educate - issue 8

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EducateThe Magazine for Parents and Pupils

educatemagazine.com

Reading rocksThe value of the written word

Greening of schoolsKids tackle the eco challenge

May–August 2009

Sponsored by

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Published by Mersey Mirror, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS. Tel: 0151 709 7567 Fax: 0151 707 1678 Email: [email protected] Executive Editor Kim O’Brien Advertising Sales Manager Andy Rogers Tel: 0151 709 7567 Advertising Sales Liz Bold Tel: 0151 709 7567 Photography Tom Murphy Editorial Alan Birkett, Lucy Oliver, Marya McCann Design & Production Mersey Mirror, 36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS. Tel: 0151 706 7411 Email: [email protected] Distribution Barbara Troughton Tel: 0151 733 5492. Printed by PCP. Educate magazine is published by Mersey Mirror. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted or reproduced without permission. Disclaimer The information contained within Educate we believe to be correct at the time of printing, no responsibility can be accepted for errors oromissions. © Copyright Mersey Mirror 2009.

Welcome...Welcome to the latest issue ofEducate. We take a look atenvironmental responsibilities wehave to our future children –should we be thinking aboutsaving the planet rather then justprotecting it?

We also take a look at why thebook is best for our children. Ourguest panel are passionate aboutthe importance of reading to achild’s upbringing and futureprospects.

Swotting for success – if you’re afirst time parent of a Year 6 childyou will have entered a new

chapter in your life: revision,worry and stress. We give youthe top tips on how to helpyour child to succeed.

We have all the latest school newsfrom primary to secondary,showcasing schools, teachers andstudents achievements, talentsand events.

Educate meets up with theteachers, Paul Dickinson,headteacher at Archbishop BeckCatholic Sports College who tellsus how they are ready to face thefuture. We also chat to Dr DavidDennison on how it’s all a matterof pride at St Margaret’s Churchof England High School.

We also view a sea of style forboth boys and girls this summer.

Finally, we interview GhostHunter and Psychic, DerekAcorah who takes a stroll downMemory Lane and remembers thetime that he played football forLiverpool FC

Many thanks go to our front cover

model Evie May Murphy and also to

Sefton Park Library, Liverpool

08-10GreenGenerationHow we can teachour kids to tackle thegreen issues of today

12Primary Schools NewsPupils cook up a healthy storm in Prescot

20School NewsLaunch of new 14-19 Diploma

22Meet the HeadteacherPaul Dickinson, Archbishop Beck CatholicSports College

26-29Focus Group Why the book is best for our children

30National School NewsSchool Minister praises pupils

34Meet the HeadteacherDr David Dennison, St Margaret’s Churchof England High School

38Secondary School NewsPupils make their mark

40SecondarySchool NewsStudents excel

46Dear EducateHelp and advice

48-49Swotting forSuccessThose all important revision techniques

51A Cut AboveCompact launches new Diploma

52FastBroadgreen International School get in theFAST lane

54-55Sport in FocusFootball and athletics from around theregion

57Arts in FocusWest Side Story jets into Liverpool

58-59Hello SailorThis summer’sfashion for kids

60World Book Day 09 Celebrating books

61ViewpointAre four-year-olds tooyoung to meet toddlers’targets?

62Book ReviewWhat’s new and what’s hot in this seasonsmust reads

63-67Events GuideWhat’s on around the region

68EducateCompetitionWin a family break inIreland withNorfolkline

70My School DaysDerek Acorahtakes a strolldown memorylane and tellsus about hisschool days

Educate Contents

Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils 3

A Perfect Nursery in the City Centre

All children will benefit from sessionsin our fantastic sensory studio

Dukes & Duchesses Day Nursery is committed to creating a safe and secure environment in which:• Every child is happy and stimulated • Every child's efforts are valued • Every child has the opportunity to develop

knowledge, skills and understanding according to hisor her abilities and regardless of their race, cultureand gender

• Children learn to respect and look after each other• Values parents as the primary educators of their child For Further details or to arrange a visit call 0151 709 1186www.dukesandduchesses.co.uk

44 Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils

Worried about your Child’s education?

Do you recognise any of these problems?

Counting on fingers when adding up Difficulty with subtraction • Can’t grasp times tables • Little interest in reading

Finds reading hard • Poor spellingPoor handwriting • Poor concentration

Learning problems such as these can blighteducational progression. However,they can be

overcome in as little as 4-6 months

CALL TODAY for a free consultationFind out how your child can succeed.

Don’t fail your child. Help them to a bright andprosperous future.

One phone call is all it takes

0151 424 2765Tom Ledson, BA(Hons) Msc PGCEHalton Bridge Therapy and Training

2 Vine Street, Widnes WA8 6DW

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Educational Resources

Moving with MerseytravelBetter for Everyone - Keystage 4 Citizenship

From Here to There - Learning Difficulties (Independence in the Community)

City Travel with MerseytravelYour Bus and Your Community

In order to obtain the education packsPlease contact the Community Links Team on 0151 330 1200

or write to: Community Links Team, Merseytravel, 24 Hatton Gardens, Liverpool L3 2AN

Promoting Sustainable Development

The pack ‘Promoting Sustainable Development’ is aimedat the 9-13 age range and will have three sections.Each section will focus on the causes of global warming;ways of reducing carbon emissions and ideas todevelop a smaller personal carbon footprint respectively.The pack will use photographs and local case studies tomeet the new national curriculum requirements. It ishoped the pack will be versatile enough to teachsustainable development either as a curriculumdimension itself or within the subject areas ofgeography, design and technology, science orcitizenship. The pack will be available from Merseytravelin the summer term 2009.

This pack has been writtento meet the requirementsof the Foundation Stagecurriculum for children aged3 to 5 years as fromSeptember 2001. The packhas 15 colour A4photographs. In addition 30 different workcards for children to use inthe classroom or at homewith their parents. The packpromotes the notion thatpublic transport allowspeople in the localcommunity to get around and travel todifferent places.

City Travel with Merseytravel

Moving with Merseytravel

This pack contains 20 A4colour photographsrelating mainly to localtransport issues. Thereare 60 work cards tosupport the photographs.The pack is flexible andcan be used with childrenof all age groups withinprimary schools.The pack is written tosupport the geographycurriculum but has thepotential to be used inboth Literacy andNumeracy activities.

The From Here to There pack contains 15photo cards relating to promotingindependence skills in the community.The pack is written to support youngpeople with specific needs to access localpublic transport. A range of key tasks hasbeen identified to use public transport anda step-by-step list of skills to achieve eachof them has been provided.

The How to make a bus journeyBooklet has a series of visualdrawings to show how to make ashort bus trip. There are 9 simpleoutline diagrams that depict theimportant steps that need to betaken to make a bus journey.The diagrams are very flexibleand could be used to promptspeaking or writing tasks orsequencing activities. Studentsare encouraged to use thebooklet to plan and carry out ajourney in the local area by bus. The Better for everyone Pack

contains 16 A4 colour photographsrelating to local transport issues and

services. There are 32 work cardsto support the photographs. The

pack is flexible and can be used tocomplement a scheme of work

relating to Key Stage 4 Citizenshiprequirements. The pack is divided

into four sections covering thetopics; Merseytravel as an

organisation, social change, rightsand responsibilities and sustainabledevelopment. A booklet containing

teachers' notes is provided thatsuggests how the pack may be

used in the classroom

‘Inside Merseytravel’ is avocational educational packsupporting Business Studiesand Leisure Studies for the 14to 16 age range. It providestwo case studies, a publicbusiness organisation and animportant tourist attraction.Each page of the packcontains up-to-date data,photographs and activitiesabout the leisure and travelindustry. The tasks andactivities support studentsputting together a portfolio ofcoursework for specificexaminations.

Here to There Pack

How to Make a Bus Journey

Better for Everyone Pack

Inside Merseytravel

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St Vincent de PaulCatholic Primary School

Pitt Street Liverpool L1 5BY

“Serving With Love … Striving For Excellence”

For further details, contact the Headteacher:

Mr P Stewart on 0151 709 2572Fax 0151 707 8942 email: [email protected]

◆ OFSTED Oct 2007 - ‘St Vincent de PaulCatholic Primary School is anoutstanding school.’

◆ Convenient City Centre Location

◆ Places Available

◆ Breakfast Club:

open from 7.30am

◆ Range of After-School Extra-CurricularActivities

◆ Two Computer Suites

◆ Educational Visits in our Private Minibus

◆ Healthy Schools Award

◆ Activemark Gold

◆ Basic Skills Quality Mark

◆ Liverpool Hope University Articled

School Status

◆ Archdiocesan Religious Education Inspection

“an outstanding school”

Gingerbread is the national charity working with single parent families. Formed following a merger of the National Council for One Parent Families and Gingerbread, we now provide increased support and a stronger campaigning voice for single parents and their families.

Two greatopportunitiesfrom ...

Throughout 2009, national charities

Gingerbread and Chester Zoo

are teaming up to run Learning Together, a course of fun

educational activities for

single parents and their families.

With free transport and free entry to the zoo, this could be

a great opportunity to meet other single parent families,

learn new skills, discover more about the zoo and the

environment – and have a lot of fun!

The course takes place over 9 weeks, and is open to all single

parents with a child or children aged 5 or over.

For more information or to book a place

call Joanne Woodley on 07500 958 536or email

[email protected]

Go onon a voyage of discoverYiscoverY at Chester

zOo!

Balancing being a single parentwith getting a job can be difficult ...... but we’ll help you get there.Horizons Your Work is a unique, free, three-week programme run by Gingerbread and Barclaycard, giving single parents valuable advice and support on returning to work.

Can we help you? If you are a single parent bringing up school-aged or younger children and are eligible to work in the UK, Your Work can help you:

• boost your confidence and explore your work options • build your skills for work• gain practical experience in a real workplace

Call free on 0800 023 4392for details of how we can help you to get back to work

or visit www.yourhorizons.com

CHILDWALL CHURCH OF ENGLANDPRIMARY SCHOOLA Voluntary Aided SchoolFounded by The Trustees of Salisbury House

We at Childwall School welcome you as prospective parents whose

children may join us for the first time, and look forward to a happy,

contented and fruitful partnership over the coming years.

Our aim is to:

• create a caring and happy community in which Christian values are

upheld

• Provide an education which will contribute to the children’s

intellectual, social, moral, aesthetic, physical and spiritual

development

• Establish positive home, school and church liaisons and a partnership

with parents

Please note the School now admits 60 children in reception

Childwall CE School is a Church of England Voluntary Aided

School for Boys and Girls in the age range 4-11 years and

maintained by the Liverpool Education Directorate.

Childwall CE (Aided) Primary School, Woolton Road, Liverpool L16 0JD

Headteacher: Mrs D S Shaw B.Ed. (Hons)Telephone: 0151 722 1553 Fax: 0151 722 4989

"And the child grew and became strong; He was full of wisdom and God’s blessings were upon Him." Luke 2:40


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EducateThe Magazine for Parents and Pupils

Now available online.Visit educatemagazine.com

Go to www.educatemagazine.com and click on ‘Subscribe tonewsletter’.

Now, it’s all just a click away.Constantly updated, educatemagazine.com the online magazine for parents and pupils is packed with all the latest school and educationnews as well as our comprehensive Merseyside schools directory.

Essential reading for anyone in Merseyside who has children of school age and a useful tool for school selection.

News and reviews | Interviews | What’s on guide | EventsMerseyside schools directory | Competitions | Education & LearningFood & Health | Lifestyle | Shopping & Fashion | Sports | Arts

Get our newsletter

via emailupdates.


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Environmental Feature

GreenGeneration

In 50 years’ time the environment will be your childrenand grandchildren’s responsibility. And whether thatresponsibility will extend to worrying about saving theplanet- rather than just protecting it - really dependsupon how we teach our kids to tackle issues today.Words by Marya McCann

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Liverpool’s Year of the Environment is

already well under way and by including

schools at the forefront of the scheme the

Council recognises the importance of

children learning to adapt and change

the bad habits inherited from us as a smart

way forward.

Linking in with an internationally recognised

scheme, Eco Schools, which rewards good

practice with a series of bronze, silver and green

flag awards, the Council’s Environmental

Services Team are on hand throughout the year

to provide help and support in achieving the

top award.

To generate interest and friendly competition

between schools and business the Council’s

website has drafted a Green Pledge which

individuals, schools and businesses can sign

up to. Liverpool City Council’s executive

member for the environment, Councillor Berni

Turner, said: ‘Getting children involved in

Liverpool’s Year of the Environment is essential

and I hope every school shows how much they

love this wonderful city by doing their part and

making a green pledge on our website.

‘The next generation really are the future

of Liverpool and we want to make sure they’re

as environmentally aware as possible. And of

course you can never underestimate the

strength of “pester-power“, so whatever the

young people learn in school they’ll take back

to their homes and influence their families.’

The aim is that as the pledges are made,

most of which are really simple and easy to put

into practice, they will stick in people’s minds,

and become the norm. Examples of pledges that

both pupils and staff are being asked to make

as part of their school day are easily transferable

to business and home life:

Many states in America have taken the lead

in recycling projects over the past decade and

the result is children growing up with more

awareness of issues affecting the environment.

Kids for Saving the Earth (KSE) is a foundation

based in Minneapolis which aims to provide

environmental education for children of all ages.

The website (www.kidsforsavingearth.org) has

activities, resources, membership and news for

children to use and The Everything Green

Classroom Book assists teachers in creating

an eco-friendly learning environment.

Incorporating science, numeracy and

language skills into each topic the author, Tessa

Hill, has brought important issues outside of the

classroom into children’s learning. Making

greenhouses, learning about weeds, birds,

water, trees (and the resulting paper in class) all

challenge children to consider the environment

on a local and global level, dependant on age.

Closer to home Broadgreen International

School has taken environmental issues far

beyond a simple understanding of what it

means to be green. There is a transitional

programme for Year 7 learners called Opening

Minds, which takes a variety of subjects and

combines them for eight lessons each week.

And in the 6th Form students can study a

complete subject, Environmental Systems

and Society, as part of the International

Baccalaureate.

Science teacher and co-ordinator for the

Opening Minds programme, Sharon

Rhodes, said: ‘The curriculum

in subjects like Science

and Geography

has elements

of environmental

issues embedded

into them.

Opening Minds,

however, is

much more

overt in its teaching

of these issues and

connects them in a much more meaningful

way.’ So understanding the reasons behind

global warming becomes much more than a

scientific lesson; its impact and consequences

can be seen both in a geographical and an

historical context.

The school also runs an Environment Club

which has proved a popular extra-curricular

activity. Said Sharon: ’We took part in a field

study in the Lake District and after being shown

how to conduct research and surveys some of

the pupils set up a Green Group and have

established a wildlife area within the school.’

As the only school in the city to offer students

the International Baccalaureate programme

students can gain an understanding of how

environmental issues cross over subject

boundaries. Within Environmental Systems and

Society they consider the impact of global

policy, ecocentrism, and social policy as a result

of government and business decisions.

Holly Lodge Girls’ College, West Derby, is

leading the way in using its green space to

grow food for its students. At the launch of

Liverpool’s Year of the Environment it

announced that the school allotment will soon

be providing fruit

and vegetables for the canteen, saving money

for the school and giving students valuable

experience they will take with them after

they leave.

Rachel Powell is the teacher leading the

school into greener pastures. She said: ‘We have

established the Gardening Angels to oversee the

allotment. The group is made up of Year 7 girls

who want to build skills which will give them

more confidence and self esteem in other areas

of school life.

‘We recently organised an Environmental

Afternoon which involved students picking up

litter and weighing it, just to get an idea of the

massive amount of rubbish we all make.

Through a water-carrying exercise the girls also

got a glimpse of what many women around the

world must do each day, just to survive. It was

• Organising waste free lunches

• Remembering to switch off lights

if last to leave a room

• Switching to recycled paper in the

office and classroom

• Not leaving electrical equipment

on standby

• Working towards the

Eco-Schools

flag standard

• Carrying out an energy

audit

• Recycling or

composting kitchen

waste from the canteen.

Children’s pledges include:• Turning taps off properly and not leaving

them running during teeth brushing

• Urging parents to switch to re-usableshopping bags and energy saving lightbulbs

• Walking to school

• Using both sides of paper

• Re-using plastic bottles

• Getting involved in Eco-Schools initiatives

To complete a Green Pledge form visitwww.ourcityourplanet.org.uk/schools

Holly LodgeGirls’ College, WestDerby, is leadingthe way in using its green space togrow food for itsstudents.

“

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Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils10

Environmental Feature

enlightening.’

Many local schools like St Michael’s

Catholic Primary School, Ditton, have had a

gardening club in place for years before the

idea of conservation loomed. Children are

entered onto a rota which covers all aspects of

gardening and not just the nice bits; children

are expected to dig small plots, tidy up and

weed as well as plant seeds.

There are some great gardening websites

designed especially for teachers and pupils

who wish to grow a school garden:

www.growingschools.org.uk

www.growinggrub.co.uk

www.rhs.org.uk/SCHOOLGARDENING

However, Diane Miller, of Merseyside’s

local record centre of biological data, BioBank,

stresses that green spaces can be valuable

additions to city life without just being areas

for growing food. She said: ‘Wildlife can

thrive in a variety of natural habitats and its

presence is an important way for school

children to connect with nature and also

understand the importance of making records.

‘Our organisation provides free resource

packs for schools so that children understand

our simple and effective methods: Who, What,

Where and When provides a sound base for us

to gather information about the changes on a

local level; the answers can be interpreted and

contrasted with changes on a national and

international level due to global warming.’

BioBank will be running a series of

recording events throughout the summer

months, monitoring bees and butterflies

amongst other eco-species, and schools are

invited to get involved in their surveys and

projects. The website is interactive and easy

to use: www.merseysidebiobank.org.uk

The real challenge for schools this year is

to find new ways to economise and conserve

energy. Such a two-pronged approach will

bring tangible benefits for children

immediately - more money to spend on their

learning environment - and in the future -

through saving energy.

Combined Harvesters is a Liverpool

company which is now in demand nationally.

The Bromborough firm, which has just

received a Merseyside Innovations Award for

its RainCatcher system, is steadily growing

and has recently installed products in three

Plymouth schools.

Specially adapted to be used in schools the

rainwater collection package has been

designed so that students can look through a

special viewfinder and see how the water is

collected, treated and then used around the

building and grounds.

Suzanne Tunnington, of Combined

Harvesters, said: ‘We are getting more and

more interest from schools who see the

product as economical as well as an aid to

learning.’ Schools in Prenton and New Ferry

are putting Wirral in the lead when it comes to

saving and using grey water.

An office equipment supplier with

environmental credentials realised as far back

as 1993 that the way forward was to design

ways in which office life could save the

environment and money.

Ricoh has developed ways to reduce

technological resources, lower energy bills and

cut down on pollution. In response to research

which found that 80% of power used in a

machine’s lifetime is during standby, Ricoh

designed a machine with an ultra low sleep

mode. And rather than produce standard

photocopying machines and printers, Ricoh

has developed organic and water based toners

and inks which save 30 per cent of energy

used to produce typical oil based products.

With packaging that can either be re-used

in the form of an Ecobag the office equipment

suppliers prove that an environmental

approach can be incorporated everywhere.

Imagine the amount of photocopying and

paper used every day in your child’s classroom

and school office and you can see how firms

like Ricoh must expand into the education

sector.

Office suppliers, Copyrite Systems, based

in Speke, not only installs Ricoh products but

also provides full and detailed information

about the company’s ethos, as well as

connected projects like tree planting and

card recycling.

Other Useful Contacts

Copyrite Systems: 0151 486 2424

www.copyritesystems.co.uk

www.ricoh.com/environment

We are gettingmore and moreinterest fromschools who see the product aseconomical as well as an aid to learning.

“

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For further details contact Mr. Peter Andrew, Headteacher on 0151 724 4880

“Carleton House School provides a high quality education within an environment that ishighlighted by a deep care and concern for each pupil as a unique individual” Independent Schools Inspectorate June 2006 Accredited by ISC, Member of ISA

Places available from September in our new Foundation Stage 1 (age 3+)• Flexible provision - Full-Time and Part-Time • Newly refurbished classrooms and facilities for September 2009 in our new

site on Menlove Avenue. • Hot lunches

Carleton HousePreparatory SchoolCo-educational Ages 4 - 11

These are exciting times for Carleton House Prep School as we look forward to the move to our new site intime for the start of the new school year in September 2009.

The school is relocating from its present site on Lyndhurst Road to the premises formerly occupied by theBeechenhurst School on the corner of Menlove Avenue and Cromptons Lane. A major programme of refurbishment has been underway since the start of 2009 to provide rooms andfacilities that will do the school proud.

The relocation will enhance what the school is able to offer pupils both present and future. The new facilitiesavailable from September will include a Foundation Stage 1 provision for 3 - 4 year olds and hot schoollunches. The school will, of course, continue to provide the high quality of education for which it isrenowned.

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Primary School News

Pupils cook upa healthy storm

Pupils at Evelyn Primary in Prescotenjoyed a week of dancing, cooking,cycling and sport as part of theschool’s health and safety week.

Students as young as four took part inworkshops to help them understandhow to stay safe and healthy while alsohaving fun.

All week, the school welcomed police,community support officers,paramedics, health advisors and chefs,who helped run fun activities withpupils.

The highlights included ‘temptingtots’ cooking sessions with CommunityCooks, during which children invitedtheir parents into school to taste foodsfrom around the world and a ‘wheelyfun’ session with the bike safetyofficers.

The children were given the chanceto climb inside a real police car, and

were visited by paramedics from theNorth West Air Ambulance. Later in theweek, they took part in a traffic surveyand various dance classes and sportingevents.

There were also talks from Knowsley’sOral Health Promotion Team, HealthySchools, Knowsley PCT, recyclingservices, Merseytravel, and thecommunity nursery nurse.

Carole Arnold, Headteacher at EvelynPrimary, said: “The children reallyenjoyed the week – they have learnt somuch about serious issues in a creativeand enjoyable way.

“The visitors have provided thechildren with contextual learningopportunities related to real life. Theevents have been extremelyinspirational and I’m sure the childrenwill remember this week and share itsmessages with their families.”

L-R Year 6 pupils Ben, Tom and James trying out a speed gun as part of alesson on road safety.

Health and safety are the order of the day

Terry Hillier, a pupil of HolyRosary School, Aintree is afootball star to watch out for inthe future.

Nine-year-old Terry has just signeda contract with Burnley Football Clubafter a successful season with hisschool and football teams.

Since he started playing asgoalkeeper for his school team andBarlows JFC U9s his performanceshave been nothing short of incredible,keeping a total of 83 clean sheetsfrom 138 matches, and at timeswinning fixtures for his side singlehanded.

During this time he has beenapproached by all of the major NorthWest clubs, with a view to signinghim. However his dad stated that, thefriendly and personal approach madefrom Burnley FC officials, won Terryover!

Terry has also picked up ninewinners titles during his time withhis teams, and was unanimouslyvoted the 2008 Parents Player of theYear, after keeping an incredible 54clean sheets in all competitions lastseason.

Young starstrikes adeal

Burnley bound Terry Hillier

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Primary School News

Strangebut trueThe staff and pupils of St Michael’sPrimary School, Liverpool have a newaddition to their community in theshape of a Superlambanana. As withmost of these strange creatures, the StMichael’s Lambanana has beendesigned with a specific theme inmind.

“ We’ve had an emphasis on healthyeating within the school,” saidHeadteacher, Anthony Hegarty. “So itmade sense that the lambanana shouldreflect that theme. I have to say thoughthat it has caused a lot of interest inthe school, and I think it has reallycaught the children’s imagination.”

A school in Blundellsands hasscored a SATs hat-trick with aperfect set of results in Maths,English and Science.

St Nicholas Church of EnglandPrimary School in Nicholas Road,achieved 100 per cent at Level 4 .

The results from exams taken by Year6 pupils at Key Stage Two last year alsorevealed a rise in its aggregate pointsscore from 285 to 300.

Becky Woods, headteacher, said: “Weare absolutely delighted. We are sopleased and proud of the children. It’salso recognition of the hard work of thestaff because we have outstandingteachers at our school. We aim toprovide a broad balanced education forall children whilst providing plenty ofexcellence and enjoyment.

“All schools work hard for the benefitof the children and obviously we arevery pleased with our results but allschools within the area and within thecountry do give the best educationpossible for the children.”

Triple topfor Seftonschool

City school earnsglowing report

The children, staff parents and Governors of Our Lady ImmaculateCatholic Primary School are celebrating after receiving a glowing OFSTEDreport.

The school which is based in Northumberland Terrace, Everton were recentlyawarded an outstanding report.

The inspectors said, “Our Lady Immaculate is a popular school providing anoutstanding education for its pupils... the school enjoys strong support fromparents who hold it in exceptionally high regard.”

The Governors of the school congratulated the Headteacher and staff for theircontinued support and commitment to the children and community of Everton.

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Primary School News

Headteacherinspires school

Ofsted inspectors have praised aschool which has been transformedin just over a year, thanks to“inspirational” leadership from itshead teacher, Miss CatherineFairhurst.

Knowsley Village primary has gonefrom a rating of “inadequate” to “good”in just 15 months, with inspectorspouring praise on the quality ofteaching and behaviour of pupils.

The report found that improvementsmade at the school have been“sustained and strengthened” in thelast year. It noted: “The inspirationalleadership of the executive headteacher is driving the school forwardstrongly so that it is improving in leapsand bounds. As a result, this is now agood and improving school giving good

value for money. Standards have risensignificantly and achievement is goodbecause teaching is of consistentlygood quality.”

Inspectors also praised the“exemplary” behaviour of the pupilsand said Knowsley Village is “a happyschool where smiles and laughter arethe order of the day”.

It added: “By the time they leave,pupils are articulate and confidentyoung people ready to take fulladvantage of the next steps in theireducation.”

As well as praising the efforts of thehead teacher, the report alsoacknowledged that all teaching staffand school governors have workedextremely hard to help improve theschool in such a short period of time.

What a difference a year makes

Walking to school has becomesafer for pupils at five Liverpoolschools - with the help of a lioncub.

Benji, the city's road safety mascot,accompanied children from schools inthe Walton area as they explored theareas surrounding their schools todiscover how they can make themsafer places.

They were taking part in the OurWalk to School project which istargeted at schools in areas whichhave high child road accident rates.

It involves a training programmedesigned to increase pupils'knowledge of the roads around theschools, help them deal with traffic andgive them a greater sense ofindependence

Different schools take part each year.This year schools in Walton - BlessedSacrament Junior, Longmoor PrimarySchool, Rice Lane Junior School,Northcote Primary School and StJohn's Primary School - participated.

As part of the project the pupilswent out on 'missions' to explore thelocal roads, investigating how theywalk to school after which, along withRoad Safety Officers and teachers, theyidentified the dangers theyencountered on their route. Thechildren then created a map of the areasurrounding the school highlightingthe dangers they felt important tothem.

Safer walkto school

Benji the lion cub

Headteacher, Catherine Fairhurst and pupils celebrate their success

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15Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils

St Mary & St Paul’s Church ofEngland Primary School, Prescot

“An Outstanding School” – Ofsted 2008

We offer high educational standards, a broadand rich curriculum and a caring and inclusiveethos.We have a limited number of places availablethroughout the school from Nursery andReception to Year 6

For more information or to arrange a visitto the school please contact 0151 426 6869St Mary & St Paul’s CE Primary SchoolBryer Road, Prescot L35 5DN

At St Mary & St Paul’s every child really does matter!

“All children are encouraged to achieve their best in all aspects of their lives. Thisis reflected in the outstanding progress that is made throughout the school.”

(Inspection report, March 2008)

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Primary School News

St Swithin’s Gold DiscPupils are top of the hit paradeThe readers of Educate willremember the story about themusical pupils of Our Lady and StSwithin’s, Liverpool and their forayinto pop stardom, and the disc of the songs, which they subsequentlycut.

The pupils recently topped off theirremarkable Capital of Culture Year witha trip to London to show off their talents.

“It was just brilliant,” saidHeadteacher, Tony McCaul. “They werewith pupils from other parts of thecountry taking part in the event, whichwas backed by the Princes TrustFoundation.

When it was their turn, they sung veryimpressively, and were a credit to theirfamilies and the school.”

Bishop Tom opens play area

Pupils from St Finbar’s school, Liverpool were joined by Bishop TomWilliams when he paid a parish pastoral visit to the Liverpool school.During his visit Bishop Tom also opened the school’s new FoundationStage educational play area.

“The Government’s new requirements now demand that all nursery andreception children can access an outdoor learning environment on a daily basis,”said Headteacher, Rita Bibby.

The children managed to hold in their excitement long enough to take part in alittle singing and say a few prayers, before enjoying a celebratory cake andsetting out to investigate their much welcomed new facilities.

Extra cashfor phonicsChildren’s Secretary Ed Ballshas confirmed £9m of fundingfor training to develop highquality phonics in early yearssettings and primary schools,as part of the Government’sdrive to ensure every childlearns to read.

The £9m will mean that everylocal authority will have aspecialist advisor training andsupport early years practitionersand primary school teachers.

Ed Balls said: “We know thatensuring children are confidentcommunicators and able to readand write well is vital to theirdevelopment and progress atschool.

“In rolling out the Every Child aReader programme theGovernment has committed toproviding effective earlyintervention and ensuring everychild gets the help they need tolearn to read”.

Pupils from Our Ladyand St Swithin’s withtheir Gold record

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Primary School News

Film fun for pupilsIt’s a wrap for St Michael’s DVDSt Michaels-in-the-Hamlet’s Young Entrepreneur Group have written andproduced a DVD to celebrate Liverpools Capital of Culture Year 08.

The children learnt all of their 12 scripts in two weeks, giving up a lot of timeand worked exceptionally hard. They then went to 12 locations over just twodays with a mini Lambanana showing it the sights and sounds of Liverpool.These venues included, the Cathedrals, Goodison and Anfield, the Mersey Ferry,Speke Hall and many more, The children met the Lord Mayor and Graeme Sharpwho both feature on the DVD. The DVD entitled ‘A date with 08’ was presentedat a 'Dragons Den Competition' on the 26th of February.

The children involved were: Leola Keenan Boateng, Callum Gibson, AntoniaHarker, Karla Morris, Ella Fradgley, Jim Fearon, Jack McDermott and JordynTomlinson.

Pupils cause for celebrationThe children at Malvern Primary School, Huyton,

have raised around £2500 recently for goodcauses!

The pupils raised £1982.23 for Barnardo’s by beingsponsored to look after their own egg. Barnardo’s weredelighted as this was a lot more than the average thatis usually collected.

They also raised £503.77 for Comic Relief, and wereasked by the BBC to go to the “Big Screen” in ClaytonSquare Liverpool, where they were filmed taking partin the Philharmonic Whoopee cushion orchestra. Theyalso played games on the big screen which wasbroadcast on North West tonight and also on ComicRelief Night.

Headteacher, Mrs Kinsella, said: “We are very proudof our children’s achievements and would like to thankeveryone who took part in the fundraising events.

Cyber Coachinspires childrenA Knowsley primary school hasintroduced the latest technologyinto their PE lessons, after securinglottery bid funding.

St Columba’s Catholic Primary Schoolin Huyton is the first in the borough topioneer their own Cyber Coach system,in which pupils are taught variousdance and fitness routines via a largescreen projection. Professional coachesare pre-recorded whilst demonstratingtheir routine, which can then beprojected onto a large screen for pupilsto follow step-by-step.

The system, which was originallydesigned for use in leisure centres,offers a whole host of fitness sessions,including cheerleading, bollywooddancing and step-aerobics. Themanufacturers of Cyber Coach arehoping to develop the system to offercurriculum lessons to schools.

Rónán Dunne, Headteacher at theschool said: “We are delighted to havebeen given the opportunity to launchthis exciting new scheme. Both staffand pupils really enjoy using CyberCoach which is also a great way ofencouraging the children to get moreactive. We would like to thank thelottery for supporting us with our bidand making this possible.”

Malvern Primary pupils in Clayton Square

The St Michael’s and their mini Lambanana outside The Beatles Story

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Primary School News

Hitting allthe rightnotes

With a nice sense of timing,the Lord Mayor of Liverpool,Cllr Steve Rotheram, was onhand at All Saints CatholicPrimary School to present thechildren with their musicalawards won the previous day.

At the Liverpool Music Festivalat St George’s Hall, both theschool orchestra and the schoolbrass band won their respectiveclasses, making it a double for theschool. The success of theorchestra was especiallyunexpected as the children hadonly been practising together forfour weeks!

The Lord Mayor spoke to all thechildren about his exciting role,and visited the new premises atthe school and the AnfieldChildren’s Centre.

Mr Barnes, the school’sHeadteacher, is very positiveabout the future of music at theschool. “We are planning to forma new brass band in September,and then a wind band later in thenext school year. The pupils justwant more and more.”

Our Lady’s charitysponsorship dealThe footballers of a Merseyside school have taken a leaf out of Spanishsoccer giants Barcelona’s book, and adopted a local charity as their shirtssponsors.

“ I’d heard that Barcelona had set up with UNICEF to sponsor them as anongoing charity, and felt that it would be good if we could do something similarwith CAFOD,” said Paul Towey, Headteacher of Our Lady’s, Hough Green. “Ithought it would make CAFOD highly visible in our school, community andindeed our wider Widnes community. It will give the pupils a greater knowledgeof their role as ‘global citizens’.”

Kitty Wilkinson rememberedCommemorating history at St Vincent de Paul’s The staff and pupils of St Vincentde Paul Primary, Liverpool havebeen proud to learn that theirschool was once the site of one ofthe first wash-houses establishedby the pioneering Kitty Wilkinson.Their school is now the site of aplaque commemorating the life ofthis extraordinary woman.

“It was part of our contribution to theCapital of Culture year,” saidHeadteacher Phil Stewart.

Born in Derry, Kitty emigrated toLiverpool with her family, and foundwork as a domestic. She soon gainedthe respect and gratitude of heremployers, and was granted her ownmangle, which she used to take inlaundry. During the cholera epidemic ofthe early 1830s Kitty established herfirst washroom in the cellar of her

house, as well as a rudimentary infantsschool in the bedroom.

“There’s a window in the LiverpoolAnglican Cathedral,” said Phil. “But wethought it would be a nice idea tocommemorate her too.”

Our Lady’s Years 5 and 6 squad with their new kits

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School News

Launch of new 14-19 Diploma

Hospitality hubfor the city

Left to right: James Holden, Academy of Culinary Arts; Katie O’Sullivan,Sapporo Teppanyaki/Il Forno; Andrew Haston, Radisson SAS; Eileen Allen,Springboard UK; Lesley Chadwick, 14-19 Partnership and Mike Corley;Liverpool Compact

The Hope Street Hotel, Liverpoolwas the venue for the launch of thenew 14-19 Diploma in Hospitalityand Catering.

The aim of the launch was to informlocal businesses in the hospitality andeducation sectors about the ‘Diploma’which will be taught in schools andcolleges from September 2009. TheDiplomas are an alternative totraditional qualifications such as GCSEs& A’ Levels.

Mike Corley, Chief Executive fromLiverpool Compact EBP, said: “Diplomasare new, exciting and different becausestudents learn about the Hospitalityindustry through employer ledactivities, practical experience in theworkplace and classroom study.

Liverpool Community College is thelocal lead for the Hospitality Diploma in

Liverpool and Liverpool schools arearranged into four ‘Travel to Learn’partnerships and there will be aHospitality ‘hub’ school in eachpartnership so by 2013 students from allLiverpool schools will be able to accessthe diploma.

The schools will also receive hands-on experience with visits from some ofthe top chefs in Liverpool who willencourage students with practicallessons such as how to prepare andappreciate food and the cookingprocesses involved.

The launch of this Diploma is beingstrongly supported by a host ofcompanies and businesses fromLiverpool including: EmployerChampions, People 1st, Hope StreetHotel, Sapporo Teppanyaki, Il Forno andRadisson SAS Hotel.

Studentsmake itbig inUSA

In February KnowsleyCommunity College sportsstudents and staff made a trip toAmerica to take part in the PapaJohns International Tournament(Soccer) in Wichita, Kansas.

They were highly successful in anumber of ways: they won theiroverall tournament, they won thehearts and minds of their hostfamilies, and five of them wonscholarships to Americanuniversities.

The party consisted of fourteenplayers and two coaches. Theycompeted against American andMexican under-19 teams. Before thetournament started the studentsplayed against two University teams.The tournament consisted of playingfive games over two days, and theKnowsley team eventuallytriumphed 1 – 0 in the final againstEFC (not Everton Football Club!).

The visit also involved thestudents touring local Universitiesand looking at some of the degreeprogrammes on offer, which resultedin four of them being offeredscholarships to study at Universityin the USA. Six others will be backthere in the Summer to work onsoccer camps.

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Gateacre Community Comprehensive SchoolArts and Humanities Specialist College

“Specialist status has also brought about arejuvenation of the school’senrichment activities, especially in the arts,educational trips and visits.This is having a positive effecton students’levels ofmotivation.”

“Students enjoy school…”

“Specialist status is alsohelping to revitalise the after schoolenrichment activities insport to add to students’acquisition ofhealthierlifestyles.”Ofsted inspection 2007

Grange Lane, Gateacre Liverpool L25 4SD Tel: 0151 428 1569 Fax: 0151 421 1349Email: [email protected]

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Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils22 Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils22

Meet the Headteacher Paul Dickinson, Archbishop Beck Catholic Sports College

The future of Archbishop Beck as one of thegovernment’s multi-million pound ‘Schools for theFuture’ is causing great excitement at the schoolwhere leadership in the community has becomeone of its most valued attributes. Headteacher PaulDickinson told us why the move forwards isimportant for pupils and for future generations…

Archbishop Beck Catholic SportsCollege on Cedar Road in Walton is apioneering school in the north end ofthe city, most recently celebrating anexcellent OFSTED report, andenjoying its specialist status forsporting success.

Headteacher Paul Dickinson took therole of managing the establishment 18months ago, in a return to the schoolwhere he first worked as a newly qualifiedteacher (NQT) in 1988. Much has changedin that time, particularly in the generalperception of the school. Two years andfour months ago, it was placed underspecial measures, but staff and pupilshave worked hard to move forwards, asthe recent OFSTED ratings show. Paulcommented: “We’re not there yet butwe’re moving in an upward trend in theresults and in the culture of the school;there’s also a much more positive feel tothe school now”. Outstanding featuresnoted by the inspectors were the school’sleadership and management, care,support and guidance, as well as thecapacity to improve in the future –something which is clearly close to Paul’sheart:

“One key thing we work on here is theprinciple of respect. We’ve a very strongChristian mission statement and set ofvalues, and respect is of the utmost

importance. That means between thestaff, between the pupils, and fromstudent to staff and vice versa. I think Icould ask anyone in this school what westand for here and that’s what they’d say –respect is crucial because once you havethat, everything else falls into place.”

The mixed secondary school of pupilsaged from 11 to 18 offers places to morethan 1200 pupils, many of whom recentlytook part in Liverpool’s Performing ArtsFestival at St George’s Hall. A number ofsoloists musicians achieved medals fortheir skills while the senior band won theSchool Band Festival for the fourth yearrunning and the junior training band alsosucceeded in the appropriate category forthe fifth consecutive year. Extra curricularachievements and skills are valued atArchbishop Beck for developing childrenfor the workplace and to succeed in themodern world.

Paul’s own favourite subject at schoolwas P.E., and he’s found that the subject isalso popular with many of the pupils at thecollege: “It is a fantastic specialism tohave as so many of the students will saythat sport and games are some of thefavourite things to study. We are veryfortunate to have been awarded thatspecialist status.

“One strand of that which is veryimportant is leadership. One of the issues

which I feel we have across the city is thatwe have so many children keen to takepart in sports but training them up to beable to lead and coach in different sportsin their area is something that needs to bedeveloped. We want to create studentshere who are equipped to go out into thecommunity and start up a sporting cluband run courses themselves. I walked intothe sports hall the other day and one ofout year 10 pupils was umpiring abasketball match – we’re giving them theskills to not just be participators, butleaders.

“I really do believe there is a sport outthere for every child and that if you canencourage them to do something theyenjoy then you are giving them somethingthey can rely on throughout their lives. Ithelps a child to develop as an individual.”

As a result, the college now offerstennis, handball, fitness, basketball, danceand cheerleading. Paul added: “When Iwas growing up the emphasis was justfootball really – which I loved – but it’smuch better now that it’s becoming easierto access other sports.” The school’s newtennis centre also encompasses a dancestudio and caters for a multitude of sportsfor students, and the college’s partnerschools. The local junior schools, ten ofwhich are affiliated to Archbishop beck,come and use the facilities, and are

Ready to facethe future

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coached by students who are passionatein the different sporting fields.

Paul’s own passion for teaching cameafter a stint working in retail, at Macro inManchester, and his career aspirationshave been well satisfied in the city wherehe was born. He grew up on the edge ofSefton Park and attended St Clare’sPrimary School before passing his 11 plusexams to qualify for a place at St FrancisXavier’s in Gateacre. Keen on football as alad, he left school to study geography,environmental studies and divinity atChrist College, now Liverpool HopeUniversity, and then went back afterleaving retail to study for his postgraduatein the same subject, and his Masters inmanagement and curriculum. Afterworking in several schools in the city,including Cardinal Heenan and Alsophigh, as well as taking a secondment withthe local authority to look at leadership inschools across the city, he was offered thechance to return to Archbishop Beck asheadteacher. With extensive experience inthe management side of education, it’sclear that his desire for the school toproduce leaders of the future is somethingthat’s close to his heart.

Future plans for the college are excitingpupils and staff at the school. Being thegovernment’s sample school for theBuilding Schools for the Future (BSF) £30million programme means enteringpreviously unchartered territory, but Pauland his senior management team are wellequipped: “Scott Prisco is an Americanarchitect who has been working veryclosely with us on the design - he did theMicrosoft School of the Future inPhiladelphia. Our ideas for the new buildare innovative as education is movingforwards. We’re not going to beknowledge driven but driven by skills.

“When the new school opens, everychild will be given their own portablelaptop computer. The knowledge theyneed is accessible on the screen in front ofthem.”

The brand new building will comeabout after a consultation process withparents and the local community over thecourse of the next year. Students at the

current school and local junior schools willalso be presented with the designs, “asthe school is going to be built for them.”The future of the school is not, however,merely a distant dream that’s still on thedrawing board; the school is very focussedon what can be achieved now. Paul adds:“We’re about to hold a Hope for the Futurethemed Mass at the MetropolitanCathedral to be said by the bishop andwe’re looking forward to that. All thepartner schools will be attending andtaking part in the liturgy in different waysto share the celebration. Liverpool has hada bad press in the past but we have somewonderful children who live here who justget on with their lives and achieve somewonderful things, and this should be

flagged up. They’re a credit to theirfamilies, and I’m really looking forward tothis opportunity to celebrate that.” For aschool where the motto is ‘Only the bestwill do’, there’s no doubt that ArchbishopBeck, now and in the future, will succeed.

Dickinson FileBorn: 1964, LiverpoolEducation: St Clare’s Primary and S.F.X,followed by Christ College (Liverpool HopeUniversity)Career: 1988, first teaching job atArchbishop Beck where he stayed for fiveyears, becoming head of the geographydepartment.2007, returned to Archbishop Beck asheadteacher.

We’re giving them the skills to not just

be participators, but leaders

“”

Interview by Lucy Oliver

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Focus Group

Why the bookis best for ourchildrenEducate’s roundtable

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What is your knowledge as a parent

of the resources used to improve literacy

in schools?

JH: At primary school, my children could

change the book every day and parents were

encouraged to read with their children.

KH: There are a number of reading schemes,

such as the 360 scheme in one school where

I taught. It sends a diary out with the book to

parents and children have to take it out for a

number of weeks. Even if they’ve read it, they

have to read it again and again. With the

juniors, the children can choose their own books

for their enjoyment and there’s an extensive

library within the class. They kept a reading

record of the types of books they were choosing,

and then as the teacher you could ask them to

choose something different, a different genre.

When the book club came in and you could

buy books of the school, that was also based

on what the children liked, like the Horrid

Henry stories.

AF: I think it’s good to encourage them to

broaden their horizons but sometimes pushing

them to read something that doesn’t interest

them though can be off-putting.

JP: In secondary there’s a class book which

everyone reads together.

KH: I’ve found though that lots of the books

chosen by schools for the library are what I’d

call ‘boys’ books’, like Ken Sooks’ ‘Kingdom’

and ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ where, again, the

boy is the main character. The girls enjoy them

too, but they have been chosen for boys.

AF: That gender divide is less obvious at

a younger age, but it becomes more noticeable

with teenagers. For the eight to 12s, fewer

books are less specific and there’s more of

a crossover.

JP: You see the bright pink covers, and they’re

all aimed at teenage girls.

AF: yes, There’s a lot of that. (All laugh)

KH: You need boys’ and girls’ books. We have

exercises where we get a group of boys to

chose a book for the girls or vice versa- and it

gets them to think about other people’s reading.

FCB: I was in a school last week and I was

amazed at the diversity as some schools have

no library at all. At one other school I had a

horrendous experience. The school had a great

reputation and the teacher was young and

lovely, but when I started reading to the

children she said to them “Now, we’re going to

listen out for sentence structure, endings and

beginnings” and it was dreadful trying to read

after that. It was like going out on a date and

saying to someone, ‘I want to see some body

mirroring’ – it was really awful. I think that one

thing which is being missed here and across

the board is that pleasure is crucial to learning.

It’s not some wimpy, side-issue. One recent

report on the radio that’s come out said that the

biggest marker for success in your career is,

‘do you read for pleasure?’ – not, ‘are you

functionally literate, can you deconstruct

language?’

JT: That’s interesting. What was the age group

you were reading to?

FCB: That’s the shocking thing – they were

year four. She spoke to them as if they were a

group of trainee writers – and we don’t need

any more writers in the world. The weird thing,

and as someone who has worked in a cut and

thrust competitive industry like the film

industry, and banking isn’t dissimilar, is how

little writing and reading goes on at work and

how much talking and listening goes on in its

place. The people who become unbelievably

successful you will never see with a pen in

their hand – they’re really good at listening

and responding to you. One of the reasons

that reading out loud at school is important

is for this – but that teacher made them not

listen to me. Pleasure is crucial to everything

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a writer and parent, passionate about the importance of reading to a child’s upbringing and future prospects. Jo Pollard is a retiredEnglish teacher with a life-long passion for books. Jan Hunt is a mother ofthree teenagers but struggles to get her youngest to read for pleasure. Jim Toalis a retired teacher and a father of four. Andrew Foxley is the lead bookseller atWaterstone’s, and enjoys advising parents and teachers on new titles. KateDeegan-Spragg is the children’s services co-ordinator for Knowsley, helpingparents and toddlers to enjoy reading together and encouraging teens backinto the library.

Above: Andrew Foxley, Waterstones’lead bookseller on Bold Street, JoPollard, retired English teacher

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Focus Group

From left: Frank Cottrell-Boyce, writer and parent, Jim Toal, father of four and a retired teacher and Kathie Howard, primary school teacherworking as a supply teacher

that you learn. When you’re out playing in the

garden you don’t say to a child, ‘right we’re

going to work on your spatial awareness skills,

general fitness, hand and eye co-ordination and,

if you get really good in three years, we’ll have

a kick-around.’

KDS: From a public library perspective, before

you open a book you need to look at the space

you’re providing for the young people. St John’s

is a project in Knowsley at the moment in

which young people co-manage the services.

They have a space to use and decide what

furniture and resources they’d like and let

them choose the books. It’s been an eye-opener

as we make so many assumptions about what

teens like. If you start from seeing what they

pick up themselves then you get a very good

idea. We used to buy a lot of fiction but we’ve

found they actually prefer high graphic coffee

table top stuff with pictures. It’s a starting point

and may encourage them to look at other

things later.

JP: It has to start at home though, and not

just at school, but that’s difficult when parents

are tired after work.

Where do you think methods in school

are lacking?

FCB: Literacy is different from reading books.

One away to encourage parents to read with

their children would be if they saw that

UNESCO report, as that would make them take

more trouble. Parents are willing to pay fees,

drive miles to the best schools and hire tutors,

but if they knew how effective it is just to read

with their child then maybe they’d do that. In

schools, it should be an end of the week treat

and something to be looked forward to – not like

maths on a Monday morning with high levels of

functionality and no pleasure. It should be a

treat for parents to cuddle up with their kids for

a good read. I was in a school in London one

morning and I was there to read, with a

question and answer session afterwards, but

the children were putting their hands up while I

was reading.

It wasn’t that they were rude, they just didn’t

understand the transaction that was taking

place, that I was reading to them, as they

weren’t used to it.

KH: The major thing in primary schools at the

moment is The Big Write where the children

have to analyse text for writing. As a teacher,

we do it so much that even I find it hard to

switch off becomes it’s so engrained. When it

comes to writing about books, the children’s

vocabulary is much more developed I find than

when we’re just talking about books – and we

should concentrate more on that. Every school

I go into has on one of the classroom walls the

‘VCOP’ standing for vocabulary, connectives,

sentence openers and punctuation which they

have to find in all the books they read and make

notes about.

JT: There’s just reams of this, along with aims

and targets at secondary level – whereas if you

read for enjoyment you pick all that sort of stuff

up anyway.

FCB: There’s a whole bunch of young people

who don’t read, who’ve picked that up from

their parents and teachers who also don’t read;

it feels to me like ‘literacy’ is an anti-reading

campaign.

What can schools do to help their

children?

KH: There is a problem with some books being

written seemingly to fit the relevant criteria.

In one of them there was a female lorry driver -

as though to keep the girls interested, but it

was a topic for boys that was just disguised.

KDS: This is where schools and libraries need

to work together to have a good selection of

non-fiction and fiction, and they can work

together and complement one another.

KH: The school I taught in didn’t have the

space for a library and didn’t have links with the

local library either – even though it was close.

JP: In my experience, money for books was

always bottom of the list.

FCB: Lots of schools are even chucking out

books.

KDS: Not every school has a library service,

but Knowsley does. Schools can change their

resources over regularly and share them; it’s

really a very good service.

Are computers a help or a hindrance in

a library?

FCB: Working with computers is just improving

functional literacy in schools. The library is not

the right place for them. Schools need toilets

but you wouldn’t put them in the dining room,

and renaming the library as a learning resource

centre is completely wrong. Children need to

know that the same word applies to Central

library, the British Library – it’s a sense of

empowerment. The school libraries are places

where the kids with learning disabilities, the

clever kids, whoever, can all hang out, and it’s

a melting pot; it’s a safe environment and takes

you on to something else. When I’m invited to

a school by a teacher it can be a bit hit or miss,

but if the librarian invites me then I know it’ll be

great because they’re in touch with the cultural

life in the school.

KDS: In the early 80s I used to work for a state

of the art learning resource centre in Liverpool,

with brand new computers, but all of the

books they stocked were from the 60s. I was

amazed that they thought they would appeal

to the children.

FCB: There’s a danger in that you’re always

playing ‘catch up’ with what the children may

be into. You said then that those computers

were ‘state of the art’, but so many

headteachers have proudly shown me their

state of the art computer suits and they don’t

look that ‘state of the art’ at all – and I’m sure

they don’t to the kids either. Schools shouldn’t

need to try and be trendy. A lot more children

have access to really good computers at home

than they do to good books.

What can parents do?

AF: We have a few parents coming in buying

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books for their children’s reading schemes, but

they haven’t been encouraged to develop their

children’s reading – perhaps because the school

wants to keep them all on the same level. In

some cases they feel that their children are

being held back.

FCB: One reason children can get bored with

learning to read is that there’s so much more

going on in their heads, which can be more

exciting than what’s on the page. If in your

head you’re imagining dragons and monsters,

and then the book says ‘Biff wanted new

trainers’ then of course it’s boring. Some of the

classics are amazing, they’re just hard to get

through, so we should be reading to them.

KDS: In the Knowsley libraries we try to bring

parents and children together to read and

schools now have family literacy sessions for

those who struggle with reading. We have

schemes where you’ll take a basic picture book

and put a CD with it, props and a puppet to

bring it to life, and parents will engage in that

with the child.

JH: I’ve always read books to my children, we’d

all sit down together. My teenage son though

has no interest at all now, even though my

daughters do enjoy reading and one of them is

going to be going to university to study English.

He’s 13 and if he finds one he likes then it’s OK;

recently he read a Dan Brown book, but I bought

him anther one after that and he didn’t want to

know. He’d read his one book for the holidays!

Does it matter what children read?

FCB: I would say that it does have to be some

fiction. Did your son like the Harry Potter books?

JH: Yes, he liked those, but we all read those

together over the summer. He gets on OK at

school; it’s just that it’s not his first choice of

something to do of an evening.

KH: My daughter lost interest at around the

same age and she’d loved books when she was

younger. Once she’d finished the Jacqueline

Wilson books, she’d only read the odd book. I

think that’s sad. Why don’t they like reading any

more?

FCB: We hear all the time about this ‘pressure

on teenagers’ but it’s not as if they’re being

blitzed or evacuated. (All laugh) It’s obviously to

do with distractions on the internet, like

Facebook. My daughter’s 18 and she’ll sit there

updating it but that’s not the same as reading

fiction which takes you out of yourself to

somewhere else. It teaches you to concentrate,

which is really in short supply. You have to be

able to hold something in your head.

AF: What’s interesting from our perspective is

with TV and films of books, such as Harry Potter

and Twilight. People complain about books

being made into films, but that does draw

people into reading the books, and they’ll race

ahead to read them.

JH: It’s so much better though if you watch the

film after the book. I got ours to read the books

first.

KDS: When The Golden Compass came out,

that book became very popular and others were

taking out other related books from the library,

which we put out on display.

What would you like to see as teachers and

parents to encourage children to read?

FCB: Reading to a class should be seen as more

important, as the children always love it – no

matter what age they are, even when they’re 16.

KDS: I think that needs to happen in libraries as

well as in schools. I used to love that slot on a

Friday afternoon where the teacher read to us.

It’s that element of serendipity – something that

you may not have chosen yourself but you’ll be

glad you read it.

AF: We’ve tried to set up a session here for

parents to come with their children and read,

but it needs to be on a more regular basis I feel.

KDS: We have a ‘Words and Pictures ‘session

for parents and children which are very well-

attended.

JT: The drama side at school brought all

different abilities together in a fantastic

experience, although that’s not really seen as

something which could help a child’s reading.

FCB: As reading isn’t on the curriculum any

more, that’s why libraries are so important,

along with anything that can make reading

happen off the curriculum. It can be done but it

needs a librarian who’s skilled.

KDS: It’s also about creative ways to engage

people. Last year was the National Year of

Reading and in Knowsley we had poets invited

into the borough for the day and they went into

shops, cafes and just recited poetry to people –

it just brought a little bit of imagination to

things.

What were your favourite childhood books?

AF: I always adored Roald Dahl books like The

Witches and it was amazing looking back as an

adult to see how subversive some of those

stories are. Kids love that little bit of anarchy

and craziness.

JP: I loved Enid Blyton.

JH: So did I especially The Faraway Tree by

Enid Blyton.

KDS: I loved all the Grimm fairytales and

Andrew Lang, and all the Enid Blyton and

The Bobsy Twins, Milly Molly Mandy books

as well.

FCB: I liked Andrew Lang and George

MacDonald.

JT: I read all of the Agatha Christie novels.

People say there’s too much pressure to read

but I think a good book like that is actually an

escape from the pressure.

Above: Kate Deegan-Spragg, children’sservices co-ordinator for Knowsley and Jan Hunt, mother of three teenagers, aged13, 15 and 17

For more information about the reading

services and provision offered in Knowlsey,

telephone the library service on 0151 482 1849.

Support your local library, and look out for

schemes to increase your child’s school

library’s stock of books.

Useful links:

www.readingmatters.co.uk

www.worldbookday.com

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National School News

Schools Ministerpraises pupils Record numbers achieving the expected levelsSchools Minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry has praised the hard work ofpupils and teachers across thecountry as the Department forChildren, Schools and Familiespublished the Primary SchoolAchievement and AttainmentTables.

The results showed record numbers ofchildren achieving the expected level inEnglish, maths and the two subjectscombined. Science results remainedstable with 88 per cent of 11-year-oldsreaching the expected level.

The final, revised national figuresshowed that:• 73 per cent of children left primary

school having reached the expectedlevel in English and maths, comparedwith 53 per cent in 1997

• A record 81 per cent achieved Level 4at English, a 1 percentage point risefrom 2007

• 79 per cent reached the expected levelin maths compared to 77 per cent in2007

• Figures for science remain stable withalmost nine out of 10 students

reaching level four in the subject; and,• 87 per cent of pupils reached the

expected level in Reading while 68 percent achieved Level 4 for writing.Sarah McCarthy-Fry (above), said:

“The difficulties faced during this year’stests were well publicised and I wouldlike to thank all the teachers who havebeen affected for their professionalismwhile the issue was resolved. It isreassuring to note that very few schoolswere not attributed results in theAchievement and Attainment Tablesand that Ofqual has stated that thequality of marking is at least as good asit has been in previous years”.

Education Bill before the HouseThe Education and Skills Billwhich would introduce arequirement to remain ineducation or training beyondthe current statutory leavingage of 16, was recently debatedat third reading in the Lords.

Baroness Morgan, ParliamentaryUnder-Secretary, Department forChildren, Schools and Families,moved an amendment committingto undertake a review of theenforcement process for youngpeople who did not comply withthe duty to participate so that thesystem may be improved. Sheemphasised that young peopleshould be offered appropriatesupport and a real learning optionbefore any enforcement actioncould be started. There must be aprocess of administrativesanctions, support and dialoguewith the young person concernedbefore they reach a youth court,she insisted.

Baroness Walmsley stated thatthe Liberal Democrats hadconsistently opposed thecompulsion element of the Bill.

Responding, Baroness Morganargued that if the statutory dutywas extended to 18-year-olds thenit would make sense to placesimilar duty on other providers ofpost-16 education which raised arange of practical and legaldifficulties while not necessarilyproviding any clear benefits.

At the close of the debate, theBill was passed at third readingand returned to the House ofCommons with amendments.

Recession impacts on students Many students are “veryconcerned” at their lack ofjob prospects aftergraduation, according to asurvey commissioned bythe National Union ofStudents (NUS).The survey, entitled "TheRecession and its effects onstudents", found that:• 77% of current students in the North

West are “concerned” or “veryconcerned” by current graduateemployment levels and their likelyfuture job prospects

• 19% of students in the North West arenow more likely to enter into post-graduate study immediately after

graduation• 28% of students in theNorth West are receivingless financial support fromtheir parents as a result ofthe recession

Liverpool Guild ofStudents President,Danielle Grufferty, said:

“This year, the Government will belooking at how higher education isfunded, and many university vicechancellors are already calling forstudents to be charged even higher fees.Students from the North West will bejoining with NUS to make it clear thatwe will not stand for this, particularly insuch a harsh economic climate”.

Danielle Grufferty

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New onlinesupport centre A new, unique, online resource foryoung people affected by self-harmhas been launched in response toincreasing rates of self-harm in theUK, as identified in the report ofthe National Inquiry into self-harmamong young people ‘Truth Hurts’.

The Inquiry found that one in 15young people in the UK had self-harmed, and identified a need for‘much better web-based informationon self-harm.

The new resource is hosted onYouthNet’s guide to life for 16 to 24-year-olds, TheSite.org atwww.TheSite.org/selfharm andprovides detailed information on thesubject through podcasts, video,written articles, real-life stories andcase studies.

Young people can also support, andgain support from, other young peoplethrough specialist discussion boardsmoderated by the charities.Professional advice is available via aconfidential question and answerservice and a series of live chats.

Usually, young people who self-harmdo so as a way of coping with complexand difficult situations which canrange from mental health problems to

bereavement, bullying or abuse. Thenew self-harm resource is positionedwithin TheSite.org’s Health &Wellbeing section to allow youngpeople to easily and quickly accessinformation and advice, to help themdeal with some of the issues that mightbe causing their self-harmingbehaviour.

Fiona Dawe, Chief Executive ofYouthNet, says: “Never before hasthere been such a comprehensiveoffering of self-harm advice andinformation, combined with peer-to-peer support, available online.

“By working directly with youngpeople affected by the issue, we havebeen able to create fantastic visual,audio and written content which isrelevant, interesting, and inclusive -allowing us to get help to young peoplehow they want it, when they need it.”

Views on guidance

Teenage drinking Parents, teenagers and carers inMerseyside are among thosebeing asked to share their viewson guidance around young peopleand alcohol.

Medical guidance being publishedfor the consultation by Chief MedicalOfficer, Sir Liam Donaldson,recommends that young people up tothe age of 15 should avoid alcoholaltogether.

However, the harsh reality is thatby the age of 15 many young peoplewill have already consumed alcohol,often drinking weekly. Five per centof 11 - 14 year olds in Liverpool, eightper cent in Sefton and six per cent inKnowsley said in an Ofsted surveythey have been drunk three or moretimes in the past four weeks (source:Ofsted Tell Us3 survey 2008).

Further statistics show that:• Across Merseyside there were on

average almost 450 hospitaladmissions of under 18s each yeardue to alcohol-specific conditions,with Liverpool and Wirral togetheraccounting for well over half ofthose. (source: North West PublicHealth Observatory)

• Just under a quarter of childrenaged 11 – 15 in England said theyget alcohol from their parents(source: NHS Information Centre).

National School News

Support for people affected by self-harm

The Executive of the National Union ofTeachers and the Council of the NationalAssociation of Head Teachers decidedunanimously, at their March meetings,to put to their 2009 Annual Conferencesidentical resolutions calling for a boycottof the 2010 Key Stage 1 and 2 NationalCurriculum tests.

Both organisations have agreed thatany continuation of the statutory tests asa requirement beyond 2009 would beunacceptable for the future of children'seducation.

Peter Price, Chair of the NationalPrimary Headteachers (NPH), said: “As

many of our colleagues who are unionmembers of either the NAHT or the NUTconsider what action to take should

there be a request to boycott next year’sKey Stage Two SAT’s it is important formembers of NPH to know clearly theposition of their Executive committee.

“Contrary to the opinions of some ofour politicians there is also a wealth ofevidence to say that the vast majority ofparents are strongly opposed to SAT’s asthey are presently applied to our year sixchildren.

“Do we think that our children shouldbe tested at all? We clearly say yes theyshould but it is how they are tested andfor what purpose that the debate andanger rages”.

Unions consider boycott of primary school testsPeter Price

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CALDERSTONES SCHOOLA Specialist Science CollegeHarthill Road, Liverpool L18 3HSTel: 0151 724 2087

Quotes from OFSTED, November 2007:“Th is is a g o o d sch o o l th at p ro v id e s an e ffe c tiv e e ducatio nfo r its stud e n ts and e n jo ys th e o v e rwh e lm ing suppo rt o fth e ir pare n ts”

“… th e care and g uidanc e p ro v id e d fo r stud e n ts areo u tstand ing”

“.. stud e n ts fro m m any d iffe re n t faith s, cu lture s, and so c ial and e c o no m ic backg ro unds wo rk and p lay we ll to g e th e r”

“Standard s are abo v e av e rag e , and hav e b e e n fo r a num be r o f ye ars, and stud e n ts ach ie v ewe ll” “Pe rso nal d e v e lo pm e n t is o u tstand ing”

“Stude n ts’ sp iritual, m o ral, so c ial and cu ltural d e v e lo pm e n t is o u tstand ing”

“…. we ll d e v e lo p e d e c o no m ic aware n e ss, se lf-e ste e m and se lf-c o n fid e nc e wh ich p re pare stud e n ts we ll fo rfu ture life ”


Archbishop Beck will be presenting its Annual

"Last Night of the Proms"

On July 14th at the Collegecommencing at 7.30 p.m

Tickets will be £3.00 for adults and £1.00 for children

Tickets will be available from theCollege Office from July 1st

OrContact the Director of Music

Mr Hicks for further informationOn 0151 525 6326

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Archbishop Blanch CE High SchoolA Technology College & Training School

Mount Vernon Road, Liverpool L7 3EAemail: [email protected] tel: 0151 709 1452 website:www.abblanch.com

“The Headteacher is passionatelycommitted to make this good schooloutstanding……she leads the school well and has aclear focus on school improvement”Ofsted 2008

“The school, through its distinctiveChristian character, is outstanding atmeeting the needs of all learners”SIAS Ofsted 2008

“Good transition arrangements enable year 7 pupils to settle well” Ofsted 2008

OPEN EVENING FOR YEAR 7 ADMISSION 2010

6 JULY 2009 at 6.00 p.m.A VERY WARM WELCOME AWAITS YOU

Pupils’ excellent personal development is evident in lessons and around the school. Theircourtesy and outstanding behaviour were apparent throughout the inspection.” Ofsted 2008

Archbishop Blanch is a good school, wheregood teaching and pastoral care of anoutstanding quality enable pupils toachieve well.

Pupils show outstanding levels of personaldevelopment, demonstrated by theirexcellent behaviour and maturity for theirage.

The broad and balanced curriculum meetsstatutory requirements and provides wellfor the needs of all pupils, including thosewho are very able. Ofsted 2008

Pupils speak positively of the friendlinessand approachability of staff, and of howmuch they enjoy school. They are made tofeel safe and secure in a school whichvalues all its members and has clearexpectations for the part they all need toplay in fostering an inclusive andwelcoming Christian community.

SIAS Ofsted 2008

Apply for a place onyour daughter’saptitude for Music orArt

Winner of the School’s FoodTrust ‘Schoolof the MonthCompetition’for HealthyEating

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Meet the Headteacher Dr David Dennison, St Margaret’s Church of England High School

St Margaret’s C of E School is a school steeped inhistory and tradition. The Aigburth school was originallyfounded by Alderman William Preston, one time Mayorof Liverpool, and the Vicar of St Margaret’s, Anfield,Reverend John Sheepshanks back in 1879. The schoolwas built before Liverpool’s football ground, and in allthat time the school has had only eight headteachers.

The present headteacher, Dr DavidDennison, has been at St Margaret’s for14 years. In 1981 David gained aDoctorate in Biological Sciences and hislove for the Sciences also means thateven today he is still involved inresearch as an Associate Professor ofEducation at Liverpool Hope Universitylooking at developing new MastersDegrees for the teaching profession.

St Margaret’s is a well-respected andsuccessful school with a proven record ofhigh academic standards taught in acaring Christian family atmosphere. Theschool is proud to proclaim its Technologyand Language College Status and all thatthis brings to the raising of educationalstandards. We have 83% 5 A*-C GCSEsand 97.5% A Level pass rate.

So how does the school maintain thisconstant level of success? Dr David said:“Our success is down to partnership, apartnership between parents, the schooland students and when all three play theirpart you are then in a very good position tobring out the best in youngsters.

“The school of course not only has toprovide the highest quality of teaching butalso provide the right learningopportunities. It has to also supply a strongpastoral support system and I think here atSt Margaret’s we have just got the balanceright and that is why we achieved these

results, which is very good for an all boys’school.

“It is true to say that all our staff areacademically extremely well qualified andallied with that we have high expectationsof the students and this encourages us toaspire.

“Church schools have a reputation ofoffering good pastoral support and being asoft option, at St Margaret’s it is far from asoft option, the youngsters are expected towork extremely hard and really applythemselves because second best isn’t anygood.

Clearly when you visit the school youcan see that the relationships between theboys themselves and the boys and the staffis very tangible, you can almost feel it.

Just by walking around the school andgoing into classrooms you can see thatthere are very good relationships betweenthe staff and the students and that in turnall good relationships feed in to effectiveteaching and learning which is veryimportant.

As a Diocesan school, the staff of StMargaret’s are keen to show theimportance which is given to regularworship, religious education in theclassroom and the general presentation ofChristianity in the school family. Theschool presents the teachings of Our Lordbut recognises that commitment is a

matter for the individual. They wanteveryone to enjoy their time here, be proudof their school and uphold the principlesthat underpin a Christian School.

Dr David said: “We are one of threeDiocesan schools in the city and becausewe are in the same organization there areplenty of opportunities to do thingstogether and to support each other and toencourage each other and in that way yougain quite a lot educationally and from thesymbiotic relationship between the threeschools.

“The Church is also there to offer adviceshould we need it and to support theschool and it is also there for the bigevents in the life of the school so when itcomes to prize evening when we get to usethe Cathedral.”

“We get to use what must be one of thelargest Cathedrals in the world and that israther special”.

The school has a wide catchment areathat includes not only central Liverpool butalso Knowsley and Sefton, the school iskeen to emphasize that all children havean equal right to come to St Margaret’s,they must also realize that competition toget into the school is very high.

St Margaret’s has had a lot of buildingwork going on over the last few yearswhich has included a number of newbuildings and the building both staff and

It’s all a matterof pride

p22-45:covers 30/4/09 18:55


students are most proud of is the new £2million cricket and sports centre which hascaught the imagination of not only thestudents and staff but also the community.

The school has not only invested in thesports centre, but also a new Sixth FormCentre and Humanities Centre.

One of the latest achievements of theschool is the fact that St Margaret’s hasbecome a joint specialist school intechnology and languages, a feat that DrDavid is rightly proud of. “When I moved toSt Margaret’s the staff were totally sold onbecoming a specialist school so right frommy first day there was real enthusiasm forus to pursue specialist status.

“We became a Technology College in1997, and in those days you have toremember that you had to get quite a lot ofsponsorship, we were really fortunate thatFords gave us a really handsome cheque toget the ball rolling.

“Once we established ourselves as aTechnology College it was very clear to the

students and the parents that there was atremendous amount to be gained. Thepupils really appreciated the access to hightech equipment and far greater access tocomputers and other technologicaldevices.”

Clearly as the schools reputation growsand their examination results rise upwards,and after some very good Ofstedinspections, they were invited by theSpecialist School Trust to take on anotherspecialism.

“They advised us to take on somethingthat would be a challenge, so we thoughtabout it and with Liverpool being theCapital of Culture and trying to establishitself in Europe that it would be a goodidea to become a Language College.

“With the school being a SpecialistTechnology College and a LanguageCollege we thought that they linkedtogether, being able to work with thetechnology and also through developingthe language side, although initially youmay not think them as working well, theyhave in actual fact come together.

“There is a lot of scope for us and wehave an enthusiastic department that isdriving us forward. The way it is beingpresented and the new teaching methodsto the boys has really enthused us, and thefact they are gaining many more resourcesand having access to French, German andSpanish nationals who are able to talk tothem in their languages bodes well for thefuture”.

For a school that has had eightheadteachers since 1879 and the fact thatmany of their staff have been with them formany years shows that the continuity ofthe school brings success, also the fact

that they intend education at St Margaret’sto be life-lasting and life-enhancing says alot for the school that will surely be around for long, long time.

Dennison FileBorn: OrmskirkCareer: In 1981, Gained a Doctorate inBiological Sciences, at Edge Hill; FormbyHigh School for six years; Head of Biologyat Hutton Grammar School; ArchbishopTemple School as Deputy Head for oneyear and then promoted to the Head ofArchbishop Temple School; 1995 becameHead of St Margaret’s C of E High School

The youngsters areexpected to work extremely

hard and really applythemselves

“”

Interview by Alan Birkett

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Secondary School News

Broadgreen International School pupils have made a positive mark on theschool yard facing Queens Drive with a new Graffiti artwork celebratingthe recent renaming of the school.

The year 9 pupils worked with a local graffiti artist Keiran Gorman of ZapGraffiti. The following pupils participated Sean Duffy, Kayliegh Maffet, PaigeSumner- Senel, George Rutherford, Jake Sedgewick, Baltizar Ntwali, BelindaParry, Daniel Bird, Daniel Standley, Liam Smaje, Holly Clarke and Adan Lemdaniall in year 9.

A voice tobe heardSuccess for speakers

The Soroptimist InternationalPublic Speaking Competition wasrecently held at Broughton Hall RCHigh School.

Representatives from schools in theLiverpool area each delivered a threeminute speech on the topics of “Doesit matter what we wear?” or “Is moneyruining sport or not?”

The standard of entries wasextremely high and the eventualoverall winner was Olivia Beesley, aYear 10 pupil at Archbishop BlanchSchool. She received her trophy and acheque for £100 from Mrs BernadettePlatt, the President of the SoroptimistSociety, South Lancashire Region.Following her success Olivia gave aninterview on BBC Radio Merseysideabout her experience.

Miss Jane Griffiths, Headteacher ofArchbishop Blanch School, said “weare very proud of Olivia and fellowstudent Leanne Kirby who alsoentered the competition and receiveda book token for £25”.

Contestants from the six competingsecondary schools each receivedCertificates of Achievement.

Pupils make their mark

Olivia Beesley receives herwinners cheque from MrsBernadette Platt

Pupils of Alsop High School inWalton are celebrating news theyare the first to benefit from the £500 million Building Schools for the Future programme – which will see every secondaryschool in Liverpool rebuilt orrefurbished.

The new facility, designed by 2020Liverpool, will accommodate a dancestudio, areas for dining and socialising,classrooms with retractable walls andbright, open atrium areas. BuildersMorgan Ashurst will also refurbish anexisting building, which dates back to1926, to improve teaching facilities formaths and science.

Councillor Marilyn Fielding, LiverpoolCity Council’s executive member for

Safer, Stronger Communities, said: “AsChair of Governors at Alsop School, I’mabsolutely thrilled that work on thisexciting scheme is now up-and-running. It will transform education atthe school for generations to come.

“Alsop is Liverpool’s biggest school,and it’s vital that it provides 21stcentury learning facilities. So I’mdelighted that it is the first of ourBuilding Schools for the Future projectsto get underway. It’s great news for thewhole community.” Alsop High Schoolis due to be completed in January 2011.

Building blocksLiverpool school first for transformational funding

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St Margaret’s C E High SchoolAigburth Road, Liverpool L17 6AB

“Achievement by faith and work”- the key to St Margaret’s success

OPEN EVENINGFor September 2010 prospective pupils and parents

on THURSDAY 2nd JULY 6.00pm to 9.00pm

Admissions information presentations will be held in the school hall at 6.00pm, 6.30pm, 7.00pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm

• 150 boys accepted into Year 7 fromthe Liverpool Diocese (Liverpool,Sefton, Knowsley) in September2010.

• Continued for 2010 entry – 15% ofboys selected by examination heldin September 2009.

• Year 9 National Curriculum Testresults are well above nationalaverages for boys in English,Mathematics and Science,maintaining excellent performancesin the three core subjects.

• Over 80% of boys gained five ormore GCSE passes at grades A* toC in 2008.

• 97% pass rate at Advanced Level inour £1m co-educational Sixth FormCentre.

• £1.5m Design Technology andHumanities Teaching Suites.

• New £2m Cricket and Sports Centreopen for all our students.

• St Margaret’s is a Technology &Language College, a specialistschool, providing excellent facilitiesincluding 250 networked computersgiving all students internet and e-mail access.

• Entrance Exam Sat 26th Sept 2009

www.stmargaretshigh.com

"Students feel that the whole ethos of St Margaret’soffers something which ‘will be with them for life’.In a safe and secure environment they are challenged to aim high regardless of their starting point.”National Society Statutory School Inspection of Anglican Schools 2007

“Attendance is high, students show enthusiasm inlessons and their behaviour is exemplary.” Ofsted 2007

COME AND SEE WHAT WECAN OFFER YOUR SON

Visiting the school ‘at work’ is the best way to find outwhat makes St Margaret’s that bit special.

Tours of the school will take place on Mon 14th , Tues 15th, Wed 16th, Mon 21st, Tues 22nd,

Wed 23rd, September at 9.30amContact the school on 0151 427 1825

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Notre Dame Catholic College

for the arts

The highest achieving girls’ school

in the country for student progress

Now enrolling our new Year 7 intake for September

2009.

Limited places available

Interviews for Sixth Form places

will take place in May 2009

Girls of all faiths welcome to apply.

For further details or to arrange a visit,

call us now on

0151 263 3104

Headteacher: Miss C B McCann BA MScEverton Valley L4 [email protected]

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Going for Gold at the Festival School celebrates winning four gold medalsSt Julie’s Catholic HighSchool in Woolton iscelebrating four goldmedals and two trophiesin the prestigiousLiverpool Festival ofPerforming Arts, 2009.

The annual festival, nowin its 85th year, drawsthousands of performersfrom across the North Westin a competitive spectacleof music, speech, dramaand dance. This year thecompetition was held at StGeorge’s Hall and saw goldmedal winningperformances for Year 7 inthe ‘Shakespeare’ category,Year 10 for ‘mask mime’,Year 13 for ‘group acting’and for Year 10 studentsMelissa Hughes and MeganBerry for the ‘duologue’.

With a score of 90 marksthe duologue performancegained the highest mark ofall of the 14-18 groupperformances and wasawarded the McKee Trophy.The Year 10 mask mimescored the highest mark for

any original work over thewhole week and wasawarded the All Stars Cup.

Strong performances alsosecured a silver medal forYear 11 pupil Jodie Comerin the category of ‘soloacting’ and a further silver

medal for Year 12 for GroupActing.

Sue Doherty, Head ofExpressive Arts, said: "Thishas been a phenomenalyear for us at the LiverpoolFestival, and the prizes area reflection of the hugeamount of preparatory workthat the students haveundertaken. It is particularlypleasing to win awardsacross such a wide agerange, from Year 7 throughto Year 13.”

Sister Ann MarieGammack, Head Teacher atSt Julie’s, said: "I amdelighted by this fantasticsuccess of our pupils thisyear. Seeing our youngeststudents perform so wellgives us great confidencefor the future.”

Hitting all the right notesArts College celebrate in colourful styleSt John Bosco Arts Collegecelebrated their annual PrizeGiving at the very prestigiousPhilharmonic Hall recently.

It was a wonderful celebrationenjoyed by staff, students and guestsalike. The students entertained theaudience with Music and Dance in awhole range of styles and genresshowcasing the many talents of theArts College.

The awards given out to the pupilsshowed a real dedication andtestament to learning and the pridethe college takes in the student’ssuccesses and achievements.

The guest speaker was Radio City’sClaire Morrow who gave a reallyinspiring speech reaching right out tothe students. She spoke to the girlsabout her own time at school and the

importance of personal achievementand using your own skills.

The event was a real success and

many of the students and guestscommented how much they enjoyedthe evening.

Year 10 pupils and their award winning ‘Mask Mime’

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Students enter theworld of businessCollege’s flying visit to Speke

As part of the GCSE Applied French course at Archbishop Beck CatholicSports College, and in collaboration with the Regional Language NetworkNorth West’s ‘Business Language Champions’ initiative, Archbishop Beckstudents recently spent an afternoon at the Holiday Inn Hotel at JohnLennon Airport to gain a greater understanding of the benefits of havinga language qualification in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Business Language Champion initiative is an exchange between schools andbusiness to offer young people first-hand experience of language skills in theworking environment.

The pupils were given a tour of the hotel before receiving a presentation by theHotel Manager and HR Manager in the conference suite about how havingknowledge of a language is a major selling point both for a job applicant and theHotel itself when making foreign guests feel at ease. Next followed an opportunityfor the students to film some role-plays in French, including checking into thehotel and asking questions about the hotel facilities. “What a day out”, saidStewart Allen from the College.

Taste of ‘Uni’ life

Pupils Dayof CrimeA group of Year 9 pupils fromBowring School, Knowsleyvisited Liverpool John MooresUniversity recently for a day ofcrime and also to gain aninsight to life as a universitystudent.

During the day the pupils tookpart in lectures, seminars,presentations, a tour of the campuslearning resource centre and aview of local studentaccommodation. Lunch was servedin the student union giving thepupils a brief taste of the socialside of university life.

The day ended in the Moot Courtin the John Foster building wherestudents take part in simulatedcourt proceedings.

Ursula Boote from AimhigherKnowsley who organised the event,said: “One of the student advocatehelpers, Dan Matthews, is a formerBowring pupil which added to thevalue of the day in terms ofaspiration and motivation for theYear 9 students.”

Year 8 students from Christ the King Learning Centre,Huyton, recently enjoyed a day with Levi Tafari, a wellknown Rastafarian poet and performer, who took aday out of his busy schedule performing round theworld to introduce the students to his poetry.

Levi recited one of his famous poems “Street of Hope”which reminded the students of some of the thingsLiverpool is famous for.

The students were intrigued by Levi’s background andreligion but even more impressed by his dreadlocks!

Levi set them a task to write a poem about theenvironment and said he would love to come back to seetheir poems. After Levi’s visit we gathered some of our Year8 students together to find out how they felt about Levi’spoetry.

Students, Jack Brady and Michael McNally, said: “We

really enjoyed Levi - he was brilliant and exciting and I likedhis old and new poems. The litter poem was boss and theone about global warming”.

Levi makes a ‘boss’ impression

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Every Childwall child matters

CHILDWALL SCHOOLA Specialist Sports College

Open Evening: Thursday 24th September, 4.00 – 6.30 p.m.To view the school please telephone 722 1561 for an appointment

Headteacher Dewi Phillips, J.P., B.A., M.Ed.Fiveways, Queens Drive, Liverpool L15 6XZ

email [email protected] website www.childwallsc.co.ukTel: 0151 722 1561

What they say:

Ofsted 2009

‘ This is a school with energy,ambition and high aspirations for itsstudents.’

‘ Spiritual, moral, social andcultural development isoutstanding.’

‘ Pupils feel safe, secure andvalued.’

‘ There is an impressive range ofcurricular activities, assemblies andextra-curricular opportunities.’

‘ The quality of care, guidance andsupport is outstanding.’

‘ Pupils thrive in this harmoniouscommunity and make good progressin their academic work andpersonal development.’

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St Margaret’s C of E High School,Liverpool won its local heat of‘The Times Spelling Bee’ at OdeonLiverpool Switch Island.

The St Margaret’s C of E HighSchool team consisted of three playersand a reserve all aged 11 to 12 yearsold – James Bush, Mark Doherty, JackAshworth and reserve Tom Doubtfire,they competed against eight teamsfrom local schools.

The team showed off their masteryby successfully spelling words such asspasm, diagnosis and nirvana.

Rhiannon Moorcroft, teacher at StMargaret’s C of E High School, said:“I’m thrilled for the boys. They trainedvery hard and came up trumps. I’mvery proud of them.”

James Bush, 12, said: “We got off toa really bad start but we recoveredreally well. We’re so proud to win.”

St Margaret’s C of E High Schoolwill go forward to The Times SpellingBee Semi-Finals with the ten winningteams from the Semi-Finals travellingto London to compete in the GrandFinal at the Odeon West End Leicester

Square in June. The Times Spelling Bee aims to

discover the country’s best youngspellers and make spelling fun forchildren of all abilities. More than 750

schools from around the UK, fromShetland to the Channel Islands,entered a team (comprising three 11-12 year old children and a reserve) forthe local championships.

Getting a buzz Spelling bee pupils are a resounding success

Winning celebrations from left to right, Jack Ashworth, Tom Doubtfire,James Bush and Mark Doherty.

Our future in their handsThe pupils of St EdmundArrowsmith, Knowsleyhave been learningabout traditionalbuilding skills as part ofa new heritageprogramme.

As part of the schemethe pupils visited some ofthe most interestingconservation projects in theregion, such as therestoration work beingcarried out on St Andrew’sChurch in Liverpool, andthe famous Victoria Bathsproject in Manchester.

“The future of (our)

heritage will soon becomethe responsibility of our

young people, and it’simportant that they learn

about the heritage andculture of the borough,”said Cllr Graham Morgan,Cabinet Member forRegeneration, Economyand Skills. “By workingwith our young people todevelop their skills in thisarea, we’re also givingthem an advantage in anarea of work where skilledpeople are in short supply.”

The programme covers arange of skills from stonemasonry and limeplastering, to help buildingdefences to protect thesand dunes at Formby.

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Book Speed DatingFast-paced approach is a hit

World Book Day was celebrated atBelvedere with a fast-paced andunusual game – Book SpeedDating.

All girls were invited to drop by theLibrary at dinner time and take part.Each received a card on entering. Thegirls were then free to move aroundtables each with a different girl sat at itwith her favourite book. Eachparticipant had one minute toconvince the girls visiting her tablethat her book was the best and shouldbe read by everyone!

When the bell was rung after eachminute, the girls got up and moved tothe next table. Like real Speed Dating,the girls marked their cards with thebooks they liked the sound of. At theend of each 8 minute session, thecards were handed in and a tally chartmade of the most popular books.

Different girls with different bookswere rotated throughout the session,with an impressive 21 girlsvolunteering to speak about their book,and 50 taking part in completing therounds.

The Book Speed Dating began in acivilised manner, with interest andenergy building, the bell ringingcontinuously and flurried movementaround the room until the final 15minutes was organised chaos, as girlsclamoured to take part!

At the end, tallies were counted withjoint 3rd prize going to ChristianaPeterson 7C and Molly Rose 7D fortheir riveting promotion of ‘Blood Ties’and ‘Eclipse’ respectively. MaryamIsmail 11S came 2nd with ‘City ofBones’ and Holly Rivers 8B walkedaway with a set of books for winning1st prize for ‘New Moon’.

Book Speed Dating was a hugesuccess and will definitely be back inthe Library again.

Three headsare betterthan one!

A most successful joint schoolreunion for ex-pupils and staff ofArchbishop Blanch School and itstwo founding schools, LiverpoolGirls’ College and St Edmund’sCollege, took place recently

Miss Kathleen Goodacre,Headteacher at St Edmunds’ Collegeuntil its closure in 1981 and the firstHeadteacher of Archbishop BlanchSchool, is pictured with hersuccessors, Mrs Kathleen Zimak 1987-2003 and the current Headteacher,Miss Jane Griffiths.

Miss Griffiths said “it was a pleasureto welcome so many ‘old girls’ at boththe Afternoon Tea and the splendidEvening Celebration. We havereceived many complimentary lettersabout our pupils, staff and the schoolbuildings. The Quiet Room with itsbeautiful stained glass windows andthe Honours Boards in the corridorsevoked lots of memories for the ‘oldgirls’ who spoke enthusiastically abouttheir school experiences many yearsago.”

In fact the event reunited two ladies(from Liverpool Girls’ College and StEdmund’s College) with a branch oftheir family that they had lost touchwith several decades ago! It was mostgratifying to note that everyone whoattended agreed the traditions andethos of the two founding schools stillflourishes today at Archbishop BlanchSchool.

If you wish to be added to theschool’s mailing list, please contactJeanette Coppell on 0151 709 1452 oremail [email protected]

St Edward’sLEPRA chequeSt Edward’s College has raised£1412.45 to help the leprosy charityLEPRA.

The Year 7 pupils took part in a ‘FunWorkout’ and made donations to thecharity, which has enabled them toprovide antibiotics to help cure leprosy.

“St Edward’s were amazing and withthe money they have raised 67 childrencan now be cured of the disease,” saidLEPRA Community Fundraiser,Jacqueline Fairbairn. “I would like tothank everybody at St Edward’s andtheir families for making this event sucha huge success, nothing was too muchfor this fantastic school. The Year 7pupils exceeded everybody’sexpectations with their generosity.”

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Comic Reliefcelebrations at Childwall Students at Childwall SportsCollege contributed to a highlysuccessful ‘Red Nose Day’ andraised hundreds of pounds forgood causes with a range ofactivities including a concert whichwas arranged by students in allYear Groups who showed a rangeof talent including dancing andsinging.

Students were given the option ofeither coming in fancy dress ordressing in red and all 1300 studentsplus staff took part in an excellent day.The spirit throughout the school onRed Nose Day was superb withstudents and staff giving generously toa number of worthy causes.

Childwall Sports College wasinspected by Ofsted in March 2009and one of the comments by Ofstedwas that “students enjoyment ofschool is evident from theirenthusiastic contributions in classesand their extensive participation inextra-curricular activities. Students’spiritual, moral, social and culturaldevelopment is outstanding the schoolhas a warm, relaxed atmosphere inwhich all flourish and feel included.”

Headteacher, Dewi Phillips, said:“We had an outstanding day tocelebrate Comic Relief and our Ofstedcomments confirm the superbcontribution which staff and studentsmake to Childwall Sports College”.

Keeping her head above the clouds

Rebecca isa high-flyer

High-flying academic Rebecca Kaneis reaching for the skies with anRAF gliding scholarship.

Rebecca, 17, who is in the MerchantTaylors’ Sixth Form, has just completeda 20-hour RAF gliding scholarship. Shesaid: “I would not describe myself as anatural adventurer. I don’t go out of theway to do bungee jumps or anythinglike that, but when there is a greatopportunity to experience somethingnew and challenging then I want totake it.”

After serving with Merchant Taylors’Combined Cadet Force RAF Section forfour years, Rebecca was offered the 20-hour training programme at BAeSystems Salmsbury. “Accompanied byan expert trainer, I spent 20 hours

learning the skills, developingconfidence and simply loving theexperience among the clouds.”

Rebecca has an offer to readBiological Sciences at NewnhamCollege, Cambridge and ultimatelywants to work developing cures forcancer. She added: “Working with theRAF has been an important part of myeducation and one never knows whenthe skills I have developed will come inuseful. I do know my experiences havegiven me a great respect for the workof the military.”

Headmistress Mrs Robinson said:“Rebecca is a wonderful role modelwho contributes to school life insideand outside the classroom and in theskies as well”.

Rebecca is pictured with Tony Evans sculpture of a heron

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46 Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils46

Help and advice

Before you broach this delicate subject,

discuss with your spouse which words you’re

not happy about your son using and agree on

the boundaries. If either parent swears at

home, then this can give out mixed messages

to children, so avoid this where possible. It

sounds as if you’re already being careful not to

use words in your son’s presence which you’re

not happy about him using, which is a good

start. Next time your son swears, try to be

matter of fact and show no reaction to it, so he

knows it isn’t funny or interesting. Tell him

you don’t want to hear him speak like that

again firmly, and don’t respond to it next time

the child uses that word. If he seems to enjoy a

particular word, teach him a new one to use

instead that’s more fun – something that

sounds interesting – but if he uses it when

he’s upset, don’t rise to the bait and encourage

him to explain how he really feels in other

words. If the words are offensive or hurtful, for

example racist or sexist, or offensive to people

with disabilities, explain to him what they

mean and why he shouldn’t be using them. If

the words are sexual, give a short explanation

to dispel the mystery around the word and

explain that some people use words like that

as a swear word because they don’t

understand that body parts and sex are natural

and ordinary parts of life. By making him see

that it isn’t clever to swear and that it won’t

ultimately make him more popular – even if it

does temporarily on the playground – you may

find that he stops the habit.

This is a problem for many parents who

find themselves spending more and

more time helping with their children’s

homework. If, as with a subject like

maths, your child has a different method

to working out a problem, it’s best to ask

your child to explain to you what the

task is and how it follows on from the

word she has done in class. By

encouraging your child to discuss her

work, you are also helping her to become more

independent and to revise the topic which she

has been working on. This should jog her

memory and as she progresses you may be

able to see how the sums are working out –

which you could check yourself later using

your own methods. Don’t be tempted to teach

her a new method or your own method for

working out the sums, but don’t let her think

that you see the homework time as a chore –

see it as some quality time together and you

may be able to discuss a sum and work them

out between you; just make sure that you don’t

end up doing the work and letting your child

copy it. If you’re still finding it a struggle, ask

your child’s teacher for some advice on the

work set. If you find that your child hasn’t

done the work in class - that it hasn’t been

taught – then you should also raise this with

the teacher before attempting to work it out

yourself and confusing your child.

My younger son, who’s six, has picked up some language fromanother child on the playground, but I’m not happy about it.What’s the best way to handle this situation?

My daughter, who’s in herfinal year at primary school,has been bringing homemore and more homeworkwhich she needs help to do,but I find myself strugglingwith it. The mathsproblems look verydifferent to those I did atschool. What should I do?

My older son, who’s eight,loves playing football and isreally excited that he’s beenchosen for the school team.However, he suffers reallybadly from hayfever and Ifeel so sorry for him with hisnose and eyes inflamed.What can I do?

Unfortunately, more and more children in

the UK are developing allergies to pollen,

but by detecting which pollen it is which

affects them can help to keep their

suffering to a minimum. If symptoms flare

up in spring, then it’s likely that tree pollen

is the culprit although, as your son is

affected playing football, I would say that

grass pollen seems to be the problem here.

To keep the symptoms at bay as much as

possible the rest of the time, keep him

inside when you’re mowing the lawn and

keep windows, doors, and car windows

closed when the pollen count is high. Wash

his hands, face and hair every night at

bathtime or as soon as you can after he’s

been playing to prevent prolonging the

reaction. You may find that these simple

things make a huge difference. If not, visit

your doctor for advice on medication and

inhalants before purchasing anything over

the counter, and ask about non-drowsy

versions. Above all, encourage him still to

play and have as normal and enjoyable a

summer as possible.

Dear Educate*******************************************************

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You will no doubt have experienced guilt,

(for pushing them too hard or for not

pushing them hard enough), the dreaded

presence of Key Stage 2 books lying

around the house and ultimately, worry

over whether the tests will affect the rest

of their life.

Firstly, it is worth remembering that

although SATs are a useful tool for measuring

attainment, children will continue to grow and

find subjects in which they excel long after

this year. Although it may seem like only last

week when you were filled with pride if your

child could read a whole Biff and Chip book

without any help, today they are constantly

being urged to perform, hit targets, achieve,

improve. There are very few things in life in

which you only get one chance, though, and

THE ROSE RULEThere are various ways of remembering information by usingwords, phrases or abbreviations. Mnemonics often work well.These turn the first letters of the words to be remembered into aname or word. One good example is the Rose Rule, fundamentalto a child’s study at home and very applicable here: Revise andrecap, Organise time and work, Sleep and rest, Eat healthily.Simple words can be chosen by children who can then insertthe piece of information they want to remember easily.

If you are a firsttime parent of a Year 6 child youwill have recentlyentered a newchapter in yourlife: revisionworry and stress.Words by Marya McCann

Swottingfor success

Revision will depend very much on a child’s age. When itbecomes necessary parents

should help to set up a peaceful anduncluttered space. If internet accesswill be helpful organise short periodswhen it can be accessed so thatchildren take part in varied revisionmethods and don’t become tempted to just browse the web.

Organise a revision and examtimetable. Help children to setrealistic targets and put up a

wall calendar to mark all relevantdates. Crossing off revision sessionsand exams taken with a thick penshould encourage motivation to get tothe end. Organise their clothes, foodand stationery the night before anexam to cut down on time wasting.

Sleep and rest is especiallyimportant at these times.Encourage your child to get

plenty of sleep and to take regularbreaks. Last minute cramming and latenights does not suit the majority ofyoung learners but respect your child’spreferred way of revising if they reallylike to read over their work in bed. If

your child is highly motivated, it'simportant to make sure that he or shedoesn't overwork; a short 15-20 minutebreak every 90 minutes will refresh themind. Making a drink, playing somesport, listening to some music orwatching a TV programme are all goodways to help relax before the nextrevision session; even a short walk tothe local shop will clear the head andhelp the brain to work more efficiently.

Eating a healthy diet is alwaysimportant for children and young people and even more

so during exam times for increasedconcentration. Whilst studies looking at the effects of diet on children’sbrains are still in the early stages,recent findings suggest that theaddition of Omega 3 fatty acids arebeneficial. Other studies, aimed atmeasuring brain function and water,have found that frequent intake ofsmall amounts of fluid help children toremain alert. This is especially trueduring the long exams your child willsit as he gets older. Exam stress canmake some children lose theirappetites. If this happens, encourageyour child to eat light meals orsandwiches.

Revision

R

O

S

E

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luckily exams aren't one of them.

If your child is already at secondary school

then the stress and worry will continue - for

them as well as you - unless you introduce

some clever techniques. Revision tips,

recognising learning styles and even dietary

changes can all have a profound effect on a

child’s performance. So we have brought

together tips and advice from experts for you

to pass on to the rest of your family.

VAK

Children all learn in different ways; one way of

recognising learning styles has become known

as VAK (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic.)

Identifying you child’s dominant learning

style can help when organising a study plan;

auditory learners may find it helpful to record

their lessons, or revision sessions and play

them over and over again. Visual learners can

be encouraged to display their learning in

diagram or graph form and kinaesthetic

learners may design games, and tasks to carry

out as revision.

To test your child and find their dominant

learning style use the questionnaire at

www.vark-learn.com.

A common problem experienced by pupils

is gaps in their learning. Whether they have

missed a couple of days at school or are just

finding a new topic difficult to grasp most

children will have at least one area in which

they may never achieve full understanding.

Best practice maybe for teachers to constantly

recall and recap, but with pressure on them to

move on to the next task pupils can miss out.

A parent’s role then, is to find out which

areas the child wants support with and then

to look for the best ways to provide help. The

BBC Bitesize and ictgames websites are fun

and interactive, with child-centred activities

and games for children as young as five.

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revision and

www.ictgames.com

MUSIC AND LEARNING

Language consultant, John McCann, has

spent five years studying techniques to

improve learning. He said: ‘Over the past

10 years we have learnt more about brain

function than ever before.’

Along with recognising learning styles and

the importance of a well balanced diet music

has also been found to have a profound effect

on the way the brain functions and absorbs

information.

Research by Georgi Lozonav in the 1960s

first revealed that music charges and

energises the brain. His studies of the impact

of baroque music, which has a rhythm

matching the cycle of the brain’s alpha wave,

found that it induced a heightened relaxation

state, ideal for learning.

Since then controlled studies in America

have tested a variety of musical styles to

children and adults taking part in training and

revision sessions to prove the theory.

Quite astonishingly one piece of music

resulted in significant improvements in test

results. Said John: ‘Mozart’s Sonata for Two

Pianos in D Major caused a sell-out after

researchers demonstrated the improvements

in maths scores when learners listened to it

beforehand. To get the most out of a revision

session I would recommend playing one of

these pieces of music. At best it will have

a significant effect and at worst provide

a relaxed and positive environment in which

to study.’

The following pieces have also been

recommended following research:

Beethoven’s Symphony No5 in E Minor,

and Chopin’s Waltz No6 in D Flat. Play them

as background music while students study,

read, or write to:

• increase attention levels

• improve retention and memory

• extend focused learning time

• expand thinking skills

Finally, it is worth remembering that

exercising to keep fit really does extend

to the brain. In conjunction with the rise in

studies of brain function has been an increase

in brain training methods, puzzles and

therapies.You may already be familiar with

the Yoga-type games of Brain Gym being

taught in schools, although basic brain

training is a much simpler and effective way

to achieve results.

‘There are so many ways we can all improve

memory, concentration and understanding by

training our brains and making them more

efficient and responsive,’ said John. He

believes that taking part in new strategies -

in the form of games and puzzles - benefits

children and adults. You can start today by

signing up for a daily workout at

www.lumosity.com

Incorporating all of these tips may be

difficult to do at once but even one or two

changes will have a positive effect; as parents,

as long as we do our best to bring out our

children’s best then we can do little more.

Regardless of age Mike Hughes, author

of Closing the Learning Gap, believes that

introducing simple rules will improve

learning. Although focused upon the learning

environment in school these rules can also

be interpreted into a home and revision

environment:

Parents and carers wanting more

information and support can call Parentline

Plus on a free helpline: 0808 800 2222, or go

to the website www.parentlineplus.org.uk.

The brain needs fuel. Oxygen,water and protein are allrequired for the brain to workefficiently. A glass of waterbefore a study session willenhance the learning whichtakes place during the revisionsession.

The maximum that children can concentrate for isapproximately two minutesmore than their chronologicalage. Even adults cannotmaintain completeconcentration for more than 20-25 minutes.

Children remember dramatic,emotional and unexpectedexperiences. Encourage them to put each topic into context by performing what they havelearnt in front of you, andpretending to be the teacher.

Recall is improved when theinformation is regularlyreviewed. Without review,information is forgotten almostimmediately. Encouragechildren to end each session by briefly going through whatthey have just learnt andrecapping on the main points.

Motivation is very important for effective learning. Subtlyoffer rewards and talk about the benefits of doing well inschool to maintain motivation at home.

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This popular andoversubscribed school islocated in a pleasant area ofthe city, adjacent to twoparks. It is a non selectiveschool for girls, with boysadmitted to the sixth form.The intake is from over 40primary schools throughoutthe city and beyond. At Bellerive, we valueachievement in its widestsense: academic, personal,social and cultural. The heartof the school is rooted in astrong Catholic tradition.

Bellerive was awardedSciences specialist collegestatus in 2003 and won Mathsand Computing status inDecember 2007. A thirdspecialism in ‘AppliedLearning was awarded thismonth.

Bellerive is nationallyrecognised as highperforming and as one of theschools in the country tohave added value points of 10or more. It was inspected byboth OFSTED and byinspectors on behalf of theArchdiocese. Bothinspections came to theconclusion that Bellerive FCJCatholic College was‘outstanding’.

Bellerive FCJCatholic Collegean outstanding school Specialising in the Sciences, Maths,Computing and Applied Learning

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Liverpool Compact Education BusinessPartnership recently organised the Launchof one of the Governments newestqualifications… The Diploma in Hair andBeauty.This Diploma is one of 17 that has started tobe taught in schools from September 2008and will be rolled out up to 2013. AllDiplomas are strongly supported byEmployers. The local Champions for the Hairand Beauty Diploma include; HABIA (Hairand Beauty Industry Authority), The CrownePlaza Liverpool and Ellison’s, the numberone supplier to the Hair and BeautyIndustry.The event attracted an audience of over 60employers from within the Hair and BeautyIndustry all keen to learn how they couldbecome involved in linking with schools tohelp deliver this qualification.For further information on becominginvolved with schools contact LiverpoolCompact EBP on 0151 728 9454

Stephen RobertsCrowne Plaza

Mike Corley andEmployer Champions

Gill Morris,HABIA

Kay Pennington,Ellison’s

Karen Downey, Jenny MartinLiverpool Compact EBP

Employer Champions, Stephen RobertsCrowne Plaza, Kay Pennington, Ellison’s andGill Morris HABIA having received theirChampion Certificates from Mike Corley ChiefExecutive Liverpool Compact EBP.

LesleyChadwickManager

14-19Partnership

A cut aboveCompact launches new Diploma in Hair and Beauty

Mike CorleyChief Executive

LiverpoolCompact EBP

Lesley Chadwick, Gill Morrisand Kay Pennington

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The Stafford Family

The MaxwellFamily receivetheir award

The Russell Family

More celebrationswith the McCallionFamily

A more than pleasedAstle Family

Helen Winrow(centre) with the

CunninghamFamily

The delightedEyers Family

A family affair theIdowu Family

Happy to receivetheir award the

Ko Family

ThedelightedFarrellFamily

The AspinallFamily

The BrownFamily with

Helen Winrow

School get in the FAST laneFAST, Families and Schools together is aprogramme from America being piloted byBroadgreen International School and two otherschools in Liverpool. The programme which aims to raise academicstandards and strengthen family relationships.FAST is a non-profit organisation which setsaside an evening a week for families and FASTtrained staff to eat, chat, sing and do crafttogether.The first ten week programme culminated in afabulous graduation ceremony to celebrate theprogrammes success. Helen Winrow AssistantChief Executive of Liverpool City Councilpresented each family with a trophy and acertificate for their successful completion of theprogramme. But it doesn’t stop there! Families who are interested in taking part pleasecall 0151 254 6819 for further details

Donneta Bracey an assessor for the FastProgramme in America

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Teaching ‘Respect’for one anotherYear 6 pupils from Merseyside schools recently gatheredtogether for the Your Choice Conference held in Liverpool.The conference was delivered in partnership with MerseysidePolice, British Transport Police, Tunnels Police, Merseyside FireService, North West Ambulance Service, Mersey Rail, City Safe,Rangers Interpretation Services, Arriva and Stagecoach withthe overall aim of improving personal safety, increasingawareness of the law, and reducing anti social behaviour.The conference has been used as part of a joint Beacon Statusbid by Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and RescueService and is now a partner in the ‘Respect’ action weeks inLiverpool Knowsley and Wirral, during this period BTP figureshave shown there to be a decrease of offences in endangeringsafety with intent, trespass, obstructing rail operations withintent and missile throwing. There has also been a decrease ofincidents occurring on the bus networkYour Choice conference has now been embedded into theschools calendar of events, and supports teachers in deliveringcitizenship as part of the national curriculumSome schools have used the Your Choice conference as part oftheir evidence of delivering citizenship during Ofstedinspections.From March 08 to March 09, 131 primary schools attended theconferences; on average 135 children are present at each event.

Your Choice co-ordinators

The Mac of All Trades fromElermental Education Ltd

Tony and Kathy from MojoTheatre Company

Billy Bradshaw fromMerseytravel

Pupils enjoy the Your Choice welcome

Web Detectives game developedby Your Choice teamMersey Tunnels

Police

Merseyside Fire andRescue Service

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Wealth of talent atPanathlonGames

Wheelchairslalom isn’tas easy as itlooks

School children representing theMerseyside boroughs of Liverpool, Sefton,Knowsley, Wirral, Halton and St Helenscelebrated the 9th Merseyside PanathlonGames, at the Greenbank SportsAcademy, Liverpool. The games, organised by The MerseysideSports Partnership, involved disabledyoungsters from various Merseysideschools who competed in Athletics,Boccia, Football and Table Tennis.Ashley Iceton from the PanathlonChallenge said: “Merseyside youngstersare sports mad and ultra competitive sowe all had another successful event.The children were presented with theirmedals by Great Britain Paralympian,Shelley Woods (pictured below) who wonsilver and bronze in Beijing. She has alsowon the London Marathon.

Team Liverpool celebrateafter scoring a goal

Team Knowsley on the attackagainst Team St Helens

Teamsupport

for TeamSefton

Team Liverpool seem tohave cornered the marketon celebrations

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Schools team up against guncrimeYoung people from 23 schools inLiverpool and Knowsley teamed up totake part in an anti-guncrime seven-a-side football tournament organised byMerseyside Police.The Matrix Challenge Shield is part ofan anti-guncrime initiative puttogether by the Force’s specialistMatrix team.Chief Superintendent Steve Moore, whoheads up the specialist Matrix team,said: “The tournament is part of awider campaign aimed at educatingyoung people about the consequencesof becoming involved in gun and gangcrime. It’s great to see these youngpeople participating”.

All Saints High Schoolv The Academy of StFrancis Assisi

Alsop HS vKirkby SportsCollege

CroxtethComprehensive v

Christ the King CFL

Halewood College v North Liverpool Academy

Alsop HS v KirkbySports College

Knowsley Hey v AllSaints High School

ShorefieldsTechnology Collegev The Academy ofSt Francis Assisi

A budding Benitezor Moyes?

De La Salle vParklands High

School

Time to warm-up

Tournamentorganiser Steve

Swinnerton

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Comparisons of yesteryearHelen Forrester’s story of life in Liverpool

Q. Coming from a ‘pop music’background, what attracted you towrite a musical play based onHelen Forrester’s book, Twopenceto Cross the Mersey?

A. I first met Helen Forrester at aliterary lunch - my brother Alan and Iwere asked to perform a song wehad written called ‘Butterfly in theRain’. The song was inspired from aline I had read in one of her books.She loved the song and asked ifshe could use it when she wasgiving radio interviews. When Iasked her about the possibility ofme writing a musical play based onTwopence to Cross the Mersey sheagreed - but only on condition thescript met with her approval.Thankfully, it did.

Q. Was Helen Forrester involved inthe creative process during thewriting of the show?

A. To a point. Helen very kindly let mecall her at her home in Canada if Ineeded to know more aboutparticular characters. For example:Mrs Foster, the landlady of thehouse they stayed in when they firstarrived in Liverpool; and the menoutside the employment exchangewho befriended Helen's father,giving him advice on how to survivein the slums.

Q. Why do you think her book is stillso popular?

A. I think it’s because her account isso honest. Some people havecriticised her, saying that things werenever that bad. But they forget,Helen and her family came from avery privileged background withnannies, servants and a privateschool education. When they lost

everything during the depression ofthe 1930s they had absolutely noidea on how to survive, unlike theworking class of Liverpool. Helen’sstory explains, in graphic detail, justwhat this meant to her and herfamily. They were like fish out ofwater.

Q. Do you think the show is evenmore relevant today - given thecurrent economic circumstances?

A. Without a doubt.

Q. The book has formed part of theNational School Curriculum forover 25 years. Why do you thinkthat is?

A. Probably because it gives studentsan insight of what life in Britain waslike before we had a decent welfaresystem or National Health Service.We take these things for grantednowadays but in pre-war years, ifone was ill and couldn’t afford tovisit a doctor, the outcome was oftenvery bleak.

Q. What message will students takeaway after watching the show?

A. The show is very positive. With gritand determination, Helen fought,and won, for her right to aneducation and, despite everythingthat happened to her, she went onto become a hugely successfulwriter. The message to studentstherefore is very clear; ‘If Helen cansucceed - then so can I.’

Q. When the show was premiered,Helen Forrester travelled from herhome in Canada to attend. Whatdid she think of it?

A. She told the press she thought itwas wonderful, capturing the feeling

of her book completely. Praiseindeed. I couldn't have asked formore.

Q. What advice would you give tostudents interested in writing fortheatre?

A. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice!When I first embarked on thisproject, I had no idea howcomplicated it was going to be. But,by asking the right people andtaking on board everything they toldme, Twopence soon became one ofthe best selling shows in the UK.Through my experience writing andproducing Twopence, I now act as aconsultant, offering first hand adviceto others wanting to stage a theatreshow.

Twopence to Cross the Mersey opensat the Liverpool Empire 6th – 17thOctober 2009.Further information from PulseRecords and Productions Ltd – 0151649 0427 or 07976 643 466.

Many of you may not have heard of Liverpool born Rob Fennah but, if you askyour parents they may be able help you out.Rob joined his first band Buster in 1974. The group had numerous hit recordsoverseas and received a gold album and two best seller awards.His latest venture was to adapt ‘Twopence to Cross the Mersey’ one of thebest selling books by author Helen Forrester to the musical stage. The show tells the true story of a young girl and her formerly wealthy familysuddenly thrown into poverty and forced to survive in the slums of Liverpoolduring the depression of the 1930sRob is hoping to work with Merseyside schools to give them the chance ofviewing the play for themselves and to gain an insight of how the play was puttogether.

The Young Helen

Musical Director: Rob Fennah

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West Side Story jets into LiverpoolBroadgreen International School celebratedafter a three night sell out production ofBernstein’s West Side Story. Over fifty fivepupils from all year groups took part in therecent production. Danielle Ward, 17 played theprincipal role of Maria who falls in love with thejet gang member Tony, played by Year 11 pupilChristian Harrison. Their convincing romanceenthralled the audiences as did theperformances by supporting roles, JamieKarmelhi (Riff), Bethany Eginton (Anita) andChris Amani (Bernardo). The pupils gave a particularly emotional andrealistic performance during the fight and deathscenes. The able accompaniment from theschool band and members of the Haydock Brassband encouraged a high standard of musicalperformance.

ChristianHarrison as Tony

Nicole Unwin

Jamie Karmelhi Danielle Wardas Maria

Lara Rutherford

DanielleWard and

BethanyEginton

Danielle Wardand Christian

Harrison

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‘A sea of style inspires both girls and boys fashion this summer

with traditional navy and white mixed up with bright colours.’

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StockistsNext / John Lewis / Mini Boden /Debenhams / www.sailgb.com / www.hackett.com / Jouleswww.flipflopflo.co.uk / JuniorJigsawMarks and Spencer

1. Navy ticking stripes hat £4.80,J Junior by Jasper Conran, Debenhams

2. Blue linen pocket shirt £12-£14, 3-8yrs, Debenhams

3. Navy washed cargo pocket shorts, £9.60-£11.20,3-8yrs, J by Jasper Conran, Debenhams

4.Kids stripes blue, £16, Size 9 child – 3/4 , Flip Flop Flo

5. Uvex sporty kids sunglasses red and silver, £16.04, sailgb.com

6. Boys towelling shorts £12, 3-10 yrs, Joules

7. Stripey towelling shorts, £12-£14, 1-12 yr, Mini Boden

8. Print stripe shirt, £45, 2-16yrs, Hackett

9. Converse All Star Core Hi trainers, £20-£35, size junior 8-5 adult, John Lewis

10. Casio SPS-300C-2V-HP Sea Pathfinder boys water sport watch,£25, John Lewis

11. Stripe hoodie, £14-£16, 2-11yrs, John Lewis

1. Blue spot sateen shorts, £8-£13, 3-16 yrs NEXT

2. Yellow & white stripe vest, £4.50-£7.50,3-16 yrs NEXT

3. Jersey sundress red stripe, £5-£10, 3-16 yrs NEXT

4. Spotty cotton frill navy dress, £52.95,2-9 yrs Jigsaw Junior

5. Navy pinstripe jacket £14-£16, 3-8 yrs J by Jasper Conran, Debenhams

6. Kids stripes red £16, size 9 child – 3-4 adult, Flip Flop Flo

7. Navy stripes bow jersey dress £10-£12,3-8 yrs, J by Jasper Conran, Debenhams

8. Two tone bow belt £17, Jigsaw Junior

9. Riviera skirt £16-£18, 2yrs-14yrs Mini Boden

10.Chambray pinafore dress £16-£17, 2-8yrs, John Lewis

11. Polka dot sunglasses £6, Marks and Spencer

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World Book Day 2009

Merchant Taylors pupilsRachael, Cathryn and Molly

World Book Day 2009, the biggest annualcelebration of books and reading in theUK and Ireland recently took place inMarch. The event is aimed at promotingbooks and reading for the personalenrichment and enjoyment of all. Theorigins of the day now celebrated in theUK and Ireland come from Catalonia,where roses and books were given asgifts to loved ones on St George’s Day –a tradition started over 80 years ago.Waterstones recently held an open dayat their book store in Liverpool CityCentre, and invited pupils from RiceLane Primary School to select theirfavourite books. Pupils from Merchant Taylors, Seftondressed up as their favourite bookcharacters, while Belvedere Academyheld a speed reading event were pupilsdiscussed the merits of their favouritebooks to each other.

Lizzie asWillieWonker

Rice Lane pupils find that it’s a harddecision to select your favourite

Hannah andMathew asScoobie Doos!

Rice Lanepupils Josh,

Josh and Megan

Pupils: Emily, Cecilia, Antonia and Charlotte -Harry Potter and friends

Rice Lane pupil Aimee

Mrs Hardman’s classdress-up as theirfavourite characters

Rice Lane pupil Elizabeth

Speed reading event at Belvedere Academy

Above: Rice Lane Juniors at WaterstonesBelow: Merchant Taylors dress as their favourite characters

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Viewpoint

Are four-year-olds too young to meet toddlers’ targets?

Ed Balls MP – Secretary of State for Children, Schools and FamiliesI believe that every child in this country is entitled to the benefits of learningthrough play as set out in the EYFS and that their parents are entitled to thereassurance that their children will be well supported and cared for by highquality childminders and nursery workers. All of these childcare providers,who are registered with and inspected by Ofsted, will now need to adhere tothe new EYFS. The very best childminders, nurseries and children's centreswill already be implementing the best practice on which the EYFS is based,but we want to drive up standards and ensure everyone working withchildren do the best they can to help them learn and develop at their ownpace.

Megan Pacey – Chief Executive, Early Education“ It is essential that practitioners have an understanding of each child’sdevelopment and their individual needs so that they can ensure that eachchild has the experiences and support they need to thrive. Observing andresponding to a child is a continuous process and a professional skill that iskey to informing effective planning and quality provision. Regularobservational assessments build a picture of a child’s development andcomparing this to typical patterns of development can help identify where achild’s development needs supporting or extending. The setting also needsinformation about the progress of children in order to make decisions aboutthe resources to offer, staff training and development. This information iskey for effective self-evaluation and improving the quality of a setting.”

Carol Talbot – Bluebell Nursery SchoolThe idea that four-year-olds should have targets on writing sentences andpunctuation is preposterous. Young children need to develop physically andemotionally before they are put into more formal educational pursuits.Children need time and good play to develop. Why is it in Sweden that nochild can read or write at six-years-old and yet by the age of 10 or 11 theyare European leaders in the literacy stakes? Learning to read and write musthave meaning for children without the worry of 'Will I be able to do this?' Ifplaced in a Nursery school of good practice then of course they will.As parents and teachers we need to focus on letting children play anddeveloping strong independent youngsters who know that they will achieve.

Kathie Howard, Primary supply teacher“In my experience of working at a playgroup, the children were able toidentify colours and could recognise their own name by the age of four, butas for writing in sentences and using punctuation – as a parent I wouldn’twant my four year-old to feel under pressure to meet those targets. It’sbecoming a preoccupation with parents and causes anxiety. My sister-in-law teaches a reception class and she told me that one of the parents camein after school to ask her how her four-year-old son was doing and what histargets were. She told this parent that actually, at the moment, his targetwas to sit on his chair for two minutes at a time – behavioural and socialdevelopment is what children of that age need. Children also don’t have thevocabulary for writing sentences, and I’m still telling Year 6 pupils where toput capital letters and full stops – so how can we expect a four-year-old to beable to do the same?”

Debbie Barber – Parent"I think the Government is not only unrealistic but misguided in itsproposed new targets for four-year-olds. Whilst I agree that correctpunctuation and grammar are essential building blocks for literacy this is fartoo early an age to set targets and make children focus on them. This is atime when children should be encouraged through play to develop theirsocial and communication skills including active listening. Skills which willhold them in good stead later in their education when teachers begin tointroduce dryer topics such as grammar. I think we are in danger ofswitching off too many children to the joy of learning if we constrain them attoo tender an age. Four-year-olds should be playing and having fun withlearning. I am speaking with the experience of being a mum, grandmotherand a nursery and primary school governor”.

Are the Government being realistic in their goals that all four-year-olds shouldmeet such targets as writing sentences and using punctuation?

Have your say:To suggest or contribute toa topic for debate inViewpoint email us at: [email protected] to view our on-line poll visitwww.educatemagazine.com

Leadingeducationalists andauthors have joinedtogether to try and getthe Government toscrap its literacytargets for youngsters.They argues that four-year-olds are too youngto meet such goals aswriting sentences andusing punctuation.As part of the EarlyYears FoundationStage framework -which applies to allearly years - ministerswanted all five-year-olds to be able to writesimple words andmake attempt at morecomplex ones.They also want themto be able to writetheir own names.Campaigners claimthat parts of thelearning requirementsset some children upfor failure and thatthose who are lessacademically brightand do not come frommiddle class homeswere particularly atrisk.Are we in danger ofputting too muchpressure on ourchildren at a timewhen they should bedoing naturally –learning through playand social contact?

Educate The Magazine for Parents and Pupils

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Book Review by Andrew Foxley

In association with

Are you a librarian, teacher or purchasing manager? Do you buy books for your business or institution? Waterstones Liverpool offers a comprehensive account sales service. Contact Vic Brazel, Sales Department, Waterstones Liverpool, 14-16 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4DS. Tel: 0151 707 1649

9-12 YearsDoctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale £6.99The Doctor faces his deadliest enemy on the frontiers of space, in a hostile war zone filledwith ruthless bounty hunters in this original novel. Epic and thrilling, this is a fantastic readwhich really gets to the core of what a Dalek is, and how truly terrifying they can be. Assuch, it should delight fans looking for space-age adventure whilst the TV series is off air.

Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy £12.99Skulduggery Pleasant is a walking, talking skeleton detective fighting the good fight againstthe forces of darkness, in this third escapade, he and his sidekick are facing a greater threatthan ever before. Exciting supernatural adventures, more than lives up to the anticipation.

Christian the Lion by Anthony Bourke & John Rendall £4.99A children's version of the amazing true-life story of two Australian students who bought alion cub in Harrods, and lived with it in their London flat, before it grew up and they wereforced to bid an emotional farewell to 'Christian' as he was returned to his native Africa. Asort of Born Free with a twist, this is a remarkable story that animal-lovers will embrace

TeenageThe Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison £6.99First-time author Michelle Harrison won the Waterstone's Children’s Book Prize with thisstunning debut, involving a fifty-year old mystery over the disappearance of a young girl,some dark secrets, and a girl who can apparently see fairies. What can it all mean?

The Escape by Robert Muchamore £6.99Robert Muchamore has enjoyed great success writing about the exploits of the teenagesecret agents who work for CHERUB - now, in the first of a new series, we get to discoverthe origins of the organisation during World War II, tense spy thriller set in occupied France.

Marked by P.C. & Kirsten Cast £6.99If you liked Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, you'll love this - a spooky tale of a vampire withsupernatural powers enrolled at the House of Night. Vampires are all the rage at themoment, and this is one of the best of the new wave of 'teen horror' novels - and if you likeit, there are two sequels already, with more to follow soon.

5-8 YearsBeast Quest: Arax the Soul Stealer by Adam Blade £5.99A special one off edition of the popular adventure series, with hero Tom battling against theevil wizard Malvel and the monstrous Arax. This is an exciting, fast paced fantasy adventurepacked with all the elements that have made the Beast Quest series so successful.

Harry the Homeless Puppy by Holly Webb, Sophy Williams £4.99Grace can't have a puppy of her own, but she loves walking the dogs at the local animalshelter; her favourite is Harry, a lively Jack Russell puppy.Harry loves going for walks withGrace, and soon the two are best friends. But then Harry is rehomed and Grace isheartbroken.

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Events Guide

Theatre Arts Parks and Nature Activities and Adventure

■ Now ShowingWonders of the Solar SystemWorld Museum LiverpoolWilliam Brown Street, Liverpool0151 478 4393-2-1-blast off! Come on an adventurearound our Solar System without leavingthe comfort of your chair in our fantasticfamily show. This show just got bigger andbetter, with new up to date information onthe solar system.

■ 31st May Liverpool Street FashionWalker Art GalleryWilliam Brown Street, Liverpool0151 478 4393Explore current fashion trends amongyoung people today. It is made up of twoexhibitions by students from LiverpoolCommunity College.

■ Until 28th JuneShoot NationsInternational Slavery Museum, AlbertDock, Liverpool0151 478 4441Climate change is the theme of afascinating exhibition featuringphotographs taken by young people for aworldwide competition.

■ Until JulyMy Life, My WordsInternational Slavery Museum, AlbertDock, Liverpool0151 478 4441A small exhibition explores the lives andexperiences of people from Liverpool’s blackcommunities and their relationships withthe ever-changing city.

■ Until JulyCreepers, leapers and wide eyedpeepers - natural history exhibitionPrescot Museum, 34 Church Street,Prescot, L34 3LA0151 430 7787As part of the national ‘Darwin200’celebrations, this exhibition explores thenatural world around us.

■ Until February 2010A Sweet Life: Fashion in a Liverpoolsugar merchant's familySudley House, Mossley Hill RoadAigburth0151 724 3245

A small exhibition showcasing some of thehighlights of the Tinne Collection ofclothing worn by a Liverpool lady, EmilyTinne, and her six children between about1910 and 1940.

■ 8th MayFEW Friday Night WarCrosby Civic Hall, Crosby Road North,Liverpool0151 928 1919Tickets £5.00Superstars from around the world competein 2 hours of wrestling action featuring TheIron Duke, Bill Stone Cold, Robbie Michaels,Zak Zodiak, Ricky Knight and more.

■ 9th-10th MayArt WeekendMartin Mere Wetland Centre, FishLane, Burscough, Lancashire01704 895181From 1.00pmCome along toMartin Mere tohelp themcelebrate thecentenary year ofthe late Sir PeterScott.

■ 10th MayBirds of Prey DisplayNanny Goat Park,Recreation Street, StHelens01744 8155861.00-3.30pm A display of birds of preyincluding the Harris Hawk, Vulture and avariety of owls, complemented by severalflying demonstrations.

■ 10th MayBirds, Bugs & BloomsSpeke Hall, Garden and EstateThe Walk, Liverpool 0844 800 4799Normal Admission Charges Apply.Family fun exploring the naturalenvironment at Speke Hall. Enjoy trails andcraft activities.

■ 10th MayRPLO BugsLiverpool Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, Liverpool0151 709 3789Tickets £5.00-£12.00This is a creepy-crawly concert with musicabout fleas, bees, wasps, butterflies andother incredible insects. Come alongdressed as a bug or bring along a home-made bug.■ 16th MayConservation Task Day10am-1pm Stadt Moers Park, PotteryLane, Whiston0151 489 1239.Ranger led practical tasks to help maintainand improve your local green space.

■ 17th MayThe Ugly DucklingSouthport Arts Theatre,

Lord Street, Southport 01704 540011

Tickets £5.50Travelling Light Theatre Company

present their heart-warmingproduction of The Ugly Duckling.

■ 17th MayActive Knowsley Challenge

Knowsley Hall, Knowsley Village 0151 443 2153Great fun opportunity for all the family to‘Get Active for 2009’, the event includeseverything from cycle rides to walking torunning.

■ 17th MayWrigglersMcGoldrick Park, Huyton 0151 443 36821.00-3.00pm. Could you charm a worm?Prizes for the longest, fattest and highestnumber of worms.

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■ 19th MayGirls AloudACC Liverpool, Monarchs QuayLiverpool 0844 8000 400Tickets £30.00The UK's premiere girl group, Girls Aloud arrive in Liverpool in the wake of their new 'Out of Control' album.

■ 20th-24th MaySpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Could FlyLiverpool Empire, Lime Street,Liverpool 0844 847 2525Tickets £7.50-£25.00 Family ticket £17.50Join SpongeBob, Patrick and their zanyBikini Bottom pals in a new musical asSpongeBob embarks on his dream to fly.

■ 21st-22nd MayShowcase 2009Crosby Civic Hall, Crosby Road North,Liverpool0151 928 1919Tickets £8.00A celebration of dance, drama and songinvolving students of Merseyside Dance &Drama Centre.

■ 23rd MayDowny Duckling DaysMartin Mere Wetland Centre, FishLane, Burscough, Lancashire01704 895181Between 11.30am and 3.30pm. Wander through the outdoor duckling nursery and see the cute sights of the ducklings and goslings whilst learning about the birds.

■ 23rd-24th MayHUBWellington Dock, Liverpool11.00am-7.00pm Free admission

Two days of funky break-dancing, beatboxing, mad tricks and extreme sports.

■ 24th MayFun DayDelph Lane, Whiston 0151 489 1239An afternoon of fun for all the family,including dog show, hawk display, facepainting, circus skills and much more.

■ 25th MayDiscovering NatureStadt Moers Park, Pottery Lane,Whiston0151 489 12391.00-3.00pm A ranger led walk revealingamazing facts about the natural worldaround us.

■ 26th MayMoulding and CastingNational Conservation Centre,Whitechapel, Liverpool0151 478 4999Discover how conservators make use ofmoulding and casting in this free hands-onsession suitable for families.

■ 27th MayFit’n’Fun Family Health WalkSefton Park, Lake car park nearAigburth Vale0151 233 30071.00pm. Bring along the family and keep healthy while having fun rambling through Liverpool’s greenenvironment in newly refurbished Sefton Park.

■ 27th MayJunior FishingTaylor Park, St Helens01744 678073Normal Admission Charges Apply. Follow your nose and use your senses to sniff out the flower trail around the gardens! Flower power craft activities including pressing and printing in the education room.

Events Guide

Theatre Arts Park and Nature Activities and Adventure

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Events Guide

■ 30th MayFlower PowerSpeke Hall, Garden and EstateThe Walk, Liverpool 0844 800 47991.00-3.00pm. Attractions include a variety of stalls including crafts, activities and traditional entertainment.

■ 30th MayElizabethan FayrePrescot Town Centre0151 430 77871.00-3.00pm. Attractions include a variety ofstalls including crafts, activitiesand traditional entertainment.

■ 31st MayLancashire CarnivalAssociation: Morris DancingCompetitionBowring Park, RobyRoad, Huyton0151 482 1116Local teams welcome.Event includes stallsand slideshows.

■ 30th-31st MayTweenies Live - Topof the TotsLiverpool Empire,Lime Street, Liverpool0844 847 2525Tickets £7.50-£25.00The Tweenies are back withtheir chart-busting newshow Top of the Tots packedwith tot-tastic tunes.Tickets £12.00-£16.50.

■ 6th JuneLord Mayor’s Pageant12-1pm Liverpool City CentreLiverpool city centre will be a sea of greenas hundreds take to the streets for thecolourful pageant.

■ 6th-7th JuneKites over the Mersey – Wirral Kite FestivalThe Dips, Kings Parade, New Brighton0151 666 318811.00ma-4.00pm Two day event for all thefamily with a variety of spectacular showkites on display. There will also be a kite-making workshop.

■ 7th JuneKnowsley GreenFayreNationalWildflowerCentre, CourtHey Park,Huyton0151 738 1913

Free eventHelp The Friends of Court Hey Park andThe Great Outdoors as the celebrate theenvironment.

■ 7th JuneA Performance of a LifetimeACC Liverpool, Monarchs QuayLiverpool 0844 8000 400Tickets £20.00Hundreds of talented young performers arebrought together to perform in a show,which will really be a “Performance of aLifetime”.

■ 8th-13th JuneDisney’s High School MusicalLiverpool Empire, Lime Street,Liverpool 0844 847 2525Tickets £12.50-£28.00 Watch the twists and turns of the lovableschoolmates – Troy and Gabriella as they

surf the tricky tides of peer pressure andcanteen cliques.

■ 10th JunePrimary Schools Year 4/5 MixedKwik Cricket TournamentPrescot Cricket Club,

Burrows Lane, Prescot0151 443 3111

1.00-5.00pm. Both boys and girls arewelcome to participate.

■ 13th JuneCrash Bang Wallop!National Wildflower Centre, CourtHey Park, Huyton0151 738 1913Age 7 and above. £5.00Learn how to play the drums.

■ 18th JuneBritain's Got Talent LIVE!

ACC Liverpool, Monarchs QuayLiverpool 0844 8000 400Tickets £32.50Pop fans will get the chance to see thecontestants from this edition of the hitreality show in the flesh.

■ 19th JuneWhat a Wonderful WorldSouthport Arts Theatre, Lord Street, Southport 01704 540011Tickets £5.50Another magical, interactive performanceexperience for the very young from LyngoTheatre Company.

■ 19th JuneHOOF JuniorSouthport Arts Theatre, Lord Street,

Southport 01704 540011Tickets £5.50

Gasp, as a bare stage transformsinto a visual, verbal and musical

feast and you are catapultedinto a totally improvisedfairytale.

■ 20th JuneWhistonburyStadt Moers Park, Whiston0151 489 123912.00-4.00pm and 5.00-9.00pm. A funpacked family event to celebrate the longmid summer days with music, dance, stalls,laser quest and much more.

■ 20th-21st JuneAfrica OyéSefton Park, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool0151 708 6200The UK’s largest, free celebration of Africanmusic and culture.

■ 21st JuneLiverpool TriathlonLiverpool ACCFree to watchParticipants aged eight and upwards canswim, cycle and run their way to thefinishing line in this inaugural event.www.liverpooltriathlon.co.uk

■ 21st JuneFather’s Day Afternoon TeaNational Wildflower Centre, Court HeyPark, Huyton0151 738 1913Costs £5.00Bring your Dad to the Wildflower Centre fora day of pampering.

■ 22nd JuneTwenty20 Cupwww.lccc.co.ukLiverpool Cricket Club, AigburthLancashire Lightning take on LeicestershireFoxes.

■ 27th JuneCraft and Hobby Show: CircusMartin Mere Wetland Centre, FishLane, Burscough, Lancashire01704 895181Starts at 11.00am. Workshops includejuggling, plate spinning, unicyle riding,balancing and stilt walking. At 3pm therewill also be a circus show in the Dome.

■ 27th JuneSefton Triathlon, Crosby LeisureCentre, Mariners Road, CrosbyStarts at 9.00am. Open to all ages from 7-99years. The largest community triathlon inthe UK. Contact 0151 924 3700 for furtherinformation.

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■ 28th JuneBowring Park Gala and Steam FayreBowring Park, Roby Road, Huyton0151 482 111611.00am-5.00pm. This special event willinclude a community party with children’srides, dray horse rides, steam and classiccars, amusements and arena attractions.

■ 2nd JulyColour Chart with Hope Street LtdAlbert Dock, Liverpool0151 702 74006.00pm. Inspired by the work in the gallerythis summer, professional artists andcommunity groups will create a highlyinnovative and experimental performancesand installations .

■ 3rd JulyBat NightHalewood Park, Okell Drive,Halewood0151 488 61518.30-10.30pm. A fascinating look into theamazing world of local nocturnal flyinggymnasts! Slideshow presentation followedby a trip out bat detecting.

■ 3rd JulyPupils of Claire Williams Charity Concert

Southport Arts Centre, Lord Street0151 934 2141Tickets £7.00 concessions £6.007.30pm. The pupils of Claire Williams will beperforming a programme of music rangingfrom classical to well known musicals andpopular song.

■ 4th JulyMerseyside Primary GamesThe Oval, Bebington0151 443 214910.00am-5.00pm. Multi-sport event aimed atprimary aged children.

■ 4th JulyThe Little MermaidSouthport Arts Centre, Lord Street0151 934 2141Tickets £5.00

2.00pm. A beautiful fusion of original songs,live music, physical theatre and puppetrybased on the story by Hans ChristianAndersen.

■ 5th JulyHalewood Community FestivalHalewood Leisure Centre, BaileysLane, Halewood0151 443 2156Includes a Rose Queen procession, parade,craft fayre, cheerleaders, Americanfootballers, line dancing, fancy dresscompetition and much more.

■ 14th JulyRace For LifeKnowsley Hall, Knowsley Village08705 134 3147.00pm Knowsley Hall provides thebackdrop for a 5k run or walk aimed atraising money for Cancer Research UK. Theevent attracts over 2,000 women of all ages.

■ 15th JulyA Summer SerenadeHuyton Suite, Civic Way, Huyton0151 443 56157.30pm. Adults £5.00 concessions £3.00.From choirs to concert bands, steels pans tosamba. A fantastic evening celebrating themusical achievements of young people.

■ 18th-19th JulyScarecrow FestivalNational WildflowerCentre, Court Hey Park,Huyton0151 738 1913Free event. Come and sayhello to the Scarecrow family all designed by local school children.

■ 18th JulyKirkby CommunityFestivalMillbrook Park MillenniumGreen, Kirkby 0151 443 561912.00-4.00pm Family festival day with live comedy,jazz dance and youth groups,circus workshops, arena attractionsand more.

■ 23-26th JulyScooby-Doo Live On Stage!Liverpool Empire, Lime Street,Liverpool 0844 847 2525Tickets £7.50-£10.00 Scooby-Doo and the gang are back! Theultimate cartoon classic explodes onto thestage once again with "Scooby-Doo and thePirate Ghost".

■ 24th JulyFamily BBQ and Moth NightNational Wildflower Centre, Court HeyPark, Huyton 0151 738 1913Tickets £10.00 per head children under 15eat free. Booking essential.

Events Guide

PerfectParties

We offer tailor made parties and celebrations for you and your children

❈ Big Fun Parties – Under 4 years❈ Themed Parties – 5 – 11 years❈ Teenage Parties & Hen Parties

We will make sure it is a celebration to remember!

For more information please call 0151 734 2001

7 Heathfield Road, Wavertree, Liverpool L15 9EU

E: [email protected]

Theatre Arts Parks and Nature Activities and Adventure

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Events Guide

■ 25th-26th JulyLiverpool-Knowsley Mini CupKing George V Playing Fields,Longview Lane, Huyton0151 443 2152

9.00am-5.00pm. Spectators can enjoywatching more than 1,000 players

ranging from 7 to 10 years ofage from all over the North

West.

■ 28th July-2ndAugustLiverpool-KnowsleyInternational SoccerTournament

Liverpool UniversityGeoffrey Hughes

Playing Fields, MatherAvenue, Allerton

0151 443 2152Over 100 teams boys and girls from all overthe world will complete againstrepresentative teams from the UK.

■ 30th July -1st AugustSummer Holiday the MusicalSouthport Arts Theatre, Lord Street,Southport 01704 540011Tickets £9.00-£11.00The famous musical Summer Holidaycomes to Southport with an amazingMerseyside cast of youngsters.■ 5th AugustNational Play Day EventKing George V Playing Fields,Longview Lane, Huyton0151 443 597110.00am-3.00pm All ages welcome to takepart in freely chosen, risky, challenging andexciting play activities. Activities are free.

■ 7th-9th AugustBetter World: The 2009 Holistic -Organic - Eco ShowACC Liverpool, Monarchs QuayLiverpool 0844 8000 400Tickets £12.00-£10.00Three zones of over 360 Exhibitors. Threedays of Talks, Demonstrations, Music, Stalls.Television celebrities attending each day.

■ 9th AugustKnowsley Flower ShowNational Wildflower Centre, Court HeyPark, Huyton0151 443 2155Free event. The Knowsley Flower Show iscelebrating its 11th year and is the largestFREE horticultural Show in the North West.

■ 10th-14th AugustKnowsley Hall Open DaysKnowsley Hall, Knowsley Village0151 489 4827Tickets £10.00 A rare chance to see insideKnowsley Hall, home of the Earls of Derbysince 1385. Tours must be booked inadvance.

■ 11th-19th AugustDisneys Beauty and the BeastLiverpool Empire, Lime Street,Liverpool 0844 847 2525Tickets £10.00-£17.00 . One of the most popular and enchantinglyromantic stories ever told comes to life inDisney’s multi-award winning musical.

■ 19-23 AugustWalking with DinosaursACC Liverpool, Monarchs QuayLiverpool 0844 8000 400Tickets £20.00-£35.00Dinosaurs will once again roam the earth ina spectacular new theatrical arena show,which comes to the Liverpool.

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Educate Competition

Win a Family Break in Irelandwith Norfolkline

Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferry Services would like to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a return tripto Ireland for a car and 4 passengers travelling from Liverpool (Birkenhead) to Belfast or Dublin.

Ireland is the perfect holiday destination for all the family and ferry travel is a great value option forthose wishing to discover Ireland by car. So you should look no further than Norfolkline to get your

holiday needs sorted in 2009!

Ireland offers a wide selection of family activities from country parks and breathtaking coastal routesto entertainment complexes and adventure playgrounds. Accommodation options range from hotels,

holiday cottages and self catering facilities to caravan and camping parks, with something to suitevery budget.

Get onboard a Norfolkline ferry and sail direct from the UK to Ireland, pack your car full of all theessentials and avoid the holiday chaos at the airport. While onboard Norfolkline passengers can takethe opportunity to enjoy a meal in the restaurant, a movie in the onboard cinema or can relax in the

comfort of an en-suite cabin.

For great value fares visit www.norfolkline.com.

For a chance to win, just answer this question:

What is the Norfolkline website address?

Note: Terms & ConditionsThe prize relates to an AM or PM sailing and is valid for use until 31st December 2009.

This ferry crossing is for a car and 4 passengers travelling with Norfolkline Irish Sea.This prize is non transferable and no cash alternative is offered.

This prize is subject to availability. Brochure Terms & Conditions Apply

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For further information call 0151 443 3247 or visit knowsley.help4me.info

-

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My SchoolWarwick Bolham High School inNetherton, but that has been closeddown for a long time.

My FavouriteTeacherThat would haveto be Mr JackWesterby.

My Favourite Subject at SchoolGeography, and Sport of course. Iabsolutely loved football as well as allsports.

My Best Friend at SchoolRobert Hurrell.

My favourite childhood singer/bandWithout a doubt that would have to beThe Beatles, a band that hadphenomenal global success – and camefrom Liverpool.

Do you remember your first school love?To be perfectly honest I don’t, but then I am a

gentleman and wouldn’t tell!

My views on school dinnersI did not eat school dinners so I have no idea what they were like.I was a packed lunch boy with my

mum’s lovely homemade sandwiches.

What my teachers said about me in myschool report?“If Derek applied himself to school workas much as sports and football, he wouldbe a brilliant pupil”. What more can I say!

What were your ambitions while atschool?To be a professional footballer. I waslucky enough to play football with teamssuch as the legendary Bill Shankly’sLiverpool Football Club and then USCLions in Australia.

Where you streetwise or a geek?Most definitely a geek.

What does the future hold foryourself?I’d like to travel more andbroaden my horizons – takingmy work to other countriesand help others to experiencethe supernatural.

My School DaysDerek Acorah – Ghost Hunter and Psychic

Derek lives nearSouthport with hiswife Gwen. Theyshare their homewith their twodogs, Jack andPenny, and twocats, Mindy andToby.Over the yearsDerek has achievedinternationalsuccess with histelevision, radioand personalappearances as apsychic.Derek's firstsupernaturalexperience came asa child when thespirit of his lategrandfather visitedhim. When youngDerek told hisgrandmother shewas not surprisedas Derek was tolearn that sheherself was amedium. His earlycareer was playingfootball with teamssuch as thelegendary BillShankly's LiverpoolFootball Club andthe then premierAustralian teamUSC Lion.Derek will appearat New Brighton,Floral Pavilion on

12th May 2009.

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– Is your child thriving in a safe,secure, happy environment? –

‘The relationship between staff and pupils, based onmutual respect and trust, is excellent and pupilsclearly feel safe, secure and happy in their lessons.This enriching relationship contributes greatly to thepositive learning environment that pervades theschool.’

Independent Schools Inspectorate

Tower College, Rainhill Christian Independent School for boys and girls aged 3–16Termly Fees £1543 – £1815For more details and /or a prospectus Tel: 0151 426 4333 Or Fax: 0151 426 3338 Visit our web-site on www.towercollege.com Email: [email protected] : Miss R J Oxley

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educate - issue 8

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