Welcome from the Headteacher

Central to our vision is the belief in the uniqueness of every student, and that every young person has gifts to discover and share with others. We are committed to building brighter futures for our students, our local community and the wider world. We want our students to be happy and confident, but also be caring and value diversity. Above all we want them to have a thirst for knowledge and a real enthusiasm for life.

Our Values: Be Kind, Be Brave, Be Ambitious, Collaborate

Welcome to Stour Valley Community School. Whether you are a parent, prospective parent, student, prospective student or someone considering applying to work at our school, I hope you will find what you need on these pages and please do not hesitate to contact us for further information should you require it.

We are a relatively small 11-16 secondary school in the beautiful town of Clare, in rural West Suffolk, situated between Sudbury and Haverhill. We are a community school and our ethos is built on a philosophy of knowing our students and developing a real sense of community. We are over-subscribed and have 115 students in each year group. We divide Key Stage Three (Years 7 – 9) into five teaching groups which gives us the flexibility for targeted support and intervention in the early years and we are committed to offering a broad and balanced curriculum throughout KS3 and into KS4 which allows for all students to be able to pursue their interests and explore new areas of knowledge. Music, Drama, Sport, Art, Design and Technology and Languages are all important and valued curriculum areas alongside Maths, Science and English.  

Developing the whole child and nurturing students to value difference and be caring and kind and able to navigate a world of social media distraction and complicated political and social divide is as important to us as ensuring that our students gain the best qualifications they can to open the door to their next stage of learning, be that vocational or academic. Our PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum and our RS (Religious Studies) curriculum is compulsory for all and they are regularly revised to respond to national and regional areas of concern where educating the students in our care to make responsible and healthy choices as they make their way through their teenage years is an integral part of our safeguarding strategy.

We recognise that working with parents and carers in partnership Is fundamental to the success of any child in education. Parents are encouraged to remain closely involved in their child’s academic progress and if they have any questions about any aspect of their child’s education then they are strongly encouraged to contact the school at the earliest opportunity.

Our staff recognise the importance of networking for developing subject expertise and remaining up-to-date as well as having strong local and regional connections. We are proud partners with CTSN (Cambridge Training School Network) and Saffron Teaching School Hub. We take professional pride in providing inspiring teaching, a secure and caring environment, expert advice and guidance, and rich and motivating enrichment opportunities. We work hard to develop the skills, talents and values of every individual so that they can achieve impressive levels of personal success and go on to make a positive contribution to society.

Mrs Rachel Kelly, Headteacher.