VIRTUAL SCHOOLS
Life after exclusion
Haybrook
College is
described by
Ofsted as a
school that changes lives.
Julia Holder, head of the
college’s virtual school,
explains how online
Learning for life: Students at Haybrook
College, which uses a virtual school to help
learning has helped many
them keep up with their education
students to take part in a range of group activities
of its students to continue
and team sports, which helps them to become more
confident when working with others.
their education
The virtual school holds an annual Celebration of
Success to showcase the progress individual students
have made. each student is asked to stand up and talk
ayBrOOk COllege in Slough about what they have achieved in a presentation to
H
was established three years ago parents, teachers and peers, giving the whole school
to provide 11 to 16-year-olds in community a chance to celebrate. These are important
the area with an alternative route opportunities for young people to reflect on how far
to learning after they have been they have come in their learning journey and imagine
excluded from school or fallen out what more they might be capable of achieving.
of mainstream education. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience to
a large number of the young people who come to be sitting in the audience listening to a student who
learn at Haybrook have significant social, emotional or previously lacked the confidence to leave their home
behavioural difficulties. Some will have mental health sharing their hopes and dreams for a brighter future.
issues or SeN such as dyslexia or asperger’s. a minority of students whose difficulties are so deep- or ability when they join the school after exclusion,
many of these young people have been the victims seated that they are simply unable to leave their homes. as many of the young people we teach have spent
Getting parents engaged
of bullying and their experiences have resulted in them There may be a limited amount of information extended periods of time out of formal education. Parental engagement is essential to boosting both
becoming school refusers or phobics. There are also available to us on a student’s previous achievement Our aim is to find the right learning pathway that a child’s emotional development and educational
will bring vulnerable young people back in to the achievement. The staff at Haybrook have a close
education system, so we take great care in assessing the relationship with parents and we work hard to ensure
Union address: Voice
individual needs of each student before deciding what they get the guidance they need to provide effective
kind of support will benefit them most. support for their child’s learning from home.
Students at the virtual school are encouraged to
Technology to engage
Look behind the headlines
complete an online homework activity following their
Haybrook offers seven unique learning programmes lesson, based on what they have been learning. This
across four sites, each with its own curriculum, identity gives parents the chance to get more involved in their
and specialism. This helps us ensure we can cater for the child’s education. It also allows online teachers to
Philip Parkin
I searched in vain on that particular paper’s website needs of a wide spectrum of students, many of whom monitor students’ understanding of the topics that have
for one positive headline in the last few months about are referred to us with a range of complex issues. been covered and provide feedback to help support
our state education system; for one article that told the One of the programmes we offer is our virtual greater achievement. The scores from these tasks help
bemoans the
good story of what’s been happening in our schools school, which allows students to attend their lessons to determine grade predictions for those students who
in recent years; for one piece that disabused the myth online. This has been incredibly effective in reaching will be sitting public examinations.
tendency of the
that schools are a seething cauldron of bad behaviour those students who are at risk of falling off the In addition, our online school enables us to produce
and violence; for praise for our young people and education radar completely. a comprehensive report for every student after every
national press and our
their teachers for the ongoing, across-the-board rise The online “school” we use is staffed by a team of lesson delivered and this data is shared with parents to
in standards and achievement. teachers who are skilled at delivering engaging lessons, help keep them up-to-date on the progress their child is
politicians to blast our
If it was there I didn’t find it. in real-time, to disaffected learners and those with a making. The report includes information on attendance,
So how does it feel to be a public sector worker range of emotional or behavioural issues. student participation and achievement, as well as details
whose work is constantly disparaged by the national Students log on to scheduled online lessons, which of any behavioural issues that have occurred during the
education system at every
press and by opposition political parties anxious to are delivered on their computer screen. They can lesson. We also offer parental support groups where
score points off the government in the run-up to an communicate with their teachers and classmates using a parents can come and discuss any issues they are
opportunity
election? headset and microphone or instant messaging, which helps concerned about.
How is your morale when you are confronted on to recreate the experience of learning in a conventional
a daily basis with reporting and public statements classroom within a secure online environment. learning
Making a difference
I make no apologies for publishing the following that show no appreciation of the good work that you in this way, our students are able to take basic skills many of our students have a history of truancy in their
headlines. They all come from one of our national and the overwhelming majority of your colleagues courses to strengthen their literacy and numeracy or study mainstream schools and some may have had little
daily papers and have appeared since august this are doing? a range of other subjects online, including gCSes. experience of achievement. The additional support
year. They are not the only school-related stores I realise that a political party in opposition finds these young people receive at Haybrook is crucial to
that have appeared in this paper in this time, but just it very difficult to acknowledge that anything which
Creating a new experience of learning
enabling them to become more engaged in their learning
my selection to illustrate this article. their opponents have done is of value. It’s the nature It is essential that the young people who come to and this can make a real difference to their attitude to
• One hundred failing schools to face hit squad of of British politics – particularly in the run-up to an Haybrook get a more positive view of education education. Our online school achieved almost 100 per
heads under Tory plan election (and I say that believing it to be the case than they might previously have experienced in cent attendance in 2008 and every one of the students
• At long last, a class act who might just save our whichever party is in government and whichever their mainstream schools. We have found that the studying for gCSes passed their exams.
schools... if his party lets him ones are in opposition). provision of live online learning is particularly helpful Our mission is to help raise the aspirations of the
• Pupils from independent schools FOUR times But do they never think that you, the education for supporting students who have been bullied or young people in our area who have perhaps lost their
more likely to gain three As at A level workforce, (and the health service workers, etc) are those who suffer from autistic spectrum disorders, for way in mainstream education, and the balance of
• Schools hire postmen and bouncers as ‘cheap also the voting public? Do they actually want you example, where there may be issues around face-to- academic and pastoral support we provide at Haybrook
teachers’ to look after children as young as five to vote for them despite the fact that their public face contact or learning in a group. has helped us to develop a model that works for the
• Abandoned by their parents, betrayed by schools, comments about the education system are implicitly many young people who have had a difficult time majority of our students.
young boys are now turning to criminal gangs criticising you and your work? at school lack confidence in social situations and can Some of the young people we teach have been
for protection and a sense of belonging Of course the current system of education is not become very anxious about interacting in the traditional able to return to mainstream schools where they have
• Beauty therapists and bouncers used as ‘cheap’ perfect. Of course there are policies and practices way with their classmates or teachers. By learning continued with their learning. Others have stayed with
cover teachers in classrooms which we think could be better. Of course the online, the issues that can trigger this anxiety are us until the end of their gCSes and gone on to further
• Pushy parents prove how poor our schools political parties have education policies which are removed and the thrill of achievement many students education or employment.
system is worth consideration. experience in the online classroom encourages them to education is critical to enabling young people to
Do you recognise your school or the education But my plea to them and my plea to the look at their education with fresh eyes. make a full contribution to society and no child should
system in which you work from these headlines? newspapers which support them is to acknowledge The curriculum offered at the virtual school is be left behind. at the heart of this is the need to create
Because the implication of all of these – and more the good work that is taking place in schools despite structured in a way that ensures students can study the a more tailored learning environment for every child,
that I didn’t have space to include – is that our politicians and not because of them. They should subjects that interest them. as well as our online lessons, regardless of their background or circumstances. This
state education system is in crisis and is failing remember who will have to implement the new which take place in the morning, we teach courses on will help them to find their own place in the world and
the pupils. Do you believe that? I know that I policies should they get into government – the same child development, art and music. more vocational reap rewards for us all. SecEd
don’t. teachers who are apparently doing such a bad job at subjects, such as carpentry, plumbing and construction,
However, the millions of readers who are being the moment. are also an important part of our provision. • Julia Holder is head of centre at the virtual school at
fed this diet of inaccurate, biased reporting on a daily Students work closely with a team of highly Haybrook College in Slough. Haybrook has received an
basis probably believe it to be true because they see • Philip Parkin is general secretary of Voice. Visit skilled teachers, mental health professionals, and SeN “outstanding” grade in its last four Ofsted inspections.
the message over and over again. www.voicetheunion.org.uk practitioners, who ensure they get the most appropriate The live online teaching provided at the school is
educational and pastoral support. We also encourage delivered by Accipio Learning.
10 SecEd • November 26 2009
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