UK Education News

University tuition fees are making progression to university an expensive proposition for many students, but there are alternatives, as one student at The Sixth Form College, Solihull has just discovered.

Shaun Crump (aged 18, from Solihull) has landed an IT job at a local company following a work placement with the firm and is combining work for the company with training paid for by his employers. The job and training is with Monkspath-based firm Enterprise Inns, which is a UK leased and tenanted pub company.

Shaun has been studying a BTEC IT course at the College and embarked on work experience with Enterprise Inns alongside his studies. A week’s placement was extended to two weeks and Shaun kept in touch with managers at the firm, impressing them with his enthusiasm and commitment.

He explains, “I worked as a Help Desk Technician on my work placement and I must have impressed them, because they asked me to stay longer. At the end of the two weeks, they took me out to dinner and said they would like to offer me an apprenticeship. I kept in touch with them and although the apprenticeship didn’t work out, they decided to offer me a full-time job, which I was delighted to accept.

“I’ve just started as an IT Support Engineer and the company are paying for me to do some courses at the moment, so that I can become a fully certified Microsoft technician. It’s great! I had originally planned to go to university, but with tuition fees rising, I didn’t want to get myself into debt and this has proved to be a great alternative.”

Shaun admits that undertaking the work placement has completely changed his future, firstly helping him determine that a career in IT was what he wanted, and then opening the door to employment with Enterprise Inns.

“My advice to other students would be to just go for it!” he explained. “Staff at Enterprise Inns said that lots of the students who do work placements can’t really be bothered, but they liked my enthusiasm. I would advise other students to treat work experience like it’s a real job. Enterprise Inns liked that I made the effort to keep in touch with them every two weeks or so and it just shows that you never know where that sort of commitment can lead.”

The Business Career Academy students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull gained first hand knowledge of the transport industry this week, as they visited Moor St station in Birmingham City Centre to learn about Chiltern Railways.

The second year students – all studying on the BTEC Extended Diploma in Business course – were welcomed by Malcolm Holmes, the station manager, who went through the history of Chiltern Railways, owned by German company, Deutsche Bahn.

Chiltern Railways have spent a lot of money in investing in their trains and have recently begun their new service from Birmingham to London, which takes just 90 minutes (down from the 2 hours it took previously). The students heard about how Chiltern Railways came about with the changes.

The talk from Malcolm Holmes also explained how competitive the rail market is, with a total of 13 different train franchisees in the UK. Chiltern Railways are currently re-investing in Solihull station, as a massive 1.5 million passengers pass through this station and Chiltern Railways believe that there is a potential for this number to increase if there were more parking spaces. The new car park is currently being developed and will do so over the next few months.

Ranjit Hayer, Career Academy Manager and a Business teacher at the College, commented: “The students were provided refreshments in tradition train fashion on one of the company’s trolleys, which was full to the brim with snacks they would find on their trains. They also heard about how a career in the train industry is rewarding and challenging and how quickly it changes. For example, Chiltern have just launch free wifi on their journeys from Birmingham to London to help launch their new faster trains. It was an interesting visit and we thank Malcolm and Chiltern Railways for hosting us.”

Pupils at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe have been busy fundraising for the charity, CAFOD, the Catholic development and relief organisation that works in many countries to tackle poverty and encourage development.

The school wants to support CAFOD who focus on helping people make a living, disaster and emergency response, promoting justice and ending poverty by campaigning and advocacy and working with schools to raise awareness and inspire commitment to end injustice and poverty in developing countries.

Charity fundraising events are part of life at Saint Paul’s and the Year 7 pupils have been involved in a number of fund raising activities such as cake sales, raffles and a sponsored silence.

“Our pupils were inspired by the values of the CAFOD charity – compassion, hope, dignity, solidarity, partnership, sustainability and stewardship,” explained Miss Diane Keary, Head of Year 7. “As part of the Catholic community, we were keen to support this charity and help those in need.”

Miss Keary added: ““Not only do fundraising activities help others, they also build group cooperation and are an important part of personal development. Our hope is that, through their exposure to a range of activities and causes, our pupils will develop a sense of the type and scale of need that exists in modern life.”

“We encourage our pupils to consider others in need and to help them through giving of both their time and effort.” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We believe that our pupils benefit from a greater understanding of, and concern for, the needs of those less fortunate than themselves. We see charity fundraising events as a key part of the school’s ethos.”

Seven students from King Edward VI College took part in a groundbreaking personal development course hosted by Warwickshire Police.

Now in it’s sixth year, the Natural Born Leaders programme is supported by local agencies and businesses The week long course helps students develop skills in decision making, conflict resolution, team work and communication and presentation skills to prepare them for their future role in life.

“Although the course is open to all young people the focus is on those from minority groups who traditionally do not have the same access to development opportunities.” explained Junaid Gharda, Head of Strategic Planning with Warwickshire Police.

The students followed a range of activities including classroom-based learning, but also spent a day with the Ministry of Defence in Staffordshire and spent time with Warwickshire Police including the dog section, firearms and crime investigation.

The end of the week was marked by a ceremony where students received their highly prized leadership certificates which were presented by Warwickshire Police Chief Constable Andy Parker.

As well as local dignitaries, family and friends, the awards ceremony also saw a number of special guests including former professional footballer Dion Dublin, together with Lance Corporal Simranjit Singh from the Royal Corps of Signals, who during his distinguished army career was the first Sikh to carry out public duties including guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace and the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.

Student Liam Scoffman said “I would recommend the course to anyone as it is thoroughly enjoyable and you are able to meet a lot of new people and make loads of new friends.”

Shirley Axon, academic services co-ordinator at the college said “We were extremely proud of our students who took part and completed the Natural Born Leaders programme. The aim of the activity is to improve students’ confidence and team building skills. At the end of the week each student gave a personal account and it was obvious that the course had been extremely successful.”

King Edward VI College
02476 328252
sg@kinged6nun.ac.uk

Performing Arts students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull are entertaining staff, students and parents with three classical theatre productions this week.

The BTEC students are performing a rolling programme of short scenes from classic plays, including “Hedda Garbler” by Henrik Ibson, Chekhov’s “The Seagull” and “Miss Julie” by August Strindberg.

As well as interpreting these classic scenes in their own acting style, the students have also been heavily involved in set, props and costume, ensuring all is appropriate to the time they have chosen to set their scenes.

Following long hours of rehearsal, these scenes will be performed for eager audiences on today (Thursday 26th) and tomorrow (Friday 27th April) at 7.00pm.

Diane Dodd, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, commented: “Classical Theatre is a key unit in the BTEC Extended Diploma course and involves fantastic plays. The students have had challenging texts to turn into dramatic scenes and have all risen to the challenge.”

Another Performing Arts production showing at the College soon is “A Matter of Life and Death”, an adaptation of a 1946 Powel & Pressburger classic film. The play will be on at the College on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June at 7.00pm. Tickets for this production will cost £6 for adults and £3 for concessions – anyone interested in attending is asked to call 0121 704 2581.

Wow – we did it! What a memorable day for all involved! As you know, yesterday Tuesday 24 April, staff and students from Collingwood College and pupils from Crawley Ridge and Cordwalles, succeeded in creating the largest London 2012 logo using in excess of 2012 people. The whole process was completed extremely efficiently and I would like to congratulate everybody who played a part in creating this little piece of Olympic history.

The Olympics team at Surrey County Council co-ordinated the whole day’s activities which included a world class trampoline display by Amanda Parker, potential Olympic team member, dancing by GCSE dance students, judo by the Camberley Judo Club, a demonstration of our ’green car’ and gymnastics by the L & G Acrobatic and Surrey Borders Gymnastics Clubs.

We were extremely proud to receive Sir Keith Mills, (Deputy Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG)), along with Cllr Helyn Clack, Oona Muirhead CBE, Olympian Debbie Flood (Rowing Silver Medallist) and Lizzie Webb (TV AM aerobics instructor) (both innovators of Creativity in Sport who carried out performances with their fitness group, Body Rocks), Paul Ainslie and his Surrey Sports team, Julie Kapsalis, Karen Lacey and of course, Wenlock and Mandeville, the Olympic Mascots.

As part of the day’s proceedings, Sir Keith Mills kindly presented Collingwood with a cheque for £55,000 on behalf of Sport England, which will go towards the refurbishment of our Gymnastics Centre.

The opportunity arose as a result of our participation in the London 2012 GetSet programme and the Olympic team at Surrey County Council receiving approval by LOCOG.

We were the only school in the country to be offered this ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity which, given the high profile nature of this event, has received worldwide coverage and has been filmed and photographed for use by LOCOG (in the run up to and beyond the London Games).

Our own Student Olympic Values Committee engaged with guests and had the opportunity to present Friendship Bands as part of our focus on Olympic and Paralympics Values. Our committee will now be focusing on promoting the remaining values.

In addition to Amanda Parker, we are also proud to have on board one our invigilators, Mandy Pankhurst, who is a member of the GB Paralympic Shooting team.

Many thanks to everybody who was involved in this momentous occasion for Collingwood and for being part of Olympic history.

A level Politics students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull journeyed to London this week to visit the Palace of Westminster and the Imperial War Museum.

The main focus of the trip was the Houses of Parliament. The 38-strong group of students congregated in Westminster Hall, which dates back to 1099, to meet our tour guide. The tour included a look inside the House of Lords and the House of Commons, recognisable from their frequent appearances of television. Our guide explained the rituals and traditions of both houses, including the role the monarchy plays in opening parliament; something that will happen next week. The history and the architecture was also explained to us and we admired the many paintings, tapestries and statues that adorn this famous building.

The fieldtrip also took in a visit to the Imperial War Museum. Here, the students visited the many fascinating exhibits, including those dedicated to the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Falkland’s War, the Gulf War and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The World War One exhibit even included a mock-up of a trench that you can walk through, complete with unpleasant but realistic smells piped in.

For many of the students, the most memorable exhibit was the Holocaust exhibit. This is an immensely moving exhibit, telling the tale of the persecution of Jews and many other groups by Nazi Germany during World War Two. It includes a model of Auschwitz and many artefacts rescued from this concentration camp, including hundreds of shoes from people who were killed in the gas chambers. There are video screens dotted throughout the exhibit, showing actual footage from the time and survivors talking of their experiences.

Mike Pattison, Politics teacher at the College, commented: “Despite driving rain, the students thoroughly enjoyed the fieldtrip and learnt a lot. Parliament is part of their A level Politics and Government course, so seeing it first hand brought it to life for them.

“In addition, the visit to the Imperial War Museum, was very beneficial. Wars are frequently fought as a result of political conflict, so the museum provided valuable background information for the students. The Holocaust exhibition was particularly hard-hitting. Many of the videos shown in this exhibit are very difficult to watch, but act as a fitting tribute to a terrible chapter in history that it is important we do not forget.”

At 10am on Wed 20 June 2012 more than 100,000 kids will march for road safety from their school gates, raising awareness of both the dangers of traffic and how cool it is to walk. We’re trying to beat a world record too – so be a part of it!

The Giant Walking Bus is run by Brake, the national road safety charity, as part of its Kids Say Slow Down campaign and in aid of its services for road crash victims and their families. For more information about Brake visit www.brake.org.uk

Three good reasons to march:

Great summer term project
In the days leading up to your march, kids can research traffic pollution, hazards and transport choices, and make their own ‘slow down’ and ‘get walking’ placards! It’s also a great way to meet safety and citizenship teaching goals and promote your school travel plan or healthy or eco school status.

Slow down drivers
The UK has one of the worst death rates in Europe of children killed on foot, most on their way to or from school. Your march gives kids a voice, helping them to tell drivers to slow down and drive less! The climax of your walk could be planting a tree in memory of road crash victims in a park, or holding a photo call for your local paper and school newsletter with children waving their placards.

Help bereaved families
Kids can be sponsored by family and friends to take part, helping fund Brake’s campaigns and services for families bereaved by road crashes. We give you free sponsorship envelopes, and certificates to say thank you.

If you haven’t yet registered your school to take part in the event, you can do so online at www.giantwalkingbus.org or by contacting Brake on 01484 559909 or at walkingbus@brake.org.uk

The Maths department at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe got stuck into Science and Engineering Week when they encouraged pupils to take part in a number of scientific and engineering challenges.

The spotlight was on how science, technology, engineering and maths relate to our everyday lives. The pupils took part in a number of activities which explored the theme “Our World in Motion”.

The aim of the sessions was to inspire the next generation of scientists with fun and participative activities. The pupils worked in groups to carry out a series of tasks focusing on solving mathematical, scientific and engineering problems through practical investigation.

“The activities were great fun and very popular with the pupils,” explained Miss Stephanie Smith, a Maths teacher from Saint Paul’s. “These sessions helped the youngsters see how Science, Engineering and Maths are applied in real life.”

Miss Smith added: “It was a very fulfilling and inspiring day with huge opportunities for acquiring lifelong skills. Not only did the pupils experience some hands-on scientific fun but they were also able to develop team building and communication skills.”
“Involvement in projects such as this is a great way for us to encourage our pupils to engage with others and enjoy maths, technology and engineering,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “It was fantastic to see the pupils working together on their challenge activities. Team work, cooperation and communication were key requirements for successful completion of the tasks.”

A spectacular summer concert, featuring some of the world’s leading opera singers accompanied by the Southbank Sinfonia, conducted by Simon Over, is to take place on Seaford College lawns.

In the first of its kind – but hopefully not the last – the Petworth College has brought in the services of top concert organisers The Showbusiness Production Company Ltd., from Midhurst, to stage the inaugural ‘Lavington Proms’, on Saturday June 9.

Headline acts will include Old Seafordian and bass Matthew Rose, legendary Russian baritone Sergei Leiferkus, tenor Robert Murray and talented Russian soprano Ilona Domnich.The proms-style concert will take place at the rear of the 18th Century Mansion, where the terraced lawn provides the perfect setting for champagne and picnics. Guests will picnic from 6pm, with the concert commencing at 7.30pm, ending with a rousing 1812 Overture finale and dazzling firework spectacular at 10.30pm.

The repertoire will include the overture from the popular ‘Marriage of Figaro’ Nessun Dorma, the Torreador Song from Carmen and other arias by Mozart, Puccini, Wagner and Tchaikovsky, including excerpts from Eugene Onegin.

The singers are all internationally renowned and have sung at such venues as Glyndebourne, The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera, New York, Bolshoi, and Marinsky Theatre and La Scala, Milan.

Matthew Rose, who has helped to arrange the event, said: “I had the great pleasure of going to school at beautiful Seaford College. It has long been a dream of mine to put on a concert at the school and now, with the help of the school, world class singers and Britain’s premiere training orchestra, this dream will become a reality. It will be an unmissable opportunity to hear some of the greatest music ever written performed in these amazing surroundings.”

Headmaster Toby Mullins said: “The College grounds lend themselves perfectly to an event of this kind and it is something we have been considering for a while. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us and it is something we could repeat in the future if there is sufficient interest.”

The concert is open to all and tickets are now on sale from the College, priced £35. Up to 1500 people are expected to attend so early booking is advisable!

For further information, please contact 01798 867392 or email lavingtonproms@seaford.org

Almost 90 pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe took part in an Arts Awards evening where they were able to showcase their performance skills.

The talented Year 9 pupils enjoyed their few minutes of fame which contributed to them obtaining their “Arts Award Silver” qualification. The evening was a great success with many solo, group and duet performances taking places ranging from popular keyboard pieces, excerpts from plays such a ‘Bloody Brothers’ and ‘Two’ and choreographed dance routines.

“The pupils, despite being very nervous in the lead up to both evenings, had a great time with many remarking that they had had a brilliant experience, learnt lots of new skills and some even asking if they could perform again in the next showcase!” explained Ms Rachael Johnson, Music teacher at Saint Paul’s. “It was wonderful to see all their efforts come to fruition as they performed on stage.”

“The performance was a joy to watch with some brilliant individual performances,” said Head Teacher, Mr Wiktor Daron. “The pupils showed great skill and enthusiasm and they all deserve plaudits for their contributions. It was a great boost for their self-confidence.”

Pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe recently took part in the national Science and Engineering Week, a celebration of science, engineering and technology which explored the theme “Our World in Motion”.

Saint Paul’s has specialist status for Engineering and has a distinctive science and engineering ethos running throughout the school and is very keen to inspire and engage the pupils in Science and Engineering.

The week’s programme aimed to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists with fun and participative activities. The activities highlighted how science, technology, engineering and maths relate to our everyday lives.

The pupils took part in a number of science based activities including making ice-cream to eat “on the go” and completing a nutritional analysis task comparing the home-made ice creams to shop bought varieties.

“The children learned how to make two ice-creams using fresh strawberries and apples,” explained Mrs Marianne Holder, a Food Tech teacher at Saint Paul’s. “They completed a nutritional analysis task comparing their two ice-creams to a shop bought one and linked their learning to the nutritional needs of an athlete.”

Mrs Holder added: “The activities were great fun and very popular with the pupils. The sessions helped the pupils see how Science and Engineering can be applied in real life.”

“Science and Engineering are vital to the future of our country and involvement in projects such as this are a great way for us to encourage our pupils to enjoy the subjects and see them as both interesting and accessible,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We need to do everything we can to inspire the next generation and show them the future opportunities available to them.”

Year 9 pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe recently took part in the LionHeart Challenge, a programme which tests the business skills and entrepreneurial flair of children across the country.

The Lionheart Challenge is a national enterprise programme designed to encourage the UK’s future entrepreneurs. The challenge event brings together teams of pupils to create and design an innovative product or service with commercial potential. The students present a full business proposal which is judged by a panel of real industry experts.

Leading business professionals act as team mentors, expert advisors and judges.

The pupils had to consider all aspects of their product including how it would be produced, financed, marketed and sold, this information had to be put into a mini business plan and then presented on an electronic PowerPoint presentation to a panel of judges, made up of a range of representatives from the business and educational world.

“The event is aimed at nurturing the UK’s future entrepreneurs and business personnel,” explained Ms Bowman from Saint Paul’s. “I was delighted with the way our pupils approached this task, they demonstrated outstanding enterprise skills, teamwork, imagination and a magnificent “can do” attitude which will be invaluable to them in future life.”

Ms Bowman added: “The pupils really had to focus on the task including brainstorming, problem solving and task-allocation, as well as working to a strict deadline.”
“Taking part in the Lionheart Challenge has been important in building the pupils’ confidence and developing their entrepreneurial spirit and business skills.

The Challenge has emphasized the importance of teamwork and developed their ability to approach and analyse business issues,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “It enabled our pupils to get first-hand experience of business and its opportunities, demands, rewards and challenges – a vital step in preparing them for the world of work.”

The school rock band, JACKT, from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe, has been going from strength to strength as they have expanded their music portfolio, increased their number of fans and have performed at some of the top venues in Manchester.

JACKT’s gigs have included the Manchester Music Service’s Showcase, the Band on the Wall, Club Academy (part of Manchester University’s Academy) and MOHO live. They have also been busy in the recording studio, recording a number of songs in Parrs Wood recording studio.

This month the band is playing at St John’s Church in Benchill supporting a local charity raising money to take children from a local children’s centre on a camping trip.

“The band has played at some well known Manchester venues and their following is increasing day by day,” explained Miss Rachael Johnson, a music teacher at Saint Paul’s. “The pupils are very passionate about their music and it is fantastic to see how they transform their ideas and feelings into music and lyrics.”

Miss Johnson added: “The band is currently in discussions with Academy 3 in Manchester to play a gig this summer; also they are just finalising the recording of an EP which they plan to release shortly.”

“The music of JACKT is fantastic, full of vibrancy and energy,” said Head Teacher, Mr Wiktor Daron. “It has been wonderful to see the time and effort our pupils have dedicated to making this band a success; it has not just been about the quality of their music but also about their organisational and communication skills when arranging rehearsals, recordings and venues. I have been very impressed by the commitment they have shown.”

Seaford College sharp-shooter Daniel Tarrant has been capped to shoot for Great Britain – at the age of only 15.

Dan, from Storrington, has been clay pigeon shooting from the age of 10 and stunned judges with his superb hand-eye co-ordination from an early age.

He now specialises in Olympic Trap and learned of this latest accolade after taking part in the English Open Olympic Trap Event at the National Clay Shooting Centre, Bisley, on Easter Sunday, where he came first in his class and was declared Junior High Gun.

Dan achieved Class A status while still only 11 years old and went on to be sponsored by top gun manufacturers Krieghoff and to shoot for his county.

He is coached twice a week at the Northall Clay Pigeon Shooting Ground by professional coach Dan Kerwood and has taken part in competitions throughout the UK. As part of the GB team, his next challenged will be to shoot in the Europeans, being held at Suhl in Germany in May, and then on to the Junior Worlds.

His father Adrian, who introduced Daniel to the sport, said: “Although Daniel is dyslexic, we spotted a niche where he has proved to have a unique and outstanding talent. He has achieved amazing results for someone so young and is determined to reach Olympic standard just as soon as he is able.

“The school has been very supportive of Daniel and we are very grateful to them for allowing him out of school for coaching and competitions.”

GCSE Law students from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe were delighted to receive visits from two eminent law professionals who visited the school to help with their revision and to give them an insight into what a career in the law profession is really like.

Louise Stonier, a solicitor from Pets at Home and Nigel Booth, a barrister from John Street Chambers held sessions with groups of pupils where they provided practical information, advice and guidance.

In addition to helping the pupils with their GCSE revision, they also talked to them about their experiences in law and what it takes to become involved in the profession.

“Law is one of the most prestigious of vocations and the visitors helped to break stereotypes and show the students that anyone from any background has the chance to become a solicitor or barrister,” explained Ms Ursula Gallagher, Head of Humanities. “The talks gave them a real insight into the law profession, it also helped reinforce the importance of academic results and building up their CVs.”

“This was a valuable experience for the pupils; they were were provided with in-depth discussion packed with useful advice,” said Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “The discussions helped the pupils to think about the future and emphasised the fact that, with hard work, anyone could have a career in Law.”

Techniquest and Techniquest Glyndŵr are to receive Welsh Government funding of £1, 300,600 and £349,400 respectively to further extend their science and mathematics programmes for schools.

Both Techniquest, based in Cardiff, and Techniquest Glyndŵr, based in Wrexham, provide a range of educational services through interactive exhibits and learning materials available on sites across Wales and through outreach support programmes for primary and secondary schools.

The funding announced today will allow both centres to deliver programmes covering the full spectrum of the curriculum – from Foundation Phase to 14-19 learning.

For the first time in 2012-13, Techniquest will operate a newly updated range of schools science theatre programmes for primary schools, tailored to the curriculum for both Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 classes. These are specifically designed to stimulate in-depth exploration of the exhibits in the main exhibition. Teachers are given digital cameras to capture moments from the day which can then be used back in school to complement learning in the classroom.

Meanwhile, Techniquest Glyndŵr’s work programme includes a new project for Key Stage 3 pupils aimed at boosting Wales’ performance in PISA tests. This will involve two full days of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities for more able and talented pupils in each of the secondary schools in Wrexham and Flintshire (reaching a total of 21 schools and impacting on 1,890 pupils).

The other programme, which will focus on employer related activities for 14-16 year olds, will involve 30 schools and deliver up to 1,500 additional pupil engagements. It will comprise an industry-linked workshop, followed by a visit to an industry workplace, where the students will witness professionals in action, with the aim of raising awareness of STEM careers and promoting take-up of STEM subjects at post-16 level.

Minister for Education and Skills, Leighton Andrews, said: “One of the key aims of our Science for Wales strategy is to foster a passion for the STEM subjects from an early age.

“The funding I’m announcing today will allow both Techniquest and Techniquest Glyndŵr to go that one step further in engaging pupils with STEM subjects.

“By stimulating pupils’ interest early, we can ensure that more of our young people go on to excel in this area and consider science, maths, technology or engineering as the basis for future careers.”

Hwb i gyllid Techniquest yn dod â gwyddoniaeth yn fyw

Bydd Techniquest a Techniquest Glyndŵr yn cael £1,300,600 a £349,400 gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ehangu ymhellach eu rhaglenni gwyddoniaeth a mathemateg ar gyfer ysgolion ymhellach.

Mae Techniquest yng Nghaerdydd, a Techniquest Glyndŵr yn Wrecsam, yn darparu ystod o wasanaethau addysgol drwy arddangosfeydd rhyngweithiol a deunyddiau dysgu sydd ar gael ar safleoedd ledled Cymru a thrwy raglenni allgymorth ar gyfer ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd.

Bydd y cyllid a gyhoeddwyd heddiw yn galluogi’r ddwy ganolfan i gyflwyno rhaglenni sy’n cwmpasu sbectrwm llawn y cwricwlwm – o’r Cyfnod Sylfaen i ddysgu 14-19.

Am y tro cyntaf yn 2012-13, bydd Techniquest yn gweithredu ystod newydd ei diweddaru o raglenni theatr gwyddoniaeth ar gyfer ysgolion cynradd, sydd wedi eu teilwra i’r cwricwlwm ar gyfer dosbarthiadau Cyfnod Sylfaen a Chyfnod Allweddol 2. Mae’r rhain wedi eu cynllunio’n benodol i annog plant i ymchwilio ymhellach i’r pethau a gaiff eu dangos yn y brif arddangosfa. Bydd athrawon yn cael camerâu digidol i gofnodi’r diwrnod y gellir wedyn eu defnyddio yn yr ysgol i gefnogi’r dysgu yn y dosbarth.

Yn y cyfamser, mae rhaglen waith Techniquest Glyndŵr yn cynnwys prosiect newydd ar gyfer disgyblion Cyfnod Allweddol 3 gyda’r nod o roi hwb i berfformiad Cymru yn y profion PISA. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys dau ddiwrnod llawn o weithgareddau STEM (gwyddoniaeth, technoleg, peirianneg a mathemateg) ar gyfer disgyblion mwy abl a thalentog ym mhob un o’r ysgolion uwchradd yn Wrecsam a Sir y Fflint (gan gyrraedd cyfanswm o 21 o ysgolion a bydd 1,890 o ddisgyblion yn elwa arnynt).

Bydd y rhaglen arall, a fydd yn canolbwyntio ar weithgareddau sy’n gysylltiedig â chyflogwyr ar gyfer pobl ifanc 14-16 mlwydd oed, yn cynnwys 30 o ysgolion ac yn cynnig cyfle i hyd at 1,500 o ddisgyblion. Bydd yn cynnwys gweithdy sy’n gysylltiedig â’r diwydiant, gydag ymweliad ag un o weithleoedd y diwydiant i ddilyn, lle bydd y myfyrwyr yn gweld pobl broffesiynol wrth eu gwaith, gyda’r nod o godi ymwybyddiaeth o yrfaoedd STEM a hybu’r pynciau STEM sy’n cael eu hastudio ar lefel ôl-16.

Dywedodd y Gweinidog Addysg a Sgiliau, Leighton Andrews: “Un o brif nodau ein strategaeth Gwyddoniaeth i Gymru yw meithrin brwdfrydedd dros bynciau STEM o oedran ifanc.

“Bydd y cyllid rwyf yn ei gyhoeddi heddiw yn galluogi Techniquest a Techniquest Glyndŵr i fynd gam ymhellach wrth ennyn diddordeb disgyblion mewn pynciau STEM.

“Wrth ysgogi diddordeb disgyblion yn gynnar, gallwn sicrhau bod mwy o’n pobl ifanc yn mynd ati i ragori yn y maes hwn gan ystyried gwyddoniaeth, mathemateg, technoleg neu beirianneg fel sylfaen ar gyfer gyrfaoedd yn y dyfodol.”

Matt Flye
Senior Communications Officer / Uwch Swyddog Cyfathrebu
Education and Skills / Addysg a Sgiliau
Welsh Government/ Llywodraeth Cymru
Phone/ Ffon : 02920 898556
Fax/ Facs: 02920 898560/1
Email/ Ebost : matthew.flye@wales.gsi.gov.uk
For more Welsh Assembly Government news visit: www.wales.gov.uk/news
Twitter: www.twitter.com/welshgovernment
YouTube: www.youtube.com/welshgovernment
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Am ragor o newyddion gan Lywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru ewch i: www.cymru.gov.uk/newyddion
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Pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe recently took part in the national Science and Engineering Week, a celebration of science, engineering and technology which explored the theme “Our World in Motion”.

Saint Paul’s has specialist status for Engineering and has a distinctive science and engineering ethos running throughout the school and is very keen to inspire and engage the pupils in Science and Engineering.

The week’s programme aimed to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists with fun and participative activities. The activities highlighted how science, technology, engineering and maths relate to our everyday lives.

The pupils took part in a number of science based activities including making ice-cream to eat “on the go” and completing a nutritional analysis task comparing the home-made ice creams to shop bought varieties.

“The children learned how to make two ice-creams using fresh strawberries and apples,” explained Mrs Marianne Holder, a Food Tech teacher at Saint Paul’s. “They completed a nutritional analysis task comparing their two ice-creams to a shop bought one and linked their learning to the nutritional needs of an athlete.”

Mrs Holder added: “The activities were great fun and very popular with the pupils. The sessions helped the pupils see how Science and Engineering can be applied in real life.”

“Science and Engineering are vital to the future of our country and involvement in projects such as this are a great way for us to encourage our pupils to enjoy the subjects and see them as both interesting and accessible,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We need to do everything we can to inspire the next generation and show them the future opportunities available to them.”

Sunday, April 1st 2012 is a day Goole High School students and staff will never forget as they travelled to the Olympic Stadium in London to partake in a national fundraising event, featuring sporting stars and celebrities from across the globe.

PE staff Michelle Devine, Neil Poskitt, Ryan Saunders and Debbie Weld, were joined by pupils Farrah Fielder, Tom Knight, Sam Jackson, Ellie Wilkinson, Georgie Mellard, Nick Marwood, Kieran Ainley, Igor Luciano, Molly Down and Ryan Challenger, for the Gold Challenge event hosted by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) as a key test event ahead of London 2012.

Raising funds for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, the team left school at 4am on Sunday and made their way down to London to the 80,000 seater Olympic Stadium to join the likes of athletes Gareth Thomas, singer Sinitta and Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts.

After posing for photographs it was time to get down to some serious business as PE teacher Mr Poskitt and Year 10 pupil Ryan Challenger took part in their 100 metre relay race on the Olympic track, whilst the rest of the group took to the stands to cheer them on.

Competing against schools from across the country, and on the same track Ussain Bolt will soon be stepping on, the pair sprinted over the finishing line in second place, doing themselves proud and winning a silver medal each.

Mr Poskitt said: “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we as a school and community have been very lucky to have had this experience and put Goole on the map, playing its part in the Olympics”.

Following on from their racing success, it was time for PE teachers Ryan Saunders and Michelle Devine to take to the stage with pupils Nick Marwood and Georgie Mellard, two of the schools top fundraisers, as they took part in a parade around the track with various celebrities including Fatima Whitbread and Katie Price.

Mr Poskitt said: “The atmosphere inside the stadium was incredible with a 20,000 strong crowd cheering us on; there was a real buzz about the place.
“Pupils had a first hand experience of the stadium and this was achieved through their hard work fundraising for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.
“Everybody had an amazing experience which will stay in their memories for a lifetime.”

The school would like to say a huge thank you to their co-ordinator of Physical Activity and Sport, Sarah Lynskey for getting them involved in the Get Set Challenge, which has seen them raise hundreds of pounds for their chosen charity, the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, a charity which provides emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness.

Pupils at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe took part in a two day Commonwealth Youth Summit in Manchester.

The Year 10 students took part in workshops to help with their confidence and public speaking; they all took on the role of a Prime Minister, President or Foreign Minister of a Commonwealth Country. They had to research key areas including Education, Poverty and Health in relation to their country and they then debated these issues at a mock Commonwealth Heads of State meeting. They had to negotiate with other countries and find solutions on these areas. They then wrote a communiqué which was handed to a local councillor.

“In the workshops the pupils discussed global issues and concerns that young people have throughout the Commonwealth,” explained Ms Laura Huddleston from Saint Paul’s. “They also debated local and national issues and solutions affecting the Commonwealth. Each person took on the role of a country within the Commonwealth and discussed issues that directly affected their country, presenting them to the Secretary General.”

Ms Huddleston added: “We were delighted that, following the event, four pupils from the group were selected to travel to London to visit two High Commissions and meet with MP’s regarding local and national issues.”

“This was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “Their self confidence blossomed as they researched and debated issues which they cared about. We look forward to participating in future events.”

Earlier this year Wymondham College was fortunate to host a group of Chiefs of Intelligence from Kosovo police who came to the College as part of a visit to Norfolk Constabulary to gain experience of intelligence led policing in the UK.

The visit was organised by the parent of the one our sixth form students and was an opportunity for students to meet the delegates and discuss some of the issues that an emerging country faces. Mr Martin gave an overview of Kosovo, introduced the officers and a question and answer session was held. The delegates were able to give an extremely interesting account of their history, particularly in relation to the war with Serbia and ethnic cleansing. Some of the group had fought in the war, lost family and were willing to discuss their experiences, along with life in Kosovo since independence. This was a great opportunity for the students to hear these accounts at first hand.

Such was their appreciation by the delegation of the hospitality that they received whilst at the College that they made the gift of a splendid Kosovan flag. The photograph shows Wymondham College Principal, Melvyn Roffe being presented with the flag by Mr Martin’s son Tom.

The Dukeries arrived at The Burntstump Ground excited to take a leap into the unknown as for the majority of these young men, in rugby terms, this was the biggest game of their careers.

In hot, dry conditions the game got underway with The Beckett School attacking down the slight slope for the first half. Attack they did as the early exchanges were dominated by The Beckett School in possession of the ball. Only some heroic defence from Ryan Oliver, Teddy Ecott and in truth the entire Dukeries side kept them at bay. There was the odd break out with strong runs from Ryan Page and John Watt, which provided welcome rest bite from The Beckett onslaught. With 1 minute left on the first half clock The Dukeries wall was finally knocked down with a powerful run by The Beckett number 8 (7-0 Beckett).

With a half time debrief and a quick refuel there were 25 minutes for these young men from Ollerton to turn it around.

The second half got under way and The Dukeries started brightly but with only a couple of minutes gone it was The Beckett School who struck again with another powerful set of phases. The conversion missed but at (12-0) down against a strong Becket side, you could have perhaps forgiven the vastly inexperienced Dukeries side for dropping their heads. But there was no chance of that. Out of the traps like a bat out of hell The Dukeries rallied with some incisive running, deft offloading and incredible enthusiasm.

The tide had most definitely turned and how fitting it was that captain Blair Holland (outstanding on the day) provided the first score. A scrum steal by Ben Kelly led to a pick up from the base by Blair who beat a number of defenders to go under the posts, Ben Jones converted (12-7) Beckett.

The game was restarted and the ball fell to John Watt, off he went, beating multiple defenders on an outstanding run. Becket brought the ball back up field with some powerful running of their own, only to be stopped on the line by Ryan Oliver (again). As the ball fell lose it reached Ryan Page with 85 metres to go and a multitude of defenders to beat. Off he went, outside of one, sidestepping through a couple more, he couldn’t could he? With a contender for try of the season Ryan Page had now put The Dukeries level, Ben Jones converted (14-12) Dukeries.

The Beckett restarted again, John Watt met it again and off he went. Some more fantastic interplay by The Dukeries and Blair was off again, scoring out wide, elation! Ben Jones narrowly missed the conversion and the score was at (19-12) in favour of The Dukeries.

The Becket rallied and with a minute left on the clock they found their way into The Dukeries 22 with space out wide. Their impressive winger went in at the corner, (19-17) Dukeries with a tough conversion to come. All 15 Dukeries men lined up to charge it down with what little energy they had left. He stepped up, the kick went wide and The Dukeries were the 2012 Year 9 County Plate Champions. Incredible character, commitment and never say die attitude had won it for this special group of young men from Ollerton.

Team: Brogan H, Ben K, Tom D, Owen C, Josh M, Ryan O, Blair H, James C, Ben J, Teddy E, Jordan R, John W, Ryan P, Josh S, Shane C, Carl B, Jay C, Ashley P, Ashley B, Jamie P, Adam J.

April 16th sees the launch of the annual Community Challenge event at The Dukeries College and Complex in Ollerton, North Nottinghmashire.

This year the event will be following an Olympic theme, it is the 5th year that the event has taken place and The Dukeries College and Complex would like to invite you and your friends to join children and parents in this event by completing as many miles, running, jogging or walking, as you can over a 3 week period around a specially laid out track on the Dukeries College field. There will be prizes and awards for those who achieve 15 or more miles and freebies of various sorts.

All of the Primary Schools in the area will be doing their own version of the Community Challenge led by The Dukeries Young Leaders.

A new addition to the event this year is the inclusion of the Dukeries Riding Centre, where all clients, including those from Riding for the Disabled will be invited to contribute to the overall total by lapping the menage facility sixteen times for every mile covered.

If you’d like to join in the fun and make this a real community event, why not pop along to the Leisure Centre, The Dukeries Library or The Learning Station to register right now! You can join as an individual and as a family, or log on to: www.thecommunitychallenge.co.uk. Hand your form in at the Leisure Centre and start your challenge now! Go for Bronze (15 miles), Silver (25 miles), Gold (40 miles) or even Elite (70 miles plus) and earn a free sauna, a free swimming session or a free fitness class when you reach your first 15 miles!

The Community Challenge will be officially opened by the Mayor of Ollerton & Boughton, Abbie Truswell at 12.20pm on the 16th April, various stalls will be on site and the music from college band the will help you along those first few miles!

After the opening event the track will be open to the community every evening after 4pm and every weekend and don’t forget to log your miles with the Leisure Centre.

Danny Smith, Principal of the Complex commented “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of the community to become involved and work towards their own personal goals, I will certainly be there aiming to get my Gold Award. There will be lots of benefits apart from the obvious increase in fitness, and with the Olympic celebrations taking place this year we hope to see a real community spirit emerging, people making friends and encouraging each other along. At one stage last year we had over 300 students and staff out on the track and with the help of the community and primary schools we made it around the world, virtually of course, let’s see if we can beat that this year!”

To find out more log onto: www.thecommunitychallenge.co.uk or contact the College on 01623 860545.

St John’s Headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood today announced that work will commence on 2 April to construct six new tennis courts, which are expected to be completed and open for use in early June. The tennis courts will be sited on land between the school and the new housing development on the site of the old St John’s Upper School.

The project will cost the school £250,000 which has been raised through a range of fundraising activities and donations from the St John’s Foundation Trust.

Dr Hazlewood thanked parents at the school for their support which has enabled the work to commence.

“The tennis courts will be an enormous benefit to students at St John’s, and we will also be making the courts available for use by community groups during evenings, weekends and school holidays, giving a real boost to the provision of sports facilities in the town.
My huge thanks to the many parents and friends of St John’s who have donated money to help us achieve this project. I am also very grateful to the members of the St John’s Family & Friends Association who have raised £15,000 towards the project, including £10,000 for additional student lockers which will be installed over the coming weeks”.

It was originally hoped that the tennis courts would be completed at the same time as the new school, which opened in December 2009, but this proved impossible. Business Director Barry Worth explained why the delay was unavoidable:

“Building the new St John’s has been an expensive project, achieved without the backing of any Central Government funding. We paid for the new £26,500,000 building through a combination of land sale, fundraising, and a loan to cover the final cost of furniture and IT. The money we initially set aside for the Phase 2 project to complete the tennis & netball courts and Artificial Grass Pitch was eroded when the new building came in 1.5% (£500,000) over budget”.

The tennis courts are being built by Sports Facility experts McArdle Sport Tec Ltd of Wallingford who aim to complete the project in two months.

The next phase of building at St John’s will be the completion of the Phase 2 plans, which includes an All-Weather Pitch. Fundraising at the school continues and £300,000 is still required and grants and donations towards this project are being sought.

Business students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull visited the John Lewis National Returns Centre this week, as part of their Business Career Academy experience.

The second year students, all studying the BTEC Extended Diploma in Business course undertook the visit to see how one of the leading UK’s retailers operates the returns aspect of its business.

The students were given a short history of John Lewis, including learning about the firm’s unique style of partnership of all employees, which came about from the son of the original John Lewis called John Sedan Lewis. He became known (and preferred) to be called Sedan Lewis to disassociate himself from his father. The students were fascinated to hear of his management style, for he was reputed to have a temper and was very easily angered.

The students also learnt about the development of a huge new store opening above Birmingham New Street Station and how John Lewis has repositioned themselves in the market and expanded their Waitrose supermarket stores.

The students were given a guided tour round the depot to see what happens when products are returned to the John Lewis, once they are deemed faulty or simply returned when bought online.

The students were also searched as they left the premises by a device that chooses people at random for security checks. This practice is due to the high value of goods that come through John Lewis on a day to day basis

Ranjit Hayer, Business teacher and the Career Academy Manager, commented: “It was a fascinating visit and we thank the staff at John Lewis for giving up their time to host us. Retail is a huge business sector, so it’s really valuable for the students to get a taste of what goes on behind the scenes.”

This is the second year that the College has been working with Career Academies UK; the programme aims to inspiring young people and increasing their employability by linking up with businesses. Visits like this one are just one part of the programme; guru lectures from visiting speakers, business mentoring and six-week internships also complete the programme.

Away from the Business Career Academy, the students’ A level counterparts took part in a sticklebrick activity this week, in which they learnt about non-financial methods of motivation. The task involved job rotation, in which students were divided into groups and given tasks to complete, then swapped over and repeated each others tasks. The students were then set a larger group task to design towers with sticklebricks. This involved teamwork, which the students all preferred, as it meant that they could develop their own ideas which is often used in business as a way of developing teams.

A group of violin pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe recently took part in Manchester Art Gallery’s Pre-Raphaelite Experiment Soundscape.

The school’s musicians came together with other local children and adults for the debut of a new piece of music which they created in response to some of Manchester Art Gallery’s Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

The project received Heritage Lottery funding enabling the school to work with Studio One (from Wythenshawe), part of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust; One Education: Music Service and Nordoff Robins (from Harpur Hey) the national charity and music therapy specialists. The pupils from Saint Paul’s were the only young people involved, the other groups being adults.

The pupils visited the gallery a few months ago to see the pre-Raphaelite artworks that were bought by wealthy Victorians on behalf of Manchester’s citizens and they went away with ideas that they transformed into sound and song.

This was a fantastic debut performance of an experimental piece featuring sounds from the city, singing, violins, percussion and a harp. The performers were brought together by musical director Simon Jones to perform it live.

“This was an excellent opportunity for our pupils, which was made possible by the One Education Music organisation,” explained Miss Rachael Johnson, a music teacher at Saint Paul’s. “The Pre-Raphaelite Experiment is a year-long project to find out what these paintings mean to today’s Mancunians. The display at the art gallery is first class and the music it inspired was incredible.”

Miss Johnson added: “The Pre-Raphaelites created beautiful and moving pictures that capture not only beauty but also deep emotion, our pupils looked at how they could transform this into a musical composition.”

“It was a real honour to have been invited to take part in this unique event, bringing together art and music,” said Head Teacher, Mr Wiktor Daron. “Our pupils were impressed by the energy and vibrancy of the paintings and it was wonderful to see how they transferred their feelings and thoughts into music.”