CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL ITS MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2015

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2015

GREAT RESULTS FOR A GREAT FUTURE ALSO INSIDE CO-OPERATION IN ACTION CHORLTON ARTS FESTIVAL PROMOTING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

HELLO...

Welcome to the latest issue of In the Spotlight, celebrating the achievements and successes of the Summer Term.

Our Year 11 students worked extremely hard over the Summer Term sitting their GCSE exams. A year of hard work, commitment and effort secured students some fantastic achievements in GCSE and early entry A Level examinations.

We hosted another successful Chorlton Arts Festival week in our Blue Box Theatre, with staff and students working hard to deliver a week-long programme of events to celebrate the arts in our community.

We held a successful ‘Happy & Healthy Week’ to raise awareness of healthy lifestyles to students and staff and there were a number of events and activities taking place across the week including visits to community gardens; a staff and student relay race; healthy food tasters at break times and a happy and healthy conference.

There were lots of exciting trips taking place including our annual Easter ski trip to Austria and an extra special Arts trip to New York.

We celebrated our conversion to a Multi Co-operative Academy Trust and our Sponsorship of Newall Green High School with a special co-operative afternoon with students and staff from both schools. We also took the opportunity to celebrate the co-operative value of democracy with our very own CHS Election Day on May 7th, giving students a taster of what it’s like to vote.

I hope you enjoy reading about all the exciting activities and successes from the Summer Term. We now look ahead to a new creative, successful and happy school year.

CHRISTINE TAGGART COMMUNITY AND MARKETING OFFICER AND IN THE SPOTLIGHT EDITOR

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

CHS HITS NEW YORK

6

THE A-TEAM: SHARP FUTURES

8

EXAM SUCCESS 1 FOR CHS STUDENTS CO-OPERATION IN 2 ACTION

CHORLTON ARTS 3 FESTIVAL REPORT

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

10

ELE DAY, READING 4 STARS & COMIC CLUB

CHS IN THE COMMUNITY

12

EXAM SUCCESS FOR CHORLTON HIGH STUDENTS

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We are extremely proud of the results our students achieve at every level and we wish them all the best of luck.

ZOE MORRIS, HEADTEACHER

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Chorlton High School wishes to congratulate all of the students on their successes in GCSE and early entry A Level examinations in summer 2015.

A year of hard work, commitment and effort has secured students with great springboards into further education, despite instability in examinations and attainment across the country.

There are many amazing, individual success stories for students. Over thirty Year 11s achieved at least 8 or more grade A/A*s, 50 students achieved strings of 5A/A* and 146 students achieved at least 1 A/A*.

There are some extraordinary examples of students whose hard work and effort has manifested amazing results: Rosa Haworth achieved 10A* and an A at

A Level, Ruby Lennox achieved 8A*, 2As, 1 B and a B at A Level, Isaac Appleby achieved 6 A*, 4As and a B at A Level, Anya Esmail-Yakas achieved 5A*s, 6As and a B at A level, Ahmed Mahmoud achieved 6A*, 3 As, 2Cs. Headteacher Zoe Morris paid tribute to the dedication and commitment of students, staff and parents, “We extend our congratulations to all students who have received GCSE and A Level results this year. We are extremely proud of the results our students achieve at every level and we wish them the best of luck as they embark on their post-16 pathways”.

Executive Headteacher, Andy Park added “We have strived to ensure that all students have an excellent foundation for their future. The whole school community has worked with passion and determination to ensure that our cohort of 300 Year 11 students have not only achieved academic success but have enjoyed the richness of cultural and social experience that thrives in the community of Chorlton”.

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

CO-OPERATION IN ACTION Newall Green High School and Chorlton High School have recently joined together in a Multi-Academy Trust, with Chorlton sponsoring Newall Green. To celebrate this new partnership, students from Newall Green High School took a special tram ride to meet students and staff at Chorlton High School.

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I was delighted to greet the NGHS group after their exciting journey. As a school, we now look forward to working closely with the staff at Newall Green.

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MR PARK, EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER

After their arrival on the tram, students and staff from Newall Green were greeted by our Whole School Council and given a tour of the school. They got an opportunity to find out what going to Chorlton High School is like, and learned about the work our School Council have been up to over the year.

After the tours had been completed it was time for Chorlton High School staff and students to make the tram journey down to Newall Green in Wythenshawe.

Upon arrival at Newall Green, CHS staff and students were welcomed and enjoyed a special lunch, as well as some student performances and a tour of the school.

“I was delighted to greet the NGHS group after their exciting journey. As a school, we now look forward to working closely with the staff at Newall Green, who

I know are as committed as we are to high standards and to securing a bright future for their students” (Mr Park, Executive Headteacher).

We hope this will be the start of further collaborative student projects between our schools and look forward to seeing how our new partnership develops.

“Our conversion to Academy status marks the start of a new era for our school and we wanted to mark the launch with a very special event. Like our school, Metrolink is modern, forward-looking and an asset to Wythenshawe, so what better way to celebrate than by taking the tram?” (Ms Wright, NGHS Headteacher).

“The students conducted themselves in an outstanding manner and I felt extremely proud watching them demonstrate great leadership skills throughout the day. They showed they could quickly create bonds with students from another school, speak confidently about their experiences as a Chorlton High School student and ask insightful, thought provoking questions to members of the Senior Leadership Teams from both schools” (Ms Silcock, Deputy Headteacher).

The day was a great success and both schools learnt a lot from the experience.

The day was summed up nicely by one of our students who said: “It was so beneficial to visit another school and see how they do things. It was so good to see how other schools run and to see the similarities and differences”.

CHORLTON ARTS FESTIVAL The Chorlton Arts Festival showcases local talent in the performing arts, working with over 30 venues across Chorlton. We have been working with the Chorlton Arts Festival for several years now, and continue to offer our Blue Box Theatre as a venue for a programme of events during the festival. This year was no exception with a full week of workshops and performances in our Blue Box Theatre to celebrate the Arts in our community.

THE TEMPEST The Tempest by William Shakespeare was the thirteenth time that Chorlton High School and our local primary schools have produced a show for the Chorlton Arts Festival. This year the project involved a staggering 274 children from 6 local primary schools.

Our aim every year is to use the Arts to bring the Year 5 children of South Manchester together in order to enrich their cultural experience, forge positive links before their transition to High School, and just for the joy of it!

Congratulations to all of the children involved and we hope they enjoyed their magical time in the world of Prospero’s island.

HALLE ORCHESTRA WORKSHOPS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS Barlow Hall Primary school and Oswald Road Primary School

brought their Year 5 and 6 students over to the Blue Box for a professional creative workshop led by The Halle Orchestra.

Primary staff and students alike were stunned by the quality of the work produced in a morning. In fact Steve Pickett, Education Director, commented that it was the most creative group he had worked with in 35 years of working for The Halle. High praise indeed!

CHORLTON YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015 FINAL As the competition reaches its tenth year, the number of applicants and standard continues to reach higher levels. There were two sections to the competition: Chorlton ‘Primary’ Young Musician (Under 11’s) and Chorlton Young Musician (Under 18’s). The senior winner of Chorlton Young Musician of the Year 2015 went to Rufus Horton (Year 8) and the primary winner went to Alfie Ward.

Zeinab Al Jeddal (Year 8) received the runner-up prize and the promising new comer award went to Lauren Allsop (Year 7). Rufus and Alfie have been invited to perform at One Education’s annual showcase on Wednesday 8th July at the Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music.

PILOT THEATRE COMPANY AND CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENT ‘I-SELF’ We wanted a high quality piece of contemporary theatre to complete our week-long programme of events. Sourcing a touring production was proving difficult;

so what better combination than award winning theatre company Pilot Theatre and 35 of our Year 9 Drama students. In just four days they rehearsed intensively on a scripted performance that combined text, dance, physical theatre and song, to create a truly brilliant piece of theatre.

What was achieved in four days was a real credit to the theatre company, but could only have been realised with the commitment and sheer talent of our young people. It really was a spectacular achievement. One parent commented; ‘I really can’t believe how good that was; I never expected it to be so brilliant’.

COMPOSERS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS A week-long programme of events for Chorlton Arts Festival was closed in style with ’Composers and Choreographers.’

The project showcased the incredible talent of our musicians and dancers following a week-long intensive extracurricular programme with students composing original music and choreographing their own dance work to culminate in a spectacular fusion of the two art forms. The results were truly breath-taking! Despite the rainy Manchester evening the audience toasted the culmination of the festival with strawberries and wine. Happy Chorlton Arts Festival!

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ELE DAY ELE week aims to create memorable and creative learning experiences for pupils, and this Summer we certainly achieved that! Subject teams worked collaboratively to plan an exciting ELE through cross-curricular challenges. The results were hugely positive for pupils. Overall, it was a memorable and highly enjoyable week and we look forward to doing it again next year!

YEAR 7 Year 7’s worked with MFL, English and Humanities to cement their Future Foundations Badges. Each session challenged pupils to reflect on a specific badge through creative activities and future thinking. Pupils considered how they could ‘support their community and make a difference’ by working with community groups like Red Rose Forest and Southway Housing. They reflected on their Year 7 journey and made pledges for Year 8; used team work to solve an orienteering challenge; worked in a Dragon’s Den challenge to create a project that will support community cohesion; and enjoyed many more creative learning experiences.

“I love ELE, it is great getting to work with my form and do things that are really different” (Year 7)

YEAR 8 Year 8 worked within Arts, Technology and Computing to plan, coordinate and enjoy their ‘Graduation Festival’ as they

said goodbye to Key Stage 3. Drama pupils planned the opening ceremony; Music pupils created entertainment including a band and DJ, and Dance students organised a range of performances. Media pupils created opening VT’s for all of the acts using stop motion animation and video editing.

Computing pupils designed programmes and wristbands for the event; and Product Design students created medals. Food Tech pupils made food for the festival and Child Development pupils produced a range of products to sell to raise money for local charities. The festival happened on a sunny Wednesday afternoon and included a disco room, performance room, chill out zone, product stalls, fun activities and outdoor areas - complete with ice cream and popcorn van. Pupils and staff had a fantastic experience and developed lots of key skills for life.

YEAR 9 Year 9 had a fantastic Careers and Enterprise experience. Pupils had a oneday Enterprise Challenge supported by Education Business Solutions, including

NEWS CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL

industry professionals from across the North West. Pupils worked in differentiated business roles within teams to develop a range of products and trade with industry professionals. They developed enterprise, creativity, teamwork and communication skills throughout the day. Pupils were engaged all day long in this competitive challenge, and feedback from both pupils and staff was overwhelmingly positive. Suzzane Hatton from Education Business Solutions wrote: “We would like to say on behalf of EBS that we were truly blown away by the impeccable behaviour of your year 9 students. They were very polite when dealing with EBS staff and our business representatives. They stayed on task all day and embraced the enterprise challenge with creativity, diligence and enthusiasm. Several of the business representatives have approached me to comment on how much they enjoyed coming to your school and how impressed they were with the students”

PREMIER LEAGUE READING STARS If you think Football has nothing to do with reading, think again! The National Literacy Trust’s project called Premier League Reading Stars uses football and footballers as a way of encouraging young people to get reading as well as playing the beautiful game.

A squad of eleven Year 8 boys were chosen during the transfer window in the Spring Term to take part in Chorlton High School’s Premier League Reading Stars programme.

This involved six fixtures in the library looking at and choosing different types of books and magazines.

An away fixture is one of the highlights of the project and this year the squad once again visited the Etihad for a sneak preview

of their new stand and a tour of the stadium.

The highlight of the trip was the dressing room, where the boys watched a short video detailing all the work that goes into getting the City team ready to play a home game.

Did you know there are 17 staff allocated to getting the kit ready for 22 players? If only the same care and attention went into the kit for the Year 8 CHS football team!

“We all had a great time” said Ms Hockey, “the boys asked Mr Park if CHS could afford a box at the Ethihad, but not surprisingly he said no!”

With the women’s football team storming to victory in Canada, plans are afoot for a girl’s Premier League Reading Stars squad next year.

COMIC CLUB PILGRIMAGE TO GRAPHIC NOVEL AWARDS CHSSCC (Chorlton High School Comic Club) made their annual pilgrimage to Sheffield to witness the unveiling of this years’ winner of the Stan Lee Excelsior Award. Comic Club members actively take part in this annual graphic novel award that is aimed at young people aged between 11 – 18 years.

For the main Award, students had to choose from a short list of six books. The announcement of the winner brought a lot of disagreement amongst all those attending!

The favourite with our members was the new Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson, but when this didn’t win the shock was palpable. Superman and Wonder Woman grabbed the main prize, with Moonhead winning the ‘Judge a Book by its Cover’ Award.

The ceremony held in Sheffield was well attended by schools as far away as Lichfield and those closer to home in Yorkshire. New member Zahi Wade said “it was nice to be in a room with people who knew more than me about comics”. Students had the opportunity to buy from comic book retailer Sheffield Space Station, who bought in an array of comics and posters, and Cakes with Faces who produced t-shirts and badges for those wanting to spend some cash.

Students really enjoyed the day and Comic Club will keep supporting this award as it gives our students the opportunity to read other types of graphic novels.

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

NEW YORK,

Over the Easter holidays, Year 10 and 11 Arts students took New York City by storm.

After a long and tiring journey from Heathrow to JFK, we started our journey by taking in the lights of Times Square. Students started one of their many, many shopping trips in some of the most famous stores including Macy’s and Forever 21. Then what was to follow was truly unforgettable.

Students participated in an exciting range of activities and experiences. We took part in a 4 hour walking tour of New York City including a visit to Ground Zero, Soho, Wall Street and Greenwich Village.

With the weather on our side, we also headed over the Brooklyn Bridge for the perfect view of the NYC skyline.

Students watched the incredible Chicago on Broadway and then the following morning had a workshop with Tonya Wathen who played Hunyak; the only innocent woman in jail. They were taken through a rehearsal just like a

professional. They read music, took part in choreography and learned the true meaning of the song and dance. All students were professional, respectful and demonstrated to a Broadway star exactly what Chorlton High performers are made of. The feedback was exceptional.

Tonya was very impressed with their maturity and their talent.

Students visited Ellis Island, sailing by the Statue of Liberty and observing the amazing NYC skyline. They also took in the breath-taking views by visiting Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Centre. We

had an unexpected trip to Madame Tussauds where students partied with the celebrities and took part in a 4D cinema experience.

Every single student on this trip behaved immaculately. They were polite, respectful, mature and very responsible.

They worked well as a team and represented Chorlton High School beautifully. All staff on the trip were very proud of their conduct and had an amazing time themselves. It truly was a trip of a lifetime.

New York City; an unforgettable place!

NEW YORK

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE A-TEAM The Achievement Team work across school to support our young people in their studies, and inspire and motivate them to work hard for their future goals! There have been many events and activities going on this term…

FAMILY READING SCHEME

Year 7 and 8 pupils have shown a love of literacy over the course of this year by taking part in the Family Reading Scheme.

Exciting and accessible short stories have been given to pupils to take home and read with a family member. Pupils are then invited into the library with their family members to take part in enrichment activities linked to the content and themes of the texts. Pupils have explored optical illusions as part of the topic of “seeing things in new ways”, and have designed their own haunted characters and landscapes based on a mysterious and spooky ghost story.

STEM CLUB

STEMclub over this term have been working on a project kindly donated to us by the Museum of Science and Industry. This project enabled pupils to develop all STEM based skills as they worked together to design appliances which could move, and function to perform a wide variety of jobs. Pupils brought together ideas from electronics, physics and technology to realise their ideas.

Pupils who have worked hard in our STEMclub this year will become next year’s STEM Ambassadors; leading some STEM sessions and raising aspirations of STEM careers.

YEAR 9 EFFORT REWARD EVENT

Year 9 pupils who have worked hard to improve their effort and attainment this year were invited to an exclusive cinema event held in our BBT. Only 50 pupils were invited along to this exclusive reward event, so only the cream of the crop were invited to attend.

GOLD EFFORT EVENTS

To recognise and celebrate the fantastic achievement of our ‘Gold Effort’ pupils, who have had consistently high effort in all subjects, the Achievement Team have hosted an award ceremony every half term. In each event the pupils from every year group receive a certificate and a prize and are encouraged to share a piece of work that they are especially proud of.

This has been a fantastic experience for pupils to recognise the amazing achievement that they, and others around them, are making. With such a successful turnout this year, we shall continue this celebration each half term, hopefully seeing the numbers of pupils qualifying for the event ever increasing.

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY LINGUISTIC WORKSHOPS English Language students from the University of Manchester recently came into school to spend two hours working with our students and getting them to think about the differences between accents and dialects, and learn about why these occur. Not only was this an interesting session to find out about something new, but it also opened students eyes to different areas of studying English, and what life can be like at university.

Would you like to know more about what the A-Team do?

Have you got an activity, event or an idea that the A-Team could deliver to our students? If so, please email Miss Nunn on b.nunn@chorltonhigh.manchester.sch.uk

SHARP FUTURES

On Thursday 14th May 2015, Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit Sharp Systems where they took part in a range of workshops to develop their understanding of careers in the creative digital sector.

The day started off with a brief introduction about the Sharp Project and a guide through their magnificent building. We were shown the different types of offices available for people who wanted to start their own businesses. In our first workshop we were told to create

a company name and creative logo. It really got us in a creative mood for the rest of the day!

We then got to take part in workshops learning about digital forensics, how to use filming equipment and how professional photographers take and edit photos to make their models look so perfect! It was really interesting to find out about jobs we didn’t know existed, and to find out how many of them were available to the young people of Manchester like us!

Our highlight of the day was when we both pretended we were in an interview and we got filmed! Aisha was the celebrity and Yusra was the interviewer, we found it really fun.

In our last and final workshop we worked with a photographer and Aisha got the chance to model. She was later then photoshopped by Collin (the photographer). It also made us understand that not all celebrities look as flawless as they do in magazines! Most of them have been photoshopped.

BY YUSRA ABO & AISHA MADO, YEAR 9

INSPIRING WOMEN IN SPORT WITH MCWFC & INSPIRING FUTURE In May, thirteen girls from Years 8 & 9 went along to the Etihad stadium to take part in the Inspiring Women event at Manchester City.

During the afternoon they had the chance to meet various women from the world of sport including sports journalists, female referees, and even Olympic boxer Natasha Jones!

Afterwards they had the opportunity to chat to various people who worked at the club.

The girls then got to watch one of the final matches of the Manchester City Women's team season as they took on league champions Chelsea.

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The women made me think that I can achieve what I want if I put my mind to it.

"Meeting the women was very inspirational and speaking to them made me think about my future. Natasha made us realise that if you face a problem you need to carry on no matter what." (Year 8 student) "It has been a real eye opener to find out about careers available to women in sports.

More women need to get involved in sports and people need to start watching women's sports more!" (Year 9 student)

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PROMOTING HEALTHY LIFESTYLES We wanted to raise awareness of healthy lifestyles with our students – in particular their diet, exercise, emotional health and general well-being. To promote this focus, Chorlton High School held a Happy & Healthy Week during July.

Throughout the week there were a wide range of activities and sessions taking place to promote health and well-being to students including: • Break time activities such as Zumba, circuits, funnel team game and a basketball shoot-out • Healthy snack tasters in the canteen giving students the opportunity to try a range of foods for free • Healthy baking sessions after school • ‘This Girl Can’ health and fitness workshop • Manchester City Coaching and nutrition workshops • Creating a healthy brain workshop with the University of Manchester • Design your own healthy meal competition • Staff and student relay with prizes donated by Love Withington Baths • Form time food quizzes • ‘Rethink your drink’ display in the canteen to get students to think about how much sugar they are drinking • Visits to local community gardens to learn about growing fruit and vegetables The week was rounded off with a Happy and Healthy Conference which members of the Whole School Council attended.

During the conference, students discussed ideas for making our school

happier and healthier, and how we can keep the momentum of the week going in school next year.

The week was a big success, with students really starting to become more engaged with living happier and healthier lifestyles!

“On the basis of Happy & Healthy Week, I have decided to cut out all chocolate and biscuits and will be joining the gym.”

(Year 9 student) “I thought Happy & Healthy Week was a fantastic idea and it has made me really think about what I eat and how much exercise I do” (Year 7 student)

ANNE FRANK EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOP On Thursday 14th May. Year 9 Drama students enjoyed a trip to the newly developed Central Library to visit the exhibition “Anne Frank: A History for Today” organised by the Anne Frank Foundation.

As well as looking around the exhibition, students also took part in a workshop which vividly brought to life the lives of Anne and her friends and family. We learned that Anne’s actual name was Annalise, but she was always known as Anna and together with her two best friends, Hanne and Sanne, she enjoyed teasing her teachers, as their names were so similar. Anne had always wanted to be

a writer and the gift of the small notebook for her birthday, three days before the family had to go into hiding, prompted her to start writing her thoughts and feelings down. Her father, Otto, who survived the war, was very reluctant to publish her diary, but eventually did and this allowed her very personal story to live on.

The trip was part of the Theatre in Education project that students are doing in Drama this term, which is based around children in war. “It was totally inspiring” said Ms Ransome from the Drama Department. “It gave the students so much detail about Anne’s life. This will influence their drama performance at Victoria Baths in June.”

SAALBACH SKI TRIP

showed significant improvements in their skiing ability, including the intermediate/ advanced ski group.

“The ski trip was amazing; it was the best week of my life.” (Year 10 student)

The popular 2015 ski trip to Saalbach, Austria was yet another successful and rewarding experience for all.

The coach brought back 41 happy, fulfilled students and able skiers on Saturday 11th April. The trip each year involves a long coach journey which captures some beautiful scenery along the way. Spectacular views of the Austrian Alps and the Allianz Arena, the home of FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 to name only a few. The snow conditions were the best we have experienced with fresh snow throughout the week and sunny weather for the last three days.

Each student developed a respectful and positive relationship with their ski instructors due to their outgoing and friendly personalities. With the ski instructor’s guidance each student

The ski instructors are always surprised how quickly our students progress and improve their skiing. This is down to the ski lessons at the Chill Factore prior to the trip, and the students’ efforts, commitment and resiliency.

“I had so much fun on the ski trip, the instructors were really kind and helped me improve my skiing a lot.”(Year 10 student) “The evening activities and the skiing made the trip a memorable one.” (Year 10 Student)

“From the moment the coach set off for Austria, there was an excellent atmosphere amongst the students and it was a sign of things to come. The entire group displayed excellent time management each morning and their positive attitude and commitment to the entire trip was recognised by the teaching staff, instructors and the hotel staff. The ski instructors commented on how impressed they were at the rate of progress, determination and humour of the students” (Mr Brownsell)

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

CHORLTON HIGH IN JUNIOR DIGITAL CHAMPIONS

Over the Summer Term, students from the Year 7 Council took part in an intergenerational event with residents from Southway Housing in a Junior Digital Champion collaborative project.

On Monday 27th April, the students received a Junior Digital Champion training session from Stacey Green, Digital Inclusion Officer at Southway Housing. The students learnt about the importance of digital inclusion and how they as young people can share their skills with people not familiar with the use of digital technology.

On Friday 1st May, the students got a chance to put their training into action and become Junior Digital Champions. A group of older Southway Housing residents were invited to come along to Chorlton High School for a special digital inclusion intergenerational session. The residents were greeted by the Year 7 students and were treated to a spot of lunch. The students then delivered their presentation work on the importance of planting hedgerows that they worked on with Stacey before Easter.

After they had presented, it was time for the students and residents to pair up for a session of digital training. The students were eager to get going and in no time at all were already demonstrating a wealth of digital skills and knowledge. Each resident had come with specific things they wished to learn and develop, so there were a wide variety of skills being shared: from how to use YouTube and how to download apps, to ordering photos online and using image editing software.

The afternoon was a great success and both the students and residents got a lot out of the experience.

“I really enjoyed the afternoon, the lunch was nice and the presentation was very good, but the best of all was working with the two young girls. They were absolutely incredible. Not only were they knowledgeable but they were also polite, patient and very cheerful all the time they were teaching me. The two of them are a

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credit to their school and families. It was one of the best afternoons I have had in a long time” (Southway Housing Resident)

MEN SCHOOL AWARDS

“By linking in with Chorlton High to develop a Junior Digital Champion’s initiative we were able to empower members of the Year 7 Council to impart their wisdom to older people. Intergenerational events are a great way of promoting community cohesion and this event in particular was a great success and we look forward to continuing to grow the scheme in the future.” (Stacey Green, Digital Inclusion Officer, Southway Housing)

In recognition of their intergenerational community work, the Year 7 School Council were nominated for the MEN School Awards Active Community category. They were shortlisted to the final and, despite not winning, finished in the top three and were highly commended. We are extremely proud of their fantastic achievement!

‘‘ ’’

The students were a real credit to the school. I was very impressed with how knowledgeable they were.

SOUTHWAY HOUSING RESIDENT

THE COMMUNITY GROWING TOGETHER

On Monday 11th May, members of the Year 7 School Council were invited to visit Arden Court, an Anchor Trust retirement home in Chorlton, for an intergenerational afternoon with some of the residents. The session was organised and led by Sarah Taylor, Horticultural Trainer at Debdale Eco Centre.

Upon arrival, students worked with the residents to complete the ‘friend or foe’ game which involved deciding if a range of insects, birds and animals were friends or foes in the garden. The students discussed the benefits of attracting certain wildlife in the garden and demonstrated a fantastic level of knowledge about the subject.

Next it was time for the students to have a go at sowing wild flower seeds in the resident’s garden. The students thoroughly enjoyed working out in the garden in the sunshine and helped sow the wild flower seeds in containers and along a wall at the front of the centre.

They were all particularly excited to come back later in the year and see how their seeds have grown. Before leaving, the students learnt how to make recycled paper pots and got to take home some

sunflower seeds and mint seeds which they were taught how to grow and care for.

The trip was a great success and allowed the students to work with older members of their local community and build intergenerational links, as well as learn a new set of gardening skills.

“I am excited for the seeds to grow into flowers – I would like to come back and see what our work has achieved” (Year 7 student) “I really enjoyed the afternoon and having the chance to visit places I wouldn’t normally go. I really enjoyed sowing the seeds and I would love to come back and do this again” (Year 7 student) “It’s great to see older and younger generations working together, learning and sharing knowledge and enthusiasm

for gardening and wildlife. They are creating a space that will not only enhance the local environment but bring people closer to nature and the source of healthy sustainable food. This is so important for the well-being and resilience of our future communities and absolutely at the heart of the Growing Together project” (Sarah Taylor, Horticultural Trainer, Debdale Eco Centre) “It was great to see the students working with such enthusiasm throughout the afternoon. They really enjoyed sowing the seeds and demonstrated excellent teamwork and leadership skills. It is always a pleasure to see students enjoying the opportunity to go out into their local community and help make a difference” (Miss Taggart, Community and Marketing Officer)

CHORLTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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