Achievements and Performance 2021-22

Art

• Working towards Artsmark status
• Big draw activities in class towards a collaborative artwork

Careers

• Y11 EQUANS Mentoring Pupil given 2 week work experience during Easter half term
• First ever Pupil to be accepted onto a midwifery course
• Pupil gaining 1 of 14 apprenticeships out of 23000 applicants with Northern Rail
• A continuation of College application support in M30 after school

Castleford Academy CPD

• Whole staff safeguarding training delivered and updates provided across the year.
• Shared INSET day with Crofton colleagues – co planning and delivery of a carousel of sessions.
• External speaker – Tom Bennet behaviour expert
• Time for subjects to develop medium term plans as part of CPD
• Subject knowledge CPD built into the calendar
• Mental Health Awareness training for staff
• Power of Language and Cognitive Science – further CPD provided to teaching staff
• Wide range of CPD as part of the Friday briefings

Computing

• 5 BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) Entries this year
• CyberFirst Girls Competition Regional Finalists
• Minecraft E-Sports Build Challenges
• 1st E-sports League of Legends Team entered into Northern Winter Season.
• All Y7, Y8 and Y9 pupils entered BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenges. A number of pupils came in the top 2% nationally.
• Minecraft Club (2x sessions, Y7 and Y8+)
• E-Sports Team
• Computer Games Development Club (2x sessions, Y7 +Y8 and Y9+)

Design & Technology

• D&T Club have produced squirrel boxes & bird feeders for Environment Club.
• A group of pupils attended the Rotary Club Competition.
• Remembrance Day Poppy production
• D&T Club
• D of E supported by DT staff

Drama

• National Theatre Connections Project: 11 Year 8-Year 10 pupils worked with NT directors and new playwrights, performed at Sheffield Theatres competing across the country.
• Leeds Young Film: 10 Pupils created a film for Burberry project, performance at Leeds Playhouse delivering film.
• Showcases: Pupils performances showcased to parents from pupils Y9 – Y11 throughout the year.
• CAST- All Year groups- Performing Arts Club
• NT- Additional Club for National Theatre Cast Members.
• Showcases and rehearsals
• We had the Quirky Bird Theatre Company visit the school to perform a production called DNA by Dennis Kelly to over 120 pupils. We have also taken pupils on countless trips to the theatre with pupils watching Northern Ballet’s ‘Merlin’ at Leeds Grand Theatre, ‘Wendy and Peter’ at West Yorkshire Playhouse, and ‘Mr. Burns’ at Pontefract New College.

English

• Readathon for Year 7 and 8 to raise money for children’s reading whilst in hospital.
• Outstanding achievement awards – monthly – all year groups
• Film Club – open to Y7 to 9.
• Debate Club – Y9 – prioritising less confident pupils.
• English ambassadors – Year 10 and 11.
• Reading Buddy mentors – from ambassadors
• Empowered Poetry Challenge – Year 7 – entered poems in a national competition.
• Reading quiz – with NLT – entered two teams in Yorkshire heat of National competition
• The English Department held competitions and activities in relation to ‘World Book Day’
• Mock trial – national debate.
• Spelling Bee with primaries

Geography

• Antarctica Day flag design – pupils designed flags to be sent off to the UK Polar network and displayed by polar scientists in Antarctica.
• Y7 planted trees on school site thanks to the Woodland Trust sending saplings for free. This also linked with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the prefect team came with 7A1 to attach a plaque commemorating this occasion.
• Geography ambassadors

ITT/ECT

• ITT: All sixteen are on track to pass. Eleven trainees have already secured jobs, two within the Castleford Academy Trust.
• Recruitment for 2022/23 has all been a mixture of online and in-person to accommodate applicants’ preferences given the rates of Covid-19 in the winter. All offers are conditional, subject to DBS and health checks by the HEIs. Recruitment for September 2022 stands at 8 more awaiting interviews this month. We have attended a ‘Get into Teaching’ event in Leeds (May 25th) the first in person event since 2019.
• We have supported a trainee from another alliance and she has now passed.
• We are supporting a music trainee from a different alliance.
• We have worked with Edge Hill University with Year 1 and Year 3 maths undergraduates and will build on this partnership for next year.

• ECTs: started the year with 7 but this rose to 9. All have access to the UCL Early Career Framework in partnership with the Selby and Wakefield Teaching School Hub. All ECTs are working though an intensive package of online materials. Mentors have also attended 6 hours of online training with the TSH and their own online materials in addition to providing a weekly mentor meetings for their ECT. All ECTS are on track to move into the second year of their induction.

Literacy/Numeracy

• UKMT junior and intermediate challenge along with follow up Kangaroo rounds.
• Whole school numeracy form time puzzles.

Music

• Royal Albert Hall: one of our most prestigious moments this year was taking our pupils to the Music For Youth Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. For some of our pupils this was their first trip to London. ‘It is hard to sum up just what an amazing opportunity this was for our Pupils. Performing at such a prestigious venue is something that most musicians can only dream of, so to have made this a reality for our Pupils was incredibly special” (R Weatherley, Head of Music)

• The CAST Ensemble
• The CAST Crew
• The CAST Band
• National Theatre
• Band night
• CAST Records

PE

• Year 7 – Boys Rugby (Wakefield Champions, Yorkshire & National Cup Finalists), Girls Rugby (Wakefield Champions), Boys Football (Wakefield 5-a-side Finalists)
• Year 8 – Boys Rugby (Yorkshire Cup Finalists), Girls Rugby (Wakefield & Yorkshire Champions, National Cup Finalists), Girls Netball (1st League, 3rd Wakefield & 2nd Pontefract tournaments), Boys Football (2nd in League, Semi-Finals of Cup), Girls Football (2nd Pontefract tournament), Mixed Basketball (2nd in their league).
• Year 9 – Boys Rugby (Wakefield Champions, Yorkshire & National Cup Finalists), Girls Rugby (Wakefield Champions), Boys Football (2nd in League, Semi-Finals of Cup).
• Year 10 – Boys Rugby (Wakefield Champions, National Semi-Finalists), Girls Rugby (Wakefield Champions, National & Yorkshire Finalists). Year 11 – Girls Rugby (Wakefield & Yorkshire Champions, National Cup Finalists).
• All Years Athletics – Y7-Y10 Wakefield & Pontefract competitions (Yet to be competed), Y7-Y10 ESAA Regional and National competitions – Junior & Intermediate Boys and Junior Girls have progressed to the Yorkshire A finals
• Girls Rounders – Y7-Y11 Wakefield & Pontefract League, Y7-Y11 Wakefield & Pontefract Cup (ongoing)
• Boys Cricket – Y7-Y10 Wakefield & Pontefract League (ongoing)
• Boys & Girls Cross Country – Y7-11 Wakefield and Pontefract Meets
• Sports Teams – Rugby, Football, Netball, Rounders, Basketball, Athletics, Cricket
• Recreational Clubs for Badminton, Table Tennis, Dodgeball, Fitness, Football, Rugby League, Basketball, Athletics, Cricket, Rounders, Hockey
• Invite only club for PE – 300 Pupils who do not attend a club have attended this year.
• Fundraising – For the National Finals

PSHE (Drop Down days)

Headteachers certificates given out to approx 160 pupils from Year 7 – Year 10
Feedback from pupils/ staff at the Academy:

• Lots of activities
• Fun
• Very interactive
• Real life experiences
• Pupils were hooked
• Great presentation
  -Very informative
• Learning a practical life skill
• Enthusiastic presenters
• Great for CSI questioning
  -Relaxing
  -Delivered very well
  -Engaging

Feedback from external visitors:

• Pupils were engaged all day
• Well set up day that gave pupils new experiences and the opportunity to learn other topics
• A great school to deliver in, pupils and staff were very welcoming.

Resource Base

• ‘x3 Pupils Year 8 Pupils passed their BSL Level 2 (award – equivalent to a GCSE)
• x8 mainstream teachers (Science, Maths, English etc) passed their BSL 101 award
• x4 Base Staff achieved BSL Level 6 (Degree)
• All pupils participated in the FLARE project run by the DfE, weekly sessions influencing policy at a national level, a huge opportunity and privilege. Pupils are paid by the DfE with Amazon vouchers (£100 each)
• Pupils came second at the Harry Thomas National Deaf Tennis finals
  Afterschool BSL club for pupils and staff

School to School Support

• Our staff have supported:
• Departments within the trust
• Understanding and using subject curriculums
• Primary CPD sessions
• Cognitive Science training
• Polam Hall

Science

• British science week challenge KS3
• Primary British science week challenge delivered to all feeder school
• RHS Level 1 Gardening Award
• RHS Level 2 Gardening Award
• Science club Yr7
• Environmental club KS3

Pupil Leadership

• Miles for Refugees event in PE to raise awareness of how far Afghanistan refugees have to travel, donations to British Red Cross.
• Odd Socks event to raise money for Young Minds in celebration of antibullying week.
• Christmas songs on a CD was produced for care homes in the local area.
• Non uniform day before Christmas was to raise money for Stonewall (LGBTQ Charity) and Prince of Wales Hospice.
• Bake sale for Ukraine where all proceeds went to the British Red Cross’ Disaster Emergency Committee.

Work Related Learning

• High Flyers award nominations.
• SEN Games Club – Tuesdays weekly. Well attended.
• Y11 Event Operations weekly one-hour boosters.

Partnership and Community Links 2021-22

Art

• Producing artwork for the Jubilee celebration in Queens park. Council link.
• Partnership with Leeds Art University- They came in to deliver careers workshops
• Provided workshops to Park Juniors and Glasshoughton Infants

Careers

• EQUANS – Continued with Y11 pupils on the mentoring programme and began this programme with Y10 construction pupils. EQUANS also supported with providing staff for Y11 mock interviews as well as delivering presentations on apprenticeships and general work skills then taking a current Y11 pupil on a 2 week work experience in Easter.
• Go Higher West Yorkshire – Provided funding to host activities to boost pupils engagement in activities related to higher education this includes, campus visits to HE settings, Jamie Peacock speech, revision sessions.
• Sparks Program – Sessions for high achieving pupil premium pupils with Y8, Y9 and Y10.
• Thomas Transition Program – Sessions for high achieving Y11 pupil premium all based around progression into higher education.
• Brebur – Opportunity from one of their companies Fairfield Homes offering 2 apprenticeships to Y11 pupils
• Burberry Inspires Project

Castleford Academy CPD

• School Nursing Team delivered training
• Tom Bennett (Maximise impact of education) – INSET day

Computing

• WLC Leading Computing Network group
• Support for Three Lane Ends Computing lead.

Design & Technology

• DT Network Group for Wakefield
• University of Leeds – Prosthetics, Concrete Engineer, John Fieldhouse Mechanisms Engineer.
• Worked with Outwood Grange, Crofton, Kettlethorpe, St. Wilfrids, Westborough & Airedale
• Careers Week Live talks with external companies – Nuclear Energy graduate, Architects, Sports England Designer, Electronics & IT Engineer (SYMITY)
• EQUANS Project with Construction
• Cidon Construction
• AT has been working with partner primaries, Three Lane Ends and Park Junior to deliver cross phase sessions throughout the year. This is a long-term project working with year 5 and 6, the aim of this program is to bridge the gap in the delivery of content and assessment of KS2 and KS3 in Design and Technology to embed key skills in primary learners to encourage resilience and independence and aid transition to secondary school.

Drama

• Northern Ballet: 50 pupils year 9 and 10 attended the production of Merlin with tickets donated through the partnership.
• Leeds Playhouse: 20 year 9 Pupils attended the production of ‘Charlie and The Chocolate Factory’ through tickets donated by Leeds playhouse.
• New College Pontefract: 50 year 11 pupils attended a year 12 and 13 production and workshop at the college through links and partnerships developed.
• CAPA college: Links formed to attend open days for year 11.

English

• National Literacy Trust
• Read for Good Charity
• Primary schools – trust and feeder schools

Geography

• Guest speaker Y10 – We had a zoom call with a resource scientist in Canada to Y10 Geographers who explained his job and pupils asked questions to.
• David Edwards Guest speaker – spoke to all year groups about areas of interest in Geography with good links to science too.
• RGS Geography Ambassador talk with Y8 – A geography university Pupil called via Teams and spoke to Y8 regarding Geography as a future career and answered any questions they had about taking it as GCSE.

ITT/ECT

• Placement schools: Airedale Academy, Airedale Juniors, Casleford Park Junior, King’s School, Hemsworth Academy, St Wilfrid’s School, Cathedral Academy, South Parade Junior School, Dimplewell Infants School, Outwood Academy Shafton and St Mary’s Primary Academy, Chesterfield.
• University of Huddersfield
• Leeds Beckett University
• Leeds Trinity University

MFL

• Part of the Wakefield MFL Learning Partnership

Music

• Northern Ballet: EM and RW attended CPD at Northern Ballet and discussed plans for next year.
• National Theatre: Members of staff from across the academy showed a commitment to the arts and volunteered to perform in the National Theatre performance. Social media promoted the Arts to our community and showed that even non-performing Arts teachers are able to explore the Arts at Castleford Academy. We live-streamed each performance so that family and members of the community could watch the show in addition to the 130 people attending the live performances. One of our audience members who watched live via Teams said “I live nearly 200 miles away, so I’m very pleased to be able to watch and be proud Granny watching my granddaughter perform. Thank you for making it possible for me”.
• British Youth Music Theatre: British Youth Music Theatre delivered a workshop for pupil premium pupils as well as pupils involved in our extra-curricular group, ‘CAST’. We promoted personal progression by giving the opportunity for three of our SEN and pupil premium pupils to attend an Easter residential BYMT camp in the school holidays where they spent 6 long days being fully immersed in the Arts.
• Drama and Music will deliver KS1 and 2 workshops to engage and enthuse pupils this term.
• Yorkshire Sound Women’s Network WIRED workshop, introducing girls to music tech and experimental music – one pupil is also attending their Wakefield sessions outside of school. We will definitely be using this link next year as well.
• Video calls with Max from VIP Studios and Charanga Music have a great impact on our Music curriculum and opportunities provided by him.
• Partnership established with Long Division and Rap workshop – Year 9 pupils have never received an opportunity like this and will gain arts award from the workshop.
• Musical Futures networking events RW and EM both attended two this year, promoting our services to Music training but also gaining ideas and inspiration from other teachers

PE

• School Sport Co-ordinator (SSCO) – CT/TS Leading Primary school events and competitions
• Sporting Partnerships with – Elite Coaching, Yoga Minds, When Dance Happens, Northern Ballet, Awards for All, Big Lottery Fund, England Women RFU, Youth Sport Trust, Girls Active, Sky Sports Living For Sport, Castleford Tigers, Castleford Tigers Women, Reds in the Community, Leeds United Foundation, West Riding FA, UKA Cheer, Freedom 2 Dance, RFL, RFL Education Officer, 5 Towns School Sports Partnership, Mackay State High School (Queensland Australia), Sarina High School (Queensland, Australia), Toronto Wolfpack, Yorkshire Schools Rugby League Teachers group and organising the boys and girls Wakefield and Yorkshire competitions.

PSHE (Drop Down days)

• Partnerships made with the below:
• St Johns Ambulance
• The Cross Project
• The Samaritans
• The Money Charity
• Wakefield council / Change4Life
• Sexpression
• Spectrum
• NJA Creative
• HopeNotHate
• EPIC Risk Mangament
• Barnardos
• LoudMouth
• Online Safety sessions
• School Consent project
• Hope UK (drugs)
• Hope Virgo
• Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM)
• My personal finances
• West Yorkshire Fire
• Red cross
• First Aid
• Hindu Workshops

Resource Base

• FLARE (DfE)
• Sign Health
• Primary Links (Rookeries Carleton)
• Knotty Ash / Broad Green (Liverpool Partnership)

School to School Support

• Polam Hall
• Wakefield Learning Community

Science

• Grow Wakefield District school network
• RHS School Garden campaign to develop a garden to help promote young people’s learning, health and wellbeing.
• Morrisons good to grow campaign

Student Leadership

• British Red Cross.
• Young Minds
• Stonewall (LGBTQ Charity)
• Prince of Wales Hospice.
• British Red Cross’ Disaster Emergency Committee