4to18 Summer 2011
A FREE MAGAZINE FOR ALL PARENTS SUMMER EDITION 2011
FRE A E CL
DVE ASSIF RTIS IED Se e ING insi de f or d e tail s
Win a free place at a leading independent School See inside for details
THE SUPER CLUB Inside the £5m kids’ centre
TUITION TOP-UP Is it a help or a hindrance?
CAPITAL INVESTMENT
KATE’S DESIGNER
Doing London on a budget
Sarah Burton at school
FAMILY MISFORTUNE
EDUCATION NEWS
Why parents need a will
Local & national round-up
4to18 Summer 2011
Inside
Kate’s dress designer
7
Sarah Burton as a schoolgirl
Financial crisis
11
Schools call in the bailiffs
Fee-free education
13
Details of our amazing competition
The super club
19
Inside the £5m Fuse
Stressed Students
25
Teens calling out for help
Travel
Welcome In little over a month, schools will be closing for the summer holidays. Children (and their exhausted teachers) will be getting up late then sitting around the house in their pyjamas and parents will once more have to get used to six weeks of bickering, pleading for snacks and generally spending money quicker than you can earn it. For many of us, with our children settled in their schools, is just another summer but for others, big decisions lie ahead. Choosing a school for your child is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. We are lucky to have so much choice in this area; we have some of the best independent schools in the country and some of the best state schools, too. We’ve also got some other schools that, through hard work and inspirational leadership, are now set to challenge the status quo. There are examples of all of these in this edition of 4to18 so please have a close look at what they School’s out for summer... have to say and choose well.
Jane
38
On the road to Camelot
Curtain Call
40
Arts of Gold
Toys & Books
41&43
Latest releases for all ages
Ged Norton
47
The mystery of sports’ day
Mark Harris
48
Summer in the meat factory
Headlines
50
The importance of partnership
Advertising Director
Editor Features Editor Commercial Director
Publisher
Advertising Editorial
Sarah Longley 0791 772 5335 sarah@4to18.com Jane Field jane@4to18.com Nicki Thornhill nicki@4to18.com Mark Harris 0791 890 5619 mark@4to18.com Graeme Alderson 07801 462 141 graeme@4to18.com 0161 610 2620/0791 7725 335 graeme@4to18.com
Cover photo courtesy of Bridgewater School 4to18 magazine is published by Atticus Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the permission of the publishers. Views expressed in 4to18 magazine are not necessarily those of Atticus Media Ltd. Atticus Media Ltd is a registered company. Information and pictures for some articles have been gathered from various sources and these, together with the advertisements are published in good faith, without responsibility on the part of the publishers or authors for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action, as a result of any views expressed therein. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, we cannot take responsibility for publishing errors, however caused. Special thanks to the organisations that have provided us with information and photographs
3
Whalley Range 11-18 High School is a multi-cultural inner city girls’ school close to the heart of Manchester The school is a vibrant and lively community of nearly 1700 students with 300 students in the 6th Form Expectations of attainment and behaviour are high
IMPROVING
SUCCESSFUL
VIBRANT
11-18 High School
A Specialist College for Business, Enterprise & Sport
Whalley Range is the highest performing girls’ high school in Manchester 30% of all our A Level results are at A* or A grade and 55% A* to B The Specialist Schools Trust this year awarded us the Gold Award for Cultural Diversity and Inclusion
Acclaimed as most improved school in the country in the Financial Times Top 1000 Schools Innovative ideas, energetic and imaginative approaches all contribute to the high quality of education. Recent Ofsted inspection (March 2007) identified many areas of outstanding practice.
We have a limited number of places in our lower school and sixth form available for september. please contact us to make an appointment to view the school.
0161 861 9727
Whalley Range 11-18 High School
aspire believe achieve
Whalley Range
A Specialist College for Business, Enterprise & Sport
admin@whalleyrange.manchester.sch.uk www.whalleyrange.manchester.sch.uk 4
NEWS
FREE SCHOOL: PARENTS’ BID
A
group of south Manchester parents are working to set up a Montessori primary school under the Government’s Free School initiative. The group wants to establish the school to meet demand for places in the area and to offer an alternative to current mainstream education. They believe the school, which will be called Manchester Montessori School, will offer all local children, regardless of ability or income, the chance to benefit from a Montessori education. The Montessori method, which was founded by Italian doctor Maria Montessori in 1907, aims to foster children’s independent thinking by allowing them to develop at their
own pace. There is little whole-class teaching. Instead, pupils are given freedom to choose topics that interest them, fostering a love of learning. Now, the parents behind the prospective school are looking for support from other parents and interested parties in the area in order to move forward with their application. Dominique Brockhaus-Grand, one of the parents behind the application, said: “We are passionate that this be available to children in the area. The Free School would be state funded, meaning that it would be open to all children, irrespective of economic background. “We need people to express their support for our project, so we need to hear from people who feel our community and children would benefit if such a school was available locally.” For more information, contact Rebecca McAlpine at rebeccamcalpine@hotmail.com, 07719 653 000
EXPLORING MARRIAGES Junior school pupils of Hulme Hall Grammar School explored different faiths through a series of wedding ceremonies. During the course of a day, the pupils learned about ceremonies in Christian, Sikh and Jewish faiths as well as a Register Office wedding. They listened to various types of wedding music and learned about the similarities and differences between the customs of each religion. Headmistress Lyn Ormiston said: “All of the children entered into the spirit of all wedding services and several played the parts of bride and groom. We felt, as a school, that it is very important that all of our children learn the vast differences between these ceremonies.” The day finished with a multi-faith wedding reception in the Dining Hall.
Whalley Range 11-18 High School. A Specialist College for Business, Enterprise and Sport
Raising standards, inspiring students
W
halley Range 11-18 High School is a high performing specialist girls’ school with a thriving Sixth Form. We are a specialist Business, Enterprise and Sports College and have a clear focus on raising standards and inspiring students to fulfil their potential in a wide range of areas. We value our diverse community and believe we empower our young women to lead happy and successful lives. Whalley Range is a popular school and continues to be the highest performing girls’ high school in Manchester. Moreover, we have recently been acclaimed as the most improved school in the country, according to the Financial Times Top 1000 schools, which bases its criteria on the very top grades at GCE A Level. An impressive 30% of all our A Level results are at A* or A grade. We enjoy excellent facilities for learning. Your daughter will be taught by dedicated, highly qualified subject specialists. She will be challenged and supported to achieve her best in all aspects of her academic work and personal development. We are committed to developing her leadership skills so she can face a challenging future with confidence. We work together with families, our local community, business partners and local universities to enhance your
daughter’s education. We have created state of the art facilities as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Our move to become a Co-operative Learning Trust allows us to work even more closely with our partners and stakeholders. The Specialist Schools Trust recognised our school as a “High Performing Specialist School” in 2008 and awarded us the Gold Award for Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in 2011. We are proud to be invited to become a “Leading Edge School” as a
result of our continued high performance. Ofsted judged our support to students to be, ‘Outstanding’ (2007) and Manchester City Council gave us the first school award for our “Outstanding Contribution to Sport”. The Youth Sports Trust acknowledged our work with ‘Gifted & Talented’ students in 2010. Come and see us at work by telephoning the school to make an appointment. We look forward to meeting you. 5
BRIDGING THE GAP...
GCSE TO A LEVEL C O N V E R S I O N C O U R S E There is a big gap between GCSEs and AS Levels We can help you make that jump... This course is intended for students who have just completed their GCSE Courses in Maths and Science and who are intending to study one or more of these subjects at Advanced Level either at School or in College The gap between what you need to know for GCSE examinations and what you will need to know for A Level is significant and the science you need to know right from the start is much harder than GCSE requires This course will provide a link between GCSE knowledge and AS Level knowledge so that students are better prepared to embark on Advanced Level study Over the last three years, we have been asked to help many young people who find the jump to Advanced Level a real challenge and this course has been developed from our experience in teaching GCSE and A Level courses
WHAT’S ON THE COURSE? You will spend the week getting to grips with the key concepts in science or maths so that you are better prepared to take on the challenges of Advanced level Maths and Science. The first session is spent revising the things you must know from GCSE study. The next sessions are focused on the A Level requirements
BIOLOGY You will learn the basics of cell structure, biochemistry and physiology - including topics on understanding and interpreting scientific experimental data.
CHEMISTRY Atoms and bonding. The periodic table and some work on calculations and organic compounds.
PHYSICS An introduction to the Laws of motion, electricity and the Universe around us.
MATHS Core principles of number work, graphs, algebra and probability, including a project.
WHERE IS THE COURSE? course dates: September 10, September 17, September 24, 1 october All courses include a FREE copy of the AQA/Edexcel/OCR AS recommended text book. Fees: ÂŁ195 per subject with 25% discount for second subject & 50% for third.
For further information or to book a place on a course contact Consult Sterling on 0161 955 4240 or bookings@consultsterling.com
6
Adamson House Towers Park Manchester M20 2YY 0161 955 4240 bookings@consultsterling.com
NEWS
WITHINGTON TO WESTMINSTER
F
ormer Withington Girls’ School student Sarah Burton is the designer of THAT DRESS — the stunning wedding gown worn by Kate Middleton, now Duchess of Cambridge, at her marriage to Prince William at Westminster Abbey on Friday, 29th April . Sarah's creation, seen for the first time in public by an estimated two billion television viewers worldwide, was universally acclaimed for its elegance and sophistication. Sarah, Creative Director at the famed fashion house Alexander McQueen, designed not only the bride and bridesmaid's dresses for the royal wedding, but also the Duchess's fabulous evening gown which she wore at the second reception later in the day. Sarah took over the reins of the famous British label in May 2010, following Alexander McQueen's death in February the same year. Her Art Teacher at Withington, Diane Connell, told the BBC she was thrilled for her former “brilliant pupil with amazing creativity”. She added: “I taught her from 11 to 18, which was secondary level; she was just a brilliant pupil, her creativity was amazing. Even from an early age you could tell she'd be doing something in the creative arts. She was very easy going, cheerful; very modest about her abilities and it's obviously carried through. “She's just amazing, she always was. She worked for McQueen for a long time; she did an awful lot in the background. She was a brilliant draughtswoman, absolutely brilliant at the rest as well - and she deserved it [the royal wedding dress commission]. I thought the dress was wonderful. It was very elegant, very very Sarah, very feminine and it had a wow factor without being nastily wow.” After leaving Withington in 1993, Sarah, née Heard, attended Manchester Polytechnic to complete a foundation course, before moving to London to study Print Fashion at Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London. She graduated in 1997. “At one point I was going to study Fine Art at Ruskin College in Oxford, but I decided I wanted to pursue my interest in fashion,” she said in the February 2010 issue of Vogue. Last October Sarah stole the show during Paris Fashion Week with her first womenswear collection. At the time, Imogen Fox, the Guardian's deputy fashion editor, reported: “In an extraordinarily beautiful show,
She always was amazing, says former teacher of Kate’s dress designer, Sarah Burton
Burton succeeded in both being faithful to the late designer's distinctive design ethos while taking the label into a new era.” In a statement released by the house of Alexander McQueen after the royal wedding, Sarah said: “It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created. “I am delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship. Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day.
“The last few months have been very exciting and an incredible experience for my team and I as we have worked closely with Catherine to create this dress under conditions of the strictest secrecy. Understandably, Catherine has been very keen to keep the details of her dress a secret, which is every bride's prerogative, and we gave an undertaking to keep our role confidential until the day of the wedding. “Catherine looked absolutely stunning, and the team at Alexander McQueen are very proud of what we have created. The dress was just one component of a spectacular day, and I do not think it is appropriate to comment any further beyond saying that I personally am very grateful and honoured to have been given the opportunity to work on this project, and I wish TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge every good wish for the future.” 7
Your top performing Sixth Form College in the area HAVE YOU GOT YOUR PLACE YET? APPLY NOW ! Wide range of courses available: x AS/A Levels x BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diplomas x BTEC Level 2 First Diplomas x BTEC Level 1 Introductory Diplomas For more information Visit our website - www.bolton-sfc.ac.uk or call 0800 052 1460
Town Centre Campus, Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5BG Farnworth Campus, Queen Street, Farnworth BL4 7DX
8
NEWS
ACADEMY WIN Bolton Sixth Form College Cricket Academy has been crowned Greater Manchester Colleges Indoor Cricket Champions after going undefeated throughout the tournament. Cricket Co-ordinator Alan Tomlinson said: “It is a great achievement for all the players and a testament to the coaching staff involved. It is further proof that the Cricket Academy is successfully achieving the set objectives”.
PERIODIC CAKE Year 13 students at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls baked
114 little cakes iced with the symbol, proton and mass numbers of the elements, from hydrogen (proton number 1) to ununquadium (proton number 114) and then arranged them in the order of the Periodic Table as a surprise for the Chemistry Department.
Bolton 6th Form College
Coaching grass roots to the international stage
T
here are currently four Sports Academy programmes available at Bolton Sixth Form College; Boys football; Girls football, Golf and Cricket. Each programme runs alongside academic classes and enables students to pursue their sporting interests, whilst obtaining suitable academic qualifications from our wide range of further education qualifications. All students will follow a full time programme of study; either 4 AS/3 A Levels or a BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma. In order to be invited to join the programme students need to complete a Sports Academy application form and submit suitable references from their sports teacher at
school or team coach, as well as successfully completing sports trials. Players will compete in regular fixtures and competitions against other colleges on Wednesday afternoons. As a member of the Sports Academy students receive: The highest quality of coaching Individual fitness programmes from our personal trainer Free physiotherapist treatment Full access to the sports science team Opportunities to play and coach
abroad Opportunities to complete coaching qualifications and gain coaching experience Opportunities to complete refereeing qualifications Full PUMA Academy training kit Opportunity to achieve academic qualifications in either AS/A Levels and BTEC Diplomas College has strong university links that will enable students to enhance their application credentials and prepare them fully for university study. For further details or an application form please email enquires@boltonsfc.ac.uk 9
CHOIRS UNITE TO MOVE WORLD As part of the European Commission’s Comenius project, 13 talented singers from Manchester High School for Girls journeyed to Austria to kickstart an EU tri-school choir collaboration. The girls, aged between 13 and 15, met for the first time with partnerschool students from St. Ursula Gymnasium in Salzburg, Austria and Lindeskolan in Lindesberg, Sweden, for a week of rehearsals. The 80strong, all-girl choir will unite again in both Manchester and Sweden for two concerts themed around Songs That Move The World.
The European learning project aims to connect girls from different countries who share a love of singing as well as to develop knowledge and understanding of different European cultures and languages. The collaboration was set up with funding support from the EU life-long learning programme and managed in the UK with the help of the British Council. MHSG Music teacher and choir conductor, Nadine Morgan, said: “The girls had a great time practising the show’s mix of modern and traditional Swedish, German and English songs. They worked extremely hard as all of the songs are sung in their native language. The English collection included the Beatles’ Yesterday and Sweet Charity’s Rhythm of Life, which the Austrian and Swedish girls absolutely loved performing.”
n to e r d l i h c g Inspirin ams re d r i e h t achieve
ildren appy ch chool is h h t i w egins our s ement b t, which is why ces all in one v e i h c a en igh rien ve that h iring environm enriching expe hool with an e li e b e p W y an ins ing a wealth of ily orientated sc jo n e o h id w m on prov xible, fa focused ra Nova is a fle ellence. r c place. Te ed history of ex establish
ol o h c S a ov477 571261 N a r r e Vilsl ithteTRegistrar on 01 Ca
Terra Nova School. A co-educational 3-13 prep school. Call 01477 571261 or visit www.terranovaschool.co.uk for more details. Email: registrar@terranovaschool.co.uk Jodrell Bank, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CW4 8BT. Charitable Trust Reg. No. 525919
10
SHOW STEALERS Terra Nova School stole the show at the Alderley Edge Festival with first places in both the Junior and Chamber Choirs and second place for their middle and staff choirs. The School also achieved some incredible results in the individual events. Year 7 pupil Lydia Tunstall was selected as Young Singer of the Year and we had 3rd places in musical theatre for pupils Lauren Batt, Oliver Sheard and Frankie Kennedy, as well as classical singing for Lauren Batt and Abigail Pickersgill. Georgia Knott & Eliza Brown came 2nd in the Year 6 and under piano duet, Ottilie Bardsley & Jemima Pickersgill came 1st in their wind duet, Ottilie then came 3rd in the grade 4 & 5 woodwind and 2nd in the year 6 piano class. Jemima came 2nd in grade 4 & 5 woodwind and 3rd in the year 6 piano class. For full results please go to www.terranovaschool.co.uk
NEWS
SCHOOLS CALL IN BAILIFFS TO CHASE FEES
D
ebt collectors have been called into private schools to force parents to hand over unpaid fees as the recession puts a squeeze on middle-class families. The harsh economic climate has led to a rapid rise in the number of parents unable to pay for their child's schooling. As private school costs soar to an average of £13,200 a year, one debt collecting agency alone - which works for 74 independent schools - has seen a 35% increase in the amount of unpaid fees. The agency, Daniels Silverman, is aiming to collect £9m from parents in arrears by the end of this year. This is equivalent to a term's fees for 2,040 pupils. Last year, it collected £5.8m. The total level of unpaid school fees owed by recession-hit parents, is believed to be more than £140m, with the average school shortchanged by £120,000. Private schools previously sought to recoup unpaid fees through the small claims court but are increasingly taking a more direct approach. They claim they have no option but to act tough and employ the services
With Kumon, all children are capable of greatness Ensure your child’s future and help them succeed with Kumon’s maths and English study programmes At your local study centre, Kumon offers individualised maths and English study programmes which are tailored to your child’s age and ability. Established for over 50 years, Kumon’s unique worksheet-based method can help your child to excel in these subjects, develop their capacity for learning independently and boost their all-round confidence. Your child will start at a level they are comfortable with, consolidating familiar topics before moving on to something new. Working at their own pace and studying a little every day, your child will build their confidence and quickly make progress. This regular
study helps students to retain information on a longterm basis, building speed and accuracy and developing abilities such as confidence, concentration, time management and problem-solving. Once they have filled in any gaps and mastered the topic, the Instructor will set your child new and eventually unfamiliar work, challenging them to learn for themselves. Kumon’s maths and English programmes are not tied to the national curriculum, but are international programmes which families find complement classroom learning. Above all, the programmes develop independent learning, ensuring that your child can study by themselves.
of a burgeoning number of debt agencies, because the recession has forced them to operate on tight margins. Some 14 independent schools closed last year and dozens more are believed to be fighting closure. Debt experts blame the increase in unpaid fees on middle-class parents 'being caught up in a web of debt' as they are worst hit by cuts and soaring household bills. At the same time, the bills for schooling have been growing. Private school fees increased by 4.5% last year after almost doubling under Labour, and there are now some 32 schools charging more than £30,000 a year. The Independent Schools Council, which represents more than 1,200 schools, described the economic climate as 'the most challenging for decades'. One private school headmaster, who did not want to be named, said independent schools were having to be 'quite assertive' in retrieving unpaid fees: “Otherwise parents think the school is a soft touch. It is so difficult because it is hard for parents to accept that they cannot pay for their child's education.”
Kumon helped me with my schoolwork and ce. my independen Ifrah, 11 nley Wigan, Winsta Study Centre
Develop your child’s independence with Kumon Our maths and English study programmes are tailored specifically to maximise your child’s individual abilities and development, building an active enthusiasm for learning.
Contact your local Instructor today
Altrincham
Knutsford
0161 969 2734
01565 621 142
Cheadle Hulme
Urmston
0161 488 4988
0161 864 4157
Hazel Grove
0161 292 8421 0800 854 714 kumon.co.uk Fees vary. Please refer to your local study centre.
11
GRANDMASTER CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF CHESS
N
igel Short, the UK's most renowned chess player, returned to Bolton School to help celebrate one hundred years of competitive chess at the school. Nigel left school in 1981 as a child prodigy and the youngest International Chess Master in history before going on to become Britain's strongest Chess Grandmaster of the twentieth century. Upon his return he talked to pupils about his meteoric rise in the chess world and about his recollections of life at Bolton School. He then played thirty of the School's best junior chess players in the Great Hall. The event was chaired by CJ de Mooi, famous as one of TV’s Eggheads and President of the English Chess Federation. “It has been amazing to revisit Bolton School and to be transported back in time� said Nigel. “Chess is my passion and it is a delight to be here promoting the game to the next
generation. “It will be a good day at the office if I manage to win all my games today, I will certainly be trying very hard. Ordinarily I would expect to lose 2 or 3 games." Prior to the games, Thea Simpson, aged 10 of Bolton School Junior Girls said: “I am a bit nervous but I am confident that I can do well.� Luke Cavanaugh of the Junior Boys' School
CCome ome and tak takee a look aatt the best education education aavailable... vailable...
also admitted to being nervous but said: “I think I will do well, I play most weekends and I am trying to get into the England team.� But, despite some valiant efforts from the youngsters, Nigel won all 30 games within 3 hours. Mr Philip Britton, Headmaster of the Boys' Division, said: “It's been an absolute pleasure to welcome Nigel Short back to Bolton School.�
FREE
ADMIS & PARKSION ING
NORTHERN
Independent Schools
SShow how 22011 011
October 14 & 14 15 to -5pm October & 15,10am 10am 5pm Thornton Manor, Cheshire CH63 1JB 1JB Thornton Manor, Cheshire CH63 (Exit 4, M53)
Exit 4, M53
r .FFU 1SFQ 4FOJPS BOE #PBSEJOH 4DIPPMT r '3&& &OUSZ 1BSLJOH www.northernschoolshow.co.uk r *OTQJSBUJPOBM ,FZOPUF 4QFBLFST r 'SFF 8FMDPNF #BH JODMVEJOH EJTDPVOU WPVDIFST GPS MPDBM BUUSBDUJPOT make a day of it!
Reserve your free places at
12
5JDLFUT BWBMJBCMF GSPN
www.northernschoolsshow.co.uk
Meet some of UK’s leading prep, senior & boarding schools ď ŽFree entry & parking ď ŽInspirational keynote speakers ď ŽFree welcome bag including discount vouchers for local attractions
NEWS Mock court regional winners For the third year in succession, Urmston Grammar have beaten off opposition from Independent Schools, Grammars and Comprehensives across the region to win the North West Finals of the Mock Court Competition. The winning team will fly to Belfast for an overnight stop-over and of course the UK finals of the Mock Court.
U.S. embassy chief visit Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in London, Dr Barbara Stephenson visited Whalley Range High School to speak to some of the girls. Dr Stephenson chatted over coffee with Sixth Form Students and was then interviewed on the School's Radio Station, Range Radio. The visit was a huge success and left all those who were involved very inspired.
Uefa coach in board Hulme Hall Grammar School has appointed UEFA qualified coach David Williams to oversee football at the school. David held his coaching badge for many years, having previously played professional football at Bristol City and Exeter City. He is also the Academy coach for Premiership side and cup finalists Stoke City. David will be running football coaching sessions throughout the summer. Contact him on 0161-485 3524 or 07957-127101.
HOMELESS IN THE RAIN
S
tockport Grammar’s Lower School Drama production Homeless, a fundraiser for The Wellspring charity, took place in the rain over a whole weekend and gave the cast the chance to flex their creative muscles, learn about the issues of homelessness and raise some money. The moving and provocative performance was was staged under the school’s main entrance archway, so the audience were not only moved by the focused and passionate
SGS: high academic standards, excellent pastoral guidance and superb facilities Life at SGS is a happy and exciting experience for girls and boys from 3-18 years, with high academic standards, excellent pastoral guidance, superb facilities and over 100 clubs and activities. The school’s extensive extra-curricular programme includes participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, for which it is an Independent Operating Authority and recently presented its 1000th Award. The school boasts a thriving music department, presenting pupils with countless opportunities to perform both in and out of school. The standard of sport played at SGS is extremely high with pupils often going on to represent regional squads. Pupils also compete in academic competitions on a national level. A Junior School and Nursery on the same site provides younger children with a caring and stimulating environment in which to learn, whilst enjoying the beneďŹ ts of strong links with the Senior School. SGS has an extensive school bus service, close proximity to 2 railway stations and will soon be easier to reach for children travelling from Hale, Altrincham and Bowdon with the introduction of a new transport service for that area from September 2011. Parents and children are warmly welcomed to Open Events and regular school day visits throughout the year, with the next events being Year 5 Taster Days and Junior School Open Day in May. Call 0161 456 9000 for more information. Or visit www.stockportgrammar.co.uk
performances of the cast but were also asked to reflect on the realities of homelessness. The success of the performance was down to the imagination and commitment of the 30 pupils involved. Not only did they work tirelessly throughout the weekend but they responded to workshops led by Drama teacher Mrs Moffatt with maturity and originality, which allowed them to see past the stereotypes of homelessness. Over ÂŁ400 was raised for Wellspring.
STOCKPORT FOUNDED IN 1487
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
An independent school for girls and boys from 3 to 18 years Bursaries and music scholarships available at 11+ and 16+ ‡ 2XWVWDQGLQJ DFDGHPLF UHVXOWV ‡ $ IULHQGO\ FDULQJ VFKRRO ‡ 2YHU FOXEV DQG DFWLYLWLHV ‡ ([FHOOHQW IDFLOLWLHV ‡([WHQVLYH VFKRRO EXV URXWHV LQFOXGLQJ 1(: $OWULQFKDP route starting this September “I am delighted with the school and my children’s progress here.� “Very impressed with the pastoral care and attention to my child’s individual needs.� Parent Survey 2011 Regular school day visits available throughout the year
Call 0161 456 9000 to arrange a visit or request a prospectus www.stockportgrammar.co.uk
13
As one of the country’s high performing specialist colleges we pride ourselves on meeting the academic, social and personal needs of all our pupils within a stimulating and caring environment
‘Urmston Grammar is as good as it gets!’ comment made by a pupil to an OFSTED inspector
O
perating with a caring ethos, in a calm and disciplined environment, each pupil is given access to their potential - and future. We are a highly successful 11-18 coeducational grammar school with outstanding reputations nationally and locally for academic excellence. We were one of the ďŹ rst 32 "new academies" approved by the Secretary of State in September 2010. Regarded by OfSTED as "Outstanding", we have also been identiďŹ ed as one of the Government’s "High Performing Specialist Colleges". A Science College with Languages specialism, we are now a recognised national centre of excellence for Science. The quality of student performance means that our examination results have regularly enabled us to feature in the lists of most successful schools. Our performance is in the top 5% nationally; the Times list of the top schools places us 131st nationally; we are also in the top 100 list of Grammar Schools. Using the Government's new
accountability measure, the English Baccalaureate, we appeared 55th in the list of state schools in England. All of our pupils beneďŹ t from a superb range of facilities housed within well maintained buildings and landscaped grounds. Recent building projects have equipped us with a purpose built theatre, a ďŹ tness suite containing over 50 pieces of equipment and a music technology suite which is regarded as being the best in the North West of England. All Year 7 pupils experience a comprehensive induction programme that allows them to quickly feel part of the Urmston Grammar family and to begin their seven year journey with us. During this time close working relationships are developed with sta and pupils are continually tempted by a wealth of curricular and extra-curricular activities. Please do come and visit us on Wednesday 6th July between 6.00pm and 8.00pm; we’re sure you’ll like what you see!
73)( ) .'/3)( ( " /3 ., * & :*1* 0 4 0 .$( $+ & . +$(%/ , , $+, , ' $& ) 5!// , )' /$3 777,5.'/3)(!. '' .,).!,5%
( &".,), ! ! ' ** # * ( 7 '9 ( $ ( )&& ! 7$3" (!5 ! + $ &$/', # % # ( # ' % & # # % % ' # # % # & #
-2#
)'' (3 ' 9 +5+$& 3) ( $(/+ 3).
) , .) ! , , ), ! $.$ ) .( ! ".( $ ! / ! ! "! ! ) 1 *, . 1 -2## ,0 ! *%22$ ! %22$
% # # ' # % ' ( )! $! !#
$/3).$ & 3
14
" .$39 6 (3/
/%$$(! $( " ')($8
"( (
(3 . /3 +5+$&/ .), /$3 3" / "))&-/ )7( (3. ( 8 '$( 3$)( 7"$ " 7$&& 3 % +& )( ,.( 1 #2, $, ( -2## ( ++&$ 3$)( ).' 3) /$3 3" 8 '$( 3$)( .), )'+& 3 ( . 35.( 3) 3" / "))& ) 9 ( 1 # , . 1 -2## " ++&$ 3$)( ).'/ . !"0 6 $& & )(&$( )( 3" '$//$)(/ + ! / )( 3" "))&-/ 7 /$3 ). .)' 3" "))& )
( )'+& 3 ++&$ 3$)( ).' $/ . $6 7 )''5($ 3 $. 3&9 7$3" 9)5 3".)5!")53 3" '$//$)(/ +.) // ++&$ (3/ ). 3" 8 '$( 3$)( . $(6$3 .)' . ). ( /5..)5( $(! 53").$3$ / ! ..$(!3)( & ). " /"$. "( ! "( , "! "., , )) "!) $(" )) "( ( ),"! ( $ ) ( ( ," , )) "!) $ ) "! ".( 0 ) , , 000%.( ),"! ( (%"( %.
0 % /$ . /$ (3$ &
$ ( 8+)
. ).' ( $( 5/$
Don’t miss the next edition of 4to18 magazine when one reader must.. .
W I N A F R E E PLACE FOR
A NO TH
4to18
EX CLU
ER
SIVE
YOUR CHILD AT
A LEADING INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL
This unique competition to win a year’s worth of fees, uniform, meals & transport to Hulme Hall Grammar School is open to all rea ders
4 18
To ensure you receive a copy of the next edition of to email your name and address to info@4to18.c om or mail us care of Atticus Me dia, 3 Fairlands Road, Sale, M33 4AX . Terms and conditions will apply
15
Stretford Grammar
First-class environment; outstanding results
S
tretford Grammar School is a coeducational foundation grammar school with a rich and diverse ethnic, cultural and social intake. The school has a real sense of community where individuals are encouraged to succeed within a supportive, disciplined environment. The school seeks to nurture and challenge all students to achieve their potential within a caring ethos where relationships between staff and students are strong and built on mutual respect. We expect that when our students leave us they do so feeling valued and prepared to take their place in the wider community. Stretford Grammar is an improving school where according to Ofsted (March 2010) ‘Attainment remains high, and students consistently reach standards that overall are significantly above average by the end of Key Stage 4'. Indeed, in 2010 over 98% of all our students achieved 5A*-C including English and Maths. In addition to this, 50% of all grades were awarded an A*/A and 51% of all students achieved
at least 5 grades at A*/A. This is a wonderful achievement for the school and reflects the hard work and dedication of both our students and staff and the incredible support we receive from our parental body. We are proud of these achievements and also those of our Sixth Form which is regularly placed within the top 10% of sixth forms nationally. As a result of these achievements, Ofsted recently judged the Sixth Form to be 'good' overall. During their time at Stretford Grammar School students are able to access a broad range of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities which seek to develop their learning opportunities. We are a small school and as a result students quickly settle into school, fostering lasting friendships and feeling valued by their teachers. That said, we are also an incredibly happy school where those old values of respect, politeness and courtesy are at the heart of the school. In 2005 the school was granted Specialist Status in Science and Mathematics, an area of the school
which has continued to flourish. As a result of our designation as a specialist school in Science and Maths, significant refurbishment has been undertaken of the Science teaching rooms and an additional science block has been built. Through our specialism we have sought to develop a real passion for the sciences and many of our students continue to pursue the sciences to A Level and beyond. The learning environment is also important to us and over the last year we have invested significantly in the infra-structure of the school. The school has an extensive wireless network and most rooms are equipped with an audio system, projector and interactive whiteboards. In the longer term we are seeking to refurbish the school library. A very active PTA has agreed to undertake this very important task and we seek to continue the extensive refurbishment we have undertaken to date. Our aim is to provide a first class environment with the facilities to enable all our students to achieve the outstanding results of which we know they are capable.
Stretford Grammar School Specialist Science College You are warmly invited to attend our
Open Evening
Tuesday 5th July 2011 from 6:00pm-8:00pm Headteacher’s Talks at 6.30pm and 7.30pm
Come along and visit our High Achieving School Entrance Examination Saturday 8th October 2011 for entry in September 2012 Closing Date for applications is 4pm on Wednesday 21st September 2011
For more information please contact our Admissions Officer, Sharon Campbell. Tel 0161 866 0130 Email admissions@stretfordgrammar.com www.stretfordgrammar.com Granby Road, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8JB
16
MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR ONE IN FIVE
O
ver 20 per cent of Sixth Form students at a top Manchester school have been offered places at Britain’s medical schools. This year 39 students at The Manchester Grammar School have received offers with 33 students reading medicine, five choosing dentistry and one veterinary medicine. The numbers are up from last year's record total of 31 Sixth Form students earning offers to read Medicine and Dentistry and from the 23 in 2009 and the 16 in 2008. Head of Sixth Form Patrick Thom said: “This is a record for MGS and in today's increasingly competitive environment this represents a fantastic success story. “It is a tribute to the talent and hard work of these young men and to the dedication and skill of those who teach them. We are not just a regional but a national centre of excellence in preparing students for entry to medical school.” Four of these offers for Medicine are
from Cambridge, and Admissions Tutor Professor David Cardwell said: “The admission of this number of students to read medicine at Cambridge from a single school is unusually high. MGS High Master, Dr Christopher Ray, added: “Every one of the 39 MGS
students achieving an medical offer in this incredibly competitive year for university places has thoroughly deserved his remarkable success. “The country urgently needs wellqualified mathematicians, scientists, engineers and medics and MGS is very proud to continue to serve this need so well.”
r all o b t o o se f mp Choo sports ca i mult
3 9am to 3.30pm 6 to 1 r o f er fun ll abilities Early/late care m m u S s of a d l o r yea
Qual if cours ied teacher es. Aw s ards on all cerem ony
Fresh air, new friends and plenty of fun for as little as £14 per day! join us between
July 25 to September 2
and at other events throughout the year
Ashton on Mersey School Sports Camps 07855 802924
sportscamp@aom.trafford.sch.uk
Cecil Avenue, Sale, M33 5BP
www.aomfitness.co.uk 17
Do you have room in your heart and room in your home?
A
cross the UK there is a shortage of approximately 10,000 foster carers. In the North West alone there is a shortfall of between 1700 and 2000 foster carers, which is why 23 local authorities in the region have joined forces for the largest ever fostering campaign — You Can Foster. As part of the You Can Foster campaign, the 23 councils aim to find 150 new foster carers across the region and find more homes for the children who really need them. You Can Foster features existing local authority carers in the campaign with the aim to show people there is no typical foster carer. A suitable applicant can be anyone in their 20s or upwards, single, renters or homeowners, married or living together, in same sex or mixed sex relationships or who have their own
18
children. Christine Garforth, one of the foster carers from the region who stars in the campaign said, “Choosing to foster will be one of the most rewarding things you’ll do. There are different types of fostering that you can do, depending on your circumstances, from fostering on a long-term basis or maybe looking after a child for shorter periods, such as over a weekend. Fostering can be challenging, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. “ Chris Williams, Chair of the North West Fostering Leads group comments: “The message of our
campaign is simple – If you have room in your heart and a room in your home we want to hear from you. “There are people out there, just like you, who would make a huge difference to the life of a child or young person and who have the time, and space needed. Choosing to foster will be a rewarding experience for all involved. You’ll receive training, financial and practical support.” Be one of the 150 people who will make a difference to children in the North West and visit: www.youcanfoster.org or call 0800 634 7052.
NEWS
LIGHTING THE FUSE
T
rafford’s £5m young people’s centre, The Fuse, is now just weeks away from opening its doors and it’s already being called 'Britain's biggest youth club'. The centre, in its iconic new building will boast a 340-seat cinema, music studio, sports gym and café and will be open to youngsters from Partington and further afield seven days a week as well as offering stateof-the-art facilities for groups and organisations as well as meeting and conference rooms for local businesses. But while it will operate an open door policy to all ages in the community it is very much with the young people in mind that The Fuse got the go-ahead and funding. From 11 to 18 youngsters can become members and under 11s and over 18s will be welcome to attend certain events and activities. The business community will be able to hire the facilities for corporate, team building, conferencing or training events. Students at Broad Oak School in Partington helped to secure the facility after a successful Big Lottery bid application was granted for the capital build as part of the MyPlace programme. The Department for Children, Schools and Families made available funds in excess of £250m for the MyPlace programme. Hundreds of applications were received from all over the country but just 65 projects won the funding to build world class centres for young people. The Fuse was their largest single award, although projects in Manchester and Oldham also got support. Local children helped architects come up with a dramatic and eyecatching `’wonky building block’ design after making visits to some of Britain’s leading landmarks. The Youth Board will be the voice of the centre and make most of the decisions. They will be supported by the trustees along with a strong leading business board for strategic guidance and advice. Chairman Simon Holt said: “These facilities are like nothing Trafford youth have seen before and hopefully The Fuse will provide lots of amazing opportunities and experiences for young people for many years. It will also be accessible to every young person so everyone can take advantage of these great facilities. This fantastic world class facility will therefore enable the young people of Trafford to
OUR PLACE: Members of the Youth Board at The Fuse launch (top) and (above) explaining their plans to VIPs achieve their potential and make the most out of their lives. There is something in The Fuse for everyone!” The two-storey centre will be home to a team of youth workers. It will also have a drop-in centre where children can get health and job advice. Broad Oak Headteacher Andy Griffin said: “As part of the design process, children were taken to look at impressive buildings. They visited the British Film Institute in London and the Lowry, at Salford. “The young people have really been involved in it all. Sometimes, they were asking adults to leave the room while they are making the decisions. “They came up with The Fuse idea, because it is the fuse which lights up their creativity. Architects have taken on board their ideas, namely the suggestion of building blocks fused together.” Although the site will be welcomed by children across Trafford, it has been hailed as a major success for Partington, where the residents have long complained about the lack of facilities. Chair of Trafford Council’s Planning Development Control Committee, Councillor Vivienne
Ward, said it was an “amazing opportunity” that would “draw people from surrounding areas”. Councillor Kenneth Weston said: “For many years Partington has been left out but I think this is really great, not only for Partington but for the people of Trafford.” As well as the theatre/cinema there will also be a dance studio, recording studio, computer suite, activity hall, changing rooms and showers, a foyer, chill-out zone, office space and a kitchen. There will also be an outdoor challenge court, multi-use games area and basketball court. Mr Griffin said: “It has been a long road since we first put in an expression of interest in May 2008 and this is a fantastic achievement,” he said. Some local residents objected to the proposals because of concerns about anti-social behaviour, increased noise, the size of the development, traffic, parking and disposal of waste. But after three public consultations, Mr Griffin said he believed most residents concerns had been allayed. 19
! # AN AFTERNOON OF DISCOVERY Thursday 16 June, 4.30pm-5.45pm • Who want to take part in some fun but challenging activities • Who want to follow a treasure trail and win prizes
Mrs Ruth Brierley will be holding informal drop-in sessions on Monday 6, 13 or 20 June at 2.00pm for anyone wishing to learn more about Bolton School Junior Girls (aged 7-11). Call 01204 434761 to arrange your appointment.
• Who want to meet the Headmistress and senior staff • Who would like to see more of the Senior School • Who want to find out more about applying to the School
For a personal invitation, please contact the Headmistress's Secretary on 01204 434786 or at seniorgirls@boltonschool.org
"
"
Chorley New Road, Bolton BL1 4PB t: 01204 840201 e: info@boltonschool.org www.boltonschool.org 20
#
SCHOOL NEWS
PLACES FOR FARMERS’ KIDS
13 A GOLDEN NUMBER
T
hirteen Cheadle Hulme pupils achieved gold in the recent UKMT (UK Mathematical Trust) Intermediate Maths Challenge, with ten pupils going through to further rounds of this national competition. Nicky Watmore (Year 11) was ‘best in school’ and a total of 34 pupils from Years 9 to 11 secured Silver and 44 Bronze certificates.
The Intermediate Maths Challenge (IMC) is aimed at the top third of pupils in Years 9, 10, and 11 and is used to promote interest in the broad use of mathematical thinking to solve problems via a national competition, involving 25 multiple choice questions in one hour under exam conditions. Only 7% of students nationally receive a gold certificate.
A solar power company is offering to put farmers’ children through Agricultural College in return for siting solar panels “There has been a lot of adverse publicity concerning the government’s review of the feed-in-tariffs for solar developments but PV generation technology is constantly increasing in efficiency and arrays below 50kW can still be financed successfully,” said Lee Summers, director of EOS Energy. “Solar Energy is a carbon-neutral power and is becoming more and more popular in Britain. Everyone is becoming suspicious of relying on nuclear reactors or insecure gas imports for our energy future.” “Germany has the most developed solar industry in the world and Britain has very similar climatic conditions. As a society it is vital that we fully develop the technologies governing all the renewable sources of electricity generation.”
A warm welcome to Bolton School Girls’ Division
C
hoosing the right school for your daughter is one of the most important decisions you will make in your and her life. If you want a warm, friendly atmosphere where girls are given individual attention and an opportunity to realise their full potential, then Bolton School Girls’ Division is the right choice. This is not just my view but that echoed in our recent inspection report which commended the personal development of pupils throughout the school as being exceptional.
Girls benefit from our continuous educational experience – from Nursery to the co-educational Infant School and then into single-sex Junior and Senior Schools before entering the Sixth Form. We offer academic excellence. In January the new ranking of schools by pupils’ performance in traditional GCSE subjects, made us the top school in the North and 23rd best in the country. Upon leaving Bolton School, women go out into the world and make a difference and our thriving Old Girls’ Association
comprises those who have met with success in business, law, education, politics, journalism, sport and the arts. Our Junior Girls have recently moved into their new school, Hesketh House. It offers state-of-the-art facilities and complements outstanding teaching and a rich variety of extra-curricular opportunities. You and your daughter are encouraged to visit our School in order to help you choose the right school for you.
21
!
% "
0 1 "#
" )
22
" .
/
$ "
% %
%% % %
"
$&' (
0 #) 111/
/
"
%
) *&(& ++( ++,+ "
23) 3 4
% ) *&(& ++, -(-& / 2 %1 5/2 $/
SCHOOL NEWS
SHOOTING STARS ON TARGET
H
ot shots from Terra Nova School are have been chosen to represent their country in Preparatory Schools Rifle Association matches against Scotland and Australia. The three Year 7 girls are members of the Terra Nova 1st VIII shooting team and qualified through their competition averages over the last two terms and via their personal best scores and trial score cards. Olivia Stanley and Lauren Reid have been selected to represent England against Scotland and MaryKate Rylands is part of team GB against Australia in this year’s main international. All three 12-year-olds have personal best scores of 100 ex 100 at National U14 level.
HOT SHOTS: Mary Kate Rylands, Lauren Reid and Olivia Stanley
Trinity Church of England High School
Come and see what we’re all about!
T
rinity is a very popular multi-faith school in the heart of Manchester and has recently celebrated very successful Ofsted and National Society inspections. At present, we are making arrangements for our Taster Days where the current Year 6 students who will be joining us in September spend a day with us at Trinity. Students really enjoy themselves on these days and gain important knowledge about their new school, teachers and lessons, as well as
meeting new friends and experiencing lessons. In September and early October, we will be holding a series of Open Mornings for parents and Year 6 students to have guided tours of the school. These will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and possibly Mondays, on the weeks commencing 12/09, 19/09, 26/09 and 03/10. The mornings offer an opportunity to see the school on a typical school day and to ask questions of the Head as he takes you round. The
visits are offered on a first-come firstserved basis and will be limited to a maximum of 25 people on each day. From Monday 5 September you can phone Mrs Elaine Brown at the school to book your place. We will also be holding an Open Evening on Thursday 29 September, with the Head speaking at 6:15pm, 6:45pm and 7:15pm. Choose which time suits you best; there is no need to book. We look forward to welcoming you to Trinity in the autumn.
23
NEWS
JAMES’ HIGH FLYING AMBITION
H
igh flying James Boyce is hoping to become the youngest airline pilot in the UK. The 17-year-old from Heywood is about to sit A Levels in Physics, Maths and Geography and has already acquired BTECs in Aviation Studies, Public Services and Music. But despite receiving offers from five leading universities for flying related degrees, James has decided to pursue his ambition to become a pilot and hopes to start Airline Pilot Training at Oxford Aviation Academy just two days after his 18th birthday. James, a student at St Bede’s College in Manchester, said: “Flying is the only career I have ever wanted. I wanted to fly Concorde, and wrote to the Chief Pilot when I was eight. My ambition is to become Britain’s youngest airline pilot. The record at the moment is held by Ed Gardner from Essex who gained his license aged 19 and 9 months. I am hoping to beat his record by six months as I hope to pass the 15-month course when I am
still only 19 years and 3 months.� Headmaster Michael Barber said, “James is an outstanding pupil in terms of his Academic ability and his ability to always find time to help other people. He was awarded the Headmaster’s Award for Services to the College this year because of his commitments to the College’s extra curricular activities. He certainly has
the drive and ambition to reach his goal.� James is a Sergeant in the Air Training Corps and has completed his Air Cadet Gliding Scholarship which allows him to fly solo. Before he can enrol on the Pilot course he has to pass a two-day skills assessment and a medical certificate which he hopes to do in July.
$OWULQFKDP *UDPPDU 6FKRRO IRU *LUOV ³$OWULQFKDP *LUOVœ *UDPPDU LV DQ RXWVWDQGLQJ VFKRRO 6WXGHQWV DFKLHYH RXWVWDQGLQJO\ ZHOO EHFDXVH WKH TXDOLW\ RI WHDFKLQJ WKURXJKRXW WKH VFKRRO LV RI D FRQVLVWHQW KLJK TXDOLW\´ 2)67('
(QWU\ IRU ([DPLQDWLRQ GDWH
6DWXUGD\ WK 6HSWHPEHU ,QWHUHVWHG SXSLOV DQG SDUHQWV DUH ZDUPO\ ZHOFRPHG WR
2SHQ DIWHUQRRQ HYHQLQJ 7KXUVGD\ UG -XQH SP SP $OO DSSOLFDQWV DUH REOLJHG WR VLW WKH VFKRROÂśV HQWUDQFH H[DPLQDWLRQ $SSOLFDWLRQ IRUPV DYDLODEOH IURP ZZZ DJJV WUDIIRUG VFK XN DGPLVVLRQV PXVW EH UHWXUQHG WR WKH $GPLVVLRQV 6HFUHWDU\ E\ )ULGD\ WK $XJXVW
+HDGPLVWUHVV 0UV 5RVV :DZU]\QVNL %6F 06F $OWULQFKDP *UDPPDU 6FKRRO IRU *LUOV &DYHQGLVK 5RDG %RZGRQ $OWULQFKDP &KHVKLUH :$ 1/ 7HO _ H PDLO DGPLVVLRQV#DJJV WUDIIRUG VFK XN _ :HEVLWH ZZZ DJJV WUDIIRUG VFK XN
24
HEALTH GPs and mental health charities report surge in demand in last year before tuition fee ceiling rises to £9,000
Stressed A-level students seek help in record numbers
U
nprecedented numbers of Alevel students are seeking medical or psychological help to cope with exam stress this year. Record competition for university places and uncertainty over whether some degrees offer value for money are making 16- to 18-year-olds in England more anxious than ever, doctors, psychotherapists and headteachers say. The Family Doctor Association, which represents GPs in more than 1,000 surgeries, and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, which represents 32,000 specialists, said their members had noticed a rise this year in the number of sixth-formers they had treated for exam-related stress. YoungMinds, a mental health charity, said that this year 39% of the nearly 900 calls they had taken from 16- and 17-year-olds were about exam anxiety, compared with 27% last year. Most were from high-achieving teenagers in affluent families who "put enormous pressure on themselves to succeed", the charity said. Lucie Russell, director of campaigns, policy and participation at the charity, said there had also been a surge in calls from parents worried their children were “under intolerable pressure”. She said: “We are sitting on a mental health timebomb and the more we put young people under extreme pressure to achieve academically, the more we are storing up problems in adulthood that will
By JESSICA SHEPHERD cost us dearly in NHS and social care costs.” Headteachers said their Alevel students were under unprecedented pressure to obtain their grades for university. Stephen Sheedy, principal of Queen Mary's sixth-form college in Basingstoke, said he had seen a “significant” rise in the number of pupils on prescribed medication to tackle anxiety. Tim Hands, head of Magdalen College independent school in Oxford, said he feared the stress would make young people more likely to burn out and develop psychological problems later in life. Jo Cookson, head of sixth form at Shenfield high school in Essex, said more pupils were asking the school's pastoral care team for help to tackle exam-related anxiety. The warnings come as hundreds of thousands of sixth-formers sit their first- and second-year A-level exams. For those in their last year of school or college who have applied to start university this autumn, the results will matter more than ever. Some 583,501 applicants are chasing about 400,000 places on degree courses. Those that miss their offers and decide to re-apply for the autumn of next year face paying back up to £27,000 over the course of their working lives for a three-year degree. Tuition fees rise from £3,375 to up to £9,000 next year, although it is only when students graduate and earn £21,000 or more that they must begin
repayment. Those who decide to go straight into work, rather than continue their studies, may also face disappointment. The number of jobless 16- and 17-year-olds has risen to 218,000, the highest since records began in 1992. Ian Bauckham, head of Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, a comprehensive in Kent, said pupils in their second year of A-levels were under more pressure than before. “They are under the impression, probably correctly, that the offers they are holding for university places are tougher than in previous years and ... there is likely to be less room for manoeuvre after results come out for those who miss their offers by a small margin”. Sheedy said teenagers no longer looked to the future “with the confidence that their older brothers and sisters had. Young people are increasingly concerned about whether or not they will be able to afford higher education; whether or not they will be able to find a job on leaving school or university; and whether or not they will be able to afford their own place to live. In 30-odd years of teaching, I have never seen 16- to 18year-olds so politicised, at least to the point of feeling that they are the recipients of a very unfair share of the cuts being made in public spending.” A version of this article first appeared in The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk 25
Family misfortunes Making a Will is not something we parents like to think about but we must think of our children, says lawyer Michael Harrison
Pownall Hall School an ‘outstanding school’ (Independent Schools Inspection April 2011)
Bursaries available First term free for entry 2011/2012 To find out more and discover how Pownall Hall can shape you child’s future, contact us now
for ‘an excellent education’ Pownall Hall School offers your child the perfect start to success Telephone: Wilmslow 01625 523141 26
e mail: genoffice@pownallhall.cheshire.sch.uk
LAW
W
anting to protect your children and make proper provision for your dependents is one of the most natural instincts we have. Yet by not making a valid will, or by not keeping an existing will up to date, you may be exposing the people you wish to protect and provide for most from the uncertainties of the modern world. Modern life is complicated and so too are our personal relationships and family lives. Second and third marriages are not uncommon and with the plethora of step-relations they bring can store trouble for the future. A properly drafted Will can ensure that the most vulnerable members of your family benefit from your estate and not leave you at the mercy of the intestacy rules; legislation prescribed by the government that dictates how your assets are to be divided. As an example: imagine that Ann and Brian are married and have two children Charlotte and David. If they divorced and Ann subsequently remarried Eric who had his own child Freya we would have a not unfamiliar family unit. If Ann died before Eric and neither made a will, on Ann’s death (assuming a relatively modest estate of less than £250,000.00) all of her assets would pass to Eric. On
Eric’s death, his estate, which now also includes all of Ann’s assets, would pass to his daughter, Freya. This means that Charlotte and David, even though they are Ann’s natural children, do not benefit from her estate. A situation like this could be avoided by incorporating appropriate planning techniques within a Will. If both Ann and Eric had prepared mirror Wills that include a gift of a life interest to the surviving spouse
Too many people, young and old, do not have a will and by extension are not safeguarding their own future financial safety or that of their families with the remainder passing to their respective children then the double goals of ensuring that the survivor of them had access to sufficient funds for the rest of their life while ultimately providing for their own children would be achieved. Through the appropriate use of life time and/or post-death trusts you can protect your children’s inheritance from the unfortunate ramifications of a divorce or bankruptcy, provide money for a specific purpose such as funding for further or higher
education or protect a vulnerable beneficiary that may never be able to support themselves independently. Appropriate planning can also allow assets to “skip” a generation where the testators’ children do not need or wish for the value in their own estate to be swelled by their parents’ assets. A Will can also be used for appointing guardians for your children to ensure that should the unthinkable happen and you and your partner are no longer around, they will be looked after by the people you decide on until they reach the age of eighteen. Nominating guardians at an early stage in a Will can help avoid potentially ugly disputes between surviving or competing family members who may be struggling to come to terms with bereavement. Too many people, young and old, do not have a will and by extension are not safeguarding their own future financial safety or that of their families. By engaging the expertise of a skilled professional and a little forward planning you can enjoy watching your family grow; happy in the knowledge that you have, to the best of your ability, provided for them whatever life may throw at them. Michael Harrison is a Private Client Solicitor with Wolfson & Co. of Old Trafford
Five ways to do your bit for the environment & keep them busy over summer 1. eco-cooK Make local foods the centerpiece of your dinners. Let your kids help you check for specially labeled items at your supermarket, or, better still, head for a farmers’ market. 2. coMpoSt See how to turn your leftover food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil for your veggie and flower gardens at www.garden organic.org.uk.
3. Watch Learn about environmental issues through films like Wall·E or, for bigger kids, the PG-rated An Inconvenient Truth.
4. SUrf Show your child that saving the environment
can be fun by playing games such as Barney and Friends Clean Up (Pbskids.org/ games/environment.html) Older ones will enjoy Adventures With Bobby Bigfoot (Kidsfoot print.org).
5. MaKe Instead of dumping a plastic bottle into the recycling bin, turn it into a bird feeder. Cut a strip out of the side opposite the handle, fill it with birdseed, and set it on a flat rock or other protected spot. You can even make perches from old wooden spoons or pieces of dowelling. 27
Oldham Hulme Grammar School
Celebrating 400 years of excellence O
ldham Hulme Grammar School is an independent school for boys and girls aged 3-18. Our impressive results, 93% A*-C at GCSE and 100% pass rate at A-level, reflect our long tradition of excellence. However, these results are meaningless
without a flavour of what our school represents and how its culture and ethos permeate every child who is educated here. Oldham Grammar School, as it was known, was founded in 1611. It has undergone several transformations
Hulme’s
PARTY in the PARK
and
SUMMER FAIR
Featu ring
The Greatest Fake That!
Supported By Hulme’s Got Talent Talent
Venue: V enue:
Bigside and Girls’ Hockey Field Tickets: Tickets: £10 adult, £5 child, £25 family Saturday 2nd July Date: 3 p.m. – 9.p.m TTime: ime: TToo order tickets for this event, please contact the Development Office on 0161 630 6181 or email hulmepartyplanners@live.co.uk
28
since then and now provides a modern education but still has embedded within it our traditional values. Ethnically and socially diverse, we are one of few “diamond structure” schools where at the nursery and sixth form ends of the spectrum education is fully co-educational, whilst the 7 – 16 year old pupils are educated in single sex classes yet are able to mix socially outside of the classroom. All round education is an important mantra; our aim is to be educationally selective, but not socially exclusive. Unlike some establishments, we are not an “academic hot house”, rather we accept the children and nurture them to fulfil their true potential. Just a cursory look at some of our notable alumni shows a rich mix of real talent: physicist Professor Brian Cox (right), TV presenter John Stapleton, actress Sarah Lancashire (inset, below), surgeon David Nott, Premiership footballer Nedum Onuoha and England and GB hockey player Nicola White, to name but a few. As part of our 400th anniversary celebrations we will be holding a Party in the Park within our grounds on Saturday, 2 July from 1pm – 9pm. We will have an outdoor, covered stage which will play host to a variety of talented musicians, incorporating classical music, rock, jazz and blues. In addition, there will be a Summer Fair, which will include food and drink as well as a variety of stalls. Please come and enjoy the fun and help us celebrate our first 400 years in Oldham! Dr Paul G Neeson
Principal, Oldham Hulme Grammar Schools www.hulme-grammar.oldham. sch.uk Online TV: www.hulme.tv
EDUCATION
M
aths experts claim the trend for entering pupils early for their mathematics GCSE examination is damaging their education. The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (Acme) says the number of pupils taking the GCSE early has more than doubled in the past two years and it blames a targetdriven culture and head teachers putting the interests of their school above those of pupils. The Department for Education (DfE) says schools can make their own judgements and official figures for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show almost 10.9% of those sitting GCSE maths (83,179 pupils) in 2010 were aged 15 or younger, compared with less than 4.5% (32,908) in 2008. Acme says this rise is being driven predominantly by schools in England keen to improve their rankings in school league tables— a grade C or above in maths is part of the official accountability measure used by the government (five A* to Cs, including maths and English). If any students are to be entered early, they must be confidently predicted to achieve an A* but it says the trend can leave pupils demotivated
Early GCSE threat to education and disengaged by what can often be an early experience of failure. In a quarter of schools that enter pupils for GCSE early, students stop studying maths once they achieve a grade C, which can affect university applications, especially for popular courses at prestigious universities, Acme says. It acknowledges that, for a small number of high-achieving individuals, early entry can be successful as long as there is a suitable programme of further study that progresses them towards A-level. But it says the educational interests of the vast majority are not served by early entry GCSE mathematics and
given the negative impact on students' motivation and mathematical capability, the UK economy is also likely to suffer. Their report urges the government to ensure all pupils continue to do maths until the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16). It says the DfE should publish data to measure the impact of early entry on progression after the age of 16 and use this to issue guidance to schools. It recommends Ofsted school inspectors monitor the justification for early entry for maths and it wants to see league tables in England revised, so as to minimise the incentives for early entry.
THE BURY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
Working together for a great future BOYS’ SCHOOLS T: 0161 797 2700 E: registrar@bgsboys.co.uk W: www.bgsboys.co.uk
GIRLS’ SCHOOLS AND CO ED KINDERGARTEN T: 0161 797 2808 E: registrar@bgsg.bury.sch.uk W: www.bgsg.bury.sch.uk The Bury Grammar Schools are a registered charity (No. 526622) for educational purposes
DEDICATED TO CARE ... DETERMINED TO CHALLENGE 29
30
EDUCATION
M
any schools are reluctant to embrace specialist help from support agencies. This may be simply due to cost, but more often it is because of the perception that it would represent an admission of their own shortcomings. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Outside support can provide many benefits and schools can demonstrate their commitment to success by making use of a range of support tools to ensure exam success. Modern school life is a complicated and stressful environment for all concerned. For teachers, the constant rhythm of module exams for Year 10 and 11, and often Year 9 as well generates headaches of preparation, teaching and assessment. For the pupils, it becomes a constant stream of assessments, tests and exams that can sometimes lead to a loss of impact through sheer volume of work. Modern GCSE and A Level qualifications are almost all available as a set of discrete modules that can help break up the syllabus into manageable chunks, but often can lead to a pile up of exams – especially where resitting papers is added to the mix. On top of this, many universities are now using GCSE grades as a means of easily sifting applicants into potentials and rejects. In the most competitive subjects there may even be an A-A* only offer and on top of that may stipulate no resits. Often schools face a complicated Process to actually teach the subject before the exam arrives. The traditional purist view that all education is good and can be taught for the sake of knowledge, must now be realistically tempered with the practical view that exams must actually and inevitably be passed. Preparation specifically for that function is now, more than ever, a necessity.
Should Parents Pay? Many parents already contribute to the costs of education by engaging in private tuition. More often than not, this isn’t because of dissatisfaction with the school or individual teachers, but an acknowledgement of the significant pressures of the modern school curriculum, which is not the fault of the schools themselves. Many parents simply want to offer more time to study and encourage an extended working day for their children. Some schools see this as an admission of failure, which it most certainly isn’t. Clearly there will always be examples where the relationship between teacher and pupil is more difficult or where the circumstances of teachers changes within a school year, but in general
Getting the grade Is paying for specialist tuition an admission of failure of the school? On the contrary, says education expert Chris Cherry, it’s a positive way to support the school most parents that I have come across view paying for additional tuition time as being an additional tool in the armoury to relieve exam pressure. From a purely business perspective, paying for additional support is a perfectly reasonable and positive step for parents to take and one that many are prepared to take. There are issues of equality and affordability for individual parents who may be unable to pay for private tuition or perhaps who themselves object to paying for teaching from personal income.
Why schools should not fear additional support Many schools take up the offer of specialist curriculum support. In the last few years I have visited over 80 schools to deliver interactive sessions in the classroom with the teachers specifically on passing the exams. As an examiner and question setter, I want to help pupils interpret the questions and the key word clues to the perfect answer. Sessions support teachers, not offend them and teachers can also distance themselves from the murky areas of exam technique. This is most certainly not an admission of failure and they celebrate the sessions as their commitment to excellence. Where parents and schools can be
more certain that support can extend and complement the school curriculum is in the difficult Year 11 to Sixth Form boundary. In most subjects, there is universally acknowledged to be a significant jump in expectations and requirements of students moving from GCSE subjects to AS Levels. Quite apart from the physical or emotional move to AS study, the demands are immediately at a higher level. The research, interpretation and writing skills are immediately more demanding and often schools are not able to provide a support net in the early weeks. One area of consistent need from parents is in bridging the gap to AS levels. Every September, after the first few lessons have begun, many parents are asking how to help their young adults deal with this new set of pressures and problems. With module exams looming in the January, it serves as a reminder of the old days in their GCSE studies. Good quality, examiner led tuition is available to parents and to school in bridging this gap. Accessing it is not an admission of failure but is entirely a resource that schools and parents should use to help their young people make it through the first term of study that will take them to wherever they may wish to go. There cannot be anything wrong with that, can there? 31
Top schools in Cheshire for special show Thornton Manor that will host the first Northern Independent Schools Show
S
OME of the most prestigious schools in the region are preparing for one of the biggest events on the education calendar. The Northern Independent Schools Show at Thornton Manor, Cheshire, will be the first opportunity for independent schools to showcase themselves in the North of England. Schools including Cheadle Hulme School, Terra Nova, Chester’s Abbey Gate College and Abbey College, Manchester, will be taking part in the event on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 along with major boarding schools including
Stonyhurst, Queen Ethelburga’s College in York, Rydal Penrhos in North Wales, Shropshire’s Packwood Haugh School and Adcote School, Denstone College and Abbots Bromley School, both in Staffordshire, and the North East’s Barnard Castle School and Durham School. A new events marquee in the twoacre walled garden of the historic Grade II* listed manor - one of the country’s greatest merchant palaces that was once the family seat of Viscount Leverhulme – will house the two-day show when preparatory, secondary and boarding schools will
“A child who is not exposed Talented Youngsters Given an Opportunity to Shine to the riches of the arts is like a flower without T sunshine” Lord Puttnam
At The Ryleys, each child is treated as an individual. This encourages them to express and develop their own character as they enjoy learning in a happy, secure, creative and caring environment. Our expert teaching and extra-curricular activities ensure that each child realises their full potential. The Ryleys, providing a perfectly rounded education for children aged 3 - 13.
You don’t just choose your child’s school. You choose their future. For further information or to arrange a personal tour please call 01625 583241 or visit www.theryleys.com.
Girls & Boys Preparatory School
The Ryleys, Ryleys Lane, Alderley Edge SK9 7UY 32
he Ryleys School in Alderley Edge encourages more than just excellence in the classroom; children are also encouraged to explore extra-curricular opportunities, where talents can be identified and nurtured. Music is one of the key strengths of the school, an area of expertise highlighted by the recent performances at The Alderley Edge Music Festival where pupils achieved top honours in 12 categories, including the Senior and Junior Choirs. Children are given the option of learning an instrument from Year 1, with many going on to reach the top grades thanks to the expert specialist teaching available. Current Year 5 pupil Jade Hughes will be taking up her place at the prestigious Chetham School of Music in September, with primary studies in oboe and secondary studies in piano. The School also has a renowned choir which has performed in venues across Europe. They will be joined by the critically acclaimed French choir from the Conservatoire of Tours, for a week-long tour, with performances at Chatsworth House (4th July), St Ann’s Church, Manchester (5th July), Alderley Edge Methodist Church (6th July) and Liverpool Cathedral (7th July). Places at the school are increasingly sought after and a waiting list exists for some Year groups. If you are considering The Ryleys as a potential school for your child call now for a prospectus or a personal tour on 01625 583241. You don’t just choose your child’s school. You choose their future.
EDUCATION
Make a family day of it have the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves to families choosing an independent education for their children. Show organiser Sue McCann said: “We’re really excited about giving independent schools the perfect platform to meet parents who are faced with the difficult decision of choosing the right school. “The benefit of the Northern Independent Schools Show is that, with exhibitors all under one roof, parents can visit the schools of their choice, discuss all the options available with senior members of staff
then - maybe over a bite to eat in the event’s catering area - draw up a shortlist. “It’s also an ideal opportunity for school staff to arrange and set up individual appointments for parents – not to mention a chance for them to network.” Parents will also be able to visit businesses and service providers associated with the independent education sector, among them SFIA, the leading school fees planning organisation in the UK, and specialist education consultancy School Select.
come and meet staff and students from... Cheadle Hulme School Terra Nova Abbey Gate College Abbey College Stonyhurst Queen Ethelburga’s College Rydal Penrhos Packwood Haugh School Adcote School Denstone College Abbots Bromley School Barnard Castle School Durham School New schools are being added all the time so please don’t miss out.
10%
OFF AT
CHESH OAKS IRE
When you visit the Northern Independent Schools Show you can make a day of it for all the family. Special discount deals for tourist and visitor attractions have been organised for visitors who register online to attend the event. Cheshire Oaks, the largest designer outlet in the UK, located just off Junction 10 of the M53 and 15 minutes’ away from the show venue, is providing 10pc discount shopping vouchers. And for families who want to complete The Leverhulme Experience after seeing where Lord Leverhulme lived at Thornton Manor, there are free child admissions to the museum in the famous Port Sunlight Village where the entrepreneur and philanthropist founded his soap empire. The vouchers will be available for collection at the show. To get your family tickets, go to www.northernschoolsshow.co.uk
Let’s hear it for the girls Keynote on The heads of some of the UK’s best known schools will take part in a special Girls' Schools Association forum at the Northern Independent Schools Show to discuss specific issues surrounding raising and educating girls. The forum panellists are all expert contributors to the popular MyDaughter website www.MyDaughter.co.uk, an initiative of the GSA. Esther McVey, (inset) Conservative MP for West Wirral and a former pupil of The Belvedere School, Liverpool, will chair the question-and-answer session. Dr Helen Wright, President of the GSA, said: “We’re really pleased that our MyDaughter website has inspired this Q&A
forum and are enjoying working with the Northern Independent Schools Show to create a memorable event. "Exhibitions like this are all about demonstrating to parents that they and their children have choices, and MyDaughter helps parents of girls to navigate those choices while the Girls’ Schools Association schools demonstrate that single-sex education is a very real and successful option."
free faMilY adMiSSion Family tickets are available online at
www.northernschoolsshow.co.uk
co-education
The Head of Cheadle Hulme School, Lucy Pearson, is to be a keynote speaker at the Northern Independent Schools Show. Co-education will be the subject of her talk to parents in the exhibition’s lecture theatre area. Lucy, (pictured) a fierce advocate of coeducation, said: “There is an enormous benefit in pupils learning together. Coeducation brings its own challenges. You don’t need to segregate people – you just need to meet these challenges head-on.” Other inspirational speakers over the two days of the exhibition also include Dr Stephen Coyne, Head of Foundation at King’s, Macclesfield, Samantha Price, the new Head of The Godolphin School, Wiltshire, and Marie Green, Head of Polam Hall School, Durham.
33
Wellington School 11 – 18 School Wellington Road, Timperley, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA15 7RH Headteacher: Mrs J M Armstrong
Wellington School: Excellence in Everything
Tel: 0161 928 4157 www.wellington.trafford.sch.uk
The Governors, Headteacher, Staff and Students are pleased to invite parents and Year 5 primary pupils to an Open Event at Wellington School: Ͳ Open Morning th Saturday 25 June 2011 Mrs Armstrong, Headteacher, will
34
address visitors at 10.30am and 11.30am in the Watson Hall
Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the School and VI Form facilities and also experience and join in a number of activities from each subject area.
We look forward to welcoming you.
M
utual respect, responsibility, discipline, care for the individual and high achievement – a lot to expect but minimum requirements at Wellington School. The very highest of standards from students and staff is the recipe for success and the school motto ‘Excellence in Everything’ is what we aim for in everything we do. Wellington School is an 11-18 School which has been graded Outstanding by Ofsted. We are proud of our school and the achievements of our students and this success is reflected in our popularity. We are a ‘High Performing’ school due to our record breaking results that outperform other schools, both locally and nationally. This year, 79% of Year 11 students gained 5 or more A*-C grades at GCSE, with 70% achieving 5 or more GCSE’s at A* - C including English and Mathematics. A new performance indicator, the English Baccalaureate was introduced this year. This is the percentage of students gaining a GCSE at grades A* - C in five subjects - English, Maths, Science, a Modern Foreign Language and either History or Geography. At Wellington School, 44% of our students achieved the benchmark, the national average for all schools is 15%. At A level the pass rate was 97%. Being part of Wellington School is an experience valued by both students and parents. In the latest Ofsted report, the school was described as providing ‘a supportive environment in which students blossom’. A major contribution to the School’s success has been the extensive refurbishment and new building programmes over the last six years. All teachers enjoy their own permanent teaching base. Specialist classroom provision ensures that all Science teachers have their own laboratory and all technology teachers have dedicated workshops. The PE Department has benefited from a new fitness suite and girls’ changing room and a remodelled boys’ PE changing room. The Art Department has moved in to three refurbished rooms. The School has expanded its ICT provision and there are three rooms available for dedicated ICT teaching to support the wider curriculum with an additional 6 ICT rooms for MFL, Design Technology, Humanities, Science, Maths and English. We have completed an extensive Sixth Form Centre redevelopment which has resulted in our Sixth Formers having their own dining and washroom facilities and extensive Private Study and Common Room space. The majority of classrooms have interactive whiteboards. Currently we are extending our main reception area. We really do believe that we achieve our aim, Excellence in Everything, but we would be delighted for you to see this for yourselves. Come and take a look!
SCHOOL NEWS
S
o your child has decided he hates karate or thinks chess club's a chore. It happens: how many times have you started a new ‘hobby’ only for it to peter out a couple of weeks later. The trick with kids is figuring out when to encourage them to keep at it and when to let them off the hook. Here’s some stick-it-out guidelines, from Catherine Crawford, a Manchester family therapist:
do a little detective Work Dig deeper into your child's reasons for wanting to leave an activity by the wayside. If it's a sport, for instance, does he have issues with the coach? Do the other kids in her dance class make her feel inadequate? Is he nervous about performing at an upcoming piano recital? Sometimes you just need a different approach — private lessons, perhaps, or a less competitive class. And sometimes kids simply need to do less: it may be that yours is overloaded and wants more time to hang out with friends.
delay the decision Instead of letting your child quit immediately, come up with a potential ending date — and a plan for arriving at a final verdict then. Explain to
Quitting time? How to deal with a child who’s ready to give up them: “I understand that cello/ rugby/ballet may not be your thing but you've committed until this season/term ends. If you still want to quit after that, that's fine but what can we do to help you until then?” Once your child knows that you're willing to listen and that the final choice is hers, she may begin to relax and enjoy the activity.
Swap in Something else Just because your son didn't like
swimming doesn't mean that he won't be a natural at karate or playing the guitar. Trying out different activities is a normal part of a child's development, says Mrs Crawford, and this is best time to do it, before other kids get too far ahead and the competition gets more intense. And don't be surprised if your kid ends up going back to what he's quitting in a couple of years — children often change their minds about the stuff they once hated.
Top marks for Wilmslow
I
n a recent survey of parents, Wilmslow Preparatory School received the glowing endorsement of its parent body which placed the school second highest nationally for levels of overall parent satisfaction. The survey was conducted by a well respected consultancy within the independent school sector and the company was employed by the school to ensure that the governors and staff were informed by parents’ opinions when making decisions to develop the school. In addition to the outstanding levels of satisfaction, 93% of parents said they would recommend the school to others. Other highlights of the survey included the school’s strong relationships with parents, high praise for pupils’ behaviour and manners along with teachers’ ability to inspire. Russell Speirs, managing director of RSAcademics who conducted the research said: “Once again Wilmslow Prep
School has been rated very highly. Indeed, I am confident in saying that the results are among the very best I have seen in the 8 years I have been involved in this type of work with independent schools. “Apart from these excellent findings, the other thing that has impressed me is the school’s board of governors and headmaster’s desire to listen and learn from the results in order to develop and further improve the school for the future. With such good foundations the school is sure to thrive.” Headmaster Paul Reynolds said: “We are thrilled with the level of parental satisfaction in the survey, but we are determined not to rest on our laurels. All the staff and governors are deeply committed to further improving the school and to do this it’s vitally important that we listen carefully to parents’ input and comments and implement positive change where change is needed.”
SUCCESS IN THE MAKING We are one of the only independent all-girls preparatory schools in the area and pride ourselves in laying down solid educational foundations in a caring, creative environment where pupils, aged 3 to 11 years old, are encouraged and inspired to achieve their best. Pupils attain results well beyond national expectations and our Year 6 girls leave the school as happy, independent, interested and responsible individuals. Small class sizes mean that places are limited – telephone 01625 524246 for further information, or to arrange an appointment. Bursaries available.
WILMSLOW PREPARATORY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Grove Avenue, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5EG Tel: 01625 524246 Web: www.wilmslowprep.co.uk
35
Bridgewater School Anniversary
S
eptember marks the start of Bridgewater School’s 60th Anniversary year. Established as a boys' school in 1950 and and moving to its present, delightful, semi-rural setting soon afterwards, the school has since grown considerably and is now a thriving co-educational, independent day school for pupils aged between 3 and 18 years. Bridgewater is well served by the motorway network and other major road links so can draw pupils not just from from the immediate locality, but also from a much wider area. Bridgewater is by design not a large school. We seek to maximise educational attainment through a child's development, not least in the years of external examinations at GCSE and A-Level. In addition to its academic goals Bridgewater seeks to retain the intimate atmosphere it has had since its inception. We greatly value our capacity to offer an excellent provision across the full age range,
Here’s to another 60 years at Bridgewater from the nursery years to university entrance, for families wanting this continuity of individual attention for their children. Our reputation has been built on treating everyone as an individual. We don’t try to mould everyone into the ‘Bridgewater Way’ – there is always room to breathe.
At the same time, however, pupils must look outward to the wider community and to the society in which they will live as adults. We see it as an integral part of Bridgewater's role to foster high standards of behaviour and self-discipline, as well as to develop an awareness of personal
September 1950
July 14th 1950
September 1970
Bridgewater School opens for its first pupils at Eccles House Club, Half Edge Lane, Eccles. Amongst these founder pupils is the first Head Boy of the school, Brian Timothy. Harry Burke is the first headmaster: the pupils eat their school meals at Mr Burke’s house on a daily basis.
first meeting of parents to discuss formation of a new school.
March 1952 the school, now numbering 75 pupils – all boys – relocates to the ‘impressive Tudor building, standing in its own grounds’ that is Drywood Hall. The staff and boys spend many hours after school clearing the grounds of debris.
April 25th 1951 first Founders’ Day Service, held at Eccles Parish Church.
September 1958 1955 the school is registered as an Educational Charity and is provisionally recognised by the Department of Education.
an Assembly Hall and extra classrooms – actually two large ex RAF huts! - are erected at the back of the main building.
September 1962 a two-storey science block is erected next to the main building. (This is now the Sixth Form Common Room and the Art Suite.)
the Main Hall is built at a cost of approximately £10,000. (This is now called the Old Hall, to the right of Drywood Hall as you look from the front.)
September 1969 scholarships are introduced.
Bridgewater School Timeline July to September 1950 a committee of parents approaches the Earl of Ellesmere for permission to use his crest: he gives this permission and expresses his interest in the efforts of the new school.
36
April 13th 1951 first meeting of the Governors and Directors of the school.
August 1958 September 1951 the school moves to Zion Methodist Chapel, Wellington Road, Eccles.
May 1955 new science block is opened by the Dean of Manchester.
the school’s Parents’ Association is founded, at an annual membership fee of £1:1:0.
May 1964 the school is officially recognised by the Department of Education.
September 1968 girls are first admitted to both the Prep and Seniors.
We aim, by the end of this partnership, to produce rounded, articulate young people who are well prepared for the challenges of adult and business life. The School Governors, Staff and Pupils share a sense of excitement about Bridgewater's future. The school has developed rapidly in recent years, with splendid new buildings and facilities and a considerable increase in pupil numbers. We have a commitment to continual development and improvement. We would be delighted to meet you and to show you how much Bridgewater School has to offer you and your child. For more information, or to arrange a personal tour of the school, please telephone 0161 794 1463 or go to www.bridgewater–school.co.uk
and social responsibility. Vital, too, are the many activities which take place outside the classroom – sport, music, drama clubs and societies, language exchange visits and outdoor activity breaks to name but a sample of the range available.
Entrusting your child's education to a school is a very big decision. We are mindful of our responsibility to justify a parent's decision to send their child to us, and of the need for that child's education to be a partnership between school and home.
BRIDGEWATER SCHOOL Drywood D rywood Hall, Hall, W Worsley, orsley, M Manchester. anchester. M M28 28 2WQ 2WQ Tel: 0 161 794 794 1 463 Fax: Fax: 0161 0161 794 794 3 519 Tel: 0161 1463 3519 Email: aadmin@bridgewater-school.co.uk d m i n @ b ri d g e w a t e r - s c h o o l . c o . u k Email: w ww.bridgewater-school.co.uk www.bridgewater-school.co.uk
May 2006 1984
July 1977 the classrooms in the wooden huts at the back of the main building are replaced.
September 1983 Judy Nairn is appointed as Head of Prep.
Judy Nairn is promoted to position as Deputy Head of the whole school. New classrooms for KG and Reception are erected to accommodate the growth in numbers.
the new, state-of-the-art Sports’ Hall, Drama Studio, dining hall and changing facilities are opened.
1992 a new dining hall is opened. (This is where EYFS now have their classrooms and outside play area.)
March 2010 Judy Nairn is appointed as Head of the whole school.
Bridgewater School Timeline October 1971 the school celebrates its 21st anniversary. There are 235 pupils on roll, including 76 in the Prep.
1996 September 1977 termly school fees are recorded as being between £80 for KG and £162 for what is now called Year 11.
September 1991 the new purpose built Prep department is opened by Sir James Anderton.
the new Senior School building is opened.
2001 the first female Head teacher – Geraldine Shannon-Little – is appointed. The Senior School becomes three form entry.
September 2010
a wide-ranging programme of building works is completed, including: 1HZ FODVVURRPV IRU (<)6 ± .* DQG 5HFHSWLRQ ± ZLWK D VWDWH RI WKH DUW SOD\JURXQG 5HGHYHORSHG $UW IDFLOLWLHV $ VXLWHG +XPDQLWLHV VHFWLRQ LQ 6HQLRUV 7KH UHORFDWLRQ RI 0DWKV DQG 0)/ ZLWKLQ WKH PDLQ 6HQLRU EXLOGLQJ $ QHZ DQG GHYHORSLQJ ,QGHSHQGHQW /HDUQLQJ &HQWUH
37
#4 camelot
W
ay over in an ancient kingdom called Charnock Richard (t’other side of Chorley, forsooth) lies a magical kingdom where knights are bold and ladies wearing baseball caps serve a mean cup of coffee... As a down-to-earth Chorley lass I was sceptical about whether Merlin’s magic would enchant our group of 2 adults and 5 children (age range 18 months to 15 years) but I need not have feared. Our day out at Camelot was a success and much more fun than at some other theme parks we’ve tried (Chessington World of Queues for example). I don’t know whether we were particularly lucky (due to the complex staggering of schools’ Easter holidays this year) but given past experiences we couldn’t believe it when, less than two minutes after walkin g through the Castle Gates, all the older kids had become “joustin g knights” (or in modern times speak, they were installed on the dodgems, having a fine old time). And they were able to stay on the cars for several turns before we dragged them away to see what else was on offer. As you’d expect there’s a range of
More than just that mouse
best theme disneyland boasts over 12m visitors a day but does that make it the to home closer little a gem a rs discove ll Thornhi Nicki park in europe? 4to18’s
Happy memories are not just down to height of the rides rides – the half a dozen or so bigger ones were enough to satisfy the thrillseekers in our party (the favourite being the large scale Knightmare roller coaster which dominates the complex’s northernmost skyline). There are also numerous smaller attractions to suit all tastes across all ages (including self-confessed scaredy cats like me),which is why I think this park scores highly on the family friendly front. Too often there’s a gulf between teeny weeny baby rides and white-knuckle horror but here there are careful graduations between sedate rides like the conventional carousel (here styled Sir Lancelot’s Chargers), very sedate rides like the (little) big wheel or Kingdom in the Clouds (you have to be impressed by the way they’ve Camelot -branded
everything) and rides offering a reasonable degree of moderate boneshaking excitement – such as the Dragon Flyer, a speedy, souped-up monorail experience which whisks you around the perimeter . And because we weren’t kept waiting too long, there seemed to be more scope for us to share experiences – the older kids were happy to humour the baby (and me) on the tamer attractions because they knew they wouldn’t miss out on the bigger rides later. And when the baby got tired and a bit grizzly on the approach to lunch we took him for “time out” in the soft play area where the familiar world of sit and ride and plastic Wendy houses gave him the space to recharge his batteries, ready for the rest of the afternoon. There are plenty of tables dotted
10 things to do for free There’s no doubt that a trip to London can be one of the most memorable things you can do with your children. But isn’t it expensive? I mean, REALLY expensive! Packing in attraction after attraction really adds up so why not consider a few of these memorable, yet FREE ways to spend your time in the capital.
Tate Modern and Tate Britain on the River Thames, and the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum, all in South Kensington.
2. go to the cinema Located on Borough High Street near Borough Tube station (Northern Line), The Roxy is a bar with a difference – it’s got a bar out the back where you can catch free movies each Sunday through Wednesday. These include everything from Paul Newman classics to kung-fu flicks.
3. Walk along the thames
1. Visit the free museums Many of London’s museums are free but we’re not talking any old museums...we’re talking the city’s top museums! This includes the British Museum on Great Russell St. (which is London’s most visited attraction), the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, the National Portrait Gallery around the corner on St Martin’s Place, the 38
Go for a walk from Westminster Bridge along London’s River Thames to London Bridge and you’ll see a host of the city’s top attractions without spending anything. This includes Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Gherkin Building, St Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge.
4. the changing of the guard Taking place every day at 11.30am during the summer (and every second day during the winter), the Changing of the Guard in front of Buckingham Palace is one of the most popular things to witness in London. Get down early for a good view.
around the site if you want to bring your own picnic but we sampled the food at the Food Court (disappointingly, just the Food Court – not even Ye Olde Food Courte) where £40 provided Wimpy (actually there’s a blast from the past, if not quite medieval..)burger meals for the 7 of us. The food was OK but what was better than average here and indeed all across the park was the pleasant, polite and unfailin gly cheerful service from all the staff. When the young woman supervising the carousel ride exit gate gave us a sincere “Bye and take care,” I really felt for a moment that she had my welfare at heart. And when our brood, by now the last children on the park, insisted on having just one or two more final goes on King Arthur’s Olde Rifle Range by the exit, the staff seemed happy to wait for them to complete their turns even though I’m certain it was well past clockin g-off time! But rides and caterin g are only part of the story at Camelot. You have to fit in some of the shows on offer. We enjoyed the joustin g and hawkin g demonstrations very much – we didn’t get round to Merlin’s magic show unfortunately – we’ll save that till next time. The birds of prey are the newest attraction at Camelot, the educational
TRAVEL
aspects of the presentation punctuated (or surprisingly upstaged by) skilful bird-handling which sends those birds swoopin g low enough to brush the heads of the audience; seeing the children’s amazed responses was certainly a magical moment for me! The same arena hosts the joustin g contests - very much pulling together the whole Camelot experience as Sir Gawain, Sir Galahad and Sir Lancelot appear in full chivalrous garb on their noble steeds to parade their horsemanship before King Arthur and to humiliate the dastardly Black Knight (this bad lad had to be my personal favourite). A lively jester incites the crowd to create an infectiously raucous atmosphere and after experiencing jugglin g, drumming and a lot of playing with fire (on and off horseback) you do feel part of this slice of Medieval pageantry. Camelot promises “a legendary day out”. Legendary may be over-stating it a little but they certainly gave us a day out we’ll remember for a long time to come. Camelot Theme Park Park Hall Road Charnock Richard Chorley PR7 5LP www.camelotthemepark.co.uk
in our capital city 6. take in a bird’s eye view You can save yourself the price of a ‘flight’ on the London Eye by climbing to the top of Primrose Hill in North London. Here you will be treated to breathtaking views of the city for absolutely nothing.
7. choirs at Westminster abbey
4.free concerts at national theatre If you’re one who likes all sorts of music and you’re near London’s National Theatre on Southbank near Waterloo Bridge, you’d be mad not to catch one of the free concerts there. Taking place Monday-Saturday at 5.45pm, and at 1.45pm on Saturday afternoons, jazz, folk and other types of acts can be seen.
5. recording of a tV Show If you want to be in the audience of a TV show, be it a sitcom, game show or other, you can get tickets for free. All you have to do is visit TVrecordings.com or BBC.co.uk/tickets to see what’s available.
While visiting one of London’s most famous attractions may cost £10.00 during the day, if you leave your visit until when ‘Evensong’ takes place every evening at 5.30pm you won’t have to pay anything. Not only that, you’ll be treated to the sounds of the Abbey’s choir too.
8. Speakers' corner Found at the north-east tip of Hyde Park near Marble Arch, Speakers'
Corner is where anybody and everybody can jump on an old crate and voice their opinion on all sorts of subjects every Sunday. Whether it’s politics or fashion, chances are there’s going to be someone talking about it here.
9. go on a free walking tour What’s the catch I hear you ask? The thing is, there is none! Sandeman’s New London Tours operate two free walking tours in London, and both set off twice a day. The first of these is the ‘Old City of London Free Tour’ which leaves opposite Tower Hill tube station daily at 10am and 4pm, while the other is ‘Royal London Free Tour’ which leaves by Wellington Arch at 11am and 3pm every day. Both tours take in many of the city's top sights.
10. chill out in london’s parks London is one of the busiest cities in the world, so it’s good to know the city’s Royal Parks are free to enter when you want to get away from it all. The best-known of these is Hyde Park in West London, while St James’s Park in front of Buckingham Palace is also a great place to relax. 39
Don’t strangle our children with an oldfashioned curriculum which relegates the arts to second-class status, says Arts Editor Nicki Thornhill
Arts of
A
ll youngsters are familiar with the romanticised view of Medieval times where knights slay dragons whilst their ladies swoon with pride but how many of them would know that, in addition to being able to wield a sword and handle a spirited horse, no self-respecting knight about court would be able to say he’d truly earned his spurs unless he could also bash out a poem or two. This tradition then moves on through the Renaissance — Henry VIII for instance found time to compose Greensleeves in between organising battles against the French. You could argue that science was in its infancy back then which could explain the higher status of artistic accomplishment, but according to Jeffrey Gold, a published professor of Maths and Physics who styles himself a contemporary Renaissance man, all young people need a healthy dose of exposure to the Arts if they are to fully realise their creative and imaginative potential. Whether your child is destined to become the next Tracey Emin or an eminent rocket scientist, Arts classes within the curriculum can stimulate the kind of emotional engagement needed by the most successful thinkers to allow them the confidence and commitment to push the exploratory boundaries in their chosen field. He says he does not understand why education policy makers are still luke -warm about the teaching of the arts (Unimportant “soft” subjects? Potentially subversive?) and students are consistently “given the wrong impression of working in the Arts as an economically unsustainable endeavour”. In fact, as the Arts demand qualities including “high standards, analytical and creative thinking, innovation, practice and persistence, discipline, teamwork, follow-through and product delivery”, Gold clearly shows how the Arts prepare students for the workplace. Any teacher will tell you that one unfortunate by-product of the information age is that secondary age students seem to have lost confidence in their own ability to work things out for themselves. They seem to want to 40
download revision notes which seem to promise instant GCSE or A Level success (possibly the case if they actually read the stuff), by-passing the whole experience of education as a voyage of personal discovery – a great pity as experiential learning, offered best within the arts curriculum, is the most efficient way of equipping students for independent thinking. As one ancient Chinese proverb puts it: "Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand." Recent studies at the Guggenheim Museum in New York also show that
involvement in art, music and drama boost students’ performance in their core subjects as well as in general problem-solving. So why then is Michael Gove threatening the chances of nurturing any innate curiosity our children might possess with his curriculum strangling English Baccalaureate? This would be awarded to students gaining grade Cs or above in English, maths, two sciences, a foreign language and history or geography. With the exception of English, maths and one science, this would seem a random selection – (why history and geography and not Religious Studies or English Literature?) – a selection
Curtain Call Theatre for the whole family
gold
Suitable for ages 12+ Hard TimeS The Library Theatre @ Murray’s Mill, Ancoats June 8 to July 2 Hard Times is Charles Dickens’ novel of the industrial North West, a dramatic story of remarkable events in a 19th century mill town. This unique production is staged in the atmospheric and authentic settin g of Murrays’ Mills in Ancoats, where the audience is immersed into the world of Coketown. Circu s, music, and a sometimes grotesquely comic edge all go into the rich mix of this truly Dickensian event . Promenade perfo rmance – wear suitable footwear. TICKETS GOING FAST – BOOK NOW! This is one show not to be missed. Suitable for ages 12+.
Suitable for ages 14+ SWeeNeY TOdd Octagon Theatre, Bolton June 9 - July 2 Stephen Sondheim’s dark and comic musi cal Sweeney Todd is a wonderfully macabre and hilariously grues ome story of betrayal, love and bloody reven ge. Sweeney Todd returns home to London havin g been wron gly deported and robbe d of his family by the crooked Judge Turpin. Reunited with his beloved razor, and accompanied by the love-struck pie shop owner Mrs Lovett, he sets about cooking up his own delicious reven ge on society. And with business booming, ‘the Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ has plans to put the Judge on the menu.
Suitable for ages 9+ POWder mONkeY Royal Exchange, Manchester May 31 to June 18 A welcome return for this thought-provoki ng yet accessible play about being at war and making peace, about friendship and territory, about children in an adult world and children in a world without adults:' This is my place, right. You'd better not come here without me...' Stella and AK are 12 years old. AK’s a soldier; Stella has battles of her own. Maybe that’s why she goes to her secret place, and why she strikes a deal with the stupid kid Worm. But peace is hard and there’s definitely some thing in the woods. It’s watching them. And it’s getting closer…..S uitable for ages 9+
Suitable for ages 14+
which effectively relegates art, drama, music, and the creative technologies to second class status. Many schools may feel a pressure to get as many of their students to attain this peculiarly specific “gold standard”, which will result in a firm steering away from unlisted subjects. We cannot hope to harness our children’s potential within the confines of a pared-down and oldfashioned curriculum which deprives them of opportunities for selfexpression. Let them receive their entitlement – a fully rounded education which will help them to develop into individuals, not Gradgrindian machines.
a vieW frOm THe bridge Royal Exchange, Manchester May 18 to June 25 Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman, lives with his wife Beatrice and youn g orphaned niece Catherine in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. Two cousins from Sicily, relatives of Beatr ice, come as illegal immigrants to stay in the Carbone’s home and find work on the docks. When Catherine is attracted to Rodo lpho, Eddie’s life is thrown into turmoil. One of Arthur Mille r’s masterpieces, A View From the Bridge is a powerful, passionate and gripping drama that uncovers the tensions in a tight knit comm unity with its strict codes of behaviour. GCSE and A-Level text.
Suitable for ages 7+ mr STiNk The Lowry, Salford August 2 - 14 David Walliams, star of Little Britain, has written the smelliest book of all time, which now breaks new wind ground in this scratch ‘n’ sniff production.
41
HEALTH
M
obile phones and computer games are a major part of our children’s lives and while we may try to limit their usage, are we doing enough? Or has the damage already been done? U.S. experts recently published new data that indicated that children who are glued to their mobile or games console for long periods are at risk of serious wrist and finger pains that may continue indefinately. Health warnings and age limits on games should be considered because consoles and smart phones could be harming tendons and joints, Professor Yusuf Yazici, of New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases told a London conference recently. Yazici’s is the first study of the effects of gaming on children's wrists and fingers. When the 12-year-old son of a colleague complained of problems, Yazici and his researchers studied 257 gamers, aged between nine and 15, in two schools in St. Louis, Missouri. “The average was about two hours a day and 25 per cent of them reported pain,” Yazici said. “The younger the kids were, the more pain they had. The more they use [consoles], the more pain they had—an extra hour of play doubled the odds of experiencing pain.” Parents should monitor the amount of time their children spend playing computer games and using their
When play leads to pain phones, Yazici told the annual congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in London. “Kids do not have a fully developed
musculoskeletal system,” he said. “At nine years old you're still growing. These devices are not designed for people with weaker hands and tendons.”
Flixton Girls’ High School aspiration
empo w e r m e nt
e xc e l l e nc e
The Headteacher invites expressions of interest in this successful school which provides a free and inclusive education for girls. There is no entrance examination and the school is easily accessed by bus, train and road from Manchester and surrounding areas. “My daughter has grown in confidence and is ready to make her mark on the world” Year 11 Parent
Open Evening Wednesday 13th July - 5.30pm until 8.30pm Alternatively phone to arrange a meeting with the Headteacher, contact 0161 912 2949
For more information contact the school on 0161 912 2949
www.flixtongirls.trafford.sch.uk
42
toys TremenDOus New
Nicola Shields of specialist toy shop Monkey Puzzle Toys suggests some new toys guaranteed to keep them occupied for more than half an hour Monkey Puzzle Toys 93 Manchester Road Chorlton M21 9GA 0161 862 0100 www.monkeypuzzletoys.com
Get them
in t o t h e g a r d e n !
getting fit, having fun and looking good! The right climbing frame can give your children years of pleasure, as pirates, captains, gymnasts and as a secret hideaway. Add to that the health benefits and close proximity to the house and a climbing frame becomes one of the best investments you can make for the family. However, finding one that looks good, is right for the space and is worth the money can often be a tricky business. Garden Games have a wide variety of complete climbing frames for children of all ages. The Arundel, pictured here at £600, has a great range of options: swing arm plus two swings, slide, tower, sandpit, wooden climbing rungs and cargo net. The add-ons can be placed on all four sides of the main tower — which allows you to reshape it to fit into your garden. Don't like the slide next to the swing arm? Just move it to a different side! Garden Games use top grade PEFC pine, which is not only a beautiful, high quality material but also from a sustainable source. Additionally, there is a fantastic range of modular climbing frames. At Monkey Puzzle Toys we can help you to design a frame with the right accessories for your children, shape and size of garden plus you can adapt the design as your children grow.
aerobie 10 Sprint ring £9.99 If you and your children are ready to progress on from a basic plastic frisbee then the Aerobie Sprint is the one for you. It is renowned as the best frisbee on the market and its unique aerodynamic design means that it is easily thrown twice as far as any regular disc. What is also amazing about this frisbee is that it works well for people who can't normally throw Frisbees and so is perfect for ages 5+ and being such a slim design takes up no space in a suitcase or just leave in the boot of a car ready for action.
Off on your travels? the Mudpuppy Magnetic dress up princess £13.50 4+ Includes four different fairytale backgrounds and three sheets of magnetized princesses and their outfits and accessories. All this comes in a beautifully illustrated hinged tin box measuring 8 x 6 x 1 inches making it an ideal travel toy.
Wooden Sandpit with built-in seats £95 Without a doubt, the most popular piece of play equipment enjoyed by all young children is a sandpit. At 1.2m (4ft) square, this sandpit is big enough to share, but small enough not to take over the garden. The built-in cover folds open to provide two simple bench seats, removing the need for a separate lid or cover. Includes geo-textile underlay.
i50 ways to Keep the Kids entertained £3.99 A small pocket sized tin with 50 cards each with a great idea for keeping everyone happy whether in a car, on a train or plane or just for a rainy afternoon. Suggestions cover a variety of ages.
rory’s Story cubes £9.99 5yrs+ Featured in last edition this fantastic set of 9 cubes designed to inspire story telling have now also been featured on CITV and we are getting great feedback from our customers See our website for lots more suggestions for great travel toys
www.monkeypuzzletoys.com 43
PARENTING
I
f you're a parent, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably tired. You can be childless and tired â&#x20AC;&#x201D; after, say, a day of shoe shopping â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but having kids means being tired all the time, not just for a few hours h now and again. And when you're tired and the kids are being awful and it's only 7:30 in the morning and you've got a whole day d of you, you're inevitably going to have to make some executive decisions regarding which battles to engage in and which to concede. You only have a certain amount of time, energy, and patience, so you can't afford to blow it on stuff that doesn't really matter. Giving in may sound like a cop-out, but it's not. In fact (and here's the part where we tell you that what's easier for you is actually good for your kids), when they see you work out what's really important, they learn how to work out for themselves what's really important. It's a win-win. You get to save your breath and what's left of your energy, and your children get a lesson in what it means to be a reasonable person. Kristen Arnold, a mother of four in Blackburn recalls a dinner at which her 7-year-old asked for two forks, one for his rice and one for his meat. Her husband's feeling was â&#x20AC;&#x153;you have to
The battles itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK to lose
Save your energy and choose your ďŹ ghts, says editor Jane Field adapt â&#x20AC;&#x201D; everyone gets one fork,â&#x20AC;? she says. Kristen, however, saw infinite value in avoiding a 45-minute tantrum that would spoil the meal. So, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best approach? We asked 4to18 readers who've done several tours of duty.
When to stand your ground All the parents interviewed cited a few battles they always choose to engage in, no matter how knackered they are. They have to do with a child's safety or the safety of others, involvement in violence, and any kind of behaviour that could land a kid in serious trouble. Others mentioned the intentional infliction of emotional harm. At minimum, you have to keep your kid from hurting himself or those around him, however you define â&#x20AC;&#x153;hurtâ&#x20AC;?.
Then there are those clashes that involve your family's values. It's a good idea to sit down one evening and list the ideals that really matter to you, and which family situations may test them.
What else is worth ďŹ ghting for? There are things you want your child to learn that don't fall under the exalted heading of â&#x20AC;&#x153;valuesâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for example, a taste (or tolerance!) for brown food. Still, you might argue with her about this if you're going to a friend's for dinner and you feel it's important that she try new things and/or that it's courteous to at least try what the host prepares. Or not. It depends on many things, including your energy level, your child's temperament, and whether it's a battle you can win.
Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Activities at Withington 2009/10 Sunday Times Parent Power
Independent Secondary School of the Year
Tennis Camps for Boys and Girls, 8+
)N s OF ! ,EVEL GRADES AWARDED !
s OF ! ,EVEL GRADES AWARDED !
! OR " s OF '#3% GRADES AWARDED ! OR !
25th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 29th July (Week 1) and 1st - 5th August (Week 2) There are two Summer Tennis Camps this year and you may book by the day or per week. The main aim of Week One, led by Simon Douglass, will be for boys and girls to be ACTIVE and have fun whilst focusing mainly on tennis, but also playing other sports such as football, netball, basketball and Kwik Kricket. Week Two, led by James Oliver, will focus on more formal tennis coaching, but the aim will still be for boys and girls to have an enjoyable week playing in tournaments and learning and/or improving stroke production, agility, balance and co-ordination. There will also be short sessions of other sports and quiet time to break up the day.
Girls also consistently achieve success in: s 3CIENCE /LYMPIADS s $EBATING s 9OUNG %NTERPRISE s 3PORT s $ OF % !WARDS s $RAMA s #HARITY FUNDRAISING s -USIC s -ODEL 5NITED .ATIONS
Performing Arts Workshops for Boys & Girls, 11+
2011 OPEN DAYS
1st â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5th August The Centre Stage School of Performing Arts opens its doors once again in 2011. Now in its 4th year, we are again oďŹ&#x20AC;ering this opportunity for boys and girls aged 11 and over. Directed by LAMDA teacher and former RSC actor, Mrs Nikki Smythe, with the assistance of Withington Sixth Formers, the workshops will include acting, singing and dancing, leading up to a showcase performance on the Friday.
Junior and Senior School For girls aged 7-11 and 11-16 Thursday 10th November 4.30pm to 6.30pm Saturday 12th November 10am to 12noon
Sixth Form For girls aged 16+ Tuesday 1st November 6pm to 8pm
For further information please call 0161 224 1077 Wellington Rd, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL www.withington.manchester.sch.uk
44
There are two weeks of children's summer activities at Withington this year. For further information contact Mrs Penny Willis email willisp@withington.manchester.sch.uk or telephone 0161 249 3457
Meanstested bursaries available from Year 7
Art and Crafts for Boys and Girls 8+
1st â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5th August Led by Mrs Ruth Fildes, Head of Art at WGS, this week oďŹ&#x20AC;ers 5 days of creative fun, experimenting and exploring with lots of exciting materials. The children will work in groups and on their own to produce a range of artwork all leading up to their own exhibition on the Friday afternoon.
BooKS
peter and frances hopkins of the brilliant Urmston Bookshop review the latest and best new titles for children of all ages
rhinos dont eat pancakes
Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie Simon and Schuster £5.99 Daisy's mum and dad are always too busy to listen to a word that she says, so when, one day, she tells them that a big purple rhino has just walked into the house and taken a chomp of her pancake, guess what? Nobody listens! But there's a surprise in store for Mum and Dad when they discover that a big purple rhino has gone missing from the zoo. Perhaps they should have taken more notice of what Daisy had to say. Kids will love this funny story about a little girl and her most unlikely new friend.
can’t Sleep Without Sheep Susanna Leonard Hill and Mike Wohnoutka Bloomsbury £5.99 Whenever Ava can't sleep, she counts sheep. But Ava takes so long to fall asleep, it's the sheep who are growing tired — until, finally, they quit! When the sheep promise to find a replacement that Ava can count on, chaos ensues as chickens, cows, pigs, hippos, and more try their hand at jumping over Ava's fence. Finding the perfectly peaceful replacement for sheep might not be so easy after all! With irresistibly adorable illustrations,this delightful take on a familiar sleep tactic is sure to become a bedtime favourite.
the Wrong pong Steven Butler Puffin Books £5.99 Neville Brisket wakes up from a strange dream — a dream that there is a horrible, stumpy finger stuck up his nose. He finds his room in a mess and his dog in the laundry basket. Neville's investigations end when he is whooshed down the toilet to the land of Under! In a case of mistaken troll-dentity he finds himself part of a disgusting new family. Will he be eating rat patties and left sock stew forever? This hilarious tale will delight and disgust parents and children alike.
one dog and his Boy Eva Ibbotson Scholastic Books £10.99 All Hal had ever wanted was a dog. His wealthy parents refuse
time. In this second book in the series Ava puts on a beautiful twinkling tutu and finds herself magically whisked away to Victorian times — where she has an important part to play in an extravagant ballet show...and making a little girl's dreams come true!
the World’s itchiest pants
the three Wishes David Melling Hodder Children’s Books £5.99 The lovable hapless duo from The Kiss That Missed are back- hooray! This time the knight and his horse are left in charge of the royal prince and princess but they find babysitting so tiring that the knight makes a wish...and before he knows it his wish comes true! Instead of babysitting they encounter a night full of magic and surprises and before too long they are wishing they were babysitting once again! With the beautiful pictures and a very entertaining story this book is a treat for adults and children alike.
the twinkling tutu Gwyneth Rees Macmillan £4.99 What could be better than a magic dress shop where each gorgeous outfit takes you on an adventure back in
to consider one until they discover Easy Pets, a convenient dog-rental agency. Terrier Fleck arrives on Hal’s birthday, but when Hal discovers that his dog must be returned, he runs away. Joined by a group of pedigree breeds joyfully escaping from Easy Pets, Hal and Fleck set forth on a quest to find somewhere they can be together.
run rabbit run Barbara Mitchelhill Andersen Press £5.99 When Lizzie's dad refuses to fight in WW2, the police come looking to arrest him. Desperate to stay together, Lizzie and her brother Freddie go on the run with him, hiding from the police in idyllic Whiteway. But when their past catches up with them, they're forced to leave and it becomes more and more difficult to stay together as a family. This book was the choice of Urmston Bookshop Junior Book Club and it provoked a great discussion about whether the father was right to place them in danger .
Steve Hartley Macmillan £4.99 Danny Baker loves to break world records and in this episode he is off on a school camping trip. Surrounded by nature he has one of his mad ideas, soon he has his pants out and is rounding up the ants for his craziest record attempt yet! In the second story, the plummeting temperature inspires Danny to cultivate the longest nose-icicle ever!
rockoholic C J Skuse Chicken House £6.99 Jody loves Jackson Gatlin. At his only UK rock concert, she's right at the front. But when she's caught in the crush and carried back stage she has more than concussion to contend with. Throw in a menacing manager, a super-wired super-star and a CurlyWurly, and she finds herself taking home more than just a poster. It's the accidental kidnapping of the decade. But what happens if you've a rock-god in your garage who doesn't want to leave Jody's stuck between a rock-idol and a hard place!
everybody loves a good book shop!
We’re an independent bookshop that prides itself on the personal service it offers its customers. Call in and browse the books and then relax with a hot drink and a piece of homemade cake in our café
72 flixton road Urmston M41 5aB Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm Sunday 11am-4pm 45
Manchester Islamic Educational Trust: the highest standards of education with excellent progress and outstanding behaviour It has been a very busy time for Manchester Islamic Educational Trust with both MIHSG and MMPS being recently inspected by Ofsted. Our schools take great pride in sharing the outcomes of the respective inspections and invite all parents to visit our ‘Outstanding schools’. Our philosophy is based on a rich tradition of offering the highest standards of education coupled with excellent progress and outstanding levels of behaviour. Manchester Islamic High School for girls offers an outstanding curriculum which allows students to make outstanding progress. Manchester Muslim Prep School offers a good curriculum with outstanding features in which pupils make good progress and also has an Outstanding Early Years provision. However this is only the beginning! There is so much more that we wish to share and such few words simply cannot do our schools full justice! So on behalf of our pupils, please free to make an appointment and be a part of this success.
46
Finland: The best schools in the world
T
he task is as hard as weeding out the brightest youngsters for places on Oxford and Cambridge Universities' most popular courses. There are 16 candidates for every vacancy and somehow the 2,000 applicants have to be whittled down to 120 by the time the course starts. We are not talking about law and medicine at Britain's most prestigious universities, though. This is Finland and the applicants are desperate for a job in what is the most sought-after profession in their country: teaching. Finland is the country that has topped the international league table of the developed world's education systems for almost all of the past decade. And Education Secretary Michael Gove has been looking at its policies to see if there is anything he can glean from them to improve standards over here. Finland's top-level ranking is based on its performance in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) tests of 15year-olds around the globe in reading, maths and science. Professor Jari Lavonen, the head of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki, is the man with the enviable task, in some eyes, of whittling down the pack. He is in no doubt as to how Finland has got to this position. “We decided all teachers should have a master's degree – putting teaching on an equal
footing with law and medicine,” he said. The highest-flying youngsters soon started flocking to the profession because of its new-found prestige. Each applicant is given a book to read before being grilled on their understanding of it. Then the 300 top performers are interviewed before the remaining 120 are offered places. Mr Gove has already said he would like to go down the Finnish path. A common theme among three of the topperforming nations – Singapore, South Korea and Finland – is that they all attract the best talent into the profession by setting high standards for recruitment. Mr Gove's answer to this is to limit entrance to the profession to those who have better than a thirdclass degree. He has come in for criticism here, with teachers' leaders arguing it would prohibit people such as the Conservatives' own maths guru, Carol Vorderman, from entering the profession. The brightest people in their subject area may not always be the best communicators in the classroom, the argument goes. Professor Lavonen is wary of the idea that foreign governments can “cherry pick” parts of the Finnish system. There is, he argues, a second part of the equation: the introduction of a free compulsory education system for all, which goes hand in glove with the recruitment process to create a successful education system.
Sports day is a week on Friday, declared my head teacher, in front of some 400 pupils. My 30-strong reception class, bottoms planted firmly to the cold wooden floor, began to conjure up what we wanted this ‘sports day’ to entail. Many of my peers likened it to football’s World Cup, others a Formula 1 track day; ‘sports’ in this case was certainly ambiguous. I thought it would be like the Olympics — thousands of fans watching finely tuned athletes sprinting on the red track then shiny medals hung around sinewy necks. Above all, I saw myself catapulted through the sky, fulfilling a childhood dream to be a pole-vaulter. As you can imagine, a week later I experienced a severe disappointment. No javelin. No podium. No sandpit (and certainly no rake). No crash mat. There was, however, a 100m track, marked at one end with a white line, applied by the care-taker that very morning, and the other end a blue ribbon. Okay, I thought, I might not be breaking any world-records today, but getting through that ribbon would be an achievement. We started with the 100m sprint, at which I was mediocre. To a boy of five it was such a long way and when I crossed the line I was exhausted. Next came the hopping race, not exactly a blue chip Olympic discipline, in fact, one that was considered by some as silly. How I showed them; bounding down the track like an injured rabbit, the blue ribbon getting closer and closer, eventually vanishing from sight as my skinny body tore through it. Think Roger Bannister achieving his four minute mile (albeit a much smaller, chubbier version); for me it was on the same level of achievement. The prize-giving arrived. ‘To the victor belongs the spoils’ might have been appropriate if ‘spoils’ were small stickers; gold, silver or bronze, and a universal feel-good sticker, reading ‘Well done for taking part.’ In later years I was subject to such joys as the egg-and-spoon-race (soon to be transformed into the potato-andspoon race, due to fragile nature of the equipment), the raging sunburn caught from an afternoon in my P.E. kit in June, the terrible storm of ’01 that sadly rained off sports day, and the parent-and-child sack race. This exciting event required two sacks, tied together, with a child in one and a parent in the other. It produced some hilarious, shocking and downright mean results; dads left the race with faces of elation, only to be scorned by wives for getting grass stains on their suits and mums tripped up and fell on their children. Parents blamed breathless kids for losing and vice versa. But we were young and had little regard for
It’s the taking part that counts…
Our teenage columnist Ged on the ups and down of school sports days
GED
NORTON winning and losing — save for the kids whose parents demanded they win at least one race in order to keep the ‘family reputation as winners’. This isn’t what sports day is about, but getting families together, in the sunshine, and above all, having fun. ‘Sports day will be held at the playing fields on June 22, beginning promptly at 10am’ read the bulletin. It seemed the organisation of my secondary school sports day was vastly better; surely
there was a better chance of seeing that bar, high in the sky, taunting me to defeat its dizzying height. The day soon came, and if primary school sports day was a letdown then this was the medicine I so needed. A freshly white-lined 400m track, water stations, a starter’s gun, and a teacher playing announcer at the Tannoy. This was nearly the sports day I’d longed for. But alas, still no pole vault. Yet, as I plunged, feet first into the sandpit, after executing a decent hop, step and jump, I knew I was well on my way to fulfilling a childhood ambition. I never did get to have a go at polevaulting, I wonder if I ever will now. As for my sports’ days, they’re over. Until that is, I’m at my kid’s primary school egging them on, and getting competitive trying to outrun other dads. But like I said, it’s not the winning that matters, but the taking part. The spirit of sports day lives on, and it is without a doubt that kids everywhere, on sun-baked fields, in sweaty kits, will be hearing that tagline for many more June days yet. Columnist Ged Norton lives in Glossop and goes to school in Manchester. He’s 17 and plays rugby and the ukulele. He is currently sitting his AS examinations 47
E
verybody – and I mean everybody – over the age of 40 will swear blind that the summers of their school years were spent frolicking in corn fields as one sun-drenched week stretched into the next from the beginning of May to the end of September. Rose-tinted nostalgia, I always assumed. But then I asked my recently postgraduated elder children what, at the ripe old ages of 21 and 23, were their memories of childhood summers. And blow me, if they didn’t remember one sun-drenched week stretching into the next from the beginning of May to the end of September. There’s obviously a gene that we all carry which clouds (if you’ll excuse the pun) our recollections of summers we spent up to the day we left school. However it’s true to say that there really were some summers that redefined the world hot. My personal favourite was ’77, an absolute blinder of a season when my dad’s lawn turned the colour of sack cloth as hosepipe bans put paid to the normally lush turf from which cricket was invariably banned. But this summer the old man realised the garden was destined to look like it had been napalmed and so a record number of overs were bowled in Chestnut Avenue that year. I took my O Levels that year and the results day in August seemed a very long way off as we broke up for the sixweek summer holiday. Week one was spent in Bournemouth with mum, dad and my kid brother. It was there I fell head over heels in love with an Essex girl from Hornchurch. Obviously, it was totally unrequited love as I would no more have dreamed of asking her whether she fancied walking hand-in-hand along the prom as running naked along it at high noon. Armed with 35 years further life experience I now recognise that she probably did quite like me and that a prom stroll might have been a goer if I hadn’t been such a pillock. Anyway, Bournemouth came and went and things really started to heat up as we returned to our Northamptonshire home. But as a 16-year-old, to really take advantage of a long, hot summer, cash was a very necessary part of the equation and so along with three school pals I turned up at the meat processing plant just outside the village where I lived. ‘Hygiene Operatives’ they called us but we knew we were cleaners. A huge squad of proper cleaners invaded the factory - which produced pork pies, sausages, bacon and most other meat products that benefited from mass production – at night. The proper cleaners kept the place looking good. We were supposed to just sweep up 48
Those sizzling summer days in the meat factory
MARK
HARRIS
I N B L A C K & W H I T E
around the production lines and stop the workforce being buried in a tsunami of meaty off-cuts. That’s what we were supposed to do but what we actually did was mess around, eat warm pork pies before the jelly was injected and chat to the women on the production lines who were full of cheeky innuendo and, in some cases, possessed mouths and minds like sewers. But this was the 1970s, and after just two days of gainful employment the whole workforce walked out on strike. I can’t remember exactly why but this was a closed shop so even us temporary boys had to pay our union dues. I was a free-thinking, right on, conscience-ridden lefty so I thoroughly enjoyed the 24-hour stoppage and took to the picket line with gusto. My pal Gorm (he was really called Tim but everyone knew
him by his nickname which was short for gormless) wasn’t quite so lucky as his mum, the vice-chairman of the local Conservative Association went mad when she saw him at rest with the rank and file. Her little Mercedes screeched to a halt and in her finest Hyacinth Bucket-voice, Gorm was told in no uncertain terms to get into the car. Laugh? I thought I was going to explode. The other highlight of our five week stay came when the four of us along with old Billy, the one full-time cleaner who worked alongside us, were called into the office of the personnel manager (what people call HR these days). Someone in a distinctive red boiler suit that all cleaners wore had been spotted urinating outside the fire exit of the slaughter hall. We four knew it was Billy, the personnel manager knew it was Billy but with the witness only having seen the red boiler suit nobody could be positively identified. We were warned at length about the severity of the measures that would be taken against a casually urinating hygiene operative. When we were finally released Billy uttered the immortal words: “They were lucky, I really needed a s**t!”. Billy’s wise words and my first industrial action were just two of the highlights of the summer of 77. Most of the others I simply could not share with you for fear of arrest. Oh, and when the O level results did eventually come they were good enough to see me into the sixth form and that was good enough for me!
4to18 tUtorS
classifieds
TeacHer WiSdOm location Old Trafford/Chorlton Border Wanted Pupils & Adults to join Small academic study groups to strengthen their skills. Subjects (a.) Primary (6 to 10 yrs) Reading, Writing, Maths., Science, 11 Plus preparation, Singing £18/hour. (b.) Secondary Pupils and Adults GCSE Maths, Science and English £20/hour. private 1 to 1 tuition to all ages in Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English to GCSE and 11 plus preparation £25/hour including travel. Qualifications & experience MEd, BSc Hons. (Biochemistry), PGCE (Science) and Polymaths Cert. Primary, Secondary, FE & Community Experience plus Singing at venues & Workshops. CRB checked, Good sense of Humour. contact Maureen 07971987347 maureenbond17@yahoo.com
name Kumon Educational UK locations: throughout the UK. Please visit kumon.co.uk to find your nearest centre Subjects: Maths and English study programmes about us: Give your child a head start with Kumon’s maths and English study programmes. We tailor our programmes to develop your child’s individual abilities ensuring their steady progress. Kumon centres provide your child with the foundations to improve their skill set, inspiring a passion for lifelong learn-
Call Sarah Longley on 0161 610 2620 or 0791 7725 335 or email sarah@4to18.com
eXPerT maTHS TUiTiON
name Jane Chow location At my home in Cheadle Hulme Subjects Maths from Primary to A level including GCSE, SATS, 11+ exams. price From £20 per hour about Me I have 10 years experience of private Maths tuition and a First Class BSc Honours degree. I am patient, understanding and help tutees gain confiing and building the self-confidence to succeed both in and outside the classroom. contact: 0800 854 714 or visit kumon.co.uk
Kumon centres in region
Altrincham Study Centre 0161 969 2734 Bramhall Study Centre 0161 440 0861 Cheadle Study Centre 0161 286 0791 Cheadle Hulme Study Centre 0161 488 4988 Chorlton Study Centre 0161 434 4579 Didsbury Study Centre 0161 439 3946 Hazel Grove Study Centre 0161 292 8421 Heald Green Study Centre 0161 428 2496 Heaton Moor Study Centre 0161 432 1721 Levenshulme Study Centre 0161 225 4307 Prestwich Study Centre 0161 265 8259 Romiley Study Centre 0161 406 9137 Timperley Study Centre 0161 980 0851
dence in Maths. I have experience of tutoring all abilities, so whether you are struggling with Maths at school, wish to improve your SATS or GCSE grade or need to achieve top A level grades to get into university, I can help. I offer excellent exam preparation and all tutees have been very pleased with their results. contact 0161 485 6456 or jane.chow@talktalk.net
Urmston Study Centre 0161 864 4157 Worsley Study Centre 0161 793 4638 Knutsford Study Centre 01565 621 142 Wilmslow Study Centre 01625 532 529 Macclesfield Study Centre 01270 821 430
childMinderS
Fun an d abulous! fSTOCKPORT Ofsted registered childminder has vacancies for school holiday care. We climb trees, get muddy, lots of fresh air and laugh our heads off! Call Louise
hYpnotherapY Hypnotherapy is increasingly used to help children and young adults overcome many issues This safe, gentle and effective therapy can help children to: Overcome fears & anxieties Banish habits and phobias Increase confidence Resolve eating disorders Alleviate exam worries Relieve stress Stop nail biting & thumb sucking Deal with enuresis (bedwetting) Overcome interview/ driving test nerves and much, much more...
Contact Angela Slattery for a free, confidential discussion
0161 432 1891
www.azure-hypnotherapy.co.uk Clinics in Manchester and Stockport
Advertise here This space from as little as £30 Call Sarah on 0161 610 2620
0161 432 9264
£20 per head (and body!) per day
Advertise here... for FREE!
Each edition of 4to18 magazine is now distributed to almost 50k homes across Greater Manchester and Cheshire making us the biggest (and we reckon, the best) independent free magazine in the region. For a limited time, we’re offering our classified advertisers FREE space on this page. The space is very limited so call Sarah on 0791 7725 335 before it’s all gone
49
HEADLINES
Partners: good schools and good parents
A
ll good schools seek to work in partnership with parents involving them in their child’s school life, keeping them informed of progress and above all sharing the pleasure of witnessing a young boy or girl learn all about the marvels of our world. Good schools, like good parents, want to open up opportunities for children and above all give them the chance to find out what they’re good at and what they enjoy. Looking for a school for a child is about a great deal more than checking exam results and a look at the web site. Parents want to be sure children will have the chance to play musical instruments, to sing, dance, be creative, take part in sport, learn to work in teams as well as independently and above all to be enquiring. September is the month of new shoes. Barely is the shiny leather worn in (and scuffed at the toe) than we are on to the next stage because this is also the season of the open event. Whether parents are looking for a nursery, preschool, infant, junior, senior school or sixth form, the starting point will be the school visit. There are advantages to attending the formal open event and to visiting the school on a normal working day. At open events the teachers will have the opportunity to answer questions and there may be a better chance to see facilities. Outside formal lessons it is also possible to talk to the pupils while on a school day it may only be possible to observe what is going on but that view can also say a great deal about the school. Just as important as the parental viewpoint is the child’s. The pre-school child should be excited by the classroom environment. There should be toys to be played
50
with and it should all be inviting and full of life. For the infant and junior school, display boards should be filled with work and it should also be apparent that this is frequently updated and that all children can see their work on show. In secondary schools the visiting ten-year-old should find the laboratories genuinely exciting. Dissection and maggot racing may not be to everyone’s taste but they usually appeal to youngsters! Design and technology should give hands on opportunities and everywhere the prospective pupils should be made to feel that the school welcomes them and is interested in them. Asking existing parents (and their children) about the school will almost certainly yield a frank and honest response. One parent can only give one view but asking several can paint a full picture. This is why school inspectors are always keen to talk to the pupils and their parents. Inspection reports are available on the Internet from Ofsted or, in the case of independent schools, ISI. Working in partnership with the right school is a rewarding business. Parents can take great pleasure in their children’s progress and look forward to the Christmas concerts, the plays, the football games and sports day. They can be confident that if they have concerns they will be listened to and acted upon. Britain stills leads in education and we have some great schools in the Bury area. New shoes eventually wear out and have to be replaced; a good education renews itself at every stage of a child’s development. Bobby Georghiou Headmistress, Bury Grammar School Girls
A world class,centre for perform in and recreation, designed by young ar ts, spor ts g people...
A place to energise, relax, work, play, do business, meet friends above all BE PROU
WHAT IS IT?
D
WHO IS IT FOR?
PLAY
The Fuse is a stunning new ÂŁ5m centre for per forming arts, sports, recreation and business. It has bee 11 to 19 year-olds, and will bec n designed with the help of local Trafford Youth Village. The Fus ome an integral par t of the new community can have affordablee will ensure all members of the access to first-class facilities and youth services
REhEARsE PERFORM
WELCOME to
The Fuse is intended to be access on young people. The centre will ible by all and is not focused solely be open to all young people, gro and businesses from the local and ups surrounding areas
The Fuse will be dance and per form. For local club a place to play sport, make music, a new home and for businesses s and organisations it will become a first-class conference and mee centre. The Fuse is everything you ting want it to be
MEET
WHAT CAN WE DO THERE? For young people
Open seven days a week from 8:3
0am till 10pm
August 2011 Warburton Lane, Par tington, M31 4BU 07711 238 867 www.thefuse.co
RELAX
Opening
Tomorrow’s Decision Makers
Boys and Girls aged 2-16 years
NOT YET DECIDED ABOUT THE SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD? THEN WHY NOT SEND THEM TO THE TOP SCHOOL IN THE STOCKPOR T AREA! * Source
GCSE RESULTS 2010*
“PUPILS’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IS OUTSTANDING AND SUCCESS IS ENHANCED BY EXCELLENT PASTORAL CARE.” (Source: Independent Schools Inspectorate - April 2011)
Hulme Hall Grammar School
For more information or to arrange a Tour please contact the School Secretary.
Hulme Hall Road, Cheadle Hulme. SK8 6LA
www.hulmehallschool.org
Tel: 0161 485 3524 or 4638 A Co-educational independent Grammar School ISA Administered by Hulme Educational Trust. Charity NO. 525931