Principal

Rachel Kitley

Cowes Enterprise College, situated on the Isle of Wight, minutes from the mainland and international links yet also minutes from the beach, is a wonderful place to work.

The work of everyone at Cowes Enterprise College is defined by the children that we serve. Their future is our purpose and the purpose of everyone who works across the Ormiston Academies Trust. Educating for life is what Cowes Enterprise College is about: developing a love of learning and preparing students for life itself and all it presents to us. Our aim is for students to fulfil their limitless potential – through perseverance and effort.

We don’t select our students, but we do select our staff. We look for highly trained and dedicated staff to be here to support, guide and inspire our students so that whatever their starting point when they arrive, our students will leave with the world at their feet – equipped and ready to continue their learning through apprenticeships, at university and throughout their careers.

We aim to provide the best opportunities – academic, cultural and sporting – and a sense of moral and social responsibility so that each child realises that humanity is their business and the common good their aim. We take our mission to educate for life seriously and this is epitomised by the student entitlement to a key set of experiences summarised in the student charter. We provide our children with a rich and dynamic curriculum and draw upon our local context to show our pupils why they should be proud of our island.

You will be joining team that Ofsted said ‘focuses relentlessly on the quality of teaching and on the progress pupils make’ and should be prepared to do the same. We are proud of our strong results however recognise that there is much work yet to do and our high expectations mean this work will be relentless and ongoing. Our mission to educate for life doesn’t stop with our pupils.

We have a research driven approach to leadership, management and professional development. Taking what is best from the world of education and translating that into our classrooms. We also know that to have high expectations we also need to provide a high level of support for everyone in our community. That is why we have a staff charter, a public promise to all our staff, and make the most of our national network in order to develop staff. From September our professional development network will extend significantly as we work in partnership with HISP Teaching School Hub. We are the Isle of Wight base where we will deliver high quality nationally recognised and accredited courses by island teachers for island teachers. As part of this work we will also working with the HISP Research School and the Education Endowment Foundation to take part in cutting edge education research.

If you have not visited us before we have a comprehensive virtual tour which allows you to get a feel for our amazing facilities, along with a wealth of information on our website. We must succeed, because these are not just other people’s children. They are also our children. Not even one should be allowed to fail while there is more we could have done to change their story.

Ofsted report - Rated 'Good' October 2017

“The principal and her team are dedicated to ensuring that pupils reach their full potential. They leave no stone unturned in their determination to remove barriers to learning and raise standards of achievement. They make effective checks on the quality of teaching, and on the progress that pupils make. Teachers benefit from high quality training, much of it led by teachers themselves, as well as by officers from the Ormiston Academies Trust. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now good and continues to improve”.

View Cowes Enterprise College’s latest Ofsted report

Living on the Island

Residing approximately three miles from the South Coast of mainland Britain, the Isle of Wight is a uniquely beautiful community. Recognised as the host of some of the most iconic activities in the European summer event catalogue, the Island, as it is known to residents, offers a wealth of opportunities for people of all ages, to live and work where ‘quality of life’ really means something; https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/

The Isle of Wight measures 23 miles by 13 miles and is littered with picturesque villages and bustling small towns. Cowes itself, hosts a series of major yachting events throughout the rest of the year along with the yachting world’s premier sailing event in August – Cowes Week which attracts over 8000 competitors from around the world as well as 100,000 spectators and one of the best firework displays on the closing evening. If sailing is for you then this is the place to be. There are numerous sailing clubs giving lessons and marinas to moor the yacht of your dreams.

The isle of Wight also boasts 500 miles of footpaths, 30 miles of coastline and award winning beaches so there are no excuses for not getting out and about to get fit and see some stunning scenery! There are also numerous golf courses including the 9 hole course at historic Osborne House and the spectacular course overlooking Freshwater Bay. As well as all of these activities, the Island has a very artistic leaning. In addition to the internationally famous Isle of Wight Music Festival, we have a flourishing amateur and professional acting scene, art galleries, theatres, comedy clubs and arts centres and play host to the Ventnor Fringe as well as the Literary Festival which attracts authors from around the world.

Cowes hosts both a passenger and car ferry terminal and the Academy is only a 10 minute walk from the Red Funnel high-speed passenger service.  This service between West Cowes and Southampton links with London Waterloo trains with an average journey time between the Isle of Wight and the capital of only 125 minutes. Vehicle ferries go from nearby East Cowes with further services running from Ryde and Yarmouth.