Some schools will do anything to bump up their league table position. At the end of January, Holden Lane Sports College in Stoke-on-Trent took a group of 40 DE grade pupils to a remote farmhouse in the Peak District with the aim of getting them all a C grade in maths and English.
The selection process began in an emergency assembly, where Year 11 watched for their photographs to appear on a huge screen to see if they had been chosen to attend the reality TV-style boot camp.
The chosen few were bussed to an undisclosed location in the Peak District, where the girls battled against the boys to gain enough C grades to earn themselves luxuries.
Pupils had a diary room, where they could speak about their performance and be supported by an experienced coach. Visits to the diary room helped teachers gain an insight into pupils’ pastoral needs.
Over the two days, all the pupils’ performance was outstanding. They gained a C grade or above. Some jumped two grades. “The experience has left the pupils feeling confident about achieving their targets and appears to be a winning formula,” said Alison Ellis, curriculum leader for media at the college. “It will make a difference to the pupils academically and personally.” If only Celebrity Big Brother was so instructive.
