Sponne School – inspiring achievement

Our vision

Image of smiling student. Sponne School exists for its students. We believe our task is to develop the full potential of all our students both inside and outside the classroom. We have a vibrant learning environment that challenges all our students to make good progress and a range of networks within the school to identify needs and personalise the learning experience we offer.

Students are encouraged to work hard at their studies and join in the large range of extra curricular opportunities provided by a dedicated staff. We know that any student’s ‘best’ can be shown in many ways – academic work and examination results, or activities such as concerts, plays, team sports and community service. Student achievement, in all areas, is regularly celebrated and we are proud of the excellent standards and contributions many of our students demonstrate.

Our students matter to us as individuals and we are certain that achievement is most successfully inspired by a school community that is caring and friendly, yet firm and clear in its expectations and standards. Our strong pastoral team is crucial to the wellbeing of our students, ensuring that they come to school happily and confidently, ready for the challenges we provide.

Why choose Sponne School?

History
Sponne School is named after William Sponne, Archdeacon of Norfolk, who founded a Chantry in Towcester in 1430. Every year a Founder’s Day service is held either at school or in St. Lawrence’s Church. The amalgamation of Towcester Grammar School (which is the oldest grammar school in Northamptonshire) and Towcester Secondary School in 1968, and further re-organisation in 1975, have led to the school’s position as a highly popular and successful community comprehensive school for pupils aged 11 to 19 years.

Profile
There are some 1200 students on the school roll, which typically includes over 220 Sixth Form students. Our staff is comprised of around 80 members of teaching staff together with 70 support and ancillary staff. Students are traditionally admitted from the areas of the Sponne Cluster primary schools in Blakesley, Greens Norton, Silverstone, Tiffield, Towcester and Whittlebury.

Image of students working. Situated at the heart of ‘Motor Sport Valley’, Sponne School is committed to continuous development as a major educational resource for the benefit of all our students and the wider community. Inspiring achievement, which lies at the heart of the school’s ethos, is driven in part by the partnerships forged with many organisations, both educational and community based. Close co-operation with the Cluster primary schools, the SWAN partnership, industrial partners and sponsors, social organisations and parents and guardians all provide resources and ideas which contribute to raising standards. Sponne School’s designation as a Technology College recognises the collaborative nature of the school’s development and growth, providing personal fulfilment for students of all abilities.

Technology College status
Sponne School has been a Technology College since 1999 and has just been granted Phase 3 re-designation to secure this specialist status for a further three years.  During this time the school, its pupils and the community have benefited enormously from the extra funding that this has brought.

Initially the school focussed on the ICT, Maths, Science and Technology faculties allowing improved resources to be purchased and accommodation to be updated.  Just as importantly, it enabled the curriculum to be enhanced (e.g. the introduction of Science Triple Award and Engineering) and freed time for staff from Sponne to support our Primary Feeder schools in the teaching of these technological subjects.

In recent years, funds have been made available more widely throughout the school to improve the access of staff and students to ICT resources.  The majority of teaching rooms now have interactive capabilities and data can be shared more easily between the school and parents.  In addition Literacy has been highlighted as an area to be developed within the community and our Technology Status has allowed us to employ a Community Literacy Co-ordinator who has worked very closely with our Primary schools in the last eighteen months to improve literacy skills.  We look forward to maintaining this momentum with literacy as we firmly believe it will have a huge impact upon the performance of our students in all subjects.  We hope also to extend the literacy programme to allow greater access for the community in general. 

Image of a student using a calculator. We are extremely fortunate to have outstanding technology companies on our doorstep, particularly at Silverstone. The Learning Centre, which opened a year ago at Silverstone, has provided an excellent resource for several literacy programmes, Playing for Success and technology study days. Collaboration between the school, local technology companies and other learning providers allow us to offer a comprehensive range of courses and facilities. As syllabuses are re-shaped, we are in a strong position to respond to the new demands and the needs of all our students, while enabling us to use our status for the benefit of the wider community.  

Home/school partnership
We believe that parents/guardians and the school form a partnership with the pupils, in setting out to achieve the highest levels of achievement and standards of behaviour. We also believe that parents/guardians can help most effectively when they know what the school is trying to achieve and how they can contribute. We place great store upon establishing a clear understanding of practical issues such as homework policy and the school’s uniform requirements, in addition to the level of courtesy and respect we expect within our learning community.

Our Home/School Agreement has been produced after careful consultation with parents, students, staff and outside agencies, and provides an important framework for the development of a partnership based on clear expectations of all involved. A copy of the Home/School Agreement is sent to the parents or guardians of every student on roll at Sponne.

Top

This is a holiday week

Quick Links

Announcements

Latest Newsletter

The July Newsletter is now available.  Please note that the training day in term 2 is on 3rd December 2010 as correctly stated in this online version.

Summer Activities

Extended Services are running many activities during the summer holidays. Please click here for more information.

Interested in becoming a teacher…?

Click here to find out more details about The Grand Union Training Partnership