York GCSE results

Exam cartoonProvisional results show that 64 per cent of young people in York achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths GCSE on first entry.

Results this year are not comparable to previous years because of changes made in the performance tables which report the first entry rather than best entry results for candidates.

There have also been significant changes to the examination system in 2014, with the removal of some GCSE equivalent courses from the performance tables, reductions in coursework and the move away from modular examinations towards end of course examinations.

There was some disappointment at York High where a spokesman commented,

“In spite of the hard work of the students, the support of the families and the commitment of staff our results have dropped to 43 per cent of students gaining 5A* – C including English and Maths.

This is of course disappointing but is an inevitable consequence of an assessment based mainly on longer exams at the end of a two year course.”

Learn something new in a day!

Among this autumn’s 250 plus, newly published courses, City of York Council is offering a wide range of one-day learning sessions for the many residents who want to learn something new in a day.

These new all-day courses include crafts such as Needle Felting Christmas Robins, and Bookbinding at the Yorkshire Museum, while at Huntington School others can try Mount Cutting or making Stained Glass Christmas Angels. The courses run from mid-morning to mid-afternoon and teach the main skills needed to take these arts forward.

Also new are several IT classes including a couple focussing on the new operating system Windows 8.1 and using a Computer Cloud. In addition, courses to master I-pads, using the internet and social media are on offer alongside the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) qualification.

For those wanting to boost or maintain their physical fitness, the new programmes include Easy Fit for the Young at Heart at St Olave’s Church Hall, and Fitsteps and a free Cheerfit taster session which uses cheerleading routines will run at Huntington School.

The popular full bike maintenance programme is expected to be even more so in the slipstream of the Tour de France in York.

Cookery skills can be learned or honed at courses aimed at those wanting to turn out complete meals, including Scrumptious Starters, Mouthwatering Main Courses and Delicious Desserts.

While some old favourites of York Learning including an Introduction to Astrology, Lip Reading, Book-keeping or Languages.
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York Council call for young carers to be given extra support

multicolored-people-clipart

Liberal Democrats are calling for more support to be given to young carers in York by extending a successful national funding scheme.

The Lib Dems, along with groups such as the Carers Trust, are calling for Pupil Premium eligibility to be extended to include young carers.

The Pupil Premium is an additional allowance given to schools to support looked after children and those from low income families.

Children entitled to free school meals are eligible for the funding along with children in care, adopted children, children in hospital schools and service personnel children.

Schools in York have received £12.6 million since the Lib Dem policy was introduced in 2011.
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School closures in York on Thursday

Westfield school

Westfield school

The Council has published a list of schools which may be closed tomorrow because of  a strike by one of the teachers unions.

Those affected include Hob Moor and Westfield.

York High and Millthorpe will be “partially open”.

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe are expected to remain open.

Click here for an up to date list.

York school pupil attacks on teachers low

Pupils

Following the tragic incident in Leeds recently the York Council has published details of the number of attacks by pupils on teachers over the last 5 years.

They say that 16 instances were reported to the Local Authority

13 incidents resulted in cuts/bruises/grazes. 2 injuries were due to bites. 1 resulted in a broken thumb

Only one incident resulted in a teacher having to go to hospital

The locations for the attacks were recorded as

  • Special school = 5,
  • Pupil Referral Unit = 4,
  • Secondary school = 3,
  • Primary school = 4

York children gifted tablets

Pupils at Burton Green Primary School are boosting their learning thanks to 80 new Learn Pad tablets, which have been provided by The Little Society Charity and City of York Council.

Childrens Ipad

Access to the Learn Pads for all children from Nursery to Year 6 will improve the pupils literacy and numeracy skills by making learning more fun and interactive, as well as helping their parents practise their own skills, as part of regular pupil-parent joint learning workshops.

A ten year old at the school, said: “I enjoyed the workshop because I was able to experience the activities on the Learnpad, and because I could play games with my Mum.”
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School absences amongst lowest in the country

Figures released by DfE last week show school absence in York are amongst the lowest in the country.

Truency

In York, absence in primary schools for the 2013 autumn term fell to 3.4 per cent, a figure bettered in only three of the other 150 local authorities.

Similarly, absence in secondary schools fell to 4.4 per cent – the best ever figure for a term in York secondary schools – bettered by only 11 of the 150 other Local Authorities.

Absence figures in York’s secondary schools are also reducing at a faster rate than the national trend.

Where there are barriers or challenges to a child attending regularly, schools work with families to support them in resolving the issues.

Schools overcrowding crisis looms if York expansion gets go ahead

The York Council has admitted that it will need to find school places for at least an additional 800 primary age children by 2016.

These are children who will move to the City to occupy houses built on (mainly) green field sites around the City.

overcrowded1

The number is in addition to a forecast increase of 1359 primary pupils resulting from natural changes to birth rates and new developments already scheduled to take place.

The number of primary school pupils stands at 12513. This will increase to over 14,000 by September 2016.

The Council says that it has identified between 13 and 15 schools which will need to be expanded, with “one or two” additional schools being built.

The Council accepts that most of the expansion – the costs and source of funding for which are not yet known – will be built on existing playgrounds and playing fields.

With “lead in” times for new school buildings in excess of 2 years, it is likely that the City will see greater use being made of temporary classrooms over the next few years.

The revelations come at a time when the Council is starting to consult on proposals to include still more – mainly green field – land in its development plans..

The draft Local Plan published by the Labour led Council 12 months ago proposed that the City should increase in size by 22,000 homes (25%).

Following the highest number of objections ever received for a city-wide consultation in York,  theCouncil is moving closer to adopting a Local Plan for the city. The new proposals change some of the sites and add in others.
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Nominations invited for Adult Learners Awards

Nominations are being called for by City of York Council for the city’s annual Adult Learners Awards which, in the year of the Tour de France coming to York, has an extra award to help celebrate learners’ achievements.

The special cycling-inspired award aims to recognise a learning achievement connected with bikes: maybe someone who’s overcome illness or disability and learned to ride, or perhaps a participant who’s gone the extra mile in the Painting Through York project.

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