Guru Nanak Sikh Academy2017-18 Primary Prospectus

Dear Parents,

This prospectus is designed to give you details of the education offered at Guru Nanak Sikh Academy- Primary phase. It contains information which is required by current legislation, but due to the unprecedented rate of change at this moment, some updates are inevitable. The academy is hard-working, orderly, friendly and takes a pride in its achievements. All pupils wear uniform and are encouraged to show courtesy and respect for others – themes that are central to the school ethos. Many of our visitors comment warmly about the friendliness of the school and the good relationships between pupils. Another comment regularly made to us concerns the purposeful nature of the work taking place in all the classrooms and around the school.

Throughout the academy there is an emphasis on the development of personal qualities, on the widening of pupils’ horizons, and on preparation for a purposeful and caring role in society. The school ensures that pupils learn their mother tongue and are aware of the principles of Sikhism. More importantly they are encouraged to act within these principles which include:

➢  daily prayers

➢  showing respect for everyone

➢  showing respect for other religions

➢  caring for the elderly and the underprivileged

➢  showing humility

➢  working hard

The academy is always receptive to new ideas and is constantly exploring ways of raising the existing high level of achievement. However, we do not respond to novelty for its own sake and believe in looking at new proposals in the light of their practicality and relevance to our unique role as a Sikh academy. This prospectus aims to give some insight into the organisation of the academy. However, there is no substitute for a visit to the academy itself and parents are invited to visit us on Open Evenings, or any other time by arrangement.

PRINCIPAL’S SPEECH

Rajinder Singh Sandhu

Executive Principal

1993 to 1999: Guru Nanak Sikh College

Guru Nanak Sikh College was founded by Sant Baba Amar Singh Ji and officially opened in January 1993. Baba Ji had already opened up a number of institutions in India with the aim of helping the poor and the under privileged. Requests for a school in the UK came from parents concerned about drugs, indiscipline and moral standards. Guru Nanak Sikh College opened as an independent school. The College steadily gained a reputation as a centre of educational excellence with students who were well motivated, disciplined and responsible.

1999: A Key Year

In 1997 a campaign was launched to seek voluntary aided status for the College and thus to enter the state sector of education. The College gained the support of parents, the local community and all local political parties, as well as Hillingdon Local Authority. In consequence of the combined efforts of these various bodies, Guru Nanak Sikh Voluntary Aided Secondary School opened in September 1999 as the country’s first Sikh state secondary school offering education to students aged 11-18. The Guru Nanak Sikh VA Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11 also opened in

1999 – 2010: Guru Nanak Sikh VA Primary School

The Primary School finally moved into its new building in 2006. Since then, it has grown each year by one form to become a full two form entry school from Reception through to Year 6 and also offering pre-school Nursery facilities. This new building with its very modern facilities provides each class its own shared area, a colourful and spacious school library and a specialised ICT suite. These facilities and excellent teaching and leadership resulted in the school and its pupils being judged ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2007.

2010 – to the present time: Guru Nanak Sikh Academy

As an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted school, in June 2010 the Secondary school made an application to the government to fast track to Academy status. The Secondary School’s status as an Academy was confirmed in November 2010. Subsequently, following being judged as an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted school in 2012, Guru Nanak Sikh Primary School in September 2012 was incorporated into the Academy and this began the process of admitting pupils across the full 5 – 18 age range.

In 2012/13 the Academy’s application to become a teaching school was deemed successful and in this new school year it has begun to make an important contribution to the training of teachers.

Students refer to the Academy as a community and as being part of a large family

Ofsted June 2014

Our Story What Ofsted says about our school

WHAT WE DO

Our Aims

We seek to provide a happy and outward looking school, within which all pupils work hard to realise their full potential, intellectually, morally, physically, personally and socially and in which the Sikh religion is fostered.

Our aims are best described as;

¬ To build a strong community based on the Sikh religion

¬ To enable all pupils to achieve their potential through the highest standards of teaching and learning.

¬ To develop each pupil’s self-esteem, confidence and independence with consideration for others and the concept of Sewa.

¬ To strengthen bonds between home, community and school, providing a preparation for each pupil’s entry into the wider community.

¬ To be committed to encouraging every member of our community to invest in life-long learning and personal development.

¬ To provide quality education which is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of pupils within a modern society.

To support our pupils to be better equipped to achieve our aims, we reinforce the key three tenets of Sikhism in all aspect of daily school life;

We aim to give pupils knowledge and understanding of other religious beliefs and practices

Achievement

Outstanding Results

Every student counts

Every dream matters

Together we make it happen

OUR VALUESThe values of Guru Nanak Multi Academies Trust are encapsulated by the S.H.A.R.E acronym. These values are at the heart of everything we do as a school and they describe the qualities our students and staff value most- Service to others, Humility, Achievement, Respect and

Service to others

Making things better around the world

Garib Niwaj Sport Relief

Comic Relief Parkash

SWAT Children in Need

S H

A R E

Humility

It feels great to put others before yourself

We share

We create

Together we make it happen

Respect

The first thing that we give

Respect for one

Respect for all

Equality

Creating an Equal Society

We believe in equality.

We see every individual at GNSA as an outstanding learner – not a rank, not a

caste, not a title

We aim to give pupils knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and practices so that they may continue in their own belief whilst at the same time respecting those of other people. Assemblies play an important part in developing the ethos and community spirit within the school. They are broadly Sikh (recitation of Japji Sahib, Shabads, Ardas and Hukamnama), but include stories and messages from a wide range of cultures, religions and faiths.

Etho

Admissions and our Admissions procedures

Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Admissions Criteria 2017 for Reception Year

The planned Admissions number for Guru Nanak Sikh Academy (Primary Phase) is 60.

Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Ltd determines the admission arrangements for Guru Nanak Sikh Academy. The Local Authority administers the offer of places on its behalf.

Subject to available places, governors will admit up to 60 pupils to the Reception classes each year if sufficient applications are received. All applicants will be admitted if 60 or fewer apply. If the Academy is oversubscribed, after the admission of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education, Health and Care Plan where the Academy is named in the Statement or Plan, priority for admission will be given to those children who meet the criteria set out below.

1. Children in public care (Looked after Children) and previously looked after children who ceased to be so because they were adopted or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order. A looked after child is a child who is (a) in the care of a local authority, or (b) being provided with accommodation by a local authority in the exercise of their social services functions (definition Section 22(1) of the Children Act 1989)

2. Children with a sibling attending the school at the time of application. Sibling is defined as children who live as brother and sister in the same house, including natural brothers or sisters, adopted siblings, stepbrothers or stepsisters and foster brothers and sisters. (brother-cousin or sister-cousin do not qualify for sibling consideration)

3. 80% of the remaining places will be allocated to children living with parents that demonstrate a commitment to the Sikh Faith and live closest* to the school. 20% will be allocated to those of Other Faiths that live closest* to the school. Commitment to faiths will be determined by a completed form signed by a relevant religious leader, e.g. Priest, Vicar.

Within each criterion, priority will be given to:-

a) Children with brothers or sisters in the Academy who were admitted prior to Year 11. They should have a brother or sister attending the Academy at the time of the application.

b) Distance from home to school as measured in a straight line from the point set by Ordnance Survey at the child’s home address (including flats) to a fixed point in the Academy set by Ordnance Survey (co-ordinates 511224, 180090) using the computerised Geographical Information System (GIS).

The qualifying relationship is brother or sister; this means children sharing one or both common parents, step brother or step sister, or legally adopted children, who live in the same household. Other extended family relationships (eg., brother-cousin or sister-cousin) do not qualify for sibling consideration.

Random allocation will be used as a tie break in category ‘3’ above to decide who has the highest priority for admission if the distance between two children’s homes and the school is the same. The process will be independently verified.

For full definitions, please see the school admissions arrangements, on the school website.

Additional Information Required

Please note that the school requires that a Supplementary Information Form and Commitment to Faith form is completed. These forms are obtainable from and returnable to the school, signifying the faith group by Sunday 15th January 2017.

GNSA – Year Reception Primary phase admissions 2017 Closing date for applications 15th January 2017

CONTACT US

Guru Nanak Sikh Academy Springfield Road

Hayes Middlesex UB4 0LT

Tel: 020 8573 6085 admin@gnsa.co.uk

www.gurunanaksikhacademy.co.uk