Sandfields Comprehensive School - Broadening the vocational curriculum at KS4 and the creation of a Pupil Learning Community
Sandfields Comprehensive School
This study focuses on two aspects of school effectiveness at Sandfields Comprehensive School:
- Broadening the vocational curriculum at KS4
- The creation of a Pupil Learning Community
Broadening the vocational curriculum at KS4
As part of our initial involvement in the SEF pilot, we used the School Effectiveness Profile (SEP) profile to highlight areas we wished to improve. As a school that serves an area of socio-economic deprivation, we chose to focus on aspects such as pupil voice, nurture and aspects of provision in terms of extending the pathways 14- 19.
One area of development of 14-19 pathways was the building of a garage funded through RAISE to meet local need, and fill a gap in provision for onsite motor vehicle technology studies (and a spray booth and panel beating section). It’s an area in which many pupils show interest but prior to this there was no school provision in South Wales. It was a long process but eventually we were able to obtain planning permission and kit out the garage appropriately. We have started by introducing mechanics as a taster to Year 9, and will be offering a Level 2 qualification as one of the Year 10 options from September. This offers a pathway for pupils who might find the confines of a traditional curriculum more demanding giving them transferable skills, and helping them to understand why some of the key skills are relevant and vital.
"The introduction of a motor vehicle course has motivated and raised the aspirations of our more vocational based pupils. The course is engaging some of our more challenging pupils: even pupils in year 7 are already focusing on ‘what do I need to do mechanics?’ The science and mathematics component of the course benefits the pupils in other subjects. Furthermore, the course allows the school to meet the needs of the locality, since Sandfields estate has many garages that serve the police, coaches, and private car owners".
David Morris, Head of Technology at Sandfields Comprehensive School
"I am thinking of joining the army in engineering, so learning more about motor vehicles helps". Tristan Edwards, Y9
"With motor vehicles I plan to become an aircraft mechanic in the RAF". Zac Morrison, Y9
I"’m planning to get a career in mechanics when I’m older".
Daniel Morris, Y9
Pupil Learning Communities
Through the pilot and use of SEP we felt it was important to establish inside and outside Pupil Learning Communities, along the lines of staff PLCs. We felt the same principles could be applied to pupils. We worked with SEF partner school, Pontadulais, setting up a day’s workshop between our school council and theirs.
The pupils had been voted on to the council by fellow pupils and represented a cross section of age and ability range, including pupils from the pupil resource unit. The group tackled the children’s version of the SEF ‘pizza’, taking each segment (such as working with others) and creating their own version of the SEP but with evidence in the final column where pupils established the criteria for a successful school, ranging from ‘poor’ to ‘outstanding’. The pro formas were devised entirely by pupils.
They evidenced where they felt their school was on the continuum, and allocated the school a grade. As a result of this work we have created action points to move us across that continuum (for example, by reviewing the home-school agreement that had been in existence for four years and that current pupils had had no involvement in, rating us ‘poor’ in this category). Having started work with the home-school agreement the pupils now declare that the school is good in this aspect of effectiveness!
Pupil Learning Communities were developed by establishing visits between our two school councils to look at good practice. The pupils sat in on lessons and looked at the physical environments. This resulted in Pontadulais school taking our picnic bench idea and making it better by devising some benches with wheelchair access. We took their idea of a lift to the first floor as pupils felt that our disabled children were disadvantaged by not accessing the facilities there. They wrote to governors and the LEA, who responded positively and we now have a lift. In fact, the pupil group refocused our SDP.
The Pupil Learning Community from Sandfields and Pontadulais has now presented to teachers, Local Authority officers and members of the Welsh Assembly, including the Education Minister. After presenting to ADEW, the pupils were told that their work had demonstrated that ‘if you give young people responsibility they act responsibly.’ Furthermore, NPT Director Karl Napierella commented that ‘you’ve made us ask ourselves the question of how involved pupils truly are.’
"Since having the SEF our school has improved massively: for example, our visit as student council to Pontadulais helped us to get a new lift for less able pupils to reach the library".
Caitlin Davies, Y7
"My year group’s idea is to have a graffiti wall which should hopefully stop pupils from doing graffiti elsewhere on school premises".
Cain Francis, Y7
"I think that the student council and pupil voice element of the SEF helps fully display the differences that are made in our school. Pupils can see that their input is being taken into account".
David Russell, Y11
Evaluation of the impact of the SEF work on the school/ staff/ pupils/ others
Mike Gibbon, Head teacher believes that the work towards greater school effectiveness is essentially about making it difficult for any pupil not to succeed at something. If the school continues to enrich the curriculum, making the teaching relevant and exciting and involving pupils in their learning, it will serve the community better.
All of this work is about putting the child is at centre of the learning process and the school as part of a whole community that supports them. That’s why initiatives look to engage people in roles of responsibility within the school community.
