Specialist Schools

1
Specialist Schools

• Bidding Support Information Seminars
• May 2007

2
Programme

• 9.00am Registration
• 9.30am Welcome and Introductions
• 9.35am Rationale for Specialist Schools Northern
  Ireland and connections to E2S and other NI
  policy development
• 10.00am Specialist Schools Northern Ireland Key
  Processes
• 10.45am BREAK
• 11.15am Specialist Schools Northern Ireland A
  Principal perspective
• 11.45am Application timeline and bidding support
  arrangements
• 12.30am LUNCH

3
Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the information seminar, attendees
• Know the rationale and key aims of the specialist
  schools initiative and understand how specialist
  schools fits into the E2S policy developments
• Are aware of the key processes in Specialist
  Schools application
• School Plan
• Community Plan
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Have reflected on the experiences of a principal
  from a Northern Ireland Designated Specialist
  School
• Are aware of the timeline for completed
  applications and
• Know of the bidding support arrangements for
  schools applying for Specialist School Status

4
Rationale for Specialist Schools
5
Specialist Schools Key Processes

• Bidding Support Regional Training Unit
• Facilitator John Reid

6
Key features of Specialist Schools Model

• Raise standards-specialist subject(s) whole
  school
• Strengthen/develop learning and teaching
  strategies
• Extend enrichment including via FE, sponsors,
  business etc
• Develop specialist identity
• Collaborate with other schools to enhance
  learning and teaching
• Extended opportunities for wider community
  involvement, including local business

7
History

• 2005/2006 - Pilot Specialist Schools NI
• (12 schools designated)
• 2006/2007 - Cohort 2 Specialist Schools NI
• (25 applications)

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DE / RTU / E2S division of roles

• DE
• Sets criteria and guidelines for bidding
• Decides whether sponsorship is eligible
• Assesses bids
• Designates specialist schools (Ministerial
  decision)
• Evaluates Specialist Schools (through ETI)
• FAQs

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Division of roles

• RTU
• Introduces schools to the programme and the
  bidding process
• Advises and supports schools preparing bids.
• Advises on sponsorship rules and fundraising.
• Provides resources to assist schools preparing
  bids
• Liaises with DE (including questions for FAQs)

10
Division of roles

• E2S officers
• Advice and support when considering how the
  specialist application will fit into the
  developing collaborative arrangements in a
  schools area
• CASS
• Specific curriculum guidance and support related
  to the bid

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The Application Process

• DE Guidelines
• Designation 2008/2012
• Cohort II version can be downloaded from the DE
  website
• www.deni.gov.uk

12
Which schools may apply?

• All schools, currently with pupils in each year
  group in KS3 KS4
• except those schools
• currently in SSP
• already designated specialist schools
• Dickson Plan schools through a joint application
  (ie 14-14 schools apply with 14 schools)

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What schools have to do...

• Choose a specialism
• Raise 25,000 or more towards a capital project
• Draw up a 4-year development plan
• School - specialist subject(s) whole school
• Community
• -Partner schools (at least 5 with 2 secondary
  schools)
• -Wider community
• Show how the money will be spent

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What schools get

• Specialist School status from September 2008
  until 2012
• 100,000 Capital Grant from DE to add to the
  25,000 sponsorship (ie. a total of 125,000 to
  spend on a Capital Project)
• 100 pa per pupil recurrent grant
• 50 - school
• 50 - community

15
Preparing your application

• Minimum 0-4 months from thinking to doing
• Leadership of principal essential
• Involvement of SMT/HODs/School staff/Governors
  vital
• Start early in seeking sponsorship
• Involve key staff partners at an early stage
• Audits of lead subjects and needs of community
  partners is crucial
• Follow DE guidelines from outset
• Access Bidding Support arrangements
• Liaise with E2S and (Employing authorities re-
  proposed use of capital grant)
• Develop a coherent and manageable plan thats
  right for YOUR school

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What the application is about

• Integral to DE educational policy and
  developments
• Raising standards - developing an ethos
• Curriculum teaching and learning
• Whole School
• Collaboration and partnership
• Sharing practice within schools and other
  partners
• Working with community, businesses, sponsors

17
What the application is not about

• A dash for cash
• Focusing on one curriculum area at the expense of
  others
• Going it alone
• Building/equipping a science/maths block/drama
  studio etc.

18
The Specialist Schools Process

• General Case
• School Plan
• Audit
• Objectives, Targets, Implementation
• Community Plan
• Audit
• Objectives, Targets, Implementation
• Monitoring evaluation
• Financial Plans

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General Case (page 5 ( page 7App Guidance))

• Schools are specifically required to demonstrate
  how specialist status would be used to
• raise attainment in the specialist area and whole
  school improvement and what will be achieved over
  the 4 years
• assist the implementation of the revised
  curriculum
• take forward the schools plans to offer access
  to the entitlement framework
• enhance career education, information, advice,
  guidance and progression
• to develop ICT as a learning and teaching tool
• develop links with other schools / FE / wider
  community
• Maximum 3 pages

20
School Plan (pages 8-13 App Guidance)

• Audit
• summarise the current position in terms of
  strengths and areas for development for each
  subject covered by your proposed specialism at
  your school using the following headings
• attainment
• teaching and learning
• curriculum provision
• uptake of specialist subjects
• resources
• ICT
• quality of management.
• (maximum of two pages per subject).

21
School Plan (pages 8-13 App Guidance)

• Objectives and Targets
• must reflect how (and how far) in the specialist
  subject you are planning to
• raise attainment (each year for 4 years)
• increase provision / uptake of specialist
  subjects (Yrs 12)
• expand enrichment opportunities (Yrs 1 2)
• Applied/vocational and work related learning
  should be included
• whole school improvement objective
• detailed whole school attainment targets, using
  your specialism to drive up attainment
• qualitative targets on how LT will contribute to
  improving standards in other departments
• set targets for involvement of business/employers
• education for employability objective
• pupil based targets
• sharing best practice
• work-related learning

22
Community Plan (pages 14-19 App Guidance)

• Audit
• summary of consultation with community (max 1
  page)
• partnership with other schools detailing
  strengths and areas for development (max 2
  pages). An assessment should be made of how
  links to partner schools are supported by ICT
• support for identified community groups detailing
  existing provision and areas for development (max
  1 page)

23
Community Plan (pages 8-13 App Guidance)

• Objectives and Targets
• must reflect how (and how far) in the specialist
  subject you are planning to address an issue
  identified in the audit
• set 5 objectives on your work with primary and
  post primary partners as well as the wider
  community groups
• optional objective to cover/focus on other issues
  identified in the audit
• targets for schools/community groups set as
  learning outcomes
• demonstrate how the use of ICT will add value to
  relevant objectives in the community plan

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Monitoring and Evaluating (app Guidance Pages 20
21)

• Outline your monitoring and evaluation
  strategies. Your summary should relate to the
  questions outlined in the guidance and show
  clearly the composition, structure and
  inter-relationships in your arrangements.
• Max 1 page

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Funding Sponsorship

• Refer to pages 21, 22 23 of Application Guidance

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Timetable

• May October - Information workshops
• May/June/October/November - Bidding Support
  Workshops
• November February - Writing Workshops
• November February - Consultancy Support
• October - Sponsorship Workshop

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Specialist Schools Bidding Support Team

• Aims
• To respond to school queries through the Bidding
  Support arrangements
• To track the progress of bids
• To help improve bid quality
• To liaise with SSAT and YST
• To advise on strategies for raising sponsorship
  and eligibility
• To liaise with DE and Employing Authorities
• To work in partnership with E2S officers,
  particularly related to Specialist Schools

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Specialist Schools Bidding Support Arrangements

• Response to telephone and e-mail enquiries
• Stages of Readiness Indicator Inventory
• Information Seminars (May October)
• Bidding Support Workshops (May/Jun/Oct/Nov)
• Consultancy clinics for all bidding phases
  (May-Feb)
• Telephone and e-mail feedback on draft bids
• Face to face support to schools
• Links to Specialist Schools in Northern Ireland
• Links to Specialist Schools in England
• Establishing partnerships with iNet

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Specialist Schools Bidding Support Contact Details

• Project Leader John Reid Email
  jreid_at_rtuni.org
• Project Team Imelda McDaid/Stewart Polley
• Executive Officer Tina Creaney
  (tcreaney_at_rtuni.org)
• Clerical Officer Mat Dalton (mdalton_at_rtuni.org)
• Email Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Web www.rtuni.org

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• Evaluation Travel Claims
• Questions
• Lunch