Education News
Aspiring to the dreaming spires
A unique initiative to encourage more local students to consider going to Oxford university has been launched at a Clapton sixth form.
Guests packed BSix College in Kenninghall Road to celebrate the linkup with Pembroke College, University of Oxford. The event featured a student presentation on their experiences at a Pembroke summer school in August, which introduced them to the rigours of undergraduate study at Oxford.
Yvonne Mwiza, who won the prize for best student at the summer school, called it an ‘amazing experience’ which convinced her she could flourish at university.
John Eekelaar, Academic Director of Pembroke, described how the scheme, can show ‘what an Oxford education is really like, and destroy all the misleading and often false beliefs people have about Oxford’.
Adam Alagiah, a Pembroke undergraduate from Hackney, added: “I had my doubts about going to Oxford but, looking back, it was certainly the right decision.”
BSix Principal, Ken Warman, said: “We aim to make sure that young people from schools and colleges in the East End can apply to universities like Oxford, get in and then succeed academically and socially.
More information
For further details visit: www.bsix.ac.uk.
Playground extra
Pupils from Holmleigh Primary School got a helping hand to produce a school newspaper from a professional journalist.
Harry Mount, a former New York correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, spent an afternoon with a Year Six class talking about journalism, explaining how a newspaper is put together, and giving them his top tips on writing news stories.
The pupils chose topics from a list of story ideas and brainstormed who they could interview and what pictures they might use to illustrate the copy.
Harry then returned to the Stamford Hill school to critique the articles and help the children refine their work. The budding journos will now put the finishing touches to their work before producing the finished paper, which they hope to sell to parents and in the playground. Money raised will go to a charity of the pupils’ choice.
Harry admitted: “I’ve never done anything like this before and, to be honest, I was a bit nervous beforehand. But the children have been fantastic, really interested and enthusiastic.”
He told pupils: “You’ve been absolutely brilliant. Well done. If any of you want to become a journalist, you will enjoy it. I highly recommend it and you’d be really good at it.”
The project was organised by Inspire!, the education business partnership for Hackney.
Pupils are top of the country
Two Clapton Girls’ Technology College (GTC) students were among the top 10 students in the country in this summer’s GCSE results.
Rashmika Torchia and Lovely Begum were congratulated by Edexcel, the UK’s largest examination board, on their achievements. Rashmika excelled in drama and textiles (sat by 60,878 and 1,986 candidates respectively). Lovely excelled in art and design (taken by 36,294 pupils). Both girls are now Sixth Formers at Clapton GTC with high hopes for their futures.
Rashmika, already an experienced actor, has her sights set on a stage and screen career, while Lovely aspires to use her creative talent as an architect. Cheryl Day, Clapton GTC Headteacher, said: “I’m delighted the hard work of our students has been recognised. Rashmika and Lovely’s GCSE performance in these subjects was outstanding and I’m confident they have the potential for high-flying careers.”
Sports together for all
The majority of people support a change to the school curriculum so disabled and non-disabled children can play sport together, a survey has shown.
The online poll of 1,500 adults was carried out by The Learning Trust to raise awareness of the Paralympic Games. It found only nine per cent of people classed the UK as ‘inclusive’, and only 24 per cent could name a past or present Paralympic athlete.
A number of goals were set as a result of the survey, including developing a resource pack for schools; helping teachers make PE lessons fully inclusive; and holding an event for special and mainstream schools in the borough. This last aim was achieved with a three day, Paralympic themed, sports championship.
The Hackney Schools at the Heart initiative tied in with celebrations last month to mark the historic moment London became host city for the 2012 Paralympics.
The event showcased the commitment of 23 primary, secondary and special schools to Paralympic sport and encouraged interaction between 750 disabled and non-disabled young people.
Sports included wheelchair basketball, goalball, aquatic skills, athletics and judo.
Learning Trust chief Alan Wood described it as ‘a pivotal way to integrate, educate and motivate’.
A site to excite future builders
Year six students from Jubilee Primary, N16, and Brook Community Primary, E8, are taking part in a programme to help them understand how the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues are being built.
Twenty six pupils from eight schools across the five host boroughs have been nominated to take part in the Olympic Delivery Authority’s (ODA) ‘Construction Crew’ programme.
They will visit the Olympic Park and see the progress being made firsthand, as well as taking part in workshops to promote leadership, responsibility and presentation skills. They will then share their skills and knowledge with fellow students back at school.
The Crew have already completed a two-day introductory workshop, which included a trip around the Olympic Park and a talk from ODA Chief Executive, David Higgins.
He said: “This is a great way for young people to get involved with the construction phase of the project. They will be able to see the world-class venues that we are building for the London 2012 Games and that it will be available for them to use in legacy.”
New way to learn
Students in Hackney have become the first in the borough to tackle the Government’s new Diploma qualification.
Three courses are on offer in the borough - society, health and development; creative and media; and construction and the built environment.
BSix, Cardinal Pole, Clapton Girls’, Hackney Community College, Hackney Free & Parochial School, Haggerston Girls, The Petchey Academy, and Stoke Newington School are all offering one or more subjects.
The diploma is a new qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds, offering a practical alternative to traditional GCSEs and A levels.
Pupils benefit from a combination of classroom study and hands-on work experience, helping them find a focus for their future careers.
The two-year course can be studied at three levels – foundation, higher, and advanced - after which students can use their course portfolio to apply for jobs or university.
Hackney’s Education Business Partnership, Inspire, is recruiting employers to offer young people work placements during the diploma courses that will help them to gain valuable skills.
Homerton hospital has already hosted an induction day for teenagers on the society, health and development diploma, with speakers discussing health, social and childcare, while construction students visited Holden Point in Stratford for a bird’s-eye view of the Olympic Park site.
More information
For details of the new qualifications visit: yp.direct.gov.uk/diplomas.
Another programme is offering older students a chance to gain paid work experience in the construction industry.
Cardinal Pole pupil Declan Kiernan, 17, is one of 50 young people who have already taken part in the Capital Xperience scheme.
The project, funded by the London Development Agency, aims to encourage students to consider a construction career and provide them with on the job skills.
Declan beat off stiff competition to secure a four week paid placement with construction firm Taylor Woodrow. He said: “This has given me a lot of insight into the kind of jobs available to me. It has been great to learn what it is like working in everyday life, and the career prospects that this field can lead towards.”
If you are interested in the 2009 programme call: 020 8522 5722 or email: capitalxperience@newham.ac.uk.
Page updated: 3 Nov 2008