2013 Annual Report by Schudio

2013 Annual Report

Front Cover Celebrating our Community

Contents Chair of Governorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Introduction Principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message Inspiring Learning Developing Mind & Character Building Your Future Fylde Coast Teaching School Blackpool Sixth Governors Graphs and Statistics Student Awards 2013 Student Artwork

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Our Mission Statement:

Inspiring learning, developing mind and character, building your future.

Cover artwork by Libby Williams Lower Sixth Student Formerly of Montgomery High School

If you require this information presented in a different format please contact: Mark Williams on 01253 394911 or mwilliams@blackpoolsixth.ac.uk

www.blackpoolsixth.ac.uk

Chair of Governors’ Introduction Welcome to our Annual report for 2013 which records some of the impressive achievements of students and staff over the last year. Our academic results continue to excel, but there is more to achievement than successes in examinations and modules. By developing mind and character, students acquire a commitment to the community beyond the college, which prepares them for their future responsibility as global citizens. Locally, the college’s commitment is further displayed by the establishment of the Fylde Coast Teaching School, with the objective of improving educational outcomes throughout the Fylde Coast, see page 25. The development of the college estate continues and we hope to be able to announce news about the next phase of our building programme in the very near future. John Boyle JP CAifs DipPFS NLG Chair of Governors

Principal’s message This small volume can only show a limited number of the numerous events, successes and achievements of the students and staff at Blackpool Sixth Form. Whilst proud of the academic achievements of our students, we hope we also demonstrate our commitment to educating the whole person and furthering the ambitions and interests of each student. That so many students and staff get involved in our local communities is further cause for celebration. We are also conscious of our role as a Teaching School in supporting other organisations and developing our staff. At the end of this year we will be saying “Goodbye” to our Director of Learning, Andrew Boden. After 22 years at the college, Andrew has deservedly been promoted to Deputy Principal at Sir John Deane College in Cheshire. Originally a student and then a trainee teacher at this college, Andrew has given outstanding service to students and teachers alike and benefitted from the many opportunities available to our staff. His place in the senior team will now be taken by Stephanie Benson, currently Head of Social Sciences at the college. We wish them both well in their new posts. Felicity Greeves OBE MA PGCE DMS Principal 3

Inspiring Learning At the centre of all that we do is our outstanding teaching and learning. Our students take part in exciting learning which goes well beyond the classroom through international and community based projects.

(Facing page) In March a group of A level Physics students visited CERN in Switzerland, site of the Large Hadron Collider. They found out first hand about the latest developments in particle physics. (Right) Students from the A level Religion, Ethics and Philosophy course visited Rome in March just as preparations were being made for the election of the new Pope. Students visited the Vatican, St Peter's Basilica and experienced the Catacombs of Priscilla. (Below) Students from both the Visual Arts department and the Business department travelled across the Atlantic to take part in busy itineraries related to their studies. The Visual Arts students (below right) visited the world-famous Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and attended events as part of New York Fashion week. Economics students (below left) had a tour of the financial district, taking in the Federal Reserve Bank and the New York Stock Exchange.

(Above left) Students from the new BTEC Dance course performing their version of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson in our Christmas Showcase. The night was a huge success, with students from Baines School, Palatine Community Sports College, Montgomery High School, Hodgson Academy, Bispham High School and Collegiate High School attending in fancy dress.

(Left) In December we presented “Music for a Winter’s Night” in partnership with Lancashire Music Service. The show featured our choir and chamber choir singing a range of seasonal favourites. The Lancashire Youth Jazz Orchestra and our own Trad Jazz group played some dynamic jazz classics. (Above right and facing page) Performing Arts, Drama and Theatre Studies and Music students put on the musical “Our House” over three nights in March. The show, based on the music of the cult band Madness, featured a full size Morris Minor and some spectacular dance routines. 6

(Right) Second year student, Laura Tingle, was named as the best BTEC Art and Design student in the country and received her award at a ceremony in London.

(Bottom left and centre) Students from the Visual Arts department had their work exhibited at many venues across the Fylde Coast, including the FYCreatives gallery in Blackpool and Marsh Mill in Thornton Cleveleys.

(Bottom right) Two enterprising students, Adam Finnegan and Danny Hodgkinson started a T shirt design company, Carr Road Clothing.

(Above left) Students from Blackpool Sixth, Cardinal Allen Catholic High School, Collegiate High School and Unity College were treated to a day of enthralling poetry. The day included readings from world famous poets such as John Siddique and Terry Caffery. The students also heard a mix of traditional and contemporary readings from ex-student Dominic Hale. Economic students, Sam Mortimer (left) and Matt Parry (far left) both graduated from the Career Academy in May this year. Sam, as part of the Career Academy, completed a six week summer internship at Lloyds Banking Group. Sam impressed the company so much that they offered her a part-time job alongside her studies to further develop her skills within the company. (Above right) In October, the Science Department participated in National Biology Week with a series of events and activities. As part of the week Biology students attended a talk on the Costa Rican rainforest and a careers workshop. They also organised a cell-themed bake sale and a wildlife fancy dress day with proceeds going to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Genetic Disorders UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; charity.

(Left) Fourteen Law students from Blackpool Sixth travelled to Manchester in November to compete in the regional heats of the Bar National Mock Trial competition. The legal team came second in a closely contested final. Afterwards, the judge remarked that “the teams had upped their game enormously, the final was of an extremely high quality”.

(Left) A team of students took on a staff team in a Spelling Bee competition. This was part of “Spelling Week” organised by the Sixth Form library to highlight the importance of honing literacy skills. In a USA-style Spelling Bee, contestants were asked to spell out loud, words of increasing difficulty, culminating in a head-to-head battle. The list of words included plenty to challenge even the most accomplished speller, such as “flocculate” and “lachrymose”. And who won? After a closely fought contest, the staff won by a whisker. The word which clinched it was that tricky little one, “graffiti”.

(Left) In February A level Music students, Hannah Thornton and Dan Jones, had the experience of conducting the Blackpool Symphony Orchestra during one of their rehearsals. The Blackpool Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is “orchestra in residence” at Blackpool Sixth. This is a unique arrangement that allows music students at the Sixth Form to learn from accomplished performers and gain a better understanding of classical music.

(Above left) In September we introduced a BTEC Engineering course and opened new workshop facilities. The course has a strong focus on industry links with students visiting engineering-related companies such as the Springfields nuclear site. It has proven to be a great course and we have been extremely impressed with our first cohort of Engineering students. (Above right) BTEC Creative Media Production student, Fazil Kizhakkayil, won a film poster design competition run by an Indian multimedia company. The prize was a top of the range DSLR Camera and Fazil commented, “I use it all the time now and I can’t put it down… and the quality it produces for my work is fantastic.” Blackpool Sixth students, such the Maths student (pictured left) are making full use of new technology in their learning. We have expanded our use of iPads in the classroom in 2012/13. A pilot scheme saw the devices being used by all students in five subject areas: AS English Literature, AS Economics, AS Biology, AS Chemistry and Year 1 BTEC Sports & Exercise Science. 10

Developing Mind & Character A key part of our mission is to enable our students to grow into confident and capable young people. We help them develop into active and engaged citizens who know how to support their peers and contribute to their communities.

(Above left) Lower Sixth student, Amy Cartmell was selected for a prestigious programme of mentoring run by the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and the exam board AQA. Amy is being mentored by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist hockey player, Charlotte Hartley. (Above right) BTEC Level 3 IT Practitioners students entered a competition to create a flier to promote Blackpool F.C.’s Gold Bond prize draw. The winner, Marisa George won a signed first team shirt and her design was distributed to 5000 people at a home game. (Left) In January 2012 Blackpool Sixth hosted a presentation by the British Army on recent developments in the army’s roles and structure. In attendance were a number of students from Blackpool Sixth’s new BTEC Level 3 Public Services course. 12

Team India 2013 For the second time in three years students from the Team India programme worked with a primary school in Dharamsala, northern India, to improve the facilities and education available to the local community. They also visited many important sites of interest including the Taj Mahal and had an audience with one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, his Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa.

Former England rugby coach, Brian Ashton, spoke to our Sports students about the importance of goal setting. Many of the students commented on how inspirational they found the talk.

Blackpool Sixth Basketball Academy assistant coach Chris Hodkin (left) lifted England Basketball's National Trophy in March. Chris who plays for Huddersfield Heat in National League Division 3, played an important part in the victory alongside fellow former Blackpool Sixth player Mark Rangeley (right).

In December Blackpool Sixth once again hosted the AllStars Awards for youth sport in the Fylde Coast. The event, run in partnership with the Gazette, celebrated the achievements of individuals, teams and coaches. Amongst the judging panel were local Paralympians, Shelley Woods and Myles Pearson.

Blackpool Sixth was chosen as one of the few colleges in the North West to receive Sport England funding to appoint a college Sport Maker. The Sport Maker programme will help develop and promote opportunities for our students to participate in sport in the community.

The Blackpool Sixth Rugby Academy side had an extremely successful season, making good use of the new on site rugby pitch. The team finished second in the North West Colleges’ League Division 1 and are looking to improve on this position next season.

Louis Cross won the accolade of being chosen as the League Football Education apprentice of the month in February, an award given only to the top performing trainees at professional league clubs across the country. Louis achieved a triple distinction star in his BTEC Sports Studies at Blackpool Sixth. The star apprentice will be joining the University of Akron in Ohio, the top-rated college in America for football. They were national champions in 2010 and have had more players drafted into Major League Soccer since 2006 than any other university.

Talented hockey player, Alix Townsend, was selected to represent Great Britain as part of the British Colleges team. This is the second time Alix has played at international level.

The Blackpool Sixth boys’ basketball academy had another highly successful season, finishing second in the North West Colleges’ league. The basketball academy has achieved consistently high levels of success in recent years. 15

30 students completed their final Duke of Edinburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award expedition in the Scottish Highlands in July. The Duke of Edinburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gold Award involves the students completing at least twelve months of volunteering, between six and twelve months of physical and skills programmes and have undertaken a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for five days and four nights.

Twelve students from Blackpool Sixth had an insight into the challenges faced by delegates at the United Nations. The students attended the Model United Nations Conference (MUN) in Birmingham in March.

The Blackpool Sixth student magazine, Sixth Sense, was once again short-listed for a number of honours in the national Shine Media awards for schools and colleges. The editors, Sarah Caulfield and Ellie Millard will find out in late June if the magazine is once again selected as the overall winner.

Blackpool Sixth Fundraising Blackpool Sixth students have involved themselves in a wide range of fundraising ventures in 2012-13, raising valuable funds for a variety of local and national charities. In December, a team of ten students and staff braved the cold to run the Blackpool Santa Dash in aid of Trinity Hospice. In February students baked cakes using fairly-traded ingredients to raise money for the Fairtrade Foundation. Also in February, students and staff held a “onesie day” and raised a huge £700 for the Anthony Nolan Trust which supports those diagnosed with blood cancers.

(Top Left) Two Blackpool Sixth Form students received national recognition for their youth work in Blackpool. Bethany Acton and Dale Rayner from the Blackpool Young People’s Council (BYPC) collected a “highly commended” award at the “Children and Young People Now” awards in London in November. (Centre) Falklands veteran, Simon Weston OBE, gave the annual Memorial Lecture in November. He gave an inspiring talk to over three hundred guests, including students from Blackpool Sixth and Collegiate High School, Trustees and friends of the Sixth Form, about his experiences during and since the Falklands War and the importance of self-belief. We would like to acknowledge the contribution made to college by Joyce Birtwhistle (centre left) who passed away in March at the age of 91. Joyce was the Executive Trustee of the Blackpool Grammar School War Memorial Foundation and was a familiar sight around college attending many events and entertaining us all with her reminiscences. (Below) Members of the Blackpool Sixth Sustainability Group received the Blackpool Civic Trust Senior Shield for Conservation at an awards ceremony and dinner at the Winter Gardens in March. The award was handed over by Sir Jimmy Armfield CBE.

(Left) As part of our programme of visits and activities for local schools, we welcomed eight primary pupils from St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic School in Fleetwood. The visit gave the pupils an insight into some of the study opportunities on offer for them in the future. (Below Left) In March our international students helped to organise an evening of food and presentations for the Palatine Rotary Club. The students shared their experiences of coming to study in the UK and gave the Rotarians an insight into life in their home countries. Food was served from each studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s country, based on recipes they supplied.

(Below right) Students from the AS and A level German courses once again took part in an exchange visit with a school in Oberhausen. In March they spent a week in Germany and worked as language assistants in primary schools. The visit sees our long term connection with Oberhausen continued for another successful year.

Building your future... Our new buildings are the outward sign of our spirit of innovation. We are preparing our students for a rapidly changing world where they will face many challenges. Our work with local schools, businesses and community groups is a crucial aspect of our forward-looking approach. Following the complete transformation of the sixth form campus over the past few years with new facilities for all subject areas, in 2012-13 we carried out a full refurbishment of the sports hall and opened a new dining and social space, Relish. 20

Sustainable Sixth (Upper left) In October the sixth form was awarded Green Flag status as part of the national Eco Schools programme. We became the first post-16 college to hold this award. The award recognised excellent work in cutting the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carbon footprint, promoting environmental awareness and carrying out conservation projects in the local community.

(Right) As part of the Green Flag work, the Eco Action and Sustainability groups have been involved in a food and flower growing project located in a new polytunnel near the Holland block. The project links with the wider Grow Blackpool project.

(Lower left) In Autumn 2012, the Eco Action group carried out extensive work to improve and monitor biodiversity on the campus and in the local area. The group linked with the North Blackpool Pond Trail community project.

Employability Blackpool Sixth students are encouraged to take advantage of work experience opportunities in order to assist them with their future careers. In 2012-13 there were many examples of enterprising students securing interesting and rewarding work placements. For example, BTEC Travel and Tourism student Bradley Everied (right) successfully pursued a number of much sought after training opportunities with the Virgin group of companies. He received a personal commendation from the Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Atlantic.

Blackpool Sixth further enhanced its work to support students in their career planning. An extensive series of events were held to help provide information and advice for students contemplating their next step. This included a Careers Week, featuring the input of many employers, including the NHS and London-based financial expert, Mark Mills (below left).

Craig Hodgkinson (above) has also been helping to support the development of the arts in Blackpool. He was employed by Blackpool Council to work on the Wordpool Literature Festival which took place in the autumn of 2012.

BTEC Dance students Pippa Cullen (left) and Jessica Elliott (right) both landed excellent employment opportunities related to their studies. Pippa was chosen for a unique apprenticeship placement with Blackpool Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dance development programme. Jessica was chosen as one of only four dancers to work with world-renowned magician and entertainer, Richard De Vere at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Sixth Alumni Amy Groves (right) achieved two A*s and an A grade in her A levels, which were English Literature, French and Modern History. Amy progressed to the University of Oxford to study English Language and Literature. During her time at Blackpool Sixth Amy also received the English Literature Prize at the Student Awards. Sophie Atton (left) achieved 3 A grades in her A levels, which were, French, German and Spanish. Sophie currently studies Modern European Languages at Edinburgh University. Sophie was also involved in one of Blackpool Sixthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school exchange programmes, where she spent time teaching languages in a German primary school.

Chizelle Wood gained a double distinction in BTEC Level-3 Applied Science, an A in A level Art, Craft & Design and a B in A level Art (Graphic Design). Chizelle currently studies Special Effects at the University of Hertfordshire and hopes to become a special effects artist after her studies.

Craig Young achieved 3 A grades in his A levels, which were Geography, Economics and Computing. Craig left us in 2007 and went on to study Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Sheffield. After university, Craig decided to pursue his dream job and became a First Mate on the sailing vessel, Provident. He is involved with running team-building experiences for business people and working with disadvantaged young people.

Are you a former student? We love to hear from our former students and we like to hear how you are progressing. Our work experience team can also arrange for you to give talks and presentations to our current students. You can give something back and improve the learning experience for our students. For more information about how you can help our current students or update us on your career please visit:

www.blackpoolsixth.ac.uk or call: 01253 394911

Our 11 committed institutions include:

Together with Hodgson Academy, Blackpool Sixth Form College has created the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance to share outstanding practice in teaching and learning throughout the whole of the Fylde Coast. The Teaching School is a ‘not for profit’ company limited by guarantee and is an exempt charity. It has no share capital and cannot pay dividends or distributions to its members. Based within an Alliance of 10 local schools and including a university, new entrants to teaching can be trained and can qualify in local schools whilst existing teachers can improve their skills and qualifications with the help of schools and colleges already classified by OFSTED as “Outstanding”.

* Blackpool Sixth Form College * Hodgson Academy * Breck Primary School * Garstang Community Academy * Hambleton Primary Academy * Highfurlong School * Montgomery High School * Roseacre Primary Academy * St Mary’s Catholic College * University of Cumbria * Westcliff Primary School

Teaching and Learning

School to School Support

Our specially selected, nationally accredited courses are run by experienced, highly trained facilitators and coaches. * Outstanding Teacher Programme * Improving Teacher Programme

Our team of nationally trained Leaders in Education can provide bespoke support at all levels and in a range of subjects and service areas such as teaching and learning, leadership and data management.

Initial Teacher Training The School Direct Route

The School Direct route is a new initiative in teacher training which provides trainee teachers with the opportunity to undertake the majority of their training ‘on the job’, meaning greater input on the practical application of teaching and learning from experienced school mentors. The Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance is currently recruiting students for 2013/14 in both primary and secondary education. We are also running: School Leadership Courses Teaching and Learning Courses School Support Services

Why choose to qualify with the Fylde Coast Teaching School? * School-based teacher training in local schools * One day a week in professional development activities * Bursaries available

For more information visit: www.fyldecoastteachingschool. blackpool.sch.uk or email: dkieran@blackpoolsixth.ac.uk

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