News and events
What's been happening in DASP?
DASP Prom Concert 2010
On 3rd July 2010, the DASP Prom Concert was held again, in the Marquee in the grounds of Thomas Hardye. With the usual excellent variety of music and rousing finale, the show was a huge success. A number of people have suggested it was the best yet and a fine way for retiring DASP Music Adviser, Liz Adams, to 'leave the stage'.
As usual, the Concert was also the chance to present the annual DASP Citizen awards. These are given to children who make an outstanding contribution to the life of their school and is voted for by the children. Our photo shows Co DASP Director, Peter Farrington, with the winners.
Winterbourne Valley Maths Cafe
Winterbourne Valley First school recently ran a Maths Cafe. The children organised tea, cakes and scones and parents were invited to come along. Through the practical matter of preparing bills and taking payment, the children could practice their maths skills. As you can see from our photo, the school were very lucky with the weather and were able to run the cafe outdoors.
Sports Leaders at St Marys
In June, working with the West Dorset School Sports Partnership, St Mary's Middle School provided a venue and Sports Leaders for a day with First School children. They took the younger children through a range of sporting activities. Showing great maturity, this was a terrific experience for them and their younger participants.
Prince of Wales First win SWGFL Competition
Year 2 pupils from The Prince of Wales First School, Dorchester have won a prestigious e-safety competition. The competition was organised by SWGfL (South West Grid for Learning) and was open to all school’s in the south-west of England. The aim of the competition was to emphasize the importance of E-Safety and to encourage pupils to make E-Safety messages and deliver them in a way that would make a difference to the attitude of others.
Gary Spracklen (School ICT Co-ordinator), explains how pupils at The Prince of Wales First School created their entry, “As a Year 2 class we thoroughly enjoyed making our e-safety video and engaged in the design process using Merlin, our school’s VLE (virtual learning enviroment). Children began the process by accessing a range of relevant e-safety websites through our class page. The children then used a discussion board to share their thoughts and ideas of how we could communicate an e-safety message to children in a 30-second TV commercial”. Barbara Thomas, (Teaching Assistant), who also worked with the children in creating the entry, shared how, “The children were very keen to link in the Rights of the Child and therefore also considered their responsibilities when considering e-safety”.
Beatha and Lauren both in Year 2, explain how they came up with the SAFE internet ‘surfer’ theme. Beatha told us how she, “knew people use the word “surfing” for two fun actvities now, so she put the two together to create the idea of SAFE surfing”. Lauren explains how following their idea, the two girls enlisted the help of their classmates, “we asked everyone to bring in a bodyboard and we made a wave in our school hall using PE equipment and bits of blue and white fabric”.
The children who enlisted the help of Year 4 pupils, Lauren and Emerald to record their entry, now have an exciting day’s radio broadcasting to look forward to with Cylde Broadcasting. In addition to their main prize the school have also won a prize pack including a digital camera, flip video camera, digital photo frame, and much more.
See their video at:
Awards in Music for DASP Students
Two Thomas Hardye students have received the Hedy King Robinson Award from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music for their recent Theory Examinations.
Congratulations to Edward Nichols and Matthew Huxley.
Four DASP students have received awards from the Dorchester Choral Society SOLO Trust Fund for good and active progress with their music.
Congratulations to:
Lucy Abrahams - Thomas Hardye School
Alice Hamblin - Dorchester Middle School
Emily Goddard - St Mary's Middle School, Puddletown
Charlotte Mansell - St Osmund's Middle School, Dorchester
Thomas Hardye student wins national science award.
Each year the British Science Association and Young Engineers, in association with Crest Awards, run the National Science & Engineering Competition. We are very excited to announce that the senior age group, UK Young Scientist of the Year is Tom Hearing from the Upper Sixth of the Thomas Hardye School.
Tom wins:
• a cash prize
• a trophy
• a framed certificate
• a once in a lifetime trip to the NASA in Florida and Houston with the International Space School Educational Trust
• opportunities to represent UK youth science and engineering at events and visits in the UK and abroad.
Congratulations to Tom on this fantastic achievement and best wishes for an exciting future in science.
St Mary’s Puddletown - OfSTED Report praises school.
‘A good school which is taking the right steps to become outstanding’
This is how Ofsted described St. Mary’s CE Middle School, Puddletown in the school’s recent Ofsted Report.
During the two day inspection in January, the team of four inspectors observed several lessons and looked at all aspects of the school’s work.. The following areas were identified as ‘outstanding’
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The outcomes for all children
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The care, guidance and support provided for the children
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Achievement and the extent to which children enjoy their learning
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Behaviour in lessons and around the school.
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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
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Governance
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The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money.
The attainment of children by the time they leave the school was described by inspectors as, ‘exceptional’, with the vast majority of children achieving levels in English, Maths and Science well above age expectation.
Headteacher Carl Winch commented, ‘I am very proud of the staff and the children and I am pleased that the hard work of all at St. Mary’s and within the DASP partnership has been recognised. The Lead Inspector made it clear
that the school was very close to an overall ‘Outstanding’ judgement, which is something only 8% of schools have achieved under the new inspection framework, introduced last September. We are already working on a plan to further improve the quality of our provision and I look forward to the continued success of the school’.
St. Mary’s, as a Church of England School, was also inspected by the National Society, which described the school as, ‘consistently outstanding in all respects’ and ‘an environment where children thrive both academically and personally’.
An Outstanding DASP School
Congratulations to Headteacher Ann Herridge and Deputy Bob Duffin at Cheselbourne Village School for achieving an Outstanding judgement at their recent OFSTED Inspection. The school, set very much in the heart of Dorset and local rural community life, was rated ‘outstanding’ in 27 out of 28 separate assessments made by OFSTED, as well as in each of three overall categories of ‘Overall Effectiveness’, ‘Capacity for sustained improvement’ and ‘Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils’. The school, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, was commended by OFSTED who reported that its ‘Outstanding relationships between staff and pupils, together with the high quality provision, mean pupils love coming to school.’ OFSTED go on to say ‘Pupils work exceptionally hard and do especially well in both their academic and personal achievement.’
Commenting on the results, Head teacher Ann Herridge said ‘It’s such a thrill for everyone associated with the school to get such great feedback and endorsement from OFSTED. We all know how important the early years of learning are and we are blessed at Cheselbourne with a really friendly, hard working and skilled team of staff who together with volunteers, parents, governors, and the local community combine brilliantly to provide a great learning experience for the children’. Mrs Herridge went on to say ‘We may be a small school, but we are able to make a real virtue of this. Through strong links with the local community and the valuable resources Dorchester Area Schools Partnership provides we are able to create a flexible, diverse and nurturing learning environment which belies the size of the school. For example, we’re able to cater for all children’s needs including for example through extensive pre-school, music, sport and after school club activities. This, coupled with the individual attention we can provide in our small class sizes helps ensure every child has the best possible chance to make fantastic progress at Cheselbourne and importantly as they move on to St Mary’s Middle School, Puddletown and then Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester.’
Thomas Hardye and Dorchester Rotary lead way in Haiti Appeal
The Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester Rotary and Wessex FM have partnered together to co-ordinate the town's efforts to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Thousands of pounds have been raised, but lots more is needed.
Check out the special page at the Thomas Hardye School website for more information.
http://www.thomas-hardye.dorset.sch.uk/pages/news/news_2010/01_10/haiti_appeal.php
Cerne Abbas First School Achieve BECTA ICT Mark
DASP is very pleased and proud to announce that Cerne Abbas First School have been awarded the BECTA ICT Mark. This prestigious award is given to schools and recognises them for their achievements in "reaching a standard of maturity in their use of technology". This is not just about owning technology or even just using computers regularly. It is only awarded when a school shows that ICT is at the heart of what it does, is used when appropriate and that all staff are compfortable in making the most of ICT with their students. As well as rigourous self assesment and audit the school must satisfy an external assessor that they have reached the required standards.
Congratulations to Headteacher Helen Williams and ICT Co-odinator Jill Cochrane for their achievement. Not forgetting the staff and children of the school for their hard work.
DASP Keeps its Investors in People Status
December 2009: After a rigorous inspection process, DASP has once again been succesful in attaining its status as an 'Investors in People' organisation. Congratulations to everybody for keeping up these standards.
Cerne Abbas pupils win prize for video
Cerne Abbas First School recently entered a competition run by Dorset Cereals to create a film about growing cress. They have just received this letter.
Dear Cerne Abbas First School,
Thank you so much for all three of your wonderful entries into our Edible Playgrounds’ Cress Head Film Competition. We greatly enjoyed all of your films and thought each to be very imaginative and funny. The films have now been judged and I am very pleased to let you know that one of your films, ‘Eggstra Egg Joke’, has been chosen as one of our five winners. Congratulations to the three children who made this. Your prize, a flip camera, will be sent out to you shortly and we hope that you will all have lots of fun using it. We will also display the fact that you are one of our winners on the Edible Playground website this week, so do keep an eye out!
Congratulations again!
Best wishes,
Isobel Williams-Ellis
....................................................................................................................
Dorset Cereals Ltd
Edible Playground website at : http://www.edibleplaygrounds.co.uk/
See the Cerne animations at the Films for Learning website:
http://www.filmsforlearning.org/Tags.aspx?Tag=Cerne%20abbas
Anti Bullying Week
November 16th -20th was Anti Bullying week in the UK. Organised by the Anti Bullying Alliance (www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk) and supported by DCSF, a range of activities were ongoing. Dorset had a Conference on Monday 16th at which the Thomas Hardye School, Dorchester Middle and the Learning Centre were represented. The theme was Cyberbullying and the message got through, that Cyberbullying is bullying. Do check out our E-Safety page on this website.
Student Voice
DASP has a very active Student Voice Programme. With individual schools meeting, then getting together in mini pyramids to share thoughts. And then finally, at least once a term, all DASP schools Student Voice groups meet as one. To see a report on a typical mini pyramid meeting click here.
Sunninghill Prep in First Full Partnership between State and Independent Schools
Sunninghill Prep School in Dorchester has joined the DASP schools partnership in a pioneering venture that will break down traditional barriers between state and independent schools. Sunninghill Preparatory School is a co-educational school for children aged 2 years 9 months to 13 years. The partnership involves co-operation on planning for new initiatives in the curriculum, such as ways to deliver effective preparation for the demands of the Government’s new Secondary curriculum. It also involves teachers working together at all levels and pupils collaborating on special projects.
Mr. Andrew Roberts-Wray, Headmaster of Sunninghill Prep, points out: “Sharing good practice between teachers helps to generate creative solutions to shared problems and thereby increase the standards achieved by all the schools involved. At the same time, breaking down the artificial divide between our pupils and those from state schools, will benefit the community and offers a model that could benefit society in general,” He goes on to emphasise: “It is time to break down the social barriers that can cause problems for young people in later life by creating opportunities for them to work together without fear or prejudice during their school years.”
Sunninghill’s Chairman of Governors commented: “The established DASP partnership is nationally recognised for its excellent academic results, through close co-operation between its schools and yet every school involved retains its individuality and ethos. As Governors we support this move as it creates stronger links with Thomas Hardye Secondary School, to where many of our pupils move onto at 13.”
DASP Director, Peter Farrington and Head of Prince of Wales First School in Dorchester summarised. “Inviting Sunninghill into our partnership has given us a new dimension that supports our commitment to aim to provide the best education possible for our young people. We hope to share good ideas and get involved in new joint initiates that will enrich and broaden our curriculum.”
Thomas Hardye Science College: Miss Hilton is going to Antarctica!
Thomas Hardye Head of Chemistry Lyndsay Hilton writes:
"Well after a rigorous selection centre, I was delighted to find out last month that I have been selected to go on a science expedition to Antarctica in November 2010. The expedition is organised by a charity called the Fuchs Foundation, who aim to raise the profile of science in schools and the exciting research that is being carried out in places like Antarctica and encourage more young people to study science. I will be going with two guides and three other teachers from around the UK. During out 6 week stay we will each be conducting a science project and camping in temperatures down to -40°C, man-hauling all our tents and equipment and possibly even climbing mountains that have never been climbed before.
The science project I will be carrying out concerns the impact that nanoparticles could have on the world in the future. Nanoparticles are tiny particles that can only be seen with a very highly powered microscope, and billions of pounds is currently being spent by industry and the government into the benefits these particles may hold for us. Exciting new research has found that the glaciers in Antarctica may contain nanoparticles of iron oxide which may actually be able to slow global warming. Part of my project is to analyse the glaciers to determine if they do contain iron oxide, how much, and if this will have an impact on global warming. The second part of my project involves testing the wide variety of clothing that now contains nanoparticles. These have been engineered specifically to produce, for example, clothing which will never stain and socks that will never smell no matter how long you wear them. I am looking forward to testing those claims out!
One of the key benefits about me going is, on my return I will produce a number of lesson plans/resources based on my experience and use them in my own and other schools (particularly within DASP). I am keen for it not to just benefit science, as I am willing to collect a range of data for other subjects. Examples I have thought of are collecting physiology data to be used with PE, diary entries to be used with English, climate information for Geography, historical information on Antarctica for History etc.
To prepare for the expedition, we need to have lots of training in the UK and we are also going on a training expedition to Norway next year, bringing the total cost of the trip to around £35,000 per teacher! I need to raise £14,000, so watch this space for fundraising events coming up! One appeal I am making is for people to donate anything they have around the house that they no longer need and haven’t got around to selling yet. If you have anything like this at home, then please bring it into school. All donations I receive will be sold in my charity ebay store and all the money raised will go towards my fundraising target. Additionally, if you are planning on ordering from a retailer online, you can do so through my webpage and I will receive up to 12% of the purchase order from each retailer towards the expedition. Retailers include Next, M&S, Thorntons, Waterstones and the Early Learning Centre. It will cost you absolutely nothing and there are often unique special offers to be had through my website: http://www.buy.at/lhilton1.