19th September 2005
NEW CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY AGREED FOR UPPER VALLEY SCHOOLS

The creation of a new Construction Academy for pupils wanting to learn trades while still at school has been agreed by the heads of Calder High, Sowerby Bridge High, Ryburn Valley High and Todmorden High in a signing with Calderdale College today (Thursday 15 September 2005). The innovative scheme is part of the new Calderdale Collaborative Framework within which educational organisations work together for the benefit of students of all ages.

A dedicated centre for the trades: joinery, plumbing, bricklaying, painting and decorating and electrical work, is to be established in the Upper Calder Valley for use from January 2006, with eighty pupils aged from 14 to 16-years expected to benefit in the next 18 months. The Academy is to be administered by Calderdale College and co-financed by the European Social Fund and the West Yorkshire Learning & Skills Council. During the course, Year 10 pupils will study at the Construction Academy for two days a week in their first year and have a third day on work placement during the second year.

Girls will be encouraged to take up places equally with boys, with a target of at least ten per cent of girls making up the learner total, and there will be an independent path for application and enrolment, with students chosen on ability and enthusiasm. An Academy Manager has been recruited with responsibility for training standards, retention and achievement and it is expected that employers will act as advisors on curriculum development, as well as providing structured work placements.

“We believe that this is the first Construction Academy of its kind in the region”, said Stephen Ball, head teacher at Calder High School. “A number of pupils in the 14 – 16 age group will benefit from an alternative learning environment out of school. This route enables them to learn a trade while continuing with their core subjects at school. It is an excellent example of how schools and colleges are working together to improve opportunities for young people.”