Case study
Secondary:
One year on
Deputy head Phil Bevan discusses his experience of Diplomas in
the f_i rst year of delivery
ANHAM HIGH School along aspect of the role has at times been diffi cult,
H
with fi ve other local secondary but has been achieved by being fl exible and was as comprehensive and as creative as
schools and a further education open to compromise. possible. We asked a lot from the staff , often
college in South Gloucestershire Hanham last year had 73 of its 180 year there was no offi cial guidance and they had
form the Kingswood Partnership. T_h is well 10 pupils studying Diplomas (two choices to rely on their own professional instinct
known collaboration between the seven from a four block option system). T_h e school and experience, but they have risen to the
institutions has been in existence for over 10 last year taught three Diplomas – Creative challenge magnifi cently.
years, working together on post-16 courses. and Media, IT, and Society, Health and Particular successes have often been centred
T_h e introduction of fl exible learning and Development (Level 2). Pupils also travelled on the whole-day delivery model. In ICT,
shared vocational and applied courses at key off -site for Construction and the Built pupils developed a “primary school interactive
stage 4 paved the way for three successive Environment, Engineering, and Society, resource”. T_h is included researching at local
Gateway bids, leading to extensive Diploma Health and Development (SHD) at Level 1. primary schools and testing the fi nal product.
provision across the partnership. Pupils study their Diploma on Wednesdays Creative and Media students have recently
Last year, there were 450 year 10 pupils – the Principal Learning day throughout the run a very successful “Prove them wrong!”
from all six schools studying Level 1 partnership. A Diploma key worker assists campaign to change negative attitudes
(Foundation) and Level 2 (Higher) Diplomas in seeing pupils on and off the coaches and towards young people. T_h is would not have
in each of the fi ve lines of learning. T_h is school minibuses to other sites. Non-Diploma been possible within normal subject timing
number was expected to rise to 1,000-plus students have a day of “option subjects”, constraints.
in September 2009, with pupils studying all PE and PSHE lessons. T_h is balance was An overwhelming positive from the
10 Diplomas. T_h ere are also small numbers achieved by creating a timetable model of fi rst year is the observable improvement
of post-16 students currently studying the distinct blocks for Diploma and non-Diploma in Diploma students as independent
Advanced IT Diploma at Hanham. Currently students for more than just their option learners; this has defi nitely been as a result
the Partnership is planning for the delivery of choice subjects. Creating a coherent timetable of the Principal Learning. Elsewhere, to
the next four Diplomas that come online in was a challenge, but was achievable with the
September 2010. fl exibility of the staff at Hanham, who were Continued on page 60
It is worth distinguishing that, in my willing to try a new approach to grouping.
opinion, Diploma delivery challenges school T_h is successful model has been extended (to
leaders on two main fronts: collaboration with include English) and implemented again for
other institutions in order to be able to off er the next cohort.
the “entitlement”, and the introduction of a In terms of teaching
new course, an unfamiliar qualifi cation with and learning, staff
new and varied assessment criteria that need delivering Diplomas
to be quickly established with pupils, parents were given training
and staff . through national
When I joined Hanham in January and local
2008, there was already a well established programmes.
partnership, including a team of people Schemes of work
dedicated to collective provision that already were developed
had in place infrastructures, protocols and centrally in the
systems to deal with 14 to 19 collaboration, partnership, with
including transport, uniform, timetable, all involved making
Pioneers: Hanham
reporting and assessment, vision statements, a contribution.
High School’s
curriculum framework groups, etc. I therefore We also focused
students have been
have not experienced the same level of on ensuring that
among the f_i rst to
challenge many of you will face in respect to the delivery of
take on the Diploma
working with other schools. Obviously this Principal Learning
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009 49
59-61 hanham.indd 13 18/9/09 13:16:41
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