About The JCB Academy

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The JCB Academy was established in 2010 and is governed by a charitable trust, established by JCB. The JCB Academy board members consist of the Principal and a board of Governors.

The JCB Academy main building
The JCB Academy is based in a carefully adapted and renovated mill, which (appropriately) was built by the famous industrial entrepreneur and engineer, Richard Arkwright, in the late 18th Century.

The JCB Academy Dove building
The Dove Engineering Centre was the former home to the Dove First School. In 2017 and with a £1.2 million investment, the building was converted into a state-of-the-art training centre for apprentices and sixth form engineering students.

Sponsor
The academy is sponsored by JCB and, alongside other businesses including Bentley Motors, Network Rail and Rolls-Royce, they form our Core Challenge Partners who together develop our unique curriculum and learning techniques.

JCB can be contacted at: JCB World Headquarters, Lakeside Works, Denstone, Rocester, Uttoxeter ST14 5JP


A New Approach to Education

The JCB Academy is sponsored by JCB and, alongside other businesses including Bentley MotorsNetwork Rail and Rolls-Royce, they form our Core Challenge Partners who together develop our unique curriculum and learning techniques. The academy provides a world class educational experience which has been specifically designed to ensure young people achieve top grades and develop the key skills essential for success in the world of work. These revolve around:

  • The right attitude – “can do” / “will do”
  • Pursuit of technical and academic excellence
  • Achieving through actions
  • Passion for quality
  • Creative and enterprising behaviour
  • Team and leadership capacity

Although learners are able to exercise considerable choice in how they undertake activities and the ways in which they learn, they all follow the same core curriculum having made their curriculum choices at Key Stage 4, by electing to attend the academy.

The academy works hard to encourage this within the learner body. Learners are encouraged to take an active part in the Student Council, including controlling the delegated budget. Learners can also take on a range of leadership roles ranging from leading within the engineering challenge activities, becoming prefects, mentoring other learners or applying to take on the responsibility of becoming Head Boy or Head Girl.


Ethos

An ethos of world-class standards
At The JCB Academy we provide a world-class educational experience, which has been specifically designed to ensure young people achieve top grades and develop the key life-skills essential for success in the world of work and in society.


Mission

  • Positive attitudes
    Attitude is at the core of an individual’s success and achievement in life.  The Academy will set out to develop positive attitudes in young people through developing a problem solving approach to learning.
  • Emotional intelligence
    “The rules for work are changing.
    We’re being judged by a new yardstick:
    not just by how smart we are,
    or by our training and expertise,
    but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other
  • Dan Goleman’s extensive research has shown that:
    • 80% of our success is determined by our impact on those we have dealings with; and only
    • 20% of our success is influenced by our knowledge or professional skills.
  • Intellectual horsepower
    • Work today consists of considerable ambiguity, shifting paradigms, technological demands, conflicting values and atmospheric noise!
    • We need to develop young people who can intellectually cope and retain the perspective and the demands of the big picture at all times
  • Appropriate competencies
    Young people need the necessary theoretical knowledge and understanding to decode the world around them.  However, without the appropriate competencies they will not be able to transfer this knowledge into actions or artefacts that will enable challenging problems to be resolved.  Therefore the Academy will look to develop these skills in young people to enable them to be proactive problem solvers.

Values

We intend to develop:

  • A ‘can-do-will-do’ attitude
    Develop high levels of emotional intelligence, competencies and attitudes in a demanding but supportive environment.
  • Pursuit of technical and academic excellence
    Develop an enthusiasm and drive for technical and academic excellence in engineering, manufacturing and international business.
  • Achieving through actions
    Develop innovative curriculum responses which provide direct access to real and virtual workplace learning.
  • Passion for quality
    Establish a culture which recognises and strives for excellence at every level of an organisation.
  • Creative and enterprising behaviour
    Develop innovative staffing models and learning environments which flex to enable creative responses to learning.
  • Team and leadership capacity
    Sharpen learners’ appetite for assuming responsibility within teams and as leaders.

Culture

Within a culture which:

  • Supports and develops all within the organisation – truly becoming a ‘learning organisation’.
  • Works in partnership with a wide range of organisations to enhance the learning experience of all.
  • Enshrines the core values in all the work of the Academy.

Taking responsibility and developing leadership

It is recognised that young people who take responsibility for their own learning and environment grow into more successful adults. Therefore, The JCB Academy works hard to encourage this within the learner body. Learners are encouraged to take an active part in the Student Council, including controlling the delegated budget. Learners can also take on a range of leadership roles ranging from leading within the engineering challenge activities, becoming prefects, mentoring other learners or applying to take on the responsibility of becoming Head Boy or Head Girl.


A Typical Day

For all learners, the day starts at 08:30 with registration in the first session and the day finishing at 15:45

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, learners have the opportunity to take part in after-school clubs including subjects such as Combined Cadet Force, Lego Robotics, Rugby, Football, F1 in Schools Engineering Challenge, Meccano Club, 3D Design and Manufacture, Climbing, Fitness Suite and more.