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Schools
Top of the Class
Cai Riley wowed audiences as the Genie
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ST DAVID’S COLLEGE CENTRE STAGE
St David’s College and Stacey Oliver Photography
April saw St David’s College eagerly awaited return to the stage with a whole-school production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr at Theatr Clwyd
Not to be confused with the traditional pantomime, Aladdin Jr is based on the 1992 Academy Award-winning film and 2014 Broadway show about the ‘diamond in the rough’ street rat who learns that his true worth lies deep within.
St David’s College pupils had a chance to showcase their talents over four performances at Theatr Clwyd, also taking on production roles including make-up, sound and lighting. The leads were brilliantly performed by Sion Roberts and Charlie Russell as Aladdin and Lucie Webster and Bella Russell as Jasmine. Cai Riley gave a show-stopping performance as the Genie.
Cai, who is in his last year at the school, says the productions at St David’s are something he will really miss. “It felt euphoric being up on the stage with my friends. I felt at home. Mrs Russell and Mrs Appleton did a phenomenal job.” Jenny Appleton, head of faculty for Performing Arts praised pupils, saying: “The hard work that has been put into rehearsals has been outstanding. The results were plain – they were all magnificent. Huge thanks to UK Productions for the set hire, and the backstage team who took us to Agrabah and beyond!” Production director Kate Russell said: “It’s heart-warming to witness how pupils support one another while developing stagecraft skills, having so much fun on the way.” Explore the opportunities on offer at St David’s at the Open Day on 21st The lead stars shone May. Register at stdavidscollege.co.uk
Abbey Gate College pupils fundraise for Ukraine humanitarian crisis
Students from Abbey Gate College’s advocacy service group are creating badges in the colours of the Ukrainian flag in an ingenious fundraising initiative.
Taking their lead from the red poppies sold by the Royal British Legion for Remembrance Day, in support of the Armed Forces community, the college’s DT department, along with pupils from various year groups, devised a way to create paper sunflowers. Pupils fashion the multiple elements by upcycling the plastic components of the poppies using equipment available in the department. They are creating over 100 badges a day, with proceeds going to the DEC Ukraine Appeal.
A smart initiative PUDDING FIT FOR A QUEEN
In honour of the Royal Jubilee, the Haberdashers’ Company has launched a Platinum Pudding competition for pupils across all the Haberdashers’ The heat is on… schools. The winners will be invited to London to recreate their pudding for the Master Haberdasher to sample. They will also meet pastry chef Claire Clark MBE.
MUSIC FESTIVAL SUCCESS FOR ELLESMERE PUPILS
Ellesmere College students and former alumni turned in solid performances at the Oswestry Youth Music Festival. Competing in 34 of the 74 classes, An impressive collection! they won 19, achieving 59 top-three places. Students showcased a range of skills and styles, incorporating pop, musicals and even the first rap in the festival’s history. The Council Cup was won by an Old Ellesmerian with a brilliant performance of The Green-Eyed Dragon.
ISI RATING ‘EXCELLENT’ FOR BIRCHFIELD
Birchfield School, near Albrighton, has received a glowing rating of Excellent across the board from the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Inspectors found “enthusiastic Delighted head Sarah and ambitious learners” Morris said: “It is a fitting tribute to the diligence, skill and enthusiasm of our teachers as well as the positive attitude of our pupils and families.” The report referred to the school as “an extremely harmonious and happy community”.
RUN FOR MARMALADE
Students undertaking Ruthin School’s annual Hill Fort Run are in with the chance to win a pot of marmalade, as per the tradition of the race. Historically, marmalade from the tuck shop was offered as a prize, which was well received towards the end of term when tuck boxes were almost empty. The school has now partnered with the Marmalade Awards, and the winning runner will be presented by the winner of the Rathbones Next Generation Home of the prestigious Marmalade Awards marmalade competition.
MYDDELTON ACES TENNIS AWARDS
After transforming its tennis courts, Myddelton College in Denbigh has gone from zero to hero at the Tennis Wales Myddelton players celebrate National Awards. The college’s outdoor hard courts, restored and with lines repainted, earned Myddelton the School of the Year title from Tennis Wales, and coach John Whitehall, a former Wales tennis international, has been named Coach of the Year.
“It’s wonderful to see how Myddelton is supporting the sport,” said John. “We’ve had kids going from not playing at all to playing regularly and taking it really seriously. Tennis is becoming part of the lifeblood of the school.”
LEGACY FOR THE JUBILEE
Queen Elizabeth asked for people to plant a tree for her Jubilee – Ellesmere College has planted 70, one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign. The school grounds now boast an additional 41 species including fruit Planting underway trees, hedging trees, a Cornus controversa (wedding cake tree), giant redwood, Himalayan cedar, swamp cypress and many more. Some came from the Woodland Trust, some were donated by Old Ellesmerians and the Ellesmere College Parents’ Society, but most were provided by the school itself.
PERFORMANCE RETURNS TO NEWPORT GIRLS HIGH
Newport Girls’ High School rejoiced in being able welcome audiences back to the school for their staging of the musical Matilda. Students from Years 7-12 took part in performances over three nights, also taking production roles including choreography, sound and lighting. From the smiles, it was clear how much performing meant to all involved.
In the spotlight
OWEN IS WELSH AND BRITISH BOXING CHAMP
NPTC Group of Colleges student Owen Thomas is Welsh and British amateur junior middleweight boxing champion. Owen, 17, from Llandrindod, earned the title in his 65kg weight class at a Ken Coughlin event in Champ Owen Ebbw Vale. Owen is studying for a Level 3 NED Diploma in Coaching and Development, which he said “keeps you thinking about fi tness, nutrition and training, so it all helps to keep me focused.”
FIVE YEARS OF FACE2FACE
Performance Academy Face2Face, based in Oswestry’s Holroyd Community Theatre, is celebrating its fi fth birthday. The academy, driven by the specialist tuition of West End Face2Face: creative arts performer Michael Jenkins, o ers weekly classes in singing, dance and performance. Young performers are currently working on a musical theatre fi lm project to be fi lmed by a professional producer and screened to a live audience at the theatre later this year.
LEARNING LOCALLY IN NORTH WALES
Rydal Penrhos School is set in a fantastic location on the North Wales coast, and pupils in Year 6 have been busy discovering all about coastal erosion and protection as part of a special Geography project. It’s a topic that is especially evident across the area the school calls home. A recent excursion focused primarily on di erent methods of protecting the coastline, but also the promotion of tourism and why it’s important to invest in both.
Aberystwyth academic explores space weather
Dr David Kuridze, research fellow at the Department of Physics at Aberystwyth University, has A solar fl are been awarded a £400,000 grant to measure the magnetic field at the Sun’s outer limits, an area that appears to affect space weather.
Dr Kuridze said: “It’s a vital one to explore because the economic consequences of severe events are enormous.” Freak space weather events can disrupt satellite communications, GPS and even cause radiation poisoning. Wrexham Glyndwr University’s high-profile Crime Scene Investigation Day returned to campus this year. Students Conducting interviews on the Professional Policing course tackled Operation Zodiac, analysing four suspicious deaths that appeared to have cryptic links to star signs. Forensic Science students were also involved, and Theatre students worked as corporate role-play actors. The killer was revealed by the Criminology Society online.
Visit from an inspirational explorer
British Army officer Captain Preet Chandi, the first woman of colour to trek solo to the South Pole, inspired students at Adcote School for Girls with a talk about her epic expedition, and even brought along her sled!
Earlier this year, Captain Chandi trekked 700 miles on skis to reach the Pole in 40 days, 7hrs, 3min, pulling a 90kg sled in temperatures of -50C and 60mph winds. An Army physiotherapist with 3 Medical Regiment, Captain Chandi, 33, is only the third woman in history to trek solo and unsupported to the South Pole. The trek raised funds for charity, going
towards the launch of an adventure grant for women attempting unique challenges and an humanitarian aid charity. She is now planning her next expedition, to be the first woman to complete a solo unsupported coast-to-coast crossing of Antarctica. She told students: “You can achieve anything regardless of your background, regardless of your starting point, if you’re prepared to put in a lot of hard work.” Captain Preet Chandi of 3 Medical Regiment
COLLEGE RESTAURANT IS AA
Origins at Shrewsbury College has maintained the prestigious AA Highly Commended Rosette award for the seventh year running.
The scheme is designed to recognise college restaurants with a clear commitment to students and the industry, where food is prepared and served with care and understanding to an elevated standard in the local area. Restaurants must also demonstrate they are commercially viable and have links with local industry
Students from the Hospitality and Catering department were acknowledged for their excellent attitude and work ethic, with the inspection noting the help and support they gave each other despite different levels of study.
Origins has also been awarded the People 1st Gold Accreditation for hospitality training and has
Centre of Excellence status for
Food and Beverage.
Accepting the challenge
Telford manufacturer Filtermist International has tasked students at Bridgnorth Endowed School to create artwork that captures what clean air means to them. Students are encouraged to let their imaginations soar as they produce designs in any format, using any media. The winners will be announced on National Clean Air Day, a day to focus on how air pollution can have an impact on everybody.
Director of group marketing Lydia Barber, said: “We’re looking for original artwork to hang at our headquarters in Telford that depicts clean air, as this is essentially what our products provide.” Alongside his role as lecturer in Football Coaching and the Performance Specialist at Wrexham Glyndwr University, Chris Hughes doubles as manager of Newtown AFC in the JD Cymru Premier, Wales’ domestic league. WGU’s Chris Hughes Powys-based Newtown has gained qualification to UEFA’s Europa Conference League, launching this summer. Chris and his players now face the logistical challenge of juggling their day jobs with preparing for a taste of top-level European football.
Chris says he is relishing the opportunity of a European adventure. “I’ve told the players to enjoy every minute,” he said. “I’ve been involved in football a long time and rarely do you get a season where you’re winning trophies or playing in Europe.”
CHESHIRE COLLEGE STUDENT REACHES CRUFTS FINALS
Student Scott Bailey from Cheshire College South & West and his guide dog Milo made the finals of the Best Friends category in the 2022 Kennel Club Hero Dog Award at Crufts. The award celebrates the unique relationship people have with their dogs and the important role they play.
A dairy farmer by trade, Scott lost his sight in adulthood due to diabetic retinopathy. He was partnered with Milo and joined Cheshire College’s Crewe campus to gain skills that would help him achieve his dream of becoming a counsellor. He hopes to study further at Keele University.
O cial: Milo’s a Hero Dog
Best friends: Scott with Milo
Chester students hit the charts
As es aute re eat harum ex
Arelease by University of Chester students has entered the Music Week Commercial Pop chart, one of the UK’s major club charts, at no.
It 30, and is expected includes to climb in coming students’ weeks. ‘Get Over remixes It’ by Ali Reece/ Joe Jennings, was created entirely by Music programme students at the university, who also put together a package of remixes, which helped propel it into this prestigious chart featuring the likes of Sigala and Becky Hill.
Coleg Cambria becomes a Wales Netball Academy
Wales Netball has unveiled a new Performance Pathway to nurture talent and instil the ‘Welsh way’ of playing in the next generation of stars. Coleg Cambria is the only institution in North Wales to have been selected.
The college will help young players by hosting weekly training and conditioning sessions at its revamped £21m Yale site. They will also attend monthly National Academy sessions led by Wales Netball coaches and managers.
Cambria Sports lecturer Danielle Coxey is a national umpire and said it was “a fantastic development, for students and for netball.” Training – the Welsh way
Leading with languages
Students from Year 7 to Year 13 at Alderley Edge School for Girls are getting involved with the Language Leader Award, designed to help pupils learn to lead, using language teaching as the medium. Throughout the year-long programme they develop leadership skills and increase confidence, enhancing
their future careers. Language Leaders meet weekly to discuss new activities, plan lessons for primary schools or just think Growing by teachn about how to improve awareness of language learning. Often they have the opportunity to teach their home language, which has been extremely rewarding for them.
An evening of lively discussion
Wolverhampton Grammar School welcomed author and WGS alum Sathnam Sangra for a panel discussion about themes from his book Empireland and TV series Empire State of Mind, exploring how imperialism has shaped modern Britain.
Held in conjunction with Spectra, a social value agency in the city, an illustrious panel took questions and Sathnam signed copies of his book.
Sathnam Sangra
Students support Soil of Amhara
Students, staff and Concord College alumni teamed up to complete fundraising challenge Ride the Great Green Wall, an 8,993km …an virtual cycle and row, traversing 8,993km 12 nations across the proposed green corridor in Africa. The event was hosted in aid of Soil virtual ride and of Amhara, a charity set up row by members of the Concord community. Proceeds are being used to plant native trees in the Ethiopian highlands.
Ethiopia faces huge climate challenges
DofE success for Derwen students
BBC Newsround presenter Martin Dougan visited Derwen College to find out more about its successful Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards (DofE) programme. He talked to students at the Ciara and Martin specialist college for a feature broadcast on 21 March to tie in with World Down Syndrome Day.
Martin met students including Ciara, Duncan and Luke, who all have Down’s syndrome and are currently working towards their Gold and Silver awards.
Safety first with Aico
Pupils from Longlands Primary, Market Drayton had a fascinating day at a workshop hosted by Aico, The children loved it market leader in home life safety, with fire safety “They awareness input from haven’t Shropshire Fire and Rescue. They tackled basic electrical wiring, technical workshops and stopped talking about it” team-building. Teacher Steve Cross said: “They haven’t stopped talking about it since we got back.”
Wolverhampton race team is in pole position
UWR in action on the track The University of Wolverhampton race team UWR is the only student team in the UK competing in professional motorsport competitions. Last year saw the team crowned Formula 3 Cup Class champions, and they will now be the only university team in the new Praga Cup 2022, following a major £200k investment in a Praga R1 car and branded infrastructure by Midlands-based Highclear Investments.
Harper Adams professor gains Freedom of the City of London
Harper Adams Professor Jude Capper has received the Freedom of the City of London by redemption – part of her admission as Liveryman to the Worshipful Company of Butchers. The Company can trace its history back to 975AD, and has long-standing links with Harper Adams.
Prof. Capper has already taken part in the Boar’s Head Parade, an event dating back to the 14th century, when the Lord Mayor gave permission to the Butchers to cleanse and dispose of offal in the River Fleet. She said: “It is an exciting opportunity to become part of the Worshipful Company, both in terms of fellowship opportunities and to make a real difference Excited: Prof Capper (left) to the meat industry.” THINKING TIME
Students at Shrewsbury High School were challenged with Thinking Day, a chance to undertake varied activities with curiosity and enquiry, with the aim of promoting creative, logical and lateral thinking. Topics ranged from Design Thinking caps on! Ventura (Year 8) to The Philosophy of Thought (Year 13). Year 7s became news reporters for the day, and Year 9s created and ran their own businesses. Year 10s developed a successful model for a farm and learnt about sustainable diets. The advice to all students: it’s not what you know but how you think that will be crucial for your future problem-solving success.
BEST TV/FILM EXTRACT AWARD FOR NIA
The BFI/WJEC Moving Image Awards celebrate work by Film and Media Studies students at schools and colleges around Film maker Nia Greenwood the UK. Nia Greenwood, an A2 Media student at St Davids College, was shortlisted for Best Film/TV Extract from over 700 entries. Her winning entry, Babylon, was a claymation horror sequence, which the judges said showed much creativity and excellent use of sound to further suspense. St David’s was recognised as a Highly Commended centre due to the quality of entries from its students.
A LOVE OF LANGUAGES
Pupils at The Firs School in Chester celebrated languages from around the world with an International Mother Language Day. Activities ranged from learning to say ‘hello’ in 30 di erent languages to fi nding out about Japanese culture. As there are a number of bilingual pupils, some classes chose to learn about classmates’ ‘other’ language. Headteacher Rosemary Evans said: “The children were excited to share their new knowledge.” Learning about each other
DRAPERS’ COMPANY ANNUAL DINNER
A delegation of sta and students from Thomas Adams School attended the Drapers’ Company educational dinner at Drapers’ Hall, one of the most magnifi cent venues in London. The annual event commemorates the livery company’s educational links, and gave the school an opportunity to celebrate its recent achievements, including winning the Drapers’ Den trophy at the Livery Academy Awards.
The Company has agreed to donate £25,000 towards the furnishing of new classrooms at Thomas Adams. Head teacher Mark Cooper said: “I am extremely grateful to the Drapers’ Company for their continuing Representing Thomas Adams support.”
Meet the EXPER T
What do you specialise in?
I lecture in Graphic Design and specialise in editorial and social design. In editorial design we look at printed media, from books and magazines to leaflets and posters. Editorial design has an impact on how written information is understood and focuses on typography, graphics and illustrations.
I completed my PhD on poetry books, and I am also interested in both information and service design, where there’s the challenge of reaching people’s needs in real life. This is where social design comes in – the base of my education. It’s all about working with people and using design to work and create with society.
How did you get into this career?
I’ve always been creative – I think I have art in my veins. I initially wanted to pursue fine art at university but ended up graduating with a degree in Visual Communications. In Brazil, where I come from, the programme was very broad. We studied a host of subjects from graphics and illustration to product design. I absolutely loved it. When Brazil introduced its first Master’s in Design, I was the first to graduate.
I was invited to do some teaching because I was so passionate, although it wasn’t something I’d considered before. However, it’s rewarding seeing students go on to get higher degrees and have successful careers. I’ve worked on many curriculums over the years, helping to create courses and teaching on them. I came to the UK for my PhD and met my husband at the same time, and we decided to settle in this beautiful country.
What does the Graphic Design course entail?
We try to bring in as many real-demand aspects as possible and have students working like real graphic designers. They work with other students across similar programmes to get a sense of collaboration. In their first year they work alongside the Illustration students and develop projects with them. Motion graphics and digital design are also part of the universe we deal with and it is common to develop projects incorporating film as well.
The programme is a blend of theory and practice and all of our students begin with design theory. They start by researching a subject, learning what has already been done. They then go on to develop their own ideas and show the process behind them. How did they make certain decisions? What led them to choose a particular colour or font? When we introduce real clients, they are also partners in the team. The last stage is when we finalise what will be printed, to be evaluated by users or the tutors.
In all of their projects, students need to be able to explain their process and how they did their research. We want them to have a strong set of theoretical, practical and academic skills and knowledge. In their final year they create a project where they utilise all of those skills.
We also offer short courses on Adobe Creative Suite, teaching the wider community who are interested in learning digital skills.
Dr Heliana Pacheco, Lecturer in Graphic Design
What’s required to get on the course?
We always want to see what students have created to gauge their potential. It can be
photographs they have taken, illustrations, typography, anything that expresses their creativity. I like to see how they developed their work and shaped their ideas. Their portfolio doesn’t need to be professional – they’ll be coming here to learn – but we want to see what they have done, be it an example of how they organise their photos, or their sketches, or letter writing.
Students also need to have a good sense of observation, aesthetics and composition, to be able to recognise the differences in texts and how they can be used. Above all, we want to see some creativity and passion.
We offer a foundation year students can complete before the degree programme, if they want to build up their confidence and skills first. It can also be a way to create a portfolio if they don’t have much to show us.
What practical work do students get involved with?
their ideas and bringing their vision to life. We ensure our students work on as many projects as possible to develop these skills and prepare them for a career in the industry. Our students are currently working on projects at our Regent Street campus, creating signage, learning, and applying their creativity on a sustainable project using the resources and technology from our own university. They’ve also worked closely with Wrexham Museum on an award-winning exhibition about the Roman site in Holt.
On the Graphic Design course our students are involved with a host of projects and have the opportunity to create so many different products. They can create their own typeface, work on designing logos, make a movie – as we did this year for the Lego exhibition in Wrexham Museum. They can create magazines, which we did last year and are doing again for the North Wales Public Service Board. Our L4 students created a poetry book with four Welsh poets, while others developed a wayfinding project for the School of Creative Arts. They also worked on a corporate communication project involving branding and producing a newsletter.
What career opportunities can it lead to?
Our students graduate with excellent communication training and the ability to collaborate and work with anyone alongside their design experience. They can take these skills into many industries, not just graphic design. Many students go on to set up their own businesses, work in social communications or even in creative roles within the media and film industries.
Why should people choose Wrexham Glyndwr University?
I used to teach huge classes of students in Brazil and one of my favourite things about Glyndwr is the smaller class sizes. It gives staff a chance to teach on a personal level and address their students’ individual demands and needs.
