|
Education in Bicester
►
Click here to
view - Joint letter home to Parents
►
Click here to read further public consultation information
and to have your say on future schooling in Bicester
►
Read or Download the Public consultation document in pdf
format by clicking here
Dear Parents
You will no doubt be aware that views are shortly to be taken on
future changes to secondary provision in Bicester and we would like
to take this opportunity to make clear to yourselves (the parents of
children who will have most to benefit from these developments)
that, as headteachers in the town and surrounding villages, we are
united in supporting one of the proposals being put forward.
This proposal is to create a new purpose-built 14+ Learning Centre
with both The Cooper School and Bicester Community College becoming
11-18 schools running joint Sixth Form provision.
We believe that it is a unique opportunity for Bicester to be at the
forefront of visionary educational provision across the entire
country. We would offer students in the town an education system fit
for 21st century purpose which ensures everyone is highly
literate, highly numerate, capable of learning constantly, confident
and able to play their part as well-informed citizens of a
democratic society.
How will a
New 14+ Learning Centre benefit the people of Bicester?
It will:
-
Raise aspirations and increase the number of learners
progressing to Sixth Form and Higher Education;
-
Enable learners to continue their studies in the immediate local
area;
-
Provide new opportunities at all levels of ability and increase
lifelong learning;
-
Provide specialist accommodation and equipment to support the
new courses and qualifications;
-
Develop sufficient flexibility to include new programmes and
qualifications;
-
Revise the curriculum to meet economic and individual needs and
address existing local skills shortages;
-
Increase the provision of Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 courses
(please refer to Appendix 1);
-
Allow learning to develop according to local growth employment
sectors;
-
Provide enhanced opportunities for learning for adults.
How will a joint Sixth Form benefit students? It will:
-
Ensure continuity of choice allowing students to study for ‘A’
Levels in their community schools;
-
Provide greater flexibility in options available to students;
-
Increase links with Further and Higher Education Institutions;
-
Enable a greater range of extra-curricular opportunities;
-
Maximise the opportunity for Sixth Formers to engage with
younger students on both sites, helping with activities, taking
more responsibility.
We believe
this proposal will bring Bicester into a new and exciting age of
world class educational provision. It will enable the
increased and more diverse choices outlined above. It will
also offer young people and adults options which motivate and
encourage them to remain in learning and to develop the higher-level
skills that business wants and needs. At the same time this
will have the effect of driving up levels of achievement across the
population, developing enterprise and entrepreneurship skills in
young people, raising their aspirations and ambitions, and those of
families, for their future prosperity. As professional
educators we are excited by this unique opportunity and committed to
making it work for all of our young people. We hope that you
too will share this vision for Bicester and support us by speaking
to your headteacher and taking the opportunity of becoming actively
involved in the decision-making process. You can take part by
responding to the consultation document when it becomes available
and attending the public meeting(s) coordinated by the Local
Authority and scheduled to take place during the formal consultation
period.
Yours sincerely
The Headteachers
of:
Bardwell, Bure Park, Bicester Community College, Brookside, Charlton
on Otmoor, Chesterton, Cooper School, Finmere, Five Acres,
Fringford, Fritwell, Glory Farm, King’s Meadow, Langford Village,
Launton, Longfields, Southwold, St Edburg’s, St Mary’s.
|