Education News August 2009
Making the grade
The nerve-wracking wait on results day doesn’t get easier. But A-Level students across the borough were taking it in their stride – notwithstanding a few anxious moments as envelopes were opened on 20 August.
“I can’t believe it. I’m speechless. I just can’t believe I got three As,” said former Stoke Newington sixth former Chloe Cupid, who got into her first choice university, St Andrews.
“Celebrating? I haven’t even thought about celebrating – I don’t even know what to do now,” she added.
The N16-based sixth form reported an overall improvement on 2008, with 90 per cent attaining pass rates, and 40 per cent an A or B grade.
Hackney Community College (HCC) students also walked away from their college in high spirits.
While results can be accessed online, many still came to the college in time-honoured fashion with friends – or to gain some last-minute university placement tips from staff.
The college reported an eight per cent rise in second year A-C grades on 2008, with strong results in Maths, Economics and Business, Law and Media Studies.
In addition, HCC’s overall pass rate and high grades at AS level were up, with particularly good results in Chemistry, Spanish and Art.
BTEC students also fared well – 99 per cent achieved their main qualification.
Meanwhile BSix College was pleased at accomplishing a similar result to last year. In 2008 there was a 20 per cent jump in A-C grades on the year before, and reaching the same standard in 2009 “proved it wasn’t a fluke”, said Principal Ken Warman.
The college reported that 58 per cent of A-level students received A-C grades. BTEC students were also successful with a 98 per cent pass rate in business. A majority achieved high grades, and 92 per cent gaining merits and distinctions for Science.
Ken noted that a high number of BTEC students are going to top universities, with one about to join the London School of Economics to study Finance.
24 August 2009
What to do next?
Whether results were better, or not quite as high as expected, there is still time for students to consider their higher education options for September.
Clearing can help people without a university place, and those who have decided to change their course or location, by finding the right vacancy for them.
Universities are also on call to deal with phone and email enquiries and are expecting questions regarding their campuses and courses.
For more info and university and college contact details call 0871 468 0468 or visit: www.ucas.com
24 August 2009
The language of business
A group of teachers from China have sat their banking exams in the capital, with some help from a Hackney Community College (HCC) tutor in their homeland.
Eleanor Elliot of HCC spent the summer teaching the group a business-focused English language course. Her students – who will use the course to teach their own pupils in China – then flew to London to take the exam in the City.
The venture between HCC and its Chinese counterpart, the Beijing Economic Management School, is part of a London-Beijing project linked to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
24 August 2009
Role reversal
A stop-and-search role reversal gave young people a chance to see a situation through the eyes of a police officer.
The exercise was part of Hackney North East Youth Forum’s One Hackney event, which presented a series of workshops and debates focused on crime prevention and safety. Cat Garrett, the forum’s youth participation worker, explained: “The event came about following research by the forum; young people in the area felt safety and crime were issues they wanted to discuss further.”
Other discussions at the BSix Sixth Form College event included conflict avoidance and knife awareness. There were also music, comedy and theatre performances.
24 August 2009
Art goes back to the drawing board
Large scale replicas of artwork panels that were displayed on Hackney Wick towpath hoardings next to the Olympic Park have been presented back to their artists – pupils from Hackney schools.
As part of a project run by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) last year, 17 schools in the five Olympic host boroughs including Ickburgh Special School, E5, Downsview Special School, E5, William Patten Primary, N16, and Cardinal Pole RC Secondary, E9, were asked to show their artistic talent in model-making, photography, collage, creative writing, footprints and wheelchair tracks on canvas.
The programme was created to highlight the children’s pride in their community as well as their interest and involvement in the London 2012 Games, with the hoardings unveiled at a Hackney Wick Community Centre event in June last year.
Each of the 17 schools has been presented with at least two panels displaying a picture, a description of the artwork, and a photograph of the children involved.
Although the hoardings were moved inside the construction site earlier this summer to allow for the Park’s development, ODA chief executive David Higgins said the copies transported to the various schools will give the young people involved a ‘permanent reminder of the inspirational role they played on the road to 2012.'
3 August 2009
Fire crews fight blaze at school
Around 100 firefighters and 20 fire engines tackled a severe blaze at Thomas Fairchild Community School in Napier Grove on 30 July.
The school’s three floors, including its basement and roof, were damaged during the fire. Fire crews from Kingsland, Stoke Newington, Shoreditch, Shadwell, Bow, Islington, Clerkenwell and Euston fire stations were all called in to deal with the incident, which lasted more than seven hours. The cause of the blaze is under investigation. Shona Ferguson, head teacher at Thomas Fairchild, said:
“My colleagues and I are devastated by the damage caused to our school and are relieved no-one was injured. We’ve been overwhelmed by the generous support received from parents and the local community and would like to thank them and, of course, the London Fire Brigade. Our priority is to place the needs of our pupils first and we are now in the process of developing a plan to ensure the minimum, if any, disruption is caused to their schooling.”
More information
- Call the Learning Trust on: 020 8820 7000
- Visit www.thomasfairchild.hackney.sch.uk or www.learningtrust.co.uk
3 August 2009
Brief introduction to law
A SCHEME to raise awareness of career opportunities in the City for young people has seen Clapton Girls School pupils cut their teeth in the City’s legal sector.
The students, along with schools from other boroughs surrounding the City of London, met employees of EC2 law firm Linklaters to hear about working in the square mile.
With some legal professions needing at least five years higher education, plus two years on-the-job training, the group was encouraged to plan as early as GCSE selection in Year 9. However, a range of careers was profiled on the day ranging from graduate positions to some not requiring post- 16 academic study.
The visit was part of the City Careers Open House programme – an initiative to give young people aged 12-14 years old experience of City working life – delivered by education business partnerships (EBP), led by Hackney’s EBP Inspire! and funded by the City of London Corporation.
3 August 2009
Teamwork adds up to success
Three pupils from St John and St James Primary, E9, have come first at an annual end of term, multi-school maths contest organised by The Learning Trust.
Joshea, Nathan and Jenine (pictured) beat 30 other teams at the Hackney Primary Schools’ Mathematics Competition at Sebright Primary, E2, last month. St John and St James Primary received a plaque recognising the trio’s achievement and each team member was awarded a laptop.
The young number crunchers faced rigorous arithmetic trials to test their skills as individual problem solvers as well as their ability to work as part of a team.
3 August 2009
Exhibition is towering success
Students from Hackney Community College (HCC) saw their artwork exhibited at the Institute of International Visual Artists (INIVA) last month.
Film, installations, costumes that mapped Muslim women’s identity and a tower that used sound, welded steel and ceramic faces to create a 3D figure of the artist’s friends (pictured) were all displayed in the Rivington Place gallery, EC1. Artwork was taken from students on the level-three diploma in foundation studies, art and design.
The project was part of INIVA’s ongoing Mapping initiative, which has seen professional artists run intensive workshops in six schools and colleges throughout Hackney.
3 August 2009
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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