BILLY ELLIOTTS AND BILLY BONDS OF THE FUTURE FORGED AT NEW
SPECIALIST SPORTS AND ARTS SCHOOLS - MORRIS

30 Nov 2000 12:00 AM

A school in Southampton that plans to help 11-16 year old boys to dance their way to success is among 34 new specialist arts and sports schools announced today by Schools Standards Minister, Estelle Morris.

Wildern School will bring in professional dancers to train boys in ballet and tap. Older boys will be encouraged to mentor younger ones on dance, taking away the stigma that dance is only for girls. Boys will be encouraged to channel their energy into dance in order to raise their self-esteem, and motivation to succeed. At Kirkley School in Suffolk, PE teachers are linking up with other subject teachers and local sports clubs to kick-start sporting achievement among pupils.

Estelle Morris said:

''Today''s newly-designated specialist schools bring the total number to 569 which means the Government is well over half way to meeting its new target of 1000 specialist schools by 2004. This will offer new opportunities for children to excel at secondary school.

''Specialist schools are having a great impact on secondary education '' helping all schools to share in the increased investment and excellent opportunities being created at these arts, sports, language and technology schools.

''As the recent Secondary Performance Tables demonstrate, specialist schools are excelling academically. Three out of the top five in the list of one hundred most improved schools are Specialist Schools. Crucially Specialist Schools are also having a wider influence '' raising standards in local schools and helping create opportunities right across the local community.''

''The sixteen sports colleges announced today will be at the forefront of our campaign to raise the profile of sport in schools. By extending opportunities for participation for all pupils teachers will be able to recognise and nurture talent to help create the sports stars of tomorrow. The eighteen Arts Colleges will be engaged in creative programmes in music, dance, drama and design.

''These new schools demonstrate the Government''s commitment to diversity and excellence. The schools will be expected to develop innovative projects in their specialist areas. They will also aim to increase motivation and success across the whole curriculum, leading to higher standards for all pupils.''

Examples of the specialist schools announced today:

- Pupils at Wildern School in Southampton will use digital technology to create, devise and perform their work in music, dance and drama. The School plans to raise the status of dance by establishing dance workshops and a Wildern Youth Dance Group. To raise boys'' participation in dance, an all boys dance club, run by male dance practitioners, will be established; older boys will be part of a senior choreographic team and work on joint projects with younger boys. Opportunities in dance for pupils with physical disabilities will also be extended. There are plans to stage a performing arts based summer holiday scheme for the Year 7 intake, targeting literacy and numeracy and the use of digital ICT. The School plans to deliver a broad based arts adult education programme, and to work with all community partners towards the development of a Performing Arts festival.

- Turton High School in Bolton will focus on the media arts. Pupils will be able to study sound and lighting, recording techniques, digital photography and video filming. Capital grant will be used to build a media suite with a TV studio, editing room, conference and projection room and a cyber caf, with disabled access. New teaching and technical staff will be appointed to support a wide range of new courses and extra curricular activities. The school will share its developing expertise in the media arts with partner primary and secondary schools and create a ''Learning Zone'' for students and the local community, offering adult education and providing training for business people.

- Sir Jonathon North Community College in Leicester plans a range of curricular and extra curricular activities to extend pupils'' skills and experiences in visual arts. Talented pupils from all over Leicester will be able to participate in master classes, an annual summer school and contribute to an annual display of artwork. The School aims to raise ethnic and cultural awareness through art by developing a web site to reflect the visual arts traditions of the major cultures in the City of Leicester, which all local schools will be able to access. Courses will be provided in Youth and Adult Education programmes and for local businesses.

- Comberton Village College in Cambridgeshire serves a large rural area and aims to become the sporting, as well as academic, hub for a network of schools. The school plans to increase dance opportunities both for girls, and for disaffected boys. It will introduce a ''Sports Friends'' programme, where older pupils, successful in sport, mentor younger pupils to raise their performance and self-esteem. The school will offer courses to enhance parents'' involvement in coaching, leadership and officiating sporting events. In partnership with Cambridgeshire LEA, it will play a key role in the strategic development of PE and sport for the whole community. Grant will be used to appoint a community sport director, dance specialist and to meet the costs of in- service training for the teachers.

- Kirkley High School in Suffolk will focus on providing personal development and lifelong learning in sport. The school will develop sports out of hours learning activities for all pupils, to reflect their particular sporting needs and interests. Strong links between the PE department and heads of other departments have led to plans to improve literacy, numeracy and other key skills through the medium of sport. The school has plans to improve community access and support with a wide range of groups. These include the ''Healthy Kirkley'' project designed to improve the levels of health and fitness of local people, particularly those with disabilities. The school will continue to support local sports clubs, by providing links between school sport involvement and club membership.

- Wyvern Community School is in the Weston Education Action Zone in North Somerset. The school believes that involvement in PE and sport will contribute to personal and social development and improve self-esteem and the quality of life. The school plans to become a centre for the Duke of Edinborough Award Scheme and to provide induction camps to focus on personal development. The school will develop a programme for all in PE/sport, with a particular focus on developing outdoor activities for pupils with special educational needs. It will also develop the whole school as a centre for healthy living by introducing the ''Green Gym'' scheme. The school plans to increase the range of out of hour activities with local schools to foster personal development and leadership potential. It will hold parent/child skills weekend courses in conjunction with the ''Dads and Lads'' organisation.

NOTES TO EDITORS

This Press Notice applies to England & Wales.

1. The specialist schools programme started with Technology Colleges '' the first was designated in 1994. The First Language Colleges opened in 1995 and the first Arts and Sports Colleges began operating in September 1997. The 535 schools already operating include 57 Arts Colleges, 99 Langauge Colleges, 67 Sports Colleges, 312 Technology Colleges '' that is at least one specialist school in 87% of all LEAs in England.

2. Investment: #90m in 2001-2, #108m on 2002-3, and #127m in 2003-4.

3. Except in LEA areas where there are already more than 30% of secondary age pupils in specialist schools, all maintained secondary schools are eligible to apply to become specialist schools but they must consult their LEAs. They must raise #50,000 in sponsorship, prepare 4 year development plans setting targets to improve teaching and learning in the specialist subjects, and make provision to involve other schools and the wider community. In return, the successful applicants receive #100,000 capital grant and #123 per pupil per year, initially for four years.

4. Attached at annexe A is a list of all the schools announced today by region, and with a contact number for media.

List of new Specialist Arts and Sports Colleges, by Government Office region:

Greater London

Brentside High School (Arts College status) Greenford Avenue, Hanwell, London W7 1JJ Headteacher: Ms Avril Philips Tel: 0208 5759162 Fax: 0208 5788905

Eastern

Comberton Village College (Sports College status) West Street, Comberton, Cambridge CB3 7DU Headteacher: Mrs R Clayton Tel: 01223 262503 Fax: 01223 264116

Copleston High School (Sports College status) Copleston Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP24 5HD Headteacher: Mr L Robinson Tel: 01473 710951 Fax: 01473 274467

Kirkley High School (Sports College status) Kirkley Run, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 OUQ Headteacher: Mr John Clinton Tel: 01502 525300 Fax: 01502 566003

Sir Charles Lucas School (Arts College status) Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, Essex CO4 3JL Headteacher: Mrs C Hobbs Tel: 01206 861217 Fax: 01206 865940

The Eastwood School (Arts College status) Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 5UT Headteacher: Mr David Penketh Tel: 01702 524341 Fax: 01702 512182

The Netherall School (Sports College status) Queen Edith''s Way, Cambridge CB1 8NN Headteacher: Mr G W Silverthorne Tel: 01223 242931 Fax: 01223 410473

East Midlands

Anthony Gell School (Sports College status) Wood Street, Wirksworth, Matlock, Derby DE4 4DX Headteacher: Mr Rod Leach Tel: 01629 825577 Fax: 01629 824864

Sir Jonathan North Community College (Arts College status) Knighton Lane East, Leicester LE2 6FU Headteacher: Mrs Jane Collins Tel: 0116 2708116 Fax: 0116 2448141

Skegness Grammar School (Sports College status) Vernon Road, Skegness, Lincs PE25 2QS Headteacher: Mr A Rigby Tel: 01754 610000 Fax: 01754 763947

North East

Haughton Community School (Arts College status) Rockwell Avenue, Darlington DL1 2AX Headteacher: Mrs Shelagh Potter Tel: 01325 254111 Fax: 01325 254371

St. Aidan''s County High School (Sports College status) Lismore Place, Carlisle CA1 1LY Headteacher: Mr Martin Murphy Tel: 01228 607587 Fax: 01228 607590

North West

Lostock Community High School (Arts College status) Selby Road, Stretford, Manchester M32 9PL Headteacher: Mr Denis Sweeney Tel: 0161 9125200 Fax: 0161 9125205

Turton High School (Arts College status) Bromley Cross Road, Bromley Cross, Bolton BL7 9LT Headteacher: Mr F E S Vigon Tel: 01204 595888 Fax: 01204 306712

Dowdales School (Arts College status) Dalton in Furness, Cumbria LA15 8AH Headteacher: Mrs E A Moffatt Tel: 01229 897911 Fax: 01229 897913

South East

Carisbrooke High School (Sports College status) Mountbatten Drive, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 5QU Headteacher: Ms Mary Hoather Tel: 01983 524651 Fax: 01983 825456

Charles Darwin School (Arts College status) Jail Lane, Biggin Hill, Kent TN16 3AU Headteacher: Robert Higgins Tel: 01959 574043 Fax: 01959 540036

Priory College (Sports College status) Fawcett Road, Southsea, Hampshire PO4 ODL Headteacher: Mr Brian Shimell Tel: 02392 819115 Fax: 02392 872143

Dr Challoner''s High School (Sports College status) Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont, Bucks HP7 9QB Headteacher: Mrs S Lawson Tel: 01494 763296 Fax: 01494 766023

George Abbot School (Arts College status) Woodruff Avenue, Burpham, Guildford GU1 1XX Headteacher: Mr D C Maloney Tel: 01483 888000 Fax: 01483 888001

Hillview School for Girls (Arts College status) Brionne Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2HE Headteacher: Mr Steven Bovey Tel: 01732 352793 Fax: 01732 368718

Lord Williams''s School (Sports College status) Oxford Road, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2AQ Headteacher: Ms Pat O''Shea Tel: 01844 210510 Fax: 01844 261382

The Hayesbrook School (Sports College status) Brook Street, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 2PH Headteacher: Mr N Blackburn Tel: 01732 500600 Fax: 01732 500556

Trinity School (Arts College status) Church Road, Newbury RG14 2DU Headteacher: Ms Rosemary Roscoe Tel: 01635 510500 Fax: 01635 510510

Wildern School (Arts College status) Wildern Lane, Hedge End, Southampton SO30 4EJ Headteacher: Mr Jeffrery Threlfall Tel: 01489 783473 Fax: 01489 790927

South West

Lytchett Minster School (Arts College status) Post Green Road, Lytchett Minster, Nr Poole, Dorset BH16 6JD Headteacher: Mr S R Clark Tel: 01202 622413 Fax: 01202 621230

Matravers School (Arts College status) Springfield Road, Westbury, Wiltshire BA13 3QH Headteacher: Mr Nigel Gilhespy Tel: 01373 822666 Fax: 01373 824283

Wyvern Community School (Sports College status) Marchfields Way, Weston-super-Mare BS23 3QP Headteacher: Mr Peter Scholey Tel: 01934 629307 Fax: 01934 625320

West Midlands

Idsall School (Sports College status) Coppice Green Lane, Shifnal, Shropshire TF11 8PD Headteacher: Mr D C Gibbons Tel: 01952 460213 Fax: 01952 463052

Lacon Childe School (Sports College status) Love Lane, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire DY14 8PE Headteacher: Dr Gill Eatough Tel: 01299 270312 Fax: 01299 271037

Willenhall Comprehensive School (Sports College status) Furzebank Way, Willenhall, West Midlands WV12 4BD Headteacher: Mr Paul Bishton Tel: 01902 368221 Fax: 01902 634253

Wilnecote High School (Arts College status) Tinkers Green Road, Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staff B77 5LF Headteacher: Mr P Prettyman Tel: 01827 475111 Fax: 01827 475114

Yorkshire and the Humber

Hemsworth High School (Arts College status) Station Road, Hemsworth, Pontefract WF9 4HW Headteacher: Mr R N Dunn Tel: 01977 722390 Fax: 01977 722395

Longcroft School (Arts College status) Burton Road, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire HU17 7EJ Headteacher: Mrs L R Hughes Tel: 01482 862171 Fax: 01482 862872

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