April 1 2005 saw the transformation of the former Education Action Zone in NW Shropshire into an Excellence Cluster. This brings together twenty primary schools and three secondary schools into a three year DfES funded school improvement programme.

The Excellence Cluster will enable us to build on the work of the EAZ to raise student achievement and improve educational provision by focussing on four strands of activity. These include the use of learning mentors to support individuals and specific groups of pupils, particularly those suffering from multiple disadvantages, a focus on improving provision for, and the achievement of, gifted and talented pupils, strengthening networked learning opportunities across the cluster and establishing learning support units in two secondary schools.

Part-time coordinators for each strand of activity are now in post, each supported by a specialist adviser form the Shropshire Advisory Service. Contact details for each are to be found following the link from the home page.

Steve Rogers
Excellence Cluster Coordinator