The Sandon School is a specialist maths and computing college committed to enabling all students to achieve success. It has outstanding facilities that support its specialisms, including five ICT suites and additional computer suites. The school encourages participation in sports, creative arts, and international visits. It offers a supportive environment through its pastoral care programs and communication with parents. The sixth form provides quality teaching and opportunities to help most students progress to higher education.

1. The Sandon School
Specialist Maths and Computing College
Achievement for every learner

2. Welcome to our School
At The Sandon School we believe that each individual is a special
person of worth, with great potential and growing skills and tal-
ents. We are committed to enabling all of our students to make the
most of their potential and achieve success. This brochure gives a
glimpse of life at the school. The combination of pictures and in-
formation is designed to show something of our ethos and standards
and how we work.
If you would like to find out more about our school please contact
us to arrange a visit.
Jo Wincott
Headteacher

3. Maths and Computing Specialism
The Sandon School is a Specialist College for Maths and Computing. We are proud of our outstanding
results in these subject areas at GCSE and A level as they highlight how we use our specialism to impact
on all students across all areas of the curriculum. We are fortunate to have outstanding facilities to support
our specialism, including:
Five specialist ICT suites
The ATLAS Centre - a dedicated learning resource centre available each weekday before,
during and after school
Additional suites of computers across the school, including class sets of laptops
Multimedia projectors in the majority of teaching rooms
iSpace – our virtual learning environment and email facility for staff, students and parents –
giving global access to resources and communications
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4. Sport
As a ‘healthy school’ we encourage all our students to take part in as many sporting activities as possible.
In addition to a dynamic and varied offer in lessons, our students take part in a wide variety of sporting
activities outside school hours. Whether competing in inter-house competitions or representing Essex at
County level, students are encouraged and supported to achieve their best. Our facilities include:
Full-size indoor sports hall
Gymnasium
Two floodlit all-weather sports pitches
Outside Tennis and Netball courts
Outside Football, Hockey and Rugby pitches
Refurbished Multi-gym
Dedicated PE classroom with class set of laptop computers
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5. Creative Arts
At The Sandon School we firmly believe that young people should have the opportunity to take part in as
wide a variety of activities as possible. We work hard to ensure that they experience Art, Drama, Music and
Dance in a flourishing environment of creativity and challenge, working alongside specialist teachers and
visiting experts – especially in Music and Drama, where Associated Boards and LAMDA awards are
encouraged. There is a busy programme of concerts, productions and showcase events throughout the year
and the school enjoys links to several local performance and exhibition venues. Special projects and a
Photography Club add another dimension to the creative experiences our students can access. Facilities include:
A specialist suite of Art rooms
Two well equipped Drama studios
A purpose-built Dance studio
Two specialist Music rooms and a
Recording Studio
Seven Music practice rooms
An ICT suite for Music technology
A wide range of instruments for use
by students, including an electronic
drum kit, specialist sound and
light desks
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6. Teaching Groups
Teaching groups throughout the school are organised to maximise support and achievement for every learner.
Starting in Year 7, students are grouped by ability for English, Mathematics, Science and ICT lessons.
An Accelerated Learning Programme (Fast Track) is undertaken with a group of about 60 students in each
year group and linked to our Gifted and Talented Programme. At Key Stage 3, our average group size is 27
students – often this number is smaller where additional support with learning is provided. At Key Stage 4
we limit the number of students enrolled on our vocational and work-related programme. Each curriculum
subject groups students to offer the most effective learning arrangements, becoming more specialised as
students move through Key Stage 4 and into the Sixth Form.
Transfer from Primary School
Supporting the transfer of students from their smaller, familiar primary schools is a very important part of
our pastoral and academic programme. Most Year 7 students arriving in September will already be familiar
with the school because they have experienced our induction programme, which includes:
Senior staff from The Sandon School talking directly with new students’ primary school teachers
Careful allocation to a half-year population and tutor group
Experience of typical Year 7 lessons for everyone in their new tutor group
An invitation to visit the school before the start of the year in September
Year 12 students acting as ‘buddies’ to support all Year 7 students
Support by the Head of Year 7 and the Year Tutor Team for the academic and personal well-being
of each student.
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7. Communication with Parents
We highly value our communications with parents as an essential partnership supporting each student’s
progress and welfare in the school.
iSpace, our school-based communication system, created and developed in-house to meet the needs of
staff, students and parents, is an effective and valuable means of sharing information electronically.
As a next step we are developing a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to provide access to a portfolio
of learning materials and enabling community engagement. As a Next Generation Learning School we are
trialling online reporting to parents for Years 7, 10 and 12.
Text messaging to mobile phones enables feedback to parents if
students fail to register. Where emergency contact is needed,
such as for unexpected school closure, text messaging
provides an additional means of effective and
rapid communication.
Printed newsletters also keep our communities
up to date. The school newsletter is issued to
students every Thursday, and a similar publication
is delivered monthly to near neighbours of the school.
These publications include a range of articles,
newsbites, calendar updates and items of
general information. Both are also available
via iSpace.
In addition, we issue a Specialist College newsletter
giving a summary of student and staff focussed
activities and achievements linked with our
Specialist College status.
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8. Pastoral Care and Community Support
The school has a well deserved reputation for the high quality of support and guidance of our students.
We are proud to be at the heart of the local community and always sensitive to individuals’ circumstances.
These aspects of the school’s life are best represented by our:
Tutor group support programme
Lessons in Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education
Assemblies and visiting speaker programme
Mentoring programmes led by teachers
Peer support groups led by trained students
Involvement of a wide range of local community support services
Prizes, awards and commendations for a wide range of activities, including the Jack Petchy
awards distributed by winning students to a project of their choice
School Council, giving voice to students’ ideas, concerns and suggestions for future improvements
Healthy school campaign, especially through our award-winning catering service, cashless
payment system and cookery master classes
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9. Visits and International Links
Being part of the global community is something that will grow in importance as young people of today
move into adulthood. Experiencing wider horizons, different cultures and new ways of learning through
exploration, travel and linking with students elsewhere is as much a part of 21st century education as
attending The Sandon School. We support and encourage this international dimension though a vibrant
programme of visits and links which includes:
Regular visits to Paris and German Christmas markets
Theatre and concert trips to London and more
local venues
Fieldwork in England and abroad
Ski trips to the USA and Europe
Music performance tours to Spain and Germany
Theatre visit tours of New York
World Challenge programme visits to Australia, Chile, China, East Africa and Nepal
Welcoming visitors from America, China, Germany, Malaysia and South Korea
Membership of the International Schools Award community
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10. The Sandon Sixth Form
We offer students a seven year education and the majority of our students stay on to pursue their studies
beyond GCSE. We deliver a wide range of A levels and students are carefully guided through their choices
following their GCSE results. Well furnished accommodation has been built to provide capacity for our
thriving and successful sixth form. Our results are some of the highest in the area and continue to
improve, paying testament to the high calibre of students staying on.
In addition to quality teaching, we also provide our sixth form students with many other opportunities both
in and out of school. Detailed guidance and support means that the overwhelming majority of students
entering the sixth form progress to higher education. We regularly welcome applications by students from
other educational establishments and we welcome visitors wishing to look at our facilities.
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11. Achievement for every learner

12. Produced by ‘The School Brochure Specialist’, FM Litho Design and Print Tel: 01787 479479 www.fmlitho.co.uk
By Road:
A12 Junction 18 (signposted to Maldon). Fol-
low signs for A1060 Chelmsford /Park and
Ride, then 2nd left into Molrams Lane. The Sandon School
By Public Transport: Molrams Lane
Train to Chelmsford. Sandon,
No 31 or 36 bus from bus station to bus stop
opposite Molrams Lane. Chelmsford,
Essex CM2 7AQ
Telephone: 01245 473611
Email:
info@sandon.essex.sch.uk
Website:
www.sandon.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher: Mr Jo Wincott