Lilian Baylis Technology School
Lilian Baylis Technology School
Lilian Baylis Technology School is in sight of the emblematic MI6 building, home to the UK's international intelligence gathering agency - and to the fictional character of James Bond- and down the road from the Oval cricket ground in London, UK.
Twenty per cent of Lilian Baylis students are refugees/asylum seekers and 50 percent do not have English as their first language, albeit that many of them speak two or three languages, whether Hindi, Greek, Shona, Bengali or Portuguese, to name just a few.
We talked to Lilian Baylis' Deputy Head Teacher, Su Wardrop, who accompanied the students on one recent trip to Brussels, about C&W/H&B's involvement with Lilian Baylis.
"It is very important for external companies such as Cushman & Wakefield to get involved with the school in order to keep education 'real'," she said. "For Cushman & Wakefield, you are investing in the future."
Like many teenagers in today's world, many of the students doubt whether society is bothered about them. Contact with people at C&W/H&B has led to a rise in self-esteem - especially when they were told that the C&W/H&B also got a lot out of the trips and enjoyed their company.
One of the most frequent feedback comments from the students taking part in the C&W visits was . "they treated us like clients rather than just children", and by the look on their faces, it is easy to see the importance of this!
"So much of making the most of the opportunities in life is about having the self-esteem to take advantage of them," explains Su.
Head teacher Gary Philips and all the staff are keen that the school becomes a beacon of good practice, demonstrating to all in education what students in a totally non-selective inner city school can achieve. This is through an emphasis on: 'good learning', employing 'pastoral managers' so that the teachers can focus on teaching rather than social needs; and employing advanced skills teachers to help other teachers to teach better (no other secondary school in the area has done this). The school has also linked up with Kids' Company, a charity that provides emotional and practical support for children in crisis.
The emphasis is also on working together with the parents, and the community, both social and business. LBTS works in partnership with the livery company the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists and also has strong links with Business in the Community.
