Education News November 2008
On the list
Skinners' Company’s School for Girls has become a Grade II listed building – the same status as BBC Broadcasting House and Senate House in central London.
The Stamford Hill secondary was awarded the status by English Heritage, the national body that protects the country’s historic environment. It means extra care must be taken over decisions affecting the school’s future and its preservation.
Skinners’ was already on the Council’s list of locally important buildings.
The red brick and slate school is built in a Queen Anne style, popular for Board Schools in the late 1800s. The building was added to the list because of its high architectural standard and historical connections to private and sponsored education for girls in the late 19th century.
The school, opened in 1889, was the fourth to be set up or maintained by the Skinners’ Company. It was designed by E H Burnell.
After his death in 1892, W Campbell-Jones was employed by the Skinners’ Company and is probably responsible for the later work at the rear of the school in the 1890s. It is now a specialist business and enterprise college for girls aged 11 to 19.
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said:
“The Grade II listing of this school highlights the importance of its architectural heritage and its contribution to the local area.”
Sebright Primary School in Goldsmiths Row, E2, was also listed this year.
Oranges, lemons and fun finance
Children from Hackney took centre stage on two floats at the annual Lord Mayor’s Show watched by over 2million TV viewers.
Pupils from Lauriston Primary School joined the parade on one 16-metre float, while youngsters from Tyssen Community Primary School and Stamford Hill Community Centre helped decorate an ‘Oranges and Lemons’ themed float. East London Food Access was awarded £15,000 to fund the nursery rhyme-inspired entry, as well as run workshops to promote healthy lifestyles.
Up to half a million people lined the streets to watch the procession wind through the Square Mile to introduce the 681st Lord Mayor of the City of London, Ian Luder, on 14 November.
Lauriston children danced the entire 1.7 mile route, accompanied by adults from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), who sponsored the float.
Lauriston staff, including the head teacher, also joined in. Their routine was themed around having fun while gaining financial awareness.
Peter Sanders, Lauriston Deputy Head, said:
“Understanding numbers from an early age is extremely important for being able to manage your finances well later in life.
“The children have had great fun practicing – we’re looking into continuing the street dance lessons.”
Team's tidying is soon to blossom
A group of youngsters got stuck in when they helped clean up a housing estate.
Jardel Reid of Tyssen Community Primary School and five other Year Three pupils planted more than 200 daffodil and tulip bulbs that will blossom in an unused patch of garden on a Stamford Hill estate they helped clear of rubbish as part of The Big Tidy Up.
The September initiative was part of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
Sue Windross, Headteacher of Tyssen Community School, said:
“Working with the community and helping children to make a positive contribution to their environment is particularly important.
“A significant number of our pupils come from this estate so they can see tangible evidence of the benefits of working together.”
Southern Housing Group, owners of the estate, invested £500 in the project.
Anabel Palmer, Southern Housing Group’s Foundation Director, thanked the children and the school for their hard work.
She added: “The partnership has had the double benefit of building a really valuable link between the school children and the estate that is on their doorstep, and making a big difference to the external environment for Stamford Hill residents.”
In record sign
Pupils from Queensbridge Primary School took part in a successful attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people to simultaneously perform sign language to a song.
The event took place at different venues across the UK and involved more than 4,800 participants. The Dalston primary saw a total of 240 people signing – 204 children and 36 staff and parents.
Four local community police officers were also on hand to verify the timing of the attempt and the school’s participation.
The record-breaking sponsored silence and signing was in aid of Afasic, a charity that helps children and young people with speech, language and communication impairments. The charity organised the nationwide event to celebrate its 40th anniversary and to raise awareness of its work.
Sarah Bailey, Queensbridge Primary headteacher, said: “With such a high proportion of young children here at Queensbridge having speech, language and communication needs, we are so pleased to be able to support this event and this charity, and involve our parents and local community. We pride ourselves on our inclusive curriculum. The children had fun learning the signing to all the words of the song and really enjoyed participating.”
More information
For more details visit: www.afasic.org.uk.
Schools' blueprint for 2012 activities
A new 2012 related curriculum for Hackney primary school pupils has been unveiled.
The Schools at the Heart (SATH) document sets out a three-year modular programme of Olympic and Paralympic themed activities and classes for children aged five to 11.
The programme has been created to be used alongside the national curriculum taught each day in all schools. The aim is to ensure that Hackney children get the most out of the Games in the run up to London 2012.
SATH has four main themes: curriculum development; personal development – physical activity, culture and citizenship; careers, skills and work; and developing international links.
It brings together headteachers, The Learning Trust staff, the Council’s 2012 Unit and other partner organisations.
The aim is to plan and develop Games related activity in schools and provide a central point of co-ordination for 2012 opportunities offered by external organisations – particularly the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).
In order to amaze their audience
Gasps of awe echoed around Hackney primaries when four Shaolin monks from China demonstrated some dramatic Kung-Fu moves.
The legendary warrior monks took a preview of their acclaimed show – Wheel of Life – to St John of Jerusalem, Sebright, St Scholasticas and Colvestone schools.
They held the children spellbound with backflips, body contortions and breaking iron bars on their heads. All the moves came with a strict instruction: “Do not try this at home.”
The youngest performer was just seven-years-old and had been practising and studying for eight hours a day since the age of three.
“It was scary when they shouted, but I liked it when the boy put his feet behind his head,” said one pupil.
The performers are Buddhist soldier monks who have refined defensive martial arts over 15 centuries. Their show tells a story of how the monks’ loyalty to their emperor was betrayed, and how they were almost destroyed. The preview was organised by Inspire!, Hackney’s education business partnership, and Hackney Empire’s Participation and Learning Programme.
More information
Visit www.hackneyempire.co.uk.
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
.