Education - the future
Pictured: Knowsley’s Director of Education, Steve Munby, talks with Huyton Today reporters Joseph Inglesby and Sean Derbyshire
Steve Munby is the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning for Knowsley Borough. Huyton Today reporters Joseph Inglesby and Sean Derbyshire gained exclusive access to the man himself and quizzed him about Knowsley’s recent educational progress. With GCSE results in Knowsley’s secondary schools having increased at six times the national rate and Knowsley Hey School in Huyton as the most improved school in the country, what will the future bring for education in the Borough?
Mr Munby said, “We are delighted with this continued and sustained improvement. It is a real demonstration of the commitment and effort of teachers, support staff, governors, pupils, parents and council officers working together to raise attainment. We have now established a firm foundation but we are not complacent – over the next three years we are absolutely determined to improve further. We are working closely with schools to implement a range of strategies which will help to realise the full potential of all pupils in the Borough.”
Our reporters asked Mr Munby what still needed to be done to raise the quality of teaching and learning.
“We are trying to develop, in conjunction with our schools, new ways of teaching and learning that will engage all our young people and make it more exciting and innovative,” said Mr Munby.
“We have also developed the 14-19 curriculum to provide a wider range of opportunities and course provision. In addition, the Plus One Challenge is providing additional support through things like revision classes after school and in the holidays and at weekends so that pupils can get higher grades than they might otherwise have got. On top of that we have just produced plans for a major strategy to support children with special educational needs and to promote inclusion in the Borough,” he added.
“Year 5 to Year 8 transition teaching will also be developed so that there is more continuity and progression for children in primary schools moving into secondary schools,” Mr Munby explained.
Mr Munby also outlined his desire to see much greater use of new technologies in classrooms as aids to better teaching and learning. He also believes that many school environments will benefit from refurbishment.
“Many of our schools have buildings built in the 1950s and 60s and they are not conducive – or helpful – to the needs for learning in the twenty first century. So I think we should look really radically at school buildings. I also think that technology is moving quickly and I would like to see an interactive whiteboard, linked to a computer, in every classroom in the Borough.”
This year’s GCSE results seem to reflect the hard work that has gone into improving standards across the Borough. Half of the schools in the Borough have improved on last year’s results. In particular in Huyton, Knowsley Hey School achieved an outstanding improvement – seeing their results continue to rise, even on top of last year’s remarkable increase of 27%.
Across the Borough there have also been some excellent individual results. In Halewood Community Comprehensive School, Matthew Chandler attained an impressive 10 grade A* GCSE’s and one A grade GCSE, whilst John Jones attained 9A* grades and one A and Jennifer Stephens attained 7A* and 2 A grades.
Councillor Mike Kearns, Deputy Cabinet member for education in Knowsley believes that the so-called Plus One Challenge offered pupils the guidance and support they needed to improve their grades. “The Plus One Challenge has proved to be an excellent example of partnership working between pupils, teachers, governors and Knowsley’s Education and Lifelong Learning Department. The results across the Borough reflect this commitment and I would like to congratulate everyone concerned, especially the young people themselves,” said Mr Kearns.
It is hoped that future initiatives will ensure that standards continue to improve for everyone educated in Knowsley.