Teesdale School News

Leavers’ Celebration Evening

2012-01-17T15:02:00.000Z

Staff at Teesdale School were delighted to welcome back former students to receive their exam certificates and special awards at the Leavers’ Celebration evening.
Simon Maguire, Co-Principal, commented: ‘It was fantastic to see so many of our former students return to collect their exam certificates and to share in what was another year of outstanding achievement. We were especially privileged to see so many students return to share their experiences of undergraduate life at university, many of whom were also benefitting from their generous scholarship funding from the Mewhort Trust.’

The ‘battery recycling for schools’ scheme

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000Z

Welcome to the battery recycling for schools scheme! Teesdale School is one of 80 schools across County Durham currently taking part. The scheme is being offered to all schools in the county by Durham County Council’s Strategic Waste team, in partnership with Valpak.

The scheme aims to make a big difference to reducing the amount of household batteries that are thrown away and end up in landfill through:

In addition to the usual household batteries such as AAA, watch batteries, laptop and power tool batteries can all be recycled.

Schools have each received three reusable cardboard boxes to store their collected batteries and these will be collected up to three times a year, in December and next year, in March and June.

Batteries from each school will be weighed when they are collected and Valpak have kindly donated prizes for the top performing schools. The schools who collect the most batteries for recycling will win prizes (prizes still to be confirmed), so get collecting those used household batteries!

Thank you in advance for recycling your used batteries. Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of staff at the school.

Yours faithfully

P George

Paula George
Projects and Campaigns Team Leader, Strategic Waste Management

International Award

2011-12-01T15:03:00.000Z

Students and staff at Teesdale School were delighted to collect the British Council International School of the Year award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 16th November. The ceremony took place at the HSBC building on Canary Wharf, where students and staff were presented with a cheque for £5,000 in recognition of the extensive work the school has done in recent years to link students’ learning across Europe and beyond.
Marorie Bedwell, Vice Principal, commented, ‘The school has developed numerous projects through Comenius, Hanban and other partnerships which have resulted in internationalism becoming embedded in school the ethos. We take a pride in the International Schools Award and all students have benefitted from specific curriculum projects, International Weeks or through simply having their peers from other countries around.
The links we have developed over the last seven years have had a major impact on this. Through our partnerships, local families have hosted students from France, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, China and Russia and our staff and students have visited these countries. We set out to prove that education is above politics and that gaining experience of other cultures and developing friends in other nations is essential to building a peaceful global community.
Of all our partnerships, however, one stands out. The Bilateral Comenius Partnership with General High School Lyuben Karavelov in Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria and it was as a result of this work in particular that the school won the award.
The target group for this project was primarily 24 Year 11 boys on our Construction course. However, female work skills students also took part in the Bulgarian exchange this year. Our aim was to raise the horizons of these students, provide opportunities for them to take responsibility and to also use and develop their construction skills further.
Our partner school had similar aspirations. It is in rural Bulgaria and many of the students come from a traditional farming background. They have had few opportunities to travel and meet their peers from other countries. They identified 17 Year 10 & 11 students to take part.
Most recently a group of Teesdale students, who visited Bulgaria in October 2011, are continuing with the project. The project has led to visible products. In Teesdale the eco-materials will be incorporated into the Construction curriculum. Contact has been maintained through e-communication and the partnership will continue after the funding ceases – see the plan for the radio/podcasts.
This has been a life-changing experience for all involved. The most significant long-term impact for the schools is that, given the right project students were can be transformed by the experience. Suddenly they were the most important students in the school with a high profile and responsibility for visitors. The way in which they developed, grew in self-esteem and behaved in a mature and responsible way stunned most of the staff. It provided them with real leadership experience.
We are honoured to receive this award which reflects the outstanding work of staff and students alike and are delighted that our students are such wonderful ambassadors for Teesdale School.’

Teesdale School

2011-10-19T09:57:00.001+01:00

Once again we are delighted that our students have achieved outstanding GCSE results and we are proud of all the hard work put in by our staff to help them to fulfil their potential.

What is particularly pleasing is that this represents yet another year of not only outstanding achievement overall but also dramatic improvement in all the key headline areas.

This has been made possible by the highest standards of behaviour, combined with superb teaching within a diverse curriculum. Moreover our commitment to traditional academic subjects has allowed almost a third of students to achieve the coveted English Baccalaureate.

Simon Maguire
Co-Principal

Homebase visit

2011-10-05T14:03:00.000+01:00

The 'Homebase' store at West Auckland has once again hosted a visit from a group of Teesdale school students, accompanied by caretaker John Abbott and Pastoral support worker,Sonya McConell who have set up the gardening club. Plants and various gardening supplies were piled into a shopping trolley during the visit, and back at school they have been put to good use during pastoral and lunchtime sessions.The main entrance in particular is looking colourful in readiness for the autumn!

A Real Monkey House

2011-10-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

Students in Goodall House at Teesdale School in Barnard Castle have adopted four chimpanzees as a result of their fundraising efforts.

The chimps, named Kauka, Petit Prince, Kudia and Timi, are all orphans living in the Tchimpounga Sanctuary in the Congo. The sanctuary is run by one of Goodall House’s chosen charities, the Jane Goodall Foundation.

So far students from Goodall House have raised £200 by organising the sale of acrylic bricks with the students names engraved onto them. These bricks have been displayed attractively on boards so the students can see them around the school.

Head of House, Julie Bissicks said, “Our house is named after Jane Goodall, a much-respected primatologist so we have a special interest in this charity. Initially we were going to make a straightforward donation but the opportunity arose to adopt the chimps so that the students could see the ongoing effects of their charity fundraising by following the chimps’ progress on the internet.”

Tina Masterman, the Assistant Head of House added, “The idea is still growing. Each year we are offering new students from across the whole school the chance to buy their bricks for charity and to have their identity embedded in the fabric of the school.”

John Southeran Co-Principal Student Wellbeing remarked, “This is another example of the positive caring ethos we are creating at the school through vertical tutoring. It is pleasing that our outstanding pastoral system has helped create such responsible global citizens.”

Teesdale School would like to reassure any anxious parents that these animals will remain in the Congo and no parents will be asked to take care of them in the school holidays!

Picture:
Students from the school are pictured with the display board which helped to raise the money and adoption certificates of their chimpanzees.
The students are L to R:

Abigail Kent, Nathan Oxford, Abbie Hutchinson, Harry Fenwick, Joe Hutchinson and Lilly Fox

Teesdale school played host to an information fair

2011-10-05T13:55:00.000+01:00

Teesdale school played host to an information fair on Monday 3rd October. The event, 'Places to go,Things to do' was attended by representatives from 20 local organisations who had been invited by Extended Services co-ordinator,Eve Galloway,to set up 'stalls' providing information about the activities and services offered to young people in Teesdale.

The hall was filled throughout the morning with students picking up leaflets,taking part in quizzes ,collecting promotional items and chatting to the various 'exhibitors'. Free activity passes were being offered by staff from the Teesdale Leisure Centre and there was a prize draw for free membership at the Hub. The YMCA brought along the baby dolls and the 'pregnancy' suit used in their various education projects,Radio Teesdale set up their deck,the Witham Cinema did a quiz and raffle,Age Uk Durham Intergeneration project held a raffle and quiz,Bowes Museum did water colour painting. Also attending were the Scouts,Guides,2D,Methodist Youth Service,Barnard Castle Cricket club, Badminton club,Glaxo social club,Turrets,Investors in Children and the Cadets. We also used the event to consult with students about the sorts of things they'd like to see happening in school during their lunchbreak and after school. We already have a varied selection of opportunities on offer,but we're always looking for suggestions for new things.For example Leah Hobson(of Simply Leah)demonstrated some of the activities that will be taking place later this year such as style,nail art and hair braiding. Also in the pipeline are a photography course ,a pottery course and a dressmaking class leading to a fashion show.Staff in Teesdale School were successful in a funding bid last term enabling them to start a bike club, which will take place after school on Wednesdays and promises to be very popular. More Radio Teesdale workshops were requested and will hopefully take place to support the in-school radio station which is being developed by the school science department.

Durham County Council's PAYP (Postive Activities for YoungPeople)donated dozens of mobile phone socks,erasers,pens,pencils and piggybanks all promoting their 'Get Out There'website(www.getoutthere.info).
Each student who made a suggestion for an activity was given one of the items!

Stealing the show and getting most attention on the day were two owls accompanied by Tori Goodhall from Northside Falconry! Staff and students crowded round to take pictures and to stroke the birds.

Quote from Eve Galloway..."Feedback from students and staff in school was very positive and everyone seemed to enjoy the morning.So often young people complain that there's 'nothing to do', but an event like this illustrates the wide variety of opportunities and activities that are out there if you just take the time to find out about them. I'd like to thank those providers who took part and helped make the event such a success.Their feedback and comments suggest that they appreciated the chance to do meet with such a large number of enthusiastic young people aswell as having the opportunity to do a bit of networking amongst each other too!"

School launches new rewards system

2011-09-26T12:10:00.000+01:00

The new school year at Teesdale School brought the launch of an exciting and innovative rewards system called ‘Vivo’. This new points based system rewards students for positive behaviour, being equipped and engaged in lessons, volunteering for activities, working well in groups plus any additional awards awarded by the students head of house. Students can then use these points to purchase goods for the online ‘Vivo’ shop.

John Southeran (Co-Principal Student Wellbeing) commented, “This new system replaces the old merit system which we felt did not recognise all of our students for their positive contribution to school. We are confident that Vivo will address this and have already begun to see increased student engagement as a result.”

The system was trailed with staff before the summer break and officially launched to students in assemblies last week. The school decided to purchase the system after consultation with its student council behaviour and rewards group. Jay Bowes a student member of the group said, “The behaviour and rewards group had been working for some time at looking at ways we can improve our rewards system. We felt some students were not rewarded for doing the right things and therefore being missed. We saw the Vivo presentation and thought the online nature of the system would work.”

Colin Cartwright (Vice-Principal Business) remarked, “As a school we are constantly facing hard economic decisions with ever shrinking government budgets, however, we have made a significant financial commitment in installing and maintaining this system over the next 3 years. We have already approached several local businesses and are in the process of approaching others regarding sponsorship and would welcome support from any interested parties, Through sponsorship they will be added to our website as we believe it will have many benefits to companies in engaging with the families of Teesdale.”

Students access the system through an online log in at www.vivomiles.com and were issued with their membership cards last week. A welcome parental letter is due to be sent shortly and the school will undertake a serious of fund raising events across the year to try to increase the rewards pot available for students. John Southeran said, “The more money we are able to raise and put into the rewards pot the more we have available for all our students to access in a fair and equitable way. I would also personally like to thank our PTA who have committed to £1000 per year over the next 3 years to support this project.”

Dan Pilling (Head of Faraday House) who chaired the student group on behaviour and rewards concluded, “I believe we now have a credible system of rewards that recognises the contribution of all our students. We have a fantastic school with fantastic students who by and large all work hard. The only problem is we might need a bigger library as there are lots of students trying to get in at lunchtime to access their Vivo accounts!”

Sainsburys generosity really takes the biscuit!!!

2011-08-31T13:54:00.000+01:00

We would like to acknowledge the generosity of West Auckland superstore Sainsburys ,who responded so positively to our request to sponsor an activity at our recent 'Moving Up' summer scheme. Nicky from Sainsburys arrived at the summer scheme with a shopping basket brim full of goodies which kept the young people enthralled for hours, decorating biscuits and ginger bread men.Sprinkles, writing icing and mini-marshmallows galore allowed the eager participants to design a colourful array of creations ...all good enough to eat! Nicky was very impressed with the week of activities we offer during the summer holidays to ease the transition for year 6 pupils from local primary schools to Teesdale School in September.(photo).

Summer Scheme video 2011

2011-08-23T12:42:00.002+01:00

Teesdale School’s ‘Moving Up’ Summer scheme, 2011.

The first week of the summer break was filled with activity for some of the young people who will be moving up to Teesdale School in September.

The summer scheme brought together 67 young people from 13 different primary schools and played an important role in introducing them to each other, their new school and to some of the staff they will be working with in the coming years at Teesdale School. The week was enriched by the invaluable contribution made by a host of local organisations and activity providers, to whom we are extremely grateful! It was lovely that 3 of our Year 7 pupils gave up a week of their holidays to welcome the new cohort to Teesdale school. They worked voluntarily alongside our 6th form mentors during the week! (Thanks to Nakita Collinson, Deanne Cruddas and Josh Welsh).

Jill Cole of Turrets Drama group facilitated the first morning with some ‘getting to know each’ other games which started the process of learning names and finding out about others in the group. Later in the day youth workers from Barnard Castle YMCA organised a series of team building and problem solving activities whilst our Teesdale school mentors ran a treasure hunt around the school!

Tuesday was filled with the aroma of home cooking as Jan of ‘Season to Taste’ (courtesy of the Love Food Project)along with 30 or so of the group made meringues with warm berries, lamb burgers with coriander and tomato relish and bruschetta! Yummy!

Meanwhile, John Ashworth of Barnard Castle Cricket Club offered a cricket coaching session and Jane & Katey( from Teesdale School) gave all of the young people an opportunity to tie dye a T shirt. Later in the day, the gym bounced as basketball enthusiasts joined a session with volunteers Tony Galloway and Travis Stubley. Hopefully stimulating some interest in joining the school basketball club in September!

Nicky from Sainsburys arrived with a basket full of biscuit decorating goodies, donated to the summer scheme as they felt it was such a worthwhile initiative. We are extremely grateful to Sainsburys for their generosity, which stimulated such a lot of creativity and fun!

Throughout the week, one of our mentors, Nikita, made a fantastic job of catching all of the action on film!

Sally Landon from Riverside Education arrived with her Lego Robotics kit on Wednesday and set a cricket themed challenge for the group using Lego models, motors and sensors. Others sampled Geo-caching and Trampoline, while Leah Hobson(of Simply Leah) ran a fun workshop called Simply For Fun which included henna tattoos, jewellery making and nail art.

The group opting for gymnastics on Wednesday were in for quite a display from gymnast Josh Robinson, who delighted them with back flips and vaults. Many of the group were themselves pretty agile as they were put through their paces on the mats and over the horse! Jill from Turrets made a return visit to play more drama games!

A relaxing afternoon followed as we all sat back with a tumbler of pop corn to enjoy a big screen showing of ‘Dispicable Me’ in the main hall, followed by a quiz about the film, courtesy of Reagan from Film Club.

A small group spent the whole of Thursday working with Jenny and Wendy from Reality Studios to produce an animated film called The School of Horrors, a fantasy about mysterious happenings here at Teesdale!(can be viewed via the school web site). Others opted for the beautiful game out on the school field with local football coach, Tommy Lowther, or another session of Simply for Fun with Leah.

Those feeling creative worked with Sarah from Heart of Teesdale who had brought along mini bird boxes to design, paint and varnish.

Later, dancers Charlotte Warburton and Ashley choreographed a couple of energetic Street Dance routines for a ‘dance-off’ at the end of the day!

Staff and mentors responded throughout the week to individual requests for activities (offering dodge ball, music, pool, table football, table tennis, chess, draughts, quizzes, sports etc). It is safe to say there was never a dull moment!

On the final day most of us headed down to the Teesdale Leisure Centre for a morning swim. Later, some enjoyed a session on the climbing wall, trampoline or badminton (thanks to Karen and Gillian from Barnard Castle Badminton club for their coaching), whilst others played cricket or trampoline back at school. Preparations got underway for the afternoon BBQ, when we were joined by parents and siblings for activities on the field.
The week concluded with handing out of certificates of attendance and a showing of ‘School of Horrors’. We all said a cheerful “farewell and see you in September” before heading off to enjoy the remainder of the school holidays!

PS: A huge thanks to ‘behind the scenes’ staff in Teesdale School who played a part in making the summer scheme a success.

See our ‘Moving Up 2011’ Photo Gallery at www.teesdaleschool.com for highlights of the summer scheme!

Eve Galloway (Extended Services Co-ordinator)
August 2011.

Early access to Teesdale school

2011-08-23T11:11:00.000+01:00

New ,Starting this September, Early access to Teesdale school from 7.45am for Breakfast in the Dining Hall. Apply for a pass from Eve Galloway in advance. The pass permits access only to the dining hall, where breakfast can be purchased.
email Eve: eve.galloway@teesdaleschool.com or call 07522034171, with student name and Form, and a pass will be issued before start of term.

Leadership Hotseat with Andy Cockroft

2011-08-17T14:59:00.002+01:00

On 13th July Teesdale School Science College and Sixth Form Centre was delighted to receive a visit from Andy Cockroft, the Site Director from GlaxoSmithKline’s plant at Barnard Castle.
This was the second Leadership Hotseat to take place at the school, in which a senior leader from the business world is invited to share their expertise with the school’s Senior Leadership Team. During the ninety minute session with the team, Andy was able to draw on his experience of working for a global organisation in a variety of countries and circumstances. For their part, the school’s leaders were able to share their excitement at moving to a new leadership model from September.
Assistant Headteacher Simon Maguire explained: ‘As we move towards the challenges facing us in delivering excellence in the new educational landscape, it is more important than ever that we look outwards to other outstanding organisations to see what we can learn from their leaders. We had already visited Andy at the GSK site, and so it was a natural next step for him to visit us to see how we operate on a daily basis. We would like to thank him for taking the time to accept our invitation. This is the second business leader to have taken part in a Hotseat with us and we intend that this should now become an annual event.’
Business Manager Colin Cartwright added, ‘In the current financial climate it is crucial that schools, operate like businesses and deliver value for money and in that respect we are always open to new ideas and practices from successful organisations, particularly one that is so successful in the global marketplace. The lessons we can learn from such leaders will help us strive to continually improve and provide the outstanding opportunities for the school through what will surely be a transitional period in state education.’

Students from Teesdale School in Barnard Castle were delighted to donate a cheque for £150 to TODYS (Teesdale Opportunities for Disabled Youngsters Association) yesterday

2011-07-06T08:53:00.000+01:00

Students from Teesdale School in Barnard Castle were delighted to donate a cheque for £150 to TODYS (Teesdale Opportunities for Disabled Youngsters Association) yesterday. (4.7.11)

TODYS offers the youngsters experiences which would otherwise not be available to them – for example art and music workshops with Artists and Musicians, climbing on fully accessible climbing walls, horseriding, water sports and action – packed, exciting holidays. TODYS applies for grants to fund these activity breaks, however, Joan Bailey, the secretary of TODYS said, “Donations, such as this from Teesdale School, are vital to ensure that TODYS can continue to provide activity days throughout the year for the youngsters and their families who require support.”

This summer, TODYS will be visiting the coast, going to the Sea Life Centre and having a picnic and games on the beach. Also, a volunteer-supported family daytrip is planned and the money donated by the Teesdale students will go towards these much –needed trips.

As well as helping TODYS, students across the whole school also raised money for their three House charities for 2011: Help for Heroes, Oxfam and Water Aid with their Big Breaksaft Bazaar in April this year by organising a tabletop sale and selling breakfast to visitors to the school. A similar event is already being planned for the spring of 2012.

Julie Bissicks, Assistant Head of Goodall House, said, “Our students are very excited to be giving this money to a local charity. They did an amazing job of organising the Big Breakfast Bazaar earlier in the year and now they are starting to see exactly how this money will be used by the recipients. We are all very proud of how well they worked to achieve this success.”

Assistant Headteacher Simon Maguire added, ‘We are delighted that our students have been able to make such a significant contribution to a very worthwhile cause. It is always fantastic to see our students developing into responsible and resourceful members of not only the school abut our wider community as well.’

Anyone who wants to find out more about TODYS can contact them by emailing at todys-secretary@hotmail.co.uk or checking out their website: www.communigate.co.uk/ne/todys

Students shown in the photo are:
Back row L-R: David Lind, Alex Harris, Amy Darke, Oliver Hamilton, Zac Lamont Rodriguez,
Middle row L – R: Tabitha Gillard, Melissa Eames, Amy Lowson, Vicky Herbert, Stacey Walker, Beth Harle
Front row: Eleanor Wilkes, Bridie Fitzgerald, Tara Parkin, Jade Hawlor, Hannah Brass

Teesdale School Art Exhibition

2011-06-23T10:23:00.000+01:00

Announcing The Urban & Hip Hop Games 2011 @ Whitley Bay 13th & 14th August

2011-06-17T09:39:00.000+01:00

The Urban & Hip Hop Games 2011 on Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th August 2011 @ Whitley Bay Seafront, Whitley Bay Panama Skate Park 12 to 6pm both days & at Whitley Bay Playhouse (Saturday evening only 7pm to 10pm).

Plans are well under way for the 2011 Urban Games which are going to be bigger than last year and will be linked to the International Kite Festival.

The 2011 Urban Games will include:

Competitions in- Skateboarding & Game of Skate (hosted by Urban Skate Myth), A BMX/Mountain Bike (hosted by the Mountain Bike stunt team 3Sixty-which will includes an invitation event for some of the best national & international competitors in BMX & Trials Bike).

Plus- Street/Break Dance, DJ & Turntablism (hosted by CoMusica The Sage Gateshead) open to the regions young crews and talent.

The Urban Games Experience Showcase- @ Whitley Bay Playhouse on the evening of the 13th, with a short demo by 3 Sixty, with some of the regions emerging street dancers, singers, rappers performing, plus the Urban G's performance team, as well as the finals of the Game of Skate and street/break dance on the stage. This is a ticketed event with tickets available from Whitley Bay Playhouse box office £5 in advance /£6 on door - (all proceeds from sales will go to support the Urban Games & Hip Hop Projects community work)

Informal Taster Activites- in street dance, graffiti, breakdance, bmx, skateboarding, mountain trial bike riding, parkour (signup on the day)

A Skate & BMX Jam- on the saturday at the Skate Park, Urban Skate Myth will be hosting the Skate Jam with music, demo sessions and the Urban & Hip Hop Games medal events

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT - 3Sixty Stunt Bicycle team will be attempting to break 2 World Records moderated by the Guinness Book of Records on the Saturday of the Games.

PLUS LOTS MORE!
Additionally there will be other fun activities and stalls including Newcastle Eagles Basketball Team (TBC) the Youth Services Lorry with multi media, Newcastle CC Arts Cart with a multi-media tent, Computer Games, NUFC Foundation football, a Youth Multi-Media Team broadcasting online from the Games.

The Urban Games will start with an Opening Ceremony on the Saturday at Midday on the 13th August, with a short performance, drummers, competitors youth pledge and the official opening of the Games by a member of LOCOG (London Olympics Organising Committee)

N.B- The timetable and programme may be subject to alterations due to wet weather conditions

Startforth Visit

2011-06-14T13:34:00.000+01:00

Students from Startforth Primary School enjoyed an exciting morning at Teesdale School as part of their highly enjoyable Science themed week. Students arrived in their home made lab coats to take on a series of Science challenges involving fizzing, reacting, sparking and burning. The Startforth students were superb throughout the morning and Assistant Headteacher at Teesdale, Neil Williams commented, “The pupils were so enthusiastic. It was a fantastic experience to teach them and to see so much enjoyment.” Emma Hunt, Science coordinator at Startforth, who has organised a range of activities for the students over the week said “The pupils and staff loved it – it was a great moment in a great week!” Mr Williams went on to say that “Events like this are really important in building relationships between ourselves and our primaries – we’re always looking for ways to help our primaries and to improve transition.”

Teesdale School headed to the Championship

2011-06-07T15:33:00.000+01:00

Recently students from Teesdale School were given the opportunity to participate in a Championship football match as ball girls or ball boys. The students participated in the penultimate home game at the Riverside where they were thrilled to see the Home team clinch an injury time winner against Coventry on Easter Monday, watched over by their proud families. The lucky 14 student’s ranging from Year 8 through to Year 11 were given the opportunity to sit pitch side during the game and even use the home team dugout at half time. In addition to donning the Middlesbrough kit the students were hands on with every student getting at least one touch of the ball. Adam Dent commented “it was a fantastic day especially as I support Middlesbrough; it was amazing to be so close to the players and touch the ball”. The highlights of the game were shown on Sky Sports News and on the Football League show and the students thoroughly enjoyed seeing themselves on the television. Lauren Read added “I think events like this encourage people my age to volunteer and get involved with sport, it was also very good that we had an equal mix of boys and girls, it was a great day out”. John Southeran Assistant Headteacher who accompanied the students said “this was a fantastic opportunity for our students to participate with a local team and benefit from the community links we are building as a school. As always our students conducted themselves impeccably and were an absolute credit to the school and the parents watching”.

Animation Workshop videos now online..

2011-05-31T14:19:00.000+01:00

Animated films made by pupils last term during their 'Animazing' course with Reality Studios (run by Jenny Cartwright, an ex-Teesdale pupil herself) can now be seen here........

To Beijing and Back

2011-05-17T08:40:00.000+01:00

On the 19th April a group of Year 8 and Year 9 students from Teesdale School set off to Beijing for what they knew was going to be a trip of a lifetime. They were joined by eight students from Tudhoe School on the visit, which was itself the result of a partnership between the schools and Number 41 Middle School in Shijiazhuang in northern China set up by Marjorie Bedwell, Assistant Headteacher at Teesdale and her husband, Stanley Bedwell, who holds the similar role in Tudhoe School. This was definitely the most adventurous school trip for either of the schools and turned out to be wonderfully rich cultural experience for all. We travelled by British Airways to Beijing and once in the hands of our wonderful tour guide we managed to pack into four days what most people would have taken two weeks to see. On our first afternoon we went to the beautiful Temple of Heaven and from there to see a wonderful history of kung fu, performed in Beijing’s Red Theatre where we were all dazzled by the skill of the performers which included Chinese dragons. Unusually for Beijing the next day brought rain, so we changed our itinerary to go to the peaceful Behai Park, which like all of the historic sites is within the huge and bicycle filled city of Beijing itself. We went on to Tiananmen Square and were very impressed with its scale and size. It was interesting too to see how tight security was in what is obviously a national monument. We had a group photograph taken under the famous photograph of Chairman Mao and we could all imagine scenes from the more recent past. From there we walked into the Forbidden City and were all both enchanted and amazed by the size, beauty and history of the site. The emperor who built it was so desperate to avoid intruders that the bricks which make up the courtyard floors are 15 bricks deep- to avoid tunnelers! The students learnt here about the symmetrical way the palaces and courtyards were built and how they all follow a central line into the heart of what is a city within a city. The evening brought a chance to go to the night market and for the more adventurous students to eat scorpions on sticks!!
The next day was the highlight and in bright sunshine we set out with the students to become heroes by walking on the Great Wall. It was dazzling to see and many of our students seemed not at all phased by the dizzying heights or the steep descents. From there we moved to the sites of the Ming Tombs and the Sacred Road where again we felt the sense of tranquility and beauty that the Chinese ancient architects do so well. Many students were dazzled here by the materials used to build, we saw hardwood pillars that were over 3000 years old! On the following day we went to the Summer Palace and saw how the empress would relax by the beautiful lake. It was really busy there and our students as often happened were besieged by street vendors persuading them to by a ‘Rolex’! From there we went to shop at Beijing’s Silk Market and here we were joined by when Elinor Betton, who went on from Teesdale School to study for degree in History and Chinese at Sheffield and who is now teaching in the Chinese coastal city of Qindao. Not only did she give us lots of interesting details about life in China but she also gave the students a role model for the just what it’s possible to do in terms of travel and being independent. In the Silk Market our students found they had hidden talents at the ancient art of bartering for the goods they wanted to buy and they certainly managed to knock the market traders down about two thirds of the original price!
The next day we set of for the long ride to Shijiazhuang where we were delighted, not only with the quality of our hotel, but with the warmth of our welcome from our partner school. The students and teachers all quickly got together and went to the local park. Unlike the parks we see, this one came equipped with a lake, little buggies to drive, a funfair and its own tower, apparently one of the highest in Asia. We all went to the top and saw over the small city of Shijiazhiuang; small in Chinese terms means about five million residents!
The next day was to be very exciting as we all went into school. It was staggering for our students, all from relatively small rural schools to see the numbers of students as literally hundreds of them jogged around the playground or waited for lessons. Classes were made up of at least 50 students, school was from 7.30 to 5.45 and after that it was time for homework! Our students went to lessons and then went home for lunch with their partners. The Chinese families had prepared all sorts of delicacies for our students and treated them like royal guests. In the afternoon they had lessons with the Chinese students in music and art and robotics before they went back home again with their partners. Here they again were so well treated and came back showered with gifts from a watermelon, to flowers, to fans, to cuddly toys!! For the teachers too, the Chinese generosity was quite overwhelming and they always put our needs before their own. It was certainly clear that the partnership the three schools have developed will flourish and that in the summer we will be able to reciprocate the welcome we received.
The following morning we went with the students and their teacher to see Longxing Temple which has a bronze Buddha over 20 metres tall, with a thousand eyes! It was very hot and yet, like much of China, was tranquil and beautiful. After a final farewell meal we said our goodbyes and then returned to Beijing for our last night.
We did much more than this account covers, including seeing how pearls are collected and watching a Tea Ceremony. Many students, despite being such a long way from home, felt that they really liked China and they had had a window onto another world. Not only did they see sights some people can only dream of seeing, but they had that rare chance to go into a Chinese home, to be with a family, to make lifelong friends and to learn for themselves about the things we do differently and the things that in many ways are the same the world over.

Cassie Flint

Latest Extended Services news

2011-05-13T12:12:00.000+01:00

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Big Breakfast Bazaar

2011-04-12T16:05:00.000+01:00

Teesdale School opened its doors to the community on Saturday with a Big Breakfast Bazaar.
Visitors to the school in Barnard Castle had the chance to win prizes in a variety of activities offered by the students. These included: ‘Dunk the teacher’, ‘Tin Can Alley’ and a Playstation tournament as well as the more traditional ‘Guess the sweets in the jar’ and cake stalls.
In addition, there were other stalls run by local individuals, community groups and businesses, making over 60 in total.
Breakfast was served by students in the dining room and this proved very popular with staff, students and visitors alike!
‘We were delighted to be part of such a successful community event,’ said John Southeran, Assistant Head at the school, ‘It’s yet another example of how well our students work together in our vertical tutoring system.’
‘It was great to see our staff and students forming such close and effective teams to raise money for charity. It’s a mark of how much respect and affection our staff and students have for each other and for the school that they are willing to give up their time to help others on such a sunny Saturday morning,’ added Julie Bissicks, Assistant Head of Goodall House.
Money raised will go to the three house charities chosen by the students for this year: Help for Heroes, Oxfam and Water Aid.

Andrew Metcalfe

L-R Charlotte Heads, Anna Stainton, Zoe Godden

L to R Shanice Hardy, Abigail Kent, Bethany Gardner

Jordan White and Lucy Brown

Response to Proposed Revisions to the Home to School/College Transport Policy Public Consultation

2011-04-11T11:41:00.000+01:00

Response from Teesdale School and 6th form College to

Durham County Council’s Proposed Revisions to the Home to School/College Transport Policy
Public Consultation

In response to DCC proposed revisions to the home to school transport policy it is the view of the governors of this school that the potential savings will be outweighed by many knock-on costs to individuals, families, the local economy, the local Teesdale Schools and to the future viability of Teesdale School and 6th form college as a secondary school and as a Post 16 education provider. The school was recently recognised by Ofsted (May 2010) as a good school with outstanding achievement, providing outstanding value for money, something which we simply will not be able to maintain given the proposed cuts to school transport. Without a Sixth Form in Teesdale, students could face journeys of OVER 15 miles on inflexible and decreasing public transport just to access their entitlement of education.

We the governors of Teesdale School wish to make the following points which will directly impact upon the lives of children living in the Teesdale area.

The areas under consultation which directly affect our local community are:

1) Distance Limit

It is proposed that the distance limit be raised in line with the statutory walking distance, which is 3 miles for those pupils over the age of 8 years from the beginning of the academic year 2012/13 and apply to new applicants only and where there is a reassessment following a change in circumstances.

This proposal is weighted against rural areas, like ours, where walking distances may be less than 3 miles, but are along unlit, dangerous country roads, which often do not have footpaths or safe crossings as roads in urban areas do. It is also worth mentioning that these roads in the middle of winter represent an even greater hazard as does the sub zero temperatures which some students would be forced to travel in. For our school, it is against all health and safety advice to force some students aged 11 to walk (possibly unsupervised) along such roads. We are sure DCC would agree that we would not want a serious injury to happen to one of our students as a result of having to get to school.

Safer routes to school have advocated for many years the reduction in home2school transport. This proposed change goes against this thought because of these issues outlined above many more vehicles will be on the road ensuring pupils are delivered safely to school. Not only will this increase traffic congestion in rural areas but also add to the carbon footprint of the school something we are encouraged to reduce.

It is our belief that the transport needs of rural schools should have different considerations applied to those of the urban and majority schools.

2) Associated Transport

It is proposed that Associated Transport provision is ceased from the beginning of the academic year 2012/13 and apply to new applicants only and where there is a reassessment following a change in circumstances.

Our school has not benefited from Associated Transport (AT) where some schools clearly have. We as a board of governors would ask why? It appears that there has been for some considerable time a disparity between schools in a rural area. Gradually over a period of 10 years we have seen changes to the areas which received AT which has significantly reduced parental choice of schools.

If consistency is desired then this has ceased to be the case historically and whilst we seek clarity and consistency perhaps this consultation exercise should provide this for all schools or none.

Potential Impact in Real Time – using our present Y7-11 students
It is difficult to quantify the impact precisely on us as:

If our school were to lose a significant number of students over time, then the main school provision would be considerably depleted and the Sixth Form in turn may not be viable as there would not be a big enough yearly cohort to sustain it and for it to be value for money. We are certain that these costs have not been considered in the Durham County Council’s proposals.

3) Post 16 Transport

The Council currently provides a part contribution towards the cost of travel based on a distance tariff, for full time students commencing a course before the age of 19. It is proposed that the provision of a part contribution is ceased. This revision would be introduced from the beginning of the academic year 2011/12 and apply to new applicants only.

This, along with the withdrawal of the Education Maintenance Aallowance (EMA), represents yet another blow to young people and families living in a rural area, where travel to learn is essential and not an option. The cost to our Sixth Form is self-evident. There is a greater cost to Teesdale and County Durham though – loss of funding for Post 16 transport will mean that many students and families will not be able to afford further education. Jobs in our local area are not plentiful; therefore many potential students will not access further education with us or elsewhere and so will become NEETS – not in education, employment or training. This will cost – in benefits, but also in the long-term health of our local economy.

The viability of our 6th form provision is an ongoing concern. With these proposed changes and removal of EMA, combined with a reduced funding mechanism for school 6th forms justifying our existing provision becomes increasingly difficult. There is a real danger that further educational opportunities in rural areas become a privilege for the wealthy rather than an entitlement for all.

Through these proposed measures it is plausible that rural communities like ours cease to be attractive places for families to establish homes in. Should this be the case there would be hidden/indirect costs not only ourselves but to individuals, families, and the rural community trades which urban areas rely on.

4) Concessionary Transport

Where there are spare seats remaining on transport contracted to the Council for the purpose of home to school transport (after allocating to eligible travellers) it is possible that concessionary travel can be offered to other pupils / students in accordance with the allocation policy. This is currently not subject to any charge and is given free. It is proposed that a charge be introduced for concessionary seats. This revision would be introduced from the beginning of the academic year 2011/12 for all applicants.

Again, the effect of this proposal will be felt more deeply in rural areas such as ours. It also seems to be a way of making money, when it is not necessary to do so.

Rural Schools

Although DCC is wholly classified as a rural LA it is not widely recognised the difficulties associated with rural like and pressures creating sustaining that life with work, schooling etc. The rural aspect is what makes Durham a unique location and recognition of these needs to be considered in the longer term planning.

What can you do?

Have your say and encourage EVERYONE you know to have their say too.

We advise that you SAY NO to all 5 proposals stating that there should be special consideration or protection for those living in rural areas which have less access to services and education without travel, in a climate of decreasing public transport links.

Please visit the County Council website or type in http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/SchoolTransportConsult.aspx

to use the on-line form to tell us your views. The closing date for response is 10 May 2011.

Alternatively, a printed copy of the response form can be obtained from: The Admissions and Transport Entitlement Team, Children and Young People's Services, Durham County Council, County Hall, Durham. DH1 5UJ or by ringing: 0191 383 4490.

John Southeran
March 2011

Teesdale School hosts Bulgarian Students

2011-04-06T11:51:00.000+01:00

Teesdale School has hosted a group of 17 Bulgarian students from its partner school in Koprivshtitsa for 10 days. The students are part of an exchange programme funded by the EU through the Comenius programme.
The Bulgarian students worked with their English colleagues, who are following the school’s Construction course, on designing and making a giant outdoor chess set. The work involved preparing and laying the foundations of the site and creating the board using paving flags. The students then went on to creating all 32 pieces and weather-proofing them.
Headteacher, Paul Harrison said: ‘This has been a wonderful opportunity for the students of two different cultures and countries to work together and they have produced a super piece of work which can be enjoyed by all our students.’ The link between the two schools was created by a former Teesdale student who is now permanently living in the Eastern European country.
The Bulgarian Project Coordinator, Viktor Markov added: ‘This project has been a life changing experience for our students, most of whom have never left Bulgaria. It has undoubtably stimulated them not only to improve their English but also to broaden their horizons.’ During their ten day visit to the UK, the students, who were staying at High Force Outdoor Centre at Langdon Beck, also experienced a range of social activities including bowling, visiting Durham and Beamish and a day of Outdoor Activities.
Sixteen year 11 Teesdale students are returning with the Bulgarians to Koprvishtitsa to apply their construction skills by helping build a classroom using local sustainable building techniques.
Both projects have contributed to the students experience of various building trades and sharing of diverse cultures. The EU grant has meant that both sets of students have been able to experience each other’s country all expenses paid.

In the picture...on the right Teodora Tsolokova on the left Krastina Skenderova

http://www.canstream.co.uk/radioteesdale/index.php?id=1173

STUDENTS RAISE £150 FOR COMIC RELEIF

2011-04-04T15:32:00.000+01:00

Ellie Chapman a year 10 student at Teesdale School has successfully organised her team of yr10 health and social care students to carry out a cake sale in the school to raise money for comic relief. Ellie was keen to organise something for red nose day and took it upon herself to write a letter to Mr Southeran (Assistant Headteacher) to ask permission for the cake sale to go ahead. She then asked several members of staff to donate cakes for her stall as well as the team making some home made creations. The team consisted of Ellie Chapman, Launa Blackburn, Tara Parkin, Danielle Williams, Nicole Rudge, Katie Gipps, Lauren Lockwood and Alisha McGinley. Ellie organised the students into two teams, arranged meetings to keep them up to date with their progress and sent off for comic relief resources to advertise the event.

Ms Moody (health and social care teacher) commented, Ellie showed outstanding leadership skills by independently organising her team with military precision but I was extremely impressed with all the girls efforts, they worked well as a team and were very efficient. This group are a great example to other students who are thinking of raising money for charity and have demonstrated that this is achievable with minimum adult support.

The girls sold out within 20 minutes at break time on Friday the 17th March and raised £150 for their efforts. They had envisaged selling more at lunch time but instead went around the forms at pastoral selling red nose stickers demonstrating true business acumen.

Clare Ellis, Assistant Head commented, ‘This is exactly the kind of thing our excellent pastoral system / Vertical tutoring encourages, learning at Teesdale is not just about outstanding exam results but about teaching students how to take the initiative and show leadership both in school and in the wider world’

The Truth is Out There!

2011-03-31T12:58:00.000+01:00

The truth is out there as students from Teesdale School found out when they took part in the BBC School Report Day on Thursday 24th March. The Year 7 students produced a tongue-in- cheek bulletin for the BBC when they reported on Alien sightings in the area.
The students planned created and performed their own spoof bulletin giving excellent performances by role-playing eyewitnesses and scientific experts on the Alien sightings. The idea evolved form the recent very successful science themed week that had taken place in Year 7; the students had learnt about the discovery of planets and technology advancements which they carried into their school report. Although there was no apparent footage of aliens recorded as Year 7 knows, the truth is out there!
Mr Neil Williams Assistant Headteacher (Science College) stated that ‘it was fantastic that the Science themed week gave the students the opportunity to expand their learning of science into other areas of the curriculum’. English Teacher, Nicole Read added: ‘The students worked extremely hard throughout the project doing a fantastic job, they are a credit to themselves and the school, well done!’ Courtney Sowerby in year 7 said ‘I really enjoyed the filming and it was good to be on the television!’
The film can still be viewed through the school website, http://www.teesdaleschool.com/Students/bbcreport.html