Work Related Learning : Case Study : Abraham Darby Academy
New Academy Pilots Economic Wellbeing for Years 8 & 9
Ironbridge is known throughout the world as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the contribution made by Britain's iron-masters, in particular the three generations of the Darby family who took the science of iron manufacture to new levels in the 18th century. These men had the vision, determination, intelligence and business acumen to develop a global trademark, which still has its echoes in today's world.
Today Ironbridge is a World Heritage site and it is only right that the Academy that proudly bears the name of Abraham Darby stands at the entrance to that site.
The newly created Academy is seeking to prepare its students for the revolutions of the 21 century and has devised an imaginative two-year programme to help prepare its younger students for the real world, take risks, be enterprising and become more financially aware.
The school had the vision to introduce a financial awareness programme (Giant Impact’s Making Money Count) to last year’s Year 8 students (pre credit crunch). The Academy has now built on this, with this year’s financial enrichment programme for Year 9, with special emphasis on saving money for families and making the knowledge relevant.
Students have been introduced to essential (sometimes dull) financial terms like debt, credit, banks, budgets etc, in a lively and engaging way that helps them understand the important principles involved and also their significance for personal economic wellbeing. Armed with this basic understanding and with reinforcement from teaching staff, students have been able to make more sense of the current economic issues.
Students and staff have all benefitted from exposure to these programmes with 94% student satisfaction rating.
The approach is particularly interesting as the ‘Credit Crunch’ deepens and as ‘Economic Wellbeing’ takes centre stage in the government’s policy for KS4. The new QCA publication: ‘Career, work-related learning and enterprise 11-19. A framework for economic wellbeing’ confirms the central financial thrust.
The Academy’s mission is 'To develop in young people of all abilities the traits necessary for them to play a useful, productive and leading role in society in the Twenty First Century, and to enable them to exceed their own notion of their potential.'
Steve Hawke, Academy Principal, commented that ‘Financial Awareness is a key life skill and students need a basic understanding if they are to make informed choices when they take their place in society. Finance and money can be seen as boring subjects, but the entertaining Giant Impact formula kept students’ engaged and helped them learn.
Abraham Darby Academy, Madeley, Shropshire has specialisms in Performing Arts and Business & Enterprise. The Academy currently has 800 students aged 11-16.
Steve Hawke, Principal.
T: 01952 432081
W: www.abrahamdarbyacademy.org.uk
Abraham Darby Academy is a totally new school. It is an independent state school; a company limited by guarantee. The main sponsors of the Academy are the Haberdashers' Livery Company. It opened in September 2008 as the successor to the Abraham Darby School and as part of The Haberdashers' Adams' Federation along with Adams Grammar School, Newport. It is intended that the Haberdashers' Adams Federation will provide a strong joint partnership structure at various levels: Governance, joint support services, Training School, support for learning and student development. There will be 900 places in the Academy in years 7 to 11, and potentially 200 places in the 6th Form.