If you have walked across the Northern boundary of the school site in recent months, you will have seen and possibly walked on the new public footpath constructed by Bowmer & Kirkland.

Previously, access from Pear Tree drive to Common lane was via an undefined footpath following a rambling route through brambles and bushes.

The new footpath has created much easier access on a compacted stone path, with the vegetation cut well back to aid movement along the route.

In time the boundary fence for the Academy and Stubbin Wood will be brought closer to the line of the footpath. 

Bowmer & Kirkland have done a great job and we hope the community get some really good use out of this new amenity.

Are you a local community group or do you provide a service to the Shirebrook community?

Shirebrook Academy Community Fun Day
Saturday 7^th July 2012, 12.00-4.00pm

In July 2011 Shirebrook Academy opened its doors to the community with its first annual Community Fun Day. Over 1500 people attended the event, enjoying a variety of activities including bouncy castles, a climbing wall, family learning workshops, live music and much more.

We are now in the process of planning our second Community Fun Day. This community event aims to encourage local residents, families and young people to engage in a wide range of sports, games, play, youth, cultural, art and most importantly, fun activities at the Academy. It is hoped that the second Academy Community Fun Day will be an ideal community vehicle that brings together a multitude of partners in our local neighbourhood that can work together to promote a wide range of information and services to local people in a positive and relaxed way.

SUPPORT:
We would really welcome your support at the second Academy Community Fun Day by using the event to promote your services and maybe as a tool to engage and interact with the Shirebrook Community at a fun event. There will be many activities and opportunities throughout the day, and we would welcome your support where you feel it most appropriate.

Please can you return the booking form no later than FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2012.

We hope you will agree that this is a fantastic opportunity for us all to showcase the services we provide in an interactive way at the event. If you would like to discuss any ideas about what you can deliver before returning the booking form please do not hesitate to contact us.

Partner booking form 2012

There is just over a week until the Sport Relief Mile heads to Shirebrook and it’s not too late to enter.  On Sunday 25^th March the event will take place on the pit tip trails at the back of Sports Direct.  You don’t have to be sporty to take part and you can choose to walk, jog or run 1, 3 or 6 miles knowing that all the money raised will help to change the lives of people living unimaginably tough lives right here on our doorstep, across the rest of the UK and in some the world’s poorest countries.  So why not participate with your family or your mates, enter the Mile by going to www.sportrelief.com and search the Shirebrook Mile.

Additional activities will also be taking place on the day which includes the Extreme Wheels Team, sports activities, a raffle and various stalls promoting health and physical activity.  What you waiting for, do something amazing and sign up today.

F.L.A.R.E was selected as it is a pun on the word ’Flair’ which all students need in order to succeed in English and because it also links to the forthcoming Olympic games and to the symbolic Olympic torch.

During the week, each year group had a special F.L.A.R.E assembly with presentations linked to Literacy delivered by Lindsay Ward (AST/Literacy leader) and James Edwards (Teacher of MFL/ Literacy leader) and  were also entertained by outstanding F.L.A.R.E dance performances by highly talented Y10/Y11 BTEC Dance students: Natalie Cooper, Helena Burdett, Leah Key, Shannon Unwin and Charley Darby.

On Monday 24 February, Year 11 student, Danny Butler read ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ to an entranced group of over 60 students in the Library whilst on Tuesday, professional storyteller Pete Davis came into Shirebrook Academy, to instruct students on the ‘Art of Storytelling’ during Tuesday afternoon.

Also on Tuesday, students from Stubbin Wood, accompanied by their teacher Eloise Barnett and Teaching assistants, worked with Year 8 set 1 and Year 11 students, to produce some outstanding F.L.A.R.E canvases linked to Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’.

Year 9 Literacy leaders also created some amazing pieces of F.L.A.R.E artwork during the week and were able to develop the skills they need in order to formally achieve their qualification in the summer.

Year 10 participated in a balloon release on Thursday afternoon.  Each student in the year group was provided with a balloon and tag on which they wrote a message about the importance of Literacy. At 3pm, the whole year group released their balloons in unison in front of the Academy and it was a beautiful sight to witness 170 balloons with 170 Literacy messages soaring up into the air to hopefully reach someone in Shirebrook or the wider community beyond!

Friday was the ‘Grand Finale’ of Literacy week: the Character Costume day! Each member of staff and a substantial number of students were dressed in a costume linked to a novel allocated to each department and year group. It was an amazing sight to behold and the staff and students loved it!

Year 9, who were dressed as characters from ‘Robin Hood’ were the winning year group as they had the largest number of students in costume but the winning form (the one with the most students in costume) was 11AG who were dressed as characters from ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’.

The Maths department won the prize for best effort with work and corridor displays as the entire department was revamped into Baker Street linked to their novel,  ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

However, the winning department for effort with costumes, as chosen by SLT, was Humanities who were characters from ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’.

All students who had participated during the week or those selected by Heads of Department and Heads of Year attended the Literacy Showcase during Friday afternoon and were treated to a lovely buffet and awarded their prizes.

The event was also attended by the students and staff from Stubbin Wood , who had created canvases earlier in the week, and they  were dressed smartly in costumes linked to the Year 8 theme of James Bond!

There were numerous poetry and creative writing readings by a variety of students, vocal performances by Key stage 4 music students and guitar performances by Luke Hatton, an outstanding guitarist in Year 11.

Prizes were awarded to the winners of the Academy’s Creative writing competition (which had over 250 entries) and to those students who had made significant contributions to Literacy week and these were presented by Julie Bloor, Principal of the Academy.

It was an amazing event and a true celebration of the week’s events and both students’ and staff’s successes in Literacy. It proved that Shirebrook Academy truly has literacy at its heart and that it has a ‘F.L.A.R.E’ for improving standards in education!

Whilst most people are gearing up for the London Olympics, last week Shirebrook Academy students celebrated six months to the beginning of an equally important event due to take place in London this summer, the Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Awareness week allowed students of all ages to gain an insight into the types of disability sports which will feature in the games, and in doing so experience participating in sports with a disability of their own. Competing in sports such as Boccia, Goalball, Table Cricket, Seated Hockey and Seated Volleyball, students simulated many forms of disability such as cerebral palsy, blindness and mobility problems.

Students from years 8, 9 and 12 were fortunate to meet and share the experiences of elite British Paralympians in two special assemblies. First of all Martin Mansell, former Great Britain Swimmer, shared his experiences of competing in the 1988 Seoul Paralympics. The students took inspiration as Martin told his story of how he faced the challenges of cerebral palsy to win 9 medals, including 3 gold! This was followed by a visit from Leon Taylor, current Goalkeeper for the Great Britain 7 a-side football team, who also shared his more recent experiences of competing in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Leon, who also has cerebral palsy, gave the students a motivational insight into competing at an elite level and achieving your dreams. Leon is hoping to be selected for the 2012 Games this Summer- watch this space!

The week long curriculum programme for all students culminated in an exceptional day of wheelchair basketball. Students from all year groups were selected to attend a skills session where they learned how to use a wheelchair effectively for sports performance, before putting their skills to the test by playing basketball. The sessions, led by Ian Richards, coach at Mansfield Giants Basketball Club, we’re not only tremendous fun, but also allowed the students to realise the immense skill and endurance of wheelchair based athletes such as basketball players. Even the staff had a go as students were treated to an exhibition match at lunch against Post 16 Sports students, obviously a game which the staff won convincingly!

A great week, and hopefully a week where awareness for disability sports, and the Paralympics were raised- thanks to all who took part!

A Gilbert

Below is a report written by GCSE students Niall Morley, Lauren Wilkes, Summer Bentley, Adam Ward and Elliot Edmunds relating to some of the activities during the week.

Schools across England that are engaged with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were invited to apply for a grant of up to £8,800. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have worked closely with the Department for Education, who are funding the scheme, called ‘Plan your 2012’. Plan your 2012 offers schools that join the London 2012 ‘Get Set network’ reward and recognition scheme the chance to share their passion for the Games, inspiring and engaging
 

Shirebrook Academy is a member of the Get Set network and is one of 174 schools who have been awarded a grant, selected from more than 580 schools who applied.

The grant will fund two projects. One which focuses on developing leadership skills of students at Shirebrook Academy and a second which will see every school in Bolsover receive a day of activities based on the theme of the Olympic and Paralympic values.

LOCOG Chair, Seb Coe said: ‘We are delighted to be working even more closely with DfE, and the Plan your 2012 programme of grants will mean that more schools and more young people can be inspired by and benefit from local leadership and best practice in their area.

‘Members of the Get Set network, like Shirebrook academy, are brilliant advocates for London 2012 – demonstrating what a positive difference linking learning to the Games can make to young people.

‘Participating in Plan your 2012 gives engaged schools a fantastic opportunity to take the lead in supporting other schools and their local community, enabling them to make the most of London 2012.’

Children’s Minister, Tim Loughton said: ‘Sport can bring out the best in everyone and the London 2012 Games is a great opportunity for us to inspire a generation of young people. Through funding for Get Set we are helping schools spread the Olympic and Paralympic Values across their local communities, as well as providing more opportunities for competitive sport. 

‘It’s really encouraging to see so many schools keen to take part – from a primary setting up a local league for Olympic sports to a secondary school arranging a Cultural Olympiad. With Get Set and Plan your 2012 we are giving schools the chance to create their own legacy that will last far beyond 2012.’

Get Set is the official London 2012 education programme for schools and colleges across the UK. More than 23,500 schools have already registered with the programme. It provides students and teachers with access to free resources including films, activity ideas and fact sheets to support young people to explore the Olympic and Paralympic Values and play their part in the London 2012 Games.

Over 16,700 have gone one step further to join the Get Set network reward and recognition scheme by demonstrating their commitment to living the Olympic and Paralympic Values. Members of the network receive a plaque, certificate, and use of the London 2012 education logo. Plus, they are automatically entered into regular prize draws to win tours of the Olympic Park as well as visits from athletes and the London 2012 mascots.

JUNCTION ARTS PROJECT OLD SCHOOL IS RECOGNISED BY LONDON 2012 INSPIRE PROGRAMME

 Junction Arts: a participatory arts organisation delivering exceptional arts projects in the East Midlands for over 30 years.

 Old School Junction Arts latest project has been granted the Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme. Project participants are pupils from Stubbin Wood Special School and Shirebrook Academy.

The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovation and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Old School will actively promote the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. The young participants will work together to create an excellent and high quality archive and resource.

Old School is a creative project involving pupils and staff in the creation of an archive and contemporary record of the current Shirebrook Academy (currently a new school is being built, due to open Easter 2013).

This is a pilot being developed with Shirebrook Academy and Stubbin Wood Special School. A small team of young people from each school will work together to collect oral histories from pupils, teaching and support staff from the past and present day and the wider community. The stories will form an exhibition, together with portrait photographs of the interviewees and be shown in the old and new schools and other cultural venues. We will encourage both schools to use the information collected as a teaching resource to aid the curriculum.

“This project will be shared with Stubbin Woods partner school in China and we are also investigating opportunities for a ‘Project Exchange’, delivery of the project in the Chinese School.” Jane Wells Junction Arts Old School project co-ordinator.

Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “The Inspire programme is ensuring the legacy of the 2012 Games starts now as projects like Old School are enabling people in the Bolsover District to make positive life changes.”

The pupils we well behaved and it was lovely to see them working together and helping each other to do their best, and enjoying Maths in a different environment.  Congratulations must be given to all those that took part, staff and students alike!