A key part of Isle of Wight Council’s latest round of One Island programmes is the continuation of the project to raise education standards at Key Stages 2 & 4.
In 2006, the council launched its Children & Young People’s Plan which outlined a variety of schemes and initiatives all aimed to help improve the standard of education on the Island.
As part of its One Island pledge, the council will continue to provide training for teaching staff and headteachers and support all schools in their development, particularly schools that have a ‘satisfactory’ rating with Ofsted. The council itself will continue to evaluate the services it provides and re-align these where necessary to improve the service for schools and students. One key part of the programme is to strive to improve Key Stage 2 & 4 results to at least the national average by 2010.
The further development of the Cowes One School Pathfinder (OSP) scheme is also one of the programmes. In early 2007, the government confirmed to the council that it will receive over £30m to build a state-of-the-art learning centre on the current Cowes High School site.
Once built, this modern centre will be a vibrant hub not only for the students and staff, but also for the Island community, provide extended services and facilities. It would be open 48 weeks of the year, 8am to 9pm each day; a centre where young people can learn with their parents, where adults may gain qualifications to improve their life chances and employability or support the joy of life-long learning. It will also be a place where businesses can develop their staff and work with partners, providing learning opportunities for young people, and where the community can access services.
Sustainability will be a key feature and the building will have a low carbon footprint which will be achieved using many green initiatives. A community travel plan will also be part of the design, promoting reductions in vehicle use and emissions. Design plans are scheduled to be released later this year.
Helping more students get back into schools following exclusions is another key One Island programme. The council has set a target of reducing the amount of students excluded by 10% during the 2008/09 school year.
As part of this programme, a new senior post has been created and this officer will be working closely with schools to strive to meet the target. Key initiatives to lower the number of exclusions include looking at alternative curriculum arrangements for those students at risk of exclusion and engaging them in the learning process. The new post is scheduled to start in April 2008.
