Newsletter by Schudio

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2 1 0 2 r e t t e l s w Autumn Ne

Dear Friends A warm welcome to this first newsletter for 2012/13.

It has been a particularly busy summer finishing the final stage of our Calder building before the start of the new term. We are delighted that all students are being taught in first rate classrooms and that the

Results success 2012

Our students achieved an excellent set of A level and BTEC results in August 2012. The A level pass rate has remained over 98% despite over 50 more students taking A level or BTEC courses.

new student café is ready for use. The Sports Hall is being refurbished (see below) which is currently the oldest building on our site.

We are delighted to have been designated a national Sports Leadership Academy, one of only five centres in the North West.

This, combined with a new rugby pitch and the summer Olympics, in which two former students and a member of staff took part, has meant a significant increase in our students’ involvement in sport. With warm wishes to you all Felicity Greeves, Principal

Remarkably, over half of the qualifications achieved were top grades (A*, A, B or equivalent) including 273 A* A-level and distinction star BTEC grades. Thirty-five courses at Blackpool Sixth had pass rates of 100%.

£500k refurbishment for the Blackpool Sixth Sports Hall

Over the summer work started on a £500,000 refurbishment project for the Blackpool Sixth Sports Hall. The project includes a bright new facelift to the exterior, a new entrance foyer and a large and spacious mezzanine area which includes a fitness room, classroom and viewing gallery. A new playing surface and a redesigned basketball court are also part of the project. All works are scheduled for completion during the October half-term.

Autumn Newsletter 2012

Students ‘Relish’ new eating facility This year saw the opening of our latest building investment, the Calder extension. This 1000m2 extension provides further classroom accommodation for the Departments of Humanities and English & Modern Foreign Languages as well as a brand new breakout area for students. The new facility, named by the students as “Relish”, offers seated social space for some 200 students. The area has a beautifully modern and fresh design and the Blackpool Sixth catering team provide both hot and cold food and drink throughout the day. The small building, previously known as the ‘Snack Shack’, has been remodelled over the summer to provide classroom and workshop accommodation for our new and thriving BTEC Engineering course.

Art in the community Jake Crooks (pictured below) won the Blackpool Sand Sea and Spray urban art competition in June and as a result he, along with fellow art students Sophie Bursnoll, Katie Lock and Dan Atton, have been invited to showcase their work in the prestigious London Art Fair 2013.

Sixth Sense magazine is best in the country The Blackpool Sixth Form magazine team has outshone every other student magazine in the country. Sixth Sense was honoured in the national Shine Media Awards in Stationers’ Hall, in June. Out of 170 schools, 300 category entries and 65 final nominations Sixth Sense won three commendations, the Professional Publishers’ Association prize for Best Cover and overall title of Best Magazine. Pictured above: Sixth Sense Magazine representatives (from left to right) Sarah Caulfield, Dom Lui, Jacob Long and Johnny Blackburn with Kevin Fitzgerald of the Copyright Licensing Agency at the awards ceremony in London.

A number of current and former students also took the opportunity to exhibit their bird themed work in Lytham Gallery in September including Africa Newton, Katie Hampson, Hannah Sycamore, Michaela Baldwin, Samatha Payne, Jenny Smalley and Charlotte Haynes. Pictured below is artwork by upper sixth student, Charlotte Haynes.

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Career Academy students graduate Students Aaron Edgar, Robb Foulkes, Matt Berry, Elisha Boulton, Amelia Fairbrother, Kirsten Jones and Lauren Hutchence received their graduation certificates at the 2012 Career Academies UK Graduation Ceremony in Leeds. This year 17 selected Upper Sixth students studying Business, Economics and Maths are taking part in the national Career Academy programme to get a unique boost to their future careers over the next eighteen months as they are paired up with workplace mentors from local employers.

Lit-Tech event inspires students Students from Fleetwood High School, Hodgson Academy, St George’s School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School took part in ‘Lit-Tech’ - an event sponsored by BAE Systems. The event included presentations on the theme of the use of technology in literature by Spooks Apprentice author, Joseph Delaney, poet Terry Caffrey and author Joe Stretch. Director of English at Fleetwood High School, Natalie Collister, says, “It was a really educational and informative day, where our students learnt a bit more about life at college too.”

Oscars Ceremony Media and film students were rewarded for their achievements and commitment at the annual Media Oscars Award Ceremony 2012 in June. Students of Media Studies, Film Studies and Creative Media Production were presented with a variety of awards ranging from Best Director to Best Music Video.

One of the most successful students on the evening was Creative Media Production student Dale Dixon (pictured left). Dale has undertaken work experience throughout the year at Fleetwood Town FC and has now been offered a job by the newly promoted League Two club. Dale is pictured with Derek Thomas, the Media Manager at Fleetwood Town FC.

Autumn Newsletter 2012

Making it count In July, more than 900 students from local partner high schools visited the sixth form to take part in ‘Make it Count’. Students from Palatine Community Sports College, Montgomery High School, St George’s School, Fleetwood High School and Highfield Humanities College took part in the full day events where they worked in groups on the scenario of organising an Olympic event to demonstrate the importance of Mathematics in the world of work.

Magistrates lay down the law Fylde Coast Magistrates Ann Bouget, Bryan Gallagher, Mark Cottriall and Bob Hutchinson visited Law students in September to assist with their study of ‘Criminal Courts and Lay People’.

The Lower Sixth Law course covers the work of magistrates, their selection process and training. It was really useful for the students to hear about these topics directly from local magistrates.

Library mentors build customer service skills Ten of our Student Librarians have successfully completed Welcome Host training, the leading customer service training in the UK. The course was designed to enhance customer service and communication skills by getting the participants to think about what customer service is and how to exceed customer expectations. The training was well received by all our Student Librarians who were each given a certificate and badge at the end of the course. In particular, the exercises about building rapport and creating a positive first impression were found to be particularly useful and can easily be put into practice in a busy environment like the FYI where customer service is key.

Rotarians present inspirational peace talk A Rotary Peace Fellow and Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Mrs Bell, gave an inspirational talk to students and fellow rotarians in a packed college theatre.

She discussed what it takes to be a peacemaker, basing her lively presentation on her experiences with Burmese refugees and her community work in inner south Manchester. We are grateful to our local Rotary group for bringing her work to our attention. Pictured above: Mrs Bell with David Simpson and Dr Vasudev from the Blackpool Rotary with staff from our Humanities department and Lower Sixth student, Martha Brown, who introduced the guest speaker.

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Former student success in London 2012 Paralympics Former student Shelly Woods clinched Great Britain’s final medal of the London 2012 Paralympics – a silver in the marathon. The 26-year-old crossed the line in 1hr, 46.34, a second behind gold medallist Shirley Reilly of the USA. Wheelchair fencer, Justine Moore - who left Blackpool Sixth in July, reached the quarter final of the Team Epee in her first paralympic games. Current Upper Sixth student, Maisie McGarvey, was also a torch bearer for the games in Stoke Mandeville, the spiritual home of the Paralympics. Learning Mentor and Rugby Coach, Paul Moran (pictured right), also had a role as a Field of Play Team Member assisting the GB Wheelchair Rugby team and coaches throughout their games.

Sporting success Our Sport Academies have had a successful year. Team

Achievements in 2012

Basketball (B)

British Colleges’ Sport North West North League Winners

Football (F)

Netball 2nd Team (F) Netball (F) & Football (M) Netball 1st Team (F) Rubgy Union (M) Rugby Union (M)

British Colleges’ Sport North West North League Winners

Wyre & Fylde Varsity League Winners Wyre & Fylde Varsity Tournament Winners

North West Counties League Division 1 North - Third Place Fylde RUFC Rugby Union Football in Fylde Schools League Winners

Wyre & Fylde Varsity League Tournament Winners

F/M indicates male or female team.

Pictured above right: our Sport Academy captains 2012 David Grocott, Ashleigh Brown, Lauren Oatley and Brett Freeman. A team of runners (pictured left) raised £364.74 for the NSPCC and Trinity/Brian House Hospice at the Blackpool Beaverbrooks 10K.

Autumn Newsletter 2012

Police role for former student Jacob Hill visited the Sixth Form to talk about his secondment with the British Transport Police as a Special Constable during his final year of a Policing course at the University of Central Lancashire.

Students tour the globe In 2011/12 more than 150 students took part in overseas visits to USA, France, Germany, Greece, Geneva and Spain. Many of our students take part in visits, events and competitions across the UK. Below are some visits that took place at the end of the summer term.

Jacob has recently completed his degree and secured a position with the police in Birmingham

Jacob is a member of the Blackpool Sixth Connect Alumni Society. If you are a former student or friend of the Sixth Form you can register online at www.blackpoolsixthconnect.co.uk

Students contribute to hospital radio

Blackpool Sixth Form students have been making their first forays into the radio broadcasting industry by launching their own show on Blackpool Victoria Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radio station.

Travel and Tourism students at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

Staff and students from the English Department enjoyed their summer pilgrimage to Stratford and London.

Pictured above (from right to left): Ben Senior, Dane Smith and Station Manager, Tony Scarborough with Ross Morgan at the desk. Media Studies students Dane Smith (formerly of Bispham High School), Ross Morgan and Ben Senior (both formerly Highfield Humanities College) applied to volunteer at the hospital radio station. The students aim to follow in the footsteps of Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton and Chris Evans - who all started out their careers in hospital radio.

Politics and Law students on the London Eye during their visit to the Houses of Parliament.

Welcome for new international students It is always a great start to the year when we welcome our International students to Blackpool Sixth. This year we have lots of smiling faces from different parts of the world: China, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands,

Teaching school update The Teaching School Partnership is now known collectively as the Fylde Coast Teaching School Alliance. Hodgson and the Sixth Formâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic partners are University of Cumbria, Garstang Community Academy, Hambleton Primary School, Highfurlong School, St Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic High School and Westcliff Primary School. This year the Alliance has delivered high quality courses on teaching and leadership and developed post-graduate training. It continues to share good practice through the Alliance network and beyond to improve opportunities for young people across the region.

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Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka Switzerland, Turkey and Vietnam. They all took part in a Welcome event at the end of September when they got to know each other better. We wish them a very happy and successful year here with us and hope they will enrich our lives with their diverse cultures and experiences. We are encouraging them this year to teach their fellow English students some of their native languages and thus promote our core value of Global Citizenship.

Welcome to new staff

This year Blackpool Sixth extends a very warm welcome to new Deputy Principal, Gail Yeadon (pictured right) who joins the Sixth Form from Hodgson Academy. We also welcome 25 new colleagues: 18 tutors and 7 support colleagues. Together they bring a wealth of experience, skills, knowledge and ideas and we look forward to the contribution they will make to the Sixth Form over the coming year. Our new staff for 2012/13 Business & IT Emma Bethell Carol Brown Sean Mooney Selina Tariq English & MFL Rachel Badger Humanities Matthew Morris Rebecca Passant

Mathematics Simon Stott David Bartram Louise Slater Performing Arts, Music and Media Lucinda Doyle Leo Bolton (Apprentice Technician)

Science Sam Bentley Surraya Patel Social Science Charlotte Herd Sport, Tourism and Health Charlotte Banner Stacey Bibby Joanna Booth Visual Arts Zarqa Batool

Additional Support Jenny Askew Heather Doughty Jackie Meechan Mel Henry Leaning Mentors Shaun Barnett MIS Chrissie Turkington

Student Awards 2012

Hard-working students from Blackpool Sixth Form have been awarded for their top marks and enthusiasm as they enjoyed one of their final evenings together at the annual Student Awards ceremony.

Over 90 students have been awarded for high achievements in their courses and success in extracurricular activities such as sport, performing arts, enterprise and other contributions to the sixth form community.

Oxbridge places for student prize winners

Attendance and Holidays in Term Time

The Oxford University Prize for Outstanding Achievement was awarded to former Hodgson Academy student Daniel Moore (pictured bottom right), who is now reading Music at the University of Oxford.

Full attendance is the best way of ensuring success at Blackpool Sixth. Sixth Form policy is that leave for term-time holidays will not be permitted. Requests for leave on the grounds of exceptional circumstances must be in writing to the Principal at least one month in advance. Parents and students need to be aware that sixth form may not re-admit a student who takes an unauthorised holiday during term time.

Former St Aidan’s C of E Technology College student, Lynette Parkinson (pictured top right), received the Cambridge Award for Outstanding Achievement and now reads Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. Chris Powers, a former student of Montgomery High School, has also progressed to Cambridge to read History after receiving the History Award.

Key Dates 2012/13 Autumn Term

Open Evening - Wed 17 October th

End to End - Tue 6th November (Part of WordPool Festival) Open Evening - Thur 15th November Autumn Music Concert - Thur 22nd November A Celebration of British Music Concert by Blackpool Symphony Orchestra - Sun 25th November

Parents’ Consultation Evening (surname A-K) - Wed 28th November

L6 Parents’ Consultation Evening (surname L-Z) - Wed 5th December Festive Music Concert with Blackpool Sixth and Lancashire Music Service - Fri 14th December

Spring Term

Mon 7 January 2013 - Thur 28 March 2013 Half Term: Mon 18th February 2013 Fri 22nd February 2013 th

Autumn Term

Mon 15th April 2013 - Tue 9th July 2013 Half Term: Mon 27th May 2013 - Fri 31st May 2013

Sixth Factor - Tues 12th February

Contemporary Theatre Showcase - Thur 9th May (Part of WordPool Festival)

Open Evening - Wed 27th February

Dance Showcase - Thur 20th June

Musical Theatre Production - 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th March Preparing for University Evening (Upper Sixth) - Thur 14th March

Concert at the White Church in Lytham St Annes - Wed 20th March

HE Information Evening (Lower Sixth) - Thur 28th March

Battle of the Bands - Wed 27 March

Festival of Lessons & Carols Thu 20th December

Progression Evening (Lower Sixth) - Wed 19th June An Evening of German Classics by Blackpool Symphony Orchestra - Sun 23rd June

Celebrating our Community Evening - Mon 24th June Student Awards Evening 2013 - Wed 26th June

Pre-Sixth Taster Day - Fri 28th June and Mon 1st July Summer Music Concert - Tue 2nd July

End of Autumn Term - Thur 20 December

Blackpool Sixth, Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, FY3 7LR Tel: 01253 394911 Fax: 01253 300459 www.blackpoolsixth.ac.uk