The schools have been designed by Edge and the Young Foundation, acting through the Studio Schools Trust, and have been developed in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families. They are the first of their kind in the world and 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 traditional school environments. Further Studio Schools in Blackpool, Newham, Oldham and South Tyneside are being developed with the aim of opening in 2011.

Studio Schools have been informed by extensive research and best practice from Britain and around the world. With a focus on business and enterprise, they will look and feel more like a business than a school. Students will participate in a range of enterprise activities, learning the majority of the curriculum through practical multi-disciplinary learning and participating in paid work. On leaving their Studio School, students will have a range of progression routes available to them including the potential to go to university.

The essential elements of Studio Schools are:

Small schools
Studio Schools will be small schools of 300 students. This will allow them to create the small school environment that evidence shows can play an important role in tackling disengagement and raising attainment.

Key qualifications
On leaving their Studio School students will have gained at least Level 2 qualifications. They will have a range of progression routes available to them including apprenticeships, paid work, further and higher education.

Practical learning
Studio Schools 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 activities.

Personalised curriculum
The Studio Schools curriculum framework allows for a high degree of personalisation. An innovative new staffing structure will ensure that students are supported to tailor the curriculum to their individual needs and aspirations.

Real Work
To give them a first-hand insight into the working world, all Studio Schools students will spend a significant portion of their weekly time participating in meaningful work experience. Crucially, students will receive remuneration for their work, with students over 16 earning a proper wage.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said

“Studio Schools offer students the opportunity to get the skills and qualifications they need through a more practical approach. There are lots of students who will learn better through 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.”

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 to the needs of the significant number of young people in the country who are more practical learners.
We hope that these first six 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 is set to open in the coming years. 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.”

Notes to editors
For all media enquiries, or for more information about Studio Schools, please contact Emma Nixon at emma.nixon@studioschoolstrust.org.uk/ 0208 709 9279. The Chair of the Studio Schools Trust, Simon Tucker, will be available for interview. To arrange a time for interview please contact him on 0754 0722321.

About the Studio Schools Trust
The Studio Schools Trust is a joint venture between Edge and the Young Foundation. We are driving forward innovation in the British education system, working closely with a range of local partners and leading national educational bodies to establish the country's first Studio Schools.

The Trust is a membership body that unites all Studio Schools. We act as a linking point between Studio Schools, enabling the sharing of best practice as well as providing advice and curriculum support. We are committed to ensuring that Studio Schools offer the highest possible standards of education to their students.

For more information about the Studio Schools trust, please visit www.studioschoolstrust.org

About the Young Foundation
The Young Foundation undertakes research to identify and understand unmet social needs and then develop practical initiatives and institutions to address them - in fields as diverse as health and education, housing and cities.

For more information about the Young Foundation, please visit www.youngfoundation.org

About Edge
Edge is an independent education foundation, dedicated to raising the stature of practical and vocational learning. It works to help all young people achieve their potential, ensuring that Britain’s future workforce is equipped with the skills to succeed.