THIS week pupils and principal David Millar tell us more about life at Oasis Academy Coulsdon... Tell us about your school
Oasis Academy Coulsdon opened in 2008 and has undergone a £18.7million redevelopment that has meant a transformation and new beginning for students and staff. What have been the school's greatest recent achievements?
GCSE results have soared dramatically year on year. In 2012, 67 per cent of students achieved 5 A* to C GCSEs including maths and English - a 17 per cent increase from the previous year. Also, 93 per cent succeeded in gaining five or more A* to C grades at GCSE. Confidence from the local community is being restored and the academy is rapidly being reclaimed for the secondary education of their children by local parents, and as a community hub with outstanding facilities. How would you describe the school's ethos?
At Oasis Academy Coulsdon it is not just what we achieve that has to be outstanding, but the way that we achieve it too. We are a family and have been very deliberate about how we have created the culture and ethos to underpin everything we do. The views of staff, students and parents were independently sought as part of our recent Ethos Audit. Staff: Words such as "family", "tough love", "honesty", "equality", "valuing people" and a place of "forgiveness" and "high aspirations" are used to describe the academy. The staff described "tough love" as the love of a parent for a child. Students: Many talked about staff being like parents to them and of the academy being a happy place and full of zest. When the students were asked to describe what kind of people they were being encouraged to become by Oasis, they replied: "respectful, caring, high achieving, living to the standards of the staff, inspiring and leading others to be somebody and not nobody, to achieve something but still be humble. Parents/Community Stakeholders: The academy is warm and welcoming; a place where each child is treated as an individual, helped to achieve their potential and given every chance to do this. Why should parents send their child to your school?
There is a determination to achieve the very best and do whatever it takes to make sure this happens. We will be outstanding – this is non-negotiable. Oasis Academy Coulsdon
Address: Homefield Road, Old Coulsdon, CR5 1ES
Number of pupils: 750
Head teacher name: David Millar
Last Ofsted rating: Good (February 2011)
