Derwentside District Councillor Janice Docherty

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When Councillor Janice Docherty and Alan Hodgson,
Director of Information Services at Derwentside
first sat down to talk about this special project
three years ago their concerns were focussed on
how they could raise education standards and
aspirations particularly in some of our more
disadvantaged areas.
Derwentside District Councillor Janice Docherty
Alan Hodgson, Director of Information Services
Three wards targeted in the Stanley Green
Corridor of Derwentside
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The statistics at the time were undoubtedly
bleak The communities of Craghead, South Stanley
and South Moor together make up our Stanley Green
Corridor were ranked in the most deprived 10 in
the country for education.
Yes, the stats were bleak but they were
determined to do something that would make a real
difference and were determined to turn their
dreams of brighter futures for all into concrete
reality.
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• The Project?
• The AB_at_H Project is a three year Pilot
• using ICT provision set up to establish whether-
• ICT provision and skills in conjunction with
  educational support and family learning can lead
  to enhanced attainment and raising of aspirations
  in deprived areas to
• improve basic skills in numeracy/literacy and
  IT
• improve school results - educational
  support and family learning
• enhance attainment and raise
  aspirations of local people
• encourage community
  cohesion
• Once fully evaluated and depending on its success
  
• it will be considered for potential mainstreaming

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• Aims of the Project
• To improve educational aspirations and attainment
• To reduce barriers to learning and employment
• Utilise broadband infrastructure and improve
  access to learning opportunities and development

• Objectives of the Project
• 300 homes to get a computer and broadband
  connectivity
• Introduce a community Virtual Learning Network
• Interaction between schools, homes, community
  centres and training centres etc
• Family learning opportunities to raise attainment
  and aspirations
• Extra teacher support on line
• E-learning partnership with training providers

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• Project Partners
• Derwentside District Council
• Derwentside College
• Training
  Providers within Derwentside
• Durham County Council
• Stanley Green Corridor NM

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Project Funding - 1 million

• Neighbourhood Renewal Fund
• DTI broadband
• European Social Funding
• Stanley Green Corridor Neighbourhood
  Management

• 440,000
• 280,000
• 149,607
• 150,000
• 1,019,607

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Critical Success Factors

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Genders 266 Families 978 people

• We have at present 266 computers in the
  homes
• We are working with 978 people between the
  ages of 0 65
• 422 of these people are aged between 25 65
  and can be classed as
• potential adult learners.

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This graph shows where the age groups relate in
the overall picture with 345 students between the
ages of 11 - 15 participating in the project
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Occupational Status We can use this information
to assess the best times to arrange courses and
the groups most likely to attend
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WHAT HAVE WE DONE??

• installed computers with broadband
  connectivity into the
• homes of families (266 at present)
• worked with the school to introduce a
  Virtual Learning Platform
• Created extra teacher support
• Create closer Interaction between schools
  and families
• community centres, training centres etc
• Provided Family learning opportunities to
  raise attainment and
• aspirations
• Provided Individual support through home
  tutoring when required
• Created E-learning partnership with
  training providers 

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EDUCATION

• This project was targeted at families with
  children in the first year of secondary school as
  we believe this is the right time to really help
  young people make the most of the opportunities
  on offer.
• It is at this time that young people are on the
  brink of a very important time in their lives.
• We therefore felt that if this project could help
  them, and their parents, to really get involved
  in education and work together to improve
  standards it could make a huge difference to
  their future.

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Educational History

• The communities of Craghead, South Stanley and
  South Moor (Stanley Green Corridor) were ranked
  in the most deprived 10 in the country for
  education.
• In January 1998 Key Stage 2 educational
  attainment in the
• Stanley Green Corridor communities was 12 per
  cent below the national target average.
• And at Key Stage 4 the percentage of pupils
  obtaining five or more A-C GCSEs at our four
  main secondary schools was more than 12 per cent
  below the national average for England in 2000.

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• Just a few years ago it was a bleak picture
• - but today it is a very different story.

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• The Headteacher and staff have fully supported
  the project
• The school has achieved the highest results for
  improved attendance
• Best school in County for most improved
• The top school for Value Added
• in the top 10 for most improved results

• 5A to C 51
• 5A to G 92
• 1A - C 72
• A - G 97
• 21 increase in
• results (2005)

• 5A to C 60
• 5A to G 100
• 1A - C 100
• A - G 100
• 10 increase in
• results (2006)

Janet Bridges (Head) Stanley School of Technology
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• The Aspirations Begin at Home project
• helping the school fulfil their obligation to
  extend school provision to pupils and the wider
  community
• keeping in line with the UK Governments
  initiative for provision of ICT into schools
• has been acknowledged by Best Value Inspectors
• Achieved a high level of adult learning and
  family learning opportunities

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Training Achieved
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Learning Premium (online encyclopedia)
ABAH joined forces with South Stanley School of
Technology to sign up to a new website for
pupils, teachers and parents. The website,
created by technical experts at The Guardian aims
to boost learning at home.
Learn Premium gives pupils, teachers and
parents a focus, taking them on a colourful,
eye-catching journey through
the curriculum.
The site includes revision tips, tests with
answers and feedback and moving images helping to
bring learning to life. There are also links to
the Guardians own research archives.
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• PARTNERSHIPS
• Working in partnership is very important and
  plays a large part in our project working with
  the community and other community partners.
• During the course of the project we have worked
  with a number of schools and partners to achieve
  our targets
• A number of the students who are part of the AB_at_H
  project are also involved with other Derwentside
  Projects ie SPICE, Green Corridor Kids Co-op and
  the Say Stanley Active Youth Project showing
  their community involvement
•  

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• Lets not forget the local community centres
• and the support they have given to the AB_at_H
  project
• Staff from Craghead Village Hall have on a number
  of occasions helped deliver presentations
  including video conferencing demonstrations to
  interested parties.(eg facilitated a presentation
  of AB_at_H as part of a Committee of the Regions EU
  presentation held at the Gala Theatre in Durham.)
• Craghead Village hall also provided accommodation
  and facilities for ECDL courses, Email Internet
  Courses and TROCN Courses

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• The BRANWA centre who helped locate a tutor
  and full use
• of their facilities for us to be able to
  offer Clait courses to
• adults to help us reach and achieve the
  targets set by ESF
• targets
• South Stanley Community Centre who provided
  
• accommodation and facilities for family
  learning animation
• courses delivered and film making course
  lead by Tyneside
• Cinema.
• The AB_at_H Technicians helped to set up and
  install
• reconditioned computers to the centre
  provided through the
• project for a new IT suite.

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We have 4 Young people working towards an IT
apprenticeship
Funding for Trainees Stanley Green Corridor
Neighbourhood Partnership ESF DTI
Michael
Michaela
Ryan
Jamie
Jamie
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• This project has provided the trainees with a
  good grounding and knowledge of IT for future
  employment
• The 3 year apprenticeship has offered them the
  opportunity to undertake hands on work in a
  variety of IT job related areas
• Given them the chance to sit and achieve a number
  of accredited qualifications

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• The project has provided these trainees with a
  variety of training opportunities and as part of
  their apprenticeship they have undertaken and
  successfully achieved training in-
• Customer Care
• Delivering Customer
  Services in the Field
• Equality
  Diversity
• First Aid
• Health
  Safety
• 
  Ladder Training
• 
  Manual Handling

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• Training and Qualifications

• NVQ Level 2 IT Practitioners qualification
  (completed)
• Network qualification
• (exam to be taken in Dec 2007)
• CCNA (Cisco) qualification
• (exam to be taken in Jun 2008)
• ECDL
• (European Computer Driving Licence) completed

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• We have carried out a number of Events,
• Presentations and activities which have
  included-
• Open Evenings at the school Terry Deary
• Guy Fawkes 400 year celebration Play etc
• Launch of a Newpaper - students
• Tasty Voices Intergenerational and Spanish
  Night

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• We have promoted and disseminiated the project in
  a number of ways by
• delivering presentations, publications and
  discussion with interested parties
• For example-
• LSP Presentation Stadium of Light
• Committee of the Regions (Brussels)
• EU Conference Gala Theatre Durham
• Bridging the Broadband Gap (Brussels)
• Scrutiny Panel
• Green Corridor Presentations and publications
• Education Providers as part of other training
  providers promotions
• Articles eg Durham Governors Magazine
• Beacon Council events ..

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• Future Plans??