Writhlington School

Meeting the Challenge of WRL and Enterprise Education for all

in the 14-19 Curriculum

Context of the School

• 11-18 mixed comprehensive

• Seven forms of entry (taught as eight teaching groups)

• Serves the predominately rural area of the East Mendips

• Centred on the small town of Radstock south of Bath

• Rising school roll• Record of improving exam results• Record of attracting external funding for capital

projects• Significant proportion of staff new to the school• Successful history of vocational courses 14-19• Community sports programme• Wide ranging enrichment programme• Successful collaboration at Post-16

(Independent/State School Partnership/FE)• Able, Gifted & Talented Challenge Award• Inclusion Quality Mark• Wide ranging Extended School services

Business & Enterprise Specialism

Objectives:• To build on our successful vocational

and Adult Education Programme (Bus.St/ICT)

• Develop strong and sustainable links in order to develop business, financial, entrepreneurial and vocational programmes which will continue to raise standards for all in the learning community

• Develop a curriculum which provides all students with the skills which will prepare them for the work place of the future

• To enable enterprise learning to underpin the education experience in all curriculum areas so that students can develop the generic skills that an enterprise culture demands

• Provide real vocational context for learning• Ensure students become; confident, articulate, flexible

and adaptable individuals with well developed interpersonal skills

• To seek partners regionally, nationally and internationally

• To promote the application of ICT within a Business & Enterprise environment

Creating an enterprise culture

Staff:

Are professionals who accept the concepts of:• accountability• best value• performance management• improvement

• Accept that the school operates in an educational market where all stakeholders need to be listened to and their opinions taken into account

• Recognise that in order to provide a quality education the school needs to be outward looking, seeking to collaborate with other providers of education and training

• Are fully involved in the consultative structure contributing to the monitoring, evaluation and development of the curriculum and wider life of the school

Students:• Encouraged to participate in a wide range

enrichment activities• Actively participate in the running of the

school (School Council, Year Councils, Tutor Group)

• Take pride in the school achievements• Take an active interest in the school’s

development• Recognise that they are responsible for their

own learning

• Respect, recognise and appreciate their own talents and those of others

• That ‘success for all’ means them as individuals

• Appreciate the values which underpin the work of the school

‘It’s cool to be clever!’

The school as a business

• Community Sports Centre run and managed by Writhlington Trust

• Writhlington Community Learning Partnership • ICT service provider• Provision of PPA time for primary schools• Provision of language and art teaching in primary

schools• Management of outreach centres• Contract with Mill Wharf for provision of CPD• Implementation of workforce reform

Key Stage 3

Generic Skills are taught across the curriculum:

Team work Thinking skillsProblem solving CreativityCommunication CareersNumeracy Master-classes

ICT

• Industry Days• Business Dynamics• Financial Awareness Programme• Business Mentoring• Aiming Higher Programme (Bath Spa)• Fast Track Business/ICT/Maths• Enterprise in Education Programme• Project Business PHSE Day• The Real Game

Specific initiatives:

Enrichment Activities:

• School shop• Bank• Greenhouse Club• Catering• Science and Technology competitions• Astronomy• Tuck Shop

Key Stage 4

The curriculum is based on the principles of:

• Equal Value• Progression for all• Relevance• Success

GCSE

Applied GCSE

DIDA

BTec Level 1, 2 & 3

A1 (AVCE)

BTec Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

BTec Certificate in Skills for Working Life (Hospitality & Catering, Sport & Recreation)

Key Skills Level 1 & 2 (Num.Com.ICT)

Accreditation:

Team EnterpriseCompany EnterpriseCurriculum related work experience linked toB&E coursesBath Spa CompactBusiness mentoring schemeBusiness DynamicsChamber of CommerceMaster-class Enterprise DayPresentational Skills WorkshopKey Skills at WorkLearn to Earn

Writhlington Web Enterprise

Run by ICT Post-16 Co-ordinator, ICT Technician and AVCE students

Services include:• Technical support for primary schools• Design develop and maintain websites for local

small businesses• Contract for development of Norton Radstock

Council website

• Support for Out of Hours open learning centre at village primary school

• Refurbishment of PCs (recycling for sale to students and community users)

Web Site Design and Computer Recycling

Curriculum FocussedAll work is based on generating coursework for the AVCE

and Applied GCE specifications.

•Unit 1 – Design the right documents to send to customers

•Unit 2 – Understand the working of ICT in a real company

•Unit 3 – Keep track of company finances

•Unit 4 – Build recycled machines for the local community

•Unit 7 – Build and sell web sites for local schools and companies

•Unit 10 – Support real customers and work with technical support

•Unit 11 – Train local people on Linux and Open Office

Web Designs The company has a number of clients who demand professional products and services and pay for this. The first client which started the company was the local community portal.

The company has community projects such as the portal above and local schools but also has commercial customers such as local companies and private businesses.

Computer RecyclingWhy do we do it? Because it’s the law!! It’s also our civic duty.

EU WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive now law.

Government expects 75% of goods recycled by 2006.

WSBE will recycle computers and give away or sell them to local community. A win-win situation and great experience for students from 14-19.

Destined for the landfill

Destined for grade

As

Benefits

• Students gain grades while working for a real company that they control

• Local needs met by local people• Desperately needed services provided for the

community• Social responsibility and citizenship addressed• License free software which also runs Braille,

meets all requirements• Fun

Writhlington Orchid Project

This enterprise activity runs throughout all Key Stages

Project One• Growing for Showing with Greenhouse Club

Successes include:• European Orchid Show – Silver Gilt from RHS• National Orchid Show, Whisley• Numerous regional shows throughout England

Project Two• Enterprise Conservation Project linked

to Botanical Gardens, Costa Rica and the Eden Project

Project Three• Sikim Conservation Project linked with

Kew Gardens and BictonProject Four• Guatemala Conservation Project linked

with @Bristol

Funding for these projects derived fromStem Labs a business run by studentswhich grow orchids from seed forcommercial sale

Project Five:• Hybridising and Post-16 Genetics Project• Finalists in Young Scientist of the Year

for the last three years• Winners in 2001 • Second in Europe 2001

Sponsors & Partners

Kew Gardens M&S

Bicton Slipps

Eden Project Hilliers

@Bristol

HSBC

RHS