The dramatic turnaround in these four pupils' behaviour is the result of Churchfields School's innovative educational inclusion unit, which has been aimed for the first time at final year students. Pupils in the unit say they were a nightmare to teach with antics such as swearing at teachers to throwing books out of classroom windows almost commonplace.As they come to the end of their five years at Churchfields they now look back on what they have done and dismiss it as "pathetic".
The school set out to help pupils who they suspected would without any qualifications by funding an 18-student unit for pupils who had not been able to succeed in mainstream education. The inclusion unit gave pupils a more relaxed environment to learn in, because it was split into two small groups of nine pupils.
Assistant head Val Patterson explains that while pupils work hard in the unit they are able to talk to the two teachers, Kristiana Maseyk and Ceri Russell, about problems that would normally go unnoticed in mainstream lessons with up to 30 pupils in a class.
"Here, if something is wrong, they can sit down and talk about to the teachers and the other students. It helps, because most of the time someone else has been through it too and they can spend half an hour talking it through before settling down to work." The teachers build up a relationship with the youngsters,
aided by the fact they are working with the same small group every day.Ms Maseyk said: "In mainstream lessons a teacher can take up to 200 different pupils in a day, spending only 50 minutes with each class. "Friends say to me that it must be a nightmare teaching people in the unit, but it isn't. It's rewarding getting to see a really nice side to youngsters, a side they don't tend to show. "I taught Laura last year and she was clearly disaffected with the whole system,
but she has matured in the past year they all have and they enjoy coming to school. "They don't have the same pressures as in mainstream education. For example, they would get in trouble for not bringing their books to lessons but here they have everything in their own drawer and they know where it is. "Because we teach all lessons in the unit,
the pupils see it as their own, and we try to make it a really positive environment they want to keep coming back to. "They choose the pictures on the walls and all of the work on display is theirs." The unit was aimed at year 11 pupils this year because the school was keen for them not to drop out or be permanently excluded, left thinking the system had given up on them. Mrs Patterson said: "Exclusion is a painful experience for pupils and teachers, which is why we had this unit set up."
All of the youngsters who completed the year in the unit are now going on to college, thanks to a special link with Swindon College.
It means they can try different subjects, giving them a taste of what they might like to do when they leave school. Ms Russell said: "Going out and getting a job, having a bank account and all the things that come with being an adult are new to a lot of our youngsters. "They haven't looked ahead and it comes as a surprise to them. But they like it and it gives them a sense of what is to come."
The pupils have had fun, but that doesn't mean they haven't worked hard. Ms Maseyk said: "They have done a lot of work in here. Other teachers have told me that whenever they walk in there is a really busy atmosphere." The pupils are now on exam leave, and all have good prospects. Steven Webb, 16, of Park North, summed up what the unit has done for them. "If it wasn't for the past year, I would not have anything," he said. "I would have flunked my exams and signed on the dole. Now I've got qualifications and prospects for the future." For more information please visit at: www.thisiswiltshire.com
