Cross Keys High broadens curriculum with more vocational subjects

 

Cross Keys High School in southern Manchester is broadening its curriculum offerings to help transform behaviour and provide more opportunities for students who do not have an aptitude for traditional subjects, to excel.

 

Dean of discipline Samuel Smalling, who is also president of the National Association of Deans of Discipline, believes if students are more engaged in vocational subjects, there will be less time to idle, resulting in more productive use of their time. 

 

"That's a part of the reason why we took this initiative to ensure that we could be a part of this process because the more engaged our students are is a better it is in terms of behaviour transformation. So we are trusting that as a result of these new equipment to the Cross Keys High School we will be able to see behaviour transformation takes (sic) place, no matter how small it is," he insisted.  

 

Meanwhile, acting principal of Cross Keys High, Lorraine Henningham, said the school has been partnering with National Council on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET) to deliver subjects as it expands its curriculum to include more project-based learning activities. 

 

"Our students are mostly hands-on students so the students who comes to come to us we have to ensure that we have the resources to have them engaged and not having them sitting around when they need to be active participants in the lessons. And so we are happy today to have these machines because from this our students now will become more engaged."

 

She said the institution receives many of the under-performing students from the Primary Exit Profile examinations each year, but has been making strides with a 30 per cent improvement in Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) passes in Mathematics and English. 

 

The educators were speaking on Thursday at the handing over of six pieces of equipment for the school's building department.