THE Sevenoaks Senior College is setting out to bridge the gap between industry and education.
The college, on the grounds of the old Cannington Senior High School, caters for year 11 and 12 students and will start classes next year.
It is designed to run as independently as a State school can.
The school hopes to produce enterprising, adaptable young people who get things done.
Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Lyndon Rowe is chairing the school’s interim board.
Mr Rowe said the board’s brief was to foster school-industry relations.
“One of our objectives is that all students do some structured workplace learning – learning on the job.”
This school’s day will end at 5pm instead of 3.30pm.
Mr Rowe said this approach was about getting schools focused on their customers.
“Industry wants people coming out of the school system that have a good “general” education. They don’t want people with specific skills.”
Information technology will play a major role at Sevenoaks.
School principal David Wood said each student would have access to a personal computer and most of the curriculum would be stored electronically.
