Building a Brighter Future Investing in Schools for the 21st Century Building Schools For The Future – Our Vision Luton – Building Schools for the Future INDEX Section Title Page 1 INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 General background 3 1.2 Local Context 4 1.3 Corporate priorities 5 1.4 School Visions and BSF 6 1.5 Consultation 7 2 SCHOOL ORGANISATION 9 2.1 Current Context 9 2.2 Proposed High School Estate – Consideration of Factors 10 2.3 Pupil number estimates 10 2.4 Localised Pressure 11 2.5 Inward / Outward Migration 11 2.6 Demography and Transport 12 2.7 Parental Preference 12 2.8 Surplus Places 12 2.9 Site considerations 12 2.10 Sixth Form Provision 13 2.11 Special Educational Provision in the Secondary Sector 13 2.12 Pupil Referral Unit 13 2.13 Academies 14 2.14 Specialist Schools 14 2.15 Diversity 15 2.16 Single Sex Education In Luton 16 3 EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND PROVISION 16 3.1 Key Stage 3 16 3.2 Key Stage 4 18 3.3 Post-16 20 3.4 Teaching and Learning 21 3.5 Areas for Improvement 23 4 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT / TACKLING SCHOOL 23 UNDERPERFORMANCE AND FAILURE 4.1 The current position 24 4.2 The school improvement cycle 24 4.3 Identifying and tackling underperformance 26 4.4 Identifying underachievement of groups 27 4.5 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 27 5 INTO THE FUTURE 27 5.1 The Luton Vision for Secondary Education and Training 27 5.2 Luton Secondary Strategy and Personalised Learning 29 5.3 Campus Luton and Every Child Matters 31 5.4 Teaching/Learning and the Curriculum in Campus Luton 33 5.5 14-19 Provision 34 5.6 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 37 1 Luton – Building Schools for the Future 6 ICT AND E-LEARNING 38 6.1 Introduction 38 6.2 Current Provision 39 6.3 Vision for BSF 41 6.4 ICT and a Luton Secondary Learner 42 6.5 How will we bring this about? 43 7 CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 47 AND TRANSFORMING THE SCHOOL WORKFORCE 7.1 Current Provision 47 7.2 The Vision 49 7.3 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 50 8 SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND 50 INCLUSION (INCLUDING BEHAVIOUR AND ATTENDANCE) 8.1 Introduction 50 8.2 Current Provision 52 8.3 Current Priorities 53 8.4 Proposed Action to Address Priorities 54 8.5 Implications for BSF including design 58 9 CHILDREN’S SERVICES, EXTENDED SCHOOLS 59 AND COMMUNITY LINKS 9.1 Current position 59 9.2 Priorities for improvement 59 9.3 The Extended Schools Strategy 60 9.4 The Strategy Approach 61 9.5 Core Offer 62 9.6 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 63 10 14-19 TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR LUTON 63 10.1 Introduction 63 10.2 The Approach in Luton 64 10.3 Further developments 64 10.4 A partnership approach to local delivery 65 10.5 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 65 11 SCHOOL MEALS PROVISION 66 11.1 Current Provision 66 11.2 Priorities for improvement 67 11.3 Priorities for action 67 11.4 Implications for Building Schools for the Future 69 12 CAMPUS LUTON AND GOVERNANCE 69 12.1 Joint operation of services 69 12.2 Federation of Schools 70 Appendices 71 1 Pupil projections to 2016 72 2 Parental preference 73 2 Luton – Building Schools for the Future 3 Supply and demand for places in the secondary sector 74 4 Rationalisation of the high school estate 75 5 Current provision for SEN 77 6 School children’s survey (Years 9-11) – implications for 79 the Vision 7 Design innovation in BSF – Concepts, Indicators, Aims 81 and Terms 8 Post-16 information 83 9 Map showing soft area alignment and location of schools 88 Luton Borough Council Building Schools for the Future 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 General background 1. Luton is one of the largest towns in South East England, with a population of 184,000 residents, and about 71,000 households. The population is projected to rise to 189,000 by 2010. 2. The average age of residents is 34.9 years, compared to 38.6 in England and Wales, partly due to the students at Luton University, and also a high local birth rate. However, by 2010 there will also be a 9% increase in the number of people aged 75 and over living in Luton. 3. Luton’s people come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Approximately 28% are of Black and Minority Ethnic origin, with significant Pakistani/Kashmiri, Bangladeshi, Indian and African Caribbean communities. In recent years the diversity of the population has been augmented by asylum seekers, and there are now small communities of Albanian, Russian and Turkish speakers. 20% of the population were born outside the UK. 44% of children in Luton schools speak a first language other than English. 4. Luton is about 30 miles north of London and has excellent transport links. London Luton International Airport lies on the edge of the town, and more than 7 million travellers pass through there every year. The Government has proposed permitting expansion of traffic on the single runway, as demand requires it, up to the maximum capacity of 30 million passengers per year by 2030. Luton is also on the M1 motorway 10 minutes from the M25. The town also enjoys a frequent 30-minute rail service to London, and rail connections north to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, and south to Gatwick Airport and Brighton. 5. Luton is a major sub-regional employment centre with approximately 90,000 jobs. Major employers include the airport, airlines, and Luton-Dunstable hospital, Luton Borough Council, Luton University and the motor industry. The service sector now provides as many jobs as manufacturing. There is a successful business park at Capability Green, which has attracted new companies such as AstraZeneca UK and BAe Systems, and another is under development at Butterfield Green. Unemployment is comparatively high for the region, with higher unemployment in the inner wards of the borough, particularly among some minority ethnic groups. There are also pockets of unemployment in some peripheral estates. 3 Luton – Building Schools for the Future 6. Improving education and training are key priorities for the town, as residents have a comparatively low level of qualifications compared to other parts of the country (23% have the equivalent of NVQ3 or higher, and 31% have no qualifications). Luton has 12 mainstream secondary schools, one of which has a sixth form. At the age of 16, young people can continue their education in the beacon-rated Luton Sixth Form College and Barnfield FE College. The University of Luton in the town centre has an excellent reputation for business, media studies, marketing and PR, and attracts many overseas students. The University has twice finished top in national tables for the percentage of graduates gaining employment. 7. Luton is densely populated. There is no land left for development; all housing development has to take place on land previously built on and there is a shortage of brownfield sites. However, the Government has proposed that the area north of Luton, together with the neighbouring towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis should accommodate additional growth of 20,554 dwellings together with associated employment growth and infrastructure, by 2021. Most of this development will take place in Houghton Regis and on greenfield sites to the northwest of Luton. 8. A shortage of affordable housing remains a problem for Luton residents, and rental prices have been inflated by the demand amongst students at the university. The Council has a housing stock of approximately 9,000 dwellings, and there are just over 7,000 applicants on the waiting list. 9. Luton has more than 1,500 acres of recreational space and seven attractive parks, but there is a shortage of open space in some of the central wards. Sports facilities include a dedicated athletics arena, three leisure centres and six swimming pools, and the town has a reputation for hosting prestigious sporting events. Luton FC, “The Hatters”, has a devoted following. There are three museums, the Galaxy centre with its restaurants and multiplex cinema, the Hat Factory arts and media centre, the Library theatre, several nightclubs and a wide range of restaurants. Despite the lack of a large performance venue, there is a wide range of arts and cultural events. Every year the Luton Carnival attracts about 140,000 visitors, and many residents from all ethnic backgrounds participate throughout the year in carnival clubs to prepare elaborate costumes and performances. Other events, such as the Irish Fleadh and St. Patrick’s Day, a major film festival and the Mela, all add to Luton’s vibrant community spirit. 1.2 Local Context Luton is one of a small number of Wave 1-3 authorities where the entire secondary school estate will be rebuilt or refurbished in one ‘hit’, i.e. over a consecutive period of some 4 years. As a result, the positive impact on Luton will be dramatic and will provide further opportunities and benefits not available to authorities where Building Schools for the Future (BSF) takes place in discontinuous waves over a longer period. The following summarises the benefits to Luton of BSF: 1.2.1 Employees It will be easier, in an extremely competitive market, to attract, recruit and retain inspirational leaders, teachers and other school based staff. Campus Luton will allow real opportunities for career development for staff choosing to work in Luton 4 Luton – Building Schools for the Future 1.2.2 Local Communities The development of extended and full-service schools will help support localised regeneration in the Borough.