Memorandum submitted by The Beaconsfield School, Beaconsfield

 

Executive summary

The Beaconsfield School is a co-educational secondary modern school for pupils aged 11-19 years, within Buckinghamshire's wholly selective system. The roll stands at just below 800.

 

Many students come from areas that are not so advantageous.

 

· The LEA states that '28% of students reside in areas of relatively high deprivation.'

· Nearly all students have failed their eleven-plus.

· 10% of students are eligible for free school meals.

· 16% of students come from minority ethnic groups.

· The school loses many potential students to local grammar and independent schools.

· OFSTED stated that 'the average attainment of students when they enter the school is below

average.'

 

Under the new leadership team appointed in 2005 the single focus has been raising achievement. We see creativity and creative learning as the main catalysts to support the changing culture at the school and drive up standards.

 

Improving behaviour and the quality of teaching and learning have been the key components of our success over the last two years. Through our work with Creative Partnerships we have addressed both issues in innovative ways through our arts learning centre and 'arts in action' days.

 

Evidence

 

1. Overview

 

In 2005, the school had the second highest rate of fixed term exclusions and was ranked 20th in terms of attainment out of the 21 secondary modern schools in the county. We now have the lowest exclusion rate of such schools and are currently ranked 12th in terms of attainment.

 

In order to improve the school, behaviour and learning had to be tackled proactively and innovatively. The arts learning centre has been essential for improving the learning partnership between teachers and students so that students' behaviour is modified and classroom experiences are enriched for all participants.

 

2. Improving behaviour

 

Our arts learning centre is designed for students at risk of exclusion, from both our school and others in the local area. It uses the arts to address disaffection and modify behaviour to enable students to continue in mainstream education.

 

This year has seen a dramatic improvement in behaviour. Exclusions were running at just over 100 students per term in 2005. During the 2006-07 academic year we have had just 32 exclusions in total. Feedback form students involved in the arts learning centre programme is testimony to its success:

 

Comments about programmes at the Arts Learning Centre:

"At the beginning, we didn't all get on, but at the end of the performance we all gave each other a group hug. That's one of the really good things to have come out of it - everyone has got along with each other and made friends". Jess, yr9

"The programme has made me able to deal with situations better" Sam, year 8

 

"I have gained dance skills and public confidence" Frankie, year 9

 

"I worked with different people than I normally work with and got to work using art. I got to plan a project and actually make it and see the finishing result." - Nicola, year 9

 

"I learned that music is a great way to get your emotions on things out and try to show other people in the situations how to deal with it" - Harry, year 9

 

Before visit to primary school to work with year 2 students

Q: What are you worried about?

A: That they might hate me

 

After visit

Q: Any more comments about the visit today?

A: I want to be a teacher

 

3. Raising standards

Our five 'arts in action' days, whereby staff and students work collaboratively, outside the constraints of the normal timetable have enable them to apply their combined subject knowledge to a range of real situations; work effectively in teams and develop a range of thinking skills and strategies. Sharing best practice has liberated thinking and offered alternatives when none had been thought possible. Consequently we have seen:

 

· New styles on teaching and learning operate in areas prone to one dimensional teaching.

· Greater enthusiasm from students in areas where interest and focus were issues.

· Improved atmosphere and ethos around the school.

· Significantly improved exam results.

 

A recent example involved 'putting the art into ARiThmetic'

 

'A group of year 10 students have been investigating mathematical optical illusions as the focus of their activities in the Arts Learning Centre. The precision of mathematics and the freedom of artistic interpretation may, at first glance, seem to be at odds with each other, but many famous artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and MC Escher have been extremely talented mathematicians as well, and where would any artist be without an understanding of the mathematical nature of things like perspective.

 

The project brief was to produce a physical piece of artwork somewhere in the school that produced an optical illusion. After researching and investigating a number of different illusions the students opted to reproduce the one below as they were drawn to the contentious nature of the image - are the lines parallel or not?'

 

'Selecting the mathematics corridor as the location to produce the piece, the pupils looked at the space available and worked on a suitable scaling for the image to use on the wall. Having settled on the scale, the design was drawn out in pencil and then the task of painting the wall started. Over a number of sessions the work was completed and is now ready to bamboozle anyone heading down the maths corridor.'

 

Standards at the school have risen dramatically. The 5 A*-C pass rate was 28% in 2004 compared to 47% in 2006. The ethos of the school has been transformed and it is now oversubscribed. The arts have been a key feature of this.

4. Recommendations

· Funding is secured for projects linking the arts to the improvement agenda.

· Schools are encouraged to consider alternative strategies to raise attainment and the enjoyment

of education rather than focus solely on improving the quality of classroom teaching and learning.

· Schools should be funded to share experiences and offer support to schools embarking on this

path.

· Staffing for such projects is critical. Professional artists, based in schools are best placed than to

deliver the creative agenda.

 

July 2007