Make a Connection Programme Bishopsford Community School - Case Study

Make a Connection at Bishopsford Community School - A good education is more than passing exams...

It is as much the role of schools to develop and encourage young people's social, relationship and citizenship skills. Modern schools should not be judged purely on academic achievement, but rather on their success in delivering a rounded education - building a culture of intellectual and personal achievement.

One school that typifies this two-pronged approach to education is Bishopsford Community School in Merton. Bishopsford's failing predecessor struggled with falling roll numbers and poor academic standards, now Bishopsford is a thriving Fresh Start School (opened in Sept 1999) with positive, engaged students who are active participants in their community.

The school opened four years ago with 400 students (aged 12 - 16 yrs). In September 2003 the school expects to have more than 1,000 students walking through its doors. Its KS3 results have improved significantly in 2002 (maths, for example, from 41% achieving the expected level to 55%).

So, what contributed to this success story? A key factor to Bishopsford's accomplishments is the introduction of the Make a Connection programme. Make a Connection is a global initiative launched in 2000 by the International Youth Foundation and supported by Nokia to promote positive children and youth development.

The Make a Connection programme provides teacher training and a life skills classroom resource for citizenship and personal development for students aged 11 to 14 years. The aim is to provide young people with a good skills foundation so that they can become competent, responsible and caring adults.

The programme also links into three Government Education initiatives:

• Healthy Schools - Make a Connection supports the Healthy Schools Guidelines
• Personal and Social Health Accreditation Process - Many schools are using Make a Connection to support the PSHE Accreditation Process (a new government initiative at the HDA gives teachers the opportunity to be accredited for teaching PSHE)
• Citizenship - Citizenship is now a statutory part of the National Curriculum at Key stage 3. Linking all three Make a Connection modules into the Citizenship curriculum along with use of the assessment and evaluation materials will support schools' teaching of Citizenship

Bishopsford has implemented the programme so effectively that it was selected as one of Make a Connection's flagship schools and its achievements were recognised in an awards ceremony in May 2003, when the school was honoured for its community outreach and academic achievement. A Year 8 student at the school, Tess Hill (aged 13), was also given an individual award for her leadership and volunteering roles.

Head teacher Paul Harwood acknowledges the importance of Make a Connection in the school's success:

"The essence of our approach at Bishopsford is a clear and consistent emphasis on learning and teaching. Our mantra 'Challenging all to Achieve' is displayed in all classrooms.

Since introducing Make a Connection, we've noticed a difference in the way students like Tess take on leadership roles, volunteer and engage in activities."

The success of Bishopsford lies not simply in its academic improvements, but equally in the emphasis the school places on personal, social and community skills.