Darlington 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter Issue 22, October 2016 © Darlington 11-19 Partnership Welcome In This Issue… It is a great pleasure to introduce the first Practitioner Newsletter of the academic year Euro links - Polam Hall School Once again it gives me great pleasure to recognise the first class academic achievements of all of our students in the secondary and post 16 sectors; Darlington continues to build upon its reputation for academic excellence and my congratulations go out to all of the staff, whose hard work, dedication and commitment have ensured that the students have optimised their potential and thus given them the best possible chances of success when they move onto the next stages of their lives Splash-a-thon - Carmel College Footballers the Triple - Hummersknott Academy Pet Physiotherapist - Darlington College Ingenious Engineering - Foundation for Jobs Against the Odds - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College As you will see from the great variety of activities represented in these pages, the Partnership remains vibrant and diverse in its work, and young people in Darlington continue to make a contribution not only through their own personal successes but also by supporting the success of others Diamond Anniversary Reunion Hummersknott Academy Motor Vehicle—Learning & Skills Service Investors in Careers Awards - Hurworth School Tees Valley Skills Event - Teesside University Claudia Smith - Carmel College The Flat - Darlington College Apprenticeship Success - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Open Day - Teesside University Luca Cara - Darlington College Regional Sailing Award - Carmel College Superb A Level Results - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College Even a brief glimpse at this edition of the newsletter reveals just how much 11-19 year olds in Darlington to help others At a time when our young people face so many great challenges, it is inspiring to be reminded of their capacity to make such a positive difference to their world I’m confident that this strong platform will be built upon in the academic year 2016/17 and we will all enjoy another first class year Dean Judson Head teacher, Hurworth School Chair, 11—19 Partnership Eurolinks at Hotel Bannatyne All of Polam Hall’s year 10 linguists recently participated in a ‘Eurolinks’ day in which they used their foreign language skills to promote the north east region and experience the challenges of producing advertising material for local business This ambitious project was held at Bannatyne’s Hotel in Darlington who generously offered their conference facilities for the day to ensure students experienced a professional environment where teamwork and tight deadlines could be experienced first hand Keynote speakers for the morning included two Student Ambassadors from Routes into Languages at Newcastle University Their opening address highlighted the wide ranging career opportunities for students with language skills in today’s competitive markets It was also interesting to learn how many well known celebrities are in fact linguists themselves Myths concerning the use of English around the world were tackled and there was an interactive session which was much enjoyed by participants Students, as ‘employees’ of the Eurolinks company, then went to work in offices to review action plans to tackle the various challenges found in their in trays Dealing with telephone enquiries, writing business letters and producing presentations - all in a foreign language had to be completed in the morning session! During the afternoon, promotional work focused on the north east region as an area for inward investment This proved to be a particularly enjoyable part of the day with some highly creative advertisements being produced The day culminated in each group demonstrating the results of their efforts to all participants Christine Harvey, Head of Languages at Polam, commented, “Eurolinks is always a challenging but highly enjoyable day which enables students to gain important insights into the value of language skills in the workplace Inviting students to step out of their comfort zone develops their self confidence and helps them realise they often know more than they think they know linguistically” The Languages Department wishes to express a sincere thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the day a success Splash-a-thon Lent this year saw Cafod launch its “Make a Splash” campaign and Carmel jumped right in World-wide it is estimated that women and girls spend 140 million hours a day collecting water That can mean walking several hours to and from a water point when they could be going to school, studying or playing with friends Cafod’s aim is to build wells, pumps and water facilities across Africa and get girls back into education In order to raise money for “Make a Splash”, Carmel hosted the first Splash-a-thon, an event which saw teams from years seven, eight and nine running the length of the football pitch whilst carrying two full buckets of water, with the aim of winning the race without emptying their buckets of water! The event was a great success with students from all year groups and forms taking part, having fun and raising money for Cafod In total the Splash-a-thon raised more than £200 for Cafod which will go towards improving the lives of thousands of young girls across Africa Well done to all involved Footballers the Triple “We’ve done the triple this year, what should we aim for next year?” was the comment of one of the year footballers The group of year boys have had a spectacular start to their football careers at Hummersknott Academy Coming from several different primary schools the boys have worked hard to get to know each other and their styles of play and have built a highly successful team The team competed in the Darlington Town League, Town Cup and aside competitions and were unbeaten throughout Along their way to silverware the boys have beaten teams from Carmel, DSMS, Education Village, Hurworth, Longfield, Polam and St.Aidan’s schools Alasdair Tatham, PE teacher, said “The players have been brilliant and all have made important contributions to achieve their unbeaten record” Pet Physiotherapist Darlington College graduate Hollie Thornton, with her pet Jackawawa Gus An animal lover is set to get a new leash on life after defying the odds to train as a pet physiotherapist Darlington College graduate Hollie Thornton has been accepted to study a degree in veterinary physiotherapy after securing a triple star distinction in BTEC applied science despite being diagnosed with an allergy to pet hair “I’ve always wanted to work with animals since I was very young,” said Hollie, a former student at Carmel College “We had hamsters, rabbits and a dog and I never had any problems, but during my final year at college I noticed that when I played with my dog and two cats I would come out in hives and get snuffley.” A blood test revealed that Hollie had a severe hypersensitivity to animal hair and fur which doctors said could be a danger to her health “I was devastated, I’d worked so hard and now I thought I was going to fall at the last hurdle and lose the chance of my dream career I’d originally wanted to be a vet but wasn’t making the grades at AS level that I needed so I researched vet physiotherapy and saw that you needed a human physio qualification to get onto a course.” Despite being one year into her A levels Hollie left school and enrolled on a sports therapy and rehabilitation course at Darlington College “The year long course was great and I learnt loads about anatomy and physiology as well as it boosting my confidence and giving me new skills but it didn’t count towards any UCAS points which I needed to help me get into a university,” said Hollie After speaking to career advisors at Darlington College Hollie was advised to take a two year BTEC course in applied science which would help with her application for higher education “I was really disappointed at first that I needed to spend another two years studying before I could get to university but I got great support from my tutors and even managed to secure work experience at my local veterinary practice which really jelled with my university application I finally thought everything was coming together then I got the news about my allergy and I was devastated Being a veterinary physiotherapist means I would be treating pets and working with animals including race horses and greyhounds even farm and zoo animals, so having an allergy was a big problem, but after speaking to my GP I discovered that as long as I was sensible, wore latex gloves when dealing with any animals and took my medication as and when I needed it I should still be able to pursue my dream.” Hollie will start her BSC (Hons) course at Warwickshire Agricultural College in September “I’ve overcome so much to get here it still feels a little unreal, but I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of all of my tutors at college I’m so happy that I kept going over the four years and my parents are so proud that I’m finally getting to where I want to be.” Ingenious Engineering Hundreds of Darlington school pupils took part in Foundation for Jobs engineering activities held over a week designed to boost their understanding of the important North-East industry sector More than 120 pupils attended Foundation for Jobs annual Ingenious Engineering event on Friday 8th July to take part in a range of practical activities delivered by engineering companies A further 40 pupils at Hurworth School submitted Mars Rover engineering designs that were judged at the event, while year five pupils at Red Hall Primary School submitted a collage for display at the event outlining the history of the town’s Lingfield Point The following week around 200 pupils at Longfield Academy spent four days (11th to 14th July) with Foundation for Jobs staff building mini underwater robot kits as part of activities designed to increase their understanding of the subsea sector, a significant growth area for the town The activity is supported by Darlington based Modus Seabed Intervention which works on a variety of projects across the globe using underwater robots known as ROVs (remote operated vehicles) The Ingenious Engineering event, now in its fifth year, saw staff from Darlington based companies and organisations including Cummins Engines, Modus Seabed Intervention, Mech Tool (MTE Ltd), Cleveland Bridge and Darlington College, running practical activities ranging from building weight bearing structures, to subsea robotics, computer aided design and making a torch In addition Go Ahead Training at Newton Aycliffe and Ben Haddon, formerly of the Engineering Development Trust, ran tasks around robotics, computer coding and preparing a Mars mission The aim of the annual event, which was held at the Dolphin Centre, is to challenge young people’s perceptions of the skills needed and opportunities available in one of the North-East’s most important employment sectors, which is facing impending skills gaps with thousands of engineers due to retire over the next few years The event, which this year formed part of the wider Festival of Ingenuity in Darlington, was attended by Richard Maudslay, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and managing director of NEI Parsons Ltd, prior to its merging with Rolls-Royce Earlier this year Foundation for Jobs secured funding and support from the Royal Academy’s Ingenious programme to support more opportunities for young people from primary school age upwards to work on practical projects with engineers that fire their interest in STEM and working in the sector in future Continued Ingenious Engineering continued Councillor Chris McEwan, chairman of Foundation for Jobs, said, “The Ingenious Engineering event and other recent engineering activities have once again been a great success and that is down to the continuing support of the businesses and schools for what we are doing The businesses continue to release staff and come up with some fantastic ideas for activities that inspire the young people involved and the schools realise the importance of releasing pupils to participate so I would like to thank both The event was particularly special this year because of Mr Maudslay’s presence, marking our new partnership with The Royal Academy of Engineering It was a pleasure to meet him and the enthusiasm he showed for what we are doing and the inspirational advice he gave us will drive us on to make Foundation for Jobs an even greater success.” Foundation for Jobs is a joint initiative involving The Northern Echo, Darlington Borough Council, schools, colleges and the Darlington Partnership of private firms and public sector organisations, which has also enjoyed support from businesses and industrialists across the whole North-East region Its overall aim is to reduce youth unemployment by matching young peoples‘ aspirations with those sectors such as engineering which are vital to the North-East’s economy but which many young people are not pursuing because of incorrect perceptions of the type of work involved For details on Foundation for Jobs contact programme manager Owen McAteer at owen.mcateer@darlington.gov.uk or visit www.foundationforjobs.co.uk Tom Young of Modus Seabed Intervention demonstrates subsea robotics to Hurworth School pupils at the Ingenious Engineering event Thank you to Ian Lemming for providing all the pictures Against the Odds Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form student Jonathan Raiseborough achieved impressive A Level grades in English Language, Graphics and Spanish and his experience is inspirational; a credit to his commitment and determination to succeed Jonathan was diagnosed with OCD during his time at secondary school and had some time out of school because of the stress he was experiencing He continued to study and achieved a good set of GCSEs which enabled him to come on to A level study It was decided that Jonathan would benefit from some ground-breaking treatment for OCD which was only available in London Jonathan and his family felt that this was important and so, for a period of some months, Jonathan balanced his treatment and his studies Both have been successful with Jonathan’s pleasing grades success showing real evidence of both his and his family‘s determination Alongside this Jonathan has found time to illustrate a children’s book for a friend of the family The proceeds of the book will go to the National Autism Society Jonathan is a very talented artist and hopes to pursue a career as an illustrator in the future He will now progress to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College’s Foundation Art course Vice Principal, Laurence Job, comments on Jonathan’s achievements, “We are all delighted by and extremely proud of Jonathan’s success He is always a very positive person, is incredibly polite and a delight to have in College He is very unassuming and has an excellent future ahead of him Jonathan also thoroughly deserved to be recognised in the local community by being awarded the “Exceptional Student” trophy at the Vibe Awards.” Diamond Anniversary Reunion Past students of Hummersknott Academy, Hummersknott School and Darlington High School for Girls gathered at Hummersknott Academy one afternoon in June to celebrate 50 years of education on the Edinburgh Drive site Guests travelled from far and wide and an enjoyable time was had reminiscing about past schooldays, renewing old acquaintances and admiring the facilities of today’s school Motor Vehicle at Learning & Skills As a result of great partnership working with local employers, Learning & Skills learners Liam Taylor and Philip Coglan are enjoying Apprenticeship success in their chosen careers of Motor Vehicle Maintenance When Liam left college after completing a Level Diploma, he was unsure what to next Learning & Skills supported him in finding an employer to enable him to join an Apprenticeship Liam completed his Apprenticeship in record time and, due to his hard work and dedication at local garage S&L Motors, was quickly signed up to his Advanced Apprenticeship Phillip left St Aidan’s C of E Academy and decided to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Kevin, who through the Diploma and Apprenticeship schemes with Learning & Skills, has gained full time employment in a local garage Phillip successfully completed his Level Motor Vehicle Diploma course whilst on placement with S&L Motors last year This allowed Phillip to show the employer that he had what it takes to become a mechanic The garage saw his potential and took him on as an Apprentice S&L Motors is a great supporter of the Apprenticeship scheme It is owned and operated by Steven Mair, who has in excess of 18 years’ experience working within the motor industry Steven believes that his business has gained so much through the Apprenticeship scheme “Not only has it enabled us to take on more work, but we are actively contributing to the future of the motor trade whilst being supported by Learning & Skills” Steven Mair, Owner - S&L Motors Continued Motor Vehicle at Learning & Skills continued S&L Motors works in partnership with Learning & Skills, which has a motor vehicle workshop containing all the equipment found in a modern motor vehicle servicing and repair workshop The workshop includes: Lifting equipment including and post ramps, hydraulic jacks, engine cranes and transmission jacks Recovery, recycle and recharge Air Conditioning unit Vehicle scanners to read engine management, SRS, ABS and other systems fault codes, read live data, diagnose potential faults and erase vehicle fault codes after the repair Four wheel laser wheel alignment equipment Latest electrical diagnostic equipment Latest up to date version of Auto data Wheel balancer and tyre machine with arm assist A variety of motor vehicle repair tools and dedicated vehicle system equipment Learning & Skills offers Apprenticeships and Level Diplomas in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair and is recruiting now If you are interested in completing an Apprenticeship or Diploma in Motor Vehicle, please contact Learning & Skills on 01325 405601 or l&s@darlington.gov.uk You can apply on line at: www.darlington.gov.uk/apprenticeships Hurworth School achieves Investor in Careers Award Hurworth School is the first school in Darlington to be awarded the prestigious Investors in Careers Accreditation The inspector highlighted that the school “demonstrates an outstanding commitment to supporting its students to develop their core career management skills and to make well-informed career choices.” They found that the “careers team strives for continuous improvement and this results in an outstanding model of evaluative practice.” Tees Valley Skills Event 2016 A highly interactive skills exhibition enabled over 2,000 young people from across Tees Valley to meet their potential future employers and learning providers to understand the skills and qualifications needed to build a career in a number of different sectors The Tees Valley Skills Event, was held at Teesside University on Tuesday 20th September for its fifth year attracting nearly 400 students from Darlington schools Delivered by Tees Valley Combined Authority, in partnership with North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership, Teesside University and Tees Valley Learning Provider Network, it is one of the largest events of its kind in the area One of the employers at the event included Darlington based Curo Marketing, Mark Blacklee, Managing Director said, “It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm and engagement from the young people visiting the event It is vital that employers get together to inspire the next generation and make them aware of the vast opportunities available in Tees Valley.” Mayor Dave Budd, Chair of Tees Valley Combined Authority, added, “In order for the Tees Valley economy to grow and achieve future prosperity it is vital that young people leave school and college with a knowledge of the skills and qualifications required by different sectors The event demonstrated the wide range of fulfilling careers that young people can pursue in Tees Valley and the first class training facilities we have in the area.” Claudia Smith One of Carmel’s most gifted and talented dancers has had success at the highest level recently In order to compete in the national finals at Blackpool Winter Gardens, Year 12 student Claudia Smith firstly had to qualify in the top 12 from a competition that was held in the regional area There are regions throughout the country which take part in the IDTA ballroom and Latin competitions so these areas encompass a wide area and therefore had a lot of dancers competing in this qualifying competition, which Claudia won She was then placed 1st out of 38 competitors at the national finals in the ‘Ballroom 16-20 age category’ Claudia said, “This was a real honour for me, especially as it was my first ‘adults’ competition” We are extremely proud of Claudia and it is a just reward for all the hard work and determination she puts in night after night 10 The Flat Darlington College students are being offered the chance to take the next step in their learning thanks to a new initiative at the college The Flat was officially opened at Darlington College, a project to help students with additional support needs live independent lives Six students, aged 18-21, have joined the Preparing for Adulthood course after completing last year the Next Steps study programme Over the summer holiday Darlington College has transformed a classroom into a fully equipped and adapted flat complete with cooker and hob, washing machine, sinks, fridge and furniture As well as developing academically, including subjects such as maths and English, students will learn a host of life skills, including shopping, budgeting, cookery, ironing, washing, cleaning and making beds The programme also involves learning a host of employability skills and work experience to maximize their chances of a full and independent life Students will be preparing for adulthood by making key links within the community and planning for life after college Students drew lots for the honour of officially opening The Flat and Amber Bourne, 21, of Ingleton cut the ribbon She said: “It was a real privilege to open The Flat, which looks amazing We are all very excited about it.” Darlington College tutor Ali Wright said: “The Flat is the perfect facility for our students who have completed the Next Steps study programme but want to develop further skills that will help them to live as independent and productive adults in the community.” For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk 11 Apprenticeship Success for Josh Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College is linked to the National Apprentice Scheme where students are matched to prestigious apprenticeship opportunities One student who has used his A Levels to progress to this route is Josh Jackson Josh has achieved a pleasing set of A Level results in ICT, Music Technology and Psychology and he has secured a high quality IT apprenticeship, with an opportunity to achieve a subsidiary diploma and a further Level Josh is a very determined student who has played a full part in the life of QE and who never lets his physical disability of cerebral palsy stop him taking part in activities As well as achieving very well in his academic studies, he was a member of the College’s award winning Rock Choir and went on a tour of three concert venues in Europe last year He has also been part of the College’s Student Executive where he regularly acted as an Ambassador for QE at events with local schools He excelled in this role because of his ability to relate to others and his lively sense of humour Josh was also part of the student voice on the Equality and Diversity Committee Josh enjoys playing wheelchair basketball and was instrumental in organising and playing in a competitive tournament with other QE students Joy Colthup, Head of Learning Support at QE, comments: “We are very proud of all of Josh’s achievements during his time at QE His positive attitude to life is an inspiration to other students and we know that Josh will be very successful in his apprenticeship.” Open day Full-time undergraduate open day: 19th October 2016 Teesside University is dynamic, energetic and innovative, inspiring others to grow If you're thinking about studying full time at Teesside, come and visit us - it could be your University You can design your own day by choosing the talks and tours you are interested in It’s a great opportunity to meet with staff and students and get all the information you need about our courses and the fantastic facilities we have here at Teesside Student Finance, Students' Union and Disability Services will be on hand to offer advice and support all day For more information about our open days or to book online visit www.tees.ac.uk/visitus or telephone the Department of External Relations on 01642 342275 12 Luca Cara A young scientist, who was initially discouraged from furthering his education, has discovered the formula for success after making the grades to achieve his ambition to study CSI forensics Darlington College student Luca Cara is celebrating after gaining a BTEC triple distinction star, the equivalent of three A levels, in applied science Despite being turned down by two other further education colleges, after lower than expected GCSE grades, Luca,18, of Eaglescliffe has exceeded all expectations by passing 18 of his 19 coursework modules with distinction “I’m absolutely over the moon,” said Luca “Darlington College gave me a chance and in doing so I hope that I have repaid their faith in me.” Despite gaining five passes at GCSE Luca’s grades saw him struggle to gain a college place after leaving school, to further his goal of studying forensic science “I was told that I would find it too hard and that I would struggle to complete the course,” said Luca “It really knocked my confidence a lot but then by chance I saw that Darlington College was offering a course in BTEC applied science which was exactly what I wanted to I applied and after an interview with the course tutor I was offered a place on condition that I re-sat my maths GCSE.” Determined to achieve the best grades possible Luca studied hard and met all of his deadlines “I really surprised myself, I just got my head down and made sure that I did the best I could and with the help and support from my tutors I have surpassed what I even thought I was capable of I feel like waving my certificates at the people who didn’t have faith that I could it and saying: ‘Look someone believed in me and I did it’.” Luca has now been offered places at both Liverpool John Moore University and the University of Dundee and plans to travel to Dundee in September to start a degree in forensic anthropology “I’m so pleased that I came to Darlington College, the course was intense but I’ve learnt so much and gained so many more skills I knew when I left school that I wanted to study forensic science and now I have the opportunity and qualifications to just that.” Darlington College BTEC applied science graduate Luca Cara, 18, of Eaglescliffe, who secured a triple distinction star grade giving him the equivalent of three A levels 13 Adam Wins Regional Sailing Award 16 year old Adam Billany from Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club has won the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) North East Young Club Sailor of the Year Award Adam, who attends Carmel College, was chosen by a panel of judges drawn from the RYA North East Region and receives the Trident Trophy donated by dinghy specialists, Trident UK Despite suffering from cerebral palsy and having to endure recent painful operations to lengthen and strengthen his legs, Adam plays a full part in Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club He was co-ordinator for the 2015 RYA NE Youth Travellers Series, organising over 50 sailors and six venues around the region “He is an inspiration to us all,” explained Nicky Leech, Sailing Secretary at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club “In 2014, just weeks after a major operation to lengthen seven muscles in his leg, he was out on the water sailing again, this time with his leg wrapped up in clingfilm!” “I would really like to thank Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club for nominating me for the RYA North East Young Club Sailor award; Stephen Scullion and his rescue team for the help they give me when launching and coming back into shore; Matt Grier and Dave Woodhead for their excellent coaching and support and of course my parents who transport me, feed me and act as shore crew and I couldn’t manage without them!”, said Adam 14 Superb A Level Results Students and staff at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College are celebrating another year of excellent A Level results QE is one of the largest A Level centres in the North and this year’s A Level pass rate is a wonderful 99.2% with a high grade rate (A*, A and B grades) of over 50% students attained A*/A grades with a further 44 students being awarded A*/As; an incredible achievement Thanks to their tremendous results, over 700 QE students have progressed to the university courses of their choice with a very large number securing places at Russell Group universities 13 students will be studying at Oxbridge this year; a very impressive number These include Laura Green, an ex-Hummersknott student, who achieved A* in Biology and Extended Project and A in Maths and Psychology She will study Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at Cambridge University Continued 15 Superb A Level Results continued Athlete Lewis Moses inspires sports Lewis Timms, formerly of Education Village, will study Biochemistry atstudents Oxford University after at Longfield Academy being awarded an A* in Chemistry and A grades in Maths, Biology and Extended Project Two ex-students of St.Aidan’s are also heading to Oxbridge Daniel Friery will study History at Oxford after securing A grades in Maths, Further Maths, History and Extended Project James Crossley achieved A* grades in Maths, Further Maths and Physics and an A in Geography to progress to Cambridge where he will study Engineering Former Hurworth student, Benjamin Wolstenholme, will read Classics at Oxford after achieving A* in Philosophy and Extended Project and A grades in German and History Other notable results include Sean McGuffin from Catterick who achieved A* grades in Further Mathematics, Geology, Physics and Mathematics and an A in his Extended Project He will go to Manchester University to study Physics Harry Farnworth from Stockton received A* grades in Further Mathematics, Mathematics and Physics and A grades in Computing and Music Technology He will now progress to Cambridge University to read Computer Science Rogan Clark, also from Stockton, is going to study Physics at Oxford University after attaining A* grades in Chemistry, Further Mathematics, Mathematics and Physics Milly Hodgson from Bedale achieved A* grades in History, Religious Studies and Extended Project and an A grade in Law to secure her place to study History at Cambridge University Nuala Burnett from Leyburn enjoyed similar success with A* grades in Geography, Geology and Extended Project and an A grade in English Literature She will study Geography at Oxford University Progressing to a Medicine course at Newcastle University is Nile Sharma from Middlesbrough who achieved A* grades in Biology, English Literature and Extended Project and an A grade in Chemistry Principal, Tim Fisher, comments, “I am delighted that once again QE students have performed so well in their examinations Students and staff have worked very hard to ensure this success and I am sure that our students can now look forward to very bright futures.” The next issue of the 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter will be published in February 2017 If you have anything you would like to be featured in the next issue, please send text (and photos if you have them) to: reshma.begum@darlington.gov.uk by Friday 20th January 2017 16