#DACA NEWS #community #business #STAND OUT #entrepreneurship
SUMMER 2013
Sharing the entrepreneurial spirit of Darwen
Record
results
for DACA
PAGE #10
Enterprising
students
compete to win
PAGE #15
Sports + key
skills = winning
formula
PAGE #06
Young people
in business
with Darwen
Creates
PAGE #04
Arty
Academy
students
PAGE #11
Fashion,
fun and
fundraising
to kill cancer
READ MORE ON PAGE #02
PAGE #11
Teachers ‘on
their bikes’
for charity
PAGE #02
Studio
school
opens
#NEWS
DACA Achieves Record Breaking
A Level Results
Staff and students at Darwen Aldridge
Community Academy were once again
celebrating a record breaking set of A
Level results.
For the first time in our history, the overall
A Level pass rate reached 100%, with 26%
of A Level results without equivalent being
A* or A grades.
This year’s results have again seen
improvements in almost every measure,
including the average points scores per
student and per entry.
Principal Brendan Loughran said: ‘We are
delighted with the results of the class of
2013. Credit goes to the students who
have worked extremely hard to gain
02
the best set of results achieved at the
Academy and to all of the staff who have
supported them along the way’.
Another first for us is one of our students
progressing to the University of Oxford.
Khushna Sulaman-Butt was celebrating
securing her place at St Edmund Hall
College, Oxford to read Fine Art.
One student, James Hurst will now
progress to Edge Hill University to read
Physical Education and School Sport, he
said: ‘I cannot thank DACA enough for
what you have helped me to achieve. I
am really looking forward to moving on
to University and feel that I now have the
skills and confidence to do really well!’
STUDIO
NEWS
The plans for the new Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio are fast
ry
becoming a reality, with the new school set to open in its tempora
are
walls
The
er.
Septemb
in
Centre
neurship
Entrepre
the
home in
now in place with some fantastic creative signage, and new furniture
and IT equipment has been delivered over the summer.
The Studio is opening with Year 10 and Year 12 students from across
Blackburn with Darwen, and will be offering GCSEs and A Levels with
a focus on Creative Digital and Business-related subjects. In addition
to their traditional learning, all students will also get a weekly
professional work placement (half a day per week in Years 10 & 11,
and two days per week in Years 12 & 13) which will be related to
their studies or career aspirations. We have secured work placements
with a number of local employers including Capita, Crown Paints,
Forbes Solicitors and Lucite.
Every student will also have their own Personal Coach who will
meet with them weekly and support them with all aspects of their
progress. We have so far appointed two Coaches, Anna McKenzie and
Des Wilson, who will start in September.
The whole Studio, staff and students, will be kicking off 2013-14 with
a residential trip to Ambleside on 4th & 5th September. We will be
taking part in a number of team-building activities, including raft
building and racing, high ropes and kayaking.
From September 2014, the Studio will be based at the historic former
Model Lodging House on Police Street in Darwen. We have been
awarded £4.1m by the government to refurbish and extend the site,
and the design for the building has now been completed.
summer 2013
ANOTHER NEW GCSE
record for DACA
Students and staff at Darwen Aldridge
Community Academy (DACA) are celebrating a
new record high GCSE pass rate for the fourth
consecutive year.
The percentage of students gaining the
government’s ‘gold standard’ of five or more
GCSE grades at A*-C including Maths and
English has risen to 64 per cent, the best
ever achieved.
The percentage of students gaining five or
more GCSE A*-C grades overall has also once
again out-performed national averages with
students achieving a 99 per cent pass rate.
In mathematics, 73 per cent of students
achieved a grade C or better and the result
was identical in English with 73 per cent of
students also achieving a grade C or better.
last week, the GCSE achievements are the
culmination of a superb year.”
Principal Brendan Loughran said: “These results
confirm what Ofsted told us earlier in 2013, that
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy is a good
school, and is heading towards outstanding
status. After a great set of A Level results
“It is important to look at what the results say
in terms of the levels of progress being made
in school and we are delighted that once
again our students are making progress well
above the national averages, particularly in
mathematics and English”.
More Awards
for DACA
This year we have continued to pick up further great achievements.
We have received the award for Innovative and Effective
Governance and the award for Partnerships with the Wider
Community at the IAA Best Practice Awards 2012/2013.
We have also gained the European Foundation for Quality
Management (EFQM): Education Commitment Marque (2013).
These are great additions to our Enterprising Britain Judges’ Special
Award which we received in 2012 and the IAA Best Practice Awards
for Innovative Academy of the Year last year.
DACA 7th most
improved
school in UK
e body the
by schools representativ
DACA was commended
GCSE
ing
rov
imp
t
tes
fas
the
e of
SSAT for achieving som
results in the country.
ional
re told it had gained nat
Bosses at the school we
ools in
sch
of
t
cen
per
20
top
recognition as one of the
-year from its GCSE results year-on
England by improving
2009 to 2012.
the academy
an said he was pleased
Principal Brendan Loughr
ition.
had received the recogn
top 20 per
g the significance of the
He said that after queryin
ually in
act
s
wa
y
dem
aca
the
to learn
cent, he was delighted
y.
ntr
cou
roved schools in the
the top seven most imp
d school by
be judged to be a goo
“We were delighted to
tinue to sustain
con
we
if
t
tha
we know
Ofsted in January and
ambition to
our
e
ults, we will achiev
our improvements in res
nding.”
be recognised as outsta
CA should
cutive of SSAT said: “DA
Sue Williamson, chief exe
roving
imp
in
stunning achievement
be congratulated for its
its GCSE results.
t schools in the
lf to be one of the bes
“DACA has proved itse
dents.”
SE outcomes for its stu
country at improving GC
03
#NEWS
Lights,
Camera,
Action!
04
DACA GLEE
Glee Club, now in its third highly
successful year, is a Performing Artsbased activity week in the summer
holidays for 8-12 year olds.
The week covers sessions in singing and dancing and
culminates in a fantastic showcase on the final day, giving
parents and friends the opportunity to see what their talented
children have been working on all week!
Students from all years took part in this year’s Musical
Extravaganza – Willy Russell’s ‘Our Day Out’.
The story tells of Mrs Kay’s progress class – (they’re the ones who
never pass!) who are taken on a fun day out, but unfortunately
they are joined by the terrifying Mr Briggs – who is determined to
spoil the fun!
The cast gave superb performances on both nights – gaining high
praise from the audience.
All students worked tirelessly to ensure that the show was as
professional as it could be and their hard work really paid off.
Mrs Dean, Miss Hyde and Miss Cooper are extremely proud of
all the cast.
Special mention must go to staff performers Miss Pilkington and
Mr Stansbie who were fabulous in their roles! Also huge thanks to
the site staff and IT technicians for their help and support.
This year was as fabulous as ever, with a total of 21 song and
dance numbers being rehearsed and preformed in just five days!
Glee Club is run by a
team of volunteers
known as the New
Generations; these are
highly motivated and
hard-working young
people who began
three years ago with an
idea to do something
positive for their local
community during their
summer holidays.
The week is assisted and supervised by Vicky Rothwell and
Rachel Toner. Vicky and Rachel are the faces behind two strong
and thriving Darwen Performing Arts Schools; Dance Crazy
Theatre School and
P.R. Music Tuition.
The children and
the staff all had a
great time and we are
looking forward to
many more great years
of Glee Club.
www.pr-musictuition.co.uk
www.dancecrazytheatreschool.moonfruit.com
summer 2013
Best-selling
author,
Dan Freedman,
visits DACA
DACA showcases talent
in the arts
Every year we celebrate the Arts with our summer exhibition and
show and this year was no exception with a wonderful evening
of dance and drama against the backdrop of the fine art and
photography exhibition.
Dan Freedman, who wrote the
Jamie Johnson series of football
novels, visited students at the
Academy to talk about his experienc
es.
The books tell the story of Jamie
Johnson, a
schoolboy who dreams of being a
footballer.
Mr Freedman discussed his journey
from hating reading as a child
to becoming a sports journalist and
touring with the English team
during the 2002 and 2006 World
Cups, as part of his role as editor
for the FA website.
The student show is a fantastic
showcase for all the arts here at
DACA and apart from the opportunity
to enjoy a lovely summer evening
of entertainment, creative and
performing arts students finally get
to experience how, when all the
disciplines are showcased together,
magic happens.
Music students sang and played
to the visitors to the art and
photography exhibition and dancers
literally sprang out of artworks to an
amazed and delighted audience.
The art and photography exhibition shows work from all of our
GCSE Art and Photography GCSE and A Level students. The variety
this year was fantastic, film, sculpture and fashion design all
contributed to making an exhibition of the highest standard.
05
Mr Freedman, who is also a freelance
sports journalist, spoke to
the students about life as an auth
or and discussed how he was
unsuccessful as a professional foot
baller but turned it around into
something positive by becoming a
sports journalist.
The students were really excited and
encouraged to ask questions.
His inspirational message of the impo
rtance of literacy will
encourage students to read more
books and not be afraid to strive
to make the most of their abilities.
Darwen Aldridge
Community Academy -
new prospectus
out now, pick up your
copy from reception
#DARWEN CREATES
NEW ON THE
BRIDGE
J K SAIL
Creates in the
Hello, my name is Jacob Knowles and I am the founder of JK
Sail. We are a new brand of cost effective sailing, boating and
outdoor equipment.
Our aim is ultimately to provide more people opportunities in
sailing by informing communities of opportunities in their area,
supporting the clubs with marketing and making our products
convenient, affordable and cost effective. Currently I am in the
process of starting up the business by building the website and
fine tuning products. I am looking to launch fully in autumn 2013.
Over the past few months building JK Sail has opened up huge
opportunities such as pitching to Dragon’s Den entrepreneur, Peter
Jones CBE, and I am looking forward to the future.
06
So if you are interested in sailing or you are sailing club
looking for some support, give JK Sail a call or send an e-mail
to see how we can support you.
Twitter: @SailingJK
Facebook: facebook.com/jksail
E-mail: [email protected]
STUDENT BUSINESS
A pair of teenage bakers hope their new cupcake business will be a
recipe for success supplying schools across Lancashire.
Joe Jones and Jess Davies set up ‘A Piece of Cake’ confectionery firm
and have high hopes for the future.
Both are students at Darwen Aldridge Community
Academy Sixth Form and have received support from
Darwen Creates.
Joe, 17, of Preston, said: “We both have a passion for
baking. We spoke to Katherine Taylor at Darwen Creates
and she gave us some ideas and we came up with a
business plan.”
The pair were given a £1,000 grant from the Youth
Enterprise Fund to help start their business.
Jess said: “We are working on a contract to supply DACA
and then look at targeting other schools. We want to
take on children in schools whose baking would be sold
in the school.
“That way, the students would get work experience and
the school would have produce made on the premises.”
Joe and Jess are very ambitious and have great plans for
the future of the business.
community
Darwen Creates was given £1,000 from the Youth Development Fund to
offer a young student real business experience and valuable training.
Harry Eastham, 15 of Darwen, has spent 4 weeks over the summer
working for Start2Market from one of the offices in the Academy’s
business centre.
The work experience included intensive training in website
development as well as learning how to run a business.
Harry was then tasked with designing and developing a bespoke
website for local charity Derwent Hall.
Harry said “I have always been interested in website development
and after doing previous work experience in graphic design I was
excited about this opportunity. I am really enjoying using my design
skills in a new way and the training from James Cox at Start2Market
has been fantastic.”
“Learning about how he created the Start2Market business has been
brilliant and I am now looking to start my own business with the
help of Darwen Creates.”
The project came about after Julie Brindle of Derwent Hall contacted
Darwen Creates, Julie explains “We really wanted to showcase the
amazing offer we have here at Derwent Hall and thought a website
would be the perfect way for us to do this.”
“We are very grateful to Darwen Creates for making this happen
because although we have very close links with our community, not
everyone knows that we are a charity or that we have lots of different
services to offer. We are really excited about getting the website and
being able to showcase that.”
summer 2013
Entrepreneurial
Action
DACA Mum, Emma Ball gives a
round up what’s been happening
in the community this Summer.
SUMMER IN
EXPOSED! DARWEN
Working in partnership with
businesses can bring about
great opportunities for students.
The Business and Vocational Department have teamed
up with a representative from Graham and Brown to relaunch the DACA shop.
Jason McIlvenny from Graham and Brown visited the
Academy to see our shop, he gave suggestions to revamp
the shop and to regain student interest in the project.
Jason also offered to host a visit to Graham and Brown so
that volunteer students can learn more about retail and to
get some new ideas to freshen up the shop space.
Volunteer students have already begun to open up the
shop at breaks and lunchtimes and we are seeking out
more volunteers to really get this project on its feet. We
are in the process of arranging a visit to Graham and
Brown with Jason as promised, and hopefully this is the
start of a partnership that will give our students the
opportunity to get practical experience in a retail setting.
The SEND faculty highlights a
range of activities that not only
promoted the development of
entrepreneurial capabilities but
also independent learning.
The Year 7 Foundation Group took on the challenge of
planning and performing a creative activity or skill in
their lessons.
The students worked in groups and individually on
creating their own routine. There were a lot of talents
displayed, including Shelby Campbell-Adams and
Nicola McHugh singing for the rest of the class. Both
are hugely passionate about Music and this showed in
their performances.
Another group choreographed their own ‘Harlem
Shake’ routine, which they performed with great
energy and enthusiasm.
The entire group displayed a lot of passion, creativity and determination.
Declan Grimshaw and Olivia Sunter showed great
passion and determination and have successfully gained
their 10m swimming badges. Declan and Olivia have
been attending every week for a year, and when they
started were both very reluctant swimmers.
#Community
Darwen has put on a great show yet
again this summer, with lots of things
to do for all ages with events getting
great support from the community.
The spectacular 1940s day returned
with local residents and businesses
going all out and showing some good
old fashioned war time spirit, from
windows having tape on to protect
from air raids to shop owners dressing
up in traditional 1940s costumes.
Local residents braved the rain to
watch the Darwen Gala’s annual
parade through town taking the long
traditional route along the main road
up to Bold Venture to begin all the
fun of the Gala on the fields.
This year’s gala was the 48th and it
is still going strong - the parade is a
Picture courtesy of Darwen Days.
procession of local dance troops, Morris
dancers, bagpipe and brass bands.
Then its up to Bold Venture where they
had a climbing wall, high wire attraction,
birds of prey and lots of stalls.
Local community groups such as
Summer Fun For All and Groundwork
also put on some activities from horse
riding to dancing along with free
events such as storytelling and crafts
at Darwen library.
Darwen is
such a small
town and
yet always
has so much
going on,
there is great
community
spirit and
never a dull
moment.
07
#spotlight on...
Volunteer
spotlight
Name: Lewis and Damien
Age: 19&20
Project: Football Gambia
About the project...
Football Gambia was set up by friends Lewis and Damien to allow
them to take their love of football coaching children out to Gambia
to make a real difference to the lives of communities there.
The pair, who coach the Darwen Spartans under 11s and 12s, used
their links in the Darwen community to bring people together for fun
activities and raise the funds needed to get to Gambia.
It’s impact on the community...
“It has been fantastic how our own community here in Darwen have
been so supportive of us and have really come together to help
another community much less fortunate than ours on the other side
of the world - just helping them with basic education and even a
game of football means so much to them.”
It’s impact on you...
“Since doing Football Gambia I now do so many things that I never
thought I would before, it has given me a real belief in myself.”
Why get involved...
08
“Being involved with a community project opens opportunities you
never knew were there, you don’t know what you can do until you try.”
BUSINESS spotlight
Name: Adrian Farnell
Position: Director
Business: BE ENERGY
Location: POD 11 Entrepreneurship
Bridge, DACA
Career path:
in
I graduated with an Honours Degree
outh
Plym
from
nce
Scie
l
enta
Environm
by a
University many moons ago, followed
ent.
agem
Man
tal
Coas
in
ee
Masters Degr
About your job/business:
native/green energy systems, such
BE ENERGY supplies and installs alter
ource Heat Pumps and Wind
as Solar Panels, Biomass Boilers, Air-S
nesses save money on energy
busi
and
Turbines. We help householders
the various financial incentives that
bills and generate an income from
Solar Panels yet, you’re missing
are available. If you haven’t installed
out… so give us a call!
Your school days:
all, where my favourite subjects
I attended Grammar School in Wals
ogy.
were Geography and Geol
Outside of work you will find me..to. my 5year old daughter.
Trying to be the best possible Dad
Best business advice:
r
Always follow your own dream, neve
life, so
one
have
only
you
s
someone else’
give up.
make the most of it and never, ever
l - just
idua
indiv
ue
uniq
a
Remember: you are
else!
y
ybod
ever
like
TEACHER spotlight
Name: Christopher Eplett
Class: 7W
Subject: Art and Design
Studied what, where:
Huddersfield University – BA(Hons)
Illustration and Creative Imaging
and Liverpool John Moores Universit
y – PGCE Art and Design.
Why teaching?
Whilst completing my undergraduate
degree, I began volunteering
at a youth centre in Manchester, as
a result of this I applied and
was appointed for a job as a Teaching
Assistant in a local Secondary
School. I enjoy unlocking young peop
le’s creative thoughts, allowing
them to discover the opportunities
available in the creative industry.
Why DACA?
Unlike most Secondary schools, DAC
A has the objective of developing
young people’s entrepreneurship awar
eness and skill, aiming to
prepare its students for the wider
working world, focusing on how to
be successful in life.
Outside of school you will mostly find me...
At my local sports centre. I am curre
ntly preparing for the Liverpool
Marathon in October. I have recently
climbed Scafell Pike and
Snowdon and Ben Nevis.
Something you didn’t know about me:
I am a big fan of adventurous activ
ities and have recently been sky
diving in Lincolnshire and bungee
jumping in Scotland. I am hoping
to soon travel to Bunol, in Spain to
take part in La Tomatina, a
tomato throwing festival!
STUDENT spotlight
Name: Joe Jones
Year: 13
Subjects: BTEC Sport and Business
studies
Favourite lesson in school:
Business Studies, we have really
supportive teaching staff who deliver
interactive lessons in a very interesting subject.
Best thing about DACA:
Darwen Creates: have enabled me to start up my own cupcake
company; ‘A Piece Of Cake’. They helped me apply and receive
£1000 funding. They’ve given me so much support and half of the
things we have achieved wouldn’t be possible without them and the
other pod members.
Out of school you will mostly find me...
On the sports field, playing football.
Plans for the future:
Either go on to university to study business or continuing to ensure
my business grows!
summer 2013
Name: Saskia-Mae Kuczer
Age: 15
Subjects taken: AS French, AS Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, English
Favourite subject: History (I took it
last year and loved every minute)
What’s it like to be head girl?
It’s surreal; I didn’t expect to get
it! I guess I’m just happy that I can finally give something back
to the school that’s supported me so much. Ever since Year 7 I’ve
wanted to be Head Girl- it’s every swot’s dream and I certainly fall
under that category. I’m proud of it, mind you. Anyway, I believe I’ll
be able to handle the responsibility, especially with Harry and the
deputies to help. I think it’ll take some time to actually sink in, and
to step up to the very high benchmark that’s been set, but that’s a
challenge I’ll happily step up to.
What do you want to achieve as Head Girl?
I want to make sure that everyone’s as happy as possible and is
achieving their potential. School is about building the foundations
for further education and ultimately work. This means that we have
to get the steps right now. I don’t believe it’s possible to be your
absolute best unless you’re, well, maybe not enjoying, but are at
least happy with what you’re doing. Whether it’s by adapting learning
to suit the individual, or just being here to talk, I want to make sure
everyone has the best chance of an all rounded education.
Do you have any advice for those thinking of going for a
Senior Lead Student position?
For one, most definitely go for it! Don’t write your speech the
night before, and make sure you’re well practiced. It’s better to
be disappointed that you didn’t get it then regret not even going
for it- that’s how I see it, anyway. It’s a great way to develop your
leadership skills, plus having a say in major decisions makes your
last year even more fun than it would have been otherwise.
Meet the new
head girl & head boy
Name: Harry Eastham
Age: 15
Subjects studying: English, Maths,
Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Graphics
Favourite subject: Graphics
What’s it like to be Head Boy?
Getting the Head Boy role was
unexpected, but one I’m sure I’ll be
able to fulfil. I feel as though I can
give something back to the school that has given me so much. Going
through each school year, you don’t quite know what kind of things
you’ll want to do in the future. But as soon as I was asked about
the getting the Head Boy role, I could see myself going for it, and
representing our school in the best possible manner.
What do you want to achieve as Head Boy?
I would like to make sure that this school continues to improve as
it has been doing for the past few years. In fact, I believe we can do
even better than this, and break all records that we currently hold. I
want to be seen as a positive role model for all of my fellow students
in and around the academy. Being Head boy isn’t just about being a
role model for the students though, it’s about being a link between
the pupils and the staff- something I also want to, and will, achieve.
Any advice for those thinking of going for senior lead student?
The best advice I can give is, go for it! Preparation is the key, make
sure people understand what you want, what you are saying and what
you can do for others in the school. Even if you don’t get the Head
or Deputy Role, being a senior lead student is still an important role
within the academy and is something you will be recognised for.
Year 11 prom
and Year 13 leavers
We had a great celebration with our Year
11s at The Dunkenhalgh, we wish them
all continued success in the future.
Year 13 celebrated with a meal at the Olive Press in Preston.
Good food, great company and entertainment from the
renowned duo ‘Ball & McWilliam’ made it a special occasion,
and a very memorable way to wish the Leavers well with
what they planned to do next, whether it be university,
further training or employment..
09
#CAREERS
The Career Academy
Mosaic Challenge
The Enterprise Challenge is an online inter-school competition which
encourages a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst young people.
In addition to encouraging an understanding of business and
enterprise, participants also develop a number of other transferable
skills, such as:
• Confidence
• Self-efficacy
• Team work
• Meeting deadlines
• Explaining concepts in concise
and precise ways
• Encourage lateral and creative
thinking
• Promote flexibility and
adaptability.
10
Teams of students work with
a mentor from the business
community to learn about
becoming future business
leaders, and our mentors were
Graham & Brown.
DACA Young Chamber
showcase their business
skills in National Final
Team DACA Creates travelled to the Department of Business
Innovation and Skills as finalists in the national final of the Young
Chamber “The Skills Factor 2013”, sponsored by Roland UK.
The Skills Factor is an opportunity for young people to show that
they have the skills to set up, run and/or work in a successful
business and have the entrepreneurial characteristics such
as determination, creativity, risk taking, problem solving and
teamwork that are needed to succeed in business or any other
type of work.
The business the students from DACA have established is called
“Knockout Cancer”; this is a social enterprise that organises events
that will raise awareness of healthy living and lifestyles to reduce
the incidence of cancer in their local community whilst at the same
time of raising money for Cancer Research, Male Cancer Projects.
The team consists of Abdul Wahab (13), Mustafa Hayat (13), Hamza
Wasim (13), Andrew Taylor (13), Ethan Riley (15) and John Quinn (15).
To reach the final the students had to submit a business plan and
this won them a place in the semi-final where they had to create a
video that would bring their business plan to life. The team found
out they were one of six teams from across the country that had
won a place in the final.
We won the competition, our team was called Determination and their
product was a laptop.
We made a net profit of 5.8 million and came 10th out of 3500 pupils
that took part and they won 1st place in the North West region.
‘Dragons’ Den’ competition
for anti-terrorism project
to win £1,600 cash
A team of DACA pupils were involved in a competition to win cash for
anti-terrorism projects in a Dragons’ Den-style workshop.
Students from Blackburn Central High School and DACA gave
presentations to judges including Lancashire Police Chief Superintendent,
Bob Eastwood, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Ibrahim Master
and representatives from Blackburn-based company Euro Garages.
Students convinced the ‘dragons’ why their project deserved financial
backing from Prevent Strategy and received £1,600 funding.
The event was held at the council chambers in Blackburn and the
students were competing for their share of £3,000.
AS Sociology and Religious Studies students prepared the presentation
that showcased the students idea to host a multicultural event in school
to deal with misconceptions.
DACA Student Joe Jones said: “it’s a fantastic achievement to gain this
funding to run the event in school; it will be a fun and interactive day
with foods from around the world and a multicultural fashion show.”
After a very early start the team travelled to London to the event
which was hosted by Apprentice Contestant and BBC presenter
Saira Khan. The team had to present their business idea to a panel
of judges who were Neville Reyner CBE DL Hon, Joanne Hill from
BIS and Bill Nuirhead from Coca Cola enterprises.
Although not crowned the overall winners , team DACA Creates
were highly commended. Joanne Hill said “there was excellent
teamwork in DACA Creates and the development of skills was
really impressive”.
She went on to say that “the judges were impressed by your
social conscience and your concern for your local community and
how you were going to address the health and wellbeing needs
of the community.”
The team were commended for their teamwork and their
presentation and were awarded special gold Young Chamber
badges, along with certificates and a goody bag of prizes.
Michelle Billington, Assistant Principal for Entrepreneurship and
Community from Darwen Aldridge Community Team said “We are
all really proud of team DACA Creates; they really are a shining
example of how young people are capable of achieving anything
they want with hard work and passion”.
summer 2013
to Kill Cancer
s
es
Dr
fundraising
fashion show
for Breast Cancer Care
DACA hosted its annual Pink Passion Party to raise
money for Breast Cancer Care. This year’s event
was planned to raise awareness of the importance
of breast, bowel and cervical screening as well as
increasing the awareness of health and wellbeing,
healthy options in food and exercise programmes
available in the local area. Breast cancer is now the
most common cancer among women in the UK.
Every year 50,000 people hear the devastating news
that they have this life-threatening illness and this
event allowed the whole academy to get involved
the true meaning of
and make a difference. In the run up to the day all students thought about
own piece of bunting
their
display
to
message
nal
inspiratio
an
up
think
to
our fundraising and had
which was used as decorations at the event.
and guests arrived to
The Dress to Kill Cancer event took place on Thursday 23rd May 2013
Barnabas Primary School
St
by
nce
performa
special
a
and
nces
performa
entertainment, student
market with stalls
wellbeing
and
health
the
Choir. Guests were then experienced the delights of
event started
main
The
.
providers
health
and
es
business
local
,
Chamber
run by DACA’s Young
cancer as well
against
battle
their
won
have
with inspirational messages from two women who
after
Jones
Peter
form
nt
investme
received
who
,
Henshaw
Kirsty
from
as a special welcome
brands
street
high
with
show
fashion
fantastic
appearing on Dragons Den. The main event was a
price.
normal
the
off
for sale at up to 75%
Michelle Billington Assistant
Principal said “we all had
a fabulous night of fun,
fashion and fundraising for
Breast Cancer Care, raising
over £1200 for charity plus
we had the added benefit
of raising awareness of
the importance of cancer
screening and how to live
a healthier life.”
Team DACA ride
the Manchester 100
in support of the “The Christie”
On Sunday 1st September a team of 7 intrepid cyclists set off on a 100
mile bike ride from Wythenshawe Park in Manchester raising money for
“The Christie”. The Team consisted of Mr Owen, Mrs Atkinson and her
Husband, Mr Bateman, Mr Price, Mr Earnshaw, Mr Outhwaite and his
brother Alasdair.
Over 4000 cyclists (including one Unicyclist) participated in the event
which saw them ride towards Northwich, taking in Delamere Forest
and Nantwich (the half-way point) for lunch. It was here that Mr Owen
realised he had been riding the first 50 mile with his back brake
locked on which explained his severe cramp. After lunch at Nantwich
and roadside repairs to Mr Owen’s bike the riders set off heading back
through Middlewich, Mobberley and Wilsmlow eventually finishing
back at Wythenshawe Park with a time of 7hrs and 29 minutes. Special
mentions must go to Mr Outhwaite and his brother Alasdair who
blitzed the course in circa 5 hours and 30 minutes and Mr Price and Mr
Earnshaw who completed the course in 6 hours 30 minutes.
Whilst still collecting sponsor money in it is hoped the Team will raise
over £1000 for “The Christie” charity.
Students
“Work it Out”
July 2013 was an exciting time for DACA
year 10 students who “dipped their
toe” into the world of work. The Work
it Out Programme; the name given to
all work related learning; commenced
many months earlier when students were
tasked with securing their own work
experience placement. This mimicked the
job search process in the real world and
allowed students to find a placement
they really wanted to do. Student Harry
Eastham who secured his placement at
RT Design said “This opportunity has
been amazing. I now know I want to
start my own design business.”
YOUNG CHAMBER
Activity
Students from young chamber completed a consultation
with other students to find out the type of film to show on
the night, how much people would be willing to pay and
produced the marketing for the event – showing The Avengers.
Some Young Chamber students set up popcorn stalls on the
evening and also sold sweets and drinks. The night was a
great success with over 50 students attending making over
£100 on ticket sales and £60 on refreshments.
Young Chamber students set up of a tuck shop business
at the ‘Our Day Out’ school production. The students
made £90 profit from selling sweets, crisps and drinks to
the members of the public that came to watch the show
over two nights. One group of boys made ‘Our Day Out’
merchandise, producing some fantastic key rings that also
sold well on the night.
11
#trips
Buddhist Temple
Students from year 7 and 8 were
able to explore the Buddhist temple
at Ulverston This Summer Term.
During the morning, they visited the working monastery and temple.
They were able to look around the temple, take part in a meditation
and speak to the Buddhists who live there.
The afternoon was spent on the beach creating Mandalas (patterns that
help Buddhists to meditate) in the beautiful weather. These were taken
back to school and judged with the best Mandala receiving a prize.
It gave pupils the opportunity to see what it could be like to be a
Buddhist monk living in a monastery and experience the life of a
religion they may not belong to. Pupils really enjoyed the experience
and are hoping to join the Humanities faculty on future trips.
12
Chester Zoo trip
A level and GCSE Sociology, psychology and RE students visited Chester
zoo in
the summer term to study animal behaviour and conservation.
Students looking at animal behaviours were able to read and observe
how some animal behaviour is similar and different to human behavio
ur
in particular primates. Those looking at conservation were able to see
the
species of animals and plants that Chester Zoo are aiming to help
from
becoming extinct such
as the rhinos.
There were also
some interesting fun
activities such as being
scared in the bat
cave (especially Miss
Boyes), sitting on a
brass elephant (Mrs
Barton) and looking
at all the different
animals the zoo had
to offer.
summer 2013
Students
visited
Blackburn
Mosque in june –
Masjid e
Noorul Islam
DACA’s Personalised Learning Centre students were invited to have a
tour of a local
Blackburn Mosque. The students were educated about the Muslim faith,
and had the
chance to ask the Imam questions about the religion. We aimed of the
trip was to
deal with misconceptions and celebrate diversity amongst young people.
The six students were met by the leader of the Mosque and shown into
the different
rooms and explained what each room was designed for. The first room
they went into
was where the attendees of the mosque washed their hands, feet and
face before
prayer. This was called ablution. Students were then taken to the prayer
rooms where
the attendees pray five times per day. The whole mosque can hold approxim
ately
2,000 people. The students were also told about the Holy Quran and
shown the
different rooms that the women can use.
Student Jasper Harris said “I thoroughly
enjoyed the visit as I’ve always wondered
what a mosque would look like inside,
the people who shown us round were
very friendly”
This visit was part of the ‘Don’t Be Afraid
to Ask’ project as part of the Prevent
agenda, tackling extremism.
DACA in paris
On Wednesday 26th June, 6 staff and 46 Year 7 & 8 pupils visited Paris.
Having travelled overnight, pupils arrived at Eurodisney, Paris, ready to use their French to
negotiate ride-entry, food purchasing and other essentials. A memorable day was had by
all, highlights being the Disney 20 year celebration procession and numerous chances to be
pictured with life size Disney characters.
In the evening, pupils enjoyed a guided tour
of Paris and were genuinely awestruck by the
various sights - from the wonder of the Eiffel
Tower to the magnificence of Notre Dame
cathedral to the organised chaos of the Arc de
Triomphe island.
Breakfast at the hotel on the Friday was followed
by the return trip home with a chance to use their
French to shop at ‘Cité Europe’ shopping complex
before the final leg of the journey home.
Many thanks to all staff who helped make the
visit a success Mr Charruau, Miss Carney, Miss
Hindle, Mr Whittaker, Mrs Smith.
13
#fun
Su mm er
14
Summer, Summer
Here comes another
Can’t wait for the pool
Something to keep cool
Tank tops and shorts
Building tree forts
Climbing up the hill
Having time to kill
Licking Ice Creams ‘Till we’re bursting at the seams
Lounging on the deck
A tan on my neck
Cartwheels on the grass
Making time pass
And when the time comes
And summer is done
We will still remember
Our time before September
By Jasmine Haigh 9E
I see the colourful big top
That’s home to all the acts
I just have to stand and stop
Watching life take over facts
I step into the dream
All is how I hoped
Colours shine and gleam
Children stood and gawped
Attention as the ringmaster
Begins to take the stage
Everyone’s hearts are now pumping faster
No matter what their age
The gymnasts are the first on show
They twist, turn and bend
While their costumes seem to glow
With no fear of their end
The feeling that the circus makes
Like laughter at the clowns
But when over,
Everybody frowns
By Jessica Dootson 9W
Book Reviews
Angel
Cake
by Cathy Cassidy
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the plot of the
story and found it very sad in some parts.
Jade Ronaghan-Bird (8W)
Blade:
Playing Dead
by Tim Bowler
and I should
This is the book you want to read
it!
read
I’ve
use
beca
know
James Hull (9A)
Big Nate: The Boy
with the Biggest
Hea
d
in
the
World
by Lincoln Peirce
It is a funny book and I love all the characters in it!
Eve Batchelor (8E)
Divergent
by Veronica Roth
Divergent is a fast-paced, heart-wrenching
dystopian novel, which will leave you begging for
more. With its unusual heroine and its thought
provoking theme, it is a book you will not be able
to put down! If you’re a fan of Hunger Games, I
highly recommend it.
Kierney Hemingway (11W)
summer 2013
PE POGs
#SPORT
go to University!
35 PE potential to be outstanding
students (POGs) from year’s 7-13 visited
Edge Hill University Sports Science and
Education Department.
The trip was arranged so that the POGs
could see what avenues were available
to them at University, should they choose
to do something relating to their Physical
Education and sports studies.
The day kicked off in a 200 seat sports
lecture theatre where one of the lecturers
spoke to the POGs about University life
and the array of courses that can be taken
across the whole of Edge Hill University.
Then the students were told of the benefits
of going to University including employability,
greater earning potential, transferable skills,
independence and meeting new people from
different backgrounds.
In the lecture classroom the students were
put into groups and given a task to come
up with their own game with rules and
present this to the rest of the group with
prizes for the winners.
After lunch we were all taken on a
University tour to look at all different
departments their facilities (swimming
pool, sports science rooms, gym,
sports halls, athletics track and student
accommodation.
The trip was a huge success in giving our
students some experience of student life
and the avenues open to them should
they choose to continue they’re interest in
PE and sport.
Aball1 – makes learning, physical
activity and teamwork fun for all!
Kieran Nokes, Managing Director of Aball1 - a social enterprise promoting academic
learning and social inclusion through physical activity – visited DACA on 11 July 2013.
Mr Nokes held a fantastic Aball1 session with a group of DACA PE students and also some
of our AfriDACA students, who will be visiting Kenya next year. He demonstrated how you
could use the balls to teach literacy and numeracy through physical activity and teamwork.
Aball1 is a set of 50 unique balls that make it fun to run and move, while solving physical
and theoretical tasks together with others.
The tasks are tailored to each grade’s curriculum, but can also be used independently in
any grade for the repetition of skills. Tasks may also be tailored to focus on either fun
physical activity or in fun teamwork training and cooperation.
On the balls, the numbers 1-9 are repeated five times. In addition, three balls are
numbered 0, and there are two wildcard balls. The numbered balls provide plenty of
practical math learning opportunities. On the 50 balls, you will also find the entire
alphabet from A-Z. There are more balls with the letters that are more frequently used.
This gives a tremendous range of possibilities for writing and reading. The balls are used
together with 50 cones that are also included in the Aball1 set.
@DACA_Sports
Mr Nokes said that he thoroughly enjoyed his session at DACA and looks forward to
returning in September/October to hold more sessions with our staff and students.
15
#WHAT’s on
Save the dates:
17th September 6:30pm
First PTA meeting
Saturday 19th October
The Darwen Academy Ball
Year 7 & 12 new students settling in
parents evening
22nd October 4:30pm – 7:30pm
14th November 5:30-8:30pm
6th Form open evening
Light night finale
DACA Global Entrepreneurship Week
An English Tea Party
Saturday 23rd November
week commencing 18th November
7pm 28th November
Class of 2013 awards evening
10th December 1pm – 3pm
Pensioners Christmas Party
4-6:30pm 17th December
Year 11 parents evening
7-9pm – 18th December
t
Winter Wonderland Christmas even
Darwen Aldridge
Community Academy PTA
16
We are currently looking for new
members to join our school PTA!
• F inancial contribution
Our next meeting is Tuesday 17th
September 6:30pm at DACA
• The top 20%of schools have a PTA
What does a PTA do?
Why parents join a PTA?
•R
aise funds to help the school provide ‘extras’ for pupils – maybe of increasing importance
•B
reaks down barriers and negative perceptions
• Builds confidence
• Run social events
• Gives the opportunity to get to know their child’s world better
•P
rovide support to school e.g. on school trips
• Run after school clubs
•O
rganise meetings to inform parents about
education issues and other relevant issues
•R
aise the school profile
•C
an act as voice of parents
• Provides opportunities to meet other parents
• Chance to learn new skills, use existing ones and share experiences
• MOST LIKELY TO BE A MIX OF ALL
• Empowers parents to make a difference
Why schools have a PTA?
If you want more information contact
Jude Evetts @ DACA
• Bring together parents and teachers
• Support the school
• Engage with parents
[email protected]
01254 819500
• Involve the local community
GET in touch
Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, Sudell Road, Darwen, Lancashi
re, BB3 3HD
Tel: 01254 819500 Fax: 01254 819501
Email: [email protected] Web: www.daca.uk.com
Twitter:
@DarwenAcademy