15 minute read
EDUCATION
EDUCATIONNEWS
ENTERTAINING EVENING
Westholme was delighted to welcome comedian Michael McIntyre to the sold-out Croston Theatre at the school. In conjunction with Silverwood Events, he visited as part of the national tour for his new book A Funny Life. Michael undertook a riotously entertaining 40-minute interview with John ‘Gilly’ Gillmore from BBC Radio Lancashire. He then bravely embraced a rapid-fire Q&A from students and members of the 500 strong crowd. What a night!
MOTOR VEHICLE PROJECT
NEW HEADMASTER
Blackburn College has been selected to lead a new £1.3m motor vehicle project created to bridge the skills gap in low-carbon vehicle mechanics. The Lancashire Automotive Skills Accelerator Project has been funded by the Department for Education as part of its Skills Accelerator Strategic Development Fund. The project also supports the government’s commitment to withdrawing the sale of new petrol or diesel cars in 2030 as part of the UK’s net-zero targets. Low-carbon skills centres housing cutting-edge technology will be established
It is an exciting time for Giggleswick as the school welcomes new Headmaster, Mr Sam Hart from Winchester College. He brings with him a wealth of experience having been a housemaster, head of the CCF, head of sport and a teacher of physics. He was previously an Army Air Corps pilot, and he was awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding leadership. He is looking forward to moving to Yorkshire with his wife and two children.
PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY
Pupils, parents and staff recently celebrated Oakhill’s 43rd Annual Prize Giving. Owen Coyle Junior, owner and managing director of CO2 Sports Management presented the prizes to returning and current pupils, in front of parents past and present and their families. Invited guests included the Mayor and Mayoress of the Ribble Valley, Clitheroe Town Mayor and Mayoress and school governors. Following the proceedings there was an extensive buffet which provided an excellent opportunity for parents, staff and pupils to meet once more.
across Lancashire and teachers will be trained to ensure that courses meet the needs of employers and the industry. The project will create five Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Skills Centres across Lancashire at Blackburn College, Blackpool and the Fylde College, Lancaster and Morecambe College, Myerscough College and Nelson and Colne College Group. A Lancashire Independent Garage Network will be established to support motor vehicle businesses across Lancashire.
TENNIS WIN
Stonyhurst are delighted to announce it has won the 2021 Tennis Lancashire Schools Award, for a second year running at the Tennis Lancashire Awards in December. Stonyhurst’s nomination now goes forward to be considered for the LTA North Region 2022 Award in the New Year. The awards are presented each year, with coaches, volunteers, clubs and other tennis venues being nominated by individuals across the county and then decided by the awards committee of Tennis Lancashire.
EDUCATIONNEWS
RUNNING CLUB
Oakhill’s Running Club was delighted to head to Blackpool last term for the welcome return of their annual Run the Lights trip. The group ran the full 9km length of the illuminations, keeping an excellent pace and enjoying the sights along the way. A well-earned chippy tea at the end rounded off a great evening. Well done everyone!
EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
Burnley College is taking the lead in the world of fitness training as it becomes the first college in the UK to secure an educational partnership with pioneering online fitness experts Les Mills. Combining the industry-leading expertise of Les Mills with the drive and passion of Burnley College’s Fitness Evolution will uniquely position the on-site sport and training facility at the £100 million campus to deliver career boosting qualifications to students. Using their trademark online choreographed group exercise programmes, the partnership will allow students to earn official Les Mills qualifications, ensuring they stand out from the crowds in the competitive sports and fitness careers market or for places on in-demand courses at universities across the country. Fitness Evolution Manager Ash Alderson said: “You really can’t get any better than Les Mills in the fitness world. To combine their skills, expertise and knowledge with ours means our students are getting industry-leading training which is miles ahead of anything else out there. To be the first college in the UK to be able to build Les Mills into our educational offer is outstanding. We’re so proud.”
ACTIVE MILE
Schoolchildren across Lancashire have been encouraged to get outside in the fresh air by completing an Active Mile. Organised by Active Lancashire and the School Games Organiser network, primary and secondary aged schoolchildren were challenged to log a mile of physical exercise as part of the launch of the Lancashire School Games 2022. Complementing the Active Mile was an Active Journey initiative for parents, carers, grandparents and businesses to get involved. They were encouraged to support a school by replacing a car journey by walking, running or cycling. The initiative took place as SPAR renewed its sponsorship of the Lancashire School Games for a 15th consecutive year. The games will culminate in a celebration event in Blackpool’s Stanley Park on Tuesday 5th July 2022.
LIT IN COLOUR
Students and staff at Burnley College Sixth Form Centre celebrated after being awarded more than 130 books from an international publisher as part of a campaign to increase the number of authors from minority groups on the curriculum. The books included popular titles Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera, A Promised Land by Barack Obama and We Are All The Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan. All are penned by a diverse range of authors, including people of colour and LGBTQ+ writers and form part of the Lit In Colour campaign spearheaded by publisher Penguin. Representatives from more than 1,600 schools and colleges across the UK wrote essays on how their students would benefit. Jennifer Brown, A Level English Lecturer said: “We want to ensure we all speak about diversity, experience and under-represented voices as openly and honestly as possible, no matter how uncomfortable these issues may be. It’s about making sure that Burnley College is at the forefront of conversations about inclusion and diversity.”
THE EXCITEMENT IS
BUILDING…
With numbers for Westholme’s Senior School already increasing to capacity, the popularity of the Lancashire school continues to build. Parents in the region are realising what a truly exceptional education Westholme can deliver to their children. Alongside the academic excellence, authenticated by the fantastic results achieved by both GCSE and A Level students in the summer, the holistic excellence of the school is being increasingly recognised by prospective families. Dr Richard Robson, Principal at Westholme School commented: “The myriad of opportunities at Westholme set any child up with the necessary life skills to build their own character and develop their individual interests and abilities as they go through life and into the world of adulthood and work. This combined with the passion, guidance and encouragement the school delivers, helps shape your child into a confident, independent and balanced individual.” As the new Westholme Prep School continues to come together, excitement is gathering momentum, writes Meena McDonald
Aside from academic excellence, what else can parents expect for their children from this rather unique independent school? What will it provide for their child that is so exceptional that they can’t get anywhere else in the region?
Take a peep at just some of the exciting opportunities available to children joining the new Prep School. The excitement is – diving in!
With its superb swimming pool based at Wilmar Lodge, each child will be able to swim every week, not only learning essential life skills but also having fun with their friends and keeping fit. If they choose to, they can be part of the competitive school swimming team.
The excitement is – performing!
With a professional theatre on-site, children from the age of four right through to 18 can explore their creativity and build their confidence and communication skills on
stage with the outstanding productions the school delivers.
The excitement is – competing!
A multitude of opportunities exist with the Astroturf, tennis courts, outdoor space and pool. Choose from football, hockey, tennis, cricket, rounders, rugby, netball and cross country to develop team building and leadership skills, physical agility and, most importantly, having fun.
The excitement is – experimenting!
Each science laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled teaching staff, who are accessible to all children from the age of four right through to GCSE and A Level. They support each child to develop their inquisitiveness, build their analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as having the space to carry out fascinating experiments.
The excitement is – recording!
With a specialist, professional recording studio on site, the school provides the facilities to every child who has an interest in music and sound, experimenting with voiceovers, soundtracks, animation and a whole range of other stimulating possibilities. communication, confidence and problemsolving skills.
The excitement is – exploring!
The forest school allows children to explore nature and the woodlands, helping them to understand the environment and develop their independence, curiosity and creative skills.
The excitement is – communicating!
The language facilities at Westholme are exceptional with each child taught by the most skilled staff right from the early years through to 18, should they choose to take a language up to A Level standard. Children can learn to communicate in Latin, Mandarin, Spanish, German and French, providing communication skills that will help guide them through life.
The excitement is – making it!
Creative arts, food and design technology all allow children to explore their creative and technical skills, utilising the most advanced facilities on site to develop their The excitement is – growing!
The school continues to grow and develop as parents and children realise just how extraordinary it is and the opportunities it can provide to their children. Dr Robson concludes: “The most important aspect for Westholme is that it retains
THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT FOR WESTHOLME IS THAT IT RETAINS ITS WARM, CARING AND WHOLESOME FAMILY CULTURE
its warm, caring and wholesome family culture, nurturing every child that attends the school to ensure they develop into exceptional individuals. With access to the most outstanding facilities from the minute they arrive at the school, combined with teaching staff who are skilled, empathetic and supportive, the unique and inspirational possibilities are limitless.” If you would like to find out more about how your child would benefit from such a well-rounded education, call 01254 506070 and the team will happily have a chat with you or arrange for you to pop in and have a look around the remarkable school. n
Westholme School Wilmar Lodge, Meins Road Blackburn BB2 6QU 01254 506070 westholmeschool.com
This brings in other clubs and societies, academic competitions, online learning and external commitments such as representing the county or region in sport or an orchestra.
Anna added: “We want to show each student that they’re valued, no matter what their strengths. We want everyone to participate in all areas of CASE to ensure they have broad skills and to help develop their self-confidence.
“Our diploma recognises that our pupils are developing all aspects of our Learner Profile and will leave us as skilled, proactive, creative and resilient individuals.”
The diploma will be weighted at 70 per cent for academic effort and progress, and 30 per cent for CASE. Anna explained: “The majority of points will be achieved for
NEW DIPLOMA
‘Ambition, Respect and Participation,’ is at the heart of a new diploma launched by Giggleswick School to reward the all-round achievements of its students
Giggleswick School will continue to offer GCSEs, A Levels and BTEC courses, but a new Giggleswick Diploma will go further – recognising each child’s efforts in the classroom, their academic progress and their participation and development in co-curriculum activities.
Deputy head Anna Wood is overseeing the project. She said: “We really think it’s important to highlight the all-round nature of education and not lose sight of the whole child.
“Academic progress is clearly very important to us, but we also know that learning happens both inside and outside the classroom. We strongly believe education is more than just numbers and grades.
“Traditionally there’s been an academic curriculum and an extended curriculum – such as all the sports, music and drama clubs – but in reality, we’ve always seen it as one curriculum designed to bring the best out of each child.
“The Giggleswick Diploma ties it all together under one umbrella, with sufficient breadth and balance for each pupil to help them become a well-rounded individual.”
The independent school offers a huge range of more than 70 co-curricular activities with its Creative, Active and Service (CAS) programme. As well as several team and individual sports, students can take part in art, languages, music, media, maths and drama clubs, participate in outdoor pursuits (including the school’s own mountain bike track), or be part of the Combined Cadet Force or Duke of Edinburgh Award.
To CAS, enrichment has been added (CASE) to become a super-curriculum. academic effort and developing a strong work ethic, which is key to future success.
“We also want to develop a growth mindset that promotes acting on feedback to improve performance.”
There are four levels for the diploma – Foundation for the junior school, Lower School (Years 7 and 8), Middle School (Years 9, 10 and 11) and Sixth Form. Within each diploma stage there will be three levels of achievement – Pass, Merit and Distinction.
Anna said: “For the earlier years, we want the CASE participation to be wide across all areas, but if they have a particular talent for sport or music, in the advanced diploma pupils will be able to score double points in specialist areas.”
She added: “We really hope the diploma will be warmly welcomed by students and parents. It will be a great way to show their all-round education to prospective employers or universities and give them something to show for everything else they do at school rather than just a piece of paper with their exam results.” n
Giggleswick School Giggleswick, Settle North Yorkshire BD24 0DE 01729 893000 enquiries@giggleswick.org.uk
accounts from those working on the front lines of conservation and humanitarianism, focusing on disaster relief, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, carbon storage technology and food consumption. Another speaker, award-winning author and campaigner James Sellick, spoke about the impacts of palm oil and industrial meat production as well as his experiences creating large scale campaigns with Greenpeace.
Other notable speakers included activist Lindsey Cole, wildlife expert Russ Hedley, Paul Taylor MBE Operations Response Manager for RE-ACT Disaster Response, Guardian journalist Ash Bhardwaj, Jess Johnson from the Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Federation, Hannah Rutzen founder of the American Shark Conservancy and Dr Lydia Tiller from Save the Elephants.
Ian Murphy, Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall
TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE
Pupils at Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall recently took part in an outreach education project led by a host of impressive climate experts, activists and authors
During the final week of the COP26 climate change conference, pupils from Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall Prep School took part in an event designed to act against climate change. Children at the independent school were presented with a host of engaging workshops hosted by Creature, an outreach education project.
Creature state that in the latest scientific report, there is currently a 50:50 chance of global climates rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next 20 years. Even with every pledge made from world leaders to date, temperatures are still on track for a 2.7 degrees Celsius rise in the next 80 years, unless there is swift action.
Over the course of two days, 24 workshops were presented at the school by distinguished experts from various industries, with multiple virtual lessons being held by experts and organisations from around the world.
Notable speakers included Jack Randall, zoologist, filmmaker and National Geographic presenter. Jack presented real-life creatures during his talk with St Mary’s Hall pupils, including a snake, tarantula and cane toad and shared his adventures from around the world, speaking about the effects of climate change on wildlife.
Stonyhurst pupils heard first-hand witness Headmaster said: “Our pupils are the agents of positive change today, and in many years to come. They understand the urgency and can increasingly hear the ‘cry of the earth, and the cry of the poor’, acting immediately, both individually and collectively.”
During the event St Mary’s Hall pupils were curious and engaged about the issues facing the earth. There was a particular emphasis upon the plight of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, and the exaggerated and disproportionate impact climate change is causing in many of the developing countries. Pupils are now keen to embrace their own lifestyle changes to help protect the planet and all its people for future generations, enabling them to become ‘men and women for others’.
The outreach education project, Creature, was founded by author and eco journalist Sarah Roberts, whose first picture book was read out on CBeebies bedtime stories by Tom Hardy in March 2021. n
