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Our Specialisms

We have four specialisms at Blatchington Mill: Gifted and Talented, Performing Arts, Maths and Computing and Applied Learning. The recognition of our particular expertise in these three areas means that our teaching in these subjects is boosted by extra government investment.

See: Our awards

Gifted and Talented

Blatchington Mill is now a Gifted and Talented specialist school.

Performing Arts

Blatchington Mill has an unrivalled commitment to the promotion of Performing Arts. We have held this specialism now for more than six years and our command in this field is well recognised. Our experience means that the quality of our regular performances is outstandingly high. In 2006 Blatchington Mill students won a national drama competition that led, finally, to a thrilling performance of Nicky Singer’s Feather Boy at the National Theatre. We have a thriving music department and our bands and orchestras make frequent musical tours around the world, most recently visiting Germany and the USA. Our music studio – equipped with the latest recording technology – is always busy. We produce some superb dance too and we have put on several outstanding shows to sell-out audiences, including our hugely successful sixth form event Strictly Come Dancing. This proficiency in the performing arts has led our staff and students to take their expertise into the wider school community, working alongside local primary-school children in a number of exciting arts projects. Several of our students have gone on to develop flourishing careers in media and the arts.

Maths and Computing

In addition to providing formal recognition of the high quality of our subject teaching, our second specialism in Maths and Computing has allowed us to furnish our classrooms with interactive whiteboards. Furthermore, we have continued to develop our ICT and Maths based courses, such as Financial Awareness, ICT practitioners course, GCSE Computing. These measures have improved the teaching and learning experiences for our students. With a specialism in Maths, our SATs results in the subject continue to be superb. We liaise closely with other schools in the city, working especially with local primary schools so as to share our expertise. As part of our programme of development in Maths, we use online tools to help our students with their work.

Applied Learning

In January 2006 Blatchington Mill was granted a third specialism, in Vocational Studies, one of fewer than 50 schools in the entire country to gain such an award. Vocational Studies covers a broad range of subjects and we are already working with local professionals to provide our students with high quality hands-on learning. Our approach at Blatchington Mill is designed to provide a flexible and personalised programme that best meets the individual requirements of our students. The aim is to respond to their needs and to provide courses they really want to study that will help them when they enter the job market. We provide a number of vocational ‘lines’ including Art and Design, Creative and Media, Health and Social Care, ICT, Construction, and Hospitality and Catering. We are a leading school in this rapidly growing area, which will become increasingly important for all schools over the next few years.