A plan to put Benfield School at the heart of the community has been given government approval. It is going to be developed as a "full service school".
This means that pupils at the school, their families and the wider community will be able to take part in a wide range of activities and get services from one central, convenient location.
The new services will cover areas such as early years and childcare, health and social care, study support, family and lifelong learning and parenting support.
The school’s Open Learning Centre will also be expanded to make it available to more people. there will be facilities aimed at improving literacy and numeracy among younger children in the community
The school also intends to provide more opportunities for adults to take part in education, from offering courses on basic literacy and numeracy to providing access to computer facilities and online learning packages.
There are also proposals to develop a healthcare centre with a resident nurse practitioner and to expand the healthcare provision for pupils with special educational needs - including those from feeder primary schools - as well as their families and the local community.
Benfield School is also a designated Sports College and, through the full service development, it will be able to expand the sporting opportunities that are already available to students and the community.
Headteacher Lee Brumby said: "This is a very important development for Benfield School and we are delighted to be part of such a fantastic initiative. Schools have always been seen as being at the hub of their communities, so having this wide range of facilities available from the school site makes perfect sense.
"In becoming a full service school we hope to be able to provide a better service to the local community, while at the same time boosting the overall attainment of the pupils here."
Coun Keith Taylor, Cabinet Member for Lifelong Learning and Training, said: "This initiative at Benfield School will bring together a range of organisations and services that will benefit the whole community.
"As well as enabling more people to access the services they need it will also provide new educational opportunities, not just for pupils and their families but for everyone living in the area.
"This will build on the council's commitment to promoting lifelong learning and raising educational attainment in our schools."
Consultations are now being carried out to ensure that the new facilities meet the needs of pupils, parents and the wider community.
Included in the consultations, which will take place between now and December, will be community groups, other local authority service providers, Heaton Adult Education Centre, the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership and other organisations such as the Primary Care Trust.
Article from: Citylife November/December 2003 |
