Our School Community
Our Culture and Ethos
Our staff and students are Ambitious, Curious, Proud, Purposeful, Respectful and Supportive. These are our values and whilst you’ll see them written on our website and on our corridor walls, where you’ll really see them is in the way we work together, the way we talk to one another, the way teachers teach and students learn, and the way we ensure that every day, in and out of lessons we are living our vision: empowering lives through learning.
It’s not at all unusual for several generations from the same family to have been part of Bournside School as we’ve been part of the community for many years having moved to our present site in Warden Hill in 1972. In fact, students applying to join us in September 2023 will be doing so in our 50th Anniversary year on this site. A landmark we are very proud of.
We strive to be at the heart of our local community, working closely with our neighbouring schools, taking the arts into the community, being the central hub for very many sports local sports teams, and, of course, being the school of choice for families in our part of Cheltenham and beyond.
Our Values in Action
We are:
Ambitious
We aim for the very best in all we do.
Curious
We have enquiring minds and are not afraid of challenge.
Proud
We celebrate everyone's effort and achievements.
Purposeful
We persevere to achieve our goals and aspirations.
Respectful
We care about each other and believe in equality and kindness.
Supportive
We make a positive difference to each other's lives.
Our Expectations
We believe that you should have the highest expectations for your time in secondary school.
You can expect:
- quality teaching and support for independent learning outside of the classroom
- quality guidance and support from your tutor and teachers
- regular feedback on your progress
- a wide selection of extra-curricular and enrichment activities.
In return, we expect you to:
- give your very best effort in every aspect of your studies
- use your initiative and ingenuity to develop your knowledge, understanding, and skills both during and outside lesson time
- attend school punctually and have a high attendance rate aiming for 100%
- involve yourself in the wider life of the school
- maintain the highest standard of behaviour
- respect your fellow students, staff, and our school facilities
- wear your uniform with pride in line with our Uniform Guidance.
Pastoral Care
The pastoral care team at Bournside is always available to help you to ensure you feel safe, happy, and well-supported in your learning. There will be times when you need advice and guidance and we are here to support you throughout your studies. Our pastoral team comprises of a mixture of teaching and specialist non-teaching staff, and we will work with you to ensure you settle in quickly and reach your full potential. Our student dashboard features a wealth of resources to support your mental health and wellbeing, as well as a Contact Form so you can request further help and advice at any time.
Tutor Support
Your tutor is the first point of contact for any pastoral issues. Tutors support and challenge students about academic progress, attendance, behaviour, uniform, and being well organised for learning, maintaining regular contact with parents/carers to provide the best support for students.
Tutor Groups
Our vertical tutor group model means that each tutor group comprises 6 students from each year group from 7 to 11 and aims to:
- enable students in different year groups to build positive, healthy relationships with each other, nurturing an enhanced sense of family and community
- provide opportunities for older students to act as role models for younger students and, conversely, opportunities for younger students to have meaningful conversations with older students about school life and future aspirations
- further improve home/school communication.