Borehamwood’s secondary schools have both been granted specialist status. Janaki Mahadevan finds out what this means for students and the town.

Next week Yavneh College will celebrate the end of its first term as a business and enterprise college.

The milestone follows a successful bid in 2005 by Hertswood School to achieve arts college status, five years after the school’s creation.

Like all schools, Hertswood and Yavneh had to go through a rigorous application process to achieve their specialist status as well as raising £50,000.

Once the Department of Children Schools and Families accepted their bids, the schools received £100,000 from the Government.

The schools also receive funds from private sponsors. But what does all this go towards?

The schools are expected to significantly improve their facilities and teaching in their specialist area, and work with partner schools and other groups in the community.

Yavneh College, in Hillside Avenue, secured business and enterprise status in January this year and has invited its five private sponsors to launch a new house system next week.

Deputy headteacher Matthew Slater said: “We have begun our maths master classes where we invite some of the Year 6 pupils from our partner schools Hertsmere Jewish Primary, Clore Shalom, Newberries and St Nicholas, to work with our maths team.”

The school has also opened up its resources to work with Elstree and Borehamwood Rotary Club, the Jewish Association of Business Ethics and Hertsmere’s Worknet.

Mr Slater added: “Within the school we are giving every youngster an opportunity to develop skills in our specialism. Year 7 have a team building day based on the televsion programme The Apprentice, where the headteacher Dena Coleman becomes Alan Sugar. “Year 8 have a work shadowing event where they go into a work place, and Year 9 have lessons in interview techniques, which prepare them for the interview they will have to take when choosing their GCSE options.”

The school also invites parents and business people to work with children.

Mr Slater added: “Through these days and lessons, the children can improve their communications, team building, leadership and problem solving skills.

“All these raise awareness of business and enterprise, and develop skills they need to become productive members of the work force.”

The Specialist Schools Programme was a Government initiative created in 1994 to encourage schools to focus on a specialist subject as well as covering the rest of the national curriculum.

All comprehensive schools in the country can apply for specialist status in any of ten subject areas: arts, business and enterprise, engineering, humanities, languages, mathematics and computing, music, science, sports and technology.

Out of the 76 secondary schools in Hertfordshire, 71 have become specialist.

Zoe Watkins is the arts college director at Hertswood School, which offers primary schools a range of activities including dance, drama, music, art and media.

Ms Watkins said: “We also tailor-make things to a school’s needs. The young students get a buzz out of seeing their work displayed or performed and it does their self-esteem a lot of good.”

The school gives at least a third of its specialist status budget straight to the community, by providing funding and resources for community groups, art projects and activites.

“We work predominantly with the Com.unity Choir so they can continue developing arts opportunities for a range of people throughout the borough.

“We also provide funding for a day care centre so they can develop music and movement therapy.”

A recent project that has secured a further community role for the school is the development of the community theatre, expected to be open next autumn.

Ms Watkins added: “Delivering their knowledge of the arts has proved a powerful learning tool for students and community members. The different art forms enable our students to have a greater level of self- esteem. They are able to excel and succeed.

“We make a great deal about showcasing their work, about independent study and about creative thinking, all of which really helps them to grow as individuals, not just students.”