Marlowe Academy was created in September 2005, moving from the former building of Ramsgate School to new-build premises in 2006. A secondary school and sixth form with a dual specialism in performing arts and business enterprise, it has redefined its place in the local community, providing a shining example for other schools.

“Teachers and pupils eat lunch alongside community groups” 

The Academy's catchment area takes in some of the most socially and economically deprived wards in Kent, with the proportion of students entitled to free school meals well above average. More than half of the total intake of pupils has a learning difficulty or disability, and around three per cent have a statement of special educational need.

Following extensive consultation with staff, parents and the local community, the Academy has pioneered the use of an extended day with school doors opening at 6.30am and remaining so until 5pm. The extended hours provide a safe place for students while their parents are working, a measure which Ian Johnson, School Principal says will avoid the issue of young people "cruising the streets".

The day starts with an integrated breakfast club at 7.30am for staff and pupils. As well as conventional lessons, students have two hours per day of study and extra curricular activity - the extended hours allowing pupils to complete their homework at school, where learning support and IT resources are available, but also giving students their evenings, enriching the time parents can spend with their children.

Ian says: "The students' day ends at 5pm, which coincides with the end of the working day for most parents. When students arrive at home they have dinner with families and then can spend time together without parents having to nag them about homework." The students evidently gain from this aspect, because despite the longer day, attendance has improved by two per cent over the last two years, and exclusions are down by 23 per cent.

It costs approximately £200 per child per year to ensure they are safe, looked after, and finish their homework. The positive effect of spending this money is evident, with 20 students expected to go to university in 2008, and the number of GCSE students gaining five A*-C passes has gone up 35 per cent in the past two years.

The Academy works with many partners and support organisations, some of them based onsite. They range from local authorities, chambers of commerce and rotary clubs to sporting bodies, youth workers and careers organisations. Such organisations play a key role in the provision of extra curricular enrichment.

The local community has become integrated into the life of the school - teachers and pupils eat lunch alongside community groups, which use the facilities for meetings, and adult education participants, who have a classroom based at the school. Special events, like a Veterans Day Celebration in June 2007 that involved more than 100 veterans and 600 students, have helped the school move beyond its traditional role.

Project highlights

• Radical innovation and strong leadership has led to purposeful and effective engagement with the local community. Special events have been well supported, and provide a focus for students, staff and locals.
• A compulsory study group for each year supports the pupil's in the extended school hours, ensuring that they have individual, group and class tuition. This tuition combines an accelerated reading strategy helping pupils that are sometimes four years behind their chronological age in reading age make exceptional progress in short time.
• Pupils' aspirations are raised with the realisation that despite their home circumstances everyone has the opportunity to achieve through the support and respect they gain at school.
  

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