The Department for Education has announced that an application to open an exciting new studio school in Nuneaton has been successful.
It is planned that The Midland Studio College Nuneaton, which will be sponsored by North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, will open in September 2013.
The Midland Studio College Nuneaton, which is now in the ‘pre-opening stage’, will accept a maximum of 300 students across Years 10 to 13. Specialising in Advanced Transport Systems and Enterprise, the new school will focus on developing employability skills and will have a close connection with local employers who will be involved in all aspects of its innovative curriculum. Key employers and partners involved with the school include Triumph and MIRA.
Young people at The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will study GCSE, BTEC and HNC qualifications and spend between half a day and two days a week in the work place. Students will also benefit from personal coaching to help them develop their confidence and softer skills including communication and teamwork.
With a 9am-5pm working day The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will feel more like a workplace than a school.
Marion Plant OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire & Hinckley College, said: “Our first studio school, which opens this September in Hinckley, is oversubscribed for Year 10 and we are really excited to be providing a similar opportunity in Nuneaton.
“The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will offer students a professional learning environment which connects education with employment and fully supports them in achieving their goals. The new school will equip young people with the skills and experience that they need to succeed in a competitive jobs market, by combining academic and vocational qualifications with exciting and highly relevant specialisms and real experience of the world of work.”
Mark Gore, Head of Learning & Achievement for Warwickshire County Council, said: "The new studio school in Nuneaton provides new opportunities for learners in the north of the county. We will continue to work closely with North Warwickshire & Hinckley College to support this exciting new development."
The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will join the growing family of local schools in North Warwickshire & Hinckley College’s multi-academy trust.
Principal of The George Eliot School in Nuneaton, David James, commented: “This is fantastic news for local young people. The George Eliot School is part of the college led multi-academy trust which is bringing together a growing number of schools to work together to improve opportunities for local young people. We are really supportive of the studio school concept and working very closely with the team involved in the development of The Midland Studio College Nuneaton. We expect that it will present a very exciting opportunity for a number of our students.”
Marcus Jones MP said: “I was delighted that the Department for Education has approved the application for the new college which will provide additional choice for many youngsters in Nuneaton and wider afield. Providing high quality education is absolutely vital to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to find good employment, and The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will benefit from the close partnership they have developed with successful local employers such as MIRA and Triumph. This is an exciting development for the provision of quality education in Nuneaton.”
David Nicoll, Chief Executive of the Studio Schools Trust, commented: ''We are delighted that The Midland Studio College Nuneaton has been approved by the Department of Education, and we very much look forward to working with them in the future. This new school is a ground breaking way in which to deliver education, combining mainstream qualifications with real experience of the world of work.
“The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will play an important role in shaping the future workforce across the region, and providing new opportunities for young people as well as improving their employment prospects and life chances.''
The Midland Studio College Nuneaton will be led by Executive Principal Dan Rosser, who will also lead the Midland Studio College Hinckley.
This news comes hot on the heels of final legal status being given (through the Funding Agreement) to The Midland Studio College Hinckley, which is also sponsored by North Warwickshire & Hinckley College. Currently oversubscribed for entry at Year 10, it will open to students in September 2012 on Spa Lane in Hinckley.