Breazone was established in January 2002 and comprises of Breeze Hill together with its six main partner primaries: Alt, Alexandra Park, Clarksfield, Greenhill, Horton Mill and Roundthorn.
Three Key Priorities for action were identified from the results of an initial audit carried out in summer/autumn 2001 and these are:
During its life span so far Breazone has had an impact on these priorities, but they remain as such because they reflect long-term, fundamental disadvantages within the geographical area encompassed by the zone.
Literacy and Numeracy have been addressed through a range of strategies. Additional CSA support is funded in all schools together with materials and software to enable individual and group work on raising standards.
Transition is mainly supported through the Learning Mentor programme. Annual Monitoring and Evaluation has shown that this aspect of the zone has had a tremendous impact on schools’ ability to manage difficult or disaffected children. As well as carrying individual caseloads, the Learning Mentors run a wide variety of clubs, support groups and activities both within and across schools.
The programme of Cultural Enrichment supports the day-to-day work around the first two Key Priorities. Schools have individually devolved funding for enrichment activities such as visiting poets/artists or pupil visits to theatres or galleries. In addition there have been several zone wide programmes involving children from different schools within the white and Asian communities so that community cohesion becomes a supporting underlying theme.
GW Theatre group, for example, worked with all Year 6 children in Breazone to produce both a professional play toured by GW and a children’s play written and performed by Year 6 pupils. BANGDRUM worked across all zone schools and developed a performance group of promising drummers from all schools involved. Recent Year 7 intakes at Breeze Hill have managed transition more successfully as a result of cohesion opportunities during years 5 / 6.
UFA training for zone staff has led to some innovative ideas and the aim in the future is to build on successful activities whilst maintaining the focus on the key priorities so that attainment in the basics is raised across Breazone schools. For more information please contact Martyn Potts at Breezehill School 0161 7701 3251.