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On Route to Success - The College Vision

Tavistock College's Vision for Success

From September, the College will introduce a reorganised curriculum to give students more time for core subjects. There will also be a wider choice of other subjects for older students.

In addition specialist members of staff are being appointed to help all students develop their personal interests and qualities.

The College's first duty is obviously to ensure that all our students achieve their full potential academically, but we also want our students to go on to lead responsible, productive and enjoyable lives.

This is not about qualifications and salary scales. It is also about what people do outside work. We want to encourage students to develop and pursue rewarding interests and pastimes and to become trustworthy and responsible citizens.

From September the College timetable will change from 30 lessons of 50 minutes each week to a fortnightly timetable with 50 periods of one hour each. This will enable us to use the available time more effectively. Time needed for movement around the College's large campus has also been built in to avoid lesson time being wasted. The timing of the beginning and end of the College will remain unchanged.

The provision of more time tabled time for care subjects naturally requires changes in staffing. Natural staff turnover and a number of retirements in August will enable the College to staff each department with subject specialists. Work on other budget areas will release funding to make further improvements to the premises and learning resources.

The changes will address key criticisms from the OFSTED inspection last year. The new timetable will ensure that the core subjects have the time they need. All our Key Stage 4 students will take an IT course leading to the equivalent of a GCSE qualification. We will also be increasing the time for PE to two, hour-long, lessons each week. This will help encourage healthy lifestyles and build on the healthy eating that we have already introduced in the Refectory.

The College has also been required to develop a revised staffing structure. This will retain a designated Head of Year for each year group. They will each be assisted by a full-time member of support staff with experience of working with young people, who will be available throughout the day to work with students and, if necessary, liaise with parents.

In addition a lead teacher responsible for the personal of students will be appointed. The lead teacher will be assisted by a team of non-teaching support staff to help provide activities and events that promote the development of student's personal qualities and interests.

The College wants to promote teamwork and nurture qualities like happiness, politeness, confidence and compassion, as well as respect for all people, their opinions and cultures and a sense of community spirit.

C. E. Eves
Principal

Page updated Wednesday, February 24, 2010