CHISWICK COMMUNITY SCHOOL TO BECOME TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE
Chiswick Community School has announced that it is to receive extra funding of more than £500,000 which will enable it to secure technology college status. The school was "delighted" with the development which brings to fruition three years of planning.
The aim will be to promote excellence in Technology, Science, Maths and ICT, to enhance the quality of teaching, learning and management across the whole school, and to extend educational opportunities for all.
David Brockie, newly appointed headteacher, said the aims of the Technology College will be, "to use the new technologies to support high achievement across the school curriculum, developing new and exciting learning opportunities for all students, to have high expectations of students at all levels and to work in partnership with parents, adult learners, neighbouring schools, community groups, business for the benefit of all, sharing good practice, expertise and facilities."
The school will now be working closely with the main sponsors of the bid, computer networking company CISCO as well as Stanhope plc, the firm behind the Chiswick Park development. The Government is giving £90,000 to the scheme which is being matched by CISCO and Stanhope. The School's PTA is also making a substantial contribution.
Mr Brockie added, "We are confident that becoming a Technology College, with a clear focus on raising achievement, will enable us to provide a technologically rich environment and an enhanced learning experience for pupils, teachers and members of the local community."
The money will enable the school to purchase a computer room for Science faculty, 2 trolleys of laptops for use in Science, Maths and other curriculum areas, as well as a range of state of the art software packages. They will also be able to refurbish the computer room for Computer Aided Design in Technology and 2 ICT rooms. In addition there will be a Cyber Café in Sixth Form block for use by students, staff and the community.
The curriculum will be enhanced with new courses in Science, Maths, Technology and ICT and new options within current courses. Mr Brockie has stressed that the school will continue to thrive in more traditional subjects where it has a record of excellence.