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The Wensleydale School


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

About the case study

The Wensleydale School already organises a wide range of activities and experiences, both inside and outside school, to support its key stage 4 students in their work-related learning. Facing challenges related to its location in a rural, low-populated region, the school continuously reviews its provision of work-related learning, looking at where it can make improvements and establish new priorities to manage and coordinate the programme more effectively.

The school

The Wensleydale School is a purpose-built, 11-18 mixed comprehensive school. It is situated in the market town of Leyburn in North Yorkshire and serves the whole of Wensleydale. Some of the 500 students (of which 80 are post-16) can travel for up to an hour to reach school from home.

Most students are from families with socio-economic circumstances close to the national average or above, but about a quarter come from less favoured backgrounds. The proportion of students with special educational needs is well above the national average. The proportion of students from ethnic minority groups is very low.

Current provision

All students in year 10 take part in a planned, externally accredited programme of work experience and some are fast-tracked, after a career guidance interview, onto a Bridge programme. On Fridays during the autumn term Bridge students travel to Askrigg, a satellite centre of Craven FE College. The students are of mixed ability and participate in the following programme: IT skills, financial capability, health hygiene, food hygiene, career search, employability skills and first aid. During the spring term the students attend Craven College, where they have opportunities to practise a range of vocational skills.

During the summer term Bridge students gain work experience for one day a week organised by the school and overseen by Tyro Training (a branch of Craven College). Student reviews, including exit plans, take place with Connexions personal advisers. GCSE in Applied ICT is also offered at Askrigg as part of the Increased Flexibility Programme and attended by 14 students. Where possible the block work experience has an ICT focus. The students receive mentoring throughout the year.

In year 11, a proportion of year 10 Bridge students, along with others who excelled on the year 10 block work experience, progress to the Increased Flexibility Programme. This programme enables students to experience the world of work, usually through work placements, along with the chance to gain a whole or part-qualification NVQ. Craven College delivers the programme, which runs from September to May. Many students progress to modern apprenticeships.

A ‘Key Skills at Work’ day is organised in conjunction with an external partner called businessdynamics and delivered by an experienced manager from a local business. This one-day programme aims to support students who are on work experience, help them with option choices and give them the key skills they need in the workplace. Students take part in a number of interactive workshops that concentrate on team building, communication, presentation and decision making. The emphasis is on identifying and improving skills.

Weekly tutorials provide an opportunity for tutors to meet one-to-one with students to review progress and negotiate targets, and these cover academic, vocational and pastoral issues. Students also have reviews with senior teachers each term and these inform a consultation evening with parents.

Mock interviews are arranged with members of the local Rotary Club and, following input from an employer, each student completes an application form and letter of application. Feedback identifies strengths and weaknesses that the students need to address. To support this, the local Crag Rats Theatre Company presents an interactive careers-related drama, which this year focused on options and, in particular, modern apprenticeships.

Planning to meet the statutory requirement for work-related learning in key stage 4

Planning for change

The school has consulted students, parents and governors about changes to the 14-19 curriculum from 2004 and has recently carried out an audit with staff to address issues at key stages 3 and 4 and to ensure coherence and progression in work-related learning. The school’s new curriculum policy sets out the rationale for its work-related learning programme, its purpose, guidelines, roles and responsibilities, relationship with other policies and arrangements for monitoring and evaluation. This process involves a whole-school approach and, importantly, incorporates opportunities at key stage 4 for more flexibility in the curriculum and guidance on implementing the statutory requirement for work-related learning.

Timetable of events

July 2003

The deputy head (who is also responsible for PSHCE) and the coordinator for careers education and guidance (also head of post-16) produced a discussion paper in consultation with the Leadership Group. The paper identified the need to:
· make students better motivated and more successful learners
· inspire students and teachers to create excitement and spontaneity in the classroom
· give students more choice (especially at key stage 4)
· include more vocational options
· allow for work-based learning
· provide a broad and balanced curriculum
· review the present curriculum provision
· review the allocation of time for subject areas
· look at innovative approaches to the curriculum (for example subject days).

September 2003

· Discussion at subject meetings.
· Discussion at staff meeting.
· Paper amended.
· Discussion at governors’ meeting.

October 2003

· Further discussions with subject leaders (following meetings with their subject staff).
· Amended paper sent to parents and students.

December 2003

· Feedback from parents, students and governors.

January 2004

· Final draft produced.
· Further discussions with staff and governors.

February 2004

· Changes agreed.

Agreed outcomes

1. Strategic development plan
The school’s strategic development plan for 2002-2006 recognises the national strategy to raise the status of vocational options and the continuing debate about the best way to develop a coherent 14-19 phase that offers all young people real choice and opportunity.

Priority 5 of the plan states that the school ‘…will support members of our learning community in achieving their potential and in acquiring skills for life, employment and leisure by:
- introducing study skills
- events which promote learning and life skills
- interviews which provide effective careers guidance
- mentors who understand students and employment
- work-related learning experiences and staff training
- substantial student option choice and courses
- long-term partnerships with business and Connexions.’

The school will develop arrangements for work-related learning from September 2004 following more consultation through a work-related conference and training meeting to be held during the summer term of 2004. This will incorporate an audit of activities against the QCA framework of nine elements and will explore potential developments from 2004.

Other key issues for the conference and afterwards are:
· to continue to develop ‘wish lists’ across subject areas, with colleges and businesses
· support from key partners and networking arrangements
· roles and responsibilities of the work-related learning coordinator
· management and administrative support
· review of the work-related learning policy document
· identifying learning outcomes
· assessment and qualifications
· the role of the Progress File in recording learning
· staff development
· coherence and progression with key stage 3 and post-16.

2. The school will hold a work-related learning conference for employers in 2004 to celebrate achievements and plan for the future.

3. Decisions already made include offering GCSE in Applied Science from 2005 and extending the NVQ programme from key stage 4 to post-16 from 2004.

Management and coordination

Work-related learning is managed by the work-related learning coordinator who is also head of key stage 4. He reports to the headteacher and liaises closely with the careers education and guidance coordinator and the deputy head. Work-related learning is a key part of the strategic plan and will form part of next year’s school action plan.

Working with partners

The school has strong support from North Yorkshire Business Education Partnership (NYBEP), North Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Craven College, Darlington College, York College and local businesses. The
Bridge is financed by the European Social Fund and the LSC, and Increased Flexibility is financed by the LSC. Both are contract-managed by Craven College. NYBEP acts as broker for the programmes.

NYBEP facilitates links with the local business community to enhance the curriculum and add relevance to subject areas. A NYBEP adviser is working closely with Craven College and the school to link business with the GCSE in Applied ICT, particularly in unit 2 which focuses on ICT in organisations.

Future developments

In partnership with the Richmondshire Area Learning Partnership, the school has put forward a proposal to the LSC to build a vocational learning centre on the school site. The school is a hub for the local community, both as a centre for learning and as a central reference point within the valley. The proposal includes:
· developing a school-based vocational curriculum involving, for example, GCSEs in vocational subjects and elements of NVQ (both for key stage 4 and post-16)
· work-based learning, mainly at entry level, level 1 and level 4
· community-based learning – basic skills education, family learning projects, adult work-based training, NVQ assessor training, an employer-based learning centre (hospitality and catering, customer service, business administration and health care).

The school is seeking funding for this development through an equal combination of an LSC grant and a matched-funding application to the Single Regeneration Budget. The school is also preparing to submit a DfES application for specialist school status. With an emphasis on science and mathematics and the close collaboration of business and industry, the scope for developing the school as a hub for learning in Wensleydale cannot be understated.

· community-based learning – basic skills education, family learning projects, adult work-based training, NVQ assessor training, an employer-based learning centre (hospitality and catering, customer service, business administration and health care).