Bales Independent School

Bales College operated solely as an independent sixth form college for many years, offering both A level and GCSE courses . In 2006, we opened our doors to our first Key Stage 3 entrants, and since then have never looked back -  establishing a full and successful secondary programme shortly after, with lower school entry from Year 7.

Learning at Bales takes place in small classes, and expert teaching staff provide students with the essential tools for examination success. William Moore, the Principal, founded the College and management of all educational activities is carried out by him and a management group of teaching and administrative staff. The staff-to-student ratio is very high, and there is continuous attention to the education and welfare of every individual student. The structure now is a combined independent school and sixth form college.

Teachers

The teachers at Bales bring a very considerable range of experience to bear on their work with our students. Many of our staff have been educated at leading universities, and several are qualified up to PhD level. Their previous experience is wide-ranging, including departmental headships in large comprehensives and housemaster

experience in public schools. Apart from their own subjects, staff have qualifications or experience in music, sport, law and business. Usually we have several teachers working as examiners for GCSE or A level. Staff are very much in touch with the needs of parents, not least because many have guided their own children through secondary and university education. There is staffing stability at Bales with turnover in teachers at an appropriate level.

Work and Study

The College has a good work ethos. This proved very successful in the exclusively sixth-form and retake work that was formerly done, and enabled us to help a few thousand students gain entry

to the university courses for which they aimed. With the junior school taking students into Year 7, we wish to maintain these high standards of education, and therefore offer places to keen young people. We require a high level of success in primary school SATs, with results at level four or five. We feel that students who permanently live near the College and who have been educated in local primary schools will appreciate the level of teaching and general service that we offer. Parents are able to depend upon us to provide their child with a first-

class education. We continue to increase our range of provision for the age group.

Management and Parent Contact

Our management group knows each student very well, as should be the case in a small school. We pride ourself in the advancement of each student to a higher level, and teaching is the main focus of our

work. Where students need more attention and counselling regarding social interaction, we have the time and staff to cover this, and aim to keep any disciplinary advice in-house as far as possible. Pastoral care is always present, and peer-counselling sessions involving sixth-formers take place.

Contact between the school and parents is conducted in a very open and

direct manner. There is almost always a member of the management group ready to answer the telephone, and parents can ask questions or leave messages. Reports are sent out at least twice per year, and we also provide interim reports upon request. There is opportunity to talk to teachers in parents’ evening at least once per year. Parents can also visit individually for a tour of classes. Once we have enrolled a student, we assume responsibility for his/her education and welfare and work continuously on fostering aims and attitudes that direct the student towards success.

A note from Mr Flatley – Head of Lower School and KS3 at Bales College

“Learning experiences outside of the classroom form an integral part of our curriculum.  Our students partake in workshops at renonwed institutions and undertake residential trips which aim to bring a range of subjects to life outside of the traditional classroom setting. Later on in the year, students have the opportunity to go on a longer excursion – students learnt to surf in Biarritz and explored the Pyrenees in France  in June 2011. Taking students to new and challenging environments enables them to put their learning to use in a context other than the classroom. As such they are able to see the relevance of theireducation in the wider world at large.

At Bales College we work hard with parents and the local community to build a creative learning environment in which students feel both supported and inspired. Each term students will work on a cross-curricular project which encourages them to engage with people of different ages, beliefs and backgrounds. This will be creative work, culminating in an art exhibition, a film, or a short piece of theatre, whichever medium works best for the project in hand. At the end of term parents will be invited to attend a special evening in which the students display the work that they have done.

Aside from parents’ evenings, there will be many other opportunities for parents to involve themselves in the school. More informal events such as barbeques and five-a-side football matches for charity encourage students, staff and parents to meet and interact in more relaxed settings. The schoolis also keen to hear from parents who wish to volunteer their services. This may entail something as short and simple as a five-minute talk on their particular career, or a more longstanding arrangement, such as helping to build the set for a school play.

We are proud of our students and the good work we do at the college. It is our strong sense of community which sets us apart from other schools and which makes Bales College a truly great place to study.”

Example Calendar and Activities

Academic Year 2010-11

Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) students  worked on the broad theme of

“Who Do We Think We Are?” for the academic year starting in September 2010.

Under this broad theme, the year was split into:

Activities included:

• Collaboration with ‘All Sorts Drama’ for Bales Drama Club;
• Visits to Paddington Activity Centre (Kayaking, Trampolining, Teambuilding);
• Visit to The Natural History Museum;
• 4 Day residential visit to Norfolk (Geography and History field trip);
• 7 Day residential to the South of France
• Visit and talk from Queens Park Rangers football club;
• Visits and talks from local business owners;
• Film project at the BFI – screening of student films at a local cinema
• Young Enterprise Charity Project – International Event to raise money for victims of the  Japanese tsunami