Sports College Specialism
Westbourne gained a specialist status in September 2006. We were granted re-designation in June 2010.
What has specialist Sports College Status done for us?
What was the school like before sports college status?
The school lacked any real sporting direction and focus before specialist status with only 15% of its Key Stage 4 cohort participating in exam level PE and out of hours activity. The school would open at 8am each morning and be shut at 5pm with little to no community engagement.
What were the immediate financial and infrastructure benefits?
We were able to build and equip a fitness suite for school and community use, which is to be our starting point for our community programme. Two classrooms were coverted into specialist PE teaching classrooms, together with ICT equipment, changing rooms and a PE office. We employed a Director of Learning and were able to support the work of a School Sport Coordinator to continue working with our feeder primary schools.
What are the benefits it has made to sports participation and achievement?
Our initial focus was on raising the profile of physical education in the school via the GCSE results and through extra-curricular activities to broaden the focus away from just team games, in the main football, to provide a breadth of activity for every child in school. This has been achieved by a combination of staff within the school and the huge involvement with the development of sports in the school by community groups who provide the impetus for community engagement and Out of School Hours Learning (OSHL).
Traditionally all students participate in the equivalent of two hours of compulsory Physical Education each week throughout Key Stages 3 and 4; pupils were given the opportunity to ‘opt’ for a GCSE in Physical Education at the end of Year 9. Unfortunately, this usually meant that a large proportion of the year group did not further their potential in gaining an academic qualification within sport.
To this end we have ceased to have PE as an option subject and instead we deliver three different nationally recognised sporting qualifications in Years 9 and 10 supporting our ‘personalised learning’ approach within PE. This provides our students with an extra qualification (worth GCSE points) a year early, but also provides the young people with the opportunity to acquire leadership or coaching awards throughout Year 11.
We have had sporting successes within Athletics (Yr8 finalists in the team competition and James Powley gained individual success in County Cross Country and Regional Track Events). Our ‘Danceskillz’ troupe have performed at the Jerwood House venue and also the Royal Opera House. Our Footballers have reached the County final for the 3rd time in succession and we have an established competitive Rugby team for the first time in a number of years.
What has been the benefit to education generally at the school?
Westbourne now have Young Leaders in our language department as well as within PE. Pupils within Design Technology are working towards Olympic inspired projects. Every child has access to a sporting qualification. A full range of trips enrich our curriculum as well as the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. A PE specialist works with our feeder primaries on a day to day basis. We are also working towards Healthy Schools Status as well as aiming to engage in international links to develop cross curricular work as part of the Olympic Education programme.
What difference has it made to primary schools in your area?
The primary schools have benefited from our hands-on leadership and coaching programme. Primary schools have access to activities that we provide here and at their school. We also develop young coaches within the School Sport Partnership who go on to volunteer and work in local schools increasing participation and raising the profile of clubs within the area.
What about the rest of the Community?
Our community plan is probably our biggest and exciting challenge. We are open from 7.30am until 9.30pm as a consequence of the Sports College status. Football, Netball, Basketball, Judo and Dance clubs are based at the school. We have also employed a Fitness Suite Manager who is able to offer a fitness consultation and provide a fitness programme for staff, parents and the community clubs at reasonable rates. We are looking to further the work of the Fitness Suite by offering fitness classes and other health promotions on the college premises.
What’s the most frustrating thing(s) about secondary sport?
Transport to and from fixtures has to be the biggest concern to competitive sport at present with lots of staff involved with clubs and teams and most being under 30. Without the D1 licence, it’s a struggle getting teams to fixtures and local events.
