Page last updated at 16:03 GMT, Wednesday, 14 July 2010 UK
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Standish Community High School in Wigan helps every student achieve their potential with e-learning
Standish Community High School, Wigan, one of the first designated language colleges in the North West, continues to set standards in education by offering online vocational learning. Delivered online through www.vision2learnforschools.com, the courses enable pupils to work independently and securely from home or at school. Since implementing the courses, as part of a wider spectrum of developments, the school has seen a significant improvement in results, with the proportion of students achieving 5 A*- C GCSEs or more, rising from 64% in 2006 to 79% in 2009 – a jump of 15% in just three years.
Standish Community High School feels it is crucial that schools help every student achieve their full potential regardless of ability or learning style. By identifying those pupils showing signs of disaffection or disengagement as those most likely to fail traditional GCSE courses, the school has intervened, using vision2learn for schools at an early stage. These pupils have gone from strength-to-strength, gaining in confidence as they complete the courses, and finding the motivation to achieve.
The courses offer opportunities to those who might otherwise have fallen by the wayside. Senior Deputy Headteacher, Jonathan Miller has been at the school for over eight years and is responsible for the curriculum and driving standards. He describes how vision2learn for schools is having a positive impact on pupils in the school who play sport: “The school’s rugby players have had a lot of success with the Healthy Eating course; some of these boys were not enjoying their courses as fully as they might”, Jonathan explains, “the Healthy Eating qualification has really engaged them as they learn about nutrition which they can apply to their own diets. It has really built their confidence - they feel that they have been successful and have gained something from their academic career which has a direct relevance to possible future careers.”
Another success story comes in the form of a talented pupil who has a severely debilitating illness. Her condition meant that she was unable to attend school for extended periods of time. Vision2learn for schools allowed her to learn from home, corresponding with her teachers by email where necessary. She was able to achieve a range of qualifications, exceeding 5 A*-C GCSEs including the equivalent of a GCSE grade B in Healthy Eating. She is now working successfully in an office in the locality.
Jonathan comments: “The independence and flexibility afforded by the vision2learn for school courses was really attractive to us at Standish. The courses have sparked interest and motivation in our pupils; they offer the opportunity to re-engage with education for those who either didn’t want to, or were simply unable to learn in the traditional classroom environment. They have been a success across the board and have contributed to improving the school’s overall results.”
The number of pupils enrolled on the vision2learn for schools courses has grown from one to more than fifty since Standish first began offering them and the school hopes to grow this number further. Standish places an emphasis on preparing its pupils for the wider world and the workplace through a variety of enterprise initiatives. As part of this holistic approach to education, the school is keen to increase its vocational offering and is now hoping to pilot the vision2learn for schools Equality and Diversity qualification to achieve this.
Jonathan Ovenden, Business Development Director at Creating Careers commented: “Standish Community High School is a great example of how a flexible, forward-looking school can drive high standards by catering for students of all talents and abilities. The introduction of vision2learn for schools has been integral to the improvement in results and has helped pupils to gain confidence and motivation. The school has developed a culture of aspiration and at the same time, it helps to prepare students for the world after school.”
To find out more about vision2learn for schools please contact Jonathan Ovenden on 01661 864470 (mobile: 07730 402653) or email: jonathan.ovenden@creatingcareers.com.
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