupils receive support from staff who have received training in this area. We collaborate with main schools to follow their phonics and reading schemes to support continuity and reintegration as appropriate.
Learning Support Mentors and Pastoral Support workers work closely with teachers to provide a range of interventions and support, including home visits. This includes reading and writing interventions, support with dyslexic style difficulties, exam practice, communication and life skills, and personal development.
Primary
Our primary pupils follow the National Curriculum for English, Maths, Science and PSHCE, with Forest School offered for students who are well enough to engage outside the home.
We collaborate with pupils’ mainstream schools to support reintegration once a student is well enough to return to their school.
We liaise with Primary schools to ensure that we use their reading and phonics schemes to allow continuity for students but also have access to RWInc and Freshstart SSP programmes. This enables us to support pupils to learn to read successfully and with fluency when needed, as literacy and communication skills are a high priority.
Reading is modelled and encouraged and a reading rewards scheme is in place for all students.
Key Stage 3
Our Key Stage 3 pupils follow the National Curriculum for English, Maths, Science, Humanities, PSHCE and Careers with enrichment Cooking, Forest School and Tasters (virtual Spiritual, Moral, Cultural and Social assemblies).
Reading is modelled and encouraged and a reading rewards scheme is in place for all students.
Well-being sessions are offered online and Forest School activities are also timetabled weekly for students who can engage outside the home.
Literacy interventions and Personal Development support delivered through Learning Support and Pastoral Support Team.
We collaborate with pupils’ mainstream schools to support reintegration.
The aim is for the young person to reintegrate back into their main registered school.
Key Stage 4
Our Key Stage 4 pupils follow the National Curriculum for English Language and Literature, Maths, Science, Art & Design, History, Geography, PSHCE and Careers.
Animal Care offered at local colleges, taught by subject specialists.
Tasters are offered weekly (virtual Spiritual, Moral, Cultural and Social assemblies).
Reading is modelled and encouraged and a reading rewards scheme is in place for all students.
Literacy interventions are delivered through Teachers, Learning Support and Pastoral Support Team.
We collaborate with pupils’ mainstream schools and at Year 11 we work with Post 16 colleges to support reintegration.
Here are the qualifications we offer at CHES
AQA | English | GCSE | English Language
AQA | English | GCSE | English Literature
AQA | Mathematics | GCSE | Mathematics
AQA | Science | GCSE | Biology
AQA | Science | GCSE | Combined Science: Trilogy
AQA | Geography | GCSE | Geography
Stakeholder Feedback
What our parents say
‘Please pass on my thanks to the CHES teachers and support workers for wonderful lessons and support this year. M would not have achieved any GCSE’s without CHES!’
‘Thank you for helping C to get back to school. She couldn’t have done it without you!’
What our students say
‘Dear CHES, You have taught me so much this year. It has just been the best thing ever. Thank you so much. All the best C’
‘I love all of my teachers, they understand me and help me so much.’
Documents
Subject Areas
English & Reading
English – Key Stage 2 and 3
Students on roll CHES have access to English lessons within the framework of the National Curriculum for English.
Primary
For our Primary students, we liaise closely with students’ referring schools and typically follow the school’s curriculum to ensure our pupils are able to keep pace with their peers and reintegrate successfully. We place a strong emphasis upon reading and writing skills, enabling our primary students to gain in confidence and refine their skills. Our primary English curriculum is bespoke and is adapted to meet the individual needs of every pupil.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, the majority of our pupils are taught in groups and follow the CHES programme of study. This programme closely follows the National Curriculum for English and operates in parallel with those of our mainstream partners. Our Key Stage 3 programme is varied and ambitious in scope, exposing students to a wide range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, contemporary and pre-1914 texts. The English curriculum journey aims to develop challenge for students, enabling them to refine their skills and to develop new knowledge and understanding so that they are well prepared for progression to Key Stage 4. Our English teaching is always adapted to pupil need and we adopt a flexible approach to allow us to address identified gaps in learning and build student competence and confidence in the subject.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, all students will study GCSE English Language. GCSE English Literature is taught alongside English Language for students who are well enough to access both courses, depending on their health needs, in liaison with their referring school. Programmes of study will be adapted to meet each individual’s needs, taking into account the amount of time they have with us.
GCSE English Language
Students study AQA 8700 specification, which offers a skills-based approach to the study of English Language in an un-tiered context. Questions are designed to take students on an assessment journey through lower tariff tasks to more extended responses. The specification offers the attraction of two equally-balanced papers, relating reading sources to the topic and theme of writing tasks. The reading sources act as stimulus for writing tasks, providing students with a clear route through each paper. Each paper has a distinct identity to better support high quality provision and engaging teaching and learning. Paper 1, Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing, looks at how writers use narrative and descriptive techniques to engage the interest of readers. Paper 2, Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives, looks at how different writers present a similar topic over time. We also complete the Spoken Language Assessment which covers the Speaking and Listening element of the GCSE.
GCSE English Literature
Students study the AQA 8702 specification and are taught in designated Literature classes. The AQA specification takes a skills-based approach to the study of English Literature that is consistent across the genres. The question papers and mark schemes allow teachers to return to inspirational literature teaching, and allow students of all abilities to achieve their best on every question. The texts we currently study are Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and the AQA Power and Conflict Poetry Cluster. Occasionally, students come to us having studied different texts at their mainstream school. In such instances, teaching is adapted to suit the needs of the student and they can continue to follow these texts.
For further information about GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature, please see the links below:
Maths
Primary
At Key Stage 1 and 2 we support students by developing their mathematical skills in a way which encourages confidence as well as providing satisfaction and enjoyment. We ensure all students have the opportunity to follow a tailored programme, where we collaborate with the pupils’ mainstream school and deliver the curriculum as prescribed my them, in a manner which is suited to the students’ medical needs. Throughout their learning journey, our skilled teachers will teach lessons addressing misconceptions and knowledge gaps, as well as the school-prescribed curriculum. We ensure that the primary curriculum puts a significant emphasis on mathematical skills, curriculum content has to be well sequenced in order to promote a depth of understanding.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 we continue to support students to engage with, explore, enjoy and succeed in Maths by teaching the national curriculum based on the White Rose Maths scheme of learning. We ensure all students have the opportunity to follow a tailored programme, where we collaborate with the pupils’ mainstream school and deliver the curriculum as prescribed my them, in a manner which is suited to the students’ medical needs.
At this point, there is a greater emphasis on developing mathematical thinking skills and ensuring students are able to think mathematically, as well as solve problems with confidence. We aim to ensure our students enter Key Stage four having become:
- Confident and able to recall and apply mathematical knowledge in different contexts
- Able to explain their methods and thinking processes and apply skills in context
- Fluent in different areas of maths
- Efficient in applying problem-solving and reasoning skills
- Independent thinkers
- Aware of the Maths/ concepts/ process they are doing
To ensure that our students’ needs are met and their knowledge gaps and misconceptions are addressed, we have adapted and re-ordered the scheme to create a bespoke curriculum for our students at CHES. Their learning is constantly evaluated utilising a range of formative and summative assessment, informing our subsequent planning and delivery of lessons.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 we study the AQA specification. GCSE Mathematics has a Foundation tier (grades 1 – 5) and a Higher tier (grades 4 – 9). Students must take three question papers at the same tier, two using a calculator and one without. All question papers must be taken in the same series, the questions will cover all of the topics of maths including number; algebra; ratio; proportion and rates of change; geometry and measures; probability and statistics. The papers are a mix of question styles which teachers will prepare our students for, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems.
For our Year 10 students, we base our delivery on the White Rose scheme, reordered and adapted to meet the needs of our students. At Year 11 we follow the White Rose Express Scheme, which consolidates much of the content of Year 10 and Year 11, this ensures that the knowledge gaps obtained by our students due to their health have been addressed, and as well as their learning moved forward, this ensures confident students with a firm foundation in mathematics.
Science
Science is an integral part of understanding how the world works and how the choices we make influence it in both positive and negative ways. At CHES, our Science curriculum aims to give pupils a better understanding of the world around them, whilst acquiring specific scientific skills and knowledge. Science lessons develop scientific thinking, economic, environmental and social awareness, and allowing students to make informed choices. We strive to develop responsible and informed members of the local and global community. Students will be encouraged to link the science we learn about in lessons to previous learning, other topics, and the real world in order to increase their Science capital, as well as ensuring strong cross curricular learning links to support students with problems solving and connecting knowledge and understanding.
The skills, attitudes and knowledge developed in our curriculum will give students a platform to access a variety of routes into post-16 education including A-levels, vocational courses and STEM apprenticeships.
Science lessons will develop knowledge and understanding of Biology, Chemistry and Physics topics, as well as developing students’ data handling and investigative skills through safe practical work. We often carry out experiments (in our centre and for online/outreach students), our outreach teachers have Science kits, including microscopes, force meters and molecule building kits.
Primary
Primary pupils at CHES will follow the scheme of learning of the mainstream school, with the support of subject specialists, with the aim to facilitate a smooth transition back to lessons when returning to school. We place a strong emphasis on science foundations and science literacy skills to enable our primary students to gain in confidence and develop their skills. Our specialist teachers ensure that lessons and activities are highly individualised to met the needs of every student.
Key Stage 3
The majority of students at CHES will follow the KS3 Science curriculum as guided by their mainstream school, we liaise closely with each school to mirror what the students’ class are learning, in order to support a smooth transition back into their mainstream school.
However, some students follow the bespoke CHES KS3 curriculum known as `Lily Pads`, this is taught in six topic areas across the academic year. The Lily Pad modules incorporate all of the AQA KS3 topics, but, in a combined approach that can accommodate students who have previously missed schooling, allow for mixed aged classes and enable progression for students that have a longer stay with CHES. This allows students to build their understanding incrementally through the sideways curriculum, allowing for review and progression of students term upon term..
Key Stage 4
At CHES we offer KS4 students GCSE Science (Trilogy), or GCSE Biology, Chemistry or Physics, or Science ELC (Entry Level Certificate).
This is taught through live online classes, classroom-based teaching at Glynn House (Truro) or outreach teaching (visiting pupils at home or in a local school or library).
Many outreach students follow the GCSE Science Curriculum as guided by their mainstream school, we will liaise closely with the school to mirror what the student's class are learning.
All GCSE students have the opportunity to visit the Science lab of a nearby college to undertake required practical work, enabling students to apply and improve their practical skills.
For further information about each GCSE syllabus please see the links below:
GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)
GCSE Biology Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)
GCSE Chemistry Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)
GCSE Physics Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)
ELC Science Specification Specification for first teaching in 2016 (aqa.org.uk)
Humanities
KS3 HUMANITIES
In CHES KS3 Humanities is taught online, through a creative, challenging, critical curriculum, our intent is to inspire our students to become compassionate global citizens, by exploring, making sense of, and being curious about their place in the world, their values and responsibilities, questioning and connecting the past, present and future, towards enjoyment of a more sustainable contribution to the planet.
The Humanities are the subjects that help us understand the world around us, and the experience of being human. CHES students gain a solid foundation, to progress to study the Humanities subjects of Geography and History at KS4 with CHES, or to aid successful re integration back into their mainstream school. Engaging topics, ensure access to as broad a Humanities curriculum as possible across the disciplines during the time that they are with us doing various topics based on;
History – using evidence to investigate different interpretations of the past events that shape our present and future lives.
Geography – understanding the features of the human and physical environments in which we live and the processes that shape them.
Citizenship – understanding the different communities we are part of, and developing the skills required to participate actively in these communities, making positive change.
Religious Studies – learning about, and learning from, different religious beliefs and practices, including non-religious perspectives on some of life’s big questions and moral issues.
The Humanities lesson is 1 hour per week taught online.
KS3 GEOGRAPHY
At Glynn House our students study People, Places, and Processes….... they study life……because they study Geography!
Is Geography in the news? Quite frankly, Geography IS the news!
Our KS3 students explore a wide range of topics aligned with the National Curriculum, to help stimulate awe and wonder in the world around them, and as a stepping stone for deeper study at GCSE level, or to help easy re integration back to mainstream.
There are a range of learning approaches and strategies used, through individual, paired and group collaboration tasks and activities, to investigate different areas of physical, human, and environmental geography, and the connections between all three.
At CHES our students are able to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and memory in a range of ways whilst exploring how today’s world was shaped and understand the challenges we face in the future.
The geography lesson is 1 hour per week, taught at Glynn House.
GCSE GEOGRAPHY
Study People, Places, and Processes…....study life……study Geography!
Is Geography in the news?......Geography IS the news!
Our students study the AQA 8035 specification in geography. They sit 3 externally assessed exam papers; Unit 1- Living with the physical environment, Unit 2- Challenges in the human environment, and Unit 3- Geographical applications (Issue Evaluation, and fieldwork).
This exciting course is based on a balanced framework of physical and human geography. It allows our students to investigate the link between the two themes, and approach and examine the interactions between the man-made and natural worlds, as well as increasing their employability through the wide range of qualities they will have developed. Students learn through a wide range of approaches, strategies and activities, and also complete local fieldwork to develop further knowledge and skills, with both human, and physical geographical elements.
The world is your oyster! Develop a sense of awe and wonder about your world.
Explore it and learn how today’s world was shaped and understand the challenges we face in the future.
CHES GEOGRAPHERS GROW: Making concise reports, handling data, asking questions and finding the answers, making decisions about issues, analysing material, managing themselves, and as increasingly independent thinkers.
Statistics show that compared to other subjects Geography graduates are right up amongst the most employable. They possess the skills that employers look for.
CHES GEOGRAPHERS GROW AS: Good communicators, spatially aware, socially and environmentally aware, problem solvers, good team players, computer literate, well rounded, flexible thinkers. Subjects can’t be any more valuable than that!
Our students can study AQA GCSE Geography within our online curriculum provision, and also at Glynn House. The lessons take place for 2 hours per week.
GCSE HISTORY
History is so important – we know that from examining and interpreting past events, we can make progress in our futures. But more than that – history is fascinating and absorbing!
Our goal in History is to develop an inquisitive, questioning mind in our students. We aim to ensure that our students develop the tools to evaluate information critically and research effectively, to combat misinformation and to make informed decisions about a variety of issues.
At Key Stage 4 we follow the Edexcel History 1-9 specification. In order to cover a breadth of study and to provide the opportunity to develop the full range of skills we cover the following units:
- Medicine in Britain 1250-present
- Early Elizabethan England
- The US West
- Weimar and Nazi Germany
Through discussion and a range of learning activities, skills are developed and assessed. In History, students develop key transferable skills including evaluation, analysis, problem solving and critical thinking. As students may join mid-way through the course, our history programme has been designed to enable students to address gaps in learning.
History is taught online in one 2 hour lesson per week.
Art & Design
KS3 ART
Our CHES KS3 art curriculum supports our students in learning the fundamental elements of art and design through various themes and topics, and standalone sessions. We recognise that some students may have had limited access, or confidence in art, and so we strive to make the art room an enjoyable, safe, calming and welcoming environment. There is an emphasis on the freedom to express ideas, embrace the unknown, be comfortable with the resilience to review, renew and refine, experiment and play with different media whilst exploring artists, movements, cultures, themes, skills, art terminology and vocabulary.
Studying art at CHES helps students develop a sense of their own identity and value, alongside cultural learning, which encourages awareness, empathy and appreciation of difference and diversity and the views of others. This in turn develops personal responsibility within school and the wider community. Our students also have the opportunity to complete the Bronze Arts Award working alongside the St Ives School of Painting. KS3 art lessons take place at Glynn House for an hour a week.
KS4 ART
CHES students follow the AQA GCSE Art and Design Specification. We encourage self-expression and creativity, hoping to build confidence, as well as a sense of individual identity. The art room is a space to experiment and explore. A space where students have the freedom to express their ideas and thoughts and work creatively. Through a range of potential themes, art movements, artists, mediums, and techniques, we open a world of options, suggestions, opinions, possibilities, and ‘I wonder ifs’, interacting with our students to bounce ideas, rather than telling students what to do. GCSE art at CHES, aims to help with developing skills and ways of working that will benefit our students in the future in whatever career they choose. Thinking creatively and innovatively, are skills employers value. GCSE art at CHES helps the development of these skills. We encourage studying both independently and collaboratively. We explore the visual language and spoken language of art, learning how to control and manipulate materials, techniques and processes and develop a specialist vocabulary in order to analyse, explain and reflect on their own work and the work of other artists. Students have continuous verbal feedback to promote reflection, and to feedforward into refinement, improvements and progression of ideas and outcomes.
Students complete a portfolio for Component 1, as 60% of the GCSE, to evidence the four assessment objectives, through a sustained project, evidencing their ‘journey’, and also complete an externally set assignment paper worth 40%, having selected one theme from 7 set starting points titles. A preparation period again evidences all four assessment objectives, followed by (up to), 10 hours of supervised time to produce a final outcome.
GCSE Art and Design is taught currently only at Glynn House for 2 hours a week, although students are able to complete it in conjunction with their mainstream school with discussion and support.
Personal Development
PSHCE
All students are offered PSHCE, lessons are timetabled weekly. We also have tutorial and wellbeing activities, and a calendar of visiting speakers and experiences to ensure that our students access a rich and varied curriculum of opportunities.
All PSHCE teaching takes place take place in a safe learning environment and is underpinned by our school’s ethos and values, which are to: be positive, have empathy, show respect, work as one team and be inclusive.
PSHCE is engaging and fun! The lessons allow students to explore important and complex issues and discuss these in a safe space. We love our ‘lightbulb moments’ where our learning helps things to ‘click’!
PSHCE Curriculum
At CHES, we provide an inclusive, highly individualised PSHCE curriculum to ensure equality of opportunity in preparing all our students for their next steps in life. Our PSHCE curriculum is proactive, and aims to enable our students to understand risk, and where they can get support if they need it, as part of equipping them to make complex decisions, positive choices and stay safe.
Our PSHCE curriculum is divided into three broad aims:
- Health - developing understanding and strategies for physical and mental health and wellbeing to support confidence and resilience.
- Relationships – to recognise healthy relationships and strategies to develop and maintain these. To develop peer respect and support in school, ensuring CHES is a safe, supportive and inspiring place to learn. To understand and respect diversity and difference within relationships and wider society
- The wider world – to support our students to become responsible citizens, making positive choices about their futures and the wider world. To enable independence, understand democracy and rule of law.
At CHES, students and parents feedback about our PSHCE programme is essential in developing our provision. Both parents and students are very positive about PSHCE:
‘The PSHCE session with YZUP was brilliant for M, he came home with lots of information and enabled us to have a really grown up discussion yesterday evening.’ (Parent, Yr 10)
‘Learning about negative thinking patterns has really helped me identify when I am using these, and what I can do to make myself feel better.’ (Student, Year 11)
From September 2020 (Children and Social Work Act 2017) the delivery of PSHCE education became statutory for all pupils, the content dependent upon their Key Stage:
- Relationship Education and Health Education for Key Stages 1 and 2;
- Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education for Key Stages 3 and 4
Sex education is statutory for Key Stages 3 and 4 as identified in the DfE’s Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education statutory guidance. Parents/carers may exercise their right to withdraw their child from this aspect of RSE. Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from sex education (but not relationships education) up until 3 terms before the pupil’s 16th birthday, whereupon pupils can choose to opt in. This does not include the sex education element which sits in the National Curriculum as part of Science.
Please find a link to a copy of our Relationship and Sex Education policy here
SMSC
At CHES, SMSC and British Values underpin all aspects of our provision, whether curriculum, pastoral, enrichment . . . in fact – without these we wouldn’t be CHES! These values are about who we are, who we want to be, how we can flourish and how we can support others on our journey.
We learn through curiosity at CHES, exploring our own and others’ beliefs and values, and ensuring an ethos of diversity, equality and respect. Our incredible teachers and students use creativity to learn in a huge range of ways – pathways to achievement at CHES are hugely imaginative!
As part of their personal development throughout their time at CHES, students explore central values in Britain, and develop skills to support them to discuss and discover in a supportive and respectful atmosphere. Our behaviour policy is restorative, and students are encouraged to give their view in termly student voice surveys.
Communication skills are very important at CHES, and we aim to develop this in all interactions. We develop communication strategies for students, in conjunction with outside agencies, and ensure these are personalised to support students individually. We aim to ensure individuals are supported in developing their communication skills to enable them to participate fully and positively in the wider world.
Careers
Careers at CHES
Please follow this link for WAVE CEIAG and policies: Careers Advice - Wave MAT
At CHES, Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) is essential in every students’ personal development. CEIAG is highly individualised, supporting every student to access high quality provision and ensuring equity and equality of opportunity.
Our goal is to ensure students have a broad and rich careers experience, including discrete careers lessons, subject specific careers activities in lessons, employer experiences, experience of work and 1:1 independent careers advice. These support our students in making positive and aspirational choices about their future, giving them skills to achieve their potential and develop knowledge of different careers pathways. CHES works with outside providers including local employers, colleges and universities to support our students in their next steps. CEIAG is ongoing throughout the year to ensure that all students at CHES are able to access advice and guidance.
We use the eight Gatsby benchmarks to plan, deliver and review our provision at CHES:
1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance
At CHES we aim to ensure that every student is inspired by personalised, rich and varied CEIAG. Our aim is to support our students to develop high aspirations, and to flourish in their chosen career path.
Outdoor Learning
Forest School at CHES
Forest School Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, which offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term programme that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting. Originating in Scandinavia in the 1950s as a way of learning about the natural world, by the 1980’s Forest School had become an integral part of the Danish education program. Introduced into the UK in early 1990’s, it has grown from strength to strength since then. Our aim is to provide a nurturing space that supports our student’s wellbeing by providing and implementing positive outdoor, student-led experiences in a natural setting, the impact of which will help foster traits such as resilience, confidence and independence and develop motivation, cooperation, decision-making and social skills.
The aims of the programme can be summarised as:
- Building self-esteem and confidence
- Building resilience, determination and independent learners
- Encouraging personal, social and emotional development.
- Encouraging and offering opportunities for creativity
- Encouraging collaboration and teamwork
- Developing and building the ideas of risk management and risk benefit • Encouraging a respect for the natural environment
The Forest School approach helps and facilitates more than just knowledge-gathering, it helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. It creates a safe, non-judgemental nurturing environment for learners to try stuff out and take risks. Forest School inspires a deep and meaningful connection to the world and an understanding of how a learner fits within it. Our approach to risk means that learners constantly expand on their abilities by solving real-world issues, building self-belief and resilience. We believe that risk is more than just potential for physical harm, but a more holistic thing, there are risks in everything we do, and we grow by overcoming them. Forest School therefore, helps participants to become, healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.
As young people grow in confidence in their abilities in the outdoor environment, they will begin to understand, assess and manage their own risk and safety. This supports the development of independence and demonstrates that life comes with not only risk, but also rewards. It also highlights what their own limits are and that they can push through them.
They will see that sometimes we do not always get the desired result the first time but that does not make us a failure, it helps us to grow, forcing us to try again in a different way. It encourages problem solving, logical thinking, self-reflection and evaluation but most of all helps us to see that mistakes are not failures; they are a part of learning, that they are, ultimately, human.
Recognition of the benefits gained from being in an outdoor environment is on the rise in the United Kingdom, with a positive impact on emotional wellbeing of great significance for our pupils. Forest bathing or ‘shinrin-yoku’ was first developed in Japan in the 1980s, following scientific studies conducted by the government.
It is proven to reduce stress hormone production, improve feelings of happiness and free up creativity, as well as lower heart rates and blood pressure, boost the immune system and accelerate recovery from illness.
At CHES Academy we currently run weekly sessions for the KS3 students at our base at Glynn House in Truro, using the rear garden, as well as the local area for activities. We also run sessions for students from KS2-3 at Bedalder Woods, which is a beautiful mature woodland site, owned by WAVE Academy, and situated between Bodmin and Liskeard. This site provides a wonderful riverside venue for regular sessions where pupils can foster an understanding and respect for the environment and develop their resilience, confidence and independence.
The Forest School movement is supported by the Forest School Association, which is the professional body and UK wide voice for Forest School,promoting and supporting best practice, cohesion and ‘quality Forest School for All. Quality Forest School is delivery which holds to all six key principles that shape and govern the Forest School ethos. There are many forms of outdoor education and all have enormous value, however, Forest School is unique in its reach, delivery and effect. Further information on Forest School can be found at: https://www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest-school/
Student Data
If you would like to compare this to other schools, follow this link https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk
Referrals
For a pupil to be considered at the CHES panel they will need a referral form from a relevant medical professional as well as a funding and assessment referral from the registered mainstream school. CHES is an interim provision for children who are unable to attend school for medical reasons. We aim to reintegrate all pupils at the earliest opportunity. Relevant medical Professionals include:
- Member of Community Paediatrician Team
- Hospital Consultant
- Clinical Psychologist
- Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
- CAMHS Senior Practitioner
Please note that CHES Academy provision is charged at 80% of the AWPU
Referral Forms
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Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy
CHES Academy recognises that the safety and welfare of children is paramount and that we have a responsibility to protect children in all of our academy activities. We take all reasonable steps to ensure, through appropriate procedures and training, that all children, irrespective of sex, age, disability, race, religion or belief, sexual identity or social status, are protected from abuse.
We endeavour to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children are respected and valued. We are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect and follow procedures to ensure that children and young people receive effective support, protection and justice.
We listen to our pupils and take seriously whet they tell us, children are aware of the adults they can talk to if they have a concern. When there are concerns for a child's welfare, we may need to share information and work in partnership with other agencies. We will ensure concerns are discussed with parents/.carers first unless we have reason to believe that by doing so would be contrary to the child's welfare.
Our Child Protection and Safeguarding policy underpins and guides our safeguarding procedures and protocols.
Link to further Safeguarding information
