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Mrs Lisa McVeigh, Vice Principal at The Samworth Church Academy said "This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to interact with someone who knows the parliamentary system inside out as it can sometimes seem far removed from their daily lives. Baroness Stowell also inspired the students with the story of how she came to be in the House of Lords.
Dawn Meade, Deputy Youth Mayor of Mansfield also attended the talks and said "I think it is good for us to be able to see and hear what ordinary people can achieve if they have enough confidence in themselves and are passionate enough about their beliefs, just like Baroness Stowell is".
The visit was arranged through the Lord Speaker's "Peers in Schools" programme which has been running across the UK since 2007 and has so far involved around 30,000 young people. This continuing outreach programme sends members of the House of Lords into schools and colleges across the country to give talks in support of the citizenship curriculum.
Nottinghamshire Fire Service staff talked about the consequences of hoax calls and how to avoid potential fire hazards and the correct procedure to follow in case the students did need to call for help. Police Constable Amanda Robinson covered various topics with students including internet safety and the terrible toll of cyber bullying.
Jane Thompson, Student Welfare Manager at The Samworth Church Academy said "The best way to keep students safe is to keep them well informed. Each service provided expert advice for many eventualities and although we all hope we will never need some of these services, knowledge delivered by the visitors will help students to avoid potentially hazardous situations".
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After spending much of his young life in a wheelchair, Samworth Church Academy student Owen Clements recently took his first steps with a walking frame.
Owen was born 13 weeks early, weighing only 620g and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2002. But, despite his physical difficulties, 12 year old Owen has attended mainstream schools throughout his education.
Last year, Owen had major surgery on his legs and has made enough progress to start walking slightly with the help of a frame. Dad Paul says Owen often has too much energy for him and his mum, Michelle.
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He also says Owen loves to help others. "He is without a shadow of a doubt the most compassionate child I have ever met," Paul said. "Everything is an effort because of his physical condition but he lives life to the full."
Owen is a big Manchester United fan and as well as attending games has met Sir Alex Ferguson, Bobby Charlton and many current players.
He also plays wheelchair powerchair football with a club in Nottingham. Owen has been nominated for a Courage Award by The Samworth Church Academy.
The proceeds of the night are to go to the 'Children's Brain Tumour Events' (CBTE), chosen especially by organisers as one student, Hayley Grainger (Year 11) Prefect, had a personal experience of how traumatic childhood tumours can be on families. She said "In 2005 I lost my cousin Calum to a brain tumour when he was just 14 years old. Since then I wanted to do my bit to help families going through the awful pain that we endured and so I got involved with CBTE to help raise money and awareness for children just like Calum".
The evening is being organised by one of the five 'schools' that the Academy is divided into; the system described excitedly by one student, Georgina Comer, as being 'like Hogwarts'. The Newstead School Prefects, along with other students, have lined up fantastic prizes to be auctioned off on the night. These include spa treatments, tents, paintball experiences, bags, purses and cooking lessons amongst others. There will be a live band, food and wine on offer and also a raffle.
The students visited Mansfield 103 FM studio to be interviewed by John B Tannen about the event and enjoyed their tour of the radio station. Two students finally plucked up the courage to speak on air with some help from the DJ; they were Georgina Comer and Tyler Morgan, both Year 11 students.
The Samworth Church Academy welcomes all to join in the fun evening and hope that people will attend or donate to the charity. Tickets for the evening cost £3.00 or two tickets for £5.00 and can be purchased on the night or by calling the Finance Department at the Academy on 01623 663450.
Jane Thompson, Samworth Church Academy's Student Welfare Manager said, "We all enjoyed the visit by the actors from 'Bin It!' It was entertaining way of teaching students to be responsible about their environment. By teaching the classes from the viewpoint of a street cleaner, it enabled the students to understand the issues from a different viewpoint and drove home the consequences of littering. We hope that all of our students will think carefully in future about their environment and help to keep their schools and town free of litter."
Developed by the Wrigley Company, in partnership with specialist education consultancy Edcoms, the programme is designed to encourage greater awareness of the environment and educate young people about responsible litter disposal.
 Academy student Chelsea Dove, Year 11 said, “On hearing from other students how emotional ‘Voice in a Million’ can be, I personally brushed it off. Yet once in the stadium the sound of thousands of people singing in unison was majestic. The atmosphere there was second to none, with everyone pleased to be there. If ever there was an opportunity to go again, without a shadow of a doubt, I would. The only advice I could give to others that attend ‘Voice in a Million’ is to take tissues, for it is a rollercoaster of emotion.”
Ben Williams, member of the Voice in a Million organisation team said, “The team at Voice in a Million would like to extend their thanks to the vocalists from the Samworth Church Academy for participating in such a wonderful event at Wembley Arena on 25th Feb 2012. We were delighted that the Academy were again able to experience performing in such a prestigious venue following their participating in last year’s concert at the o2 Arena”
Katherine Hough, the Academy’s Choir Leader said the day was a great success, “Even though we knew what to expect after last year we still were overwhelmed by the experience. I was proud to be a part of ‘Voice in a Million’ as it is such a worthy cause. I enjoyed every second and although our students became very emotional it was worth it. ‘Voice in a Million’ raises money and awareness for the fostering and adoption agency, and we hope to continue to support the organisation.”
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This was the third trip and once again we were so lucky to have excellent conditions for ski and snowboarders. It was particularly pleasing to see the beginners really improve and their instructors and resort co-ordinator worked very hard to make it so rewarding.
Thankfully we all had a great and safe week on the slopes with a good apres ski programme too! Our stay at
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the Royer don Bosco again proved a good choice of location and we would like to think we were good ambassadors for our Academy. Bookings for next year's adventures in the snow are available. Miss Lake has all the details.
The Year 11 GCSE and BTEC dancers performed a piece entitled "The Sky is Pink" at the well-attended event. Melissa Louise Hayes was part of the performance and said it was a great experience, "The show went brilliantly. I was able to express myself and dance freely in fron of a full audience. I made new friends and enjoyed the whole experience of dancing on the palace stage."
Hannah Lake who teaches dance at The Samworth Church Academy said the students had worked hard to get their performance just right and their hard work paid off on the night. "The students are very committed and have worked tirelessly on their piece. This showed in their brilliant performance on the night and I was very proud to see the culmination of all their hard work."
- Outstanding Individual Contribution
- Teamwork Award
- Most Creative Idea
- Most Resourceful Team
- Most Viable Idea
- Outstanding Sales Presentation
- 2011 Enterprise Challenge Overall Winners
Well done Samworth!
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