Welcome

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Darlington 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter

Issue 29, March 2019 © Darlington 11-19 Partnership

In This Issue…

We Will Remember - Haughton Academy

Journalism Apprentice - Darlington College

Open Days - Teesside University

Active Carmel - Carmel College

Jenny Chapman Visit - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College

BT Skills for Work Bootcamp - Wyvern Academy

Centre of Excellence - Darlington College

World Class Schools - Carmel College

Jonathan Barrass - Learning & Skills Service

Enterprise Day - St Aidan’s C of E Academy

World of Work Day - Longfield Academy

Rising Star Ups Sticks - Haughton Academy

Extraordinary Discovery - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College

Aspiring Chefs of the Year 2019 - Darlington College

Tor Buc - St Aidan’s C of E Academy

Darlington’s National Horizon Centre - Teesside University

EE Project - Haughton Academy

Record Year for Oxbridge - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College

Rainbow Flag - Human Kind Charity

On the way to Australia - Learning & Skills Service

Hair and Beauty - St Aidan’s C of E Academy

Pupils Raise the Bar - Haughton Academy

Welcome to the latest 11—19 Practitioner Newsletter.

It is my first opportunity to contribute via this forum after many years of enjoying its content. I'm proud to say that once again it showcases the amazing achievements of a whole host of young people across Darlington. Multi-agency working has been central to a collegiate ethos, which has seen many great improvements within the town. This has also built upon the excellent partnerships within education, giving children and families a support network from which they can derive genuine aspiration.

2019 sees public services and in many ways, the nation’s position, in something of a state of flux. There is no greater time for localised collaboration and bespoke planning than when external factors make us assess what is important in our nearest spheres of influence.

This spring, we must ponder anew what further efforts can be made to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families of the town, safe in the knowledge that professional challenge and collective spirit will continue to be some of our greatest assets.

I look forward to many more years of progress and innovation towards meritocracy and success for all.

Nick Lindsay Head of School

Longfield Academy

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We Will Remember

Continued...

Heroes of land, sea and air were remembered in respectful silence as a whole academy gathered to commemorate the centenary of World War I.

Hundreds of pupils from Haughton Academy watched as cadets from the Army, Navy, Royal Air Force and St John’s Ambulance marched through the school to honour those who gave their lives for their country.

The unit, led by Corporal Mitchell Agar, of the Royal Air Force Police, under the instruction of Haughton PE teacher and former Royal Military Policeman, Corporal Nicholas Glynne-Jones, then placed a circlet of poppies at a plaque commemorating ex-Haughton pupil Corporal John Newton SAS killed in action in the 1982 Falkland Islands conflict.

“It was an honour to be asked to place the wreath at this year’s Remembrance Service,” said Corporal Glynn-Jones. “It’s nice for the pupils to see me in a different light, as a military police corporal and not just their teacher. It means a lot be part of the 100th year commemorations and I am especially proud of all of the young cadets who took part in the parade in front of so many of their peers.”

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We Will Remember continued...

Corporal Mitchell Agar, of Stockton, was asked to lead the parade to represent 100 years since the formation of The Royal Air Force. “I have attended many remembrance events all over the country but it is especially poignant this year to be part of a local service and one which commemorates both the centenary of WWI and the RAF,” he said. “In a time when soldiers and the armed forces face negative press it is very important to remember the sacrifices they and their families have made in the past and are still making today.”

Preceding a traditional two minute silence, Haughton Academy head girl Yasmine Bains and head boy Aiden Foster read aloud the poem Flanders Field by John McCrae followed by a playing of the last post.

PE teacher Adele Norris who organised the event added: “It is very humbling to see the whole school come together to remember the courage of those who fought and died for our country and show respect for service personnel past and present.”

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Journalism Apprentice

Lucy Starkie, who is an apprentice with Newsquest in Cumbria, was shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year in the National Council for the Training of Journalists awards held in Essex, hosted by Sarah Hewson of Sky News.

This year’s Awards for Excellence saw a record-breaking number of entries for various categories, with 329 submissions from journalists, representing a breadth of education and the media.

Lucy started her National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) apprenticeship, in September 2017 and combines NCTJ multimedia diploma study at Darlington College with on-the-job training at Workington in Cumbria where she produces content for the Whitehaven News and the Times and Star. Her work has made the front pages on more than 20 occasions, many of the stories self-sourced.

Newsroom mentor Julie Morgan nominated Lucy for the award. She said, “Unlike most of my previous trainees Lucy arrived in the office without any journalism experience. She has a true journalist’s desire to get to the bottom of a story and is willing to

chase down contacts and angles without prompting or hesitation. She has transformed from a bright and enthusiastic young trainee to be a determined and dedicated journalist, proficient on all social media platforms.”

Lucy said, “It is a great honour to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award. It was fantastic to have been recognised out of 125 apprentices from all over the country. I love being a local reporter and think it continues to be an important role in the community. I will continue to listen to the concerns and stories of local people and do the very best I can.”

The 28-year-old, who lives in Whitehaven, added, “I would like to thank my mentors, Julie Morgan and Jenny Barwise, and my college tutor, Sue Calvert for caring about me and the work I do.”

Active Carmel

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Upcoming Open Days at Teesside University

Undergraduate open days Saturday 30th March 2019, 10.00am - 2.00pm

Postgraduate open day Wednesday 6th March 2019, 2.00pm - 6.00pm

Chris Cook who swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games launched the ‘Active Carmel’ project at Carmel College. Over two days, he led assemblies across the college with the theme of Step forward, Step up, Stand out and Achieve! He then worked with pupils on their approach to challenging situations, teamwork and resilience.

The Active Carmel project has been funded by the National Lottery and will run until July 2019. Sport England is spending up to £13.5million on a teacher training programme. The scheme is designed to help secondary school PE teachers 'foster a more positive attitude to physical education' among pupils.

Carmel, with its outstanding record of sporting success along with a comprehensive extra-curricular programme, was one of only 42 schools selected nationally to run a pilot project before it is rolled out across the country. Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said the scheme will 'help schools and teachers design a wider range of opportunities to increase young people's enjoyment of sport and PE'.

Project manager, PE teacher Simon Hannaford says “We have designed activities to encourage and increase participation and enjoyment in physical activity across the college. These will include a new sports leadership academy, climbing, sailing, boxercise, metafit, handball, dance and a whole lot more. We will have weekly challenges which will link physical activity to other subjects. It is a very exciting time with PE being the focal point in the college, but it is great that both the pupils and staff have all bought into it”.

BT Skills for Work Bootcamp

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Jenny Chapman Visit

In the week where Parliament continued to debate the future of the United Kingdom following Brexit, Darlington MP and Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union, Jenny Chapman, found time to pay a visit to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College (QESFC) to speak with A Level Politics students and provide an inside view on the current situation.

For over an hour, the Labour frontbencher faced challenging questions from both first and second year students about the party’s Brexit plan, the possibility of a

‘no deal’ and her reservations about a second referendum. Following this, students were keen to question Jenny about other contemporary topics including her campaign to end period poverty, the prospects of a General Election and how recent events in the UK have caused a surge in the number of people becoming engaged in politics.

Student, Macy Stasiak, comments, “Speaking with Jenny has really encouraged me to get involved in politics because, although the work of Parliament has improved in recent years, there is still plenty to do in making sure everyone’s concerns are taken into consideration”.

Tony Dabb, Course Leader for A Level Politics at QESFC, adds, “We are very grateful that Jenny was able to visit the College despite a hectic week in Parliament. She gave our students a unique perspective into current events, one that others won’t be as fortunate to receive”.

For more information on QESFC and the courses offered by the College, please contact Meirion Baker, Assistant Principal.

Year 10 pupils from Wyvern Academy attended a 'BT Skills for Work Bootcamp'.

A great day was had by all where pupils gained some great experience with interview techniques, CV writing, a dragons den style pitch and a BT assessment mock.

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Centre of Excellence

Darlington College has been made a Centre of Excellence for its work with students studying diplomas, advanced diplomas and masters in procurement and supply.

An audit by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply looked at a host of criteria including the college’s facilities, students’ opinions and its support network. It had to achieve high marks in at least 10 areas but managed an impressive 14 to again CIPS’s highest status. Darlington College’s programme leader for CIPS Janine Crowther was delighted with the award. She said, “The college has been delivering the CIPS programme for the past decade and it has become a growth area. It focuses on the whole supply chain, not just to obtain quality and value for money but also to ensure ethics. There has been a lot of hard work by the team which will stand us in good stead for the future.”

Masters student Nick Gilpin, the European central warehouse leader and analyst for Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation, based in Darlington, said, “The CIPS training has had massive benefits for us helping us win hearts and minds and drive the business forward. Sometimes it might be cheaper but ethically it might not be the right thing to do and socially responsibility is a huge part of business nowadays.”

The course gives students an insight into local and international supply chains and procurement. It explains how careful buying can affect profits but also influence the culture of many nations who might be tempted to exploit their workforces.

Middlesbrough-based materials controller for Inter-Continental, Brands Simon Harbinson said, “The course has been a real eye-opener for me and resulted in me being given more project work. Being in the classroom with students from the public sector as well as the private also broadens your perspective.”

Darlington College curriculum manager Mike Chapman added, “We are the only college to offer the CIPS qualifications in the region. The awarding of centre of excellence makes us the premier provider and is something we are all immensely proud of.”

Celebrating success, Darlington College staff and students come together to mark being made a Centre of Excellence by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)

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World Class Schools

Jonathan Barras

Carmel College is delighted to announce that it is one of only 25 UK Schools to achieve World Class School status this year.

Getting through to the final stage of World Class School accreditation involved a team of Carmel students completing an extensive audit of the school using a framework of skills and competencies that young people need to flourish in a global economy. In addition to the audit, students also filmed and produced a

video documenting a week in the life of Carmel College. This team included Kate Cowan, Josh Glendenning, Francis Humble, Chloe Lubuku, Anna Shorten, George Thornton, Carmen Del Zotto and Joshua Connor.

Miranda Perry, director of World Class Schools commented, “Your students are genuinely some of the very best in the country.” The school was awarded the World Class School Quality Mark on the 6th December at Governors’ Hall, St Thomas’ Hospital by Professor Chris Bonell, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Jonathan Barras started a full time Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Level 2 Diploma with Darlington Borough Council Learning & Skills after completing his GCSEs at Hurworth School.

Jonathan had little motor vehicle experience but was keen to learn, had an excellent retention of knowledge and quickly developed his practical skills in the workshop area.

During the course Jonathan undertook work experience in two local garages and completed his Diploma course. One of the work experience placements, at S & L Autos, was so successful he was offered a Level 2 motor vehicle apprenticeship position and remained with Learning & Skills.

Jonathan was keen to progress to a main dealer garage and successfully gained an apprenticeship with Evans Halshaw as part of the Ford main dealer programme. Jonathan says, “I thoroughly enjoyed my course. Graham is a very good teacher, who supported me throughout. I received valuable experience which helped me get through my diploma to progress onto my Apprenticeship with Evans Halshaw Ford”.

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Enterprise Day

On 19th December year groups joined together to create products for our annual Christmas market. Parents, carers and members of the public were invited to join us on Thursday 20th December to purchase the products on display.

Year 7 students worked with their tutors: Miss Ambrazaitis, Mr Goodman, Mr Taylor, Mrs Lancaster, Mrs MacMurray and Miss Schweizer to plan and create a range of products to sell at the Christmas market. Students began the day by working out the costing of each item before deciding on an appropriate selling price to generate the most profit.

Students showed their ability to work together as a team, problem solve when problems arose and, of course, creativity to produce quality products. Students worked through a carousel of activities creating calendars, sweet cones, decorations and lavender snowmen.

The products produced by our amazing Year 7 students made an excess of £100 in profit! All other year groups worked tremendously hard to produce quality goods. Year 8, led by Miss Williams created pom poms, wrapping paper and reindeer sweet pots - all of which were a big success. Year 9, led by Miss Berry, created personalised Christmas baubles, Christmas cards and hot chocolate reindeers. Mrs Prescott used her baking skills with Year 10 who produced flapjacks and brownies and personalised wine goblets. Mr Henry set Year 11 the challenge of creating their scented candles and wax melts. Both the Enterprise day and the Christmas market were a tremendous success with students displaying high levels of maturity.

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World of Work Day

Longfield Academy hosted its first World of Work Day. The first event was attended by pupils in years 9 and 10 and aimed to give them a real insight into potential career options and the every changing World of Work.

Over 362 pupils were involved in the day and some of the biggest companies in the Tees Valley with in attendance to support the event. Some of the companies which supported the event were Glaxo, Newcastle Building Society, Cummins, Darlington Durham Fire station, Bhp Law, CAT and Rockcliffe Hall.

During the course of the day all pupils were given the opportunity to speak to different businesses. Pupils were able to ask them real purposeful questions, allowing them to discover much more about their company, roles and the types of qualifications and skills they needed to find employment in this sector.

Feedback from businesses was extremely positive. They felt that Longfield pupils were polite, well-mannered and really interested in the different types of occupations available.

Pupils enjoyed the experience of speaking to external companies and learning much more about different careers and opportunities available to them when they step out into the World of Work.

Some of our pupils have said:

“I found the day useful because it gave me a particular insight into some jobs I didn’t know existed. I particularly enjoyed speaking to Glaxo GSK.”

“Personally, I enjoyed being able to interact with people from different job environments. It allowed us to think about our later life and how it was applicable to our school life.”

“I really enjoyed listening to GSK. I was a amazed at the different types of jobs available at a pharmaceutical company.”

Following on from the success of this, Longfield hosted a similar day for pupils in years 7 & 8 on 16th January 2019. The event again was a massive success with over 372 pupils given the opportunity to speak to some of the Tees Valley largest businesses.

Extraordinary Discovery

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Rising Star Ups Sticks

A talented hockey player has received a county call up after playing the sport for just three months.

Year 10 Haughton Academy pupil Alex Tweddle has been selected for the Under 17s County Durham Hockey Team.

The 14 year old, who previously played for Darlington Football Academy, upped sticks and switched sports after his talent was spotted by Haughton Academy PE teacher and former Royal Military Police, Corporal Nicholas Glynne-Jones.

“I started playing hockey at a similar age to Alec and progressed to play for North Nottingham, the army hockey team, the tri-service team and Darlington Hockey Club,” said Mr Glynne-Jones.

“I could see straight away during PE lessons at school that Alex has talent; he has speed, is good on the ball and gets round people quickly. His impressive football skills were easily transferable to the hockey pitch”.

Alf Hall, a History student from Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, has discovered a 10,000-year-old aurochs horn whilst walking his dog along the River Ure in Wensleydale.

Aurochs are an extinct species of large cattle, similar to bison, which lived throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa until the early seventeenth century when the last recorded female died in the Jaktorów Forest, Poland.

Alf had his finding professionally identified and dated by the Natural History Museum in London before bringing it to College to show his classmates and teachers. He explains, “I was walking my dog when I noticed the top of the horn sticking out of the side of the riverbed during a time of drought in the Yorkshire Dales. I pulled it out, only to discover this magnificent, prehistoric looking artefact. After it had dried, around two days later, it revealed the membranes inside and this is when I realised it had to be something dating back to at least the Bronze Age”.

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Aspiring Chefs of the Year 2019

Four catering students from Darlington College have been named Rockliffe Hall’s “Aspiring Chefs of the Year” and will now showcase their talents at one of the dining events at the five star resort’s forthcoming Festival of Food.

Students studying Levels 2 and 3 Professional Cookery or Patisserie and Confectionary courses at the college were invited to create an aspirational three course banqueting lunch menu, inspired by the North East of England.

On Thursday 17th January a winner was announced for each of the starter, main course and dessert categories, following a cook off and judging by the three Executive Chefs from Rockliffe Hall, Richard Allen, Aaron Craig and Paul O’Hara and Steph Crooks, Brasserie Sous Chef. The judges were so impressed with the dishes that they announced a fourth winner, who will create an additional fish course at the special luncheon so guests will enjoy an extra course.

The winners:

Starter Course – Brandon Vize, 18, Catterick - Beetroot Crumbed Goats Cheese with Candied Walnuts and Parma Ham

Main Course – Michelle Goldsbury, 18, Darlington - Guinea Fowl Ballotine with Chicken and Black Pudding Mousse

Fish Course – Hannah Sloane, 17, Darlington - Monkfish wrapped in Parma Ham with Puy Lentil Ragu

Dessert Course – Jade Williams, 17, Crakehall - Brownie Baked Alaska

Entrants’ dishes had to feature local produce and were judged on their composition, taste, presentation and suitability for a banquet of up to 120.

Continued...

Tor Buc

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Aspiring Chefs of the Year 2019 continued...

Brandon, Michelle, Hannah and Jade will now re-create their dishes at a winners’ luncheon, during Rockliffe Hall’s Festival of Food.

Aaron Craig, Rockliffe Hall’s New Hall Executive Chef, says: “Everyone who entered this competition created fantastic dishes and it was difficult to choose the winners, so we ended up selecting four, rather than three, to cook their dishes again at the winners’ luncheon. All the Rockliffe chefs are passionate about helping develop future chef talent and we hope this competition has helped inspire the next generation.”

Dawn Cobb-Neate, Senior Lecturer in Catering at Darlington College, says: “Darlington College is delighted to be part of the Aspiring Chefs of the Year competition. To give our students the opportunity to produce such high quality food in the presence of inspirational chefs is great to build their confidence and allow them to showcase their talents to the industry. The catering team is always seeking new opportunities to expose our students to new culinary challenges and expand their knowledge to equip them to be fantastic chefs of the future.”

Tor Buc is representing St Aidan's C of E Academy in the Durham County Cross Country Championships at Barnard Castle School. Tor finished in 1st place in the Darlington schools Cross Country event held at Wyvern Academy. Tor is also a successful Javelin thrower, sprinter and football player for Darlington Harriers and Darlington girls.

EE Project

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Darlington’s National Horizons Centre

Plans for Darlington’s National Horizons Centre are developing.

Focus groups with key stakeholders are now being held in the area to determine priorities for the National Horizons Centre (NHC), which opens this spring.

The NHC is a £22.3m state-of-the-art bioscience education, training, research and innovation facility at Teesside University’s Darlington campus on Central Park. It will house academics and business development staff from Teesside University, working in partnership with regional, national and international industry players including Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies and the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), to provide specialist education, training and professional development for the current and future workforce, and to promote industry-focused innovation and research.

Laura Woods, Director of Academic Enterprise at Teesside University, said, “The NHC will play a vital part in the University’s mission to help drive economic growth, here in the Tees Valley and nationally.”

A group of Year 8 pupils from Haughton Academy has had the fantastic opportunity to work with staff from EE in a project that will run for 6 months.

Pupils have been tasked with planning, designing and recording their own advert to encourage potential employees to apply to work at EE.

Sessions have included ice breakers, brainstorming, visits to the EE site and creating storyboards. Pupils particularly enjoyed their site visit which allowed them to have a tour of the various areas on site, meet with a variety of staff and really start to think about how they want their advert to look and what to include.

They will be visiting the EE site again to film the advert and then pupils will have the opportunity to view the finished advert at their very own premiere.

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Record Year for Oxbridge

A record seventeen students from QE have won coveted places at Oxford and Cambridge this year, building on a long tradition of progression from the college to the UK’s top universities.

The successful students, who came to QE from a range of schools across the region, have beaten intense global competition, undergoing a rigorous selection process including tough tests and challenging interviews. While their hard work is far from over, as most have to gain top A Level grades to ensure they take up their places, they are rightly celebrating a remarkable achievement.

Eight students have won places at Oxford and nine at Cambridge, for courses including Natural Sciences, History, Modern Languages, Geography, Law, Maths and Engineering.

Students aspiring to ‘Oxbridge’ and to other competitive universities are supported from their first term at college by progress tutors and by the college’s HE and Careers team, including Oxbridge Co-ordinator Simon Nicholson.

“For seventeen students to receive offers from Oxford and Cambridge is exceptional, at any school or college,” says Simon. “This fantastic outcome is the result of incredible commitment on the part of the students of the teachers who have worked so hard to support them.”

QE Principal, Tim Fisher, says of this year’s success, “We are immensely proud of these seventeen remarkable young people, each of whom has achieved something exceptional. That they represent the best year for QE at Oxbridge should come as no surprise, given the calibre and ambition of our current students, but we are delighted for them, as we are for all students who secure for themselves a better future by winning places at university.”

Thomas Williams, who came to QE from Wolsingham School and has a place at Cambridge to study History and Spanish, says, “The support I received from Simon helped me enormously and gave me some insight into what I could expect from the admissions process. It's very exciting to be given an offer and I feel I have already gained a lot just from going through the different stages of application.”

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Rainbow Flag

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The Rainbow Flag Award is a national quality assurance framework for all schools and colleges, focusing on LGBT+, (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, plus other related identities), inclusion and visibility. The Rainbow Flag Award encourages a whole organisation approach to LGBT+ inclusion, as well as developing strategies to combat LGBTphobic bullying.

Committing your school or college to the Rainbow Flag Award is a commitment to improve the lives of all the young people who you work with, as well as the LGBT+ young people in your care, those from LGBT+ families, and LGBT+ staff members.

Through a process of self-assessment and ongoing monitoring and feedback, schools and colleges are offered a variety of interventions, helping them meet set standards in each of the following areas: Skilled Teacher Supportive Governors and Parents Effective Policies Inclusive Curriculum Pastoral Support Pupil Voice

For further information please click on the link www.rainbowflagaward.co.uk

On the way to Australia

After leaving Carmel College, Chloe Pratt successfully secured an apprenticeship with Learning & Skills Service. With her hard work and commitment Chloe gained full time employment within the Housing Department at Darlington Borough Council.

Chloe has been a breath of fresh air to the service and is a valuable member of the team.

Chloe is now on her way to Australia to travel around the country and use the skills she has gained and the confidence to pursue a new life on the other side of the world.

Chloe says “My Level 3 apprenticeship with Learning & Skills has helped me begin my career pathway in Housing. Learning in the centre has allowed me to put my skills and knowledge into practise and I feel I have been fully supported throughout.”

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Hair and Beauty

A group of year 9 students from St Aidan’s C of E Academy is taking part in Level 1 Hair and Beauty at Darlington College.

All students are thoroughly enjoying their classes, and to date, have had two assessments. Students have been asked to create a model for Halloween – with pin-ups and media based make-up and have also been asked to complete another model based on eras they have been studying – this includes ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Geisha and 1970s.

Students have used their creative skills and showcased what they have learnt since starting the course with these models by designing their look in the classroom, then building their ideas with techniques learnt in the salon on mannequins/clients. For their latest assessment, students were able to complete their model look on each other.

Students have also taken part in professional make-up artist sessions, being shown how to apply make-up correctly, what products to use for appropriate timings (day/evening look) and the correct tools to use to apply make-up with.

Students in the group have grown in confidence since the start of term and are now able to work on each other as clients in the salon confidently, helping build their knowledge and understanding of customer service expectations in a client based environment.

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Pupils raise the Bar

Returning students raised the bar as they were presented with honours to recognise their success by a gold medal winning gymnast.

Former Year 11 pupils at Haughton Academy, were praised at an award ceremony to reward effort and achievement by Commonwealth gold medalist and Olympic finalist Craig Heap. The glittering ceremony, attended by parents, carers, teachers and governors, saw the returning GCSE pupils acknowledged for their accomplishments in a host of subject areas alongside awards for positive attitude, behaviour, resilience, determination, attendance, leadership, spirit, kindness and outstanding conduct.

Craig, who won 14 British championship titles, competed in five European and five World championships, retired from gymnastics in 2002 and now works as a commentator for BBC and Sky sport. “Life isn’t easy, if it was we would all get grade 9s in our exams, we would all be Olympic athletes, we would all have great jobs and loads of money – but life isn’t like that,” he said. “Life is about getting out there, seizing your chances, saying yes to opportunities and putting in the effort to succeed. I congratulate everyone here tonight for their efforts and urge them all to continue to be the best they can be, to dare to be different and seize each and every opportunity.”

High achievers of the evening were students Liberty Easton and Bethany Higgins who each celebrated a hat-trick of honours. Liberty, 16, who collected awards for attainment in drama and effort in English literature and music, is currently studying biology, geography and geology at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. “I was very surprised to win three awards,” said Bethany who hopes to become a petroleum geologist. “I really enjoyed my time at Haughton Academy, especially the extra curricular activities like singing, music and sports leadership and its lovely to come back to have the chance to catch up with everybody.”

Continued...

The next issue of the 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter will be published in May 2019. If you have anything you

would like to be featured in the next issue, please send text and photos to:

reshma.begum@darlington.gov.uk by Friday 3rd May 2019.

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Pupils raise the Bar continued...

Bethany, 16, was presented with the Haughton Academy conduct award by academy governor Dr Leslie Fox alongside awards for attainment in English literature and effort in Spanish.

“Its lovely to be recognised at an award ceremony like this,” said Bethany, who is studying biology, maths and psychology at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. “I tried to work really hard throughout my five years at Haughton Academy, always managing to reach my target grades, and I was really pleased with my GCSE results, especially my three grade 9s.”

Congratulating the students, academy principal Jonathan Lumb, who hosted the event alongside assistant principals Fiona Campbell and Steve Flynn, added, “Tonight is always one of the best nights of the year for Haughton Academy. Most of the students here this evening have been with us for over five years and it is wonderful to see them back here after producing such fantastic GCSE results in the summer.”