A modern learning environment – fit for the 21st Century

The Thomas Deacon Academy is a brand new school with state of the art facilities offering a modern technology-rich environment for teaching and learning. The Academy building is designed to reflect our Vision and Ethos and its commitment to excellence at every level. The open environment creates a sense of community and the Academy’s specialisms in Mathematics and Science are immediately apparent when entering the building.

The Academy building is designed to be flexible and has a variety of teaching spaces in addition to conventional classrooms. Its projected size allows teaching to develop towards a more ‘university’ type of environment, particularly for our older students. Some traditional school lessons are replaced with lectures, seminars and tutorials, whilst the potential of ICT to support learning is being fully utilised.

Dedicated spaces exist within the Academy to celebrate excellence and achievement at individual student, College and Academy level.

The concept of the six Colleges has been developed to create strong pastoral communities. The central concourse gives a light and open feel to the Academy. The centralised Media Resource Centre, lecture theatre and communal facilities create a ‘heart’ and a strong sense of community for the whole Academy.

Promoting excellence and achievement

All the facilities have been planned to overcome barriers to learning, and students are taught in an environment where each individual can maximise their potential. We believe that both social and academic development are important.

The outside space has been designed to promote additional learning resources, with an eco-pond, sculpture park and amphitheatre giving a unique outdoor and expanded resource for staff and students to use.

New Ways of learning

A new and exciting approach to teaching and learning – meeting the demands of industry and university

The core business of the Academy is to provide highly innovative, dynamic and effective learning where students enjoy the challenge of high expectations. Students who have progressed through the Academy will develop a lively, enquiring mind, with the knowledge and skills that enable them to be successful in their chosen career path. Students benefit from an ethos where learning is encouraged, not just in the formal setting of the Academy, but takes place in the work place through guided work experience.

We expect all our students to achieve at least 5 A*-C grades at Level 2 (GCSE/BTEC) or equivalent. This means that students are able to progress on to quality Post 16 courses/training or employment. In order to meet this target, the quality of teaching and learning must be excellent. Use of stimulating IT-based learning resources, small class sizes, innovative practice and a quality assurance model of evaluating teaching and learning will combine to assure parents that their child is being fully engaged in lessons. The flexibility of the extended day enables students to maximise the resources of the Academy, providing for parents an assurance that study facilities are more accessible for longer periods of the day than in traditional schools.

This is not the only unique feature of the Academy. With the help of our sponsors and relationships with industry, we provide the Academy community with a unique insight into the needs of the modern, global and competitive workplace.