Two pilot Studio Schools, which offer an innovative new curriculum involving practical learning and paid work, have today been approved by Ed Balls. They will be based at Barnfield College in Luton and the Netherhall Learning Campus in Kirklees.The schools, which have a focus on business and enterprise, will cater for 14-19 year olds from a range of abilities. They have been designed to better suit the needs of young people who might not otherwise reach their full potential in a traditional school environment.

Students will participate in a range of enterprise activities, learning the majority of the curriculum through practical multi-disciplinary learning and taking part in paid work. On leaving a Studio School, students will have gained qualifications such as GCSEs, A-Levels and Diplomas, opening up a range of progression routes to them including the potential to go to university.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said:
“Studio Schools offer students the opportunity to get the skills and qualifications they need through a more practical approach. There are lots of student who will learn better though developing their natural interest in business or practical skills rather than spending most of their time sitting in a traditional classroom. “These first two schools will also provide a model for other studio schools to develop across the country, by demonstrating how they can help to raise standards and offer new opportunities for young people.”

The essential elements of Studio Schools are:

Small schools: with around 300 students, it will allow them to create the small school environment that evidence shows can play an important role in tackling disengagement and raising attainment.

Ensuring student achieve key qualifications: their Studio School students will have gained qualifications opening up progression routes to apprenticeships, paid work, further and higher education.

Offer practical learning: they will teach the national curriculum but will have a very different style and ethos to most existing schools, with the majority of the curriculum taught through enterprise themed practical learning.

Follow personalised curriculum: through an innovative staffing structure students are supported to tailor the curriculum to their individual needs and aspirations.

Real work opportunities: to give them a first-hand insight into the working world, students will spend a significant portion of their weekly time participating in meaningful paid work experience.

The schools which are due to open in September 2010 have been designed through the Studio Schools Trust by Edge and the Young Foundation, and developed in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Simon Tucker, Chair of the Studio Schools Trust, said:
“Studio Schools are at the forefront of innovation in British education. They will offer a bold new approach to learning better suited the needs of the significant number of young people in the country who are more practical learners. We hope that these first schools will only be the start, marking the beginning of a much larger Studio Schools movement.”

Geoff Mulgan, Director of the Young Foundation, said:
“Studio Schools will break new ground in the British education system, offering a more practical approach to learning that will transform communities and make a real difference to the lives of young people across the country. I am delighted that the first wave of Studio Schools are set to open next year. This is the culmination of a great deal of important work by the Young Foundation, Edge and many others.”

Andy Powell, Chief Executive of Edge, said:
“There are many paths to success and Studio Schools will offer a new route for young people who are looking for a more practical approach to learning. Studio Schools will provide an invaluable new option for young people who find the current academically focused education system disengaging. We know that there is a real need for this provision and we look forward to seeing many more Studio Schools open in the future.”

Proposals for other studio schools in Blackpool, Newham, Oldham and South Tyneside are still in development with the aim to open from 2011 onwards.