CLCS
WHAT ARE THEY?
Background
City Learning Centres (CLCs) were developed as one of the six key strands which
comprised the original Excellence in Cities (EiC) programme in 2000. They are designed
to help address the educational problems of major cities where standards have been
too low.
CLCs have been set up in urban areas where there is a mixture of social disadvantage
and underperformance in schools. In most cases CLCs are based in a building attached
to a host school serving a network of schools in the local area. CLCs are not owned by
an individual school and thus are expected to be a shared resource and work
collaboratively with partner schools.
A shared resource that works collaboratively with partners
Since the first CLC was opened in 2000, centres have worked closely with their partners
to identify local need and circumstances and, more importantly, have created facilities that
are exciting and innovative.
CLCs are part of the resource to improve educational standards and embedding the use
of ICT in schools. They establish close links with their partner schools
(secondary, primary and special schools), encouraging them to regard the CLC as
a shared resource.
Many pupils attend their local CLC, both in and out of school hours. Some of this work
supports particular subject assignments or projects in all key stages and also
cross-curricular work; including PSHE and citizenship.
The special technology within CLCs can support lesson programmes beyond the resource
of individual schools. This allows teachers to trial ICT approaches in their lessons using
software and technology in classrooms prior to any planned decisions over individual school
purchases, thus saving schools’ time and money and encouraging teacher confidence in the
continued use of new technology.
To this end, CLCs are allowed to have some flexibility and freedoms to respond to the
needs of partner schools using the latest technology without being restricted
by LA procedures.
