Education

School celebrates harvest festival

Seasonal celebrations were held in North Cadbury Church as children from North Cadbury Primary School celebrated harvest. Friends and family gathered for a Harvest Festival with the donations going to the Lord’s Larder in Yeovil.

Tuning in to school’s new online radio

Bryanston School in the heart of Dorset has launched a new internet-based radio station for pupils, staff and parents. BryRadio is the culmination of six months of hard work by pupils and staff to develop a dedicated and comprehensive radio station that provides a blend of entertainment, news, chat, podcasts and live music. Sponsored by the Bryanston Parents’ Association, the station broadcasts 24/7 from a state-of the-art and highly automated studio and is not only available on iPads, laptops and phones and in communal areas around the campus but is also readily accessible anywhere in the world. Chris Mills, Bryanston’s Head of Design and Technology, who has overseen the development of BryRadio, said: “The enthusiasm of the pupils for the new radio station has been tremendous and is providing them with a host of new skills, experiences and opportunities. It is also giving a new dimension for parental engagement, as all parents wherever they are around the globe can now always stay fully up to date with all activities at the school.” BryRadio is run by a team of pupils across all age groups and is available through an app, through a smart speaker or from its own dedicated website. The app also enables listeners to send messages and interact with the studio. The station broadcasts a wide range of music selected by pupils and staff, and the programme schedule includes six live shows on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The weekend shows include live commentaries and reports on important sports matches and a round-up of all sports, concerts, plays and events, and a special Sunday Show looks forward to the week ahead. The pupils have created a large selection of BryRadio jingles that are played throughout the day. “I’ve absolutely loved being involved in this project”, said Nathalia Johnson, 18. Media Production Agency Indico Media has supported Bryanston with the development of the new radio station. Its director Justin King said: “The passion of the pupils for the project, the commitment of the staff and the support of the wider Bryanston community has been exceptional.”

ON AIR: Lola Gupta and Nathalia Johnson presnt a show on BryRadio

By Nicci Brown

newsdesk@ blackmorevale.net

Nearly 100 students of The Blandford School camped out in sleeping bags and cardboard boxes in the school grounds on the night of October 8 as part of YMCA Bournemouth’s Sleep Easy. Sleep Easy’s have been YMCA’s main fundraising event across the UK since 2010, seeing more than 7,000 people sleep rough and raising more than £1.5m for local YMCA services that help people rebuild and transform their lives. This year was the third in which The Blandford School had participated, and after only a few dozen took part in 2018 and 2019, there was a record turnout of 94, some individually and some in groups, for the event. Several of the students really looked up at the stars without a roof over them. They were encouraged by a donation from Bryanston School of £1K where some of the students work in the evenings. This has taken their total to just under £5K with more still expected to come in, well over their £4,000 fundraising target on their Virgin MoneyGiving page. For details see The Blandford School Facebook page. Unlike those who are homeless they did this with friends, in a safe and secure place and only for one night. Sheena Daynan, event organiser from YMCA Bournemouth, said: “We do much more than just give people a roof over their heads, although we do that very well. We give our residents one to one support and the tools to move forward again to independent living.” She said homelessness continued to be on the increase, and it was not just about sleeping in the streets. Students in several schools are sofa surfing and have no place to call home. “YMCA’s mission is to provide that home. They believe that everyone should have a secure place to call home.” The event was sponsored by Prosper Protect, the financial services company based at West Barn, Wimborne Road, Blandford, who were invited to judge and award prizes for the best designed shelters in various categories. categories). The winners will be announced in a thank you presentation at the school in a few weeks’ time. Sarah Pickering from Prosper Protect said: “It’s such a privilege to support our local school, raising awareness of local homelessness and being able to support our local community.” The other sponsor was Domino’s, whose Blandford manager Russell Shepherd arrived laden with free pizza’s for the participants and said he was delighted to be able to help such a great cause. On Saturday October 16 local Businesses in Bournemouth and Poole will be taking part in the BIG Sleep Easy. To find out more or how to support, contact sheena.dayman@ymcabour nemouth.org.uk

NIGHT, NIGHT: One of the group entries in the Blandford School Big Sleep Easy

SLICE OF SUPPORT: Russell Shepherd of Domino’s Blandford arrives with free pizzas for the students. Left to right, Sarah Pickering of Prosper Protect, Sheena Daynan of YMCA Bournemouth, Russell Shepherd and Billy Arnett of Prosper Protect

Students taking it Sleep Easy in bid to help rough sleepers

n Marnhull’s primary school is opening its doors to prospective pupils on Wednesday, October 20, from 8.50am till 10.30am. During the morning there will be the opportunity to join in with the school’s Daily Mile, experience life as a pupil at St Greg’s, visit all areas of the school and talk to headteacher Debbie Field.

All is safely gathered in

Eat your heart out Titchmarsh, the children from Chilmark and Fonthill Bishop Church of England Primary School have been busy harvesting their potato crop which was grown in an old boat. Watch us Grow leader Mrs Farrant signed up for a free potato growing kit which has proved very successful. She said: “The school received both Level 5 accreditation from the Royal Horticulture Society and a Woodland Trust Platinum award prior to the pandemic. Everyone agreed that it has been brilliant to be able to resume school gardening and new crops have been planted ready for winter including cabbage, purple sprouting and chard.”

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING

SCHOOLS ACHIEVING SUCCESS TOGETHER S

SHERBORNE AREA SCHOOLS' TRUST

Wednesday 3rd November 5.30-7.30pm

Learn about all the high quality courses on offer, extra-curricular opportunities meet our teachers, and hear from our Headteacher, our Head of Sixth Form, and our current students. We look forward to welcoming you to our fantastic Sixth Form!

Keen to be green at Friendship Garden

Four keen green pupils from Clayesmore School lent a helping hand in the Friendship Garden in Fontmell Magna as part of the Volunteering Programme at the school. The Year 12 teenage boys worked alongside Sue Morgan and Sian Highnam to fill two sunflower borders with foxgloves, pansies, lavender, dianthus, and wallflowers ready for next spring. Sian said: “The boys worked really hard and it is a pleasure to have them in our project.”

Act fast for digital bootcamp courses

Free digital bootcamps are being launched at Yeovil College – but be quick, because these are the last free courses before the funding is pulled. In collaboration with the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, Yeovil College is launching a series of Skills Bootcamps. The Skills Bootcamps are designed for individuals who have a desire to develop their technical skills, whether this is to progress in a current career or to upskill. At Yeovil College, there are three different Skills Bootcamps in Digital, Digital Marketing and 3D Modelling and Printing (CAD). Skills Bootcamps are completely free for an individual over 19 years old, who self refers, and are substantially discounted for employers. They present the chance for individuals to further develop their skills and knowledge within a dedicated learning environment. This could be highly beneficial to both personal development or company-wide training needs. Where employers are experiencing a skills shortage in the area of digital skills, digital marketing or CAD, these courses have been developed to plug this gap, in a short sharp burst. The first programmes of Skills Bootcamps will begin in October and November and will be taught in the evenings on a flexible, online basis. Each Skills Bootcamp will last up to 12 weeks, with the final programme ending in March next year. This is a one-off opportunity, as spaces are limited, and they will not be running any more bootcamps after this time. The funding must be used by March 2022 and will not be extended. For more detailed information, and to find out about the other Skills Bootcamps at Yeovil College, visit yeovil.ac.uk and search ‘Skills Bootcamps’.

ONE-OFF OPPORTUNITY: Yeovil College is offering a series of digital bootcamps, and they’re free