The Loyola Academy supports upper ability students beyond the usal school curriculum. It fosters students to aspire to university from an early age by creating a high quality learning experience that offers diversity, stretch and challenge. Our aim is to develop students academically, spiritually and morally so that they are equipped to go out into God’s world and make a positive, long lasting impact.
As part of the Loyola programme, students are offered ‘super curricula’ experiences and events that are supported by experts to study a range of topics not necessarily met in the school curriculum. They are encouraged to work hard and carry out hands-on activities, as well as visiting university campuses and seeing these subjects in action.
The programme covers year 7 to 13 and culminates in the annual visit to CERN, Geneva in year 12. It also promotes an ideal reading list that they should aspire to achieve by year 13. We want students to be part of the ‘bigger conversation’ by growing their cultural capital through exposure to a wide range of experiences.
All students partaking in the programme must exhibit several qualities:
- Uphold the Catholic values
- Intellectual curiosity and a love of learning.
- A commitment to excellence and high standards.
- Ambition and drive to aspire to good universities and professions.
- A willingness to be involved in our extra-curricular programme.
- Pride in achieving well, and respectful of the achievements of others.
- High achievement at the end of Key Stage 2.
St Edmund’s already enjoys links with Birmingham, Warwick and Oxford universities, and in KS4 and KS5 these links are developed further, building upon those foundations set in year 7 and positioning students to be in the best place possible to excel.
Further information regarding the aims, identification criteria, roles and responsibilities of The Loyola Academy can be found in The More Able, Gifted and Talented Policy.
