A warm welcome to our ACE provision.

As Head of ACE, I am delighted to welcome you to our ACE provision. The ACE centre is our Academic Centre for Excellence, which was a bespoke provision set up for a number of students in September 2019. The fantastic provision supports up to 30 of our most vulnerable students in the academy. The provision is delivered in an entirely separate building to main school to create a smaller learning based environment to cater for the needs of all. We have created a family ethos where routines, mutual respect, manners and positivity are at the heart of everything we do. Together we support each other and strive to be the very best we can be every day. In ACE we are committed to the education and welfare of our students, with the goal of preparing them for reintegration back into the main academy at Noel- Baker.

In ACE we understand that to learn we have to make mistakes. All of our students have made mistakes and whilst we recognise what has led to their referral, we focus on what we are going to do to support the student in moving forward positively and achieving their potential. We have developed a strong culture of mutual respect, which encourages a calm atmosphere, and we welcome students voicing their opinions in a positive manner. Many of these opinions and conversations take place around the dining table during their lunchtime.

We have the highest expectations of our ACE students and routines are embedded from the very start of the day to the minute they leave at 3pm. Celebrating success is something we advocate and our students are consistently rewarded for their positive behaviour, attendance, punctuality and progress in lessons. Our ACE students impress us daily with their positive attitudes and behaviours and this is evident in their learning and positivity around the centre.

All of our staff in ACE have a huge role to play in supporting our students. Our teaching team and support staff are fully involved in the pastoral care of our students through our tutor group system and information is shared across the school to ensure our students educational, social, emotional and wellbeing needs are met. We operate a reward culture and throughout their time with us we try to celebrate and reward positive behaviours.

Our students in ACE are taught a Knowledge- rich curriculum- following the same curriculum as the main academy. Students are in small groups of no more than six which enables us to provide focused support with our experienced teaching staff to ensure that every child in ACE reaches their full potential.

Our students at Key Stage 3 (years 7- 9) follow the following curriculum:
English, maths, Science, Drama, Design Technology, Music, Humanities, Physical Education, Computer Science and Spanish.

At Key Stage 4 (Years 10- 11) our students study English, maths, Science, Physical Education alongside 2 other GCSE options: Either Geography, Photography or Art.

Our ACE motto is ‘Win the morning. Win the day.’

What an incredible uplifting attitude to start the day ahead with. The most striking thing about it and about the ‘morning routine’ in general, is that it is a personal choice we can all make as to how we want to set ourselves up for the day ahead.

The ACE School Day: Monday – Friday
8.30am – Arrival and Roll Call
8.35am – Bagels
8.40am – INFORM (PSHE)
9.00am – Period 1
9.55am – Period 2
10.50am – Break (more bagels)
11.10am – Period 3
12.05pm – Lunch
12.45pm- Period 4
1.45pm – Tutor time- Reading
2.10pm – Period 5
3.00pm- Depart

Every Wednesday in assembly, we cover various topics such as Black History Month, Holocaust Memorial Day and other world celebration days. This also is a time where we celebrate the progress of all our ACE students evidenced by a Progress Tracker that we use daily (see sheets).

If you would like a visit to our ACE provision then please feel free to contact our office staff who will arrange a time that is convenient for you to come in and have a look around. I look forward to meeting you.

Mrs Pedlar
Head of ACE