GRAMMAR AND NON-SELECTIVE SCHOOLS WORK TOGETHER IN #0.5M BOOST - TIMMS

7 Dec 2001 11:15 AM

Grammar and non-selective schools across the country will be working together to share resources and raise standards following a #0.5m funding boost, School Standards Minister Stephen Timms announced today.

Twenty-eight school partnerships have successfully bid for a share of the funding - up to #20,000 each - to set up collaborative projects to break down perceived barriers between the sectors.

The projects - which can involve two schools or larger networks of partners - will range from sharing facilities to pupil exchanges, and from hi-tech media link-ups to shared professional development for their teachers.

Mr Timms said:

''The time of the ''one-size-fits-all'' approach to secondary education has long gone. We now have a mature understanding of the benefits of a diverse system, tailored to meet the needs of every pupil in every town. But we must ensure that best practice is spread throughout the system to everyone''s benefit.

''There is a wealth of talent and expertise in both the grammar and non-selective sectors - and we want to unlock the potential for both sectors to share that knowledge. These unique partnerships I am announcing today will allow selective and non-selective schools to build new relationships - between both pupils and staff.

''In Kent, for example, pupils from three schools will be using video-conferencing, multi-media packages and email to pioneer new ways of learning foreign languages at A-level. And in Slough two schools will be working with each other to improve maths teaching by sharing expertise on different teaching methods.

''This funding boost will build on the good work already being done between the two sectors in Excellence in Cities areas and by Beacon and Specialist Schools. By bringing schools closer together, as part of a wider family of schools, we can help improve teaching and learning, raising standards for all.''

NOTES TO EDITORS

This Press Notice applies to England.

1. Details of the 28 partnerships are attached in Annex A.

2. Total funding approved for 2001-02 is #505,616.

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ANNEX A

Details of the 28 approved projects are listed below:

South East

1) St Bernard''s Convent Grammar School/St Joseph''s Catholic High School, Slough

- To improve pupil achievement in both schools in mathematics; - Total amount approved: #18,200; - Lead Contact: Mr P Cornell (St Bernard''s Convent Grammar School) Tel: 01753 527020

2) Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls/The Hayesbrook School/Mascalls School, Kent

- To pilot the development of local technology-based learning for post-16 students in Foreign Languages across schools in West Kent; - Total amount approved: #18,080; - Lead Contact: Sue Rowell (Weald of Kent Grammar School for Girls) Tel: 01732 352819

3) Holmer Green Upper School/John Hampden Grammar School, Buckinghamshire

- To share information, resources and tools between schools to assist teachers, students, parents and others with the integration of curriculum and the Internet to promote student literacy; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mrs Lynne Bates (Holmer Green Upper School) Tel: 01494 712219

4) Wilmingon Hall School/The Grammar School for Girls/Wilmington Grammar School for Boys, Kent

- To promote greater collaboration between the three schools on post-16 courses, including the use of technology, concentrating initially on the key skills areas; - Total amount approved: #19,614; - Lead Contact: Graham Lusted (Wilmington Hall School) Tel: 01322 272111

5) Invicta Grammar School/Valley Park Community School/Swadelands School, Kent

- To be involved with a joint conference for year 12 students covering areas of citizenship/RE; to develop a programme for the interchange of teachers for short periods of time looking at: teaching boys; to teach a wider range of vocational subjects; too look at teaching subjects at A level; - Total amount approved: #17,500; - Lead Contact: Mrs H Evemy (Invicta Grammar School) Tel: 01622 755856

6) Slough Grammar School/Beechwood Community School, Slough

- To improve the quality and consistency of leaning and teaching at KS3; share senior management skills to prepare for a future 14-19 phase for students at Beechwood School; improve boy''s academic performance; ensure that girls have parity of esteem and opportunity with boys; widen access to quality CPD; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mr R Greenwood (Slough Grammar School) Tel: 01753 896709

7) St Bernard''s Convent Grammar School/Langleywood School/Wexham School/Baylis Court School/Beechwood School/Slough and Eton School/St Joseph''s High School/Herschel Grammar School, Slough

- To share good practice and INSET in raising achievement in the teaching of drama; - Total amount approved: #15,600; - Lead Contact: Patricia Cohen (St Bernard''s Convent Grammar School) Tel: 01753 527020

8) Dartford Technology College/Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent

- To expand post-16 activities, hold staff exchanges, use independent learning packages; and undertake a project with gifted and talented pupils; - Total amount approved #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mrs T Burleigh (Dartford Technology College) Tel: 01322 224309

9) Herschel Grammar School/Baylis Court School, Slough

- To improve motivation and attainment in GCSE science, including mentoring for science staff; to provide INSET and support in developing curricular applications of video-conferencing facilities; to offer opportunity to study Panjabi in twilight time; establish a joint schools orchestra; - Total amount approved: #13,827; - Lead Contact: Mrs Sue Massen (Herschel Grammar School) Tel: 01753 520950

10) Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls/Eden Valley School/Hayesbrook School for Boys, Kent

- To develop existing links between the three schools and then extend to a broader network of state schools; and to extend and develop the range of arts opportunities available in the 3 schools; - Total amount approved: #17,720; - Lead Contact: Adrian Pitts (Tonbridge Grammar School for Girls) Tel: 01732 365125

11) lston Manor School/Borden Grammar School/Highsted Grammar School, Kent

- To increase extra-curricular musical co-operation and to focus on key stage 3 literacy and numeracy; reporting and target setting; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mr A G Brookes (Fulston Manor School) Tel: 01795 475228

Yorkshire and Humberside

12) Ripon Grammar School/Ripon College, North Yorkshire

- To establish electronic networking and partnership working in respect of the sharing of resources between the two schools. - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mrs A M Tarter (Ripon Grammar School) Tel: 01765 602647

13) The Crossley Heath School/Halifax High School, Calderdale

- To broaden understanding, by all students, of their personal, preferred learning style; introduce additional opportunities for KS4 accreditation; introduce a high quality monitoring and guidance system; enrich and extend opportunities for social interaction and mutual understanding to decrease the gap in terms of achievement of boys and girls. - Total amount approved: #9,350 - Lead Contact: Helen Gaunt (The Crossley Heath School) Tel: 01422 360272

14) Ryburn Valley High School/North Halifax Grammar School, Calderdale

- To raise expectations and broaden horizons post 16 and into HE; year 11 induction programme; post 16 website; peer mentoring; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mr I J Adam (Ryburn Valley High School) Tel: 01422 832070

East Midlands

15) The Peel School/The Queen Elizabeth Royal Free Grammar School, Lincolnshire

- To work on CPD of teachers to raise pupil attainment and reduce disaffection; to establish a video conference link between schools, to enable pupils to share experiences and work jointly on set tasks; to increase support for extra curricular science classes; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: John Anthony (The Peele School) Tel: 01406 362120

West Midlands

16) Queen Mary''s High School/Brownhills Community School/Menzies High School/Willenhall School Sports College, Walsall/Stoke on Trent/Sandwell

- To target three skill areas in language learning that can cause the most anxiety to pupils - learning, reading and speaking; - Total amount approved: #17,900; - Lead Contact: Diana Woods (Queen Mary''s High School) Tel: 01922 721013

17) King Edward VI Handsworth School/Handsworth Wood Girls School, Birmingham

- To raise Literacy Standards in KS3, focusing on girls who speak English as their second language; - Total amount approved: #19,740; - Lead Contact: Elspeth Insch (King Edward VI Handsworth School) Tel: 0121 54 2342/0031

East of England

18) Shoeburyness High School/Southend High School for Boys, Essex

- To develop a partnership using appropriate technology as a teaching and learning tool and a Human Resource Development programme, ensuring high levels of professional ICT skills; - Total amount approved: #19,955; - Lead Contact: Mr K Sheehan (Shoeburyness High School) Tel: 01702 292286

19) Colchester Royal Grammar School/The Stanway School, Essex

- To hold joint Easter Revision courses for targeted Yr9 students in preparation for KS3 assessments in maths, science and English; to hold joint Easter Revision sessions for targeted GCSE students with special emphasis on A/A* performance; to use joint training of students for a regional public speaking competition; to share best practice - joint staff visits and two research projects; - Total amount approved: #17,200; - Lead Contact: Ms R Wallace (Colchester Royal Grammar School) Tel: 01206 509100

South West

20) Archway School/Marling School/Stroud High School for Girls, Gloucestershire

- To use INSET programme for English, maths, science, D&T and ICT departments in all three schools, participating in workshops on a) challenging gifted and talented students and b) disseminating best practice from the national KS3 strategy; to fund a ''family E-learning'' programme for parents, using the Monkseaton Community High School package; - Total amount approved: #19,530; - Lead Contact: Peter Rowland (Archway School) Tel: 01453 763242

21) Eggbuckland Community College/Devonport High School for Boys, Plymouth

- To improve the performance of underachieving boys across GCSE entry, particularly in core subjects of maths, English and science; to use e-mail tutoring, twilight sessions, joint ''impact days'' and CPD; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mr J Curtis-Rouse (Eggbuckland Community College) Tel: 01752 779061

22) Colyton Grammar School/The Axe Valley Community College, Devon

- To extend the range of post-16 joint provision; to develop joint enrichment activities for KS3 students; - Total amount approved: #19,750; - Lead Contact: Mr B Sindall (Colyton Grammar School) Tel: 01297 552327

23) Bournemouth School/Summerbee Comprehensive School, Bournemouth

- To tackle boys underachievement by teachers shadowing colleagues in partner school; to develop master-classes in maths, science, languages, sports and arts; - Total amount approved: #17,000; - Lead Contact: John Granger (Bournemouth School) Tel: 01202 512609

24) Plymouth High School for Girls/Lipson Community College/Estover Community College, Plymouth

- To extend existing post-16 partnerships in order to raise standards still further; - Total amount approved: #19,550; - Lead Contact: Sue Martin (Plymouth High School for Girls) Tel: 01752 208308

North West

25) Whalley Range 11-18 High School/Altrincham Girls Grammar School, Manchester/Trafford

- To develop Modern Foreign Languages with targeted students at KS3 and KS4; - Total amount approved: #16,100; - Lead Contact: Jane Delfino (Whalley Range 11-18 High School) Tel: 0161 861 9727

26) Ashton on Mersey School/Sale Grammar School, Trafford

- To use joint staff training and teaching in PE, Art, PSCE; to establish joint theatre company, arts summer school, health and fitness sessions and sports sessions; - Total amount approved: #18,200; - Lead Contact: Mr Tarun Kapur (Ashton on Mersey School) Tel: 0161 973 1179

27) Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School/Fearns Community High School, Lancashire

- To hold Spanish and French speaking practice lessons and some ICT lessons via video-conferencing facilitates; to exchange teachers for staff and curriculum development purposes in the areas of ICT, D&T and Spanish; to have joint INSET for the KS3 Strategy and for extra-mural activities; to provide transition classes to smooth the discontinuity between GCSE and AS level in several subjects; to provide evening classes in aspects of ICT for the local community and businesses; - Total amount approved: #20,000; - Lead Contact: Mr M R Morris (Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School) Tel: 01706 234500

28) Lancaster Girls Grammar School/The Lakes School, Lancashire/Cumbria

- To use joint provision of media studies course; - Total amount approved: #10,800; - Lead Contact: Ken Bates (Lancaster Girls'' Grammar School) Tel: 01524 32010