A sense of hope

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Description

Brislington Enterprise College in Bristol is a school in trouble. Headteacher John Matthews speaks frankly about the school's inability to cater for the needs of every child and the poor state of the school buildings. But in 2008 the old school will be replaced by a state-of-the-art college specifically designed to work as seven small schools in one.Barry Scarman, construction site manager, outlines the research and thinking behind the use of house blocks and communal areas. But for John Matthews, a beautiful new building isn't enough to fulfil his education mission. Classes are being combined and groups of teachers will now work together in teams delivering subjects through a project-based approach until the end of KS3. To prepare for the huge challenges ahead staff meet regularly to discuss new teaching techniques and to allow difficulties and misgivings to be aired openly. They find it empowering and are building stronger relationships with students and parents.