Despite the very real improvements in education during the last 10 years, many teenagers still switch off at 14 and fail to achieve their potential. Sadly, some young people decide that academic subjects are not for them because they can’t see the relevance to the world of work.
This continuing problem manifests itself in the 10 per cent of young people aged 16-19 who are not in education employment or training and in the failure of many others to achieve their potential. At the same time business leaders complain that young people need to improve their soft skills.
But, what would it be like to learn in a school located in a working business – where these bored teenagers suddenly had the chance to flourish?
Plans are being drawn up to open just this type of new comprehensive school – Studio Schools – where students work for a day a week in a business and study for their GCSEs through projects linked to their work.
Young people at this type of school would gain responsibility through their work and older students would be paid and could manage their younger colleagues. Studio schools would also focus on developing the soft skills – which are in such high demand by employers – such as the ability to communicate with customers.
There seems to be real potential in this approach to 14-19 education. It builds on best practice in Britain and abroad and seems to provide a realistic way to help fulfil Labour’s pledge to raise the education leaving age to 18.
A team at The Young Foundation is working with the Department for Children Schools and Families to set up a series of pilot studio schools. These schools would provide this new type of education for 14-19-year-olds in small secondaries with around 300 places.
The project team see this as a key piece of social entrepreneurship. They believe it builds on the legacy of their founder, Michael Young, who helped write Labour’s 1945 manifesto and was partly responsible for developing the Open University.
The project is in its early stages, but it should be one to watch for those interested in tackling underachievement among teenagers. Many schools and local authorities are showing an interest in this approach and the foundation has attracted substantial support from the business community.
Issues to be overcome include how to fund a school of this size and how to integrate admissions into young people’s choices at 14. However, the project team is confident that these can be overcome, as a great deal of progress has already been made.
Matt Rodda