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Specialist School

Cardinal Newman Catholic High School was designated as a Maths and Computing Specialist College from September 2004. This was a landmark development for the school and a tremendous reward for our commitment to moving the school forward and developing opportunities for our students.

As a Maths and Computing College, we have been able to make huge improvements in the facilities that the school can offer in these areas as well as enriching the curriculum in all subject areas. We have connected every classroom to the school's computer network to enable students to access the school's intranet and the World Wide Web from virtually every classroom using laptops. In addition, we have installed the latest interactive whiteboards in all departments to enhance teaching and learning opportunities and make use of e-learning packages within the classroom. One of our primary areas for development as a Specialist College was the extension of existing ICT facilities. As our capital project, we built two state of the art specialists ICT suites, equipped with the latest technology and software. These were officially opened by Mr Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency on Friday, 27h May 2005.

There have also been considerable benefits for curriculum choice, with new opportunities within the specialisms, such as GCSE Statistics and accelerated entry to AS-level Maths. We have been able to develop the ICT curriculum to include a wide range of qualifications and have become a Microsoft Academy which will allow us to provide professional qualifications for students and adults associated with the school. Each student is working towards a qualification in ICT at KS4 which will equip them with the skills necessary in today's employment market.

As a beacon of excellence in Maths and Computing, we are working closely with other schools - both Primary and Secondary to promote good practice in these areas. We host Maths master classes, run by the Royal Institute which are attended by a number of secondary schools within the borough and Maths and ICT challenge days for our primary feeder schools, In addition, we are working with partners to identify ICT training needs and have provided training sessions for primary school colleagues in areas of interest.

We are currently preparing our adult education programme in association with Priestley College, centred on our specialist areas, for the next academic year, offering ICT and numeracy skills which will benefit the local community and employers.