The Rural DimensionWhat is it?

•An element of the Specialist Schools Initiative

•Not a separate ‘specialism’ but an additional ‘curricular dimension’ which can be added to any specialism

The Rural DimensionHow is the initiative managed?

•Expert Panel - with members from across a broad sweep of the sector

•National Headteachers Steering Group – representative Heads from involved schools

•Small Team of SSAT staff

the Network of Schools involved with the Rural Dimension programme?

•21 ‘accredited’ schools with the number growing rapidly

•Over 50 associated schools with increasing interest from others

•Will all feature on the SSAT website with one page profiles later this year.

What is expected of Schools with a Rural Dimension?

Specialist Schools with a ‘Rural Dimension’ will provide their pupils with opportunities to increase their awareness and understanding of the countryside as a

living, working environment.

What experiences will schools with a Rural Dimension be expected to provide for their

students?

Schools with a ‘Rural Dimension’ will both

•provide young people with practical opportunities to use their environment as a context for learning, and

•Opportunities to study rural issues and themes

across the curriculum.

What subjects will schools with a Rural Dimension be expected to cover?

They will be expected to cover such subjects as •Management of the land•Environmental Stewardship•Rural Businesses and Livelihoods, and •Our Natural and Cultural Heritage.

What will appear in the Curriculum of schools with a Rural Dimension?

Schools with a ‘Rural Dimension’ will have a curriculum which

•Exploits the school grounds as contexts for teaching and learning

•Provides opportunities for learning about living things in both natural and managed environments

•Supports the development of environmental, social and economic responsibility amongst young people

•Encourages good health, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles

•Is enhanced through partnerships with land and environment businesses

•Provides work-based and work-related learning opportunities for young people

•Uses a range of learning styles to ensure high levels of pupil achievement

What will appear in the Curriculum of schools with a Rural Dimension?

This is probably best illustrated by looking at one school and its programme.

Health warning!It should however be borne in mind that this is an example only and is neither fully inclusive of all aspects nor totally representative of the approaches of schools as a whole.

Kirk Hallam Community Technology College

Kirk Hallam Community Technology College•Kirk Hallam is an 11-16 Specialist Technology College of c.1100 students situated in Ilkeston in south east Derbyshire. •It has a catchment which part urban and part rural but only a small minority of students are from truly rural backgrounds.•When it was re-designated as a specialist school in late 2005 it also took on Vocational Education as a second specialism. •At the same time it bid for and achieved Rural Dimension accreditation. It had however been involved in the Rural Dimension initiative for some time.

Kirk Hallam Community Technology CollegeThe main features of its programme are•Land-based and Environmental courses up to level 2•A Horticultural Unit including polytunnel, greenhouse, raised beds, Herb garden and Japanese garden•Egg production unit – 30 hens•Animal work [cattle and sheep] carried out weekly on a local farm•Cross-curricular commitment to Environmental Education•Whole-school programme of Outdoor Education for all students•Strong ‘Healthy Eating’ element in PSHE•Contributions from an Enthusiastic Geography Department•An Annual Community Horticultural Show with 100+classes•Good community and business links•Good curricular links with a local land-based college

Using a range of learning styles to ensure high levels of pupil achievement

students enjoying practical learning as they work on their raised beds in the Horticultural unit

Supporting the development of environmental, social and economic responsibility amongst young people

Students proudly photographed in the new greenhouse they helped to construct. Indeed students have played a major role in all planning, design and construction tasks relating to on-site facilities.

Providing work-based and work-related learning opportunities for young people

Students working on a localfarm. Here they are about to check a Longhorn’s feet.

They also learn how to prepareand show Longhorn cattle at local,county and indeed the Royal Show.

Supporting the development of environmental, social and economic responsibility amongst young people

Team Building as part of PHSE.Students working in teams constructing a raft to be sailed on the River Derwent.

Delivering the Rural Dimension Through a Whole School Outdoor Education Programme

Students taking part in a Caving expedition in the Peak District.

Other activities include walking, abseiling, camping and canoeing. All students take part in a general programme in KS3, with more focussed and advanced activities for selected groups in KS4.

Exploiting the school grounds as a resource for teaching and learning

Students working on a project to plant copses of trees in the School grounds. Other features developed by students include bulb banks and a wildlife pond, whilst advantage is taken by other subjects of the large lake [science and geography] and an area of ancient meadowland and the remains of the Nutbrook Canal [history].

Supporting the development of environmental, social and economic responsibility amongst young people

Students have applied their skills in the local community, often through links with Groundwork Trust.

•students were involved in the construction of the willow screen at Straw’s Bridge last year.

•This year 2 students helped to survey the seasonal wetlands area, also at Straw’s Bridge; and 50 students were involved in planting the area.

• The school has recently assisted Groundwork Trust with coppicing at Pioneer Meadows in Kirk Hallam – work that links directly to the school’s tree planting work.

GNVQ students at Kirk Hallam Community Technology College constructing raised rose beds in the School Herb Garden.

Construction of this garden - which also included a herb ladder, a potager, two hop towers, a bee and butterfly garden, separate features for both mint and thyme, areas, hard landscape and fencing - formed just one of the 6 units of work in their course!

Learning is enhanced through partnership with land and environment businesses

The completed Herb GardenIt was officially opened by Jan Greenland, Council MemberOf the Herb Society.The school has close links with The Herb Society, has received practical support from it, and has featured in its publications and on its website.

Encouraging good health, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles

Produce from the Horticultural Unitand the Herb Garden are used by staff and students in their Food Technology lessons.

Delivering the Rural DimensionThrough Geography

GCSE Geography students on their Annual fieldtrip to Bangor inNorth Wales

The Rural DimensionWhat is the national programme of events ?

•An Annual Conference

•A programme of Regional Workshops for practitioners

•Regional Network events [in early stage]

The First Rural Dimension Conference, March 2006 at Chatsworth

Run in conjunction with the Devonshire Educational Trust, offering topical keynote presentations along with a wide range of workshops covering such topics as•Farm visits and farm-based work experience•Small animal care•Developing qualifications in land-based courses•Delivering the Rural Dimension through the Outdoor Classroom•Increased Flexibility programmes 14-16•Land-based Enterprise activities•Education for Sustainable Development•Ecoschools•Promoting Learning Partnerships

Next Conference July 2007!

Regional Workshop Programme 2006/07

•5 Workshop Days from July 2006 through to March 2007

•Taking place in Somerset, Northumberland, West Sussex, Cheshire and Coventry

•School-based with School’s programme and facilities featured.

•Feedback/consultation on the Specialised Diploma

•Two workshops with presentations and sharing of good practice on how rural dimension programmes are/can be delivered through different subjects e.g. land-based, science, geography, leisure and tourism.

The Rural DimensionInternational Links

•Links initially with Australian schools and Teacher Associations

•Operating at both a school-to-school level and a central SSAT-to-Teacher Association level

•Objective is to share experiences and good practice, learning from each other

•Aim is to widen the scope of the initiative to include other countries where the SSAT has active links such as South Africa, and to involve schools in Developing Countries.

The Rural DimensionRegional Networks

•We are at an early stage in establishing regional networks of schools with pilots having started in both the East and West Midlands

•Efforts will be made to launch further Networks at the Regional Workshop events over the coming year

•Land-based Colleges will be welcomed into these networks and hopefully they will help to strengthen and expand the links which already exist.