Manchester Academy News

BT Brings Innovation In Education Offering

Children in Harpurhey will have access to an innovative secondary education as part of a programme involving BT.

 

The Manchester Communication Academy will offer students more opportunities to make informed decisions about their future careers according to the newly-appointed Principal Designate.

 

Opening in September 2010, the Academy will offer students access to the fast moving world of communication and ICT and up-to-date technology will be used to support and transform learning for the 1200 pupils.

 

Lynne Heath, Principal Designate at the proposed Academy is a head teacher with more than a decade of educational experience. She believes people can be helped by the Academy, to develop career aspirations for the future that are realistic and achievable.

 

“People naturally want their children to do better and have more,” Lynne says. “This Academy symbolises real investment in the community and one of the priorities for us in developing the curriculum, is to support employability for adults and young people in the area. The creation of a new high school in Harpurhey will help provide job opportunities as well learning for adults – allowing them the chance to learn as well as their children. There is a real sense of pride in this community that we hope to build on.”

 

Lynne added: “It’s important that the people of Harpurhey see this Academy as belonging to them. Too often things are done to communities, rather than with them. We want to design this Academy with the community’s help and support.”

 

Although the Academy will initially open with students in years 7 and 12 only, the school will continue to fill progressively year-on-year. In addition to teaching 11 to 16-year-olds and providing access to learning for adults, the Academy will have 120 places for students post-16.

 

Lynne and her colleague Sue Webster, BT’s Project Manager for the Academy, are keen that the school provides children with the support they need to succeed at school and work.

 

“We want to develop independent learning in the school, teaching students to think for themselves, rather than passively taking direction from teachers,” says Lynne. ”We want to help young people to build confidence and value their own talents and achievements. I know from experience that some children can get turned off by school, partly because they don’t have adequate support for the difficulties they face. We have to ensure the Academy can help those pupils.”

 

Lynne’s experience in education is wide-ranging. Although she only became Principle Designate of the Manchester Communication Academy in September, she started her career in teaching Runcorn and held several positions at her first school, including, head of History, assistant head of sixth form and head of humanities.

 

In 1989, Lynne accepted an additional advisory technology teaching position with Cheshire LEA. This was followed by a stint as a Teacher Fellow with ICI in Runcorn and three years as an inspector and adviser with Trafford MBC.

 

In 1994 she returned to teaching as a deputy head in Skelmersdale before progressing to headteacher of a Language College in Knowsley where numbers have increased from 650 pupils to 930. It was designated a ‘specialist language school’ in 2000 and despite being in the third most deprived borough in the country there was a 56 per cent success rate of 5 GCSEs A* - C this year.

 

Lynne’s decision to join the Manchester Communication Academy was fuelled by the opportunity to get involved in building a school from scratch, and one which contributed to social regeneration in the area.

 

“The plan for the Manchester Academies was one that really appealed to me. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, Lynne said. “BT’s involvement in the Academy appealed to me, because they have a fantastic CSR programme and a global reach envied by other companies. I hope we can use those things to the advantage of the Academy by developing links with schools across the world."

 

“In developing the Manchester model, the City Council identified future skills gaps that needed to be filled by the new schools – plugging the gaps between what schools can provide, what businesses expect from young people and providing a smooth transition for young people", says Lynne.

 

“That’s what I hope the Manchester Communication Academy will provide for students, parents and employers,” adds Lynne with a smile.

A consultation exercise about the Manchester Communication Academy is currently ongoing and you can take part on line at www.place-group.com/consultation

Have your say on the Manchester Communication Academy

Members of the public are being invited to have their say about the new school proposed for Harpurhey in 2010.

 

Sessions are being held in September, two at the North City Library and two at the North City Family and Fitness Centre, in order to speak with local residents, parents and students about the plans for the new school, give them the opportunity to find out more and gather their ideas and opinions.

 

Manchester Communication Academy is a new kind of school proposed for Harpurhey, one that will improve education in the area. It will be built at the junction of Queen’s Road and Rochdale Road and is due to open in September 2010. It will offer students and the wider community access to the fast-moving world of digital communications and information communication technology (ICT).

 

All are welcome to come along to the sessions to find out, why Manchester needs Academies; who is involved in the Manchester Communication Academy; what kind of education students will get; and what the Academy will bring to students and the wider community.

 

Events will be held at North City Library on Tuesday 16th September at 1pm until 3pm and Tuesday 23rd September at 4pm until 6pm, and at the North City Family and Fitness Centre on Monday 8th September at 12pm until 2pm and Wednesday 17th September at 5pm until 7pm.

BT appoints Principle Designate for the Manchester Communication Academy

Lynne Heath has been appointed as the Principal Designate for the Communication Academy in Harpurhey, North Manchester, effective from September 2008.

 

This move follows her success as Head Teacher at Prescot School Language College in Knowsley. Despite being in the third most deprived borough in the country, numbers at the school increased from 650 pupils to 930 and it reached a 51% success rate of 5A* - C during her time there. Lynne will bring her innovative teaching techniques and experience to her new role in leading the Communication Academy, due to open in September 2010.

 

As well as over 20 years teaching experience, Lynne has worked in an advisory technology teaching position with Cheshire LEA, as a Teacher Fellow with ICI in Runcorn and spent three years as an inspector and adviser with Trafford MBC.

 

BT programme director Sue Webster said: "We are delighted to confirm that Lynne Heath has been appointed Principal Designate for the Manchester Communication Academy, in Harpurhey.

 

Lynne is an experienced Head Teacher who shares our vision.  Her first priority will be to work with us to develop the curriculum and policies for the academy to ensure we are ready to open and welcome students in September 2010."

 

North City Community Festival

Local residents from North Manchester were given the chance to learn more about the New Manchester Communication Academy at the North City Community Festival.

 

The North City Annual Community Festival took place on Saturday 5th July in Harpurhey, North Manchester. Here, local residents got the chance to learn more about the impact the new Manchester Communication Academy, due to open in 2010, will have on their community, their children and their futures.

Around 2,500 local people braved the weather and were rewarded with a sunny afternoon at the festival in Queen's Park. Activities during the medieval-themed day included a jousting display, hog roast, archery, falconry display, madhatter’s medieval workshop, street theatre and an arts workshop marquee sponsored by BT as a partner in the new Manchester Communication Academy.

 

Members of the community were given goodie bags full of information about the new academy, comics, magnets and postcards directing them to the new website page dedicated to the academy (www.btbetterworld.com/manchester_academy) where they can sign up to receive ongoing updates about the progress of the academy.

 

BT programme director Sue Webster said: “The feedback we received from members of the community on the day was extremely positive, everyone was in high spirits and it seemed as though the Manchester Communication Academy would be welcomed.

 

“Obviously we still have a way to go in communicating with the community as a whole, but we were pleased to get these early reactions.  On the day two of our Apprentices from Manchester were able to join us and they did a great job, making sure nobody left the festival without information and a goodie bag.”

Day Of The Match

Youngsters from North Manchester got the chance to report on their very own match day experience when they became sports reporters, presenters and commentators.

 

Seventeen Year 8 students from North Manchester High School for Boys in Blackley were given three full days of training in interviewing, presenting, commentating, filming and editing, to prepare them to produce news reports about the last match in the season for the first XI at Moston Brook Football Club on 19 March 2008.

 

The pilot scheme, created and run by Learning 2, and funded by BT, was designed to equip the students with essential life skills including communication, team working, the ability to collaborate, information gathering and presentation skills. BT are also lead partners for the new Manchester Communication Academy in Harpurhey, which is due to open in 2010.

The Day Of The Match project involved students interviewing members of the club, spectators and players on camera before the match; filming and commentating on the game; doing match reports to camera; editing their work; presenting and producing a finished film.

 

Sue Webster, Programme Director at BT said: “This was a fabulous project to be involved in and such great fun! The students have been really enthusiastic and the things they’ve learnt are important skills they will need for the rest of their lives!”

 

Harry Marsland, a director at Learning 2 said: “This was one of two pilot projects and we’ve really seen how the students develop during the training and develop those communication and team skills that are so important for life. The training sessions were very lively and it’s clear that they’ve really enjoyed themselves!”