Staff, students and invited guests celebrated the opening of Oasis Academy Shirley Park on Friday 2nd October from 9.30am. The celebrations were held in a huge marquee, especially erected in the grounds of the secondary site in Shirley Road.
Darren Campbell, former sprint athlete, Olympic gold and silver medallist and European record holder for the 4 x 100m relay, joined the Founder and CEO of Oasis Community Learning, Steve Chalke MBE, at the official opening and talked to students about what inspired him to become one of the UK’s top athletes. Since his retirement from sport, Darren Campbell has been working on a number of projects educating and engaging children through sport.
Glen Denham, Principal, said: “Students were so excited to meet Darren Campbell, he is hugely respected. It was great to show him and our guests around the Academy and celebrate our new beginning.
“At Oasis, we are all about instilling a sense of pride in our students, raising their self-esteem, developing their confidence and raising their aspirations. Here, at Oasis Academy Shirley Park, we intend to celebrate all our students’ achievements just as the whole country celebrated Darren’s when he won his Olympic and European medals.”
Steve Chalke unveiled a commemorative plaque and led an assembly to mark the opening of the Academy. Steve said, “It is absolutely fantastic to reach this day, and incredibly exciting too – not only for the young people who attend the Academy, but for the staff, parents/carers and the local community. We are all thrilled that Oasis Academy Shirley Park is now in such a good position to facilitate first-class learning and opportunity for all in the local area.”
Oasis Academy Shirley Park opened as a brand new 3-19 all-through Academy on 1st September 2009, delivering a dual specialism of English & Performing Arts with Business and Enterprise. The Academy vision is that, as a consequence of innovative teaching and learning, the experiences and achievements of young people will be transformed: students will be inspired to become leaders in the business arena and cultural society of today.
The Oasis ethos encourages a strong family atmosphere: students are valued, their beliefs cherished and nurtured. There is mutual respect and understanding between staff and students, central to Oasis’ core belief that through integrity and care, excellence will be achieved. Students at Oasis Academy Shirley Park will study all the National Curriculum core subjects with their own personalised learning plan made up of a careful balance between academic learning and practical or performance training. Guided by a team of highly qualified, professional staff; students will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, participate in the life of the Academy and become its leaders; and make a positive contribution to the community and the wider world.
John Murphy, Executive Principal of both Oasis Academy Shirley Park and Oasis Academy Coulsdon, said: “As part of the Oasis family, ‘Every Person Matters’ within our Academies and we have high standards and high expectations for each and every one of our students. We are committed to working in a fully inclusive partnership with students, parents and carers and our local communities to achieve success. We will be developing learning partnerships between the two Academies, building on our strengths and expertise to create more opportunities for our students.”
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