Deadline for York secondary school applications nears

admissions Parents of children currently in Year 6 – the last year of primary school – should apply for a maximum of five schools and we recommend that one preference should be the catchment school

Applications can be made online at www.york.gov.uk/schooladmissions.

All details and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at www.york.gov.uk/guideforparents. This guide, updated for 2017 admissions, contains information on school admissions and appeals processes as well as information on admissions statistics, oversubscription criteria and other information for parents and carers. Also online are details for service families and information on fair access.

Any parents eligible and who may not already have applied for free school meals are urged to do so at the same time. This means that whether or not the meal is taken, the pupil premium of £900 per year per eligible secondary school pupil will follow the young person throughout their time at school to benefit their education.

For more detailed information, please email: education@york.gov.uk or call 01904 551554

Nearly 9,000 York school pupils set to take “Walk to School” week in their stride

The school that gets the highest number of pupils walking, cycling or scooting throughout the week will win the coveted Jack Archer award and £200 to put towards sports equipment.

‘Scoot to School’ day will also take place on Wednesday 12 October. To encourage students to scoot the school with the highest percentage of pupils who scoot to school on that day will win a Scooter Pod worth £300 donated by CyclePod.

It is recommended that children aged five to sixteen do at least sixty minutes of physical activity that gets their heart beating faster than usual and they need to do it everyday to burn off calories and prevent them storing up excess fat in the body.

Regular activity is also important for adults and it is recommended that adults make sure they’re active for just 30 minutes each day, or 150 minutes a week.

The scheme is also targeted at families who normally take the car, and encourages them to consider walking or cycling to school instead.

Residents can find out more about changing the way they travel in York at: www.itravelyork.info/

Primary and secondary school applications open 12 September 2016

Parents and carers of children born between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013, are invited to apply for places in the reception class at their chosen York primary schools. Also, parents and carers of children who have just started in Year 6 may apply for a place in Year 7 at secondary school from today.

All details and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at www.york.gov.uk/guideforparents. The guide, updated for 2017 admissions, contains information on school admissions and appeals processes as well as information on admissions statistics, oversubscription criteria and other information for parents and carers. Also online are details for service families and information on fair access.

School contact details are also available through this website, to help parents and carers to find out when any open evenings or days might be held or to arrange school visits.

For more detailed information, please email: education@york.gov.uk or call
.

Better GCSE level results at York High School

The Press is today reporting,

Staff and students at York High School are celebrating hugely improved GCSE results after a very challenging year in 2015.

Headteacher David Ellis said: “I am thrilled that the proportion of Year 11 students who have gained 5 good GCSE grades has almost doubled this year compared to 2015, even surpassing our results from two years ago. This is a result of the hard work of our young people and the determined and supportive work of my colleagues. We were extremely disappointed with the way that grade boundaries were moved in 2015 which had a negative impact for our students a year ago but I am incredibly proud of the way that the whole school community has risen to the challenge in the last 12 months resulting in the progress we have made this year”.

Associate head teacher Rod Sims, who is responsible for achievement at York High commented on the great spirit within Year 11 in 2016. He said: “The very pleasing improvements this year are in large part due to the way that the students responded to all of the extra demands that staff have put on them. They have turned up for extra revision sessions in large numbers, in some cases very early in the morning! The young people recognised that as the examination boards continue to raise the bar the challenge of gaining high grades is ever increasing and they worked with staff incredibly hard to gain the very best grades that they could. Our students can be very proud of their achievements and it has been a real pleasure to work with them and their Head of Year Mrs. Harrison to enable us to achieve the outcomes we have.”

One pupil celebrating results is Chloe Stead who achieved 7 GCSEs at grade C. Chloe was the first baby born in York in the new millennium and her results epitomise the effort that the year group as a whole have made this year.

Mr Ellis said “We are delighted for Chloe and the whole year group. Many pupils of all abilities have fulfilled their own individual targets and potential which will allow them to move successfully on to the next stage in their education and careers. We wish them all the very best.”

For photos click here

Successful year for A level students in York

Provisional results for York school sixth forms and York College show that the very high standards of previous years have been maintained and initial results for the city indicate that A level results 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 with many ‘best ever’ performances. 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 Oxbridge universities and medical courses. This strong position is being maintained despite the significant changes to the content and structure of A and AS level courses this year.
(more…)

Finding Dory in York – summer swim sessions

The campaign from Disney, Change4Life and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) sees the launch of themed family swim sessions at hundreds of pools across the UK as well as new 10 Minute Shake Up activities, in a bid to make exercise fun and help children get the 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity they need each day.

The Finding Dory inspired swim sessions, which are co-created with the ASA and run from 22 July until 4 September, will provide an hour of in-water storytelling for the whole family, teaching children key swimming skills as they are taken on a journey with Dory and friends, led by trained instructors.

The Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Ups with Disney are back for a third summer to encourage children to get the 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity they need each day with fun 10 minute bursts of activity. For 2016, there are even more interactive Shake Ups than last year, including those inspired by the new Disney·Pixar film, Finding Dory, which set a box office record for an animated film when it opened in the United States in June.

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, Disney, Change4Life and the ASA commissioned a survey of more than 1,000 children aged 5 to 11 and their parents on their attitudes towards physical activity. The survey revealed that three quarters of children aged 5 to 11 (73%) want to do more physical activity, and 56% of children miss taking part in school PE lessons over the summer. Finding ways for their children to be active is a challenge faced by families, with 61% of parents saying they struggle for ideas during the school holidays.

The research showed that more than half of children (55%) said that swimming is one of their favourite ways to keep physically active during the summer holidays.139% of 5 to 11 year olds also said that they would want to go swimming more often if they could go with family members.1

Physical activity helps children build social skills, boost self-confidence, improve bone and heart health and maintain a healthy weight, yet just 21% of boys and 16% of girls currently meet the national recommended level of activity of 60 minutes each day.

Councillor Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health said: “This is a fantastic initiative to encourage children and families to get active. Increased physical activity can lead to better academic achievement, with improved attention span, behaviour and self-confidence. I would encourage people across the city to sign up”.

City of York Council’s Director of Public Health, Sharon Stoltz said: “In children physical activity is essential for mental and emotional health as well as physical health and a reduced risk of developing chronic conditions in the future. The 10 Minute Shake Up is a great way to get the city’s children moving this summer!”

Search Change4Life online for Disney and Finding Dory inspired 10 Minute Shake Ups and don’t forget to book your swim session today at www.disney.co.uk/justkeepmoving.

Changes for musical tuition opportunities in York

Music children A report outlining options for the future development of York Music Hub and York Arts Education will be considered by the Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People on Thursday 30 June. The options are being considered to support the continued development of excellent music opportunities for children and young people in the city.

Based on an evaluation by managers and advice from York CVS’s consultancy service, the Executive Member will be asked to agree to separate the two operations. It is recommended that York Music Hub becomes a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and the case is investigated for York Arts Education to take on the legal entity of a social enterprise by forming a Community Interest Company (CIC).

York Music Hub is a strong partnership of music education providers in the city. York Arts Education, currently a lead partner, would continue to participate in the hub as a member. The hub, funded by the Arts Council England, aims to develop musical excellence and diversity through its commissioning and partnership work, its quality of music provision and by sharing best practice. Its objectives, in line with the National Plan for Music Education include:
(more…)

Nearly 95 per cent of York children get a place at their first choice of primary school

Today (Monday 18 April), primary school admission figures are published for entry in September 2016 and City of York Council is pleased to announce School children that 94.4 per cent of York children have got their first preference and that 98.5 per cent got one of their first three preferences.

The percentage of children achieving their first preference has increased by 2.1 per cent between 2015 and 2016.

The number of online applications for primary school places has continued to increase. Parents who applied online will be notified of their child’s place by email at 10am today, letters are being posted today to parents and those with online accounts can log in to the council’s parent portal at www.york.gov.uk/parentportal.

In 2016 all children within the local authority area have secured a primary school place. The majority of children got one of their first three preferences; with the number of children whose preferences were not able to be met being reduced from 36 in 2015 to 27.

To meet growing demand for places in the west of York, 15 additional places were created by working with Acomb Primary School. Meanwhile, work continues in Southbank to meet a forecast growth in demand for places in the area.

This year’s admissions figures, compared with last year’s are outlined below:

	2015	2016
	qty	%	qty	%
1st	1828	92.3%	1853	94.4%
2nd	83	4.2%	71	3.6%
3rd	26	1.3%	10	0.5%
4th	4	0.2%	1	0.1%
5th	3	0.2%	0	0.0%
Placed outside preferences	36	1.8%	27	1.4%
Total	1980	100.0%	1962	100.0%
Applied Online	1706	86.2%	1795	91.5%

York Lib Dems oppose academy school plans

York Liberal Democrats have written to the Government opposing plans to force all schools to become academies.

In Westfield, the Hob Moor school recently announced plans to become an Academy amidst confusion about how its PFI debts would be paid.

Hob Moor School

Residents also questioned how parents and the local community would be able to influence the polices of what is a major neighbourhood asset sited in a relatively poor area.

Specialist services for those with Special Educational Needs are provided on the campus which is also a base for Surestart services.

The Conservative Government has said that all schools will be expected to become, or be in the process of becoming, academies by 2020, with all converted by 2022.

In a letter to the Education Secretary, local Lib Dems say they are opposed to “forced academisation” and raise concerns about the ending of the current accountability of schools to elected local councils.

The letter raises concerns about whether councils such as York will be able to fulfil their remaining education duties under the new system, such as school place planning and protecting vulnerable pupils including those with Special Education Needs. It also criticises the proposal to end the role of parent governors and says the Government has revealed no plans to help councils with the costs that they will face in the conversion of schools.
(more…)

More children walking to primary school in York

Even more schools in York have been recognised for their work in helping to make their local areas safer by reducing car journeys and using sustainable forms of transport such as walking, cycling and scooting.

Three school are following in the footsteps of Archbishop of York Junior School, who achieved the gold award in Autumn 2015, by becoming the latest schools to sign up to a national road safety campaign.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC Primary School, Bishopthorpe Infants School and Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy have all achieved a bronze award and are a step closer towards gaining a ‘silver accreditation’.
(more…)

« Previous
1
…
6
7
8
9
10
…
16
Next »

York commentary archive site