UK Education News

Yvan Wassi, a talented pupil from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe has enjoyed some amazing football after being signed up for the junior teams of Manchester City Football Club.

Yvan Wassi was snapped up by the club after selection trials and has just returned from Singapore where he mixed with some of the world’s best junior footballers in an international tournament. The Under 15s team finished third in the Canon Lion City Cup, in Singapore, which also featured Ajax, Vasco Da Gama, Porto and Singapore U15s and U16s. During an impressive campaign, City’s U15s defeated Singapore and Vasco Da Gama in the group stage, before losing 4-2 to the eventual winners, Ajax, at the semi-final stage. The youngsters signed off their Singaporean adventure with a convincing 3-1 victory over Vasco Da Gama in the third place play off.

Manchester City’s head of academy, Mark Allen, was impressed with the boys’ efforts. He said: “It was the first time we’ve travelled that far and I was very pleased with the third place finish and the players’ conduct. On the field I think we did very well coping with the conditions; I’m very proud of how the boys acquitted themselves.”

Yvan’s contract offer some wonderful opportunities but also requires a great deal of commitment with several training sessions each week including endurance sessions, strength enhancement through gym training and a focus on improving technical skills.

“Whilst playing for MCFC, we have noticed the Yvan becoming more and more skilful and confident,” said Mr Mike Whiteside, PE teacher at Saint Paul’s. “He is continually improving his already strong performance whilst growing in mental and physical strength.”

“We have worked hard to create effective links between the school and the clubs,” continued Mr Whiteside. “We feel that this is encouraging our pupils to adopt healthier lifestyles, enjoy their sport in a supportive environment and hopefully going on to achieve sporting success.”

Speaking about their achievement, Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s, was quick to praise Yvan: “The school is very proud of Yvan. Football is extremely popular at Saint Paul’s, the pupils have a real passion for the game. Yvan in particularly has shown incredible skill and overwhelming energy when playing football.”

Students and Staff from St John’s School in Marlborough have collected more than 28,000 books over the year, to help set up libraries in schools in Bauleni, a very poor area of Zambia just south of Lusaka.

The initiative has been sponsored by Big Yellow Storage in Swindon which has stored the books in two units until they were loaded onto a container on 18 July ready to ship to Zambia.

Anne Stokes, Learning Resources Manager at St John’s is proud of what the students have achieved.
“This marked the end of a remarkable year of book collection at St John’s which started with inter-college competitions to see who could collect the most books to help create additional libraries to the 12 established in 2009. This year’s quest for books has involved St John’s students, as well as all our local primary schools, and other local schools and libraries have also helped, including Market Lavington School, Pewsey Vale School, St Mary’s Calne, Marlborough College and Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey public libraries.

The books were collected at St John’s, sorted by category, counted, boxed up and then taken to Big Yellow Storage for safe-keeping. Students and staff were all roped in to seek out unwanted books, carry boxes, store boxes and fundraise towards the shipping costs through cake sales, bag packing in Tesco, non-uniform days and much more. It has been a really motivating whole school project and the students have been encouraged to learn more about a different culture to their own. One of the 6th form students is hoping to meet the books when they arrive at their destination to help unload and sort out as part of his Gap Year”.

In 2008 & 2009 the students and staff St John’s School in Marlborough collected a total of 17,500 books to ship to Zambia. Students collected the books from families, friends and neighbours with the aim of creating a brand new library for young people at a school in a Zambian village. The initiative was so successful that all targets were smashed and St John’s was able to provide books to equip a total of twelve school libraries in Bauleni, a very poor area of Zambia just south of Lusaka. The 2012 initiative will enable many more school libraries to be established.

St John’s student wins CAB competition

Carmella Lowkis, 17, a Sixth Form student at St John’s Marlborough has won a competition for her poster design promoting the services offered by the Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau to young people.

The competition was organised by the Devizes-based CAB, where one of St John’s students, Holly Sumbler, 17, is a Volunteer Gateway Adviser. Holly is an IB Diploma student and her volunteering work is part of her CAS; Creativity, Action and Service activity. All IB Diploma students have to complete a minimum of 150 Hours of CAS over two years to achieve their Diploma. Holly explained how the competition came about:
“The aim of the competition was that young people would research the CAB and use their creative skills to produce a poster to inform other young people. Before I joined the service, I didn’t know what the CAB did and how they could help young people like me. We had a fantastic response from several local schools, and the winners have been chosen by the members of the CAB Youth Forum”.

Sarah Cardy, Chief Executive of the Wiltshire CAB visited St John’s on 9 July to talk to the Sixth Form about the services the CAB is able to offer to young people, and to present Carmella with a voucher prize for the poster competition.

Holly is a regular volunteer with the Devizes CAB and finds it a very fulfilling activity.
“Volunteering for the CAB has provided me with the opportunity to learn and grow. I have learnt a lot about my local community and the problems it faces. Some of the people that I have met in the Bureau have changed how I view the world and encouraged me to develop my passion for Law. I have seen people from all walks of life dealing with a wide range of problems; problems that I wouldn’t have expected to see in Wiltshire. What I failed to see before becoming a Gateway Advisor was just how quickly an issue can take over a person’s life and the dramatic effect it can have”.

Wiltshire Citizens Advice provides free, independent and confidential advice on Debt, Housing, Employment, Welfare Benefits, Family and Personal Matters, Consumer Contracts, Legal Procedures, Education and Health.

St John’s Teacher’s Summer Challenge

Tom Nicholls, Assistant Headteacher at St John’s in Marlborough, will be attempting to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats over nine days in July in order to raise money towards the planned All Weather Pitch at St John’s.

Tom is aiming to cycle 100 miles each day for nine days, and is delighted to have already raised £2,600 towards his fundraising target of £5,000. He will be cycling alone and staying in Youth Hostels every night. The route will take him through sixteen counties and through several major cities, and he aims to be on the road by 7.30am every morning.

Tom, who has been a PE & Psychology teacher at St Johns for seventeen years, has been planning the ride for several months and is in regular serious training for what will be a gruelling challenge. He decided to take it on as a way to help the school raise the funds it needs to complete the external facilities, which have been under development since the new building opened in December 2009.
“I have always enjoyed a challenge, and I realised that this would be something I can do that will support the school and at the same time enable me to achieve a personal goal” said Mr Nicholls. “The new school is a stunning facility for our students and for so many members of the local community, and completion of the school’s external sports facilities are crucial and are very close to my heart. I am stunned and so pleased to have had so many sponsors already, and want to sincerely thank everyone who is supporting me”

The All Weather Pitch will be the next phase in construction of the external sports facilities at St John’s, and work will commence once sufficient funds have been raised. The current phase, the construction of six tennis courts on the site of the old Stedman school building is almost complete, with lines now painted on four of the six tennis courts.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Mr Nicholls can donate online at: www.justgiving.com/TomNicholls12
or can donate by mobile phone (to donate £10 text SJTN99 £10 to 70070).
Alternatively, anyone wanting help should contact Kate Hunter at St John’s on 01672 519575 for more information.

The Sixth Form College, Solihull has cause for celebration, after excellent results were confirmed on its BTEC courses this week. We are delighted to announce that our students have achieved 139 distinction grades and 97 distinction* (star) grades achieved on all BTEC courses.

BTEC students have been studying courses in Applied Sciences, Art & Design, Business, IT, Media, Performing Arts and Sport at the College. Of these courses, six have achieved 100% pass rates.

The distinction* (star) grade is new this year and the BTEC Extended Diploma in Art & Design has achieved the most of this top grade this year. Six students achieved triple distinction* grades on the course and almost 60% of the students on the course got triple distinction or above, while just shy of 80% of students got a triple merit or better. One such successful Art student is Briony Ebdon (aged 18, from Solihull), who achieved a triple distinction* grade and who was recently awarded first prize by the Arden Decorative & Fine Arts Society (DFAS), when they were handing at their annual bursaries.

The BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts (Acting) has also enjoyed great success, with every student achieving either a distinction or merit in the course. Three students achieved triple distinction* grades and a further two students also got at least one distinction* grade. Reis Bruce (aged 17, from Birmingham) is one of them; he achieved D*D*D in his course and particularly shone in the last production “A Matter of Life and Death”, when he not only had a starring role, but actually wrote the music that was sung in the production.

Sanah Mukadam (aged 18, from Sparkhill) is an example of a high achieving student on the BTEC Applied Sciences qualification. She achieved D*D*D on the course and was among the 76% of students who achieved a triple merit or above, while every student passed the course.

A 100% pass rate was also achieved on the BTEC Extended Diploma in Business qualification. Of those students, 63% achieved triple merit or above and half the students on the course got at least one distinction grade. Nadia Begum (aged 19, from Acocks Green) is one of the successful students on this course; she achieved a triple distinction* grade, as well as graduating the College’s Business Career Academy programme and she is moving into Aston University now to study Business, Computing and ICT.

The BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport course has also achieved great success, with every student passing the course and 81% of students getting at least one merit. Several students achieved distinction* grades, including Elizabeth Tomlinson (aged 18, from Birmingham), who got a triple distinction*. A keen and accomplished Basketball player, Elizabeth came to the College from Ninestiles School and achieved distinction grades in all but one unit on the course. This has enabled her to gain access to university to study for a teaching degree in Physical Education, with the ultimate aim of becoming a Secondary School Physical Education teacher.

In IT, again every student passed the BTEC Extended Diploma in IT Practitioners course. More than 71% of the students achieved at least one merit grade. Luke Sambrooks (aged 18, from Solihull) was one of the students to get the top mark of triple distinction*. He is going on to study Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Birmingham University.

Last but not least, the BTEC Extended Diploma in Media has also seen some excellent results, including a 100% pass rate. Almost 93% of students on the course achieved at least one merit grade. Khadra Dunnage (aged 18, from Warstock) was one of the students to get the top mark of triple distinction*. She will now be studying for a Media degree at Bournemouth University.

The College also offers a BTEC in Public Services, but this is a brand new course which only started last September. The first cohort of students will complete their studies this time next year.

College Principal Paul Ashdown praised the students for their excellent achievements. “We are delighted with these results. BTEC qualifications have very different demands to A level study, involving large quantities of coursework. I know that a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication has gone into achieving these grades, so I offer heartfelt congratulations to not only the students, but their teachers too. We wish all these students well as they progress onto employment and higher education.”

Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe devoted a day to giving thanks at their recent Chaplaincy Day to celebrate Saint Paul’s Feast Day. All pupils in years 7, 8 and 9 together with staff from the school attended a mass at the school.

There was then a “thank you” from the school to the pupils who went on to take part in a variety of activities such as bowling, ice skating and a number of other sports as a reward for their commitment, contribution and achievement during the year.

“The theme of the day was ‘Service to Others’,” explained Mrs Kathleen O’Kelly, Deputy Headteacher at Saint Paul’s. “During our mass we remembered the great service that Saint Paul gave to the early church and recognised in this the Queen’s Jubilee Year all those who serve our community and country.”

“These young people worked extremely hard during the past year and deserve both praise and recognition for their efforts. Events like this allow us to show our appreciation of them and their contribution to Saint Paul’s,” said Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s.

More information about Saint Paul’s Catholic High School can be found at www.st-paulshigh.net or contact Jane McAuliffe-Hall (Marketing and Publicity Manager) at j.mcauliffe-hall@st-paulshigh.net  or on 0161 437 5841 .

Students get ready for the Olympics

Sixth Form students studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma at St Johns Marlborough are heading to Bath University on 18 July to meet members of the GB Olympic Team as part of a group Science project. All IB students participate in the project, which is planned to allow students to explore scientific solutions to global questions. For the 2012 project students will spend the day at the University of Bath Sporting Village meeting international athletes and their coaches.

The project is led by St John’s teacher Mr Paul Rogers who has worked closely with Bath’s Sporting Director Stephen Baddeley to set up the project.
Mr Rogers explained “I want our students to benefit from the build-up to the London International Olympics in an exceptional way. The students have a bespoke and unique programme arranged for them, allowing them to meet international athletes and coaches, use the laboratory tests and treadmills and observe international coaches in action”.

The University of Bath Sporting Village (www.teambath.com) has Olympic level sporting facilities, physiotherapists and laboratories. There are a number of International athletes and coaches including the GB Modern Pentathlon, Judo, Badminton and Rhythmic Gymnastics teams based in Bath ready for the start of the London 2012 Olympics.

Following their visit the students will work together to review the evidence and will assess the effectiveness of the international athletic training programmes at Bath, and whether any elements of the programme can be applied to other aspects of life where high performance is required.

The IB project is a compulsory element of the Diploma qualification and requires the students to work on a collaborative interdisciplinary science project, then present the results to Headteacher Dr Patrick Hazlewood in September. All IB students have to study at least one Science subject as part of their Diploma.

St John’s student’s Olympic Torch experience

Will Copp, Sixth Form student at St John’s Marlborough had an early start on Thursday 12 July in order to get to Salisbury in time to carry the Olympic Torch.

Later in the day Will then spoke to over 250 Year 6 primary students who were visiting St John’s for their transition days prior to joining St John’s in September.

Will, still wearing his white 2012 tracksuit, and holding the torch, explained to the students that he had got up at 3am in order to meet the Torch Relay in Salisbury at 5:40am. His turn to carry the torch came at 8:00 am, and he was thrilled that the torch was handed to him by Olympian sprinter Michael Johnson, who had earlier carried the torch at Stonehenge.

The students asked Will plenty of questions about his experience. One girl asked why Will, a wheelchair user, had been nominated to carry the torch and he rather reticently explained that the nomination, from Wiltshire Council’s Sue Smyth, Advisory Teacher for Physical Impairment, and Lyn Vines, Specialist Pastoral Support Adviser had said that Will is an inspiration to other students, in the way he has dealt with his disability throughout his life.

Will told the assembled students and staff that it had been one of the greatest days of his life, and one that he would never forget.

Head of year 7, Mrs Amanda Coates thanked Will for talking to the students. “We are all very proud of what Will had done today and delighted he was able to come and talk to us about his experience”.

It was centre stage for pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe who recently took part in the school’s annual Summer performance which showcased the achievements of the Expressive and Performing Arts faculty. The evening was filled with music and dance from a variety of genres. During the interval the extensive range of work produced in the art department was projected for all to enjoy.

In particular, the dance involved in this year’s showcase demonstrated a culmination of a variety of styles, in which the BTEC Performing Arts students were marked for their Dance unit. The styles varied from Contemporary dance to The Charleston, each being very different. The evening was a superb opportunity for Saint Paul’s to showcase the talents of its pupils and was well received by all.

The event was especially important for the BTEC Music class as it also acted as their Assessment.

Head of Performing and Expressive Arts, Ms Ellie Brookes, added: ‘I am so proud of all the pupils involved in the showcase as each pupil has worked so hard for their performance including some pupils who had never performed before. I am immensely proud of my year 11 students and their achievements, they are a credit to this school and will be greatly missed.’

“The showcase was a joy to watch with some amazing singing and dancing performances,” said Head Teacher, Mr Wiktor Daron. “The production was imaginatively directed and sparkled with creativity and energy. The success of the show could be measured by the spontaneous and genuinely heartfelt applause of the audience.”

PERFORMING ARTS SUMMER SHOWCASE

Music, Drama and Dance all came together for a celebratory showcase at The Sixth Form College, Solihull last week, as the curtain came down on an outstanding year for the Performing Arts department.

Students studying A levels in Music, Dance, Drama & Theatre Studies and the BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts course, put on short performances to showcase their talents.

The Performing Arts students brought the house down with several hilarious excerpts from William Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of Errors”, while the Drama students gave a short performance from August Strindberg’s “Miss Julie”.

There were three dance pieces entitled “A Broken Bond”, “Revelations” and Rosas Danst Rosas”, which saw group and pair dance choreographed.

Meanwhile, Music performances saw three students showing off their singing skills, with Ophelia Charles performing “Don’t Forget Me” from the musical “Smash”, Fiona Carter singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, and Chloe Houghton performing a piece of her own composition.

Diane Dodd, Curriculum Leader for Performing Arts, commented: “I was really proud to see all the different elements of the department come together for one show. So much hard work has gone on by both students and staff this year and performances like this are the fruits of our labour.

“We are waiting with baited breath to see the A level results for Drama, Dance and Music in August, but we already know the BTEC Performing Arts results and I’m delighted to say that every student achieved either a distinction or merit in the course. Three students also achieved triple distinction* (star) grades, which is the very highest mark that can be achieved. We are very proud of them.”

OLYMPIC TORCH BOOSTS SPORTS STUDENTS

Sports students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull got the chance to hold a real Olympic torch last week, thanks to the charity Breast Friends.

Lorraine Ashford, who has volunteered for Breast Friends for almost ten years, ran with the Olympic torch in Cardiff, thanks to her nomination from employers British Airways, and she brought the torch in for the students to see. They took time out of their coursework to hold the torch and talk to Lorraine.

It’s not the first time the College has worked with Breast Friends. A level Leisure Studies students organised a charity night earlier in the year to raise money for the charity and also acted as marshals for the Breast Friends Fun Run in September.

As well as their time with the torch, the students undertook an activity session on the same day for their BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport course. They were tasked with devising activities that school-aged children would enjoy and then they tried them out with fellow students in groups. They opted for an Olympic theme to the session and divided into four groups, with each group representing a country. Brazil, Italy, Spain, and of course, Great Britain were the teams involved.

Four 10-minute activities were set up and the students rotated round the Sports Hall, each getting a turn at every activity. The students who had devised each activity briefed and assessed their fellow students on the activities, which included a variety of sporting pursuits.

Basketball shooting was one of the sessions, with students invited to try to score using a variety of shooting styles. Indoor hockey was also featured, in which students had to aim for particular targets; this was made more difficult as participants were instructed to spin on the spot first, making them dizzy before their attempted a shot. Cones were set out for a long jump event, in which students tried to jump as far as they could from both a standing and running start. Lastly, football was incorporated into a session, which saw students dribbling the ball round cones and jumping over small obstacles before shooting at designated targets.

Claire Hicks, Assistant Curriculum Leader for Sport at the College, commented: “The session was a huge success and the students worked really hard to come up with activities that challenged each other, but which were also fun too. Everyone threw themselves into it and showed great team work.

“It was a great bonus to have Lorraine and her Olympic torch join us as well. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for all the students, so we thank Lorraine for giving up her time to come into College.”

A Gap year in Uganda and India awaits for one intrepid student from The Sixth Form College, Solihull, provided she can raise enough money to pay for her volunteer projects abroad.

Jodie Hession (aged 18, from Chelmsley Wood) is hoping to spend six months in Uganda working with a charity called Edirisa UK. Her volunteer work will include teaching children English and sports, doing conservation work and also holding community workshops to teach people small business skills.

As well as her trip to Africa, Jodie has applied to the International Citizen Service (ICS) program to assist them with their charitable work. Her initial application has been accepted and this week she will attend a selection day, which could lead to her volunteering in southern India for three months this October to help bring clean water, sanitation and education to rural communities with Raleigh International.

Jodie commented, “So far I have acquired a business sponsorship, as well as some personal sponsorship and I have applied for a scholarship towards my fees. My fundraising target is at least £2,000 for the Uganda project and £800 for the work in India. The ICS program is subsidised by the government in India, with my flights, insurance, food, accommodation, vaccinations all paid for, but I still have a significant amount of money to raise and it’s for such a worthwhile cause.”

Jodie has just finished her A level studies in Business Studies, Economics and ICT at the College and is awaiting her exam results in August. She hopes to go to university after her Gap year and has an offer at Coventry University to study Enterprise & Entrepreneurship.

“Within my course, I hope to set up a charity that teaches business skills to developing countries,” added Jodie. “This is one of my motivations to volunteer during my gap year; it is essential to experience the culture of different countries and to build bonds with the communities.”

Anybody wishing to support Jodie and offer sponsorship can do so online at www.jodiesvolunteering.moonfruit.com.

For one adventurous student at The Sixth Form College, Solihull a year-long placement, teaching English to children aged between 10-14 years of age in the People’s Republic of China, beckons.

Marcus Rhodes (aged 17, from Balsall Common) has secured the Gap year trip with international charity Project Trust. He got his place after getting through a challenging selection process last month, when he travelled to the Hebridean island of Coll for a series of activities. These included teaching exercises, research, teamwork activities and physical challenges. However, the challenge is not over; Marcus now has to raise £5,400 to pay for the trip.

Marcus has set up an online Virgin Money Giving web page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MarcusRhodes, where donations and sponsorship can be given. He is also organising several fundraising events, including a cheese and wine tasting evening, a Scottish Country Dancing Night, bake sales and a Race Night.

Marcus, who is just coming to the end of his first year at College studying A levels in English Language, Economics, Modern History and Mathematics, hopes to raise the money in time to start his year abroad in September 2013. He explains why he chose China for this exciting venture.

“In the West, China is more familiar to us than ever before,” he explained. “It’s impossible to open a newspaper without seeing China mentioned somewhere. However, it can be easy to forget that this is not experiencing the real China. The real China is home to over 200 million people living in poverty and with an English-speaking population of just 0.83%. China relies on local government to fund health and education. The result has been that poor villages cannot afford good services and poor households cannot afford the high cost of basic services. Coupled with a dismantling of the welfare system, similar to the UK, workers can no longer rely on the ‘iron rice bowl’. It is now more than ever that the people of the real China need to be helped.

“My personal fascination with China began five years ago when I was first given the opportunity to learn Mandarin. As I began to learn the language, I found myself growing more and more enthralled. These lessons provided a window for me to observe the deep culture and many customs of China. Chinese culture can appear bizarre and confusing with little similarity to life as we know it and this will certainly present a challenge.”

Students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull combined Olympic fever with learning more about the dangers of excessive drinking this week, thanks to the White Ribbon Association.

Vickki Taylor-Smith, Gail Williams and a work experience student Katie Williams represented the White Ribbon Association and focused on behaviour changes due to alcohol. They set up a stand in the College Refectory and talked to students at lunchtime.

Activities included a Mini Beer Goggles Olympics, to compliment other Mini Olympic events going on in the Refectory this week. Students had to wear the beer goggles and then go through a number of challenges, including dropping a bag and trying to locate all the items from the floor (some of them very important objects such as keys, money and ID cards).

Another activity saw students making important decisions such as reading signs to A&E, hailing a taxi (choosing either an unmarked taxi or a black cab and deciding which was the better decision and why?), and getting a key in a door lock, to name just a few challenges.

Julie Maitland, a Student Development Officer at the College, commented: “The activities were very humorous, and the Principal even had a go! Of course, there was a serious message to these activities too, concerning drink awareness and the dangers of alcohol affecting judgement. Seven of our Health Ambassadors helped out with the display and activities, which also included drink spiking awareness, quiz questions and giving out information and we congratulate them on their work. We also thank the White Ribbon Association for coming into College yet again to deliver such an important message to our students.”

Other Olympic themed activities running in College this week include Chess, with the assistance of Solihull Chess Club, who have provided staff to support the event and extended an invitation for interested students to participate in some summer coaching at their club based in Widney Lane.

Archery, Badminton and Table Tennis have also been activities taking place as part of the Mini Olympics this week and there has been a bouncy castle, busking and PlayStation sports and dance taking place. The climax to the week came with a concert that acted as a closing ceremony in which students performed and staff band “Midlife Crisis” also played.

There has also been an official Olympic torch in College this week, courtesy of Bullfinch the actual manufacturer based in Birmingham

All funds raised from this week-long event will go towards Sport Relief.

Ends

NOTE TO EDITOR: Representatives from White Ribbon Association with the Olympic torch are pictured in the attached image.

For further information contact:

Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator, The Sixth Form College, Solihull

Tel: 0121 704 2581 (Ext. 2427)

Fax: 0121 711 1598

Email: BBishop@SolihullSFC.ac.uk

A group of staff and pupils from Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe were delighted to be able to view the relic of the heart of Saint John Vianney when it visited Saint Anthony’s Church in Wythenshawe.

Saint John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, died on 4 August 1859. He was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1925 in recognition of his devotion to his faith as well as to his parishioners, hearing confessions for up to 17 hours a day. Years later, Pope John XXIII proclaimed him a role model for all priests to emulate.

The relic of his heart was flown from its specially-built chapel at the Church of Ars to Manchester Airport before arriving at St Anthony’s Church.

Pupils: Georgina Cook, Amy Doyle, Alvin Abraham, Agna Abraham and Therushika Pera were honoured to be selected to attend the event. Therushika Pera and Joel Jose, pupils from Saint Paul’s, were serving on the altar at mass in the evening.

“We were delighted to involve our pupils in this event, the relic’s first ever tour on British soil,” explained Mrs Kathleen O’Kelly, Deputy Head at Saint Paul’s. “St John Vianney is the only parish priest ever to be canonised in the Catholic Church. His pastoral ministry is a source of inspiration for both clergy and lay people who work in our schools and parishes today.”

Mrs O’Kelly added: “When his reputation for holiness spread, pilgrims began to travel to Ars, where he was based. Between 1830 and 1845 there was an average of 300 visitors a day.”
“This was a very special opportunity for our staff and pupils to see this relic – a tangible, visible, human connection with the saint,” said Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “Relics were brought by the first missionaries to the English people to awaken the hope of holiness.”

Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe has been celebrating the achievements of its Year 9 pupils with a formal graduation ceremony. The event celebrated the pupils’ Key Stage 3 achievements and marks the beginning of their Key Stage 4 studies.

Year 9 pupils have taken part in the school’s new Going for Gold scheme which aims to raise pupils’ ambitions and aspirations. The culmination of the scheme was the Graduation Ceremony where pupils were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards.

The scheme has focused on specific aspects of school life including attendance, punctuality, appearance, behaviour, evidence of contribution to school life and the community and attitude to learning. Pupils earned points as they achieve in these areas.

The school was delighted that Paralympian Jonathan Hall was able to attend as guest of honour and present the pupils with their achievement awards.

Jonathan has had to show great strength and determination in his sporting career; he is a wheelchair basketball champion winning a gold medal with the Great Britain team last September at The European Championships in Israel and a bronze medal at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008.

The ceremony was hosted by Paul Smith formerly of Key 103 and Magic 1152, now Managing Director of Reactive Audio Ltd.

“The aim is to raise the aspirations of pupils and recognise their commitment and dedication to their studies and to extra-curricular activities and to celebrate these achievements,” explained Ms Catherine Collier, Director of Curriculum at Saint Paul’s. “We wish them well as they embark upon their GCSE courses.”
“We were delighted that Jonathan Hall, such an inspirational and interesting individual, could join us on our special day,” said Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s.
“We are very proud of the success of our Year 9 pupils and we see their achievements so far as strong building blocks for the future,” commented Mr Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We are passionate about raising expectations and aspirations and unlocking the potential of our pupils.”

Wymondham College is celebrating a hugely successful finale to its 60th Anniversary celebrations. The World Class@Wymondham event saw 42 visitors from French, German and Ugandan partner schools live and work alongside College students.

The students enjoyed a week packed with a range of projects and sporting events themed around the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee.

Regional photography with the Art Department contributed to an exhibition which will be held in The Forum in Norwich in the autumn and at the end of the week, pupils from our primary cluster joined our overseas friends for an international relay race which must surely be the first of its kind at the College.

Our partners from Argentina, The Czech Republic and Spain who were not able to physically join us for the week contributed art and photography from a distance.

College Principal, Melvyn Roffe, said “We are pleased to have had this opportunity of bringing together young people and their teachers from such a range of different cultures and backgrounds to help us mark the end of our Sixtieth Anniversary celebrations. The College was set up in the aftermath of war and we are grateful that we can now celebrate the similarities and differences between countries and peoples in friendship and healthy competition.”

George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk said, “I congratulate Wymondham College for reaching its 60th anniversary. Bringing school children together from twinned schools in France, Germany and Uganda to celebrate the anniversary is a fantastic way to promote an understanding and appreciation of the rest of the globe which the next generation will need to thrive and prosper when they leave school. I was delighted to intervene to help bring forward the visas for the College’s Ugandan guests by explaining to my colleague, Home Office Minister for Immigration, Damian Green MP, the importance of these visas and I am very pleased they were granted in time for the visit.”

The week’s activities ended with the burial of a time capsule containing items representing life at the College and all the partner schools. The capsule will be opened during our centenary year in 2051.

Talented artists at The Sixth Form College, Solihull have been rewarded for their exceptional artwork this week as the Arden Decorative & Fine Arts Society (DFAS) visited the College and awarded bursaries.

Three students were awarded prizes of £250, £150 and £100 respectively by the Arden DFAS judging panel. The final decisions were difficult as they were choosing between some of the best artwork from A Level Art students, in addition to those studying the BTEC National Diploma in Art & Design.

First prize was awarded to BTEC Art & Design student Briony Ebdon (aged 18, from Solihull). The former Tudor Grange School student impressed the judges with her thought-provoking work on the theme the life cycle, which the judges said was “explored in a detailed, intricate and complex manner”. She captured plant life in her artwork and impressed the judges with the variety of her work, which also included water conservation and box animation.

Second prize in the competition went to Matthew Drewry (aged 18, from Hall Green). A former St Peter’s School pupil, Matthew’s impressive portfolio included a full length assembled montage of a boy, demonstrating skillful drawing, and achieving what the judges described as “a wonderful feeling of movement”. Matthew is also a BTEC student.

Third prize was awarded to A level Art student Nicholas Wright (aged 18, from Solihull). The ex-Lode Heath School pupil used his interest in television as inspiration and created works of art that depicted people’s memories of iconic events. He also produced paintings showing the seasons and extreme weather conditions, which used colour to great effect. His work was described as “technically brilliant and most original”.

The judges commented: “We were most impressed with the overall high standard of art on display. The entries this year were truly superb, showing a wide range of creativity and impeccable painstaking execution by dedicated students, ably led and supported by their talented tutors. It was pleasing to see a marked increase in the number of ceramic works and sculpture. We congratulate all the students for their effort and talent and assure them that picking prize winners was very challenging.”

Indeed, so hard was it to pick just three winners that the judges also highly commended another two artists; Abi Wright (aged 18, from Acocks Green) and Teri Winnall (aged 18, from Kings Heath) also impressed the panel.

Ian Clayden, Curriculum Leader for Art at the College, added: “We are grateful to the Arden Decorative Fine Arts Society for their continued support. So much emphasis is placed on quantity in society today, but art provides quality in people’s lives and Arden DFAS’s support helps the College to bring that quality into people’s lives, enriching both the students and staff.”

Mrs Christine Smith (English) has been awarded a Commendation in the Lifetime Achievement Category of the 2012 Pearson Teaching Awards for London and the South East. Bearing in mind that there were a record number of nominations, this was an excellent achievement and one which reflects the esteem in which colleagues and students at Collingwood College and from other schools hold Mrs Smith.

Mrs Smith was nominated for the Pearson Teaching Awards after receiving thanks from students past and present and parents as part of ‘Thank A Teacher’ Day on Wednesday 20 June. The ‘Thank A Teacher’ campaign launched by The Pearson Teaching Awards recognises and celebrates the difference a teacher, teaching assistant or head teacher can make by asking students past and present, as well as parents to simply say thank you at www.thankateacher.co.uk

Collingwood Principal, Jerry Oddie said, “Chris’s award reflects great credit on her. It recognises the enormous contribution she has made to the education of many generations of students during her career. Not only is Chris a fantastic, first-class teacher, who inspires children of all levels of ability with her enthusiasm and love of her subject, but also she has made a real difference to the lives of all those with whom she has come into contact. She has a particular gift in being able to motivate and relate to less able students. The fact that many former colleagues and students made an effort to come to the College to meet the judges to share their experience of Chris’s work speaks volume about the affection and respect people have for her. We will really miss Chris when she retires at the end of this academic year”.

Collingwood quickly recognised Chris’s special talent for teaching and capitalised on this, using her as an exemplary teacher modelling good practice for other staff and acting as a mentor. Her talents however have extended beyond the classroom; she has been heavily involved in support of the annual College Production and husband, Jeff has regularly been enlisted to deploy his carpentry and set-building skills. Together, from time to time, they have also provided accommodation for teachers moving into the area.

Collingwood staff will be particularly sad to see Chris retire, because in recent years she has taken it upon herself to organise end of term theatre trips to London and it is typical of her joie de vivre that she has never had difficulty in filling coaches with staff, friends and relatives.

Chris began her career as a PE teacher in 1969 at Notre Dame Middle School in Crawley, West Sussex and then moved on to Aldershot Manor Girls’ School. After a short career break she became Head of Girls’ PE at Oak Farm School in Farnborough and subsequently was promoted to become a Head of Year and Key Stage Manager. She joined Collingwood in September 2001 and has gradually reduced her teaching commitment in recent years in preparation for retirement and, having become a grandmother, the opportunity to spend more time with her family.

Chris will be re-presented with her award at an end of term farewell organised by the College to celebrate the contribution of several members of staff, who together will have given nearly 100 years of service to Collingwood.

Mr Oddie – Principal

Collingwood College has received national recognition for the proportion of top grades achieved by its students in the GCSE examinations in 2011.

Collingwood qualified as one of the top 10% of non-selective schools in England where at least 19% of students gained 5A*-A grades including English and Maths in 2011.

Every school in the country has been ranked according to how well they performed in their GCSE results in 2011 in new rankings released by SSAT – the representative body for schools.

The new rankings, calculated by SSAT using official data, raise the bar for schools by only counting the school’s performance at the highest GCSE grades – A* and A – reflecting schools’ desire to achieve the very best results for their students.

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT said:
“Collingwood College should be congratulated for their stunning achievement in securing some of the best GCSE results in the country.
Collingwood College has proved itself to be one of the best schools in the country at securing superb GCSE outcomes for their students. There is plenty that other schools could learn from Collingwood College’s success.

These results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, teachers and leadership team at Collingwood College and a vindication of their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person.

Successful schools like Collingwood College understand the value of data, such as these attainment measures, in helping to ensure all young people perform to the very best of their ability. The attainment measures show how schools are focussed on their performance and the outcomes of all their students.”

Successful schools like Collingwood College understand the value of data, such as these attainment measures, in helping to ensure all young people perform to the very best of their ability. The attainment measures show how schools are focussed on their performance and the outcomes of all their students.”

“We are absolutely delighted to receive this commendation from a nationally recognised body such as the SSAT. The 5A*/A with English and Maths benchmark is a relatively new indicator and, not having had the opportunity to compare our performance with that of other schools, the news came as a very pleasant surprise. Having said this, one of our key objectives as a high-performing school is to ensure that our most able students achieve high standards. This award is very pleasing confirmation that we are achieving that objective and Collingwood staff and students have every right to feel proud of their success.”

Mr Oddie – Principal

A group of Wymondham College students have used their time during the College Enrichment Week to turn a messy, slightly overgrown allotment and surrounding area into a haven for Wymondham College wildlife and students seeking somewhere quiet to go and relax.

Some of the allotment beds have been planted up with wildlife friendly plants designed to attract bugs and bees and bats and birds, making the area not only more beautiful but also easier to maintain. The students also repaired the clay pizza oven and built a shelter for it.

In the rough area in front of the allotment, where there was once a sea of nettles and thistles, they now have a large bog garden and pond, littered with hand made rocks and paving stones and ‘toad abodes’. It already looks great, and in a few years, when the Gunnera manicata and Chinese rhubarbs have grown a bit it will be a shady tranquil place for wildlife and students to spend their time.

As well as all the hard work students were able to spend some time in the woods behind the allotment making pathways and building dens, and this is something we hope to continue to develop in future Goldiggaz events.

Thanks to all the students, parents and staff involved, and also for the donations of plants which are always welcome. A huge thank you to Paul at Besthorpe Plant Centre who kept us within budget by giving us a free pond liner and discounts on all the plants, even though his plants are very good value already!

Press Information:
Jackie Glenn – Marketing Officer Wymondham College
01953 609000
Glennja.ad@wymondhamcollege.com

The Sixth Form College, Solihull, celebrated the graduation of its first Business Career Academy cohort on Monday, and launched further Career Academies in new and exciting subject areas at the official Career Academy Celebration event.

The event took place at Arup’s offices in the Blythe Valley Business Park, and staff and students from the College were joined by representatives from local businesses, some of whom have already made significant contributions to the success of the Career Academy programme, and some who wanted to find out more to inform their possible involvement.

The College launched its Business Career Academy in 2010 and those first students (all BTEC Extended Diploma in Business students) have now graduated from the Career Academy and from their courses, and are ready to move onto employment or university. All have benefitted from excellent opportunities with local businesses in the past year, including internships, visits, lectures and mentoring.

A second group of students are approaching the end of their first year on the programme and are currently completing six-week paid internships with Coventry Building Society, Chiltern Railways and Solihull MBC.

At this celebration event, Mark Rogers, Chief Executive of Solihull MBC, spoke about how the programme benefits the College, the students and the local businesses that participate in it, referring to it as “win-win” for all. The Mayor of Solihull was also present to offer his support.

Among the firms that have been actively involved with the Academy this past year are Aston University, BDO, BT, Chiltern Railways, Coventry Building Society, Grant Thornton, HMRC, Jaguar Land Rover, Johnson’s Coaches, npower, the Primary Care Trust, Solihull Chamber, Solihull Community Housing, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Village Hotel and West Midlands Police.

Ranjit Hayer, Career Academy Co-ordinator and Business teacher, explained, “It’s wonderful to see the first group of students complete their studies and graduate from the Career Academy programme. All have achieved their potential and secured employment or university places, so it’s a real success story and I’m very proud of them.”

“I am also immensely grateful to all the businesses that contributed to a successful year for the Career Academy. We think this collaboration with the College on the Career Academy programme is a mutually beneficial arrangement and we hope to build on the success we have had by expanding the programme. Starting in September 2012, we are launching further Career Academies in Public Services, IT and Science as well, so we are looking for more businesses to get involved.”

For further information contact:

Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator, The Sixth Form College, Solihull

Tel: 0121 704 2581 (Ext. 2414)

Fax: 0121 711 1598

Email: BBishop@SolihullSFC.ac.uk

Wymondham College students picked up the prestigious award for “Best Layout and Design” for the College Magazine at the Shine Media Awards last week. They were also commended in two other categories.

The team won a plaque and certificates and also a Quark 9 site license for the College.

Teacher, Dan Keates said “I’m delighted for the team, they are a talented group of students who worked particularly hard on this 60th Anniversary edition of the Wymondham College Magazine.”

Picture attached : Josh Pemberton, Victoria Rawlins and Gabriella Ditton with a representative from Quark.

Jackie Glenn MSc MCIM

External Communications Officer

Tel: 01953 609000 Ext: 4312

Two students at St John’s in Marlborough have successfully completed the challenging Three Peak Challenge in less than 24 hours, in difficult weather conditions, all in aid of the new sports facilities at St John’s.

The two Year 10 students, Jack Amos, age 15 and Lucas Schreiber, age 14 climbed the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales on Saturday and Sunday, accompanied by their fathers John Amos and Charlie Schreiber, and by Memphis the dog, and successfully completed the challenge in under 24 hours.

Driven by Jack’s Mum, the expedition started out early on Saturday morning, reaching Scotland’s highest peak, Ben Nevis in time to begin walking at 5:25pm.

“We managed to complete the Ben Nevis climb in 4 hours, 45 minutes, 15 minutes ahead of our target of five hours, and immediately got back into the car, where we could get changed, eat and sleep while we were driven to Scafell in the Lake District” explained Lucas and Jack.

“The next leg of the challenge was the worst. We set off at 4:40am and the weather was awful, with 70mph winds, and cold rain, but we managed to get to the summit and back in 3hours 30 minutes, much faster than our 4 hour target”.

The next leg of the journey into Wales gave the team another chance to rest, ready for the final challenge of Snowdon. The weather had improved by this time and the team beat their target time by ten minutes, finishing in 3 Hours, 50 minutes. By this time it was 5pm on Sunday and the challenge had taken just 25 minutes short of 24 hours, during which time the boys had walked some 25 miles.

Having completed the Challenge, Jack and Lucas are hoping to raise £1,000 for the new All-Weather Pitch at St John’s, and have already reached their £500 target on Just Giving.

The boys were both back in school on Monday morning, tired but delighted to have achieved their goal. They explained their reasons for choosing to support St John’s.

“We believe this facility will benefit both St Johns and the local community and hope people will donate a small sum of money that will help build the facility. Once this facility is complete it will make a huge impact at sport both within St Johns and Marlborough so please, dig deep, and support our cause”.

Anyone wanting to sponsor them can donate online at: http://www.justgiving.com/lucas-and-jack or can donate by mobile phone (to donate £5 text LJCC97 £5 to 70070).
Alternatively, anyone wanting to donate by cheque should contact Kate Hunter at St John’s on 01672 519575 for more information.

This is the second challenge set up recently in aid of St John’s. Teacher Mr Tom Nicholls is setting off at the start of the school’s summer break to cycle 900 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He is also asking for online donations via Just Giving: www.justgiving.com/TomNicholls12.

Students at St John’s in Marlborough are putting the final touches to what promises to be one of the most spectacular musicals ever put on by the school.

The Wizard of Oz runs over three nights next week, Tuesday 10 July, Thursday 12 July & Friday 13 July, each night at 7pm.
The cast for this production is made up of students from Years 7-9. The lead role of Dorothy is played by 14-year-old Nina Cipolla, backed up by 14 other students in lead roles, 44 dancers, a chorus of five and a band of ten musicians.

St John’s Director of Performance Max More is Producer and Musical Director of the show and is confident it will be another huge hit for the school. This year, two Sixth form students Alice More and Luci Budd, have stepped up from lead roles in the previous production ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ to direct the acting in the Wizard of Oz.

The show tells the well-known story of Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, who is transported to the fantasy land of Oz by a tornado that sweeps her farmhouse home to Munchkinland, a magical place far away from anything that Dorothy has ever seen or dreamed of. After encounters with both the Good Witch, and with the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy sets off along the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz and get his help to return to Kansas. Along the way, Dorothy meets some new friends – a talking scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion. The friends complete this mission and are rewarded by the Wizard. It all ends happily with Dorothy finding her way home again to the strains of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.

Tickets are available from St John’s by calling 01672 516156 or will be available on the door. Tickets are £8 for Adults, £6 for concessions and family tickets (2+2) at £25. Groups of 10 or more are entitled to a 10% discount.

For more information contact:
St John’s School & Community College
Granham Hill
Marlborough SN8 4AX
01672 516156
www.stjohns.wilts.sch.uk

Pupils in years 10 and 11 at Saint Paul’s Catholic High School in Wythenshawe have been enjoying the opportunity to spend part of their time studying vocationally related courses at The Manchester College. Here they work towards achieving national vocational qualifications (NVQs) covering a variety of career related work including a focus on hairdressing, horticulture and automation. This gives them the opportunity to try out various interests and identify which career may suit them best.

In the first year of the course they receive tasters in hairdressing, horticulture and automation and in the second year they choose one area in which to specialise, this year the Year 11s chose Automation. This is an excellent chance to learn more about working life and develop the skills the pupils are going to need for the future.

Of the six pupils involved, five of them are progressing to higher level courses in Automation at college next year and the sixth has chosen a different course.

“This mixture of college and school attendance and work experience is a great opportunity,” explained Mr. Alan Chapman, the school’s Careers I.A.G. Co-coordinator. “It gives our pupils a chance to start on the vocational ladder and allows them to gain essential knowledge and practical skills which will help them throughout their working lives.”

“I am delighted with the way the students have seized this opportunity, they are applying themselves well to this work and making the most of the learning,” commented Mr. Wiktor Daron, Head Teacher at Saint Paul’s. “We can already see the increased self-confidence and independence in these students.”

St John’s School in Marlborough has received national recognition for the proportion of top grades achieved by its pupils in the GCSE examinations in 2011. St John’s qualified as one of the top 10% of non-selective schools in England where at least 19% of students gained 5A*-A grades including English and Maths in 2011.

Every school in the country has been ranked according to how well they performed in their GCSE results in 2011 in new rankings released by SSAT- the representative body for schools.

The new rankings, calculated by SSAT using official data, raise the bar for schools by only counting the school’s performance at the highest GCSE grades- A* and A- reflecting schools’ desire to achieve the very best results for their students.

Sue Williamson, Chief Executive of SSAT said:
“St John’s should be congratulated for their stunning achievement in securing some of the best GCSE results in the country. St John’s has proved itself to be one of the best schools in the country at securing superb GCSE outcomes for their students. There is plenty that other schools could learn from St John’s School’s success.
“These results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, teachers and leadership team at St John’s and a vindication of their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person.

Successful schools like St John’s understand the value of data, such as these attainment measures, in helping to ensure that all young people perform to the very best of their ability. The attainment measures show how schools are focused on their performance of all their students”.

In 2011 86% of the GCSE students at St John’s achieved five or more A* to C grade GCSEs and 75% achieved five or more A* to C Grades including English & Maths, placing St John’s as one of the top performing state schools in the country.

The Sixth Form College, Solihull held its annual Awards Evening at the Renewal Conference Centre last night, celebrating student success during the 2011/2012 academic year.

Staff and students were joined at the Lode Lane centre by parents and other notable guests to hand out prizes and enjoy student performances in Music, Dance and Drama. Prizes were given out for every subject, as well as extra curricular activities, including sport and exceptional progress. A large number of students also received College Colours, which is a special award that any student can apply for by demonstrating leadership, team-work and completing a challenging activity.

Special guest for the event was Justin King CBE. He was a student at the College from 1977 – 1979 and has gone on to achieve great success since. He has recently been awarded an AoC Gold award for his achievements since leaving College. He is currently the Chief Executive of Sainsbury’s, having also worked for a number of other prominent food manufacturers such as Mars Confectionery, Pepsi International and Haägen Dazs before becoming Director of ASDA in 1994. In 2001, King moved to Marks & Spencer where he managed the food division.

Justin joined Sainsbury’s in 2004, charged with improving sales and halting its declining market share. Within six months, King had launched his recovery programme under the banner, “Making Sainsbury’s Great Again” and has recently been able to announce that the company has achieved 30 consecutive quarters of sales growth.

In January 2009 Justin was appointed to the Board of the London Organising Committee for the Olympics by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. He was then made a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group and awarded a CBE in the Birthday Honours in 2011.

College Principal Paul Ashdown, commented: “It was a fantastic night and we are so grateful to Justin King for taking time out of his busy schedule to help us celebrate the successes of this year’s students. Justin spoke to the students at the end of the night and offered them some advice. He is a source of inspiration to our students, as it just goes to show what you can achieve with a good education behind you and a drive and determination to succeed.”