Strengths of Crest Boys' Academy

Strength
With the help of LGfL broadband, whole school networking and appropriate staff hardware we have established a Virtual Learning Environment to provide subject specific modules in all curriculum areas which contribute towards KS3 level evidence and KS4 coursework requirements. We are still developing a true system for eLearning but as eConfidence increases amongst the staff the JKBTC website and intranet will expand their curriculum content.

Service
We can talk about both our past and present experiences of setting up a VLE.

Delivery
Contact us via thelink below to generate an enquiry.

Strength
We have begun to eliminate the barrier between school and home through the LGfL student portal, Parents Gateway and the affordable 'used PC's for Parents' scheme.

Service
We can discuss our involvement in the above projects, and general ideas we have for establishing better home access.

Delivery
Please contact us via the link below

Strength
JKBTC have three very experienced and knowledgeable network managers and support engineers for maintaining the ICT networks. The Systems Manager maintains the main school building while JK FE & Business Centre and the Design & Technology Block are maintained by their own dedicated network managers. This encourages more expertise to be gained in these specialised ICT areas which is to be encouraged and is essential for the ICT support services that we run.

Service
We feel our ICT support system is a good model for other schools, and can advise other schools seeking to establish satisfactory ICT support structures.

Delivery
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Strength
The 'School of the Future' concept of "Anytime-Anywhere Learning" through the development of eLearning and raising our eConfidence are strategic objectives both in our College Improvement Plan and in our Specialist Development Plan. Our Raising Attainment Target of 40% 5 x A* - C grades by summer 2003 was achieved with the comprehensive use of ICT in developing an effective Managed Learning Environment (MLE).

JKBTC has succeeding in building up ICT delivery from a very low base over a short period of years, and central to this has been resource procurement - both hardware and teaching - and the development of management and leadership structures from zero. We ensure that all Curriculum Areas actively consider how they will meet ICT related targets and that ICT across the school receives appropriate funding.

The foundations for this were assisted by the NOF ICT training initiative and now ECDL for our new staff where we could raise teaching and learning through ICT staff competence. The ICT infrastructure, ICT hardware for all staff, broadband, LGfL curriculum content and online courses delivered into the appropriately upgraded classrooms were seen as pre-requsites to the shared vision by the Senior Leadership Team and Principal.

Service
We can help you to structure your school's ICT development, even if you're just 'starting out'. As a school that was, only a few years ago, starting out ourselves we can offer a model of how to increase and improve your ICT provision rapidly and effectively.

Delivery
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Strength
JKBTC now uses an extensive monitoring and tracking procedure which provides data on attainment which is displayed throughout the school to foster motivation and promote an understanding of goals. Cognitive Ability Testing (CATs), KS2, KS3, Reading Age, EAL Assessment, ILS SuccessMaker, Ethnicity, Dept Levelling and Grading are used to track and monitor progress and provide school targets which in turn develops the students capacity for self assessment. This information is provided to all staff in the form of a Single Line Profile and is further complimented by the Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT). Assessment Reporting to parents now incorporates the DfES 6 weekly reporting package “GRADES” which is available to all staff in an instant via the network and intranet providing invaluable access to critical data from any computer at any time.

Service
With our extensive and very in depth experience of using ICT for assessment we can offer a wealth of advice.

Delivery
Please contact us via the link below.

Strength
The next jump in "transformation" at JKBTC is the setting up of the Mpower Project, which is a unique Vocational Provision for disaffected 14 - 19 year olds. It will be a Factory Unit based in Wembley in the heart of Europe’s biggest Business Park and will help raise students' self esteem through a special curriculum of core subjects, ICT, entrepreneurship and work experience. In addition to the local interest from Brent schools news of this Initiative has reached a school in Tasmania who are making arrangements to visit us. Much of the enterprise activities will be manufactured back at the school workshops using video conferencing links.

Service
We are more than willing to talk about how and why we have set up this project.

Delivery
Please generate an enquiry via the link below.

Strength
In the John Kelly FE & Business Centre which is our training centre for staff, the community and business, we offer the CCNC CISCO Academy programme of networking courses, as a Learn Direct Centre we are an ECDL accredited test centre and we will be offering the Microsoft Academy programme of courses.

We run extensive ICT training sessions for our own staff, GTP, OTTP and PGCE students, our family of schools, our LEA and colleagues from London and the SE. Service

Service
We can offer advice on how to provide for your staff's CPD needs, and may be able to offer training ourselves.

Delivery
Please use the link below to find out about CPD at John Kelly.

Strength
Following a particularly bad couple of years for staff recruitment and retention the Principal travelled to Spain to recruit staff, and we have now set up our own Supply Agency. We have many international staff particularly from Spain, South Africa and the Caribbean. We are also pleased to have staff from Russia, New Zealand and Africa etc. It is not uncommon to conduct an interview for a vacant post using video conferencing.

Service
We are more than happy to discuss our unconventional, yet highly successful, approach to staffing, and how ICT can help to make this practice a reality.

Delivery
Please contact us using the link below

Strength
In February 2000 JKBTC was invited to see schools in the USA to look at a programme to teach entrepreneurship to disaffected students. The course is called the National Foundation of Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and is an online course which we now teach in our dedicated ICT suite. Our video conferencing studio has enabled our students to collaborate with students from all over the USA. We have been at the forefront of delivering entrepreneurship to young people in the UK well before the Howard Davies Review came out telling us all we should be. Several of our NFTE trained staff and Principal make annual visits to the West and East coasts of the USA, and in particular to schools in "challenging circumstances" in and around New York. In 2003 The Principal taught entrepreneurship for 2 weeks at the Stanford University in California.

Service
We can offer advice on getting involved in international projects such as this, and also give you more information abot NFTE if it appeals!

Delivery
Please contact us using the link below.

Strength
Our Technology & Engineering Block has been one of the few school based 'CAD/CAM in Schools Support Centres' licensed by the DfES and DATA since the very start in 1999. Hundreds of staff have been trained and accredited as competent users of ProDESKTOP 3D CAD, ArtCAM and now Speedstep for Textiles. Many other CAD/CAM type courses are organised based on each schools individual requirements. JKBTC has a very wide range of modern manufacturing equipment which includes cnc mill, lathe, routers of all sizes, engraving machines and now laser sytems. Our 14-19 yrs Engineering focused curriculum has enabled us to create a totally new technology room which is called the CAM Textiles suite. Within the suite there is the Speedstep software package and associated hardware which is complimented by a dedicated textiles cnc laser cutting machine and now a cnc embroidery machine with a range of special attachments. This facility has now been ackowledged by DATA and is one of the eight national Speedstep Training and Support Centres. JKBTC has been described "as one of the best inner-city schools in the country for immersing all pupils in CAD/CAM" (TES). This level of ICT in D&T, excellent staff and curriculum materials have raised attainment in Design & Technology GCSE to a 7 year average of 58%. In addition to our CAD/CAM training schedule we run weekly "Drop in Tuesdays" for all Brent/London D&T teachers. These afternoon and twilight sessions have proved to be very popular and we have become the Borough Technology Centre. It was this level of interest that prompted us to organise the Brent CAD/CAM in Schools Conference which was attended by 90 local teachers and sponsored by Brent EiC. These manufacturing facilities are naturally shared by our community of schools and as many as three D&T staff are involved in Junior School Liason work which includes the very popular "Denford Formula 1 in Schools" car manufacture, testing and racing and CAD/CAM or Textiles.

Service
As an internationally renowned school with regard to CAD/CAM we can offer a totally comprehensive consultancy service.

Delivery
Please use the link below to generate an enquiry.