Education News February 2010
Hunt for future rowing stars
Olympic stars joined pupils and teachers at Mossbourne Community Academy to launch a new rowing programme that aims to discover future champions.
Mossbourne, with support from charity London Youth Rowing, will provide sixth form places for promising rowers from September, with training taking place at the historic Lea Rowing Club in Clapton.
Triple Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist Mark Hunter encouraged youngsters to enter trials for the Mossbourne Rowing Academy, whether or not they have any experience. Katherine said:
“It’s not easy. It takes blood, sweat and tears, but the rewards are phenomenal.”
Liam Downes, 17, is studying for A-levels at Mossbourne. “I started rowing two years ago, and in my first year I won bronze at the national championships. It shows how much you can achieve in a short time,” he said.
Liam admitted: “I absolutely hated it at first.”
Now he trains for 20 hours a week, and this month enters the Great Britain Junior Trials – the first stage in his ambition to take part in the 2016 Olympics.
The Learning Trust and Hackney’s School Sports Partnership champion rowing in the borough.
Hackney will also soon have pioneering facilities for indoor rowing, thanks to partnership between the Met Police, London Youth Rowing, Arsenal in the Community, Hackney Homes and The Learning Trust. A disused community space at Vaine House, E9, is being kitted out with machines linked to a large screen, which will enable young rowers from around the world to get fit and compete against each other.
More information
For application details visit: www.londonyouthrowing.com
22 February 2010
£52K for pupils who need a boost
Hackney is to receive a £52,000 cash injection to provide personalised education assistance for 14 to 15-year-old students across the borough.
Schools Minister Iain Wright made the announcement during a visit to Clapton Girls’ Technology College on 9 February.
The funding is part of the Government’s £20million nationwide foundation learning programme. It will be used to support pupils who may need an extra boost to help them move onto GCSEs, diplomas or apprenticeships.
Examples of the specialised learning include smaller-sized classes, extra support in Maths, English and information communication technology, vocational-focused teaching and personal tuition.
Cheryl Day, head teacher of Clapton Girls’, said:
“Personalised learning to meet the needs of all of our students is key to success at Clapton Girls’ Technology College. Foundation learning is one pathway that offers appropriate provision for targeted students who respond to specific high quality learning opportunities.”
22 February 2010
Hitting a high note
Young people are receiving an ‘outstanding’ musical experience at Hackney’s schools and colleges, according to a recent study.
A report from the Federation of Music Services found The Learning Trust, which delivers educational services in Hackney on behalf of the Council, was on target to meet Government objectives for local authority music services, including ensuring every school was designated a singing school by 2011.
Established in 2000, the Music Service is also supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Instrument Fund.
The service operates in all of the borough’s 73 schools, subsidises a Saturday Centre for Young Musicians and holds regular music-making holiday courses.
Every year, the service runs the popular Hackney Schools Music Festival, which lasts for three weeks and involves over 4,500 children and young people.
22 February 2010
Extra classes at Hackney Free
Hackney Free and Parochial COE Secondary School has announced plans to offer extra support in Maths and English for pupils across the borough.
The school in Paragon Road, E9, will launch Saturday classes for both primary and secondary students from other Hackney schools, to supplement existing studies.
The school said it wanted to help young people that may be struggling in both subjects improve their opportunities and achieve better grades by offering extra lessons outside normal school hours.
Secondary students will be taught from the current National Curriculum, focusing on understanding and applying Maths and English. Primary pupils will be taught from the 2012 Curriculum that combines traditional learning with Olympic ideals of high achievement.
Classes will be in the old school premises until Easter, when Hackney Free will move to a new state-of-the-art building, as part of Hackney’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Starting on 27 February, three classes will run between 10am-1pm, on Saturdays during term time, at a fee of £2 per week.
For info call Greg Hodgson on: 020 8985 2430.
22 February 2010
Turning lives around
A new centre for young people has opened in Hackney – in line with creative feedback from the project’s target audience.
The Fairbridge centre in Bayford Street, E8, offers education, training and physical activity courses for 13 to 25-year-olds to help improve their confidence and motivation and turn difficult lives around.
Young people using its former site in Hackney Grove, E8, worked with interior designers on planning, design, decoration and artwork for the new centre.
Designers involved in the project described their contributions as ‘invaluable’.
Elizabeth, 23, said: “When I saw the new centre I was amazed – seeing it change from a blank canvas to the bright, useable space we’d planned was great.”
A launch event on 22 January was catered by young people and television chef Paul Merret, from BBC2’s ‘Economy Gastronomy’. Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, officially opened the building.
The centre offers combined activities such as canoeing and caving to improve teamwork, with employability workshops. It is hoped young people using the centre will return to school, make better, more informed career decisions or enter further education.
Fairbridge is a national charity which has worked with more than 530 young people since it opened in Hackney in 2005.
The new centre will let staff work with an extra 200 young people a year, as well as increasing the activities on offer.
More information
Call: 020 7928 1704; or visit: www.fairbridge.org.uk
8 February 2010
London’s first Fairtrade primary
A Stoke Newington school has become the first in London to receive the Fairtrade seal of approval.
Students from Jubilee Primary have spent the last 18 months lobbying companies such as Tottenham Hotspur FC and Cadbury’s, as well as their own caterers and uniform designers, to introduce more products that offer a fair wage to producers in the developing world. The young campaigners have also sold Fairtrade products at a weekly stall and promoted products at events in the borough.
Teacher and Fairtrade co-ordinator, Melissa Davies-Oliveck, said: “The children were thrilled to receive the status. It’s been a chance to see that charitable work isn’t just about donating money – it is also about using their power as consumers to help others have a better life.”
The Fairtrade Foundation works towards securing better prices, working conditions and local sustainability for workers and farmers in the developing world.
8 February 2010
International flavours
Pupils, parents and teachers from Gayhurst Community School, E8, got together for an evening of international food and entertainment.
The sell-out event on 22 January saw parents whip up Ecuadorian, Nigerian, Vietnamese, Dutch, and Czech national dishes.
School chef, Simon O’Connell, cooked a Russian beef stroganoff, spicy Thai chicken and Japanese yakitori.
There were performances by the school’s choir, steel pan players, a local Turkish saz music group, and Brazilian martial dance Capoiera team.
Year Six pupil, Khadijat Lawal, said: “I liked the jollof rice, and the cakes. The steel pans were awesome.”
Bulent Mustafa, also in Year Six, added: “The crowd was clapping and dancing when I played the drum in the saz music band. My favourite food was the lahmacun, a Turkish flatbread with toppings.”
8 February 2010
Creating their own EastEnders
A writer for a popular BBC soap opera has helped young performing arts students create their own East End drama.
Pete Lawson, scriptwriter for ‘EastEnders’, worked with BTEC students at Hackney Community College to create theatrical pieces for their course.
The students managed the production, including sound, props, lighting, budget as well as scripts.
Pete said he had enjoyed overseeing a stage in the students’ development as actors and writers during his two month stint with the groups: “It takes a lot to get a writer out of bed for 9am, but they’re so keen to learn I can honestly say it’s a joy.”
The plays were performed at the college’s performing arts studio from 13 to 15 January.
8 February 2010
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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