Our CEO, Dr Andrew Campbell, delivered assemblies to all year groups and told students; ‘What matters is the feeling that you get when you put your foot across the threshold of the school every day. If there is a realistic prospect that you go home a bit better than you arrived, and if every adult here commits to helping you do that, the atmosphere here is one of hope. When you set your ambitions, you need to set goals for yourself that stretch you, but you also need to believe that you can do it. Are you going about it in the right way? Are you making the most of the relationship you can have with the adults that work here to really achieve your best? Lastly, when it gets tough, is it going to be worth it in the end? Your goal has got to sustain and motivate you. If you answer yes to ‘do you believe in your ambition?’; ‘are you going about the right way to achieve it?’ and ‘is it worth it?’ and you are all doing that to a decent level, then we will all have a really successful school where everybody thrives.’

Principal Ms Janina Taylor outlined the plans she has to promote Ambition for All at CBA. They include an enterprise week with a specific focus on ethical business practices to raise money for specific charities. There will also be a sporting challenge to cycle 120 miles as a relay and to coincide with the Grand Depart of the Tour de France. A musical production, School of Rock, will take place and links will be forged with an overseas school so students will gain a different perspective on education and life in another country.  

She told the students: ‘Ambition is one of our core words, along with Commitment, Courtesy and Courage, so we will be focusing on what it means for us and link it to our #notafraidtofly campaign. We want everybody to show commitment, courage and ambition to go outside of their comfort zone and stretch themselves. For students that are most involved and show us that they have #AmbitionforAll  and are #notafraidtofly there will be the reward of a flight in a light aircraft!’

The Ambition for All campaign is a single focus on improving academic outcomes and opportunities for character development that will run in all our Trust schools throughout this academic year. It applies to all areas of the Trust’s schools’ operations to ensure students receive the highest quality teaching and wider development opportunities within a supportive and encouraging environment, where adults live and breathe ambition for student success in all its forms. Implicit within this approach is a focus on the progress of disadvantaged students and of high ability students, whatever their background. As part of the Ambition for All campaign the CEO, Principal and Chair of Governors at each school will sign a pledge to be displayed prominently.