SCHOOL LIFE

CJCA students hit the heights

The cast of ‘In The Heights’ at Cockburn John Charles Academy

The performing arts department at Cockburn John Charles Academy (CJCA) proudly presented the academy production of LinManuel Miranda’s ‘In The Heights’ on 17 and 18 November.

The cast performed to sold out audiences for each performance and also welcomed students from Year 5 at Park View, New Bewerley and Greenmount primary schools.

Mrs Roberts, Head of School, said:

“I am immensely proud of the talent and dedication of the students and staff at CJCA, and the team have yet again raised the bar with a breath-taking performance.

“The show was a perfect representation of our dynamic and diverse community, and students, staff and parents should be rightly proud of their achievements.”

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Developing Rugby League at Cockburn

Cockburn School has been awarded a grant of £4,329.48 from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Legacy Programme.

The grant, which has been awarded to help more people play rugby league at grassroots level in Leeds, will fund the school’s new playing kit and equipment.

Delivered in partnership between RLWC2021, The National Lottery, the Rugby Football League, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the CreatedBy programme is a funding pot made available by the government and The National Lottery to support the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup by growing participation in the sport.

Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, RLWC2021, said: “The CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme is focused on ensuring the next generation of rugby league players have the best possible experience and barriers to participate are removed.

“We are delighted to award this grant to Cockburn School and look forward to seeing the results of this investment that aims to deliver real change in their community. Our thanks go to the government and The National Lottery, and its players, for supporting the CreatedBy programme.”

Rob Dixon, Head of School, said: “We are extremely grateful for this funding that will support our young sports players in developing a vast range of skills that will benefit them both now and in the future.”

The Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) will be staged in England through October and November next year, having been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hugh Gaitskell Primary rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted Cockburn’s sisterly solid

Pupils at Hugh Gaitskell Primary School celebrate the result

Hugh Gaitskell Primary School in Beeston has been rated ‘Good’ in all areas in its latest Ofsted inspection published this week.

Ofsted grades schools on a four point scale from ‘Outsanding’ to ‘Good’, ‘Requires Improvement’ and ‘Inadequate’.

Primary Schools are graded across five categories: • The quality of education • Behaviour and attitudes • Personal development • Leadership and management • Early years provision

Five Ofsted Inspectors spent two days at the school just before the October half term. In their report they recognised that: • Hugh Gaitskell is a caring and friendly school and there is a strong sense of community; • Governors and school leaders provide strong leadership and have established a welcoming and inclusive learning environment; • Bullying in any form is not tolerated. Pupils understand that any kind of discrimination is wrong; • Pupils who have any worries get support from the school’s counsellors; • Pupils make a strong start to the school in the early years; • Teachers prioritise the development of children’s reading, communication and language skills; • Children learn with curiosity, energy and enthusiasm; • Teachers use a wide range of resources that help children to remember what they are being taught; • Pupils with SEND receive effective support from skilled adults. The SENCo creates detailed support plans; • Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm and orderly; • The arrangements for safeguarding are effective

Headteacher Mrs K McNulty commented:

“It is a reflection of the time and support given by the staff, pupils, parents, governors and our business partner DePuy Synthes.

“We have all worked extremely hard over the past few years and the journey has been an extremely rewarding one.

“Ofsted’s recognition of this achievement through a good judgement is a positive validation of all our efforts.

“We have high-expectations and are now well on our way to fulfilling our ambition to be an ‘Outstanding’ learning community.”

You can read the full report at: bit.ly/HGPSofsted

Hands of Remembrance

Cast members from Sister Act at Cockburn School by Jeremy Morton

Imet five engaged and engaging stars from this year’s Cockburn School production of Sister Act in a break from rehearsals.

Poppy Thompson-Clark (Sister Mary Patrick), Katie Jordan (Mother Superior), Evie Lindsay (Sister Mary Robert), Ana Da Silva (Deloris Van Cartier) and Eesaa Nadeem (Curtis Shank) range from Year 9 to Year 11.

They told me they were glad to be back on stage after last year’s show had to be cancelled because the Covid pandemic. “It was such a gap, you’d usually be in rehearsals from September to December and I didn’t know what to do with myself.”

Usually pupils progress through productions moving from smaller to larger roles over several years, but this year they’ve all had to make a big step up. Not only are the parts bigger, but they have a greater responsibility with younger students looking to them for advice. It’s a role they seem to take on with confidence.

They are also enjoying mixing with students from different year groups after a year in ‘bubbles’. Last year they didn’t see, let alone talk to, other year groups. They started and finished school at different times and even moved around school at different times.

“We’re able to mix with people of different ages, different cultures, different backgrounds, whatever they have going at home” says Ana. “You start the production and don’t know any of these people, but at this point, we’re all one big dysfunctional family.”

The group are clear that being in the show will help them in other aspects of there life.

“It’s a life skill, it gives you confidence for job interviews and other things like college and university applications” says Eesaa.

Katie explains “I want to go on to bigger things in the drama world, so I think productions here will help me in the future and maybe I’ll be able to come back and teach here.”

Poppy doesn’t want to pursue a career in performing arts, but sees it more as a hobby but thinks it will help her in whatever job she does go into.

Cockburn’s approach and ethos is to treat its shows as professional productions. The students talk about auditioning; building relationships on and off stage with staff and students; having to work through difficulties; the whole “rollercoaster” of putting on a show. It’s clear that whilst they might be hard task masters, the staff are also very supportive to cast and backstage crew.

The show has been well picked for this year as Poppy explains:

“It’s all about how the nuns love each other. This sisterhood and togetherness is not only what has brought the whole cast together, but we’re hoping will bring the whole audience together. All I want is for other people to find watching me as enjoyable as I enjoy acting it.”

As well as three evening performances, there will be two matinees. One is for local primary schools and one is for the students at Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy in Middleton which isn’t able to stage a show this year.

In total over a thousand people are set to see Sister Act and from what I’ve seen they are all sure to leave feeling uplifted, with a smile on their face. And surely that’s what everyone needs at the moment.

Cody’s ca defibrilla

Middleton Primary School were given a defibrillator on Friday 19 November to help the school and the community.

The primary school had a Friday morning ‘Thank You’ assembly like no other last week, as they were surprised by special guest Cody Hartley, who presented the school with a defibrillator.

Since the age of 11, Cody has been raising money to purchase defibrillators for the local community and now, eight years

darity is no act

ampaign donates ator to Middleton Primary

later, continues to fundraise whilst also working as an ambulance dispatcher.

After headteacher Sam Williams approached her to see if she could donate one to the school, the campaigner got to work to ensure the school in South Leeds received a defib for themselves and people in the surrounding area.

Miss Williams began the assembly introducing Cody and asking the children if anyone knew what a defibrillator was, and after a few guesses, a correct guess was made, and the assembly continued.

The primary school were honoured to receive this, and after the assembly had finished, Miss Williams said:

“We are very pleased to have the defibrillator in school because if someone does have a heart attack, we can save a life, hopefully we never have to use it, but if we do, we have one here, so we are very grateful to Cody.”

Despite some popular misconceptions, defibrillators are helpful and can save the lives of anyone, and Cody highlighted this after the ceremony. Users are instructed at every step and its impossible to hurt someone with one.

“I aim to put defibs in schools because you don’t know who is going to need one, it’s not always adults, it’s not just the elderly, it can be children as well.”

This important piece of machinery has never been as important as it is now, especially after Christian Eriksen’s collapse at the Euros last summer on such a big stage.

Find out more about Cody’s campaign on her Facebook page at: fb.com/codysdefibcampaign Cody Hartley presents Middleton Primary Headteacher Sam Williams with a defibrillator