Raising aspirations is at the heart of everything we do!

We want to inspire you to think deeply and broadly as global citizens about the world around you. Florence students will understand the impact that school and further education can have on your future life. Our teachers will introduce and discuss further study, career options and aspirational role models. A regular guest speaker programme will provide real life career insights!

You'll visit a university each year, with visits increasingly tailored to individual aspirations as your education progresses. This will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of a range of careers and the qualifications, skills, and experiences required to pursue them.

Our teachers are passionate about their subject, with excellent knowledge and a detailed understanding of the curriculum, recognising how each lesson fits into your broader development within the subject. We expect teachers to ask challenging questions that deepen understanding and create curiosity in each of you. Lessons will be carefully planned to allow adequate time to embed new knowledge, understanding and skills. Academic language will be a key expectation in all lessons.

We will emphasise progress rather than attainment. Teachers will systematically check your understanding and act to correct any misconceptions, providing you with individual feedback to move your learning forward. We will create an excellent learning climate across every classroom that encourages you to take pride in your work and to participate fully in every lesson, embracing every challenge.

Teaching at Florence will be a team effort with staff planning collaboratively within their departments. We will continuously improve our teaching and curriculum, making intelligent use of data and our collective experience, to achieve excellent outcomes for all.

Florence MacWilliams has a family community where all staff, parents, students and the wider community play an essential part in ensuring we're a safe, secure, respectful, and enjoyable place to be. Our four key values ‘pride, ambition, care, and excellence’ will play a key role in underpinning our positive culture.

We will:

• have the highest expectations of student behaviour in order to maximise opportunities to achieve.
• ensure all students develop the good learning habits that they need to be successful in school and life.
• realise and celebrate the potential of all students through promoting independence and self-discipline.
• create an environment in which students are supported to become self-disciplined, studious, and able to accept responsibility for their own actions.
• form an active, three-way, partnership with families and students to encourage excellent behaviour and to establish improved patterns of behaviour where there are difficulties.
• build self-respect, esteem and confidence.

We will ensure you develop the character and habits required for success. It is essential that everyone knows and is known well by their teachers. We'll teach the mindsets and habits which support your academic progress and development as kind, caring individuals who are self-motivated and keen to help others succeed. These messages will be reinforced in homerooms, assemblies, tutor time, line-up, and other out-of-lesson times.

All teachers will “narrate the why” behind the message, so you understand how they'll contribute to your success. Positive relationships between you and adults will reinforce a culture where you are safe and maintain excellent behaviour and a commitment to learning.