About The School

Millais is a girls’ comprehensive school for student’s aged 11-16. The school’s catchment area serves Horsham and the villages bordering the town.

Situated on a single site, each department has its own well-resourced suite of rooms. Good specialist accommodation abounds including workshops, science laboratories, music rooms, a drama studio, and resource and research centres. Our excellent ICT network provides our students and staff with access to the Internet, video conferencing facilities, interactive white boards and personal email accounts. The Sports Hall, Gym and all weather pitch offers the highest standard of sport facilities to our students and the local community.

Millais has a well-established tradition of caring, high standards and academic excellence. As a Language College Millais recognises the importance of being able to communicate effectively with others throughout our increasingly international community.

Aims

Millais School aims to create a stimulating and happy environment of trust and support in which staff are encouraged and enabled to develop their skills, talents and potential to the full regardless of nationality, ethnicity, ability – both intellectually and physical – social circumstances, age gender or religion.

In pursuit of this we offer a broad and balanced curriculum, which seeks to equip girls for life in Education and world of work. The individual needs of our students are identified and relevant tasks set to aid their progress.

In all we do at Millais we strive for quality, excellence and the highest standards for all.

Specialist Status

Language College

Millais School became a Language College in September 1996 and the school has benefited from significant additional funding. This provides additional courses, facilities and resources to enable us to maintain and enhance our high standards in the teaching of modern foreign languages. Crucially, the school also encourages all subjects to develop international links, to encourage students to set their sights high and to prepare themselves, both academically and personally, for work in the Europe of the 21st Century.

Training School

On re-designation in 2006, we were also offered the opportunity of becoming a Training School. This recognizes our excellent work on developing staff within a well-structured professional framework.

Accommodation

The school is housed in permanent buildings on a site of nearly 19 acres. Facilities include extensive grounds, two large halls, two drama studios, a multi-media language centre, a gymnasium, a music block, a library and reprographics area, classrooms, laboratories, workshops and Information Technology rooms. Design Technology, Art and Modern Foreign Languages accommodation have been refurbished, a Sports Hall with an all-weather pitch was opened in 1997, a new hall, library and six new classrooms in 1999 and nine new Science laboratories were opened in March 2002.

School administration is computerised and networked so that all staff have access to the SIMS system and, since the acquisition of Language College status, there has been a substantial upgrading of IT facilities throughout the school which has been further extended this year to include smart boards or data projection facilities in every classroom.

Organisational Structure

The Senior Leadership Team comprises the Headteacher, two Deputy Heads, the Senior Resources Manager and three Assistant Headteachers. All members of this team share the oversight of Year Groups, curriculum areas and support staff and hold regular meetings with curriculum/pastoral leaders as appropriate. They provide guidance and challenge but essentially work alongside colleagues to support their day-to-day work.

The recent TLR staffing review has resulted in a comprehensive re-structuring of the leadership of curriculum and pastoral teams and should ensure we are well placed to adapt to the ever-changing demands placed upon us.

Curriculum

We offer a diverse and challenging curriculum with very high expectations of our students. They begin their careers in mixed ability teaching groups in Year 7, although setting is introduced progressively for almost all subjects from the beginning of Year 8 or even a little earlier. Students of all abilities perform well. The school prides itself on having an atmosphere where it is possible for all students to reach their full potential in a caring and supportive environment. The students are well motivated and visitors frequently comment on the positive approach the girls have to their studies and the warmth of the relationships between students and staff. Our school credit system operates well and supports this ethos.

Extra Curricular Activites

As well as the formal curriculum, the school also enjoys a lively programme of extra-curricular activities. The P.E. department is involved in a full programme of fixtures in a wide variety of sports. Many students participate in French, German, Italian and Spanish Exchanges, ski trips and other educational visits to places like Canterbury and The Natural History Museum. Every year Year 7 pupils visit an activity centre accompanied by their form tutors. There are also frequent visits to concerts, theatres and art galleries as part of the student enrichment programme. Clubs are thriving; there are art, drama, gardening and numerous sports clubs, and the school offers the full range of instrumental tuition and the opportunity to join bands and choirs. We also venture further a field with visits to Denmark, China and Morocco to ensure pupils experience different cultures and to strengthen our links with partner schools.

Support

Pastoral support is led and co-ordinated by the Directors of Pupil Support and Progress, who are overseen by an Assistant Headteacher. Most members of staff are actively involved in the pastoral team as form tutors. Student involvement is encouraged through the election of Form Captains and representatives to the School Council, which meets half-termly to discuss issues based on a student-initiated agenda. In Year 11 a number of girls are elected prefects; they are expected to lead and to undertake supervision duties alongside staff and offer service to the school in a wide variety of ways. In addition Year 11 students volunteer to serve as Staff Assistants, usually carrying out administrative tasks for their link teacher.

Community Link

As a school we are committed to developing an active and genuine partnership with parents and excellent links with the wider community. Staff regularly liaise with their colleagues from both primary and further education institutions, parents’ consultations and school productions are very well supported and an active PTA exists. The school has also established links with local industry, which has generated sponsorship for projects and investment in our work experience programme. Representatives from local businesses make regular contributions to our P.S.H.E. and Business Studies courses.

Professional Development

Innovative approaches to curriculum development, such as our bilingual programme and our Comenius and Science Across Europe projects, are a reflection of the importance we place upon teaching and learning and maintaining a supportive, challenging and stimulating professional environment. The staff development programme encourages staff to work hard for themselves (by promoting courses/further study), for each other (peer mentoring or within working parties) and for the benefit of the students through their involvement in in-service training and extra curricular activities. It includes a structured induction programme for all new staff co-ordinated by the Professional Tutor in which each new teacher is assigned both a personal and professional mentor who offer advice, guidance and support.

Ethos

Despite the pace and variety of educational change over the last few years, Millais has managed both to respond to the challenge and maintain the values upon which its reputation has been founded. A full HMI inspection described Millais as “a high achieving and successful school” and The Daily Telegraph Good Schools Guide as “a school with style”. An Ofsted pilot inspection described us as an ‘exceptionally good school’ and our latest Ofsted inspection (May 2007) concluded we were a ‘good school with some outstanding features’. Millais’ success is founded on the high expectations shared by students, teachers and parents; it is this partnership, which ensures that each individual achieves her potential in all areas of school life. We always seek dynamic and ambitious staff who are keen to build on these standards by drawing the very best from our talented, pleasant and enthusiastic pupils.

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