Excellence in Cities

As part of the Excellence in Cities Partnership we benefit from three of the funded strands.

Learning Support Unit

As a school we had already established a Social Inclusion Unit because we recognised that some pupils find complying with the rules and regulations in school difficult!

They exhibit challenging, disruptive behaviour which obviously cannot be tolerated in a mainstream school. However, we wish to give our young people every opportunity of staying within our school recognising that if permanently excluded they may also end up excluded from society.

Our aim was to provide them with an alternative provision for 6 weeks, during which they would follow their National Curriculum subjects and option choices in Key Stage 4, but also receive support in how to manage their behaviour.

For this period of time they were taught in a separate unit. The results were very good, with the vast majority of pupils reintegrating successfully into mainstream.

The designation of Wirral as an EiC area meant the money made available for a Learning Support Unit enabled us to enhance our provision and cater for more pupils.

Learning Mentor

The money for this strand has allowed us to appoint a Learning Mentor who works with our pupils at risk of permanent exclusion. She assist them whilst they attend the Learning Support Unit and also supports them during their re-integration into mainstream lessons.

Gifted and Talented Strand

For many years Woodchurch High School had an Able Child Policy and so, when EiC provided funding to enhance the provision of Gifted and Talented pupils we were delighted. The money has enabled us to appoint a member of staff as Co-ordinator and to finance a variety of extra curricular experiences for our Gifted and Talented pupils. Here are some of our extra curricular experiences:

• Jaguar Challenge
• Balinese Orchestra
• Residential Art Trips
• Jodrell Bank visit
• Writers in residence
• Artists in residence
• Geography Field trips

The Excellence Challenge Initiative introduced by the Government aimed at widening participation into Higher Education particularly for pupils from socially deprived backgrounds and from families who have no previous experience of Higher Education has also enabled us to provide exciting activities for a number of our young people.

Exciting activities for a number of our young people:

• Study Skills days
• Thinking Corner
• Visiting University Lecturers
• University Summer Schools
• Year 9 University Residentials