At the City of London, Shoreditch Park students are expected to work hard and to show dedication and commitment to their studies, without exception. In return, we provide fantastic academic, creative, sporting, linguistic, and personal educational experiences: This ‘City Experience’ will be delivered through outstanding teaching and with the support of our sponsor, the City of London Corporation. There is also be a real and continuing emphasis on personal skills and the development of values that all young people need to be successful.
We aim to provide a high-quality education for students in hackney and pioneer educational innovation or success will be judged by excellence in examination results, standards of behavior, sporting and creative achievement as well as the politeness, self-discipline, and the compassion of our students. It is important to us that students enjoy learning and feel safe and happy at school and we enable them to develop their confidence, independence, and self-awareness required for their future success and well-being. Students at the City of London Academy, Shoreditch Park are taught in an environment that promotes academic, creative, sporting, linguistic, and personal achievement: this is ‘The City Experience’.
Applications for places at the academy will be made following Hackney Learning Trust’s coordinated admission arrangements. All children applying to the academy, including children with EHCPs and looked after children, will be required to take the GL Assessment, CATS3 Level C test. Children who do not sit the test will be considered after those who sit the test.
Applicants will be placed in one of four bands, based on their performance in the test. Approximately the same number of children will be admitted in each of the four bands so that each band represents 25% of the applicants. Children with EHCPs and looked after children are placed in a band. If they are unable to take the test, their band allocation will be based on their primary school teacher assessments. The academy will consider all applicants for places. Where fewer than 188 applications are received, the academy will offer places to all those who have applied.
The core purpose of the academy is to help students learn. We do this by developing comprehensive, detailed teaching and learning strategies that foster excellent academic progress. The City of London Academy Shoreditch Park ensures all our students have the essential skills to achieve in later life and opportunities to excel in every subject.
The academy operates an extended day for all students the libraries are open before and after school and our staff offers a range of extra-curricular activities including an Additional Studies program of enrichment classes, two evenings a week. The PE department also runs sports clubs all year round alongside training sessions for the academy’s competitive squads before and after school.
The City of London Academy Shoreditch Park values students’ well-being, their opinions, and their achievement. All students are individuals and have a variety of complex needs. Students with special educational needs (SEN), those who are more able in a particular subject, and the majority of students who fit into neither of these categories all need support and challenge.
We do not compromise on students achieving exceptional levels of academic progress. We are rigorous in our teaching whilst ensuring that we engage students’ interests and inspire them to achieve the highest academic standards. Behaviour is exceptional, classrooms are focussed and students are required to complete their classwork, and the regular homework we set them, to the best of their ability.
Our commitment to healthy lifestyles means that we encourage wide participation in sports and fitness. We have regular fixtures for all sports teams ranging from football to netball, taekwondo to trampolining. Students take pride in representing the academy and the academy takes pride in nurturing their talents and collective success.
The City of London Corporation is committed to sponsoring the academy and to helping to ensure that our students fulfill their potential in a happy, healthy, supportive, and safe environment. The Governing Body is made up of governors appointed by the City of London Corporation, as well as local community governors (parent and staff governors to be appointed). It is our role to set the strategic direction for the academy, working with the Chief Executive Officer, Principal, and Senior Leadership Team in helping to create a culture of high expectations, aspirations, and scholastic excellence.
Our brand new academy opened in September 2017. We are currently based in a purpose-built, modular building, where we will be for the first three years and are due to move to our permanent, brand new building in Shoreditch Park in September 2020.
In nature, ethos, and approach the school is modeled on The City Academy, Hackney, an 'Outstanding' academy that is renowned for achieving world-class standards for its students. The City Academy, Hackney made more academic progress than in any other school in Hackney and was in the top seven secondary schools in the country for progress in 2014, 2015, and 2016. We intend to quickly establish the City of London Academy Shoreditch Park as a center of excellence for secondary education in the South of the borough as The City Academy, Hackney is in the East.
