Education - 'Let young reach potential'

Dec 11 2006 By James Barton, The Journal

Business is taking a more direct role in education than ever before, as James Barton discovered.

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The "Sunderland model" of academies is to be applied to three schools - Pennywell, Hylton Red House and Castle View - now that education minister Lord Adonis has endorsed the proposal.

Sunderland has developed an innovative set-up for  academies, which will involve a number of co-sponsors.

North-East businesses Leighton, Sunderland Housing Group (SHG) and Northumbrian Water are taking the role of lead sponsors on the three academies, which will each specialise in one area of the curriculum.

Pennywell School with Quarry View Primary School will become an academy for four- to 16-year-olds, sponsored by SHG with the support of former Sunderland Football Club chairman Bob Murray, who is acting in a personal capacity.

He said: "I have been personally involved in the city for the last 22 years and care deeply and passionately about its future success and prosperity.

"I have supported young people through the football club and the great work of the SAFC Foundation, which works with tens of thousands of local youngsters each year, helping increase their educational attainment and improve their quality of life.

"I will be personally contributing towards the academy school in Pennywell because I feel particularly strongly about helping to ensure as many young people as possible can achieve their true potential."

Lead sponsor for Hylton Red House School is Leighton and Northumbrian Water will be lead sponsor for Castle View.

Both schools in the north of Sunderland will be replaced with two academy schools for 11- to 16-year-olds.

The three academies will be part of the council's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Sunderland City Council leader Coun Bob Symonds said: "We look forward to building the new academies and the other new schools and refurbishments to provide the best possible start in life for future generations of children and young people across the city."

SHG is the North-East's largest registered social landlord and is a not-for-profit company.

Its chief executive Peter Walls said: "Good education is a vital ingredient of healthy, sustainable communities and clearly significant progress has been made in primary education, including Quarry View, and outcomes are improving at Havelock, but there is still much to do."

Leighton is the Sunderland technology and communications group that works throughout the world at the cutting edge of technology. It consists of five companies: 4Projects, Leighton, the Communicator Corp, the Data Corp and Business Education Publishers.

Leighton chairman Paul Callaghan said: "I firmly believe that the `Sunderland Model' with its partnership approach involving both the private and public sectors will prove to be highly effective." As well as providing essential water and waste water services to its 2.6 million customers from Berwick to North Yorkshire and across to the Pennines, Northumbrian Water is immersed in the communities it serves through a wide range of activities.

Managing director John Cuthbert said: "The educational attainment of young people is not only important to that economic performance, but also to the individuals themselves.

"The `Sunderland model' gives us an opportunity to work in a partnership with companies sharing our view of the importance of this agenda, other important stakeholders and Sunderland City Council."