Onside@BostonUnited

Onside@BostonUnited

On Friday October 12, Onside@BostonUnited became the first centre or organisation in Lincolnshire to achieve Quality in Study Support Advanced Status.

Nationally, it is one of only 11 'Playing for Success' Centres to achieve this status and the only centre at a non-league football club. Currently there are 133 'Playing for Success' Centres open in the country. Other PfS Centres with QiSS Advanced status are based at Leeds United, Portsmouth, Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Norwich City, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Batley Bulldogs RLFC.

Onside@BostonUnited is part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) 'Playing for Success' Initiative. It is a partnership between the DCSF, Boston United Football Club and Lincolnshire County Council. CfBT Education Trust Lincolnshire School Improvement Service manages the Centre on behalf of the County Council.

The 'Playing for Success' Centre at Boston United (Onside@BostonUnited) was started in 2001 and provides study support for pupils aged nine to 14 years from Boston borough schools.

Pupils attend after school over a number of weeks to complete a 20-hour programme of study. This includes a variety of ICT, literacy and numeracy activities to enhance their school curriculum and help them make further progress.

The Centre and its staff have been working toward the Advanced Status since 2005 when they were awarded QiSS Established Status. To achieve Advanced Status, the Centre had to show it fulfilled all the criteria, through the compilation of a portfolio and supporting statements.

On Friday October 12, the Centre hosted its recognition visit where a team of external scrutinizers:
- Examined the evidence.
- Were given a tour of the Centre and stadium by PfS pupils from Carlton Road Primary School, St Bede's Catholic Science College and The Haven High Technology College.
- Listened to a presentation from The Centre's Learning Team which included David Newton (Boston United chairman), Kris Woods (peer mentor), Roger Windsor (support tutor), Ann Smith (school link person) and Dr Tim Lomas (Principal School Improvement Adviser).
- Asked questions of the Learning Team and Centre Manager

Finally, the external scrutinizers made a decision and fed this back to the Learning Team and Centre staff. The Centre and the football club are very proud to have received this award and it is an acknowledgment of the hard work and quality provision that the Centre provides.

For further details, please contact the Centre Manager Oonagh Quinn on (01205) 312816.

The photograph shows the young people involved in the recognition day being presented with a signed football each as thank you by Boston United manager Tommy Taylor and striker Jon Stevenson.