Contact Details:
Barr Beacon School, Old Hall Lane, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0RF
Telephone: 0121 366 6600
Email: postbox@barrbeaconschool.co.uk
Website: www.barrbeaconschool.co.uk
Twitter: @barrbeaconsch
Heateacher: Mrs K Hibbs
Our SENDCO, Mrs C Walker can also be contacted via the links above.
Barr Beacon School is part of the Matrix Academy Trust. Details and contact information for the Trust can be found at www.matrixacademytrust.co.uk
Latest Ofsted Report
The latest report can be found HERE
Results Data 2024 - HERE
Destinations 2023-2024 - HERE
Further results information can be found on the School Performance Tables published by the Department for Education -
https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/school/136885/barr-beacon-school/secondary
Curriculum Information
Our curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge and experiences which will interest and empower them to thrive in the workplace and make informed contributions to our democratic society.
Curriculum maps available HERE.
A list of courses offere available HERE.
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At Key Stage 3 pupils currently study the following:
English, mathematics, science, art, dance, drama, music, geography, history, computing, modern foreign languages (French, German), PE, PSHE, religious education, design & technology, media
Years 7, 8 and 9 are assessed against subject specific objectives. All of our teaching programmes reflect the depth and breadth of the National Curriculum: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-inengland-secondary-curriculum
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At Key Stage 4 pupils follow a personalised pathway.
All pupils take the core subjects of Maths, English Language, English Literature, PE (not examined), PSHE and Double Science Award OR separate sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics).
The vast majority of our pupils will follow the English Baccalaureate suite of qualifications, which means that they will continue to study either History or Geography and the language that they began in Year 7 (French or German). All pupils must study at least one of these three subjects.
Option subjects are: Dance, Drama, Textiles, Hospitality & Catering, GCSE PE or BTEC Sport Science, Sociology, Psychology, Computer Science, Religious Education, Business Studies, IT, Health and Social Care and Art.
Languages
At Barr Beacon we want every child to succeed. We know that when a pupil follows the EBacc route that they will have greater opportunities in further education and jobs in the future. Studying language is a crucial part of the EBacc, and we believe this is the right thing for our pupils as languages can:
Open our mind to the world. Languages help us to understand a different language and culture. This in turn can help us be more understanding and tolerant of cultures and countries which are different to ours and even understand our own better.
Challenge us academically. Languages are difficult but when we put our brains under the stress of learning something difficult, it helps us to develop our memory, multitasking and problem-solving skills which help us in every subject we study.
Enable us to travel and work abroad. With more and more jobs becoming international, there is a real need for British people to be able to speak and engage in a different language.
Help us to learn the next language! Once we know some French or German, there are opportunities at University to learn a new language such as Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Russian – just to name a few.
Make Barr Beacon pupils stand out. Not all schools promote the EBacc route in the way that we do at Barr Beacon as part of our strong academic curriculum. We know that having a language GCSE will make our pupils stand out from the crowd when applying for their post 16 and post 18 pathways.
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Information about Key Stage 5 courses can be located HERE.
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Music Development Plan - HERE
Behaviour Policy
The school behaviour policy (including rewards) can be found on our Publications > Policies HERE
Careers Information
Careers information including how we deliver careers guidance, a summary of the programme, who to contact about careers, how we measure and assess the impact of our careers provision and lots more can be found HERE
Pupil Premium
Details of our plan for pupil premium spend and a review of outcomes along with the school action plancan be found under About > Pupil Premium.
Catch-Up Premium Statement
can be found under About > Catch Up Premium Statement
School Times - Click HERE
SEND
The SEND policy can be found HERE
SENDCO:
Mrs C Walker
0121 366 6600
postbox@barrbeaconschool.co.uk
Governance
The Chair of Trustees can be contacted via postbox@matrixacademytrust.co.uk or 01922 211 264.
Governance information can be found at About > Governance.
Complaints & Whistleblowing
The Trust Complaints Policy and Whistleblowing Policy can both be found HERE
Accounts & Funding Agreement
Please click here to view our Accounts and Funding Agreement information.
Charging and Remissions Information
The Charging and Remissions Policy is part of our Financial Procedures manual - the relevant extract can be HERE
Equality Objective
The belief that everyone deserves to be treated equally, including having the same opportunities, is central to everything we do at Barr Beacon.
Our Equality Objective can be found HERE.
Ethos & Values
We work hard to get the best for every single one of our pupils. With our Teaching School status we are called upon to share our expertise with other education providers to help them get the best for their learners too. We are always focused on making sure we secure the best possible future for the next generation and, being a SCITT, this extends to our high quality teacher training.
Whilst forward-facing in many ways, we hold onto the best bits from the past. We are unabashedly traditional when it comes to discipline, courtesy and good manners. These values never go out of fashion and they underpin our drive for academic success.
Our school community is proudly diverse and we do not tolerate bias, prejudice or discrimination of any kind - whether conscious or unconscious - and we instil in our pupils nothing less than the urge to go out into the world and make it a better place.
I am immensely proud to work with so many supportive governors, dedicated staff and delightful young people. It is a privilege to be the Headteacher of Barr Beacon School.
For more about our Beacon Values click HERE.
