Vision 2027

“A community characterised by calm confidence, intellectual curiosity, and an unwavering belief that every young person deserves to thrive.”

Inclusion Quality Mark, Centre of Excellence, 2025

Vision 2027 - Year 333

In 1694, Robert May, a local merchant, donated money for the purpose of educating twenty-five boys to be taught at the school. This act of philanthropy set in motion a school which has had a long and vibrant journey to become the high-achieving Academy it is today. 2027 marks 333 years of Robert May’s School.

At Robert May’s School we are proud of our ethos, which is characterised by an unfailing belief that all students can succeed in their chosen paths and that each person in the learning community is capable of achieving excellence every day in whatever they do.

Our aim is to continue the work of our Founder, to strengthen his legacy and to be both the anchor and kite for the community we serve.

Our School Objectives in 2025 - 2026 are:

1. Academic Achievement & Outcomes

We are raising the bar for academic success at Key Stage 4, ensuring that every student reaches their full potential regardless of background.

Targeted Support: Implementing data-driven strategies to significantly boost the achievement of students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), accounting for prior attainment, attendance, and SEND needs.
Departmental Accountability: Setting ambitious, realistic targets across all subjects, backed by rigorous monitoring and precise interventions.

2. Teaching & Learning Excellence

We are evolving our classroom practice to ensure high-quality, adaptive teaching that meets the needs of every learner.

Pushing for Excellence: Embedding the 'RMS 6' framework to drive high-quality teaching and learning.
Vulnerable Groups Focus: Enhancing our Quality Assurance (QA) and lesson observation processes to focus deeply on the classroom experience of vulnerable students.
Staff Coaching: Empowering school leaders to conduct precise, data-informed coaching conversations to continually elevate teaching standards.
Assessment & Prep: Evaluating and refining our marking, assessment, and prep policies in collaboration with stakeholders for implementation by September 2026.

3. Curriculum Development & Innovation

We are designing a robust, flexible curriculum that prepares students for a changing landscape.

Inclusive Pathways: Reviewing Key Stage 4 pathways and expanding vocational options (both on and off-site) to ensure the curriculum is accessible and rewarding for all.
National Alignment: Conducting a comprehensive review of our Key Stage 3 and GCSE options in light of the Autumn 2026 National Curriculum Review, ensuring a seamless transition from Key Stage 2.

4. Inclusion & SEND Support

We are strengthening our 'ordinarily available provision' so that SEND students are fully supported to succeed.

Collaborative Visualisation: Revising One Page Profiles and the 'Graduated Approach' (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) with active input from students, parents, and carers.
Maximising Support: Defining clear expectations and monitoring for our Learning Coaches, and exploring accredited qualifications for KS4 learning support options.

5. Attendance, Behaviour & Well-Being

We foster a safe, resilient, and regular-attending school community where students embody the "Robert May's Way."

Attendance Focus: Building on our successes with FSM attendance and tackling the complex challenges surrounding EHCP student attendance.
Student Leadership: Developing a new 'Learning to Lead' framework to empower our young people to be proactive 'upstanders' and leaders.
Holistic Support: Embedding character education, the 'Bounce Don't Break' resilience programme, anti-bullying ambassadors, and updated RSHE policies.
Future Readiness: Strengthening careers guidance via Unifrog, specifically targeting Gatsby Benchmarks 3 and 4, while redefining the crucial role of the Form Tutor.

6. Leadership, Governance & Operational Excellence

We are future-proofing our school through strong leadership, collaboration, and operational efficiency.

Vision 2027 & Beyond: Reviewing our progress towards Vision 2027 this year, paving the way to launch our ambitious Vision 2032 roadmap.
Inspection Readiness: Ensuring the school is fully prepared for the updated Ofsted framework from Autumn 2026.
Operational Pillars: Aligning finance, estates, digital IT, and governance to achieve system-wide operational excellence.
Partnership & AI: Leading the 'Developing Practice' strand within the Arete schools partnership, and training staff to safely leverage AI tools to increase efficiency and improve teaching and learning.