Specialist schools on cards for city

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the number of schools changing to technology colleges a ploy to win funding from industry, as well as from the Government.

In Worcestershire, there are five specialist schools to date, though there are plans in the pipeline to specialise some of the city's high schools.

One of those already converted is Stourport High School, which has changed names to Stourport Language College.

Its pupils have more opportunities to learn modern languages at GCSE and A-level standard.

They can learn French, German, Italian and Spanish at GCSE, as well as Russian and Japanese in the sixth form.

There have also been opportunities to learn Danish and Arabic.

"If students can gain qualifications in more than one language, then there are more opportunities, said headteacher Liz Quinn, who can speak French and German.

Some of Stourport's students have gone on to study for dual honours degrees, combining languages with other subjects.

Droitwich High School has also recently improved its standing among other schools. It became a centre for sporting excellence in September last year.

Its 300 pupils take part in numerous extra-curricular activities.

The other two schools to specialise are The Chase High School in Malvern and South Bromsgrove Community High School, which have become centres of technology.

Redditch's Arrow Vale Community High School is a sports centre of excellence.

But how do schools in Worcester fit in to this ideal?

The city's four high schools already have the facilities and reputation to convert to specialist schools, creating one super-school but with different sites and names.

Already undergoing consideration is an application from Nunnery Wood High School, on Spetchley Road.

The school, which has access to excellent sporting facilities, could become Worcester's premier school for sport.

Bishop Perowne CE High School has also taken heed of the Government's pledge to provide extra financial support.

The Merriman's Hill school is set to become a specialist arts school, if it receives approval.

The Government's Green Paper suggests that 46 per cent of schools nationally will become specialist colleges, says Nunnery Wood headteacher Alan Brodrick. "We can't afford to be in the other 54 per cent.

We're interested in the sports college issue, conscious that Droitwich High School has already achieved that. We're also interested in unison with the city and county councils and other sports facilities users.

The headteacher says that, by becoming specialist, it could attract more pupils interested in pursuing sport.

Kids may well choose to come here because of the sports status, but we're already heavily over-subscribed. There's also the issue of whether any specialist school can remain a community school.

It would be beneficial for all schools to have a speciality, he continues. But, if only a couple of the schools specialised, it would exacerbate the problem.

The idea of specialising has been welcomed by Worcestershire County Council.

This is a very important initiative and we subscribe to it fully, says director of education Julien Kramer. I do hope that both of our schools in the city succeed, and we're giving them every support.

As well as extra funding, there's the opportunity to give parents a wider choice when selecting a school for their children. There's currently a problem with selecting schools due to catchment areas.

One way in which choice can be extended is to encourage specialist school status, said Worcester MP Mike Foster, who's also on the cross-party education select committee.

If all the schools look to take on different specialisms, we would have a greater choice for the children right across the city, which is good for them.

"More importantly, we also bring more resources into the city because specialist schools win £100-a-head more a year. It's a big difference if you have 1,000 pupils. That makes a difference to the amount of resources you have.

They've enabled students to be driven in all subjects as well. The whole culture of the school changes.

Worcester's ideal because, in a relatively confined area that is, the city boundary there are a number of high schools. If they all take on a different speciality, it could increase the number of choices.

But specialising in one area of the curriculum may not be an ideal way to teach.

One school with no plans to specialise is Christopher Whitehead High School, on Bromwich Road.

The school, which caters for pupils from the Westside and St Peter's, could present itself as a specialist school if plans to relocate go ahead.

I feel the curriculum should be broad and balanced and should be specialised in everything, said headteacher Allan Foulds.

Any school has to be clear that it plays to its strengths, and I think our strengths aren't in a particular area but across the curriculum. I think that's good for our pupils.

All schools in the city are special in their own ways. A school should serve its community.

Some might say there's already specialism in schools, and that comes when pupils decide what subjects they wish to study at GCSE and A-level standard.

Too much specialism early on in a child's development may mean that they don't get a broad view of what education can offer them.

But a specialist school doesn't deny them that opportunity. It's simply a way of getting extra funding and building a reputation for being the best in a particular area.

It seems to be working elsewhere, so why not in Worcester?

EXTRA Government funding and a specialist status can be incentive enough for schools to consider concentrating on one aspect of a child's education.

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the number of schools changing to technology colleges - a ploy to win funding from industry, as well as from the Government.

In Worcestershire, there are five specialist schools to date, though there are plans in the pipeline to specialise some of the city's high schools.

One of those already converted is Stourport High School, which has changed names to Stourport Language College.

Its pupils have more opportunities to learn modern languages at GCSE and A-level standard.

They can learn French, German, Italian and Spanish at GCSE, as well as Russian and Japanese in the sixth form.

There have also been opportunities to learn Danish and Arabic.

"If students can gain qualifications in more than one language, then there are more opportunities," said headteacher Liz Quinn, who can speak French and German.

Some of Stourport's students have gone on to study for dual honours degrees, combining languages with other subjects.

Droitwich High School has also recently improved its standing among other schools. It became a centre for sporting excellence in September last year.

Its 300 pupils take part in numerous extra-curricular activities.

The other two schools to specialise are The Chase High School in Malvern and South Bromsgrove Community High School, which have become centres of technology.

Redditch's Arrow Vale Community High School is a sports centre of excellence.

But how do schools in Worcester fit in to this ideal?

The city's four high schools already have the facilities and reputation to convert to specialist schools, creating one super-school but with different sites and names.

Already undergoing consideration is an application from Nunnery Wood High School, on Spetchley Road.

The school, which has access to excellent sporting facilities, could become Worcester's premier school for sport.

Bishop Perowne CE High School has also taken heed of the Government's pledge to provide extra financial support.

The Merriman's Hill school is set to become a specialist arts school, if it receives approval.

"The Government's Green Paper suggests that 46 per cent of schools nationally will become specialist colleges," says Nunnery Wood headteacher Alan Brodrick. "We can't afford to be in the other 54 per cent.

"We're interested in the sports college issue, conscious that Droitwich High School has already achieved that. We're also interested in unison with the city and county councils and other sports facilities users."

The headteacher says that, by becoming specialist, it could attract more pupils interested in pursuing sport.

"Kids may well choose to come here because of the sports status, but we're already heavily over-subscribed. There's also the issue of whether any specialist school can remain a community school.

"It would be beneficial for all schools to have a speciality," he continues. "But, if only a couple of the schools specialised, it would exacerbate the problem."

The idea of specialising has been welcomed by Worcestershire County Council.

"This is a very important initiative and we subscribe to it fully," says director of education Julien Kramer. "I do hope that both of our schools in the city succeed, and we're giving them every support."

As well as extra funding, there's the opportunity to give parents a wider choice when selecting a school for their children. There's currently a problem with selecting schools due to catchment areas.

"One way in which choice can be extended is to encourage specialist school status," said Worcester MP Mike Foster, who's also on the cross-party education select committee.

"If all the schools look to take on different specialisms, we would have a greater choice for the children right across the city, which is good for them.

"More importantly, we also bring more resources into the city because specialist schools win £100-a-head more a year. It's a big difference if you have 1,000 pupils. That makes a difference to the amount of resources you have.

"They've enabled students to be driven in all subjects as well. The whole culture of the school changes.

"Worcester's ideal because, in a relatively confined area - that is, the city boundary - there are a number of high schools. If they all take on a different speciality, it could increase the number of choices."

But specialising in one area of the curriculum may not be an ideal way to teach.

One school with no plans to specialise is Christopher Whitehead High School, on Bromwich Road.

The school, which caters for pupils from the Westside and St Peter's, could present itself as a specialist school if plans to relocate go ahead.

"I feel the curriculum should be broad and balanced and should be specialised in everything," said headteacher Allan Foulds.

"Any school has to be clear that it plays to its strengths, and I think our strengths aren't in a particular area but across the curriculum. I think that's good for our pupils.

"All schools in the city are special in their own ways. A school should serve its community."

Some might say there's already specialism in schools, and that comes when pupils decide what subjects they wish to study at GCSE and A-level standard.

Too much specialism early on in a child's development may mean that they don't get a broad view of what education can offer them.

But a specialist school doesn't deny them that opportunity. It's simply a way of getting extra funding and building a reputation for being the best in a particular area.

It seems to be working elsewhere, so why not in Worcester?