Awards at SSA

Stratford School Academy receives national recognition for performance

Stratford School Academy are delighted that their excellent outcomes have been recognised by SSAT (The Schools, Students and Teachers Network) in this year’s Educational Outcomes Awards. The award recognises that Stratford School Academy is among the highest performing secondary schools in the country, based on 2023 performance data and information from Ofsted.

Stratford School Academy was recognised for being in the top 20% of non-selective schools nationally for student attainment in the 2023 end of KS4 exams.

The SSAT Educational Outcomes database compares all state-funded schools in England. To be recognised with an Educational Outcomes Award is a significant achievement and a testament to the work of the whole school community. 

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT said:

“Congratulations to Stratford School Academy on winning an SSAT Educational Outcomes Award. This success is down to the superb learning and teaching, outstanding support and inspirational leadership of students, staff, parents and governors. You have made a huge difference to the lives of the young people in your school. Thank you.”

We are committed to working with parents and the local community so that students can flourish in their education and beyond. We aim to look after the wellbeing and mental health of staff and students by creating a safe learning environment where everyone feels respected and responsible to participate in the school community. We ensure that our students and staff are listened to and provide opportunities for them to achieve and develop.

The school’s commitment to promoting and supporting positive wellbeing and mental health is very visible and clearly understood by all stakeholders who have bought into the vision and see the benefits for them as individuals and for the whole school community.

 

There is now a strong offer of “coffee mornings” which are actually workshops for parents run by a wide range of staff which regularly see attendance of 20-50 parents, many of which have a focus on wellbeing.

The culture of seeing parents as equal partners now guides the way the school approach any issue or challenge relating to student or family wellbeing and a way forward is sought in partnership. Staff are genuinely willing to “go the extra mile” to support an individual child or parent facing challenges was greatly appreciated by parents and students who articulated many personal examples of this.

The school have been very active in breaking down barriers and reducing the stigma present around children with SEND or acknowledging mental health difficulties held within their local community. Leaders recognise this work is ongoing but there are clear signs of impact. They have also been proactive in raising the profile of male mental health through their Movember initiative.

Through a combination of building capacity in school, effective partnerships with other agencies and significant investment by the school a strong, varied and cohesive offer of support has been developed and is now available to students which is the strongest legacy of the award process for Stratford school.

Core Values

These are the deeply held beliefs that will provide the foundation for our school and guide every decision within it.  These will not change over time and will underpin and inform our approach to all significant issues within the school.  They should be ‘lived’ not just words on a website or letterhead, so should influence the way we do things on a day-to-day basis.  The chosen core values strongly reflect feedback from staff, students, and parents, they are:

• Respect
• Excellence
• Responsibility

Mission Statement

At SSA our mission is:
“to serve our local community by providing every child with the knowledge, qualifications and wider experiences they need to develop to their potential and to participate in and make a positive contribution to society."

Motto
Sapere Aude ‘Dare to be wise’

We have chosen this for 3 key reasons:

1. Although originating in the works of the Roman writer Horace, dare to be wise is usually associated with Emmanuel Kant and seen as the ‘motto’ of the Enlightenment, a key movement in the development of knowledge and learning and central to the development of modern society.
2. The owl is a long-established symbol of the school and represents wisdom in western culture. 
3. The idea wisdom suggests not only being knowledgeable, but also using that knowledge in a sensible, judicious manner. Thus the motto embodies two of the most crucial elements of education, ie. the development of knowledge and understanding alongside the notion of using that knowledge positively and thus is consistent with our core values.

The SSA student

The typical student at SSA in 2025 will be highly motivated, fully engaged and committed to doing their best.  They will have excellent attendance and punctuality to school and exhibit behaviours that are in accordance with the school’s ethos of respect, excellence, and responsibility.  They will be proud of their school and will always represent us positively.  They will be able to appreciate the principle of deferred gratification, and hence they will work hard at school, knowing that the benefits of developing good learning habits and attitudes towards self-improvement which will serve them well beyond their school years.

The SSA student will be flexibility and adaptability to an ever-changing environment will be strong, as will be their resilience, purpose, and ambition to be the very best that they can be.  They will be competitive and want to win, but equally recognise that winning with humanity and losing with grace, good sportsmanship and self-reflection are important to our school ethos.  They will play a strong role in society, being keen to be good and responsible citizens; proactive and solution focused.  They will show good leadership, being strong when required, but always being kind and caring when dealing with others.

In terms of key qualities, the SSA student will be:

• Ambitious
• Hard working
• Happy
• Confident
• Solution-focused
• Knowledgeable
• Independent
• Organized
• Motivated
• Honest
• Determined
• Competitive
• Creative
• Responsible
• Positive

Our students will exhibit the behaviours and attitudes reflective of a growth mind-set where they are:

• Strong believers in their ability to improve though application and hard work.
• Able to treat setbacks and disappointments as learning opportunities.
• Inspired by the success of others rather than being threatened by it.
• Responsive to all useful feedback (positive or negative), not limited or discouraged by it.

Our students will exhibit the SSA core values of respect, excellence, and responsibility in everything that they do.