BROADSTONE GETS A SPECIALIST COLLEGE

Twenty five years ago Dr Brian Harper and his "first eleven" teachers met with one hundred and ten twelve year old children in the old grammar school buildings in King Street Wimborne. This was the beginning of Corfe Hills School which one year later moved into the first of the new buildings on what was then windswept heath at the top of Higher Blandford Road as one of Dorset's few purpose-built comprehensive schools.

A quarter of a century on, nine thousand students later, the school is a major local business with a £4.5 million budget, 1,600 students and 160 teaching and support staff. It is also one of the government's vanguard specialist Technology Colleges, with additional funding to enhance provision in technology, science, maths and particularly ICT. To be eligible for specialist status a school has to raise £50,000 in sponsorship. One unusual feature in this case was the involvement of the three feeder middle schools, including, of course, Broadstone Middle, among the sponsors. In return they receive capital and recurrent funding from the considerable additional resources provided to Corfe Hills.

"Our links with our Pyramid schools are central to our success" says Andrew Williams, headteacher "their work is our foundation. Assistance to their specialist facilities, books, staff training and joint projects across the schools will accelerate the progress of pupils!' Corfe Hills now has over 360 networked PCs with more on the way. ICT, CD roms, intranet and internet resources are revolutionising education and we are determined that the school should be in the forefront of this new learning age!' But this does not mean less emphasis on other aspects of the curriculum. 1 want all subjects, and all students, to feel special. This is the essence of comprehensive education. We value all equally and celebrate the achievements of all." No greater proof of this is needed than the school's sixteenth annual Towngate musical, this year South Pacific, which brought together the very best of drama, music, art and technology on stage at the Poole Arts Centre last December, or the showcase rugby and hockey tour of South America last summer by senior students.

And the future? In the longer term Corfe Hills and other schools are likely to become focal points of community learning. "At present we have our hands full catering for 1,600 students during the day, and a host of adult education classes most evenings." Mr Williams says "But patterns of education, training and employment are changing rapidly and 1 can foresee the day when the fantastic learning resources at Corfe Hills are being used much more widely and flexibly around the clock and the calendar. The new emphasis on lifelong learning will take education out of the conventional box we are used to." The school is making a start with the employment of a trainer in ICT who will offer twilight classes for parents in computing in order to better support their children's learning. Conversely, the students will be able to log on to the school's resources from their home PC in order to continue with work started at school or to access materials stored on the Corfe Hills intranet.

All of which makes one wonder just what changes the next quarter century holds in store for this and our other local schools.

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