The Easton College Consortium is an unusual collaboration that spans the entire county of Norfolk and delivers the Diploma in Environment and Land-Based Studies. Ideally located on the edge of the Norfolk Broads and within easy reach of a wide variety of habitats and land-use examples, Acle High School is the delivery partner for the East of the County.

Despite its advantageous location, on-site facilities were poor and certainly inadequate for the delivery of what is a very hands-on, practical course. As part of the initial bid for Diploma approval, the Consortium submitted plans and requested funding from the Local Authority for the re-development of a redundant bungalow and surrounding garden. Working closely with a local architect and building firm, this project has been completed and students are able to study in facilities explicitly designed for the purpose. (This supports Step 3- Development of work skills.)

The new complex comprises: teaching classroom with interactive whiteboard; wifi internet and VLE connection; large greenhouse and polytunnel; kitchen facilities and an 80 m2 workshop equipped with appropriate services, tools and equipment. Rainwater from each roof is harvested and stored to be used for plant watering. Full disabled access has been designed into the project with grasscrete surfaces running between each element.

The school is fortunate in having a member of the teaching staff who is both passionate about the environment and highly qualified to deliver all aspects of the Diploma. Teaching in school for three days a week, she spends the rest of her time working in different aspects of conservation. With a research doctorate in plant ecology, presidency of a national conservation organisation and an inexhaustible list of contacts, she is the driving force behind the course and enables a wide range of contexts and habitats to be experienced. Her work in ecological surveying, wildlife recording, biodiversity action planning and conservation management advice allows her to bring contemporary ideas and methodology to the teaching of her students.

Local business and other organisations have been generous with their support. In particular, a large beef-producing farm provided a four-day introductory programme. Students were able to see all aspects of the farm and join in with many of them; identity tagging the new calves and bottle-feeding those that had been orphaned were highlights. The farm manager went out of his way to give students a clear view of the business, bringing in external professionals, such as an agronomist, to explain their contribution to the efficient working of the farm.

In the first term of the course, by enlisting the help of other local contacts, the nine, 14 year-old, students in the pilot group have also… planted an orchard, taken part in a lichen and air quality survey as part of a national OPAL initiative, planned a cottage garden, worked at coppicing an area of woodland, undertaken heathland restoration work, studied the succession from open water to oak woodland on a local nature reserve, visited the Royal Norfolk Show, constructed their own mammal, reptile and amphibian identification guides, dissected owl pellets, utilised expert advice to site and put up a donated owl box and started clearance work for a habitat garden.

This local support is on-going and the next cohort of students will begin their course in the same way as the invitation to join the Diploma programme is extended to students from neighbouring schools. Other organisations have expressed interest in contributing their expertise and the diversity of ‘real-world’ contexts offered to students looks set to increase.

Whilst the school is, in many ways, now able to deliver the Diploma through its own resources, there are aspects of the programme that cannot readily be accessed close to the school. In these circumstances, Easton College, Norfolk’s specialist land-based college, has a vital role to play. College facilities and staff are available to the school so that by working together in a real collaborative partnership, students benefit from the extended range of opportunities a large college is able to provide. (This supports Step 6- Vocational learning endorsed by employers.)

There are three immediate areas where some additional funds would be helpful. Photographic records are a powerful way of documenting the experiences of each student. This currently relies on borrowed equipment and, therefore, the purchase of a digital video camera would make this a more efficient and effective process. Secondly, the group would like to extend the range of soil testing that they are able to do, so the purchase of a secure chemical store for the workshop together with the appropriate chemicals and equipment would also come top of the priority list. Finally, it would be useful for the students to have the use of some binoculars during various field visits, so the purchase of these would certainly enhance their experiences of wildlife surveying.

For more information on this initiative, please contact: Paul Taverner, Deputy Headteacher, Acle High School on ptaverner@acle.norfolk.sch.uk