‘WHAT is Ely College for?’ was the question posed to students, staff, parents and employers at two day workshop.

The event, held at the Cathedral Education Centre last week, invited those involved with the college to consider the dynamics of life in the 21st century.

Specifically participants were asked to evaluate the skills, characteristics and attributes young people need today to survive and thrive in life and work.

Senior staff will distil the findings into ‘The Ely 8’, a set of core skills which will be at the heart of the college’s curriculum.

Assistant Principal Damien Whales said: “Employers and universities have been telling schools for some time that it is not enough to send children out into the world with a clutch of good GSCEs.

“The modern world needs people who are tolerant, creative, and able to apply their knowledge in different contexts.

“Young people also need to have had opportunities to develop team working skills, to have learned how to become self-motivated towards personal goals, and to have been shown how to pick themselves up after failure, dust themselves down, and try again.

“As educators, it’s just as important that we help children develop these survival skills for 21st century life as it is to develop knowledge in traditional subjects.

“The Ely 8 curriculum will provide opportunities for our students to develop competency in these areas through project working as well as through regular subject learning.”

Sue Keogh, Director of Sookio Ltd and founder of the Creative Ely network, said: “Many business owners depend upon the school both for the education of their children and for their future employees and so it is only natural that they get involved to support such an important initiative.”