main content Glebe School celebrates new status as specialist SEN college

Glebe School in West Wickham is one of only three schools in London, and one of 14 across the country, to receive special status for ‘Cognition and Learning’. Following its successful application, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced that its new status would be effective from September 2006

Head Teacher, Mr Keith Seed says

“Everyone at Glebe is excited about the new opportunity this brings. It recognises our achievements in creating an environment in which success can flourish”

The new status will bring additional investment to the school. The school will receive an annual grant of £60,000 for four years and an additional £100,000 for a capital project, together with sponsorship of £20,000 by local company Walker’s Builders’ Merchants. The school will use this money to develop a new drama and media centre, which will open in September 07, and develop its outreach services for pupils with additional learning needs in mainstream educational settings.

Interim Director of Children and Young People Service, Mr Ken Davis says

“The news of Glebe School’s success is a tribute to the leadership of the Head and Governors and to hard work and commitment of staff and students. This development of Specialist College Status in the area of Cognitive and Learning will compliment the Council’s existing reconfiguration plans for Glebe School.”

Glebe has been recognised by the Department of Education and Skills for its ‘value added’ achievement. This is the factor by which students’ attainment and improvement increases beyond expectation. An assessment of students at age 11 based on their existing capabilities is used to forecast what will be their attainment at age 16. For the past two years Glebe year 11 students have consistently achieved an academic standard above that predicted in Year 7. The school’s ‘value added’ factor is in the top ten of all secondary schools in the country. The school expects that over 85% of year 11 students will leave the school with at least one GCSE pass.

ENDS

Note to Editors

• Glebe School is a secondary school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. There is also a small unit for pupils with social and communication/language needs
• On 13 December 2005, Andrew Adonis announced that maintained and non-maintained special schools could now apply for designation in a new specialism in special educational needs (SEN).
• In 2005 a new strand of the Specialist Schools Programme was piloted to extend the choice available for maintained and non-maintained special schools, by allowing them to specialise in one of the areas of the SEN Code of Practice: - communication and interaction;
  - cognition and learning;
  - behavioural, emotional and social development
  - sensory and / or physical needs.
• 12 ‘trailblazer’ schools were invited to participate in the first round of the programme in December 2004. All of the schools have now been designated as specialist school.  
• For media enquiries, please email john.skillicorn-aston@bromley.gov.uk or call 020 8313 4310