Case study
Secondary:
Learning the
hard way
In true Sir Alan Sugar style, Nigel Akers, Nottingham’s Diploma
partnership co-ordinator for IT, subjected his year 10 Diploma students
You
’re hir
ed! D
jano
gly IT
to an Apprentice-style task in order to develop their employability skills.
Diploma students during their
Appr
entic
e-style challenge
He discusses the project and their f_i rst year of Diploma delivery
PECIALIST ICT school, Djanogly skills in a real-life context. On the day, we their own equipment, and formulate a rota
S
City Academy in Nottingham, set up in the middle of the shopping centre, of who would run the stall. T_h ey had an
opened in August 2003 and now has and I left them to take the lead. Students instructed selling price, but found other
more than 1,600 students. started approaching shoppers to encourage stands were selling similar software for less,
T_h e academy was one of the fi rst to trial the them to buy the software; they had to use and so they made an executive decision to
Diplomas last year and we found that they their initiative and work hard, come up with lower their prices, really taking the lead.
were great at providing students with a mix of innovative ideas, and work as a team. All these exercises over the year have been
class work and hands-on experience. By the end of the day, the class had sold an invaluable learning experience for them
Part of my job is to implement the Diploma a few copies, but had learnt a lot. T_h ey had and they soon realised that there was no
in IT across three local schools, including acquired valuable business skills and learnt “right” solution to their challenges. With the
Djanogly. As a Diploma enthusiast, I love how to communicate eff ectively with others in recession in full swing and such competition
teaching it – it is a breath of fresh air to teach a business context. T_h is will all help students between candidates for job roles, their new
children about the learning experience and with their employability – learning a range of fundamental business skills will no doubt be
how they can work together in a “business” skills only made possible by actually carrying highly regarded by future employers.
environment. Out of 30 children in a class, out an activity. In September 2009, we rolled out
not one of them, in our team-based business As part of the IT Diploma, we run the Business, Administration and Finance, and
challenges, produces the same work on the Young Enterprise scheme. At Djanogly, Hair and Beauty, and we are piloting the
Diploma courses, and they can actually see the the Diploma students set up their own IT Sport and Leisure Diploma. We already off er
benefi t of their work in a real-life context. company called LXB, whose activities included IT, Creative and Media, Engineering, and
To encourage my students to work together creating an online computer game and making Construction. T_h is year, we have increased
and think on their feet, I decided to throw a fi lm to celebrate the fi fth anniversary of the uptake by 20 per cent to a total of 40 per
them in at the deep end and give them a tram. T_h eir work was rewarded at the HSBC cent of Djanogly students opting for the
chance to work on some projects outside of Young Enterprise Innovation Awards when Diploma.
the classroom. When the three schools came three year 10 learners won awards. In year 10, last year, 28 IT students
together to off er the IT Diploma, one of In May, the students set themselves another embarked on the course. T_h is number has
the schools was using Serif software, so we task, where they could use the remaining increased to 50 students who will be joining
decided to collectively take this on board. I copies of Serif software. T_h e Northern this year. We will also be holding a Diploma
was exploring ways that students could take Computer Markets Fayre travels the UK awards ceremony to recognise students’
their learning outside of the classroom and and is held once a month in Nottingham. achievements and to promote the Diploma
knew of a trade fayre at the Broadmarsh T_h e students had to pay £50 out of their itself, as well as ensuring that all parents are
Shopping Centre in Nottingham. own funds to hire a stall, and were given a aware of what these qualifi cations entail. DD
T_h e school was off ered free copies of Serif’s suggested price by Serif to sell the software.
Design Suite to sell on a sale or return basis, T_h e fayre was held on a Sunday and no • Nigel Akers is vice principal of Djanogly City
with the students setting up a stand in the teachers attended – leaving the students to Academy in Nottingham. Visit www.djanogly.
local shopping centre to practise their selling their own devices to set up the stall, bring
notts.sch.uk
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009 49
49 djanolgy.indd 13 18/9/09 10:57:46
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