The Durham Federation: two small rural secondary schools serving ex-mining villages

Case study

The Durham Federation provides a wide and imaginative curriculum that would not be feasible in two small rural secondary schools; with a focus on community regeneration and developing confident and high aspiring young people.

Key learning and outcomes

An extensive vocational curriculum has been created based on the specialism of each school. This in turn has engaged learners, improved attendance in both schools and improved outcomes. The vocational provision also attracts attendance from a significant cohort of learners from other schools.
Economies of scale mean that there are shared federation appointments that, because they can be better paid, attract higher calibre candidates.
The federation employs five advanced skills teachers (ASTs) across the federation. This has lead to a well-supported focus on improving teaching and learning through a coaching and mentoring model.
Shared continuing professional development (CPD) across the federation on a regular, weekly basis means that all staff are involved in the values and ethos of the organisation.
A strong student voice has real influence on decision making through a student council that involves 25 per cent of the student body.
Students enjoy a wide range of social activities together and benefit from a focus on emotional intelligence (EQ) and relationship training in the early years of their time in the federation. Coming from 13 distinctive village communities, the positive attitudes generated by these opportunities will inevitably have positive longer term benefits.
Three curriculum areas (departments) are cross-federation with the HCA teaching predominantly at one site, but leading the curriculum area across the federation. Teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) costs are shared across both colleges.
Standards are rising in both schools. Contextual value added (CVA) measures place both schools in the top five per cent and four per cent of schools nationally. The rise in numbers of students achieving five good GCSEs over the last three years shows a significant upward trend. The data shows that those students taught in the federation partner school make greater rates of progress than those who study exclusively in their ‘own’ school.

Background

The Durham Federation is a hard federation of two small 11-16 rural secondary schools: Durham Community Business College and Fyndoune Community College. It has a single governing body and serves 13 ex-mining villages in County Durham. It has a combined roll of 750 students with a visiting roll of a further 70 students at Key Stage 4.

The federation grew from an existing relationship between the schools. With full support from both governing bodies, the schools sought to formalise their relationship and provide long-term sustainability. It was formed in 2006 under the 2002 Federation Regulations.

Key challenges

Competition from 11-18 schools

There are six local schools with sixth forms. Some parents prefer to send their child to an 11-18 school rather than an 11-16 school.

Developing further collaborations

There is the potential to work more closely with either or both of the primary clusters that surround the federation.

Developing a single campus, all-through model of leadership

Some consider the next logical step to be an all-through school.

Safeguarding

A two campus, multi-use organisation could be potentially vulnerable. A range of people, including those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) and adults now visit the site to engage in learning and leisure activities.

Solutions

Rapidly improving performance

Competition from 11-18 schools has been challenged by the rapidly improving performance of the Durham Federation. One school in the federation was placed in the National Challenge in 2008 and had made significant improvements by 2009. (45 per cent A*-C including English and Maths and 85 per cent A*-C). The outcomes reflect improvements to teaching and learning.

Curriculum choice

The federation is able to offer an imaginative and relevant curriculum that builds on the combined specialisms of business, technology and enterprise, and humanities. Engaging vocational courses are available to students, and these are now attracting growing numbers of students from other local schools.

Increasing collaborations

Further collaborations will be supported by the ambition to develop as a studio school, a 14-19 school designed for young people disengaged with the current education system. The developing range of other educational activities on the federation sites, for example for NEETs, will also lead to more collaborations.

Safeguarding

The issues around safeguarding, particularly in the light of the new Ofsted framework, are taken very seriously. The federation has many shared posts but in areas where a daily watching brief is required - such as inclusion - each school has a person in post. The staffing of extended services is also high.

Next steps

The Durham Federation is currently in discussion with a number of potential partners and is actively pursuing the idea of becoming a studio school.

Further information

For further information contact The Durham Federation.