The Provider:

Bordesley Green Girls' School, Birmingham

Bordesley Green Girls; School is a popular and oversubscribed 11-16 girls' school. With 607 students on roll, it is smaller than average and serves a very local community. Most students are of Pakistani heritage with the majority speaking English as an additional language. With figures for eligibility for free school meals at 50% and the number of students with special educational needs above the national average, the school recognises in its plans the need to raise aspirations and achievements. The school is well supported by its parental community and from this position aims to extend and develop enterprise capability and social enterprise awareness in students in order to further its overall aim of Bringing Girls Greater Success.

Summary:

The school provides excellence in enterprise education to students at Bordesley Green Girls' School, developing a 'can do' attitude through activities such as: Enterprise & Enrichment Days, the Enterprise Trade Fair (in co-operation with Collegiate schools), enterprising teaching and learning in the curriculum and opportunities for students to take part in enterprising activities.

The Aim:

Since 2003 when the School gained recognition as a Business & Enterprise Specialist School it has developed the curriculum so that enterprise activities and opportunities for students to develop enterprise capability have been available.

What do you see in the school?

• Enterprise has been integrated into the KS3 scheme of work for Information and Business Technology. This started in 2003, prior to the school gaining recognition as a Specialist School for Business & Enterprise. The scheme is based on the Howard Davies' Review, and has been written using his three main enterprise strands: economic and business understanding, financial literacy and enterprise capability. The school is also a Hub for Enterprise, selected as being excellent in providing enterprise activities.
• There are two specific Enterprise & Enrichment days every term, when all students are off timetable and participate in 'enterprising' activities: ie activities which give them opportunities to develop a 'can do' attitude, take a risk, or deal with uncertainty. These activities are varied and range from visits to places of interest, to taking part in challenges and making presentations
• Year 8 have the opportunity to be Satisfactory, Good or Excellent Receptionists at the front of the school. They have a booklet to complete with a list of enterprising skills they can achieve at the back. They are assessed by the School Receptionist. All students receive a certificate, but 'excellence' is awarded by a Gold Certificate and B&E tie pin.
• Enterprise policy is combined with the school's Work-Related policy to give coherent and planned delivery across all year groups. The policy clearly states that enterprise opportunities will be given to ALL students within the school, not just to Key Stage 4 students. The policy also lists the various methods used to deliver enterprise within the curriculum, during out of hours sessions and on specific Enterprise & Enrichment days during the year.
• All teaching staff within the school are directly involved in enterprise activities, at least six times a year during the Enterprise & Enrichment Days. Teaching assistants, EAL staff and Learning Support Staff, as well as the ICT Learning Mentor and ICT Technicians are also involved. Senior staff oversee specific year groups during the day. There is a commitment to whole school involvement.
• Enterprise activities are monitored through a variety of means. Initially, senior staff monitor directly the activities during each Enterprise Day. Students complete questionnaires following each Enterprise Day and results are analysed by a competent member of the Administration team. These results are publicised on the school Bulletin - available for all staff to read. Also, informal discussions take place about activities, and staff are also invited to send written comments to the organiser to suggest improvements.
• An Assistant Head has responsibility for Work Related Learning. She is also head of Key Stage 4 (Pastoral) and looks after work experience. Another Assistant Head has responsibility for Enterprise. She is also responsible for Business & Enterprise, as the school is a Specialist Business & Enterprise School. These staff work together closely to give a coherent programme of activities for all the students in the school. There is also an Administration Assistant who produces the databases for each of the Enterprise Days, and another Administration Assistant who assists with work experience placements.
• The systems set up for Enterprise & Enrichment Days are detailed and known throughout the school.
• The school was selected to be a 'Hub' for Enterprise by the Specialist Schools Trust, in two successive years. This means that it works with nearly 50 secondary schools, offering individual and group Continuing Professional Development about enterprise activities. It currently has 3 spoke schools, but also works closely with Bournville School, another Hub, and its spoke school. A major conference on enterprise has been held.
• Through lesson observations carried out for all teachers in the school, statistics are kept by the headteacher on the ratings made regarding the teaching processes. OFSTED ratings are used in this process. The ratings show that 90% of lessons have been graded as Good or Outstanding between September 2006 and the present.
• There is a rigorous system of departmental self-review carried out on a regular basis. These are calendared and Heads of Curriculum Area work with members of the Leadership Group to review their areas. Reports are produced and published. In addition, there is a procedure for whole school review through the School Improvement Plan. This is done on an annual basis, and involves EVERY member of staff within the school.
• In order to create Independent Learners, the school has devised a system aimed currently at years 7 and 8. Each curriculum area leads on one Independent Learning Project a term, eg Humanities led with Year 7 in September; Information and Business Technology led with year 8 (on the theme of 'Production') also in the autumn term. Year 7 and year 8 will take part in three ILPs per year. So far, this strategy has been very successful
• Monitoring of enterprise activities takes place through a variety of methods. Those activities which take place within the Key Stage 3 curriculum are monitored by the class teacher, using the school's normal marking policy. Key Stage 4 activities are monitored jointly by the Assistant Heads for Work Related Learning and Enterprise. This is done via questionnaires, school council representatives, staff meetings, and Leadership Group meetings. Activities which include other schools are also monitored using e-mail and questionnaires.
• As a Business & Enterprise school, Bordesley Green Girls' School is not only accountable to, but also to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. For the duration of recognition as a B&E school, it had to meet stringent targets relating to its core subjects and to the specialist subjects - Business, ICT and Maths. It was successful in this and has recently been recognised as a High Performing School - one of only 300 in the country.
• Through its position as a 'Hub' school for enterprise, many businesses, contact the school, regarding software programs and activities that they provide. .
• The school produced an 'Enterprise News' to celebrate its reaccreditation as a B&E Specialist School - currently one is nearing completion.
• The school Internet home page has links to the Enterprise Curriculum. This is free for any individual to use.
• Also on this site is 'Enterprise in a Box' - a complete resource for Enterprise Co-ordinators to use, from the initial audit of enterprise activities through to the final assessment.
• When the school is contacted for support about enterprise activities, the Assistant Head responsible may visit the school to work with individuals, give copies of case studies, CDs of 'Enterprise in a Box' and contacts for enterprise resources. Additionally, CPD sessions have been held by both Hubs and all the Spokes, targetted at Enterprise Co-ordinators.
• Currently an Enterprise Conference has been organised for March 2008
• There are strong links with local schools. Bordesley Green Girls' School has chaired 'good practice' events and led local heads of Business in developing enterprise units.

What difference does it make?

• Value-added information about year 11 examinations for 2007 shows students at Bordesley Green Girls' School achieved a progress score of 102.6, which shows students among the top 7% of schools in the country for the progress girls make between year 7 and year 11. GCSE results for 2007 were the highest ever achieved, at 67% GCSE A*-C grades. Students taking GCSE Business & Communication Systems also achieved the highest results ever - 91% GCSE A*-C grades.
• Through the introduction of many enterprise activities, the ethos of the school has changed over the years. Students are now much more aware of enterprise and social enterprise. Activities which brought about this change include: dedicated Enterprise & Enrichment Days (6 per year) for ALL students; enterprise in the Key Stage 3 curriculum; opportunities for students to take part in enterprise activities after school, eg Ashram Housing Social Enterprise Challenge; students operating the HSBC School Bank; Year 8 Receptionist Duty; Entrepreneur Awards; Take a Tenner Challenge (Year 10 Business students).
• The school was recognised as an 'Enterprise Pathfinder' following a three-year programme, funded by the DFCS. Following this successful programme, the school was invited to become an Enterprise Hub (with three Spoke schools). This means it delivers professional training to staff in nearly 50 other secondary schools in the area, run conferences and produce case studies. It is now in its second year and has gained additional funding for this.
• One major benefit of taking part in enterprise activities has been the co-operation with staff in other secondary schools and the joint working on specific enterprise projects. Additionally, through links with colleagues wanting support with delivering enterprise education, new and useful contacts have been made and the school has developed its reputation further in the area. A recent social enterprise challenge, funded through Ashram Housing, brought over 60 students into the school, from 5 different secondary schools. This enabled the girls to work with other girls and boys from very different schools.

From where is evidence collected to prove the Leading Aspect?

• Booklets completed by students
• Bordesley Green Girls' School Home Page;
• Business & Enterprise bid; Targets Sheet for Business & Enterprise;
• CD - 'Enterprise in a Box' Copies of Case Studies on enterprising activities Feedback from CPD sessions
• Community group growth / increase
• CPD & Enrichment day timetables and activities which identify allocation of roles for all staff - teaching and non teaching
• Database of Hubs/Spokes school contacts
• Enterprise Trade Fair ( Photographs of schools having 'stalls')
• Evaluations from student questionnaires.
• Headteacher's statistics
• Hub and Spokes Minutes of Meetings; Arrangements for conferences
• ILP Documentation on shared area of ICT network;
• Increase in number of women attending Womens Study Group
• Information regarding March Conference
• Job Descriptions - Two Assistant Heads, Administration Assistants
• Key Stage 3 exercise books - Business;
• Leadership Group minutes;
• Lesson observation forms
• Minutes of Leadership Group meetings
• OFSTED Report - Summer 2006;
• Questionnaires - Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 students
• School Calendar; Enterprise Days timetables, showing
• School Improvement Plan
• School Statistical Information
• Social Enterprise Challenge sheets;
• SSAT letter confirming High Performing status
• Staff Handbook - Roles & Responsibilities, Chart
• Support from local business and parents
• Web sites for: Fairfax School, Holyhead School, Park View School, Bournville School, Heart of England School.
• Work Related & Enterprise Policy
• Years 7, 8 and 9 schemes of work for Information and Business Technology - Business'.

The Verifiers Comment

• Embedding pupil learning at the centre of the whole school curriculum, including enrichment opportunities.
• Embracing the community through increased opportunities for adult learning
• Enriching the curriculum through local business links and opportunities

Creating a "can do" culture which produces young women who aspire to further and higher education and business opportunities