Specialist School Status
In July 2008 Danesfield school was awarded specialist school status.
Click on this link to view the Specialist Schools website:www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools
Danesfield Science College plans for 2008-2009
For Danesfield pupils
- Trial a group of 30 Year 7 pupils with their own laptops – (depending on the success of the trial this will be extended)
- 2 year KS3 pilot group to take their Science and Maths Year 9 SAT in May 2009
- All pupils to follow accelerated curriculum in Maths and Science starting in September 2008
- New Science software to improve Teaching and Learning
- SENTEO hardware and software to improve teaching and learning across the school
- Introduction of the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) in Science, Mathematics and Geography to extend out of school learning opportunities
- Curriculum visits outside of school and guest visitors coming into school
- Extra curricular clubs to be offered in Science and Maths
For partner school pupils
· Termly visits to Danesfield to work with similar ability pupils in Maths and Science
· Mathematics HLTA to work 1:1 or 1:2 with pupils experiencing difficulty in Maths
For the wider community
- A garden project is to be established promoting healthy eating and growing of own fruit and vegetables
- A ‘Keeping up with the children’ course to be established to enable parents to learn the newer methods of teaching Maths in order to help their children.
Update
On 6th March 2009 we were delighted to welcome MP Ian Liddell-Grainger to school to the launch of our specialist science status. He spoke of the importance of Science in today’s world. Linking the school’s specialist status with a need to further raise aspirations and standards across West Somerset, he went on to compliment pupils and staff on their achievements.
Nick Swann (Principal of the West Somerset Community College) said how the strong links between Danesfield and the college were going to be even stronger and how Science would underpin the work done in and between the two schools.
Invited guests, staff, governors and parents visited the Science Laboratories to watch Year 6 pupils demonstrating their science skills in a series of experiments. The children taught the adults in a confident and friendly manner.
In November 2009 we were pleased to report that the Polytunnel structure is now fully complete. The paths and benches have been constructed. We have one enterprise project with year 7 who are growing bulbs for sale at the Christmas fair. Forest Schools are also using the polytunnel and have planted trees to grow until the spring.
The 40 netbooks are now fully functional and have a trolley to charge them; they use the schools new wireless network. Science and Engineering week has been agreed in principle and will hopefully take place 12th-21st March 2010. This is National Science and Engineering week.
In November Governors and Nigel Johnson visited EDF in Bridgwater to assess any help we may be able to receive. They identified potential opportunities for fieldwork at Coombwich Wharf, which will be redeveloped in the next few years in anticipation of the power station being built.
15 - 19 March 2010 - Science Week (updated on the STEM page of this website)
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