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BeauSandVer consortium


		11-16 schools

		6th form schools

		Colleges

A key principle in current Government policy is that collaboration between schools and colleges can be a very effective way to increase the options available to 14-19-year-olds. An example of effective collaboration is the BeauSandVer consortium in Hertfordshire. It comprises three 11-18 schools in St Albans, Beaumont, Sandringham and Verulam, together with Oaklands College of Further Education. The collaboration has resulted in a wider range of courses for the students, and enabled the schools to maintain viable groups in minority-interest subjects. The consortium has been formed from schools of very different characteristics and origins that work together in a federal structure allowing each school to retain its distinctive identity within a common consortium ethos.

Origins and development

The consortium was formed ten years ago to provide a vocational alternative to the traditional academic curriculum in the three schools. Each school offered one vocational area, giving students a choice of three areas in which to take GNVQ. Over the years, the consortium has grown and evolved. The college is now included, in the sense that it contributes courses, although not students, to the consortium. The three schools, between them, continue to offer the most popular vocational areas: business, leisure and recreation, health and social care, and art and design. The main focus of the consortium is to provide a wider choice of GCE subjects. The college widens the available choice, offering NVQs and GCSE or VCE in other vocational areas, as well as repeat courses in English and mathematics in twilight sessions. There is also a pilot development to offer vocational courses to 14-16 year-olds, including NVQ courses at the college.

A federal structure

A distinctive feature of the BeauSandVer consortium is its federal structure. There are three coordinators, the heads of sixth form in each school. They are in charge of the day-to-day operation, meeting once a week and spending a significant part of their time on consortium administration, including policy, curriculum, timetabling, staffing, student social and welfare concerns, absence and transport. They are seen by staff and students as the main point of contact between the schools. The coordinators work together very well, having known each other as consortium colleagues over a long period.

More time was needed for the coordinators if the consortium was to progress to a higher level of sophistication and efficiency. It was decided, therefore, for this academic year, one of the coordinators would assume a leading, nearly full-time role in managing the consortium with secretarial support. This new role of a Consortium Development Officer would have more time to evolve the procedures and administrative tasks as well as plan and manage new initiatives.

A neighbouring Hertfordshire consortium is managed by a single co-ordinator. For details of this arrangement see the Welwyn Garden City case study.

Structure

The three schools operate a common timetable with common blocking. There are four main blocks with a fifth block used for tutoring, enrichment programmes and one or two minority-interest subjects. Students study some subjects at their 'home' school and others at a 'host' school. The 'home' school provides tutorials and curriculum enrichment, and deals with examination entries. There is no requirement for students to move to the school where most of their teaching takes place, but students are welcome to change to a different 'home' school if they wish to.

Although the college is represented at the year 11 consortium parents evenings when the options available at post-16 are discussed, most year 11 students stay on into their school's own sixth form. Approximately 250 students out a total of 750 in the combined sixth forms are taking a subject in another school. The number of students involved in the consortium, both in actual numbers and as a proportion of the combined sixth forms, has increased steadily since the consortium was established.

Rationalised teaching

Minority-interest subjects are rationalised, so that they are taught in only one school. Some subjects, for example German and music, are rotated between schools on a two-yearly cycle so that the German and music teachers in each school have an opportunity to teach their subject to A level. Subjects new to the consortium, such as critical thinking or government and politics, are, at least initially, developed in only one school.

Schools with different traditions working together

One of the interesting features of the consortium is that it has been created out of three very different types of schools. One was a grammar school and continues to have a traditional ethos while the former secondary modern school inherited a different tradition. One school is a single-sex boys school (with some girls in its sixth form) while the other schools are mixed. Students are asked to respect the traditions of each school. So, for example, boys taking lessons at one of the schools are asked to wear a jacket and tie.

On the other hand, the consortium tries in many ways to promote a consortium ethos. For example, there is a single consortium prospectus rather than individual ones for each school sixth form. Each student is issued with a consortium diary with administrative information. Students are not reluctant to study a subject at a different school, even one with a different atmosphere and tradition, because all the schools in the consortium now achieve similar academic results for both 16- and 18-year-olds. The entry criteria for GCE courses are standard across the consortium. The preparation of reports and UCAS applications is standardised across the consortium.

Transport

The three schools and the college are close together and minibuses contributed by the schools move students between the sites during the school day. However, as the number of students grows, there is increasing pressure on the transport arrangements. Transport is a key issue for the consortium.

Other benefits

A further benefit of the consortium is that it has enabled staff to work together across schools on various developments. Joint INSET days have recently been introduced, there are meetings between heads of department, and the three schools are now collaborating on applications for specialist status.