A look at how Thomas Estley Community College in Leicester has implemented "specialisms" afternoons for Year 9 students, designed to help measure the impact of the new curriculum.
The school uses the "specialisms" afternoons to develop independent learning, to encourage higher aspirations and foster a sense of global citizenship. During the weekly sessions the students develop skills through working in different vocational disciplines.
Vice principal Mandi Collins and her colleagues go on a "learning walk" to assess and discuss the impact of "specialisms" afternoons in the school.
Later, governors interview students using the tool kit they have developed, and student researchers interview teachers about the impact of skills-based learning.
This is part of a series exploring the impact and changes that the new secondary curriculum will bring to schools around the country.
