At the heart of the Kings Lynn Academy are the two curriculum specialisms of Maths and Business / Enterprise. We are working hard on developing these two curriculum departments so as to be exemplar within the Academy, and also for anyone visiting from our local community and indeed from further afield. During the first year, we have made great strides forward in developing these two specialist subjects within the Academy, and have plans to develop even further. Please read details about the two specialisms below in the two separate subject areas.

Mathematics 2010-2011

In order to raise the profile of maths as part of the specialism the department spent the first year as an Academy working hard to improving teaching and learning to develop into an exemplar department within the Academy. We employed another Advanced Skills Teacher - we now have not ONE but TWO ASTs in the department! During our first year results rose from 24% (A*-C) to a massive …
…53%
What did we do in order to achieve this?
• 38% of our 2011 cohort secured a grade C or better in November of Year 11.
• From January all our target students focussed on a specific grade C topic each week. All students who were not secure in their understanding by the end of the week attended extra booster lessons during form time. These sessions were led by our dedicated Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
• All our targeted students sat the Edexcel Linear at Higher Level.
• All students were offered 1-1 revision sessions, help during lunch times and after school as well as during the holidays.
• During the final half term all the target students were put into one class and were team taught by our subject leader and one of our ASTs. The group was also supported by our HLTA and any other members of staff we could help out.

How will we ensure that 2012 sees even greater results?
• We have strengthened our team even further with a talented NQT and the appointment of an experienced and accomplished Numeracy Coordinator.
• The numeracy skills of all KS3 pupils will be audited and individual intervention will be provided by our Numeracy Coordinator.
• 32 of our 2012 students achieved a Grade C or above at the end of year 10 (One A*, six grade As, seven grade Bs and 18 grade Cs).
• Booster sessions began with Year 11 at the very start of term.
• One of our ASTs has been given time to dedicate to all gifted and talented mathematicians in our feeder schools.

It is the aim that the Maths department leads by example with results, and with the teaching and learning.

 Business / Enterprise - Academic year 2010 / 2011

Since becoming a specialist in Business and Enterprise Kings Lynn Academy has seen huge changes, the start of this was spear headed with the launch of an enterprise week before Christmas 2010. This was to get all the staff and students aware of the impact of enterprise within different subjects to give students a small start on the way to developing skills and understanding.

The Mars Effect was a week of intense team work, which involved students gaining valuable life skills working with different teams across the different year groups. During this week a small business was created. In which staff and students participated with great enthusiasm. The D&T department set up some small scale social enterprise and manufactured products relating to Christmas, and then sold them around the academy, raising about £200 for charity.

In January 2011 students in year 7 and 8 were introduced to enterprise within their curriculum, they worked on the NCFE qualification developing enterprise skills. This saw students creating their own mock businesses and developing the theory in an applied way. Part of the process was to present their ideas to real business people at Bishops Lynn House, Kings Lynn. In their small groups their business idea was questioned by the business leaders and then feedback given by them.

A number of other curriculum areas of the school have linked in on the potential of adding Enterprise into the curriculum, for example, History added an enterprise unit to their course. This can also be seen more so within Technology Department who added a large Enterprise unit to enable a level 2 NCFE certificate (GCSE Equivalent) qualification. Discussions are taking place with regard to introducing another level 2 qualification of "Business/ Enterprise" into the curriculum.

The students have gained

• Confidence in talking to peers and members of the Business community
• A CAN DO attitude
• How to listen and act on feedback
• How to work in a team
• Being Involved.

Academic Year 2011/2012

The new term has bought new starts and new challenges, students in year 7 are working on their NCFE qualification but this year it will also support their D&T work enabling students to understand the impact on enterprise on other aspects of their curriculum. Students within year 7 have a wide range of practical extended learning tasks which they can use within a variety of subjects and within the work place environment.

Year 8 and 9 are studying a program of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship completing a BTEC qualification. Students have already responded well to the course and when completing SWOT analysis are seeing weaknesses are things they want to improve in the next few months. This potentially offers a huge cross curricula impact.

This year, year 10's are working on the BTEC Business curriculum part of this curriculum will be starting a running business. This will take its fledging steps in the next few months in the form of a stationary shop. Students within the two business groups will be competing for different job roles. With the hope that the shop range will be expanded as the Academy target market dictates.

Sixth form have the opportunity for real life practical skills within Enterprise, the launch of the Young Enterprise Company Program and the Primary Program as a sixth form enhancement programme open to all. This will see small teams setting up their own business and running it as if it was a real and effective business as well as providing a useful service within the community through a feature of the Primary Program.

What will students gain this year?

• Teamwork
• Working towards a qualification at level 2
• A sense of their employability
• How to transfer valuable skills into all aspects of their lives
• Continuation into raising achievement

The Future of Enterprise

The future is exciting within the academy for Business and Enterprise; over the next few years students will all have the opportunity to gain various Business and Enterprise qualifications. Students will gain valuable life skills that will inspire them, raise their aspirations and show them that they have a CAN DO attitude.

During the next few years the school shop will expand and really become an integral part of the Academy working day. The enterprise key themes will develop within the community and enable students work, ideas and enthusiasm to become an essential part of developing their business skills.

Students, when they leave and move on from the academy, will have real skills wanted by employers such as self reliance, people skills, the willingness to learn and develop, planning, team working, problem solving and flexibility. Preparing students for employment in the future for jobs that do not exist yet!