Academy Mission and Vision, Canning Town

Our Mission

The Peacock Gym Charity has supported the work of the Peacock Gym Academy, an alternative education programme for young people aged 14–19. The Academy used a powerful theme of education through sport, drawing on the positive side of sporting excellence – sacrifice, motivation, dedication and belief in oneself – to promote education as the main ingredient of success in life.

To achieve this vision, the Academy set out to work in the following ways.

Personal Development

Encourage students to have high expectations for themselves and others. Students were set challenging academic and personal targets and expected to be ambitious, hardworking and responsible for their own learning.

Their achievements were planned through the Peacock Passport, a learning plan identifying what had been achieved, what could be achieved and who would help to achieve it.

Teaching and Learning

Promote learning as an exciting lifelong activity and broaden students’ horizons and aspirations. The curriculum aimed to help every student develop academically, physically, artistically, creatively and emotionally, with an emphasis on experiential and personalised learning.

A mix of vocational and academic qualifications was delivered by staff passionate about their subjects. The Academy built on key stage 3 achievements, prepared students for post-16 and lifelong learning, and gave high priority to literacy, numeracy and ICT.

Promotion in Sport and Physical Activity

The Academy made the most of the Peacock Gym’s status as a busy sports club with many positive adult role models, to raise self-esteem, attainment and achievement. Daily exercise classes and healthy eating encouraged regular physical activity as a foundation for a healthy, fulfilling life.

Care and Support

Maintain an ethos of care and commitment, where individuals are valued, feel safe and happy, and have their achievements celebrated.

• A strong welfare and guidance system from the day students arrived
• An established Peer Mentoring and Befriending Programme as the first line of support
• Intensive mentoring, counselling and support for students and families to remove barriers to success
• Regular circle-time workshops on drugs and alcohol, nutrition, gangs, relationships, equality, citizenship, road safety and current affairs
• Equality of opportunity for all, regardless of race, religion, gender, colour, sexuality or disability (subject to the facilities available at the gym)

Read more on our Student Care & Support page.

Behaviour for Learning

The Academy had a clear behaviour policy, with expectations set out in The Peacock Code. It was a structured, well-disciplined environment with a clear system of rewards and consequences, promoting respect, self-discipline and intolerance of bullying and harassment. The aim was good citizenship built on responsibility, courtesy, co-operation and respect.

Community Cohesion

The Academy developed links with the wider community, local schools, business and industry to extend learning opportunities for its students. See Peacock in the Community and Our Partners.