New studio school gets North East business backing

Leading businesses and employer groups in the North East have actively endorsed Studio West, Tyneside’s pioneering new school for 13 to 19-year-olds.

The school, which will guarantee every student a place at university, a job or an apprenticeship when they leave, is taking applications now and is inviting expressions of interest from parents.

Employers from a wide range of different sectors have thrown their weight behind the new school, the first tranche of employers to work with Studio West are:

• OGN – offshore fabrication and contracting services
• Bam Nuttall – engineering construction
• Eutechnyx – video games developer
• Watson Burton LLP – law firm
• Baltic – arts venue
• Benfield – motor retailer
• Accenture – management consultancy
• Roberston Facilities Management
• Xiscad Training Ltd – IT sector training
• British Engines – engineering group
• John Lewis – retailer
• Middleton Enterprises – business investors
• Hatton Gallery – museum services
• Northumbria, Durham & Sunderland Universities
• Gateshead College
• CBI & Entrepreneurs’ Forum

Val Wigham, Principal Designate of Studio West, said: “The early and strong support of powerful business leaders has convinced the Government to back the new Studio School. Parents will be encouraged that important employers are behind the idea of a new type of learning in the North East. These business are showing faith in the concept we are pioneering, some are also backing us by offering paid job training place to our older students.”

Craig Melville, CCO and Deputy CEO from OGN, said “We want to actively help educators provide a school that will ensure students are ready for employment once they leave. We strongly support the ideas and philosophy behind this new school and would encourage parents to find out more and actively consider the options it presents to local young people.”

Leading the way with project based learning in the North East, Studio West will use this successfully tried and tested technique which was pioneered by High Tech High, in San Diego, California. The revolutionary technique uses real life enterprise projects to teach students practical skills as well as academic subjects.

To help immerse students in the world of work, business will have a direct input into the school’s culture and curriculum, with real companies operating from an onsite enterprise centre and helping to create live projects for students to tackle.

The school, which will be sponsored by Kenton Schools Academy Trust, will have the motto of “Learning that Connects”, its own governing body and its uniquely structured curriculum, which will encourage independence, enterprise, personal responsibility, social integration and team work by treating students as apprentice adults.

Val Wigham added: “By teaching students through real-life projects and immersing them in business culture, Studio West will be a school for the 21st century that is able to guarantee each and every student a place at university, a job or an apprenticeship when they complete their studies.

“We have a very limited number of places, so parents with children who will be 13, 14 or 16 in September 2014 and who are interested in sending them to Studio West should get in touch with us via our website www.studiowestnewcastle.com. We are taking applications now.”

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