New building for Carr Infant School underway
Work to extend and improve City of York Council’s Carr Infant School has started.
Following a successful application to the government’s Priority School Building Programme, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) is starting work on new school for Nursery and Key Stage 1 children for which City of York Council is providing additional funding.
You can follow progress on the School’s Facebook site CLICK
The success of the school has meant that over time it has grown in popularity and the demand for places has increased from its existing capacity of 240. The new building will be two storeys high with a capacity for 270 KS1pupils from Reception to Year 2, with each year group having three classes.
During construction, the school will continue to operate as usual with minimal disruption from the building works which will be securely fenced to keep the children as safe as possible. The work is expected to complete during the summer of 2016 and the new school will open for September 2016.
York’s educational psychology expertise draws international attention
Representatives from the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, researched Educational Psychology Services (EPS) which are run by UK local authorities.
Impressed with the planning, vision and standards of York’s Educational Psychology Service, the government team asked to meet with lead officers, school Special Education Needs Coordination Officers (SENCOs) and visit a school setting, to see first-hand how the service supports schools catering for children’s diverse needs.
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Santa needs more socks!
Nimble fingered residents are being asked to join in the Santa’s Socks appeal and create Christmas stockings which will be filled with sweets and passed to food banks in York and to local charity IDAS (the Independent Domestic Abuse Service) for distribution to their clients.
The Santa’s Socks initiative is a community arts project organised by the council’s York Learning team, encouraging groups and individuals to make stockings which, once filled, will be donated to local families and children. Residents are invited to sew, knit, crochet, felt, quilt or embroider their stockings.
Councillor Nigel Ayre, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism said: “Last year residents, craft groups, knitting circles and other organisations all set to work and generously produced over 400 amazing Christmas Stockings and we hope that even more will be created this year. They were greatly appreciated and we hope that residents will again have fun supporting the initiative for a very worthwhile cause.”
Each stocking should measure approximately 40cm long and 25cm wide. The shape may be inspired by classic stockings, Victorian or elf boots or any other Christmassy stocking shape. Templates are available online.
All socks should be completed by Wednesday 25 November and when finished contact santassocks@york.gov.uk or Claire Douglas, York Learning on 07990 774420. Photos of completed socks or work in progress will be shared on York Learning’s facebook and twitter sites to inspire others. Finished Santa Socks can be handed in to City of York Council, West Offices or any library.
Santa’s Socks is one of many York Learning community arts projects, which this year has included the mass portrait project, Face of York, a mosaic arts project at Acomb Explore and a family learning project discovering more about the past and present at Lidgett Grove Methodist Church.
What’s on: “Recovery Sings” at the Minster
City of York Council, York in Recovery and Recovery Sings is delighted to present a celebration of recovery in The Chapter House, York Minster on Wednesday 14 October at 11am.
Recovery Sings is a group of singers based at the Recovery Service Oaktrees Project, which is an abstinence based day treatment centre for people with drug and alcohol addictions in York. Everyone who is part of Recovery Sings is either in abstinent recovery or a supporter of recovery in the community.
Recovery Sings perform songs that are uplifting and reflect something of the life and journey that people in recovery have experienced, the joy of recovery and the discovery of a positive life without drugs and alcohol.
City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health Councillor Carol Runciman said: “To be part of a group singing in York Minster is a brilliant opportunity for all members of the Recovery Sings choir. Singing is great therapy and brings people together in a very special way. I am delighted to see Recovery Sings being given such a high profile; making their fantastic work more visible.”
The council’s Interim Director of Public Health Sharon Stoltz, who will be speaking at the event, said: “A concert performed by people who have successfully completed the recovery journey is a great motivation to people who are embarking on the process. York’s recovery programme working with Changing Lives is a very successful model and it is a great opportunity to celebrate its success in iconic surroundings.”
Tickets to the performance are free, but limited. To reserve your tickets telephone 01904 621776 or email oaktrees.york@changing-lives.org.uk
Mixed picture on library book lending in York
As we reported last week, Acomb Library attracted record numbers of users last year.
However a report from the mutual company now responsible for running the City, suggest a more varied picture in some areas.
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The reports says,
“In both visits and issues libraries are performing differently. Overall both are showing a decline – but that masks a more complex picture.
Some of our smaller libraries are doing well.
When we look at visits we can see that Acomb is up 14% and Huntington up 20%.
Others are not performing as well, for instance Fulford down 28% and Strensall down 22%.
Look at book issues and Fulford are 17% up and Haxby is 14% up. Down are Acomb 19% and Poppleton at 27%.”
Toy Library a big success
“The Toy Library was launched in May and has been a resounding success. York, Clifton and Acomb have the most borrowed toys, but most libraries are now issuing them. Since the launch we have issued 267 toys.
We make a small charge of 50p per toy so have collected £133.50 which goes back into the collection and we are looking for additional ways to fund adding new toys to the collection”.
York still above average in education achievements
A Council report, being considered next week, confirms that the City’s education system is continuing to achieve above average performance results.
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Exam results at both GCSE and advance level stages show an improvement over the previous year.
OFSTED inspections reveal that, as of 9th October 2015, 89% of York secondary schools are rated “good or outstanding”, 88% of primaries are “good or outstanding” and 100% of our special schools are “good or outstanding”.
This means that overall, of the 64 schools in the city, 89% are good or outstanding.
At most education stages the difference in achievement between less well off pupils (entitled to pupil premium) and others, has either narrowed or remained constant, although the gap widened in mathematics at Key Stage 2
Detailed performance graphs can be found by clicking here
Reading the past- Historical Book Group
Wed 14 Oct 6.30pm York Explore Library
A NEW, friendly, informal book group for anyone who loves history. “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
The choice of books will be up to the group, and may include historical fiction or non-fiction titles.
York based writer Pamela Hartshore will be coming along to the first meeting and talking about fact, fiction and the writing of history.
Please book your place to the initial meeting of the new reading group at :
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reading-the-past-york-explore-book-group-with-guest-pamela-hartshorne-tickets-18375351170?aff=es2
or contact York Explore Library on 01904 552828 or speak to a member of staff.