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Beaumont School

PROSPECTUS FOR ENTRY SEPTEMBER 2024

Providing Outstanding Education

We pride ourselves both on achieving excellent exam results and in genuinely developing the whole person both within and beyond the statutory curriculum.

Beaumont is a truly outstanding school, which achieves the very highest levels of academic success across a broad and balanced curriculum, supported by excellent pastoral care.  We are an 11-18, mixed, community school with Academy status, located on the east side of St Albans.  The school provides an outstanding education where all students are encouraged to succeed and are given a wide range of learning and enrichment opportunities in which to ‘enjoy and excel’.

In recent years, the school has benefitted from the construction of state-of-the-art facilities for Science, Sport, Mathematics and Computing. We have also undertaken extensive work to make our heating systems more energy efficient and refurbished some of our open spaces and Technology facilities. Looking to the future, the realisation of our long-held ambition to create a Beaumont Arts Centre, including a new Assembly Hall, is in sight and we look forward to welcoming you to this ‘state-of-the-arts’ new facility in due course.

I am immensely proud to be the Headteacher of such a fantastic and growing school, with over 1500 students and 200 highly qualified staff who are committed to giving their best throughout their time with us. We are strongly supported in this by our Board of Trustees and parental body.

I hope that this prospectus gives you some insight into life at Beaumont and it will help you to decide whether Beaumont is the right school for you and that, if you join us, you too will ‘enjoy and excel’.

Martin Atkinson
Headteacher

Students receive an outstanding education at Beaumont School Students make outstanding progress and their attainment is much better than in other schools nationally. The behaviour and attitudes of students are exemplary. There are high levels of support for spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of learning.

Our Aims

Our aim is to prepare young people to become active, caring and confident citizens who lead rewarding lives. We will do this by helping each young person to flourish within a school community which is committed to:

  • Providing outstanding learning opportunities within a broad and balanced curriculum.

  • Creating a safe and caring environment in which every young person enjoys learning.

  • Promoting equal opportunity for all members of our community, regardless of their ability, background or culture.

  • Developing an awareness of our world, celebrating diversity and promoting a concern for the environment.

We want every student who leaves Beaumont to do so with a sense of pride in their achievements, an awareness of their responsibilities and a sense of appreciation for all the opportunities they have experienced.

Joining Beaumont

BEAUMONT IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL IN EVERY SENSE OF THE TERM

We ensure that the transition from primary school is as smooth as possible, understanding that many new students joining us may feel apprehensive.

Experience tells us that students settle into Beaumont quickly and they benefit from the outstanding care and support given to them by the Head of Year 7 and our experienced team of Form Tutors. Our teams of Year 10 and Sixth Form mentors also play an integral role in helping everyone to feel part of the school, both before you join us and when you get here.

Members of our pastoral staff visit everyone who is joining our community in Year 7 to provide support and advice on making the transition to Beaumont. We have found, through many years of experience, that students settle quickly into their tutor groups even if they are not always with all of their friends from primary school. We believe it is important for all students to meet new people and build new relationships.

All students become a member of one of our eight Houses, giving them an opportunity to meet and work with students of all ages and abilities throughout their school careers.

Admissions to Beaumont are managed by Hertfordshire County Council. Information on this process is available by telephone on 0300 123 4043, by email at hertsdirect@hertscc.gov.uk or on the web at https://www.hertsdirect.org

Within the Classroom

We pride ourselves on the quality of the learning experience at Beaumont, both within and beyond the classroom. Students develop an understanding of the world around them and their importance within it, drawing on the best thinking available in the academic disciplines. They are equipped for further study, to thrive in life and to be active citizens in a modern, democratic society.

Our curriculum is based on a broad and ambitious entitlement for all. At Key Stage 4 students can tailor this to their strengths from an impressive menu of options, and later on they can select from an exceptional range of subjects when they reach the Sixth Form. Opportunities for students who join Beaumont’s outstanding Sixth Form are increased still further by access to additional courses within the BeauSandVer consortium.

Those with special needs are treated with equality throughout the school. We aim to respond to the needs of every individual and support them to achieve their potential.

Beaumont students achieve great academic success. At Key Stage 4, our outstanding results confirm our position as one of the highest attaining schools in the area, with major strengths in English, Mathematics and beyond. Furthermore, the school’s Sixth Form results consistently place us amongst the top institutions nationally.

Recognised At A National Level

Progress across the curriculum is excellent. We build effectively on prior learning, enabling students at Beaumont to achieve significantly better GCSE and A Level results than they would at the great majority of other schools. As a result, we open doors to prestigious university study and fulfilling careers.

We want our curriculum to give students an understanding of the world around them and humanity’s place in it, informed by the most reliable knowledge available. This understanding is the entitlement of all young people, regardless of background or prior attainment, and it is a goal in its own right rather than merely a means to an end. It is the source of the independent thinking, creativity and self-expression which we are so keen for our students to develop. We believe that it is best achieved through a wide range of subjects, so we enter the great majority of our students for the full EBacc and encourage them to select options, especially the arts, which ensure further breadth beyond it.

Our provision is designed to ensure that:

  • all students receive the broad and balanced education needed to lead a fulfilling, purposeful life
  • all students achieve strongly in a range of highly regarded qualifications
  • students of all abilities are prepared for the next stage of their education or training
  • parents are kept well informed about the progress of their children
  • students are supported when making decisions about their options.

The formal curriculum is supported throughout the year by a series of Personal Development Days which encourage students to think and learn differently and they present them with opportunities and challenges which are not possible in the typical running of the school day. These days further develop students’ abilities to work with others in circumstances outside of the ‘normal’ lesson environment and often involve external visitors or opportunities to participate in offsite visits. The aim is to deliver the skills and personal qualities needed for adult life and the world of work.

Beyond The Classroom

We pride ourselves that all Beaumont students are offered an outstanding wealth of opportunities to enjoy and excel in learning and enrichment experiences beyond the classroom.

Whether your talent is in sport, music, drama, science, technology, the arts or one that you have not yet discovered, there is a new opportunity for you to explore at Beaumont.

All students throughout the school are expected to participate in, support and take a lead in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, we encourage students to take responsibility for developing an activity should it not already exist. In addition, our Sixth Form Leaders play a pivotal role in leading younger members of our community in all aspects of our work.

Excellence In Sport

Every Beaumont student is strongly encouraged to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Students have access to a wide range of sporting activities throughout the year, regardless of age, ability or gender. Our teams regularly perform exceptionally well at district, county, regional and national levels. Some highlights from our most recent full season include:

  • U13 Boys and U13 Girls District League cross country champions; Inter Girls second in the League and first at the District Championships, along with the U13 Girls. There were two top three finishers at the District Championships. 
  • U13 and U19 Girls Basketball County Cup winners; Under 17s reached the last four of the National Cup.
  • U18 Boys Basketball County Cup winners and National Cup last 16; Under 12 Boys were County Basketball rally runners up and regional semi finalists. U14 and U16 Boys County Cup runners up, both teams also reached the National Cup last 16.
  • U14 Boys County Plate finalists, U15 Girls Cricket County outdoor champions and Regional finalists. 
  • The U18 Girls football team won the county and district cup. U15 Girls football team were runners up in the district cup, while our U13 Girls team are County and Regional Utilita cup winners. They were also successful in the district cup. The U12 Boys Football team won the district cup and our U18 boys team were runners up in the district cup.
  • Senior Boys Rugby reached the County Cup final, Under 13 Boys reached the County Cup semi- final and Under 14 Boys won the County Cup.
  • In Netball, the U12A Under 13A and B and Under 14A and B teams were second in their District League. U13 A were District Plate winners. U18s were second in the District plate.
  • The Year 7 Indoor athletics squad were District Champions. Beaumont had seven top three finishers at the County Track and Field Athletics Championships and 29 medalists at the District Track and Field Championships. The Year 7 girls were placed first at the District Championships, with the Year 9 Girls team third. The U14 Girls qualified for the County plate Final.
  • Two teams were County Tennis finalists. The Year 7 and 8 boys and the Year 7 and 8 girls teams reached county finals day.
  • The U13 Girls Gaelic Football squad were placed third at the County Tournament.

Excellence In Drama

The opportunities to discover Drama at Beaumont are truly outstanding and every individual is encouraged to take part, whether in front of or behind the curtain. The aim of the Drama department is to remain inclusive but with a quality of performance that is always remarkable.

Lower School Drama clubs give performances in the Summer Term and these are supplemented by two school productions each year. In 2023, ninety Year 7 students were involved in working towards a production of Peter Pan and a number of our students, across all years, represented Beaumont in the National Youth Theatre and Youth Music Theatre UK. This year we had a record number of participants be successful in winning places!

In Summer 2023 we also introduced the Beaumont Celebration of the Arts Day, where the whole of Year 7 participate in a day dedicated to the Arts; interviewing people from the industry, teaching their classmates Arts skills; watching live performance and trying new disciplines! 

In 2019 the Drama department was awarded funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, to commission playwright, Mark Wheeller, to write a brand new verbatim play, Game Over, based on the true story of Breck Bednar. This play, premiered by our students, received extensive national television and media coverage across the country. In 2020 we offered more performances of this important and innovative production to our school and audiences from other schools across Hertfordshire. Our production of the play has now become a published play text and filmed performance for Schools and Youth Theatres to access across the world. 

Excellence In Music

The Music Department at Beaumont has long been regarded as one of the very best in the country, displaying excellence in provision of both teaching and the wider opportunities available to students.

Our extensive and inclusive extra-curricular programme allows all students to discover and enjoy new music, while our choirs, bands and orchestras are justifiably proud of the enviable reputation they have earned. With close links to the National Youth Concert Band, students are encouraged by the Music Department to audition for a variety of prestigious ensembles. In addition to high-quality performance opportunities within Beaumont, our musicians regularly represent the school locally and at national events. Students benefit from masterclasses and performances alongside leading professional musicians and, following their experiences at Beaumont, many students choose to pursue Music at universities and conservatoires.

The Beaumont Community

Beaumont is a warm and welcoming environment and we are proud of the outstanding community spirit which permeates the school. Visitors frequently comment on the calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school, both inside and outside of lessons. All within our community have a responsibility to foster an atmosphere of respect, tolerance, safety and enjoyment

The care we provide for our students is of paramount importance and, during their time at Beaumont, students will experience a high level of care, support and guidance. This starts at the beginning of each day with their Form Tutor whose responsibility it is to ensure that all members of our community are prepared and ready to start learning.

Furthermore, we have a dedicated team of staff who are committed to meeting the pastoral needs of our students, supplemented by specialist external agencies if required.

Numerous opportunities exist for students to forge new friendships, through activities such as inter-House competitions and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, as well as the many lunchtime clubs on offer.

Student leadership is strongly encouraged, an example of this being our annual Summer Festival of music and sport, which raises money for the Prince’s Trust and is led by a team of Sixth Form students.

The decisions which students make at key points through the school are carefully prepared for, managed and supported. Option choices at Key Stages 4 and 5 provide opportunities for students to create their own pathways through their learning and we support this by delivering key information, advice and impartial guidance at the right time for informed choices to be made.

The safety, well-being and enjoyment of all within our community are key to ensuring that all students excel. Safeguarding procedures are integral to the day to day running of the school and all members of staff play an important role in ensuring that every student has the right level of care to meet their individual needs.

Beyond The Beaumont Community

As is clear throughout this prospectus, being a part of Beaumont is about embracing the many opportunities we make available to you. Whatever your interests or talents, there is probably already an activity that suits your needs. If it doesn’t already exist, we will encourage you to create that opportunity for yourself and others.

Students in every year group benefit from a wide range of opportunities to take part in extra-curricular trips and visits both in this country and abroad.

As a Specialist Language College we offer exchanges and study visits to Spain, Germany and France. We believe that the opportunity to experience life and culture in other countries is an invaluable learning experience and every effort is made to ensure that these opportunities are open to all students.

Most curriculum areas offer students day or residential visits, such as Drama and Music tours to Europe, ski trips, sports tours, a biennial Geography study visit to Sicily, World Challenge and many other exciting opportunities. These include Year 10 Work Experience, university open days and lecture visits and enrichment programmes and competitions.

Our annual Personal Development Week provides even more opportunity for students to take on new challenges and experiences. During the week students can select from a wide range of practical, cultural and sporting activities on offer both inside and beyond school.

Our Former Students

What some of our former students have to say about the school…

Louis Maycock

Regardless of your background, culture or academic performance, there is one thing I can guarantee you will receive from Beaumont and that is a school which is dedicated to finding the gold within you. Beaumont enshrines a culture of excellence in all that it does, whether it is in the classroom, on the sports field or in extra curricular activities. It was this ethos that supported a once struggling student into university where he finished top of his class and then made that student say ‘I will do better’ and push for a Post Graduate Diploma in Building Surveying.

There is an old African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” which suggests that it takes a community to develop a child ready for adulthood and for me it was within the community of Beaumont School that I was given the tools to shape my future.

Rossalyn Warren

The reason I am a journalist, writing stories from around the world for media such as The Guardian, The Washington Post, and CNN, is because of my time at Beaumont. I studied Drama, which is where I first fell in love with political theatre and story-telling. I also studied languages, which granted me practical skills as I’ve travelled as part of my job; English, where I learned how to think critically and Art, where my creativity was encouraged.

My teachers at Beaumont inspired me to be ambitious and gave me the confidence to pursue a curriculum that I was passionate about. The school provided a supportive, nurturing environment that encouraged independent thinking and collaborative work, both of which have been important to me as I’ve navigated my career. Beaumont also gave me friends for life, people who have been there for me throughout my adult life.

Jerome Mayaud

Beaumont is a place of opportunity; a school where you are given the chance to be the best you can be. Regardless of where your strengths lie, Beaumont teaches you that everybody has a right to be ambitious. And importantly, it provides you with the skills and the confidence to realise that ambition.

Since leaving Beaumont, I have thrown myself into exploring the world around me: first with a Geography degree at Oxford University and then a Masters in Polar Studies (yes, penguins!) at Cambridge University. Having completed a PhD investigating the effects of climate change on desert ecosystems in southern Africa, I am now a Research Fellow at the University of British Columbia, working in Canada. Along the way, I’ve been lucky enough to travel and carry out fieldwork in such diverse places as Oman, Zimbabwe, Iceland and the Caucasus. However, without my teachers at Beaumont encouraging me to aim high, none of this would have been in my sights.

Enjoy & Excel
 
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