Education

Thornton College has continued to provide all lessons, assemblies and extra-curricular clubs virtually to all of its students during a time when schools have been told to close to halt the spread of coronavirus. Thornton College remains physically open to key workers’ children and a number of teaching and support staff continue to work in the school.  However the majority of teaching staff are working remotely from their homes and going online to teach their lessons, interact with and support their students.  In this first week the prep girls have attended virtual assembly in the chapel, senior girls from all over the world have zoomed into lessons and many have interacted with their  friends socially.  Importantly, pastoral and safeguarding work has continued as girls wake up and are ready at their computers for morning registration with their form teachers before classes begin at nine. Thornton College is MK’s only international..

A school in Milton Keynes has launched an innovative new service to help schools, and people who want to work in education, make their recruitment experience the best it can possibly be. RISE, operated by education specialists at St. Paul’s Catholic School, actively recruits, trains and supports potential candidates and offers tailored introductions to schools. Candidates, seeking employment as teaching or support staff, can register with RISE’s online Talent Pool and are contacted as soon as an appropriate vacancy becomes available. They can also benefit from expert advice on low cost, accessible training opportunities and guidance on how to become an even more attractive candidate for future employers. For schools RISE offers an upfront, competitive introduction fee, with an assurance that every school using the service will be introduced to the most suitable candidate for their pupils and that an on-going training programme is available to candidates if required. Another..

On Sunday 29th April 2018, Nadeem Dalvi, Ethan Hosken, Yash Singh, Ibrahim Kulkarni and Isa Kulkarni were crowned champions of the National Schools Badminton Championships. Competing against teams from over 6,400 schools and 35,000 players. The Championships take place over the first few months of the year culminating in a National Finals Weekend, hosted at the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes, where national champions are crowned from 36 team finalists. The Webber School of Badminton’s Head Coach, Sara Sankey, ex England International, commented: “This is such an amazing achievement and I am so proud of the boys, they played with skill and determination resulting in this much deserved win. Our programme is the first of its kind in England and Wales and gives our scholars the chance to combine study and badminton training.  We are committed to creating the next generation of badminton champions, and our players are making waves and..

A campaign celebrating the stories of the OU's diverse student community has won two national social media awards.  The #Iwas campaign was announced as winner of the Best User-Generated Content category in the The Drum’s Social Buzz Awards and in October the campaign won Best Audience Engagement Campaign category at the UK Social Media Communications Awards. The campaign drew on the experience of the OU’s broad depth of students and alumni who took to social media to demonstrate the value of flexible distance learning and the role it can play in addressing the UK skills through the voices of its student and alumni community. Photographs and stories flooded Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to spread the message of the #Iwas campaign - that embarking on Higher Education study is not just for 18 to 21-year-olds. The campaign produced hundreds of accounts of how OU study had realised dreams, changed personal perceptions and had actively..

Incredible composure, confidence and professionalism on and off the stage, were just some of the positive and encouraging comments Denbigh students received, following their performances of ‘Richard III’ and ‘Measure for Measure’ at this year’s Shakespeare Festival. The Venue in MK was where Denbigh played to a packed audience, alongside Walton High and Loughton School, who staged and acted in ‘A Comedy of Errors’ and ‘Macbeth’. At the end of all of the performances, the casts were invited on stage to receive feedback from one of the Shakespeare Schools Foundation actors. Of Richard III, he congratulated the students on their “sense of scale of emotion from the intimate to big moments” and on their “great characterisation”. The students that performed in ‘Measure for Measure’ were complimented on them being great storytellers, as each word was delivered with “great clarity”. They were also commended for their “mature composed delivery and use..

Action4Youth, a leading charity providing positive, often transformational experiences to motivate children and young people, has launched a new initiative, The Inspiration Programme. The charity is keen to hear from leading employers across Milton Keynes that can support the programme in educating a talented future workforce.  The NCFE accredited one year course is being piloted in 2017/18 with students from Milton Keynes Academy and Aylesbury College. The Business element of the programme aims to provide an understanding of the workplace, how businesses operate and will help define career choices and better prepare young people for work. One element of the course is a speed networking session, where students will meet representatives from a range of business sectors in quick succession, in order to help students to understand the diverse range of career paths available to them and to realise the importance of making a good first impression. We will also..

Akeley Wood School, a leading private school in Milton Keynes, has welcomed a new Head and Deputy Head to the school. Georgina Masefield started at the school at the beginning of the new term and brings with her a wealth of experience. Teaching since the 1990’s, Georgina has assumed various roles including advisory and consultancy, school inspections and managing head teachers. Georgina explains: ‘I have enjoyed working in different roles in education, however my passion lies in teaching and I intend to use my experiences to benefit each child at Akeley Wood School. We believe in the potential of every child and in providing a committed, family friendly and safe community which nurtures individual self-worth, well-being and a sense of belonging while preparing children for a successful future outside education.’ Georgina joins the Senior School from Northbridge House in Hampstead, London. Kara Dowson is also a new addition to the..

Milton Keynes Council’s Procurement and Commissioning Committee has approved the tender process for a higher education (HE) partner to lead the implementation of MK:U, making the new multi-million pound technology university for Milton Keynes one step closer. MK:U is designed to make the most of collaborations between business, public and higher education organisations using the city as a ‘living laboratory’.  As a result, it will offer different ways of learning to other universities, with far more integration with business to produce highly skilled and employable graduates. The aim is for MK:U to have around 10,000 students, with smart cities, technology, engineering and intelligent mobility its main areas of specialism.  Students could work directly on smart city and intelligent mobility projects already in development in MK, such as driverless pods and urban sensors to manage the flow of traffic and utilities. The lead HE partner, once appointed, will assume responsibility for all..

The delivery today of 11 microscopes at Denbigh School, donated by Trajan Scientific and Medical, will mean students will be able to gain a better understanding of the fascinating biological study of cells and tissues. The microscopes were purchased as part of a £1500 award made to Denbigh by Trajan, following the School’s successful trialling of the Crownhill based company’s smartphone adapter for microscopes - the MiPlatform.   Trajan supply a broad range of quality laboratory products across disciplines including histology, haematology, microbiology, chromatography and general consumables.  MiPlatform is a smartphone adapter, which combines the comfort of microscope navigation and smartphone camera lens, thereby, enabling scientists and clinicians to study quality images quickly and ergonomically. It maintains microscope-like navigation to fully utilise the advantages of microscope slides in both clinical and training settings.  During the trial in 2015, Denbigh’s Head of Science, Anthony Brown, found that the adapter enabled the..

A new eBook has been created by Kids Play Childcare following a recent Kids Play survey revealing huge confusion concerning the new 30-hour education grant for Pre-School children, starting on 1st September 2017. Addressing the knowledge shortfall from the survey, the childcare group’s eBook outlines the eligibility criteria for 30 hours, accessing the 30 hours and the deadlines in place to register. The feedback from nearly 200 parents with children 4 or under in the Milton Keynes and Bury St Edmunds area (where Kids Play Day Nurseries & Pre-Schools are located) and whilst 90% of their survey were aware of the grant, a staggering 51% didn’t know the eligibility criteria, 71% didn’t know there was a deadline for the September grant and 64% were unaware they needed to apply for it and how. Said Sharon Elliott, Childcare Director of Kids Play “We were quite surprised by the results and quickly..

92.3% of students achieved A* to C/9 to 4 grades in five or more subjects including English and Maths, up an impressive 17% on last year’s GCSE results Students at The Webber Independent School performed extremely well across all subjects, with stand-out results in Chemistry, Physics, English, Maths, French, Italian, Spanish, History, Music and Physical Education, where 100% of students gained A* to C/9 to 4 grades. With the top three students achieving thirty A*to A/9 to 8 grades between them. Charlie deGorter found good reason to smile about the number nine, he achieved a hat trick in English Language, English Literature and Maths, in addition to five A* grades and three A grades (including further Maths). “I can’t quite believe it! Three nines in the new grading system, wow – I’m blown away. I’m so happy, and I can’t thank my teachers enough for their support in preparing me for the..

Students at The Webber Independent School have shown that their dedication and hard work has resulted in excellent results, with particular success in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths.  With students securing places at top UK universities to study a number of Science, Technology and Business related degrees. Sophie Fretwell was elated with her confirmed place at Imperial College London, one of the world’s top universities. “I am so delighted with my results and securing my first choice university. I am off to study Molecular Bioengineering and I can’t wait to start my degree at such a prestigious university. I’ve really appreciated the personalised style of tuition at The Webber Independent Sixth Form, and I want to say a big thank you to all of my tutors who have worked with me and supported me.” Mrs Fretwell, said: “I am over the moon for both of my children, Sophie and..

The build-up to exam results day can be extremely stressful as young people think the worst and worry about what the future holds.  So, with exam results now just days away and stress levels rising, NHS Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is reminding students in Milton Keynes that help is at hand and not to keep their concerns to themselves.  While it isn’t possible to change the outcome of the exam results, it is possible to reduce the amount of anxiety or stress that young people are feeling by taking the following steps:  •           Relaxation techniques •           Distraction, such as a family meal or board game •           Exercise – stress can produce toxins which exercise helps reduce •           Less coffee or other sources of caffeine •           Less alcohol  Dr Nicola Smith, GP and Chair from NHS Milton Keynes CCG gives this advice: “When we are anxious, we are likely..

Milton Keynes College and Video Production and Media Agency, Movey are working together to bridge the gap between education and employment and support the development of students pursuing a career in digital and creative media. With a severe skills shortage within the sector, limited prospects for local talent and a plethora of young people with the ambition and drive to succeed in this fast moving industry, Movey saw an opportunity to enhance the future of digital media in Milton Keynes.  More than 40 students participated in the Movey Academy Programme in 2016/17 and this number is set to see a significant rise in the coming year. The Movey Academy provides a unique opportunity for students to work on real-life commercial projects and get their first taste of working with clients. This experience helps them to understand briefs, learn on-the-job skills required for a career in video production and the importance..

Milton Keynes College has received some very positive feedback following its recent ‘Good’ inspection by Ofsted, with particular praise for the opportunities offered to adult learners. The report, which commended the College on its fast and continued progress since the previous report by Ofsted, said: “Adult students’ achievement has improved in this current year and is higher than that of similar providers nationally.”  Ofsted reported that: “Adult students receive good information, advice and guidance that help them study at an appropriate level and guide them on to their next steps in further study or into employment.” They were particularly impressed by the support provided by tutors to students studying by distance learning and the large number of students who, as a result, “progress into employment or improve their performance within their current job role.”  Teachers on access to higher education programmes also received high praise for their “very detailed, precise..