Team Up and Win
Introduction

Style Training (Success Through Your Learning Environment) in association with the Clubs for Young People Wales has developed a leading edge programme targeting young people at Key Stage 2 and 3. The Programme is planned in such a way so as to engage with young people in Centres that interest and engage students with innovative methods and styles of teaching. The environment will be a learning tool where success can be achieved through a range of exciting programmes of study. The Centres will make use of a wide range of environments, including sport, leisure, tourism and theatre to engage the learner as a motivational tool. The Centres will be equipped with state of the art ICT facilities and the focus will be on raising literacy, numeracy and ICT standards amongst Key stage 2 and 3 pupils who may be underachieving and are often demotivated. The Centres will also be available for a range of additional groups who will be able to purchase time, through Service Level Agreements at the Centre. This will enable them to access the facilities and Centre resources.

The core objectives of the Team Up and Win programme will be to:
  • raise achievement in literacy, numeracy and ICT;
  • encourage children to become independent learners
  • improve children’s motivation to learn
  • develop children’s self esteem and confidence
  • support children in developing new skills, including problem solving, team building, emotional and physical well being as well as accelerated learning techniques
Style Training is working with Llanelli Scarlets Rugby Region to develop the first Centre in Wales. Style Training has undertaken visits to working Centres in England and has ascertained that the Centres operate effectively when delivered through a partnership approach. In England funding for the Centres is achieved through a funding stream whereby 50% comes from DfES, 25% from the Local Authority and 25% from the Centre host, usually in kind, where players and host personnel are made available to work with the students and provide inspiration and motivation to the students involved in the programme.

Llanelli Scarlets are providing a purpose built room in their new stadium for the pilot Centre. This will be a high profile Community Project that will link young people with the Scarlets region, through their schools. Carmarthenshire County Council is fully supportive of the project and is supporting a feasibility study. It is important that all Centres have the ‘wow’ factor with a strong partnership ethic and high profile branding based around the Centre venue.

Creating the right ethos of the Centres will be vital. They will target 15 students per cohort and will benefit from individual support of teacher and mentor. The Centre will collect the children by minibus from the school and the experience will begin at that point. At the Centre a vibrant, calm, intimate and supportive environment will ensure that pupils will work with no fear of failure. There will be a great focus on praise and reward for individual achievement. The Centre will provide an atmosphere and learning programme different to that which the children experience throughout the school day. The children will have a sense of ownership of their learning and will set bite size goals that are challenging, but attainable, to create a sense of achievement. Family support and involvement will be encouraged through celebration events and family learning programmes.

Capitalising on the concept that ‘individuals are best educated through their interests’ the Centres will use a multiple intelligence approach (Gardner 1999) and will develop materials that supports learning through a visual, auditory and kinaesthetic approach.

The Centres will be managed by a Centre Manager and will employ learning mentors to ensure children are able to access individualised learning success. Numbers employed will be determined by the size of the Centre. Local students will be used as mentors, thus providing relevant employable experience for this group of young people.   Each Centre will meet the needs of the Community it serves. Centres are planned for sporting venues, theatres, large hotels and leisure centres. Smaller satellite centres, in rural areas can be linked to the larger hubs through ICT links and video conferencing.

The Centres will provide access to all learners within the Community. The Centre Manager will be responsible for determining business and adult learning requirements. Successful Centres are likely to operate from 8 to 8 with Service Level Agreements being offered to a range of partners, for example, NEETS, Looked After Children, Silver Surfers, Schools, Transition, Gifted and Talented groups, Colleges.

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