The National Challenge in Derbyshire - A Partnership Strategy

In Derbyshire we recognise that all 47 of our secondary schools are on a school improvement journey in which staff, students and parents are working together to improve the progress that all students make and the standards they achieve.

In a number of schools in the National Challenge, many students make considerable progress in both Key Stage 3 and 4 (Years 11-16), and indeed some schools do at least as well as the top 25 per cent of similar schools across the country! 

The particular focus for the National Challenge is on the percentage of students within each school achieving five or more GCSEs, or their equivalent, including English and Mathematics. The national target is 30 per cent for each school.

In Derbyshire we have five schools that were below the benchmark in 2008.

National Challenge schools

  • Bennerley

  • Deincourt

  • Parkside

  • Shirebrook

  • Springwell

The National Challenge plans

Individual plans have been agreed for each school in the National Challenge.

Those plans have been developed in order to have the greatest impact on student performance in the shortest period of time. The plans are carefully tailored for each school but all focus on:

  • Detailed target setting for individual students, key subject areas, and the school as a whole

  • Improving the teaching and learning experience for students

  • Improving the monitoring and tracking arrangements necessary to ensure that students make sufficient progress quickly, and to allow prompt action where progress is less than expected.

  • Providing personalised support for each young person. This support will vary depending on their individual needs but includes

    • Providing mentoring and personal support

    • Ensuring they develop the right homework habits and study, revision and examination skills to make the most of their abilities

    • Address any attendance, behavioural or motivational issues that might be acting as a barrier to their progress

    • Provide internet access where appropriate

    • Provide additional support for parents and carers

  • Helping schools in the recruitment, retention and training of teachers and any associated support staff including Learning Mentors, who will be important to the success of the challenge
  • The identification of a Management Group who have responsibility for the oversight and success of the school plan

We also have plans in place to support each of the National Challenge schools, and these include:

  • The appointment and management of nationally accredited National Challenge Advisers who will spend up to 20 days a year in each school providing professional and detailed, support, advice and guidance to the Headteacher, staff and governors of the school.

  • The deployment of subject specialists and education advisers who will help teachers and school leaders improve the quality of the teaching and learning experiences

  • The deployment of additional specialist support from across the Children's and Younger Adults (CAYA) Department including District Managers, Educational Welfare, Inclusion, Finance and Human Resources officers− all of whom make up the team around the school."

  • The management of the National Challenge Project Team meetings and briefings including specific sessions for governors, headteachers, and subject leaders

  • The coordination of residential opportunities for students including, for example, special revision and examination seminars highlighted in the school plans above.

  • The management of the £1,019,000 government grant that has been made available to support the National Challenge in Derbyshire.

  • The federation of Deincourt School and Tibshelf School is now in place. Deincourt School will close in 2010.

  • The transfer of Shirebrook School to Academy status by 2010 − which with the appointment of the Principal Designate, is also on schedule

  • The integration of the National Challenge Plans with other plans including:
    • Building Schools for the Future
    • The Derbyshire School Improvement Strategy
    • The Derbyshire Secondary Strategy, including the Derbyshire 5+EM Partnership Challenge.
Progress of the National Challenge

All of the schools in the National Challenge are involved in regular monitoring and review sessions designed to ensure that the plans are on track to secure the improvements necessary in each school.

Although at a relatively early stage, all schools are reporting that they are on track to move above the 5+EM benchmark by 2011 at the latest and that indeed their present trajectory of improvement indicates that this will largely be achieved as early as 2009. 

Further information

Each school involved in the National Challenge will keep parents up to date on their plans and progress. A more detailed outline of their individual plans is available from the individual schools.

Also on our website

How useful did you find this page?

Not useful

Very useful