9:00am Friday 19th October 2007
By Joanna Davis
EDUCATION on Portland is set to get a complete overhaul.
The island's schools will club together to provide world-class education' for children in five years' time, headteachers say.
A skills centre, three early years centres and three learning centres are among the building work proposed for the island.
Portland's new education model - to be overseen by London education tsar Tim Brighouse - will allow academic and non-academic pupils to make different choices.
At 11, academic pupils could choose to study at Royal Manor Arts College, which may become an academy - a publicly funded independent school.
Other pupils could select to learn at a new skills centre for the 14-19 age group training and adult education.
The Learning and Skills Council proposes to fund extra NVQ training opportunities for Portland's workforce at the skills centre.
Community facilities will be on offer at three learning centres, which will also serve as traditional primary schools.
Headteachers say the early years centres will include a full range of family services.
Under the new plans, all Portland primary schools will be closely linked and will feed into Royal Manor Arts College through a pyramid system.
Harry Turner, Dorset County Council's head of school and pupil improvement, said the project - to be completed by the 2012 Olympics - is still in the research stages.
He added that the educational buildings could be based on five sites, which would include pre-school buildings and foundation stage centres attached to the primary schools.
Mr Turner said: "When the headteachers come to a conclusion and decide on the best way forward for Portland's education system, they will then embark on a six-week period of consultation with all members of the local community, most likely in the new year."
Schools minister and South Dorset MP Jim Knight welcomed the plans and said the education overhaul would benefit Portland's wider community.
"I see many innovative education models but the Portland proposal is really exciting and the timing has never been better.
"It will provide fantastic opportunities for the regeneration of Portland," he added.
Government education minister Lord Adonis will visit Portland next month to hear ideas about the proposal.
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