Our Vision

Guided by strong Christian principles, our ethos of ‘Learning for Life’ and high  standards of literacy and numeracy as our key priorities. TEST is committed to providing excellent opportunities for all children in our community and elsewhere, regardless of their faith, background or ability.We highlight faith values as a catalyst for reinforcing positive attitudes and our excellent provision for children’s spiritual, social, cultural and moral development permeates our school. We emphasise the value and worth of each individual in order to develop a positive self-image and can-do attitude in students. The range of subjects and learning opportunities we offer are well organised to capture and engage the interest and curiosity of children, ensuring they master basic skills and go on to excel at all levels. We have a strong focus on creativity and optimise the use of indoor and outdoor spaces to enhance learning, with music and modern foreign languages playing a vital role in raising attainment.With an aspirational approach to pupil achievement, we firmly believe that demography must not determine destiny. We are inspired by the outstanding achievements of Charter Schools in the USA which provide evidence of this. We use the “49 techniques that put students on the path to college” outlined by Doug Lemov in his book, “Teach like a Champion” as the bedrock of our teaching and learning. Our mission is to ensure that every pupil achieves highly enough to have real options by age 18: to go to University or College or follow a career path of their choice. We will also use the freedoms associated with being an Academy Trust to better serve the needs of children.The Emmanuel School Trust was established by Emmanuel Community Church International, along with The Greenleaf Trust and ECC Nursery, to fulfil the fellowship’s commitment to “Serve the Community Relevantly”.TEST aims to become a multi-academy trust (MAT) until that time Mr Lewis (Headteacher) is our Accounting Officer. In the medium term, we will develop a cluster of primary, nursery and secondary schools serving North East London and Essex as well as international collaborations in Kenya, Liberia and Nigeria over the next 5 years. We will work closely with other organisations and stakeholders to share best practice and resources. Our schools will promote British values which include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Our rationale

There are significant challenges arising from the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population in our target area. These are manifested in the following issues among others: unemployment and child poverty, population growth and increased diversity, shortage of school places, significant educational needs and deprivation.Our rationale for setting up free schools is to meet these challenges and to the need to improve standards of provision for our children. We are determined to offer real choices to parents, with particular attention to the needs of the transient and cosmopolitan families in highly deprived areas. Children who would otherwise fail to fulfil their potential due to barriers such as poverty, EAL, minority ethnic backgrounds and FSM will be challenged and supported in our schools, transforming them into high achievers.

Key features of our provision

Our schools will:

    • Provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment in which children enjoy learning and develop positive relationships with others.
    • Deploy a range of teaching styles to meet the needs of different learners (using the International Primary Curriculum and principles of “Teach like a Champion”.)
    • Insist on high expectations of attendance, attainment and behaviour.
    • Celebrate all achievements.
    • Provide experiential learning outside of the classroom at every opportunity.
    • Teach Mathematics and English in small groups.
    • Teach languages (Spanish, French) to offer an international outlook.
    • Emphasise music and creative arts. We expect every child to learn to play a musical instrument, play a sport and to learn an additional language.
    • We aspire to see every child as a “STAR” (i.e. Special, Talented, Aspiring and Recognised).
    • Involve parents and carers in our school life and develop strong links with the local community.
    • Give children opportunities to voice their ideas and opinions, thus ensuring that their voice is heard and listened to. Students will be involved in democratic processes through a school council and through developing leadership and citizenship skills.
    • Encourage understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values of love, acceptance, tolerance and good leadership.
    • Provide more learning hours 8.00am – 6.00pm for wrap around care through extended school days. This includes pre-school and after-school enrichment activities.
    • Become highly motivated independent learners who achieve high standards.
    • Develop an understanding of the responsibilities involved in living as part of the family, school, local and wider community.
    • Respect and care for the environment and world we live in.

WHAT OUR SCHOOLS WILL ACHIEVE  

Every child that passes through our schools will:

    • Score highly in literacy & numeracy (as a minimum to exceed the national and local average scores at the end of Key stages).
    • Develop high aspirations and proceed to further or higher education (reduction in the proportion of NEETs in local area).
    • Appreciate diverse cultures and have an international perspective (better community cohesion).
    • Gain life skills in a range of activities to include music, sports and languages (reduction in delinquency and involvement in gang culture).