Alexandra Park School is a thriving and dynamic school that boasts excellent examination results and an outstanding curriculum experience in both the main school and the sixth form. The school is situated on a beautiful five-acre site adjacent to Durnsford Park within sight of Alexandra Palace. The school was opened in 1999 to create a great comprehensive school at the heart of the community. We have become that great local school offering top-class education alongside a wealth of opportunities.
Ours is a rich, diverse and harmonious community with a culture of outstanding learning at its heart. Our school motto is “Success for all” and everything we do is planned to enable us to achieve this vision. At APS students will discover a supportive and friendly environment. High standards of discipline and behavior are expected and maintained thus ensuring a safe, structured working environment where every individual is encouraged to strive for excellence. Our objective is to foster confident and responsible citizens who are prepared to meet the challenges of life.
Our students study a predominantly traditional curriculum with a focus on the core subjects of English, Maths, and Science. Our students achieve extremely well academically at the end of Key Stage 4. This year almost 90% of our students gained 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE and with the more important measure of 5A*-C with English and Maths the pass rate was above 80%. We ensure our students make excellent progress from when they arrive in Year 7 and have repeatedly achieved outstanding attainment and value-added, putting the school in the top 5% nationally. The English and Maths departments’ performance has seen them both ranked in the top 1% nationwide.
The sixth form was established 10 years ago. It has a comprehensive intake and offers an extensive range of courses. It is arguably the best performing sixth form in the area. The provision has been independently assessed (ALPS) as in the top 5% of institutions nationwide. Ofsted judged our sixth form as Outstanding in every category. In 2016 92% of our students achieved A*-C grades at A level, with 70% of these being A*-B and 43% being awarded the top A*/A grades. Two-thirds of students were successful in their application to one of the UK's top 30 universities and three-quarters of our students were able to follow the course they had chosen at their first choice university.
Our students are highly motivated learners who make rapid progress from their starting points. We have an excellent curriculum and exemplary care, guidance, and support. Attainment is high and rising. Students are highly committed to their studies and are aspirational. Their ambitions are high as is reflected in large numbers of students progressing to the most competitive courses.
There have been several changes to the Key Stage 3 curriculum recently. We aim to provide students with a broad, balanced, and challenging curriculum that fosters a love of learning and enables all students to reach their academic potential. We build on students’ achievements in Key Stage 2 to develop the breadth and depth of their knowledge, skills, and understanding, preparing them thoroughly for the end of Key Stage tasks, tests, and assignments in Year 9 and for taking GCSE and Vocational courses at KS4.
Key Stage 3 students will be set pieces of work that encourage independent learning skills and, in particular, skills to preview and summarise information, use several different sources, organize and plan work and improve presentation. Students are encouraged to transfer skills between subject areas, see mistakes as part of the learning process, set challenging targets, and aim to achieve the best possible work.
All Year 11 students will have a personal interview with a careers advisor. There is also a careers guidance ‘clinic’ focussing on interviews for Year 11 students (which is available to students in Year 10 too). Students in Years 10 and 11 have access to work experience placements where appropriate.
Also, we hold a Sixth Form Open Evening for students and parents to prepare the student for post-16 progression. All students in Year 11 receive two personal Information, Advice and Guidance Appointments with senior staff and the sixth form team to discuss their options for post-16 study.
In Years 12 and 13 numerous opportunities are promoted for students to gain knowledge and experience of a wide range of specific careers. In addition to events outside school, speakers and representatives from varied employment areas are invited into school to present to and meet with students. All students in Year 12 will have a personal interview with a careers advisor and all students are encouraged and supported to arrange and attend work experience placements.
Once AS examinations have been completed (in June of Year 12) the enrichment program focuses almost entirely upon preparing for progression with a particular (but not exclusive) focus upon university applications. Many students also participate in preparatory programs organized by top universities for specific subject areas for example LSE Choice Pathways to Law, Target Medicine, and The Brilliant Club.
