October 2007 Page 1 of 3

Smethwick Learning Campus Vision

The Smethwick Learning Campus will enable the delivery of inclusive and personalised education to learners through the collaboration of Holly Lodge High School College of Science and Ruskin House PRU. The Campus will also have an important community focus, serving Smethwick and the wider Sandwell community. The school and Pupil Referral Unit remain as separate institutions, with separate leadership and governance, within a campus colocated solution.

As a Local Authority, Sandwell view the development of this campus solution as a flagship of educational delivery within a built form that will serve as a beacon of regeneration in Smethwick. This will be as a direct result of the symbiosis of significantly raised levels of attainment and extended services (including adult and other community provision such as health services). The development of post16 education and family learning will promote lifelong learning, thereby raising aspirations and improving life chances.

The proposed colocation of Holly Lodge High School College of Science and Ruskin House Pupil Referral Unit will further develop inclusive educational thinking. The Smethwick Learning Campus will provide a variety and diversity of support for all learners within the collaborative and enable them to access learning opportunities and to achieve high levels of attainment. A fully integrated Inclusion Centre in the school will be a beacon of provision (a ‘one stop shop’) for the local community. It will contain an Inclusion Room for preexcluded learners, a suited SEN Base for learners with a wide range of special needs (principally Moderate Learning and Specific Learning), a Language Support Base, a Learner Support Base for learning mentors and academic coaches, as well as bases for the Smethwick multidisciplinary and school multiagency teams and a Connexions/Careers Centre. A Wellbeing Centre will provide support for physical and emotional needs through School Health Nurses and other specialist practitioners. A Family Support Base will be an area for parents, meetings, processing admissions to the school, and SEN and Language Support assessments. LACE workers will liaise with staff and learners and carers and multidisciplinary meetings will also take place here.

The Pupil Referral Unit will cater for hard to place pupils within the collaborative and make provision for learners who need small group support away from the mainstream. Flexibility of approach will allow a continuity of provision for ‘at risk’ learners preexclusion. The PRU will benefit from the school’s health specialism and Inclusion Centre facilities and services. Some PRU learners when they are ready will have supervised access to mainstream specialist facilities and learning opportunities across the collaborative.

The overall campus vision has been driven by the commitment to further develop innovative and creative practices in teaching and learning and the provision of care, guidance and support in proportion to learners’ needs. Through this inclusive practice, learners will maximise their potential academically, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually (Every Child Matters). Learners will, therefore, ultimately make a positive contribution as citizens within their community. Download full document