What are Specialised Subjects?
For children who have talents in a particular area of the school curriculum, many parents like to encourage and nurture those talents by putting them in a specialist school. These schools focus on teaching a particular subject or group of related subjects so that students can reach their full potential in their chosen field.
The Specialised Schools Programme
The Specialised Schools Programme is a government initiative delivered by The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) which actively encourages schools in England to specialise in certain areas in order to boost achievement. There are currently over 2000 specialist schools in England, benefiting from the sponsorship of companies, individuals and trusts that keeps the SSAT going. The fields a school can specialise in are:- Arts
- Business & Enterprise
- Engineering
- Humanities
- Languages
- Mathematics & Computing
- Music
- Science
- Sports
- Technology
Schools sometimes opt to combine two or these specialisms, offering a wider range of teaching. Choosing the right school for your child will obviously depend on their particular talents and interests and what they want to do in the future. Once they know which field they are interested in, it’s worth getting in touch with the SSAT or checking out their website to find a list of appropriate schools. With such a huge diversity between specialist schools, it’s worth taking the time to look for the one that suits your child’s needs and skills the best.
It’s worth remembering not to confuse specialised schools with vocational schools, where children are taught particular skills with the aim of preparing them for a particular job. Although focusing on a particular area, specialised schools are not gearing children toward a specific job.
It’s also important to remember that the majority of specialist schools are not independent. Therefore, if your choice is to educate your child in the private sector, this might limit your options for a specialist school. Don’t let this put you off though. There’s a wide range of options available to make getting your child into the right school easier, and you never know, you might just get lucky and find that the right one is just around the corner.