Medmerry Primary School Celebrates Good Ofsted Rating
Medmerry Primary School in Selsey has secured another Good rating from Ofsted, following an inspection in December 2018. The inspector praised the friendly, welcoming and well behaved pupils and recognised the work which has been done to raise both the quality of teaching and the curriculum taught in the school since the last inspection. Medmerry has been classified as a ‘Good’ school since 2010. The report noted the breadth of the curriculum taught at Medmerry, alongside the wide range of extra-curricular experiences that are included to help extend pupils’ learning. It recognised the work being done in particular areas of teaching, remarking that staff have worked hard to create a ‘buzz’ about reading throughout the school in the last few months. The Ofsted report also mentioned the strong standard of mathematics throughout the school. HM Inspector, Catherine Old, remarked that pupils’ outcomes have been raised substantially as a result of the improvements which have been made since the last inspection. Mr Michael Tidd, Head of School, comments: “Medmerry School is a welcoming and friendly community, and we pride ourselves on a broad and engaging curriculum, so it’s pleasing to see these qualities recognised in the inspection report. The outcome reflects the hard work of the whole school community – parents, staff and pupils – all of whom work together to make Medmerry such a great place to teach and learn.” Medmerry Primary School is part of Schoolsworks Multi-Academy Trust and Chris Seaton, Schoolsworks CEO adds: “”As a Trust we are proud of the team at Medmerry Primary School and are delighted that their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication have been justly rewarded with a positive Ofsted report. In Schoolsworks, we are determined to improve outcomes for all our children and there is no doubt that those who attend this school are provided with broad and interesting primary education. I would like to personally thank the Head, the staff, the children and their parents and carers – they are a strong community and a pleasure to work with.” Click here for more info
Business focus heralds major changes at Shropshire prep school
Tapping into its accountant’s business acumen is enabling an independent preparatory school in Shropshire to enhance experiential learning whilst also expanding its offering to Years 7 and 8 and providing educational sessions for nursery school age children. Founded in 1944, Castle House School in Chetwyn End, Newport, currently provides a comprehensive curriculum for children up to Year 6 (age 11 years). Now, it is now expanding its offering to educate 12-13 year olds. Meanwhile, the school’s on-site nursery has been set up to provide an educational experience – as opposed to a day care service – with lessons, meals and a wide variety of facilities included as standard. Parents can find out more about these exciting new developments when the school holds an ‘open week’ from February 11 to 15. Working with Stafford-based Howards Chartered Certified Accountants to adopt more of a business approach is enabling the school to make some big improvements with any surplus monies reinvested for the benefit of all the children. Head teacher Ian Sterling says: “The school celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2019 so it was time to update the way we do things to fall in line with modern thinking. “Restructuring our approach to finance has meant adopting a more business-like model and enhancing our systems and processes to ensure regulatory compliance. Now, we can focus on showcasing what the school has to offer and instilling a sense of kindness, fair play and co-operation.” Howards amended Castle House School’s Articles of Association and introduced more cost-effective processes surrounding the submission of annual accounts to help the school fulfil its obligations to the Charities Commission. Matt Bailey, managing director at Howards, says: “The dedicated staff at Castle House School are committed to experiential and hands-on learning both inside and outside the classroom. Carrying out cost/benefit analyses puts things into perspective, enabling the teachers to channel resources into initiatives that will have the biggest impact for their pupils.” Ian adds: “The team at Howards is extremely supportive and Matt’s background in the education sector is an added bonus because it means we have access to crucial advice that helps us to adapt to changes in the economic climate.”
Former Big Issue North Vendor Inspires College Students
Students at Leeds College of Building are being motivated this new year after spending time alongside a former Big Issue North seller, Alex Old. Alex was accepted on to a Painting & Decorating course at Leeds College of Building and is now inspiring others to turn their lives around following his own time on the streets. Several years ago, Alex was begging and struggling with alcohol dependency. Now, thanks to his own perseverance and determination, Alex has transformed his life and is well on his way to becoming a qualified painter and decorator. Alex said: “Growing up, I couldn’t fit in with anything. I found out I was dyslexic when I was a teenager and, hand-in-hand with that, a big bottle of alcohol came […] And then the death of my grandparents, the split-up of a relationship – it all just came crashing down. […] It all became about alcohol.” One day, everything changed. Alex said: “I was caught on the streets begging, and I thought, right, this is the moment that I can make a change. I started selling the Big Issue magazine, and then, half past seven every morning – boom! I was out of the house. That helped me to stay sober. The changes I have made have been ground-breaking. I’m feeling so much happier and have so much confidence. Honestly, I’m unrecognisable from a few years ago!” Alex became a Big Issue North vendor and received support from their Leeds office to help make a positive change to his life. As well as providing day-to-day support, service coordinators meet with each active vendor twice a year to do a more formal review of the help they need. Alex spent time volunteering at Hollybush, his local conservation centre. Following this, the Big Issue North manager and service coordinators supported Alex to apply to Leeds College of Building and, after assisting him with paperwork and interview revision, Alex was accepted at College. Anna Manetta-Stark, Fundraising & Communications at Big Issue North, said: “While we’d love to take praise for supporting Alex, he really has taken it upon himself to change his life for the better. He is a determined and driven individual, and we are so unbelievably proud of his progress, supported by the fantastic teaching ethos at Leeds College of Building.” Martin Parr, Leeds College of Building Painting & Decorating Lecturer, said: “Alex arrived in College to complete a six-week award, progressing to a Level 1 Diploma. With the help of his good friend, Dean (who took him under his wing) and support from College tutors, Alex turned things around. Alex became more focused at College and his decorating skills vastly improved. He was even awarded student of the term. Alex is now halfway through his Level 2 Diploma and is on course to complete. Well done Alex and Dean!” The flexible nature of selling the magazine meant that Alex was able to attend classes while still having the opportunity to earn a legitimate income in his own time – alongside his trusty canine companion, Muttley! From his vendor work, Alex has even had offers of paid employment from his previous customers. If you would like to support vendors like Alex to move on in their lives, please consider making a donation: www.justgiving.com/bigissuenorth For more information about upcoming open days and courses enrolling now at Leeds College of Building, visit: www.lcb.ac.uk
Schools invited to take on UK’s biggest cycling, walking and scooting challenge
Schools are being invited to take up the Big Pedal 2019 – the UK’s largest cycling, walking and scooting challenge for schools. This year’s competition is backed by Angellica Bell, British television, radio presenter and cycling advocate, who took on the ‘Tour de Celeb’ in 2016 where she found her love for cycling. Organised by the walking and cycling charity Sustrans, the competition will run from Monday 25 March to Friday 5 April and will encourage young people from across the UK to travel by bike, foot or scooter for their journey to and from school. During the 10 days, participating primary and secondary schools will compete with one another to make the most journeys by bike, foot or scooter. To coincide with this year’s event, dozens of schools across the UK, will for the first time, be closing the road outside the school gates to motor vehicles. This is to limit the volume of traffic and help reduce air pollution, while creating an environment in which cycling and walking is safe, convenient and enjoyable. New research shows four in ten children are breathing toxic air at school, leaving pupils at an increased risk of developing lifelong conditions including asthma[i]. Walking and cycling can play a key role in improving air quality outside the school gates while helping to boost children’s activity levels. Angellica Bell, who is backing the campaign, said: “I’m delighted to be supporting this year’s Big Pedal. It’s a fantastic way to encourage more children to cycle, walk or scoot– doing wonders for their health and the environment around them. “I hope as many schools as possible sign up for the challenge and inspire children and families across the UK to get on their feet, scooter of bike for their journey to school.” Xavier Brice, CEO at Sustrans, said: “The Big Pedal may only run for two weeks but can leave a lasting effect on the way children travel to school by showing parents what’s possible and how easy it can be to leave the car at home for a few extra journeys a week. “With scores of schools already confirming that they will be closing surrounding streets to cars for this year’s Big Pedal, we are confident that 2019 will be even bigger and better than 2018 and demonstrate how people prioritised streets can create a much more pleasant and safer environment for children and parents to travel.” The theme of this year’s Big Pedal is ‘Travelling around the body’, with pupils tracking their progress on a wall chart, learning about the human body and how active travel benefits their health as they go. This year’s competition aims to build on the success of 2018 which saw over 1,300 schools register to take part, with teachers, parents, siblings and pupils making more than a million journeys to school by bike or scooter. In addition, participants travelled almost 2.4 million miles – that is nearly 96 trips around the world – and saved 1179.2 kilo grams of nitrogen oxide (NOx) from being emitted into the atmosphere. With 60,538 gallons of fuel not being used on the school run, parents also saved over £330,000 on fuel. The Big Pedal 2019 is open to individual classes as well as whole schools, with hundreds of thousands of pupils expected to take part. Children, parents and teachers will also be able to log, track and compare their journeys online using the Big Pedal website. For schools unable to take part in the main challenge there is also a one-day version, which can include cycling, walking and scooting activities during the school day as well as on the journey to school. Schools and classes will be entered into daily prize draws for rewards, including scooters, if more than 15% of a school cycle, walk or scoot on each day of the challenge. Ask your child’s school to sign up to Sustrans Big Pedal 2019. For more information visit www.bigpedal.org.uk Follow us: Twitter @sustrans #BigPedal Facebook https://en-gb.facebook.com/Sustrans Photograph credit: Neil Hanna
Schools could win share of £17,500 in Cool Initiatives edtech challenge
Are you a bright spark with a brilliant educational technology idea that could change the way we teach and learn in schools and drive up educational outcomes? If so Cool Initiatives wants to hear from you! Cool Initiatives, premier early stage investor in education and edtech, has just launched The Cool Initiatives Education Challenge 2019 . It’s giving away a total of £17,500 – no financial strings attached – to students, teachers or early-stage startups that offer an innovative edtech solution to change the face of education as we know it today. The top prize of £10,000 will be awarded to the winner, £5,000 to the runner up, £500 to each of the four finalists and £500 to the winner of The People’s Choice category. Entry is super simple – all you need to do is provide online your responses to a series of questions and submit a short two-minute video pitch. The deadline for entries is Friday 8th March. The judges are looking for an edtech solution aimed at servicing early years to secondary education that addresses one or more of the following three challenges for technology identified by Damian Hinds, Secretary of State Education, in August 2018: · Teaching practices to support access, inclusion, and improved learning outcomes for all; · Assessment processes to become more effective and efficient; · Administration processes to reduce the burden of ‘non-teaching’ tasks. Rolled out nationwide, the competition is open to entrants who just have an idea, those who may be in full/part-time work, those who have already started their own business, and early-stage startups that are sole traders, a limited company or a partnership with no external equity-based finance. The shortlist will be announced on Friday 22nd March, finalists on Friday 26th April and The People’s Choice Award on Friday 10th May when voting on this category closes. The winners will be announced on Friday 17th May. Commenting on the competition, philanthropist and Founder of Cool Initiatives Jon Thornes MBE said: “Many schools have told us that they’re crying out for better edtech solutions to help them spend less time preparing, monitoring, assessing and accounting, and more time teaching. “We’re seeking to support, develop and invest in ideas or edtech startups that will help schools and teachers to operate more efficiently and effectively.” To enter the edtech challenge please click on the link here.
Stratford Circus Arts Centre and National Theatre stage free theatre shows for 5000 Newham Schoolchildren
This January all Year 6 students in the London Borough of Newham will have a chance to watch performances of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale as part of an initiative to introduce children to live theatre. Every Child a Theatregoer is a partnership between Stratford Circus Arts Centre and other local theatres alongside Newham Council which is now in its sixth year, with January’s performances taking place between 21st Jan and 1st Feb. For many children attending it will be their first visit to the theatre. The National Theatre’s production of The Winter’s Tale that the students will see is an abridged version of the text adapted by Justin Audibert and directed by Ruth Mary Johnson. The aim of Every Child a Theatre goer is to ensure every child in Newham, East London is given a chance to see a theatre show before leaving primary school. In a time when arts provision in many schools around the country has been reduced, the programme alleviates the challenges schools and parents face in paying for theatre trips. The scheme has proved popular with teachers who are provided with classroom materials that can be used to enhance learning across a number of curriculum subjects including English, Maths, Science and Geography. In previous years 90% of teachers attending agreed that seeing the production had a positive impact on pupils’ attainment. The borough is known to have high rates of child poverty with statistics from End Child Poverty suggesting 2 in 5 children in Newham live in poverty. This is the second time the National Theatre has staged a show at Stratford Circus as part of Every Child a Theatregoer having presented Romeo and Juliet in 2017. Other artists to have performed include Akram Khan, Gyre and Gimble with Fuel and Michael Rosen. Alice King-Farlow, Director of Learning at the National Theatre said, “The Winter’s Tale is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for young audiences. It is so exciting to be collaborating with Stratford Circus Arts Centre again to give every Year 6 pupil in Newham the opportunity to see this production. We believe that all children, no matter where they are in the UK, should have the opportunity to see, create and explore theatre as part of their core education and we hope this experience will open their eyes to theatre-making and spark their imaginations.” Tania Wilmer, Director of Stratford Circus Arts Centre said: “Every Child a Theatregoer is an incredibly important project for Stratford Circus that gives many young people their first taste of live performance. Made possible through our important partnership with Newham Council, 5,000 children will see an exceptional theatre performance in their local venue. This is followed by an opportunity to discuss what they thought with the cast to create a relaxed, enjoyable and high-quality theatre experience which we hope will give them the confidence to seek out more.” @StratfordCircus | Stratford-circus.com
Leading online safety experts Smoothwall join forces with VESPA Mindset and Warwickshire County Council at BETT 2019
This week at BETT, leading online safeguarding solutions provider Smoothwall, will be joining forces with VESPA Mindset and Warwickshire County Council to provide expert advice on internet safety and mental wellbeing within an academic environment. For those unfamiliar with BETT, it’s the UK’s leading education technology show attended by over 34,500 educators and decision makers from all around the world. Taking place at ExCeL London from 23rd to 26th January 2019, those attending can expect to see the latest and most innovative information technology set to inspire the future of education. At the Smoothwall stand on Thursday 24th January, Steve Oakes, at VESPA Mindset will be hosting two sessions looking at how active monitoring can impact academic attainment. Steve will discuss how technology can help in recognising and developing mental wellbeing needs to improve examination results. Advanced monitoring technology means that schools aren’t having to physically monitor pupils’ online activity as any risks are picked up and alerted via the solution. This frees up teacher’s time and resources so they can concentrate on pupils academic learning and in turn promote a positive learning environment and higher standard of academic achievement.Smart monitoring solutions will become increasingly important when you take into account Ofsted will now focus on promoting a positive learning environment. This new behaviour judgement will assess whether schools are creating a calm, well-managed environment free from bullying, which monitoring solutions can identify. Those attending BETT will also be able to find out about how to run effective safeguarding across a school cluster. On Friday 25thJanuary, Steve Holley, Systems Engineer at Warwickshire County Council will look at the work they are doing with the safeguarding provider to improve its safeguarding capabilities. WCC currently manage IT systems for schools within the Warwickshire area, monitoring 45,000 staff and pupils across Primary and Secondary schools. To learn about and interact with its market-leading filtering and monitoring solutions, visit Smoothwall on stand D250. Here you can discover its brand-new monitoring solution RADAR and how it can detect children at risk of mental health concerns or cyberbullying, and hear exclusively what new product innovations Smoothwall has in store for 2019.
NewVIc achieves Ofsted outstanding
Newham Sixth Form College’s latest Ofsted inspection has praised the college for being outstanding in their provision for personal development, behaviour and welfare. Students were found to achieve excellent results at the college. The report highlighted that “the proportion of students who successfully achieved their qualifications was high” with many students achieving top grades. The report, published on the Ofsted website today (22 January 2019) confirms NewVIc as a diverse and collaborative community with excellent academic success, personal development and progression. Ofsted commented on how students “benefit significantly” from the specialist A Level Honours programme and how “students on vocational programmes make good progress”. Many students we found to progress to university with an increasing number securing high level apprenticeships. NewVIc’s expert teaching was celebrated with teachers being described as “very enthusiastic” practitioners who “motivate students to have high aspirations and make good progress”. Teachers’ dedication to students resulted in the majority of students meeting or exceeding their expected grades. Inspectors were particularly impressed by the college’s focus on personalised support, unique opportunities, and tailored skills development. The extensive programme of sports and other enrichment activities such as debating; sports clubs; women’s club and voluntary work was found to be extremely popular with many students participating. NewVIc principal and chief executive Mandeep Gill commented: “I’m delighted that Ofsted has recognised NewVIc’s outstanding contribution to education in the borough. As a college, we are very proud of our broad offer and the wide ranging achievements of students with different abilities and ambitions. I am very much in favour of giving every student the opportunity to achieve on their terms. Our outstanding judgement reflects this.” Inspectors gave emphasis to how much students enjoy life at NewVIc and noted the college’s warm, happy and welcoming environment. Inspectors described student behaviour as “courteous to each other and to staff” and commended the college for ensuring “that there is a culture of tolerance, respect and safety for all students.” Inspectors also praised the college for the individual support and care given to students, including those requiring additional learning support and complex needs. Looking to the future, Mandeep Gill added: “NewVIc will continue its drive to meet the needs of all young people, giving each and every one a chance to create the future they want for themselves. Whether that is a place at Oxford or Cambridge; an English or maths GCSE; an apprenticeship; or a first ever qualification, NewVIc will continue to offer the most inclusive, exciting and engaging post-16 education experience for all the young people in Newham.” Key strengths from the report: ● Outstanding personal development ● Outstanding support and welfare ● High and increasing proportion of student achievement ● High grades on vocational courses ● Good outcomes for learners ● Excellent access to work experience ● Good teaching, learning and assessment ● High-quality careers advice and guidance ● Extensive programme of sports and enrichment ● Strong student voice ● Collaborative and inclusive ethos ● Good leadership and management ● Strong partnerships with employers and universities ● High-quality facilities and resources Find out more about what NewVIc has to offer, visit our Open Day on 26 January 2019. NewVIc offers a wide range of A Level and vocational courses. Prospectuses and more information are available by calling 020 7473 4110.
School Trips With LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
‘Engaging’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘fantastic’: just three of the words teachers have used to describe their school trip experiences at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s ethos is all about allowing pupils of all ages to engage and explore through creative and imaginative play. The Resort’s offer of theme park rides and attractions combined with interactive educational workshops makes it a strong contender for school teachers seeking somewhere engaging to take a school trip. The resort is an exciting venue for learning outside the classroom and most suitable for Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 pupils – although there are experiences available for pre-school and younger school pupils (particularly in the DUPLO® Valley area where children can enjoy Brickville, where the landscape is designed for exploring and playing). Schools can use a National Curriculum Map to navigate their way around the resort, making sure they tie in all of their learning objectives whilst they enjoy over 55 rides and attractions. Other top attractions for visiting school groups at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort include Miniland, where model scenes feature nearly 40 million LEGO® Bricks, and the LEGO® 4D Movie Theatre – a 4D film with wind, snow, fire and lighting effects. A LEGO® Brick Submarine underwater adventure ride is also bound to attract the attention of pupils, so don’t miss experiencing the Atlantis Submarine Voyage. Educational offerings Pupils visiting the park can also partake in one of 12 curriculum focused workshops where hands-on learning is key. All of the workshops are led by the LEGO® Education Academy Certified Education Team. This means that all workshops are finely tuned to complement the National Curriculum – with a LEGO® twist. Pupils can learn about STEM, English, Art, Geography and History to name but a few. The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort also provides a number of resources on its website to help teachers prepare for their school trip. Teachers can download permission slips to send home to parents and access a Risk Assessment form. There is also information regarding Teacher to Student Ratios and Ride Height & Age Restrictions to assist in pre-planning for the day. 2019: What’s in store for pupils? English, Geography History, Business Studies and the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) will be covered in the 12 National Curriculum workshops available to school groups next year. New will be the LEGO® EcoPower workshop, available to Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. This workshop ties in to Science and Geography. At 45 minutes long, pupils will explore the benefits and negatives of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Pupils will then get to build a LEGO® Wind Turbine which when activated will actually create electricity! Other examples of workshops that are suitable for Primary school pupils include: The Dragon’s Tale: A Design & Technology workshop for Key Stage 1 that sees pupils design and construct a LEGO® Brick castle for Ollie the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort Dragon! Computer Design and Control: Students will build and programme their very own interactive Robot using the state of the art LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0 Sets and Software. LEGO® Robotics: Pupils complete a series of challenges with the LEGO Education MINDSTORMS® robots. LEGO® Forces:This Science workshop investigates how forces such as Gravity and Friction can affect the movement of a Balloon Powered LEGO® model car. LEGO® Gears and Pulleys: This session focuses on how gears and pulleys work together to move objects including fairground themed LEGO® models. LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort: Jamie Lawrence – Schools Executive 01753 626236 activelearning@legoland.co.uk www.LEGOLAND.co.uk/Schools