Welcome to Downsend Senior
As pupils transition from Downsend Junior, or join us from other junior schools at Year 7, there is a sense that a next stage of the journey is beginning. Whilst much will feel familiar, we work with our young people to feel comfortable with a greater level of independence and to embrace the changes that a move to a more senior environment will bring. Our commitment to all pupils achieving their academic potential continues through from Downsend Junior, whilst interwoven with the development of the future skills your child will need to thrive.
Year 9 is an exciting point in the Downsend journey and represents the start of a three year GCSE, designed to ensure not only the very best GCSE outcomes, but also to provide an opportunity to enjoy the amazing breadth on offer in the Downsend curriculum, and beyond.
In Year 9, students will start to build, consolidate, and apply their knowledge as they work towards their GCSE exams in Year 11. They will be helped and encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and to develop skills that will allow them to flourish both academically and personally.
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Meet the Head of Downsend Senior
Jo Hawes, Head of Downsend Senior, brings over 30 years of experience in education across a range of teaching, departmental, and pastoral leadership roles. Having been part of the Downsend community for the past decade, Jo has played a pivotal role in developing a highly regarded pastoral system that places the individual at the heart of every decision, ensuring each student is supported throughout their journey and empowered to truly thrive.
Jo is passionate about delivering a holistic education that balances academic achievement with personal growth. Her approach aligns closely with Downsend’s Futures vision, equipping students with the skills, resilience, and confidence needed to navigate an ever-changing world. She is committed to nurturing young people who not only achieve success academically, but who also make meaningful contributions to their communities and lead happy, fulfilled lives.
Brilliant basics
At Downsend Senior, we have a strong and dedicated specialist team who have shaped their teaching to deliver the curriculum in imaginative, engaging and inspiring ways. Our curriculum is detailed and immersive, carefully designed to allow students to fully engage with the subject area without having to rush their learning.
We have a meticulous approach to tracking progress, with individual targets set for each pupil. These targets are reviewed termly, with new approaches taken to stretch higher-order thinking, or support areas of weakness. We use MidYis and Yellis (Year Eleven Indicator System) to help us track baseline assessments, predict GCSE performance and produce a detailed analysis of individual strengths and weaknesses.
Tutors and teachers encourage the pupils to become more independent in their learning with opportunities for self-directed study either in the Senior Library and an open-door policy at break and lunchtimes for pupils to ‘drop in’ if they have any queries. They are also encouraged to set themselves SMART targets during their termly tutorials and are given opportunities to review and reflect on their progress, encouraging greater ownership of their learning and development.
Our approach
Our teaching approach at Downsend Senior is to empower students with the strategies they will need to be successful learners. Known as metacognition, we work with pupils to use reflective thinking skills to plan, monitor and evaluate how they learn best. Being self-aware enables our young people to be more efficient at focusing on areas they feel they need additional support – both academically and in their social lives.
Our classrooms encourage debate and discussion and are deliberately designed to be interactive and engaging. Real world problems and case studies give pupils a sense of context, bringing learning to life and preparing them for the next stage in their educational career.
Pupils at Downsend Senior are expected to become more independent learners, developing their ability to think critically, form an opinion and deliver it with clarity.
Our teaching team is made up of subject specialists, each passionate about their subject area. Prepared to push the boundaries to deliver excellence, our teaching team are committed to achieving the best for every pupil.
