Welcome from the Principal
Founded in 1990, as one of the first controversial City Technology Colleges and then converted to Academy status in 2006, at Dixons we are very proud of our unusual history that really shapes our ethos today. Whilst the Academy has changed significantly in recent years and its intake is much more inclusive (FSM in line with national average, comprehensive intake), the original ‘can-do’ culture, business-like environment and extremely high expectations of student attainment, behaviour and work ethic remains.
Dixons is proud of its academic acheivements and the strong relationships that are formed between students and staff. Most of our students show respect and work hard most of the time. We have a strong focus on student learning and a relentless drive for improvement. Dixons is a school where teachers can teach and students can learn.
Our school has grown over recent years and we are now a slightly larger than average roll (just over 1100 with a healthy and successful sixth form of around 275). We have a good balance of boys and girls on roll and whilst our non-white population has grown in recent years, we are still a very ethnically mixed school. We recruit students from across the city of Bradford and we are currently working hard to maintain the ethnic balance that we have always been so proud of. As a result of huge-over subscription (over a thousand students apply for only 165 places every year) we have hardly any students who are genuinely English as second language speakers and whilst our intake is very comprehensive, student prior attainment is higher than the city in general. Again, because of over-subscription, our school population is extremely stable.
Our NEET figure (not in Education, Employment or Training) is the lowest in the city and was at 0% this year. Year on year our attainment is outstanding, as is the value that we add to our students which year on year puts us in the top 10% of schools nationally. These results are achieved because of the commitment of students and staff who work together in an orderly learning-focussed environment. Teaching staff and support staff work very effectively together to focus on the whole-child.
Dixons City is well-staffed and attracts teachers that are committed to high standards of learning and achievement. We have a strong commitment to continuous professional development and our staff are extremely professional and committed to the all-round well-being and development of our students. Staff are friendly and positive and highly supportive of one another. In recent years, we have had a particular focus on staff as well as student well-being and recognising the unique pressures that come from working in such a fast-paced and successful environment. As such, Investors in Peoples reports have been extremely positive and we have received national recognition from Alistair Smith in his recent book (The Secrets of Successful Schools) for our approach to staff well-being.
As an outstanding school, we haven’t been inspected since 2007, as such, self-evaluation and internal review is very important. In 2007 Ofsted stated that we were a ‘high-performing school that places students at its very heart’. Self-evaluation and other recent awards and reviews (Investors in Pupils, Investors in Pupils, Gifted and Talented NACE Award, Inclusion Chartermark, Work Experience Award, Bradford Partnership Review) would confirm that this is still the case and something we are immensely proud of.
Don’t simply read about us – come and visit us. This will give you the opportunity to see the work of our staff and students, our sense of purpose and our drive for future success. If you want to join me to be part of a very special learning team, contact Paula Read at Hays Education, our recruitment partner to learn more about our exciting opportunities.
Shirley Watson
Principal
