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Academic Excellence

Academic excellence lies at the heart of our educational philosophy

As children begin their educational journey at Polam, we aim to equip them with the skills they need to navigate their own emotions and support their academic development.

We are very proud of all our pupil’s accomplishments, whatever their strengths or abilities, and celebrate each individual’s achievements.

Our aim is to produce happy, confident children who are excited and engaged in their learning, ready to take their next step in education.

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Early Years Foundation Stage Profile Results

Our EYFS profile results are well above national levels and by the end of the academic year 2023/24, 73% of our Reception children reached a Good Level of Development, placing us higher than both the local and national averages.

Children reach a Good Level of Development if they have achieved the Early Learning Goals in these prime areas of the EYFS curriculum:

  • Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • Physical Development

  • Communication and Language Development

  • Literacy

  • Mathematics

Year
% of children reaching GLD
Bedford Scores
National Scores
2023/202473%67%67%
2022/202368% (27% at ‘exceeding’)64%65%
2021/202273%64%65%
2020/202178%N/A70%

Key Stage 1 (KS1) results

KS1 end of year teacher assessments

The overall quality of academic achievement of our children is excellent and we consistently outperform against the national and local averages year on year.

Our annual end of year teacher assessments are based on judgements of how many children meet a ‘secure’ level of development in literacy and numeracy:

2023/2024 Results:

The Progress Test in English (PTE)

The Progress Test in English (PTE) is a standardised test that measures pupils' knowledge and application of English skills.

Our children have excellent points progress results, with a class average increase of 19.6 PTE during the academic year 2023/24:

PTE
Test
Polam
National
Autumn 2023/24PTE 6104.6100
Summer 2023/24PTE 7121.1100

The Progress Test in Maths (PTM)

The Progress Test in Maths (PTM) is a standardised test that measures pupils' knowledge and application of Maths skills:

Our children have excellent points progress results, with a class average increase of 12.3 PTE during the academic year 2023/24:

PTE
Test
Polam
National
Autumn 2023/24PTE 6104.5100
Summer 2023/24PTE 7116.8100

Curriculum

A Creative Curriculum Approach

At Polam, we offer a creative curriculum approach to learning. This enables children an opportunity to tap into their creativity, imagination and critical thinking skills.

Our children are able to use their topic based learning to apply their knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. We take this one step further with our immersive learning initiative, where we transformed ordinary classrooms into themed, interactive learning spaces. We currently have two rooms complete – Discovery, our space-themed IT suite and Amazonia, our plant-filled rainforest room.

Dressing classrooms with themed resources encourages the students to be absorbed and engaged, making their learning more purposeful – and lots more fun! Having a unique, multipurpose space like our Rainforest room is a perfect environment to support well-being, providing the opportunity for meditation and mindfulness, imaginative storytelling and academic achievement.

Great learning environment where my children feel safe to express themselves and look forward to coming to school everyday.

– Parent, Polam School

Join us for an Open Day


At our Open Days you will have the opportunity to meet our Head and other key members of staff, and learn more about what a Polam education looks like.

Please click below to register to attend our upcoming Open Day. We can’t wait to meet you!

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Mental Wellbeing

A strong focus on mental wellbeing

We provide a unique home-from-home learning environment, where every child is known by every member of staff, with a distinct focus on pastoral care, mental health and wellbeing, all contributing to excellent academic achievement.

As part of the Cognita Schools group, Polam School regularly takes part in Cognita’s annual Global Be Well Day. From this we developed our own Week To Be Well, a dedicated wellbeing week at the beginning of the school year. This has since blossomed into dedicated wellbeing activities becoming part of the weekly timetable for all classes.

With a Wellbeing Champion in School as well as a Mental Health First Aider, this is testament to our commitment to wellbeing all year round, reinforcing the importance of wellbeing as the foundation that needs to underpin every aspect of education.

SEND

Partner School - Assessment for Dyslexia

As a school, we have been praised for our dedication and support to children with dyslexia and are proud to announce that we have been recognised as a Partner School with Assessment for Dyslexia.

This achievement promotes our focus on wellbeing and commitment to ensure children feel confident, independent, and resilient and have opportunities to make good progress and enjoy their learning.

Educational Technology

Educational Technology

All children at Polam benefit from our growing suite of EdTech devices, tools and digital learning provision, with teachers receiving digital learning training from our in-house digital innovation team, to equip them with the best tools and knowledge to ensure that every child benefits.

We continue to invest in and develop our EdTech to provide children with exciting and innovative experiences that support independent learning and enhance lifelong skills such as digital literacy, collaboration, communication and self-awareness; the skills and knowledge which will allow them to take advantage of the quick-fire changes in technology and thrive in this rapidly evolving world.

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have regular access to 1:1 iPad devices, with additional shared devices in nursery and preschool. This type of EdTech promotes learning and development when used as a tool to support learning (rather than a replacement for learning!). We look forward to keeping you updated on this throughout the summer term.

OfSTED inspection results

"Double Excellent" & "Outstanding" - OfSTED

For our 4th consecutive OfSTED inspection, we achieved a rating of "Outstanding" for our Nursery & Preschool and "Double Excellent" for our Preschool and Pre-Prep. This is a reflection of the exceptional quality of education provided at Polam.

Our Nursery & Preschool demonstrated excellence in all aspects of early education, from curriculum delivery to the welfare and development of our youngest learners. This rating acknowledges that we are exceeding the expectations set by educational standards, providing a nurturing and enriching environment that sets a strong foundation for our children's future learning journeys.

Our Preschool and Pre-Prep result is also a remarkable achievement. Independent schools are graded for both academic success and personal development.

Achieving ‘Excellent’ in both categories awards a ‘Double Excellent’. It signifies that not only do we consistently deliver an exceptional early education experience, but we also excel in preparing our students for the rest of their primary education and beyond.

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