Carol Lee, Flexible Learning Teacher & Developing the Young Workforce Coordinator at Denny High School, tells us about some of the successes they have had in keeping pupils engaged with school.
“At Denny High School we offer bespoke educational packages, tailored to the needs of the pupil. They are flexible enough to help the young people gain qualifications but also allow them to develop employability skills and experiences so that they are ready for the world of work. We know our pupils really well and use the in-depth knowledge that our Integrated Pupil Support Team, Subject Staff and year Heads have acquired to help our Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Team (Depute Rector, Community Learning Worker, Skills Development Scotland Careers’ Advisers, DYW Coordinator) to develop these flexible approaches. They work so well because they are based around our pupils’ interests, hobbies and career aspirations but we (the Team) enhance these ideas by offering the young people opportunities to recognise, expand and develop their skills so they become career ready individuals ready to become responsible citizens in their own and the wider community.
Denny HS and the Falkirk Council Work Placement Coordinator work really well together and when pupils Logan Russell and Stuart Kinloch asked if they could do work experience as part of their flexible learning package, we were able to make it happen. Farming is an industry where health and safety are very important so we supported the farms in developing scopes of work that would be effective for them and for the Council.
Stuart is now an Agriculture Apprentice and talked about his experience of the project: “The main thing I got out of my work placement was enjoyment. I learned skills related to agriculture both with livestock and farm maintenance. Working outdoors and seeing animals develop gives you a sense of pride and achievement. I would definitely recommend this route if you are given the opportunity. The hands-on activities, varied tasks and daily enjoyment confirmed to me that I would like to pursue this path as a career.”
Logan is now an Agricultural Technician and explained how he benefited from the flexible learning: “I think it was a good opportunity for me as I was learning more practical skills than I would have been in school. I was more interested in what I was doing so I learned even more and saw a purpose to completing my school work.”
And finally, John McAlister of Wester Thomaston Farm summarised how he felt about taking on the pupils: “It was great having a keen young boy who is willing to learn and help with jobs around the farm.”
Alongside this experience we needed to make sure that our young people left school with enough qualifications to allow them to further their education later on, if they wanted to. As a result of the work experience the lads felt happy enough to come into school and spend time with our Support for Learning Staff, again managed in a flexible way so they could enjoy their work time and feel able to “fit school in” too.
This outside-the-box thinking has allowed us to keep these pupils engaged with school, attaining qualifications and developing skills that have enabled them to find employment in the agriculture industry, which they so desperately wanted.
Through this project we:
• Developed the core skills required for the pupils to gain a positive and sustained destination: Confidence, Communication, Commitment, Resilience
• Developed employability, vocational and transferable skills. One lad has now passed his tractor test and is on the road!
• Developed links with employers that provided young people with experience and skills which supported their transition into the world of work.
Our partners were Denny High School, Prince’s Trust, Burnhead Farm, Wester Thomaston Farm and DYW Forth Valley”.