Chessington Community College: providing a facility for the whole community

Case study

Creating a new school has enabled Chessington to establish itself at the heart of the communitiy, engaging with parents and pupils seven days a week. Benefits have ranged from better staff morale to increased enrolment and the opening of new revenue streams for the school.

Key facts

Type of school: community secondary
Number on roll: 750
Age range: 11-18
Cost of development: £27 million
Date completed: September 2008

Background

Situated in the London borough of Kingston and serving an area that is in sharp contrast to its more affluent neighbours, Chessington Community College has in the past struggled to achieve the floor target of 30 per cent of students achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C. Being part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme has supported a stepchange in aspiration, leading to improvements at the end of Key Stage 4. It is a school very much at the heart of its community, and offers a wide variety of adult learning and leisure opportunities both during and beyond the school day.

Vision

The former headteacher had a clear 10-year vision that focused on life-long learning, personalisation and community involvement. The opportunity of a new building was used to push forward a more ambitious plan for change.

Stakeholders

Staff, governors, pupils, the local authority and members of the wider community were all seen as key stakeholders.

Consultation

The leadership team was very clear that there needed to be the highest possible buy-in from stakeholders, and the implications of a new school were laid out very clearly as early as possible. Several focus groups were set up, and work was done with children and their parents in local primary schools. The senior leadership team was engaged in the dialogue, and decisions arising from discussion groups were made quickly and fed back to avoid frustration.

Transformational change

Key Stage 3 provision has been transformed through the use of faculties and a thematic timetable. The new building allowed for the creation of purpose-built areas where opportunities are offered to study for three diplomas in catering, sport and leisure, and construction. Efforts were made to ensure staff felt highly valued, and in addition to a comfortable staffroom, the school has well-resourced faculty-based preparation areas. The large atrium allows pupils from neighbouring primary and special schools to share dining facilities. This also dispels myths and introduces a community atmosphere to the hub of the school.

Lessons learned

It is essential to strengthen the leadership team at the school while going through the building process. Chessington brought in an experienced deputy head to maintain the focus on teaching and learning throughout, allowing other senior staff to focus on the opportunities for the future. It is important not to underestimate the effect on staff morale while the school is going through a major construction project – a great deal of thought was put into lifting the spirits of the whole team. The head managed to use other sources of funding to add to the BSF funding stream and to factor in lottery grants on saved devolved capital to maximise the opportunity. Don’t underestimate the importance of engaging the community, since both individual and local businesses can provide support. Don’t underestimate the increased cost of utilities brought about by improvements to technology. This needs careful planning.

Impact

There has been a significant improvement in attitudes to work, behaviour and attendance and a fall in exclusions. The school now has a waiting list, whereas before there were always spare places. Greater engagement with the community has supported the increase in pupil attainment and an improved sense of local pride. Staff morale has improved, with significantly fewer absences.

Next steps

Continue to raise standards throughout the school, and push through the 40 per cent barrier for pupils achieving five GCSEs at grades A*-C.
Encourage the three schools that neighbour each other – Chessington, a special school and a primary school – to work even more closely together.
Reach the hard-to-engage parents.
Make the most of the financial opportunities provided by having excellent community facilities on site, and reinvest to ensure continuous improvement.
Extend the school by an extra form of entry in this growing borough.