Practitioner Newsletter 32
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
This document was classified as: OFFICIAL Darlington 11- 19 Practitioner Newsletter Issue 3 2 , February 2020 © Darlington 11 - 19 Partnership Contents Welcome ▪ Former QE author success Welcome to the Spring Term edition of the 11 – 19 Practitioner Newsletter. As we return from the February ▪ Hurworth football success half term break it always seems as though spring and ▪ Sailing taster session – Wyvern Academy summer are finally just around the corner. For those of us working in schools and colleges it is always a time of ▪ Universal acclaim for QE Interact Club looking forward to examinations and for many of our young people, particularly those in Years 11 and 13, it ▪ CASE programme attracts Dutch experts - Carmel College feels as though the countdown has really begun. ▪ Living laboratory - QE Nevertheless the stories in this newsletter prove that our schools are about much more than just examination ▪ Hurworth choir finalists results, and highlight just some of the many ways in ▪ General election at Hummersknott which our schools educate the whole person. It is genuinely inspirational to see how our school staff – both ▪ Carmel College VI Form raise awareness of mental health teachers and support staff, go far beyond the teaching of ▪ an academic curriculum and there are some wonderful Darlington College apprentices secure posts examples in this term’s newsletter. Like you, I am hugely ▪ STEM club – Wyvern Academy grateful for the efforts of all teachers and education support staff across our town. ▪ Hurworth taekwondo pupil’s outstanding achievements We are very lucky to have such positive partnerships ▪ Longfield community enrichment between our schools and colleges and to know that we ▪ Haughton Academy – kindness at Christmas work together for the benefit of all the young people of Darlington. As someone who has worked in all-through ▪ Learning & Skills news schools for over fifteen years, I know the importance of effective transition from primary to secondary and, of ▪ BL Training – ASK course, from secondary to post-16 provision. The new ▪ Longfield at Westminster Ofsted framework turns a spotlight on curriculum and the ways in which schools ensure effective progression ▪ Haughton work experience and so it is even more important that we work together. ▪ Hummersknott Academy football It has been so encouraging to see a focus on transition across the town and to see primary and secondary ▪ Darlington College student England schools squad success colleagues at subject network meetings, as it is exactly this kind of collaboration that can lead to greater ▪ Haughton Year 12 awards understanding of the curriculum, challenges and ▪ Darlington College taster successes in each phase, which can only be of benefit to our pupils. ▪ Extraordinary month of mission - Carmel College Kate Reid ▪ Wyvern pupils’ insight into higher education Headteacher ▪ Research school status for Carmel College Polam Hall School 1 101DARLINGTON 80ROVGH COUNCIL Darlington 11 - 19 Partnership The one with the former QE student and the children’s book Sam Davies-McGill, a former student from QE, has written and published her first children’s book. Mag-Spy: The One with the Croc! follows the story of Mag-Spy, a kind-hearted magpie who travels the world and befriends an unwell crocodile while in Australia. Written whilst on maternity leave, Sam, originally from Darlington, who now lives in South Shields, wanted her daughter, Pippa, to develop a love for reading, and the book encourages children to learn about rhyming. The story has become so popular, selling on both its own website and Amazon, that Sam now visits schools, nurseries and playgroups to share Mag-Spy’s story with pupils and provide colouring sheets and signed copies of the book. Sam explains: “My original aim was to write something that my daughter would enjoy reading and I am delighted that other families are enjoying Mag-Spy’s adventures as much as we do.” The next book in the series is entitled Mag-Spy: The one with the shark! and will focus on teaching children about lullabies. Laurence Job, Deputy Principal at QE, adds, “ It is wonderful to hear about Sam’s success and how she is using her talent for writing to inspire children to take an interest in reading. We are looking forward to the release of her second book and wish her every success for the future.” To purchase Mag-Spy: The one with the Croc! Please visit www.magspybook.co.uk or www.amazon.co.uk 2 ~-~.-.IIWii Darlington 11 - 19 Partnership :DARLINGTON 'BOROUGH COUNCIL I Hurworth football success I On 9th January, Hurworth School students from Year 8 and Year 11 represented Darlington in the Durham County Football finals at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland. Despite playing against the best schools in the North East, both of the teams beat their respective competition, which is a fantastic achievement! They will now represent Durham in the Northern Area National Finals in Manchester next month. The students were superb and were complimented by numerous teachers, County representatives and Sunderland coaches on the standard of their football. A win would see them become Northern representatives to play against their Southern counterparts in the National Final. Sailing taster sessions for Wyvern pupils I I A group of Wyvern Academy Year 8 pupils had the opportunity to take part in a sailing taster session at the Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club. This activity enabled them to experience something new and provided them with the chance to develop independence, confidence, team working and other employability skills. This was a project funded by INEOS with a vision to raise aspirations of young people and was facilitated by Wyvern Academy Careers Team. 3 IIWii~-,.-. Darlington 11 • 19 Partnership :DARLINGTON 'BOROUGH COUNCIL Universal acclaim for QE Interact Club I The Interact Club from QE has spent an incredible 21,990 minutes of the year 2019 volunteering and selflessly helping others less fortunate. Their magnificent work has received universal acclaim with Virgin Radio presenter, Chris Evans, even giving them a shout out during his breakfast show. The group, comprised of 47 students, made a promise at the beginning of the year to make a lasting difference to the lives of others, having had a hugely positive impact on both the local community and further afield. Within Darlington, members have created: family hygiene packs for a food bank, presented gift bags to children and women, and spent Tuesday afternoons playing board games with residents of Abbeyfield to reduce social isolation. Students also spent a night sleeping outdoors and raised £450 for a local homeless shelter. On an international scale, the group has funded 10 foetal stethoscopes and training in emergency aid for midwives in Uganda, in addition to financing 200 polio vaccines, which will be distributed throughout Africa. In the run up to Christmas members sent: 1,200 Christmas cards to children with life limiting illnesses, baked and delivered 192 cupcakes to the local emergency services and hosted a community Christmas party for 63 local elderly residents. Jess Elmore, Interact Club President, explains, “It has been a very busy year, but it has all been worth it. Thinking about the difference that we have made to so many people’s lives is incredible.” Nancy Wall, Interact Club Co-ordinator, adds, “The students’ commitment and enthusiasm has been unwavering, even when they were freezing cold at 3am during the sleep out. I cannot express how proud I am of them all.” 4 ~-~.-.IIWii Darlington 11 - 19 Partnership :DARLINGTON 'BOROUGH COUNCIL CASE programme attracts Dutch experts I I Specialist teachers at Carmel College, have been working with students for the past 18 months using CASE - Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education – a programme which concentrates on the thought process rather than simply delivering the curriculum. The novel methodology aims to develop children’s learning by opening a neural pathway that can be applied to all subjects. The approach has attracted interest from educational researchers from the Netherlands who have been in school seeing the programme in action. At Carmel College they observed Year 7-9 CASE lessons, talked to students and staff and were briefed by Carmel Education Trust’s Director of Research and Development, David Bailey and maths and science lead, Alan Edmiston on ‘Let’s Think’, a Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) project, supported by the DfE, being delivered across the country. “We are trying to develop students’ thinking so when they are 16 and sitting their GCSEs they will have a better understanding of more difficult concepts,” Mr Bailey said. “It isn’t about the content, it is about the approach, the thinking, the ability to problem-solve.” “Eleven -year-olds are keen to learn about the world and this approach gets them to question, understand and explain their thinking so we can understand how best to help them improve, rather than reach the exam stage only to find they haven’t grasped the subject.” Science tutor, Rachael Hardcastle, said she had taught a class on the theory of osmosis and had not even used the term right until the end of the lesson. Instead, she had let the students figure out the concept themselves. “This gave them ownership of their learning,” she said. Academics from Fontys University of Applied Science, Tilburg, visited Carmel, including teacher educator chemistry Susan Dirks-Trommelen. She said: “This makes thought explicit, which allows them to be more confident in their own thinking. Systematic thinking helps them realise which actions are needed and they will be able to use these skills everywhere.” 5 IIWii~-,.-. Darlington 11 • 19 Partnership :DARLINGTON 'BOROUGH COUNCIL Living laborat ory I I Future medicine students from QE have enjoyed a thrilling Discover Medicine Event at Sunderland University. QE’s Medicine Society supports students with their research into careers within the health sector whilst preparing them for the competitive application process for Medicine.