What are Specialist Schools?
The Specialist Schools Programme (SSP) helps schools, in partnership with private sector sponsors and supported by additional Government funding, to establish distinctive identities through their chosen specialisms and achieve their targets to raise standards.
Specialist schools have a special focus on those subjects relating to their chosen specialism but must also meet the National Curriculum requirements and deliver a broad and balanced education to all students.
The SSP promotes school improvement by providing opportunities for schools to work to their strengths, enabling them to deliver effective teaching and learning in their area of expertise, as well as across the curriculum, and to drive innovation. Applicant schools engage in a thorough audit of their progress so far and set out plans and targets for specialist subject improvement as well as whole school targets.
Specialist schools work with named partner schools for the benefit of students beyond their own school boundaries and with other groups of people in the wider community. This ensures that the programme has an impact by helping to create a diverse network of secondary provision through the sharing of good practice and expertise.
Vision
Sports Colleges will raise standards of achievement in physical education and sport for all their students across the ability range leading to whole school improvement. They will be regional focal points for promoting excellence in physical education and community sport, extending links between families of schools, sports bodies and communities, sharing resources, developing and spreading good practice, helping to provide a structure through which young people can progress to careers in sport and physical education. Sports Colleges will increase participation in physical education and sport for all pre and post 16 year olds and develop the potential of talented performers.
Ethos and key characteristics
Sports Colleges are expected to develop a visible Sports College character throughout the school and within their local community which inspires their students.
Sports Colleges will:
- Support the Government's aspiration for all young people to have two hours high quality PE per week within and outside the curriculum.
- Take an appropriate role in the Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Strategy (see below).
- Develop the skills and understanding of teachers and make imaginative use of new technologies as a means of raising the quality of teaching and learning in PE.
- Extend provision and facilities to benefit all students of all sporting abilities, whilst also giving those with the greatest potential, opportunities to achieve the highest standards of which they are capable.
- Work with other schools and the wider community to develop and share good practice, facilities, human and other resources with a view to improving learning opportunities for all.
- Are involved in national initiatives (e.g. Step into Sport) and competitions that enrich provision in PE and sport for their own students and those in their partner schools.
The Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Strategy (PESSCL)
All specialist Sports Colleges are expected to play an appropriate role in implementing the PESSCL strategy. They should do this through their school and community plans as well as by hosting a School Sport Co-ordinator Partnership (as part of an LEA strategy) and building on links with other bodies associated with strategic developments in sport. For further details on this, please consult the PESSCL website: www.dfes.gov.uk/PESS.
Specialist subjects
Sports Colleges will focus on PE and sport and related subjects (e.g. dance).
For further information please see www.standards.dfes.gov.uk
The Winston Churchill School Sports College Mission Statement
The Winston Churchill School Sports College will raise standards in physical education and sport through closer collaboration with the community and improved links with our partner schools. The College will increase participation rates by students of all ages, allow them to maximise their potential, provide them with the opportunity to strive for the highest possible standards, raise their self esteem and achieve nationally recognised qualifications. It will be a natural progression for us to build on our existing high standards of individual and team performances in order to develop sporting excellence and leadership and to provide career and leisure opportunities for students. We will become a Centre of Excellence for the teaching and coaching of physical education and sport providing programmes for all age groups in the community and making sports facilities more accessible to a greater number of people. We want physical education and sport to be at the heart of life-long learning and personal development.
We would like to thank those parents who kindly completed the Sports College survey regarding the impact of the specialism on the school. For a full copy of the findings please contact Mr P J Harrison, Director of PE and Sport.
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