the Birstall post Y O U R
C O M M U N I T Y
FEBRUARY 2011
N E W S P A P E R
www.birstallpost.co.uk
No. 331
College aims to improve Sid’s
LONGSLADE IS at the bottom of school performance tables for county schools, according to Government figures released in January. The Department for Education published detailed figures last month that show Longslade College has: • the lowest results for GCSE performance in the county with 43% of students gaining five or more GCSEs at grade C or above including English and Maths. The county average was 55.3% and the national average 53.5% • ranked 22nd of 23 county schools for A level points per student. Wreake Valley College in Syston had a lower score. Longslade’s point score was 672.4. The county average was 719.5 and the national average 726.5 • ranked 20th out of 23 schools in the county for truancy, with 3.1% of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence. The Department for Education has ‘floor targets’ for secondary schools. Schools are defined as being below the floor if:
• less than 35% of students achieve five or more GCSEs at grade C or above including English and Maths. Longslade achieved 43%. • they have below average per cent of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 (KS4) making expected progress in English. The national average is 72%, Longslade achieved 69%. • they have below average per cent of pupils at the end of KS4 making expected progress in Maths. The national average is 65%. Longslade achieved 50%. Longslade’s Principal Liz Hall said: “We were not satisfied and are disappointed with those results. We were pleased at the improvement in percentage of pupils getting five or more GCSEs at A* to C, going from 62% in 2009 to 72% in 2010. “We have improved our performance at GCSE English and Maths from 2009, but not as much as we would have liked. Students did not achieve on the day in their exams and we need to Pic: Principal Liz Hall consider how we prepare students. “We have put in place a number of interventions and strategies for addressing that – we have employed an additional maths teacher for one to one tuition as well as additional English tuition, for those students we have identified as needing support.” The college also has in place a six week course of academic mentoring for every Year 11 student, and post 16 students have roles Continued on page 2
100th birthday LONG TIME Birstall resident Sid Wilson celebrated his 100th birthday at the same venue he celebrated many other successes – Birstall Golf Club. Sid, a member of the club since 1948, was still playing until the age of 90, and marked that birthday by driving off the first tee in the company of his daughter, grandson and great grandson, although he was not quite up to repeating the feat this time. On his 100th birthday he enjoyed a celebratory lunch with members of his family, including his wife Mavis, daughter, two grandchildren, five great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Sid was born off Abbey lane, Leicester and spent his war service training motorcycle despatch riders, although the motorbikes they used were so noisy that the work permanently damaged his hearing. He spent his peacetime working life as a builder – running Wilson and Barrett – and currently lives with Mavis in a house he built himself in Station Road, Birstall in 1953. Among his golfing successes was winning the Novices Cup at Birstall in 1950 – a full 60 years ago! He was elected captain of the club in 1962 and president in 1981, while Mavis is also a past ladies captain and president. Sid said: “When I first played at Birstall it was still just a nine hole course because half of it had been ploughed up for producing food during the war. “My wife helps keep me young. I put my long life down to living a happy life and living well with the occasional drink. Being a member at Birstall and playing golf has also kept me active.” Even the couple’s holidays were active – in Australia Sid insisted on climbing to the top of Ayers Rock.
Pic: Sid with his message from HM The Queen
Extra Police powers PLANS TO give the Police extra powers to deal with on-street drinking are expected to be introduced to certain areas of Birstall this April. The Birstall Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places Public Order has been requested by the Police to help tackle problems of alcohol fuelled antisocial behaviour. The new powers will enable the Police to
confiscate alcohol from people drinking in the designated public area where : • nuisance or annoyance to a member of the public or a section of the public is caused, or Continued on page 2