SEN Colleges, also known as Special Specialism Colleges, are specialist special schools in the United Kingdom. They were introduced in 2006 as part of the specialist schools programme following a successful trial in 2004. [1] [2] [3] The system enabled secondary and primary schools to specialise in certain fields.
Specialist SEN Colleges were special needs schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust, receiving extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme.
The first non-trial SEN Colleges were introduced in September 2006 [4] after an announcement by Andrew Adonis in 2005 [5] and could specialise in four areas: [6]
The specialist schools programme has been defunct since 2011. Therefore, if a special school wishes to become a SEN College, they must become an academy or manage a Dedicated Schools Grant. [7] [8]
In England, a City Technology College (CTC) is an urban all-ability specialist school for students aged 11 to 18 specialising in science, technology and mathematics. They charge no fees and are independent of local authority control, being overseen directly by the Department for Education. One fifth of the capital costs are met by private business sponsors, who also own or lease the buildings. The rest of the capital costs, and all running costs, are met by the Department.
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the specialist schools programme (SSP) in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Language Colleges received extra funding for language teaching from this joint private sector and government scheme. Language Colleges act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting languages within the community. They are also encouraged to develop links with schools and other institutions in foreign countries. There were 216 Language Colleges in the country by 2010.
The specialist schools programme (SSP), first launched as the Technology Colleges programme and also known as the specialist schools initiative, specialist schools policy and specialist schools scheme, was a government programme in the United Kingdom which encouraged state schools in England and Northern Ireland to raise private sponsorship in order to become specialist schools – schools that specialise in certain areas of the curriculum – to boost achievement, cooperation and diversity in the school system. First introduced in 1993 to England as a policy of John Major's Conservative government, it was relaunched in 1997 as a flagship policy of the New Labour governments, expanding significantly under Prime Minister Tony Blair and his successor Gordon Brown. The programme was introduced to Northern Ireland in 2006, lasting until April 2011 in England and August 2011 in Northern Ireland. By this time, it had established a near-universal specialist system of secondary education in England, with almost every state-funded secondary school in England having specialised. This system replaced the comprehensive system which had been in place since the 1970s.
An academy school in England is a state-funded school which is directly funded by the Department for Education and independent of local authority control. The terms of the arrangements are set out in individual academy funding agreements. 80% of secondary schools, 39% of primary schools and 43% of special schools are academies.
Business and Enterprise Colleges (BECs) were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in England. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Business and Enterprise Colleges received extra funding for applied business teaching from this joint private sector and government scheme. Business and Enterprise Colleges act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting enterprise and commercial awareness within the community.
SSAT Limited is a UK-based, independent educational membership organisation working with primary, secondary, special and free schools, academies and UTCs. It provides support and training in four main areas: teaching and learning, curriculum, networking, and leadership development.
Modern medical education in Hong Kong started with the founding of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese in 1887. Currently, six institutes of higher education are engaged in the training of medical practitioners in Hong Kong.
An Arts College, in the United Kingdom, is a type of specialist school that specialises in the subject fields of the performing, visual, digital and/or media arts. They were announced in 1996 and introduced alongside Sports Colleges to England in 1997, being one of the five "practical specialisms" of the specialist schools programme. They were then introduced to Scotland in 2005 and Northern Ireland in 2006. By 2011, when the programme ended, there were over 491 Arts Colleges in England. More have been introduced since then, however schools must be an academy, free school or use the Dedicated Schools Grant to become one.
In the United Kingdom, a Technology College is a specialist school that specialises in design and technology, mathematics and science. Beginning in 1994, they were the first specialist schools that were not CTC colleges. In 2008, there were 598 Technology Colleges in England, of which 12 also specialised in another subject.
Engineering Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in England. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case engineering. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Engineering Colleges received extra funding for teaching from this joint private sector and government scheme. Engineering Colleges act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area. Schools can currently become Engineering Colleges through the Dedicated Schools Grant or by becoming an academy. This is because the Specialist Schools Programme has been defunct since 2011.
Humanities Colleges are a type of specialist school introduced in 2004 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary and primary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, humanities. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Humanities Colleges received extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme. Humanities Colleges act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting humanities within the community.
Science Colleges were introduced in 2002 as part of the now defunct Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, science and mathematics. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Science Colleges received extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme. Science Colleges act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting science within the community.
Sports Colleges are senior secondary schools which promote sports alongside secondary education.
City and Islington College (CANDI) is a further education college in the London Borough of Islington, England, established in 1993. The college has four major centres throughout the borough, including a dedicated sixth form centre. It is part of Capital City College Group, alongside Westminster Kingsway College and The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, which altogether have 25,000 students in 2020.
Burnt Mill Academy is a secondary school academy and specialist performing arts college situated on First Avenue in Harlow, Essex, England. The school originally opened in May 1962 as Burnt Mill Comprehensive School, de jure keeping this name until academisation in 2011. In 2003, it became a specialist performing arts college, specialising in dance, drama and music. It joined the Confucius institute programme in 2007, partnering with Suzhou Lida Middle School in Jiangsu, China. This granted the school an International School Award. It gained academy status in 2011 and formed the Burnt Mill Academy Trust (BMAT) in 2013. BMAT has since become a multi-academy trust, with 12 member schools as of 2021.
Special educational needs (SEN), also known as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the United Kingdom refers to the education of children who require different education provision to the mainstream system.
Specialist schools in the United Kingdom are schools with an emphasis or focus in a specific specialised subject area, which is called a specialism, or alternatively in the case of some special schools in England, in a specific area of special educational need. They intend to act as centres of excellence in their specialism and, in some circumstances, may select pupils for their aptitude in it. Though they focus on their specialism, specialist schools still teach the full curriculum. Therefore, as opposed to being a significant move away from it, the specialism is viewed as enriching the original curricular offer of the school.
Applied Learning Colleges, formerly Vocational Colleges, were introduced in 2006 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in England. The system enabled secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, vocational education. Schools that successfully applied to the Specialist Schools Trust and became Applied Learning Colleges received extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme. In order to fulfil the criteria for Applied Learning College status schools had to either be designated as a High Performing Specialist School or select it as part of a combined specialist when first specialising. By 2009, 164 schools had specialised into an Applied Learning College.
The rural dimension was an optional initiative in curriculum for English specialist schools applying through the specialist schools programme. The initiative added an extra "dimension" of curriculum meant to give specialist school students an expanded "awareness and understanding of the countryside as a living, working environment". It was introduced to first-time specialist applications in October 2003 and to re-designation applications in 2004. The rural dimension focused on rural schools but was also seen as important to all schools, including those in urban areas. Therefore, urban and suburban schools were also granted the ability to apply to the initiative. The specialist schools programme was discontinued in 2011. Since then, schools with academy status may fund their own rural dimension as a specialism. Non-academy schools can no longer provide the rural dimension curriculum as they are bound to the National Curriculum.
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialising in special needs education, which are typically known as special schools.