Study Plus is an approach developed by the Secondary National Strategy for pupils at Key Stage 4 who are achieving below national expectations in English and/or mathematics but who have the potential to make better progress with some additional support. There may be a range of pupils in your school context that are under attaining, possibly including some pupils from particular ethnic minority groups; some pupils learning English as an additional language; mobile pupils, or those with gaps in their schooling. Study Plus does not have its own accreditation because it is designed to help pupils achieve more highly in their GCSE examinations, not only in English and mathematics but also in other subjects that depend to some extent on literacy and numeracy skills. A key feature of any Study Plus course is that it does not follow a set syllabus or specification but is designed specifically for a particular group of pupils whose learning needs have been identified. In this respect, Study Plus might be better described as an approach rather than a course.

The Study Plus approach is designed for:

• pupils who end Key Stage 3 on level 4 or with a low level 5 in mathematics and/or English;
• pupils currently predicted to attain grades D or E at GCSE.

The aims are to:

• accelerate the progress of these pupils in English and/or mathematics so that they have a better chance of achieving a grade C;
• strengthen key areas of weakness in literacy and numeracy;
• support pupils’ learning and motivation in relation to English, mathematics and other subjects;
• have a positive impact on attainment in two or three more GCSE subjects through the application of literacy, numeracy and general learning skills in context.

To develop this programme further we have set up an e-portal for the schools involved to share their ideas and to encourage more effective networking. Schools are invited to ‘drop in’ materials and other resources that they feel might be of interest to other schools.

This shared area will also include the Secondary National Strategy Study Plus materials for English and mathematics currently available on CD, with an accompanying handbook. (DfES 00327-2007PCK-EN, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

The Mathematics and English Consultancy teams will continue to support the schools involved in this programme: Grange Technology College , Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College , Salt Grammar School , St. Bede’s Catholic Grammar School , Hanson School , Belle Vue Boys’ School and Thornton Grammar School .