Case study
provided an opportunity for both parents and students to discuss the ELBS Diploma.
Assignment ideas As a school with a successful suite of land- based qualifi cations at key stage 4, students and parents were already engaged in the environmental curriculum, and as such were receptive to the idea of the Land- Based Diploma. T is engagement has been particularly important, as to run a successful ELBS Diploma there is a need for both organisation and fl exibility as many activities are determined by the climate, growing seasons and life cycles of the organisms being studied, rather than by the traditional school day or term. For example, for one Diploma assignment,
students are challenged to rear turkeys for the Christmas market. Students are involved in the artifi cial insemination, rearing, monitoring, slaughter, preparation and marketing processes, which by nature run for much of the year. As a result, one Diploma group can have up to fi ve diff erent projects running simultaneously and thus maintaining student focus and project ownership is vital and for this to be sustainable, the support of parents is paramount. However, we have found that by working
on real life projects, students are keen to be involved in all aspects of Diploma life and frequently attend school in evenings, weekends and holidays to ensure that their projects are maintained. T e enthusiasm and commitment of students working on the ELBS Diploma is outstanding. To ensure students remain on track and plan
their progression routes eff ectively all learners have been assigned a teacher mentor and peer mentor. T rough these meetings, practitioners are
able to help students evaluate their progress and develop their PLTS. T ey also provide opportunities for students to research progression routes and liaise with appropriate employer partners and partner further and higher education institutions.
Functional Skills To support the land-based specialists at the North School, we have sought expertise in the areas of assessment and Functional Skills. Developing a new course, it was important from the beginning to ensure that all elements of the specifi cation were delivered and correctly assessed. To achieve this, our Diploma Line Lead secured specialist training in assignment writing. T is training supported the creation of assignment briefs mapped to appropriate specifi cation areas.
Delivering Diplomas • Volume 2 No 2 Autumn 2010 Animal magic: A North
School student gets hands- on, while other Diploma learners investigate the local area (far left)
Functional Skills has been a challenging
area for students on the Diploma to complete. While these skills are embedded throughout the Diploma curriculum, we have also used subject specialists to prepare students for their Functional Skills exam.
Conclusion T e ELBS Diploma has certainly challenged staff in a number of ways as they developed the course, but it has also provided a unique opportunity for practitioners to be extremely creative and take a holistic approach, drawing on the experience gained through our Rural Dimension and developing this status further. T e students in turn have responded
extremely positively to the ELBS Diploma experience and truly taken the ethos of the ELBS Diploma on board, demonstrating enthusiasm and motivation throughout, and developing PLTS skills to an extent perhaps not seen in more traditional pathways. Without doubt the development of the ELBS Diploma at T e North School has
proved that, with hard work,
creativity and careful planning by staff , the benefi ts of the Diploma are clearly visible, creating well-rounded, informed and responsible learners.
DD
• Caroline Johnson is head of the Centre for Land Based Studies at T e North School in Ashford, ELBS Diploma Line Lead for the Ashford 14 to 19 Consortium, and SSAT Rural Dimension Lead Practitioner for the South East region.
Further information T e network of 52 Rural Dimension schools is run by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, which provides expertise and guidance to schools in developing the Rural Dimension of their curriculum, including through the ELBS Diploma. Schools and academies in the network
receive free face-to-face consultant support, access to online resources and advice, and have the opportunity to attend events. For more about the Rural Dimension,
visit:
https://www.ssatrust.org.uk/specialism/ ruraldimension/Pages/
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