Majorana Laterza” secondary school is a comprehensive grammar school with four specializations:-Grammar school specializing in humanities
-grammar school specializing in modern languages
-Grammar school specializing in science
-Grammar school specializing in applied science.
the school has recently moved to new premises with 45 classrooms,10 laboratories and numerous other very modern facilities.
The staff comprises the headmaster, two deputy teachers, the school secretary,79 teachers (among which 7 are part of the middle management), 6 office clerks, 3 technicians and 11 school employees (janitors). From this year the school has been enriched by the presence of 9 more teachers employed to either tutoring weak students or to reinforce excellent ones,plus various school projects
Presently the school is attended by just over 1000 students. 42% are specializing in science,6%in applied science, 15% are specializing in humanities and 37% in modern languages.45% are from the various parts of the town while a further 55% have to face a short journey every day to get to school. At the moment we have recorded an increase of 50% of new enrollments for the past and the new year so there will be about 1150 students next September.
All the students study English in their curriculum,300 study also French of which 100 study Spanish as third language and 220 study German.
The school also offers :Modern language certifications/Computer science certifications/Psychological support( especially in order to low down the percentage of drop outs)//Career guidance (orientered either to job or higher education)
Modern language stages abroad (either EU funded, PON, or paid by the families)
In the past years the school has shown an increasing interest in transnational activities including 5 Comenius Multilateral partnerhips with 120 mobilities and 22 partner-schools , 28 students in Individual Mobility for 3 months each, 26 incoming students on Individual Mobility for 3 months each, many students have experienced longer training abroad under the Programme Intercultura too, which normally sends students from all over the world, to the Majorana-Laterza.
As far as teachers:
-the school has recently experienced one Comenius teacher's training grant for a Science teacher to improve her English,
-one incoming job-shadowing of an ICT teacher and a teacher of English from Spain, three more are waited for april 2016
-two teachers have attended CLIL formal training.
-a 50 hours PON Course of English for CLIL for teachers thanks to PON funding (2013/14)
- a 50 hours Course of English for teachers thanks to VALES funding (2014/15)
-Majorana-Laterza has been chosen as ERASMUS+ training school for the surrounding area by USR Puglia for the past twoyears
The training given has arosen great interest and participation, helping the spreading of the programme.
Moreover the school organizes class exchanges with a school in Belgium , two schools in Germany ,one in France , two in Spain and one in Poland. Relationships between us and these schools are constantly improving even without EU fundings.The current school year 160 foreign students have been hosted in different times for 1 week on the basis of class exchanges, same number have travelled abroad.
We have been funded a KA2 as partner for the years 2015/17 "the art of recycling and reuse"toghether with Spain,Germany,France and one more Italian high school
Majorana-Laterza has normal and constant contacts with: Putignano town council and provincial authorities/Experts on term contracts for student, teacher and general staff training/Experts on term contracts for management and computer maintenance/Local associations (parents and students) /Putignano branch of the national health service/Insurance companies/families, junior schools,university,local media.