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Share your news and views by emailing [email protected] and visit Education bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk Saturdays star sends message to Forest Hall

Students with dyslexia at Stansted’s Sinead Corr Forest Hall School have been sinead.corr@bishopsstortford boosted by a message of encourage- independent.co.uk Accomplished trombonist Eli Haines ment from The Saturdays singer Mollie King. The star took time out of her and if I could give you all a big Musician busy training schedule for TV’s cuddle right now I would!” Strictly Come Dancing to film a She then introduced AJ message for pupils. Pritchard, her professional dance Eli is far The school has a dyslexia support partner from Strictly, who revealed unit (DSU) which helps students he too has dyslexia. The pair told from bone with an education healthcare plan students never to let dyslexia hold to reach their full potential through them back. specialist teaching. The videos were shown during a idle after Mollie, who is a friend of a Forest whole-school assembly, Hall family, said in her personal demonstrating how celebrities and Singer Mollie King and her Strictly Come Dancing partner AJ Pritchard message: “Hi, Forest Hall! I wanted previous students have overcome Picture: Kelly Clark A-levels to send you guys a message because difficulties with their learning to I’m dyslexic and I just wanted to say achieve great things. having a go and keeping at it. we don’t all want to be the same. Musician Eli Haines left the don’t ever let it hold you back. Some Sue Flood, head of the DSU, said: “The person sat next to you may “We concentrate on positives Bishop’s Stortford High School of the most intelligent, creative “We tell all of our students that it be better than you at history, but surrounding being dyslexic. For (TBSHS) on a high note. people I know are also dyslexic so doesn’t matter what your difference you’re better than them at celebrities to take time to share The 18-year-old passed his it’s nothing to be ashamed of. is, you can still reach your goals. geography; it’s about finding their own experiences of becoming ABRSM (Associated Board of the “Believe in yourself, never let it Whether it’s reading or spelling or something and not giving up. It’s successful in their field despite any Royal Schools of Music) diploma in stop you from going for your dreams sport you struggle with, it’s about about celebrating our differences – difficulties is such a great thing.” performance shortly after completing his A-levels at the London Road secondary in the summer. Windhill’s Eli took the diploma on tenor trombone, which he learned and played for the whole of his time at trip to the the school, starting in Year 7 with grade 1. battlefields The teenager has played in all of the school’s ensembles: the concert band, swing band and brass group, Poignant moments were which he took over last year and shared by Windhill21 School conducted. pupils at the Somme The diploma exam, run at battlefields in France. regional centres by the ABRSM, Year 6 children visited the comprises a 40-minute recital, a infamous trenches in Picardy sight-reading test and a viva voce, where, in 1916, 60,000 British or oral examination, on the soldiers were lost on the first repertoire. Local teacher and day of the battle alone. musician Susie Savage The pupils’ understanding accompanied him. of the war was deepened by Mike Cosadinos, TBSHS’s subject their visit to the vast leader for music, said: “To pass Lochnagar Crater, where the grade 8 before the age of 18 is a guide told the story about the great accomplishment, but to largest man-made mine crater receive a music performance created on the Western Front. diploma at any age is a rare Head Philippa Moore said: achievement. Eli is certainly one of “Overawed by the seemingly the youngest performers ever to infinite number of names receive this qualification at TBSHS. engraved on the Thiepval “A fter gaining the highest marks Memorial which was dedicated for his A-level music performance, to the missing in action, the I’m thrilled to hear that he has now children were keen to look for gone on to gain a diploma on the possible relatives. trombone. He is an incredibly “A t the underground talented individual and I look museum in Albert, the enquiring questions; the guide battlefields that the events of enquiring and this experience forward to seeing what other children were offering their was really impressed. the First World War come truly will be long-lastingly musical accomplishments he will knowledge along with asking “It is only when you visit the alive. The children were so memorable for them all.” achieve over the next few years.”