FORTIS Academy

Hello and welcome to Fortis Academy. Our new school was launched in September 2020, and it is my honour to be its first Principal and, together with our dedicated staff, be able to serve the local community. ‘The word Fortis in Latin means brave, courageous, strong. Our school name, our unique school set up of separate Foundation and Senior academies and our vision – all taken together – will provide the very best opportunities for your child to learn, grow and achieve.

A broad, challenging and responsive curriculum provides the foundation for excellent teaching which, enriched by technology, will inspire and engage our students. Caring and ambitious pastoral care will also ensure students feel safe, valued and in good health to take advantage of the opportunities provided.

Strong partnership working with parents, stakeholders, educational agencies and businesses will place Fortis at the center of the local community where together far more will be achieved.

Your child will be encouraged every day to be ready to learn, to be respectful of themselves and others and to be safe, both physically and emotionally, to prepare for a fulfilling life. Above all, they will be encouraged to be courageous in achieving their ambitions. We are not just a school, but a real community seeking to ignite potential in every child. We will help and encourage them to be knowledgeable, reflective and considerate, embodied by the motto: Ready, Respectful, Safe.

Enriching Lives

• At our school, a child can change their family’s destiny by being the first to attend a university or having a life-changing career.
• At our school, an already high-attaining child will marvel and how much more they are able to achieve and the career prospects that await them.
• At our school, a child can turn away from disaffection and defiance, towards dedication and determination.
• At our school, a child can arrive from a country far away, not yet speaking our language, and leave with the confidence to thrive.
• We exist to make these differences to young lives that need us, even if they don’t know it yet.
• When our children show us ignorance, we will patiently shine a light on truth.
• When our children make mistakes, we will show them forgiveness, but then we will demand that they do better next time.
• And when they do good, we will celebrate this and encourage them to become excellent. We believe that there is nothing more heart-breaking than wasted potential.
• Our school will be a place of inspiration and sanctuary to all who need it, and we will not love children into material poverty or the poverty of low aspirations.
• Instead, we will ask them to rise to meet challenges with courage – and there is no greater courage than to do what is right and to be kind.
• Fortis Academy is a confident, successful, aspirational school, connected to its community and immensely proud of its students and their diversity.
• As a result, our students leave as happy, well-rounded young adults with purpose and drive, resilient to life’s challenges, open-minded and knowledgeable about the world around them.

Mission Statement

• At Fortis Academy, we will provide a first-class education for all our young people where high quality teaching and ambitious pastoral care will be underpinned by a challenging, knowledge-based and culturally rich curriculum. All our young people’s talents and ambitions will be nurtured and grown. No child will be left behind.

How will this be achieved

• Provide all students with equal opportunities and inspiring experiences that broaden horizons, foster courage and develop character
• Deliver consistent, high-quality lessons, developing a unique Fortis Way of Teaching, where students engage as highly as teachers
• Develop an ambitious culture of staff professional development, research and practice which leads to the highest academic standards for students
• Work closely with a growing range of companies and educational partners to illuminate the world of work and careers for our students
• Connect with the local community and establish Fortis as a center of education, leisure and health for all.

Our clear intention is to deliver a curriculum that enables every student to pursue and develop their talents, academic interests and skills. We want our students to develop a ‘Love of Learning’ through a thematic approach at KS3 which builds towards mastery at KS4 and KS5. It is our intention to develop enquiring minds that will give our students a wealth of opportunities in their lives. To ensure this is the case we provide a broad, challenging and relevant curriculum across all subjects to ensure every pupil can aim high and maximize their learning potential. Each department within the academy has their own aims linked to our overall intention and are committed to enabling the greatest of success for all our students.