Canary Wharf College - East Ferry

We are an independent free school for boys and girls currently aged 4 - 11 years based on the Isle of Dogs. The College opened in September 2011. We are based at 197 Eastferry Road, a quiet setting in the heart of the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets, yet close to Mudchute and Island Gardens DLR and central London.

With beautiful green community playing fields along one side of the College, it is able to provide sporting opportunities not normally available in inner city schools and this supports the strong academic curriculum. Almost all children come from within a kilometre of the College and each class of twenty children is managed by a qualified teacher with the support of a teaching assistant. The College is run by a Board of Governors, many of whom are parents. It is led by the Executive Principal and founding trustee, Sarah Counter.

The aim of Canary Wharf College is “to live, share and celebrate the love of learning”; this is achieved in a Christian environment welcoming children from different faiths and ethnic backgrounds.

• Together we respect our many differences.
• Our curriculum sets out to encourage the diverse talents of the children fostering intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual development.
• There is a strong emphasis on Mathematics, Technology and Science supported by a vibrant Creative Arts programme.
• The College celebrates the love of learning by providing a wide-ranging dynamic education in which the children can develop their curiosity and enthusiasm in all areas of the curriculum.
• High standards of academic success are achieved through individual attention, provided by highly qualified professionals in a nurturing and caring family atmosphere.
• A strong sense of responsibility is engendered through a clear vertical ‘house’ system.

At Canary Wharf College, we encourage high standards of behaviour, trust, and integrity so enabling all children, whatever their background, to feel safe and valued. We believe that education leads to empowerment and delight in enabling children and adults to achieve goals of which they had only dream.

The Christian ethos of the College permeates the culture of the college, but students are encouraged to speak with confidence using their own faiths to enrich this culture and the learning of other students.

The freedom of speech allows for students to think and act constructively and to critically gain an understanding of each other’s point of view. They are encouraged to develop into informed active learners who can explore, question, seek answers and solve problems and care passionately about their community and the wider world.

The ethos gives a secure basis for human equality and leads to an awareness that it is not enough to just love those who are ‘like you’, but that all are made in the image of God and are therefore to be valued.

The ethos gives a motivation to protect the rights to freedom and choice, working against discrimination and exclusion, and for justice, acceptance, integrity and equal dignity. Surrounded by a Christian ethos, the young people are nurtured into becoming confident and competent citizens.

The College celebrates the love of learning by providing a wide-ranging dynamic education in which the children can develop their curiosity and enthusiasm in all areas of the curriculum. High standards of academic success are achieved through individual attention, provided by qualified teachers in a nurturing and caring family atmosphere. Our curriculum sets out to nurture the diverse talents of the children; fostering intellectual, physical, cultural moral and spiritual development.

The broad academic curriculum at Canary Wharf College is designed to enable all children to achieve their full potential. The children receive a carefully structured syllabus incorporating a variety of educational experiences, including numeracy, science and technology.

In Literacy, the acquisition of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills is systematically developed as pupils move through the college. Differentiated work allows more able children to achieve very high standards and the less able to be supported. Links are explored between different areas of the curriculum to give pupils opportunities for research and to find things out for themselves.

ICT is embedded in learning from the children’s earliest days within the college and its functionis as an integrated tool core to learning and delivery of learning. In each classroom there is a break out corner of computers, and iPads are available for every child as felt necessary or required for their learning.

Specialist teaching in Music and Physical Development contributes effectively to pupils’ wider intellectual development. Varied and challenging opportunities for pupils’ social, aesthetic and creative development is strongly encouraged through Art, Drama and Music and Sport.

At every stage, the educational experience of pupils will be enriched with visits to places of interest, visiting groups and speakers. Staff who are employed at Canary Wharf College are expected to be flexible, able to teach a range of subjects as well as specialising in one.