Ivy Bank High School’s Business Partnership Newsletter

Volume 1 Issue 6 June 1999

Ivy Bank Radio Stars

Our students were kings of the air waves on Wednesday May 26th, when they broadcast live over the radio to and Pendle with their own commercial station “The Voice of I.B.F.M”. This was a first for a school in East and certainly a pioneering move for Burnley and Ivy Bank

The pilot project was a joint partnership between Ivy Bank and the East Lancashire Business Partnership based at GEC Business Park, Clayton-le- Moors. The station broadcasted a mix of music and talk programmes such as Breakfast Blitz and Drive Time. I.B.F.M. was also featured on Granada Tonight TV.

Granada Tonight’s Paul Crone was the main star guest presenter on I.B.F.M, other star guests included Clarets’ Manager, Stan Ternent and Dentist, Dr. Barbara Mitton.

There were features such as, “Box Office Reviews” with Apollo Cinemas In This Issue and “Hot Spots” with Althams Travel. National news was provided on the Ivy Bank Radio Stars...... 1 hour via satellite by Independent Radio News and local news by the Editorial...... 2 Lancashire Evening Telegraph. Professional commercials and jingles were Viewpoint, Linda Kearsley, Barclays Bank...... 2 featured as well! The students were trained at the Radio Surgery, Burnley. Students Win Silver Award...... 2 News in Brief...... 2 E.B.P General Manager, Mr. Neil Mawdsley, said: Hot Jazz Sets the Place Alight...... 3 Marks and Spencers Prefects...... 3 “It was an absolutely brilliant day and the student presenters News in Brief...... 3 professionalism was a credit to the school, and was a superb way of Schools High Note...... 4 bringing the world of the media to the students to support their studies.” T.A.P Initiative...... 4 News in Brief...... 4

Ivy Bank High School’s Business Partnership Newsletter 1 Editorial

Once again it has been a very busy six months on the partnership front with all our business partners contributing to school life. There is a new section called “News in Brief” so we can give you even more information.

The events in this period have really been a boost to our students and my thanks go out to all our friends. I hope you enjoy this edition of Highlights and if you would like to contribute to the next edition that will published at Christmas time, please get in touch with Michael Watson-Telephone 01282-775111. Viewpoint - Linda Kearsley, Barclays Bank News in brief....

Our partnership with Ivy Bank High School was ..Brian Rourke gave one our formed around five years ago. We were initially special needs students who had approached by Michael Watson and during our first always wanted to work at Brian’s meeting he explained all about some new, exciting company, the opportunity to work and innovative ideas and goals that the school during his holidays with the view wanted to incorporate into its curriculum. to offering him a position if he showed the right aptitude. We are The school was keen to recognise all forms of delighted to tell you he did and was achievement and felt it needed to raise the profile of offered a position. the Arts subjects. One idea that the school proposed was the setting up of the “Expressive Arts Week”. ..G.T.C. Sports sponsored a new The concept involved designating one week a year Burnley Girls Gymnastics to allow students to focus on the importance of “The Arts” and the week would Competition organised by Sally then culminate with a special Awards Evening. This we were told, is where we Wallace, PE teacher at Ivy Bank. could be of assistance. ..Future Games donated a £65 By joining a two-way partnership, we could sponsor the “Expressive Arts Week computer games voucher, games Cup” and the school in return would raise the awareness of our company amongst holder bag and T shirt/game the work force of the future and help us promote our commitment in the local discount voucher for the three community. highest amounts of sponsorship in the PE “Its a Knockout” day. 100 discounted game vouchers were Students Win Silver Award given to all those who raised over £10 in sponsorship.

The Crest Awards are a nationally accredited scheme that recognise achievement in science and technology through practical problem solving. The scheme has a strong industrial emphasis and stimulates work with industry.

Two students from Ivy Bank, Ben and Joanne Dent have worked in partnership with Lucas (Burnley) to design and produce a sign for the technology department using CAD/CAM software. The students will receive a Silver Crest Award for up to 40 hours work on the project.

Suzanne Pacyenko (Crest Co-ordinator) from EBP said:

“The Crest awards recognise high achievement in science and technology whilst stimulating and forging strong links with industry. The sign project is a superb example of the excellent skills developed through design and technology”.

2 Ivy Bank High School’s Business Partnership Newsletter Hot Jazz Sets The Place Alight

Students got in the swing when all that jazz was on offer to the students of the school. Members of the Nat Birchall Quartet, the North West’s leading professional jazz quartet in association with Liverpool Hope University College ran a series of jazz workshops.

The whole event was sponsored by the specialist radio station Jazz FM. In the evening a free jazz concert was presented featuring the quartet and the schools own swing band, hosted by Jazz FM presenter Brian Day.

Circus Sensible added its own sparkle to the concert with fire eating and juggling and unicycle riding. They had also presented a circus workshop to drama students in the afternoon and taught them some of these circus skills, except the fire eating of course. News in brief.... Terry Parker, head of expressive arts, said: “It was really an exciting day-and a fantastic opportunity for the students to not only hear, but ..Merits and Rewards, the Merits and work with such excellent jazz musicians. My thanks to Jazz FM for all Rewards Scheme is now an integral part the work and help they have put in to making this such a successful of school life and would not be possible event.” to run without the continued fantastic support of McDonald’s Restaurant, Thompson Centre and the Blackburn Ice Rink. The school is very grateful for their support.

..GCSE Incentive, the GCSE Incentive Scheme is thriving with our business partners support and there are now only four subjects requiring support: R.E. Electronics, Drama and Resistant Materials (metal & woodwork). If any companies are interested please phone Michael Watson at school on 01282-775111.

Marks and Spencer’s Prefects ..Forest of Burnley and Ivy Bank have been working together in a joint Following a training evening last year, staff felt that there was a environmental tree-planting project in the need for positive student role models in the upper school. In past school’s grounds. The school was years students have helped with routine duties and it was agreed to successful in gaining a £450 grant from enhance this role to create prefects. In line with recent thinking at the Tree Council in which the Ivy Bank it was felt important to develop the role so as to be useful to Forest of Burnley donated another 25% the students’ in later life. Students should undergo helpful training of that total to plant 60 trees around the for the role and gain rewards for carrying out their responsibilities grounds area. well. The planting took place in November with Marks and Spencer are renowned for their quality of service and a team of Rangers and Year 8 Geography were more than willing to get involved in the training of our students. students. We are very grateful to Keith In late May approximately 50 year 10 students took part in a course Wilson and Colin Thornton for their at Marks and Spencer’s, Blackburn. The course focused on superb help with the bid application, to leadership, communication, handling difficult situations and the Tree Council and their matched teamwork. The training has provided our students with the skills to funding of course. complete their prefect duties to a high degree and hopefully the skills gained will help the students in “life after school”. ..B&Q have been supplying the Technology Faculty with wood and Following the course the students were awarded their prefect ties shelving for student projects that has and have started their duties and are performing them admirably been of great help to the woodworking thanks to Marks and Spencers. element of technology.

Ivy Bank High School’s Business Partnership Newsletter 3 News in brief.... Schools High Note

..Apollo Cinemas have been very active The presentation of a new and generous in their support of the school school piano was the highlight all year and have provided all of the of the expressive arts award following that represents tremendous evening. The school organised commitment to Ivy Bank: a “be a part - buy a part” sponsorship scheme to raise • One hundred discounted cinema ticket the money for the piano. prizes and posters for PE’s “Its a Knockout” fund-raiser. A piano consists of 1,500 parts • Free showing of “The Prince of Egypt” and Maurice J. Fitzpatrick, and mobiles for our RE department. Managing Director of North • A special tea and cinema evening for West Pianos (Manchester) some of our special need students. came up with the brilliant buy • A new achievement award for our PE a part idea at £1 per part. He department. The winner receives a VIP then very generously offered night at Hollywood Park and reviews the school a £4,500 piano for the film that is published in our the price of 1,500 parts. newsletter to parents. Head of Music Paul Kempster ..Rosegrove Glass provided the trophy said: “We raised about £300 to for the overall best student fund-raiser in £400 at the awards evening last year, there was an anonymous donation PE’s “Its a Knockout” and a £25 cheque. and the rest came very quickly. It was christened on the night by year 8 student Charlotte Binns, who played a classical piano piece.” Year 11 ..Abbey National sponsored some music student Hannah Bardsley also performed her first public solo. special software for Modern Languages. More than 120 students received certificates and prizes for their work in ..Nat West Bank sponsored a new year art, music and drama at the evening at Burnley Mechanics. seven competition for netball and football. Barclays Bank sponsored the expressive arts awards and the overall winner was year 11 student Alex Johnson. ..Potterton Myson, once again the school is very grateful to Potterton T.A.P. Initiative Myson’s Technical Publications team of Nick Higham and Mark Proctor for their superb work with two of our students who You may be wondering what T.A.P. stands for. Well it is Technology worked with them on their art portfolios Advisory Panel, it consists of a group of our business partners who meet over a period of weeks. every term at school to discuss ways of enriching the curriculum. (T.A.P. Group, Veka plc, Potterton Myson, Lucas Varity, F.H.Brown, A.I.T., Thanks also for their brilliant work with Granville Technology, EBP, Burnley College, Oaks Hotel. Adrian Wilkinson in designing and sponsoring I.B.F.M Radio’s advertisement A recent initiative of theirs was to introduce a RSA typing course which and poster campaign. runs every week after school with a tutor from Burnley College, funded by East Lancashire Business Partnership.

The panel believed that the ability to type at a competent speed would be a key skill that would enhance student’s success, when they entered the world of work.

Sixteen students participated in the scheme that is proving a real success.

Highlights is sponsored by Potterton Myson Limited

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