About David Young Community Academy

The David Young Community Academy opened in September 2006 and provides education for 11 to 18 year olds in the East Leeds area. The Academy is part of the Department for Education and Skills City Academies Programme which is raising levels of attainment in inner cities. Academies are new types of school, bringing a distinctive approach to leadership by drawing on the skills of sponsors and other supporters.

The Academy is sponsored by the Church of England Diocese of Ripon and Leeds.

The Academy creates a safe and secure environment for lifelong learning, underpinned by Christian values. Working with the wider community to build a better future, the Academy promotes its specialism – design and the built environment – and contributes to local regeneration by:

• ensuring that each student receives the highest possible quality of education, suited to their individual needs and aptitudes.
• focusing on excellence and challenging everyone to achieve their best.
• valuing and fostering creativity, imagination, responsibility and a love of learning.

In keeping with these values, the Academy values all faiths and actively celebrates diversity. Its aim is to appreciate the uniqueness of every person and work to build self-esteem throughout day-to-day activities. Religious education is an important part of the curriculum, ensuring there is sensitivity to the beliefs and practices of all faiths.

Message from the Principal Ros McMullen

New ways of learning

The Academy curriculum is organised into four broad areas:

• Understanding our Environment (English, Humanities)
• Investigating our Environment (Science, Maths, R.E., Citizenship)
• Designing our Environment (Art, Technology, ICT and Enterprise)
• Performing in our Environment (Drama, Music, P.E., and languages)

In delivering our specialist subject – design and the built environment – we work closely with Leeds College of Building .

Students are grouped according to levels of ability rather than age, and progress through the curriculum when they are ready, hence learning is personalised.

There are only 2 or 3 lesson each day with minimal student movement enabling deep learning.

Curriculum development

Our focus is on improving students’ life chances by equipping them with the knowledge and skills for living in the 21st century.

Innovative aspects of our work include:

• The unique specialism – design and the built environment
• A three-session day
• Vertical groups – grouping of students aged from 11 to 16, within a house system
• Team Leaders for each house
• Flexible time-tabling
• Guided pupil choices
• Advanced ICT facilities – embracing new technologies

The content of the curriculum gives students:

• Independent learning and decision-making skills
• A sense of purpose and direction for personal fulfillment
• Strong personal values and a spiritual awareness, based on the Academy’s ethos and principles
• Excellent social skills
• Enthusiasm to learn
• Knowledge, skills and qualifications to pursue an appropriate career

Additional areas of support to students include:

• A citizenship programme to actively involve students in the curriculum
• A guidance programme to help students make informed decisions
• An international dimension to widen students understanding of global issues
• An enrichment programme of cultural, performing, sporting and other activities
• A key skills programme
• A residential experience

Our Academy opened in September 2006. It is a completely different type of school. We area centre of educational excellence for East Leeds where students are able to achieve unparalleled levels in both academic and vocational qualifications. Staff and students have access to the very latest ICT resources and we aresetting new standards for the 21st century.

Our Academy gives expert tuition, guidance and facilities in Arts, Sport, Leisure and Technology. The students fortunate to become members of the Academy are fully prepared to play their part as economically active citizens contributing to the life of their community.

We work with all community leaders to celebrate and nurture each individual, recognising their spiritual and emotional dimensions and catering for their individual needs as unique and valued human beings.

We specialise in Design and the Built Environment and produce the next generation of visionary professionals to develop our towns and cities in the 21st century.

This is the most exciting project of my career, and I am really enjoying steering every aspect of the David Young Community Academy's development."

Ros McMullen

All content in this site is copyright to David Young Community Academy

All content in this site is copyright to David Young Community Academy