Are virtual classrooms the answer to Brighton and Hove's looming schools crisis (From The Argus)

Are virtual classrooms the answer to Brighton and Hove's looming schools crisis

10:44am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in News By Rebecca Evans

Virtual classrooms may be the future for Brighton and Hove'sgrowing population

Virtual classrooms could become a reality in Brighton and Hove.

Town hall bosses are considering providing a virtual secondary school in what is believed would be the first such council-run school in Sussex.

The idea comes as Brighton and Hove City Council looks towards a more radical approach to education in a bid to supply enough local school places as demand soars.

This year 72 out of the 79 secondary forms in the city's schools are full but this situation is expected to be dwarfed by a shortfall of places by 2020.

The council has vowed to solve the problem primarily by expanding successful schools rather than creating new ones.

But the urgent need for more classes in the coming years, combined with a dearth of space and a severe lack of funding, has forced the council to consider more unusual – and potentially controversial – ideas.

All-through school

These include using spare capacity in the city's special schools for mainstream teaching.

The first all-through school, for children aged three to 16 or 18 – is also in the pipeline.

Early proposals have been put to officials at the Department for Education, who are said to “appear interested”.

Other ideas being considered include children being taught at various buildings including the American Express Community Stadium, office blocks and churches.

The virtual classroom plans are still in their infancy but it is thought they would involve children learning online from home and at a communal hub.

The council currently helps educate some children from their homes using online resources but this involves only a small number of pupils.

Enlightened

The idea of organised virtual classrooms has come to light as the council released a school organisation five-year plan that includes the possibility of virtual secondary schools opening in the city by September next year.

It has been broadly been welcomed by digital organisations in the city but councillors have questioned if parents would want their children to take part in the “experiment”.

Mick Landmann, a founder of Digital Education Brighton, said online learning was the “future of education”.

He said children are more motivated by independent learning where they have more control over what they study and how.

He said: “The council are considering this not so much because they are wholly enlightened but because there is a problem of space.

“This looks like it could be a resolution to the problem.

“From my point of view it takes the education system in the right direction.”

Community resources

Professor Ian Cunningham runs the Self Managed Learning College in Brighton which teaches children who do not respond well to traditional teaching for a range of reasons, such as illness, bullying or behavioural issues.

He said by utilising community resources such as libraries, art galleries, and parks the children get to enjoy “better facilities than any school”.

He said: “Who needs a traditional school? There is literally nowhere in Brighton and Hove to build a secondary school.

“There is the sea on one side and the South Downs on the other. A virtual school gives more choice to parents and despite Government rhetoric it is not supporting that very well.”

Professor Cunningham said the idea is used internationally and children are able to either learn from set lessons online or through online contact with a teacher or tutor.

But Labour Group leader Councillor Gill Mitchell said she did not think parents would like the idea.

She said: “Parents want to go into built schools and see Bunsen burners on the desks and quiz the staff and get a feeling of a school as a whole.

“I am not sure if they will be happy for their children to take part in what effectively is an experiment.”

The local authority said its preferred method for plugging the classroom shortfall is to expand existing schools - thus creating more satellite schools.

The Connaught, run by West Hove Infants in the former Connaught Centre, will be a “model” for schooling in the city.

Satellite

But the idea also has another advantage for the Greens, as well as being cheaper than building from scratch.

The Government has said new schools can only be built as free schools or academies.

Through expansion of existing sites, the Green administration side-steps its deep-rooted ideological opposition to free schools and academies whilst still providing sufficient school places.

But Coun Mitchell said this could not be a long-term solution.

She said: “It is fine in principle but how much longer can you go on expanding and expanding schools by creating a whole series of satellite classrooms in ad hoc collections of buildings across the city?”

The next satellite school is likely to be at Hove Police Station, which the council has reaffirmed as the preferred location for new junior age classes in Hove to be provided by September 2014. However the school that would run the site has yet to be identified.

The five-year plan is set within a context of rising pupil numbers and severe pressure on budgets.

The authority admits that within eight years a further ten - potentially 17 - extra forms of entry at secondary level will be required. Within five years the primary age population is also expected to grow by almost 2,500.

High demand

Such is the demand for places that this year the council has just 27 unfilled reception year places in the city – less than 1% of the overall space available.

The council's cabinet member for children and young people, Sue Shanks, said: “Any decisions we make about catering for rising pupil numbers will be done on the basis of putting the needs of children first.

“The recent opening of West Hove Infant School's Connaught Road base has been very popular with local parents, and we see it as a template for future school expansions.

“But we may also have to look at more creative and innovative solutions, such as schools catering for pupils all the way through from 3 to 18.

“The vast majority of our schools are very supportive of our commitment to going the extra mile to deliver local school places for local families, and we will continue to work closely with them to deliver the new places that are needed.”

The council said it will welcome debate on its plans. A consultation document will be uploaded to www.brighton-hove.gov.uk this week.

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