Samuel Whitbread Community College has Engineering Specialist Status. This involves a rigorous development plan to improve standards of teaching and learning, to enrich the curriculum and to develop healthy links with the community and business partnerships.
Teaching & Learning:
The Specialist Status has helped to improve standards across the whole College. In 2006 the College was given an award for 'most improved schools' by the Specialist Status and Academies Trust. This achievement was gained through an ongoing assessment programme allowing students to understand their current attainment levels and also giving them inspirational targets and methods for improvement.
Funding from the status has allowed us to develop and enrich technology facilities throughout the College. We have purchased an e-learning package to assist independent learning, and the Engineering Faculty has equipment that students will meet in the world of work. Our purchase of Interactive Whiteboards for 50% of our classrooms has also added to the enrichment of lessons.
It is our intention to continue updating
technology over the next few years so as to keep our students abreast of modern initiatives.
Opportunities are regularly provided for staff to share best-practice techniques so as to continue to raise
educational standards for all.
Samuel Whitbread Community College is also a Training School and through working in partnership with the Status we are able to provide excellent training opportunities for all of our staff.
Enriching the Curriculum :
We work closely with our local community and business partners to provide a relevant and modern curriculum. Students have the opportunity to visit our business partners and work on real-life projects. Business partners regularly come to the College to advise on modern practice and give talks on initiatives and modern day business. This allows us to prepare our students to become members of a modern workforce.
We have regular Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) days where students experience
the world of Engineering and associated activities. 
Visits to further education establishments, universities and
training providers are organised to enable all students to understand the opportunities available to them so
that they are able to realise their potential.
We encourage staff and students to participate in local and national STEM competitions. From September 2009, SWCC is offering the Engineering Diploma.
Community / Partnership:
Along with creating strong links with local businesses, we believe in working closely with our partnership schools. These include our feeder middle schools as well as Hitchmead in Biggleswade and John Bunyan in Bedford. We have strengthened these partnerships by sharing good teaching and learning practice; by providing funding for equipment in design and e-learning materials for students in our feeder middle schools. Our Engineering Technician supports lessons in these schools to enable full and effective use of the equipment we have provided.
In the wider community, we provide many courses in first-aid, health and safety, as well as science technician
courses and we also have healthy links with Bedford College and many other institutions.
Adrian Miller, Assistant Principal
Debbie Hill, Assistant Director of Specialism