What is different about the curriculum in specialist schools?
All specialist schools must still teach a broad and balanced curriculum, meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum. Alongside this they will provide enriched learning opportunities in their chosen specialist subjects. These might take the form of a wider range of courses, including GNVQs or vocational GCSEs, increased time devoted to specialist subjects and extended activities within and beyond the school day.
What additional funding can specialist schools get?
Specialist schools receive two sorts of additional funding:
£100,000 (per application) for a capital project to enhance the facilities in the subjects related to the school's specialism; and
recurrent funding of £129 per pupil per year up to 1000 students and over 1200 students for four years to implement their specialist school development plan.
In addition to the £100,000 capital grant the school itself must raise £50,000 in unconditional sponsorship (less for small schools with less than 500 pupils on roll, including special schools) towards the capital project. All specialist schools should target at least one third of their specialist school grant on sharing resources, facilities and expertise in their specialism with non-specialist schools and their local community.
What is the timetable for the specialist school application process?
There are two applications rounds in each year. One closes in November for designation in February, the other closes in March for designation in July. The schools designated in both rounds will begin operating the following September.
The closing date for the next specialist school application round is Wednesday 8 March 2006. Decisions on the outcome of applications will normally be announced around three months after the closing date.
Yes. Schools can submit an application for a combination of two specialisms (e.g. a Humanities and Media Arts specialism or a Science and Engineering specialism). Schools will be able to access capital and recurrent grants at the same level as schools applying for designation in a single specialism. Proposed combinations will be assessed on their merits and will take into account each school's particular circumstances.
What are the email / postal addresses for the return of specialist school applications?
The printed copy of your application should be sent to the following address: [Name of specialism you are applying for] Colleges, Specialist Schools Designation Team, Department for Education and Skills, 2F Area F, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington DL3 9BG.
The electronic copy of your application form should be emailed to specialist.schools@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk. Please write the name of the specialism you are applying for, your school name and your LEA's name in the 'subject' box of the email.
I need advice in assembling my school's application - who should I speak to / who is able to give me advice?
The DfES can answer any questions on policy and processes but cannot offer specific advice on the detail of applications or their relative chances of success. The Government grant-aids the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and Youth Sport Trust to help schools with their applications. Other bodies may also offer help and advice to schools, and assist with assembling the application. However, some of these organisations may levy a charge for this assistance, and it is extremely important that the actual development plans and applications should be the work of the schools themselves. For contact details please go to the Support Organisations page.
My school has a budget deficit - will this be a problem in making a specialist school application?
No. However, schools should be aware that specialist school recurrent funding is to be used only for implementing the specialist school development plans, and must be spent on the specialist subjects. It should not be used to cover budget shortfalls.
Specialist schools are designated initially for a period of three years. Continued designation depends on satisfactory performance and grading in individual school's Ofsted report. Schools may be re-designated for periods of three years up to the point of their next Ofsted inspection.
My school is in a rural area - is this a problem in applying for specialist status?
No. We recognise that schools in rural areas are often geographically far apart, and the specialist school concept does not pose a barrier in this regard. All specialist schools will cater for the needs of all students and many rural schools are already specialist schools. They use the programme to enrich opportunities, not to restrict the curriculum. Small schools with less than 500 students will need to raise less sponsorship, equivalent to £100 per student, with a minimum of £20,000. However, a school with, say, 200 or 300 students would receive less annual recurrent grant than a school with 1,000 students, because annual grant is provided on a per-student basis. The possibilities which information and communication technology (ICT) links open up, and the requirement on specialist schools to share expertise and resources with others, will enable rural schools to have worthwhile partnerships with other schools.
In order to reflect the particular interests of rural communities, applicant specialist schools are now able to choose to build a rural dimension into their specialism. Except in the case of Sports and Language Colleges, schools may substitute one target-setting subject within the specialism for a 'rural-orientated' one. For schools wishing to incorporate a rural dimension into either a Sports College or Language College application, the rural dimension will be an additional focus for target setting.
My school is in special measures or has a significant improvement judgement (formerly serious weaknessess) - can it become a specialist school
No. Once a school has been removed from these categories they are welcome to apply to the programme. Applications will be judged against the same criteria as other applications.
My school recently came out of Special Measures or has a significant improvement judgement removed (formerly serious weaknessess) - can it become a specialist school?
Yes. While we do not accept applications from schools identified as requiring significant improvement (formerly serious weaknessess) or which are in special measures, once a school has been removed from these categories they are welcome to apply to the programme. Applications will be judged against the same criteria as other applications.
My school has low/declining exam results - can it apply for specialist status?
Successful applicants will need to demonstrate that they have the capacity to take on the challenge of specialist status. Schools with low and/or declining GCSE 5+ A*-C results should consider the following questions: are the standards of attainment in my school stable or rising - based on absolute performance data for the last three years as well as available ‘value added’ data and recent Ofsted reports?; are the specialist subjects proposed areas of clear strength and on stable or rising attainment trends?; do they have clear potential to feed whole school improvement? Schools in this position should contact the Specialist Schools Trust or Youth Sport Trust for further guidance.
What are the differences between the technological / scientific specialisms?
The four technological / scientific specialisms (Technology, Mathematics & Computing, Engineering, and Science) cover broadly similar areas of the curriculum, but they will place a different emphasis on particular areas.
What do you define as 'business & enterprise' subjects?
We do not wish to be overly prescriptive on this issue. While it will be acceptable for schools applying to become Business and Enterprise colleges to set objectives and targets in some purely vocational subjects, it is essential that schools also teach subjects which provide a grounding in business management issues (e.g. theory and/or practice of leadership, entrepreneurship, financial management, accountancy, personnel, budgetary management, planning, marketing etc). Schools should therefore also offer GCSEs or vocational GCSEs in business subjects (e.g. business studies, business and communications, accounting, economics, leisure and tourism etc) and set targets accordingly.
Can schools in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and elsewhere be considered as partner schools?
Not as a ‘core’ partner school, using the specialist school grant for the benefit of the other school. Specialist schools may make links with schools elsewhere in the UK and abroad as part of their community plans providing those schools fund their own involvement in activities.
How does my child get to go to a specialist school?
The admission arrangements for specialist schools are the same as for any other maintained school in the legal category of the school concerned i.e. community, foundation, voluntary-aided or voluntary-controlled. Becoming a specialist school has no effect on admission arrangements.
Designation as a specialist school is not a statutory process and does not result in any change in admissions criteria. However, Section 102 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 allows the admissions authority for a school with a specialism in certain prescribed subjects (see below) to give priority to up to 10% of pupils on the basis of aptitude in those subjects. This does notapply only to schools in the Specialist Schools Programme; any admission authority may decide to give priority in this way. Only about 6% of specialist schools select any pupils on the basis of aptitude for the specialism. Any proposal for a change to admissions policy should follow the statutory process and requirements. In response to the Educational Select Committee, the Government has decided to withdraw the option for schools to introduce selection by aptitude in design and technology and/or information technology. Regulations will be amended to prohibit new aptitude selection in design and technology and information technology, whilst allowing schools already using such criteria to continue to do so.
The prescribed subjects are: modern foreign languages; the performing arts; the visual arts; physical education or sport; design and technology and information technology. The regulations have not been amended to include the new subjects in the programme. Further information is set out in the School Admissions Code of Practice, available from DCSF Publications.
If my child attends a specialist school does this mean that they will have to focus on the subjects covered by the school's specialism even if that is not where their strengths lie?
All specialist schools still deliver a broad and balanced curriculum, meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum. They place a special emphasis on one area of the curriculum but the whole school improvement aim of the programme should benefit all subject areas.
