Coombeshead College Trust
Creating and developing opportunities for pupils and staff in
the areas of Every Child Matters, The media arts specialism,
sustainability and the curriculum with particular emphasis on
internationalism and the environment.
This single school trust opened in April 2008. The college
is 11-19 with approximately 1600 students serving the areas of
Newton Abbot, the surrounding villages, and Torbay.
Partners: - BBC South West, Exeter University, British Council,
Sustainability South West, Phoenix Educational Trust.
The school was already working with many of trust partners which
were chosen because they matched the ethos and aspirations of the
school. All partners brought a particular knowledge/skill/
expertise to the school. For example, The Phoenix Educational
Trust’s involvement in the Student Voice agenda was working towards
increased engagement of students in the life of the college. There
is now a student governor presence at staff interviews, and also
making a contribution to creating a sense of community.
Examples of trust impact include:
- New extra- curricular activities ranging from the Green Group
and a half - termly Coombeshead News Lines through to Radio and
Television Clubs and the Comenius project work.
- Photography and Animation has changed and developed a range of
courses. Students in KS3 have a lesson of media entitled “How media
operates in everyday life”.
- Year 8 have a Film Week with workshops on moving images and
students have taken part in the Exeter Film Festival.
- Pupils had guidance, comfort and reassurance in their own
classrooms through the radios fitted throughout the school on the
morning a pupil from a nearby school was diagnosed with the swine
flu.
- Specific teaching staff are engaged a lot more in areas such as
sustainability and in professional development activities. For
example, international links and the Professional International
Leadership Award and Moving Images Programmes.
- The school entered the BBC Schools World Report Day reflecting
the involvement of the BBC in the life of the school.
- The University of Exeter has worked with groups of students for
research into various aspects of teaching and learning.
Plans for the future include joint trust partner projects such
as Exeter University and the British Council working on global
education in the classroom, and Phoenix and the BBC linking to
Student Voice and how the media supports this.
“Our Trust will transform the ethos of the school over the next
four or five years” (John Patton, Headteacher at Coombeshead
College)