Portsmouth businesses drive forward an innovative education initiative

In Setember 2006 headteacher Brian McClarin requested help with vocational curriculum subjects, an area he believed would really benefit his pupils. He was keen to match up the heads of five departments (science, leisure and tourism, IT and maths, creative arts and heath & social care), with relevant businesses to ensure they understood current business thinking and incorporate their findings in the classroom.

The solution has been a collaborative approach working with the Portsmouth Education Business Partnership, Carillion, Serco, ITV Meridian, Cosham Police, Aramak and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. After an initial meeting for interested local businesses, matches were made by Business in the Community with the appropriate vocational curriculum heads of department and two meetings a term were agreed during the 2006/07 academic year.

The bi product of these meetings has been the chance for the school to have direct access to innovative and meaningful work placements, for example, with the local Cosham Police and Carillion. Pupils have also experienced taster days with Serco and ITV Meridian. A programme of regular weekly work placements now exists whereby the pupils tackle “live” work.

Local businesses find it difficult to recruit locally, Carillion has seen this as a long term relationship to help in their quest for engaging with local community and as a means of identifying possible future recruits. They have also been amazed at the capabilities of the young people particularly with an IT project they gave them to undertake. Accelerated students (year 11 who have already gained their 5 GCSES or more) have been offered work placements, every Friday for the academic year, based on the pupil’s requirements.

As a result of a Seeing is Believing visit on 25 April 2007 led by Ian Smith, Regional Senior Vice President, UK Ireland & South Africa in Portsmouth which was hosted by the school, another business contact has been established. Aramak's Regional Manager is now working with the newly appointed Food Technology teacher to design healthy eating days at the school.

Cosham Police are desperately trying to win the confidence of local residents and are hoping to open a drop in centre close to the school. They have worked with pupils to help them gain a better understanding of the work undertaken by the police and to help to break down barriers that exist between young people and the police. The police have given access to pupils with their CSI crime team for those pupils undertaking forensic science and the Crime Prevention team have been in to give talks about personal safety.

Ursula Ward, the chief executive of the local hospital, Queen Alexander, has offered her support; one of her executives has been assigned to the school. They have agreed to allow six professionals from within the hospital to give talks at the school about their career and what their work entails. This has helped the Applied Science and Health & Social Care courses. There are also opportunities for the accelerated pupils to work at the hospital on specific work experience projects.

King Richard hope to achieve more business links with those involved with the “Arts” as this is their specialist status. The results at the school have increased this year, the year 10 who were the first to benefit are now year 11 and some 30 pupils are accelerated students who all need specific work experience every Friday for the academic term.

The school has given full time status to the three dedicated members of staff who are responsible for sustaining these business links and recruiting others by quoting this model, undertaking risk assessments and evaluating all activities.