The York Council is planning to undertake maintenance work over
the next few months at 13 schools in the area.
The largest part of the £5.6 million budget has been allocated
to Huntington School which will see £987,000 spent on refurbishing the Science
Lab with part of the roof also set to be replaced together with the provision
of a new kitchen and improved insulation.
Clifton Primary school will receive £944,000. This will see Roofs,
Gutters, Windows and External Doors replaced. The building will be rewired, and
old pipework replaced.
Westfield school
The Westfield Primary school will get a £686,000 boost. A
section of the building will be re-roofed, the playground resurfaced, and a new
fire alarm system fitted.
Other work planned includes
The proposals are being discussed at a Council meeting next week.
Three York parents have been handed court fines this month after City of York Council took action following their children’s poor attendance at school.
The prosecution was heard by York Magistrates and followed numerous attempts by the authority and schools to engage the parents to give the children the education to which they are entitled.
In all cases, the parents had failed to provide the schools with acceptable reasons for much of their children’s absence and the schools had therefore marked the absence as unauthorised.
The prosecuted parents had, prior to court, failed to engage with the schools and local authority to support their children’s attendance and had also been issued with a fine as an alternative to prosecution. They had not paid it, prompting the council to prosecute.
All three parents were ordered to pay fines ranging between £131 to £660.
Maxine Squire, Assistant Director of Education and Skills at City of York Council, said: “We want all children to receive a great education and benefit from the rich opportunities and high quality of education that are provided by our schools, and working with families and schools to promote and maintain good attendance is vital in achieving this.
“We will always attempt to engage with parents to avoid further loss of a child’s education before we prosecute. This is used as last resort in order to ensure that children receive the education to which they are entitled.”
City of York Council’s Apprenticeship Hub is inviting Year 11 students to apply for a place on the second city-wide Apprenticeship Taster Day, following the successful launch earlier this year.
Taking place on Thursday 16 January 2020, 14 local employers are offering apprenticeship tasters to over 100 year 11 students from York secondary schools.
The taster day gives students the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be an apprentice in a variety of sectors, including finance, data science, hospitality, early years, rail engineering, marketing and construction.
The employers hosting students on the day will include; Network Rail, Aviva, City of York Council, Garbutt & Elliott, Portakabin, Toni & Guy and a variety of early years settings.
More than half of York’s primary schools will take part in Walk to School Week 2019, which runs from 14 to 18 October.
The national, awareness-raising event is staged annually and aims to encourage children and their families to walk, cycle or scoot to and from school, rather than travelling by car.
Locally, in excess of 8,000 students from 28 different schools will get involved. City of York Council’s iTravel team will present the Jack Archer Award to the school with the highest proportion of its students walking, cycling or scooting throughout the week, as well as cash to spend on sports equipment, which has been donated by Age UK. The Jack Archer Award is now in its sixteenth year and Age UK has supported the competition since it was first launched as part of its intergenerational work to encourage children to be more active.
Councillor Andy D’Agorne, the council’s Executive Member for Transport, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many local schools getting involved in Walk to School Week and competing for the Jack Archer Award.
“The council is committed to promoting sustainable forms of transport and it’s important that children are encouraged to adopt these habits from a young age. In addition to the health and wellbeing benefits for the children themselves, walking, cycling or scooting benefits everyone by reducing traffic congestion and emissions, and improving air quality.
“Good luck to all the schools taking part!”
Residents of all ages can find out more about sustainable travel options by visiting www.itravelyork.info.
Westfield Primary School has undergone an £1m investment programme over the last two years, with £425,000 being spent this year on refurbishing the east wing.
Westfield school
The most recent phase of the refurbishment has focused on the area of the school which houses foundation stage children through to Year 1 pupils. It has included replacing 104 windows, re-roofing two sections and removing a 40-year-old temporary double classroom.
The work has not only improved the condition of the school, but has also increased the school’s ‘environmental credentials’ by reducing energy wastage.
Re-organising the classrooms has also enabled the school’s nursery pupils to be brought into the main building so, besides being supported by teachers, they’re now co-located with the other pupils.
Last year, the school’s dining room, roof and kitchen area underwent a £695,000 refurbishment, enabling children to spend less time queuing for food and more time eating a healthy meal. The former vast kitchen and dining spaces were reorganised, creating a pleasant, calming place to eat.
Parents and members of the community will be invited into the school during school holidays to experience the new space for themselves.
Lamara Taylor, Headteacher at Westfield Primary School, said: “The support we’ve had from the building team and City of York Council has been great and the scheme has led to considerable improvements to our school. The result has been amazing.
“I’m proud to show prospective parents around Westfield and the investment in the school will have positive benefits to the whole school community in the future. It’s all very exciting.”
Contractors at the new centre for disabled children on Ascot Way were piling yesterday. The site is only a few metres from the school so it is unfortunate that the nosiest work couldn’t be completed before the new school term started.
The residents association at their meeting on Wednesday are likely to be demanding answers to questions about why work on the replacement off street games facilities for young people haven’t been started yet.
Residents were promised 6 months ago that an all weather surface would be provided at Thanet Road together with an outdoor gym.
Neither has appeared although the Kingsway MUGA was closed some 3 months ago
Another successful year for A level students in York
Provisional results for York schools’ sixth forms and York College show that the very high standards of previous years have been maintained, and indicate that A Level results in the city remain consistently amongst the best in the country.
York school sixth forms – All Saints RC, Archbishop Holgate’s CE, Fulford, Huntington and Joseph Rowntree – and York College – are reporting strong results including ‘best ever’ performances.
Overall results are showing increases in the number of students achieving the highest grades, the overall A*-E pass rate is above the national average and both the proportion of students achieving A* and A grades and the overall A*-E pass rate are above the national averages reported today.
Early results for the schools show that across the board young people will be able to get to the universities of their choice, including those applying to Oxford and Cambridge universities and medical courses.
With A-Level and GCSE results days approaching, City of York Council is reminding young people across the city that there are several sources of support throughout this exciting yet challenging time.
There is support for people who may be seeking an apprenticeship or other employment opportunity, or who want to move into full time education. Young people who are concerned that their personal circumstances may make accessing education, employment or training more difficult could also benefit from advice.
People can find support across the city from:
Careers Advisers employed by our local sixth forms and colleges – help will be available when results are collected
City of York Council Learning and Work Advisers in our Young People’s Service at 30 Clarence Street; extra appointment slots and drop-ins are available and Advisers can support with searching for vacancies, developing your CV, completing applications and preparing for interviews. Tel: 01904 555400; www.yor-zone.org.uk/someone-to-help.htm
Council-led ‘York Apprenticeship Hub’ – find us on Facebook (York Apprenticeships) and Twitter (@York Apprentices); email us at York.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk; T: 01904 553732 for local apprenticeship vacancies; there are still around 100 opportunities in the city, and many more in the region, across a range of sectors and job roles.
National Careers Service – for local employment and training opportunities; drop in to the York office at 18-19 Colliergate or call the national help-line 0800 100 900
One of Foxwood’s oldest residents Reg Turver has
unveiled a new interpretation board on Foresters Walk today.
When a boy Reg, now 97, used to help to bring
the hunt horses from Clifton to Kennel (now Foxwood) Lane
The
interpretation board charts the life of the kennels which were built at the
beginning of the 20th century and were finally demolished in 1973.
The board was funded by the Foxwood Local History Group, a voluntary organisation which is part of the Foxwood Residents Association. Foxwood RA chair Shirley Gumley assisted Reg at the unveiling.
The Foxwood Local History Group (FLHG) secretary
Sue Galloway says, “York city centre is the focus for visitors seeking to learn
about York’s history, Our aim is to encourage visitors to spread their wings
and discover more about the history of the surrounding area
The Foxwood Local History Group was formed 3 years
ago to record 20th century history of the Foxwood area.
So far we have erected 3 interpretation boards in
the area. one details the history of CHESNEY Fields. another details the life
of Air Vice Marshall DICKSON. A local park has been named after him.
The latest board details the history of the former
York and Ainsty Hunt kennels.
Each of these boards cost OVER £1500 . All our
funding is raised locally.
We are now working on an online book to record
information uncovered during our research.
If you have any memories of the area you’d like to
share with us please contact us on York 794111”.
The FLHG meets on an informal basis at Foxwood CC and more details can be found on our Facebook page Foxwoodlocalhistorygp
Buckingham Group Contracting (currently building York Stadium Leisure Complex at Monks Cross) is offering a second Apprenticeship Taster Day on Tuesday 28 May.
The Taster Day is a perfect opportunity for any Year 11 interested in a career in both technical and trade construction occupations.
The young people who get to attend will find out what it’s like in a real construction environment around employees and apprentices working on the Community Stadium.
Places are limited and students will be given places on a first come, first serve basis. If you would like to apply for this taster, please visitwww.york.gov.uk/apprenticeshipevents
For more information, or to find out how to be involved in 2020’s Year 11 Taster Day in January, contact the York Apprenticeship Hub onyork.apprenticeships@york.gov.uk or 01904 553732
