SOFTLY BREAKING NEW GROUND

Kingston Maurward College is teaming up with one of the UK´s top state schools under a soft federation − the first nationally between two institutions of this kind.
 
The college and nearby Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester say this new “Learning Partnership” will expand rural post 16 opportunities.
 
The school´s sixth formers will benefit from practical additions to traditional A−levels, while the college students will access courses and facilities at the secondary.
 
This new collaboration will allow both institutions to further share knowledge, skills and resources, and raise standards in a strategy to create a rich 14−19 curriculum to keep youngsters studying locally.
 
“This is a very innovative approach and will make these young people very desirable in the eyes of employers,” said Clare Davison, college principal.
 
“But this is also all about enhancing their learning experiences, combining traditional routes with applied learning.”
 
Dr Iain Melvin, head at the Thomas Hardye, said: “From my experience as a way of increasing post 16 opportunities for a variety of young people, it´s very innovative.
 
“One of the challenges in rural settings is how to give children choice given the distances. But this new model will keep our young people in the area.”
 
Sixth formers will study at the college one day a week combining a BTEC in a variety of subjects, such as outdoor adventure studies and environmental science, with A−levels back at school.
 
David Jackson, is lead partner at the UK´s Innovation Unit, and says this soft federation is unique nationally because it involves a land−based college.
 
“Kingston Maurward is a pathfinder leading the way,” he said. “The national education system is essentially 24,000 corner shops, with insufficient connectivity between them.
 
“Innovative collaborative arrangements like this are crucial so that education knowledge is transferred for the benefit of post 16.”