News Page

Blackfriars and Coppice Federation

It has recently been announced that there is a proposal to join Blackfriars School and The Coppice School in a federation. You can read more about it in a letter from Clive Lilley here. There is a FAQ sheet from the LEA here and the article from The Sentinel here.

End of Summer Term

It's now the end of the Summer Term and it's now the Summer Holidays.

We are sad to be saying 'good bye' to all the pupils, students and staff who are leaving us this year and wish them all well for the future.

If you want to read a bit about the staff who are retiring, please check out July 2008's newsletter available to the right.

Further Education Department's Leavers Arrive in Style!

Some of the students who are leaving Blackfriars Further Education Department arrived in style in a stretch limo!

See the photos in the Gallery.

12/4's Trip to the Churnet Valley Railway

On Wednesday 2nd July, group 12/4 went to the Churnet Valley Railway, where we experienced a ride on a steam train. We started our journey at Kingsley and Froghall station where the Station's staff were really helpful. We first had a drink in the Station Cafe.
The Station Staff then helped us get on the train. Students in their wheelchairs were pushed up ramps to get into the carrage they were travelling in.
We really enjoyed the journey looking at the countryside and at the boats on the canal. We travelled through Consall, Cheddleton and through to Leekbrook and then back to Froghall Station.

When we got back to Froghall, we went to Froghall Wharf where we had a picnic and we watched the canal boats.

We had a great day and can recommend a visit to the Churnet Valley Railway.

Photos are in the Gallery.

Blackfriars Special School, in Bucknall, has been given an undisclosed sum from modular building supplier Portakabin.

The company gave the donation to celebrate the opening of a new hire centre in King Street, Fenton.

And the cash will go towards providing equipment for a new double classroom block, which Portakabin is supplying.

Mervyn Silk, manager at the hire centre, said: "We have been working with Blackfriars Special School for the last few months now, and we are due to deliver a brand new classroom building in the summer holidays, to avoid any disruption to the students.

"The building we are supplying will provide extra teaching space for students. The work the school does is invaluable to the students, so I hope our donation helps to provide some of the equipment it needs to get the best use out of the new facility."

Jackie Onions, director of specialisms at Blackfriars School, said: "The new building will be a fantastic asset to the school and our students, but the equipment is equally important too. We are really grateful for the donation.

"Our new classrooms will provide space for learners aged between 16 and 21, who all have a disability.

"Some have more profound and multiple learning difficulties, but this new space means they will be able to access other aspects of the vocational curriculum including, horticulture, manufacturing, ICT and performing arts."

From the Sentinel 25/06/08

Marathon of the Sands

Richard Weremiuk, who is the son of one of our Teaching Assistants, has run The Marathon des sables (MDS) (Marathon of the sands).

This is a 6 day ultra marathon. The exact course and distance are kept secret until the night before the event, but is typically around 254 km (156 mi), which is an equivalent to 6 regular marathons. The longest single stage is up to 84 km (52 miles) long. All competitors must carry all their food and equipment. The event is held every year in the southern Moroccan desert (Sahara). It is considered the toughest foot race on Earth.

Richard has generously decided to be sponsored to raise money for our School.

You can read about his progress here.

Blackfriars Recipe Book

Blackfriars FE Department has produced its very own recipe book and it is now available to buy at the staggeringly reasonable price of only £5! If you would like to buy a copy give us a ring on 01782-296300 and we can make arrangements for you to pick one up from our reception area or alternatively have it posted out to you for an additional £2 p+p.

The book contains 40 original recipes, all created by the students with the help of their teacher, Alison Moss and teaching assistant Linda Johnson, in the Independent Living Skills Department. All of the recipes have been made by our students and are regularly served to customers in our Cyber Café which opens up to the public one day a week. The book is in full colour with wipe-clean pages and is in a stand up flip-over style. The introduction page will give you more details about how the book came to be published.

Have a look at our sampler copy and see what you think – we’re sure you’ll be impressed!

Alison Moss

Independent Living Skills Teacher

Industry Week at Bucknall

During the week of 25th February - 29th February students were able to visit and experience various aspects of work outside of college.

Visits were made to the Fire Service, a pottery, a brewery, Cadbury World and a shopping centre. Students were visited in college by the Police and undertook some football training.

We were also visited by members of the local business community and staff and students from other local schools and colleges.

Photos are in the Gallery

Within Staffordshire there are a number of "Specialist" schools aiming to raise standards in their chosen specialism in partnership with their sponsors, other schools and the community at large.

Here at Blackfriars School and F E College we are keen to share our training facilities with your business or company to help your organisation to grow and develop, no matter how big or small.

In partnership with the other secondary schools in the area we have developed a brochure illustrating the facilities and training that can be made available to your business. Included on these pages is a menu of facilities that are available at Blackfriars School and F E College.

This offer is not meant to compete with local business but to support and complement your companies training needs. Any charges will be to cover the cost of staffing and materials only.

If you are interested in using any of these facilities or would like to discuss your requirements, please contact Will Dimmock, 01782 296300

Students to get First Aid Training

From the Sentinel Wednesday 30/01/08: Children at a special school are to receive lessons in first aid. Asthma, insect bites, bleeding and burns are among the 25 conditions students at Blackfriars Special School, in Newcastle, will be taught to treat.

The school, in Priory Road, is one of ten places across North Staffordshire to win a resource pack for seven to sixteen-year-olds from St John Ambulance.

Teacher Karen Emmens said:"We will be using it with all our pupils as it's so flexible in its content and presentation."

St John Ambulance had 100 packs to give away.

Schools had to write in and describe how their pupils would benefit.

Mel Harley, youth commissioner for St John Ambulance Staffordshire, said: "First aid saves lives, and young people can make a real difference by learning these skills."

Stoke station saw eight of our Y11 students gather on platform 1 ready for the 10:50 to London Euston. We had two minutes to board the train but with the help of the station staff this was achieved successfully. From Euston it was a short roll to the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square. Once checked in and refreshed our intrepid group set out through the cold London rain to explore the delights of the British Museum. That evening the group divided into twos and threes and took themselves to the self service restaurant where they ate as much as they liked. Fed and refreshed we retired to our rooms ready for the next day. Friday morning saw the bright eyed group tumble down for breakfast in their own time and at their own pace. Nathan ate a continental breakfast as an aperitif and then went and bought a full-English as well. At 10.20 dial a ride came to collect us and we were speedily transported through the famous streets of the Old Smoke towards South Kensington and the Natural History Museum. Each pupil was given £5 to buy lunch and sent of in small groups to explore. The staff were able to keep themselves available to everyone using the Secondary Department Mobile phone, the youngsters calling on their own mobiles when they needed advice or assistance. The groups were closely supported and independent at the same time. At 5.15 we were whisked from the cold January rain and conducted back to the Hotel. As we passed through Piccadilly Circus Christabel exclaimed – “Oh look, it’s the Statue of Liberty”, Eros will never seem the same again.

The Hotel had four integrated restaurants that had an inside-hotel entrance and an external façade. From the street they looked like all the other restaurants. We gave pupils £10 each and let them choose the restaurant and time of their meal. The only stipulation was that they let the staff know (using the mobile) where abouts they where, and that a minimum group size was three, and also that they did not leave the Hotel complex. Some students ate Chinese, some had Indian and others ate English. The staff were available at a moments notice but in every respect the pupils conducted themselves independently.

After eating a small group went for a walk along the streets near Russell Square, they enjoyed (or suffered) stories of Pubs where a dozen cloned fat men played pub games such as ashtray football using their bellies to bounce the tables. This is true. They saw Italians rub shoulders with Japanese and Germans, Spanish and Scandinavians. They saw homeless huddled in doorways off the cobbled streets and heard the music and smelled the smells from a hundred foreign climes. This was London.

Saturday morning started with cold bright sunshine and after breakfasting and booking out, our tribe left their cases at left luggage. Dial a ride brought us to Covent Garden Tube Station. The girls divided into three groups and set off with their handbags at the ready determined to shop hard and catch a bargain. Dan and Nathan set off at a brisk pace for a short walk that included: The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, Downing Street, The Houses of Parliament, The Tate at County Hall, The London Eye, St Martin’s Crypt, The Salisbury Arms (For Lunch), Leicester Square, China Town, Rupert Street in Soho, then back to Covent Garden Market for cakes and coffee.
All of us took care by the street entertainers – so many stories of pickpockets and tricksters – and how good was the street entertainment, blues guitar, A Chinese group playing traditional instruments, living statues; Gandalf, The Green Man, A Bronze Cockney. Inside the Garden a unicyclist rode ten feet high while he juggled and joshed in his “sauf landan” accent. Someone had strung a rope high between the pillars of St Paul’s Church and a strange man with a huge bottom, tights and a too small shirt wobbled his way from one side to the other. In the sunken plaza a string quartet played Mozart.
All too soon it was time to go.

Back at the Hotel we had time to sit and relax in the easy chairs that were grouped at the back of the foyer before setting off for a short walk to Euston. Once again the youngsters split into small groups in the food court and went off to refuel.

Adequately refreshed and loaded down we boarded the train on platform 12 and back to Stoke-on-Trent.

Chris Hughes Y11 Form Tutor

Photos are in the Gallery

TRAVEL TRAINING

On December 4 th / 5 th 8 students from Blackfriars School FE Dept organised a trip to Blackpool as part of their Travel Training course. During the course, students are required to take various forms of public transport and be able to act appropriately and recognise key information and keep themselves safe.

The group left the FE Dept at 10am and caught the bus to Hanley. We travelled to Blackpool on the National Express coach and students were helped to identify the right coach from their tickets. On arriving at Blackpool at 5pm we had a short walk to the seafront, but the cold wind soon had us finding a Fish & Chip supper. We had hoped to catch the tram up to the Bed & Breakfast but the lines were up so we eventually arrived at our destination at 8pm after a cold wait for a bus.

Full English Breakfast at 8.30am is a very civilised way to get up. The train home to Stoke left Blackpool at 11.11am. The Taxi’s were ordered for 10.30am so there was no need to be in a mad rush. Chorley line works provided a sore point that meant that we missed our connection at Stockport and arrived at Stoke on Trent at 2pm.

In 2 days the students had been on a bus, coach, taxi and train. For some of our students this was the first time and the 2 days passed without any serious problems. The biggest problem was finding a jar of rock for Ali before the train left. The only form of public transport left is the aeroplane but I will leave that for a braver member of staff.

Thanks to Andy, Kate, Jan for support during the 2 days.

Simon

Photos are in the Gallery.

Children In Need at the FE Department

On Friday 16/11/07, students and staff at the FE department dressed up and had a sponsored bowling competition. So far over £250 has been raised!

Photos are in the Gallery.