Education News - May 2009
Pop along and try it
Students from Hackney Free and Parochial Secondary School have been getting their groove on by attending body-popping classes.
The after-school club, which has been run by Project Manager Chris Stein since last September, has taught the youngsters the latest dance moves. So far they have performed at three major local events, Diaspora Month, the Looked After Children’s Award, and Discover Young Hackney 09.
Chris said: “Dance is one of the most versatile forms of exercise and I wanted to share a skill that I have worked hard to develop with young people who were enthusiastic and wanted to learn.
Sharing skills promotes the right kind of communication between people and I will frequently ask the stronger students to support those who find certain moves more difficult, so that they can learn how to transmit their experience.
“The group has done a number of performances and the young people have always risen to the challenge.
Each brings with it the anxiety that public performance naturally holds. Yet each time a successful performance is completed, the resilience of the group increases along with their confidence.”
The club is funded by the school itself and the Safer Schools Partnership, with the aim of offering children a health and development experience.
More information
Call Chris Stein on: 020 8985 2430 x129
Standing up to be part of urban London
Gainsborough and Sir Thomas Abney primary schools were among the borough winners of the Fourth Plinth School Awards.
Sao Pain and Zakariya Ahmid from Gainsborough entered the competition, which was open to schools across the country. Entrants were asked to submit designs inspired by public art commissions for the empty ‘fourth’ plinth in Trafalgar Square.
Sao and Zakariya’s hard work at their lunchtime art club, run by residents, made their collage, Urban London, a clear winner in the Year 5-6 category.
Anika Cabey, from Sir Thomas Abney also triumphed in the Year 3-4 section.
Sao said: “The reason we chose Urban London was because of Big Ben. It stands up and never gives up, just like the people of London.
“It’s really good having an opinion as it helps you change so many important things.”
The winning entries are on display at City Hall during May.
Painting a path to a bright future
A Hackney Community College student has been named one of the best trainees in London, winning the gold medal at this year’s regional heat of the SkillBuild Awards.
It is the UK’s biggest construction skills competition, and Sanadul Hussain, who is an apprentice with local construction company McLoughlin, worked hard for his accolade in the painting and decorating category.
The competition, which has been running for more than 20 years, was fierce, with students completing a piece of work in their given trade within a set timescale.
Their work was assessed by a panel of experts for accuracy and quality on 6 May. ConstructionSkills New Business Manager for Apprenticeships in London, Paul Newitt said:
“The heat was a great success and showcased the diverse skills of the construction industry on offer here in Hackney.”
SkillBuild aims to find the UK’s best trainee across a range of trades including bricklaying, carpentry, joinery and painting and decorating. The national finals will be held in Scotland in October.
Trawling the tube for teachers
Pupils have taken the unusual step of appealing on website YouTube for teachers to apply for a job at their school.
Their video aims to show the character of Daubney Primary, E5, and the benefits applicants can expect. It went live on YouTube this month and was featured on BBC TV news. The clip boasts a soundtrack, written and performed by the pupils.
Acting Headteacher, Prue Barnes, said: “The children really got into the spirit of things. They know exactly the kind of enthusiastic, experienced and caring person they want.”
The school, just minutes from the main 2012 Olympic stadium, has vacancies for experienced Key Stage One and Two teachers.
More information
Visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy8U8XvhK5s
For more teaching jobs in Hackney visit: www.learningtrust.co.uk
Feeling shipshape
Hackney students were selected from young people nationwide to take part in an exciting voyage.
Esther, 14, and Victoria, 15, from Cardinal Pole School, plus Agata, 14, and Phillipa, 15, from Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls got the opportunity to develop their leadership, communication and problem-solving skills, as well as learning basic sailing techniques.
They sailed from Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, and spent five days in the Solent on board two ocean-going Challenger yachts.
During last month’s trip, organised by the Tall Ships Youth Trust, the 14 and 15-year-olds also gained a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Competent Crew Certificate – the first qualification on the sailing ladder.
Tim Law, from the Trust, said: “We are opening up opportunities for people as young as 14 to sail on an ocean-going yacht and gain a qualification that they can use to continue sailing.”
As well as living in the close confines of a large yacht, the teenagers learnt how to set and stow the sails, haul ropes, steer the yacht, and sail out to sea under the expert tuition of experienced Tall Ships crew.
The trip was funded by the HSBC Global Education Trust. Its Education Executive, Paul Sinclair, said: “We are supporting the Tall Ships Sailing Academies because we want to make a positive difference in the communities in which we operate.”
More information
Visit: www.tallships.org
Lauriston gets top marks
A Hackney primary has been rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted inspectors.
The teaching at Lauriston School in E9 was praised as ‘first-rate’ and parental support ‘overwhelming’.
Recent good exam results, particularly in maths, contributed to the excellent report, as well as pupils’ high attendance levels and good behaviour.
Inspectors said its innovative curriculum, which provides a broad range of activities, also helped to secure the glowing result.
Their report stated:
“Lauriston is an extraordinary school led by a remarkable head teacher and has a talented senior leadership team.
“Together, they have created a real sense of purpose among all staff which focuses on enabling each and every pupil to do as well as possible.”
The report is a great achievement for a primary where a high proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals and a third of its 244 pupils have English as an additional language.
Lauriston also has a higher than average number of students from ethnic backgrounds, and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities.
Talking about staying safe
Young people discussed how to tackle knife crime at ‘Be Safe’ workshops, run as part of the Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme’s (LOCSP) Kickz sessions.
Over 20 young people, mainly from the Fellows Court Estate, attended the events at Haggerston School last month.
The workshops were developed to raise awareness of the dangers of weapons in response to fears about knife crime among young people.
They also aim to educate on issues surrounding gangs, postcode territories, personal safety and how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
Yassin Abidou, LOCSP Hackney Development Officer, said: “I believe workshops like these are fundamental to educating young people about the issues of knives.
“These workshops have been a great opportunity for us to learn from each other about a really important issue of today.”
LOCSP run workshops across Hackney in association with Kickz, a project created by the Met Police and Premier League.
Headteacher Heather Rockhold, said: “Every member of the Lauriston School community – staff, pupils, parents and governors – has worked hard to make this an outstanding school.”
The school is currently being developed, with a new building constructed to boost pupil numbers to 420, plus a nursery with 50 full-time places.
More information
Call Yassin Abidou on: 0208556 5973; email yassin.abidou@locsp.org; or visit: www.locsp.org
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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