LISKEARD School and Community College has started out on a new journey this week, its recently aquired Engineering Status kicking in on Tuesday, bringing the biggest changes in a generation, since the school first opened in the 1970s. The status will not only affect the students already at the school, but will bring huge benefits to the surrounding primary feeder schools - Liskeard Junior, St Martin's, Darite, St Cleer, Dobwalls, Menheniot, St Neot, Braddock and Trewidland, - the other secondary schools in Caradon District, and the community. Teacher Giles Merrifield has been appointed to lead the engineering status which will see a Government investment of up to £800,000, over the next four years, and it his job to co-ordinate the action plans which have now been developed by the various departments. 'We would like more of our pupils to be involved in work related learning and to be aware of the world of work and the required community skills,' he said. 'The engineering status is based around technology, maths and science, but we have a wider vision of how we interpet engineering and we aim to involve in some way all the other subjects on the curriculum. For instance we will be introducing a B Tec in Sports Science and we are hoping to introduce Music Technology.' He said students will be able to solve problems working in teams, bringing together different skills. 'It is a creative initiative designed to equip students to survive in the modern world which is a technology age. This is an exciting and real sustainable change at the school linked to overall performance.' The school will be developing links with local businesses and has appointed a business manager, Paul Taylor, who has local roots. He attended Liskeard Junior School and is the son of the late Dr Eddy Taylor. By the end of August 2003, the school had already had a capital spend of £150,000 , made up from £100,000 from the Government and £50,000 put together for the bid sponsorship. The rest of the status funding will come in lumps of up to £150,000, linked to school numbers, annually for the next four years. Two thirds of the funding will be spent on developments within the school and the remaining third will be for projects involving the school with the community. The capital was spent on creating an ICT base in the heart of the school, which was formerly in an Eliot building, and on the purchase of IT white boards, lap top computers, and specialised equipment for design technology such as laser cutters. Students will have at their disposal equipment used in industry. On the community front two engineering resource bases in design technology are available for the feeder primaries at Key Stages 1 and 2, and a Cam 1 machine has been purchased to help them develop design projects. Two schools are already involved in such projects with the school through the engineering status. This term Darite school are making musical instruments with a science and design team and at Dobwalls Yr 5 and Yr 6 pupils are involved in a three dimensional modelling project with a maths and science team. One of the most important moves at the Liskeard school will be to make the 'c in community a capital C.' 'We have so much here we can offer local people and we know they have much to offer us,' says Mr Merrifield. 'We want to swap skills and encourage the community to make use of our facilities. It is here for everyone. We would like to work with community groups and parents.'