Football-themed literacy and numeracy lessons drive up standards at The Buckingham School

April 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Football-themed literacy and numeracy lessons sponsored by iday (www.iday.co.uk - created by Engage Education - the teacher recruitment experts) are driving up standards at The Buckingham School, Milton Keynes.  Incentivised by a double session of football training directly after lessons, 82 percent of the school’s 12-13 year-old boys taking part in the MK Dons Double Club Programme have improved their literacy skills by one sub level in just six weeks.

As part of the programme with comprises one hour of football-themed study support and one hour of football coaching, students have had the opportunity to meet top MK Dons players, take a tour round the stadium and attend a game with their parents. Elements of the programme are also delivered at the MK Dons’ Study Support Centre, providing a vibrant and exciting place for students to learn. To celebrate The Buckingham School’s success, a group of students will join iday and the MK Dons on pitch to kick off the highly anticipated npower League 1 MK Dons v Carlisle United game on Saturday 9th April 2011.

Working with iday and Engage Education for over a year to recruit quality maths and science teachers capable of driving up standards at the school, Deputy Headteacher James Rodgers introduced the Double Club Programme to support his teachers’ work. Implemented to help re-engage students due to embark on their GCSEs, the MK Dons Sport & Education Trust team is currently working with 28 Year 8 boys as part of the programme.

James Rodgers, Deputy Headteacher at The Buckingham School, comments: “The Double Club Programme forms an integral part of the school’s strategy to help every student achieve their full potential. There is currently a marginal gap in attainment levels between boys and girls at the school which must be addressed early in our students’ careers. As a specialist sports college, we are keen to build upon our specialism to engage students and the MK Dons Double Club Programme sponsored by iday is proving to be extremely successful!”

Supporting the Government’s ‘Big Society’ aspirations, Double Club is helping to build a true community, bringing together schools, football clubs and private enterprise in one common cause – to re-engage hard-to-reach young people in learning. James Rodgers, continues: “The success of Double Club is securely underpinned by our excellent teachers who are working to reinforce the learning outcomes in the classroom. Our partnership with iday is an integral part of this success, as they have helped us appoint the right teachers, who not only support the culture and aspirations of the school, but can engage every student in their learning and drive our school’s transformation agenda. To continue delivering first-class education to students, we are attending iday events in May and June in Watford, to fill multiple teaching posts ready for the September intake.”

Chris Thompson, head of iday at Engage Education, adds: “Quality teachers placed in the right school helps to raise standards. We are thrilled to sponsor the Double Club Programme which is helping to support the exemplary work of The Buckingham School’s teachers. Our iday events taking place in Watford on 20 May and 10 June take the hassle out of the recruitment process for The Buckingham School, freeing them to focus on teaching and learning. We do all the legwork to bring Heads face-to-face with top teachers, handpicked to meet their school’s needs.  It’s a very successful partnership and one that has already played a key role in driving up standards.”

For further information about the MK Dons Double Club programme at The Buckingham School, please contact Angie Warde, Head of Education, MK Dons Sport & Education Trust Tel: 01908 622 889 or angie.warde@mkdons.com. For further information about iday and Engage Education, please contact Chris Thompson, head of iday at Engage Education: T: 0844 338 0400 E:chris.thompson@engageeducation.co.uk.