Schools News: Including meeting Bob Geldof at maths education show

Businesses needed to support careers fair

Careers fairs provide students with the chance to meet employers face-to-face, to learn about current vacancies and opportunities available, and to market themselves to prospective employers. It also provides employers with the chance to see their potential future workforce.

Kings Langley School is organising a Careers Fair on Tuesday March 31 from 6 - 8.30pm and is seeking businesses from a cross section of industry to go along and help the students to learn more about the careers available.

Interested businesses should contact Janis Wright directly on [email protected] to book a slot.

Police and Crime Commissioner visits several schools

Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, has been busy calling in to schools in the area.

Cavendish sixth form students met him for a very positive discussion about community issues and how safe we feel in Hertfordshire. Mr Lloyd’s message that Hertfordshire is one of the safest counties in the country was very reassuring, and students responded with comments and examples of the good citizenship they see locally.

The students had taken part in the Citizens’ Academy organised by Hertfordshire Police together with Dacorum Borough Council. On an enjoyable, interactive day, the students learned about the value of communities, various aspects of policing and neighbourhood issues, and how teams of people work together to help prevent crime. The students met with professionals who explained their job-roles and the issues they deal with.

Many of the students are currently studying Public Services, Sociology or Psychology in sixth form, and some of their career ambitions include police work, law and social work.

Headteacher Sarah Lansley said: “We are delighted that we have had the chance to work with the police on this exciting initiative.”

At Kings Langley School the commissioner presented certificates to 30 Year 10 students who completed the Young Citizens Academy workshop. Kings Langley signed up to the programme last year to support PSHE and also to help young people understand the role of the police in preventing and tackling crime.

Students met people from the community who gave them insight into the impact and consequences of breaking the law and also learnt about substance misuse, violent crime and criminal damage.

The programme also gave students an idea of what a career in the police service entails.

After the representation headteacher Mr Lewis emphasised to students the importance of strong character and how the school is working hard to educate about right and wrong.

The commissioner also visited a primary school. He was the latest speaker invited to South Hill Primary to discuss subjects such as the community, jobs and British values, such as democracy.

Year Six at the school (aged 10 and 11 years old) asked him questions about crime levels in Hemel, public service and his views on policing.

He said: “I was very impressed by the young people at South Hill – they are a credit to the school and their parents. They had certainly done their research about my role and responsibilities and were able to ask some great questions as a result.”

Headteacher Sarah Bourn said: “We believe it is important for children to learn about democracy and form opinions about issues that affect them. We were delighted that David Lloyd was able to come and widen the children’s knowledge.”

Changing lives through song

Primary schools in Tring and Boxmoor are taking part in a national attempt to break the world record for singing and using sign language at the same time.

The challenge is part of a fundraising event run by the deaf health charity SignHealth.

Last year the existing world record was set of 144,503 people taking part in schools and choirs around the country. The event raised tens of thousands of pounds, to help give deaf children the same healthy future as their hearing friends.

Pupils from Grove Road Primary School in Tring and Boxmoor Primary School will be amongst those singing and signing this month.

SignHealth’s research has shown that deaf children’s health is badly affected by problems communicating at doctors’ surgeries and hospitals. Isolation is a real problem too. It means that deaf children have double the chance of mental illness and life-threatening illnesses in adult life.

SignHealth’s chief executive, Steve Powell said: “We want more people than ever to take part in sign2sing. The money raised is making a real difference to the life expectancy of deaf children. It also enables SignHealth to provide essential services and projects to help deaf adults who have grown up in a world of inequality.

“Learning some basic sign language through music brings deaf and hearing children together and breaks down communication barriers.”

To take part, change lives and help break the world record, schools can register online at www.sign2sing.org.uk.

Meeting Bob Geldof at maths education show

Pupils from a Hemel Hempstead school met Boomtown Rats lead singer Sir Bob Geldof at an educational show in London.

The pop star was there to view current and new ways of inspiring students in schools.

Paige Seggery and Laura Dean were winners of a challenge in Year 8 of Longdean School to use mathematics in real life situations.

They were invited to tune up a F1 car using Jaguar Cars Maths in Motion (a Cambridgeshire software house computer program) at the Bett Education Show in Docklands, London

The girls used their mathematical expertise to manipulate the software to measure angles and lengths of straights, calculate safe speeds for the features of the circuit, and decide when to take pit stops and change tyres.

The race was broadcast live online and Longdean finished as the top secondary school in the Home Counties, winning a Toshiba laptop.

The laptop was later presented to the school by Mr Richardson from Jaguar Cars Maths in Motion.