Schools News: MP visits school to talk about his life and work

MP visits school to talk about his life and work

Conservative MP Mike Penning visited Abbot’s Hill School in Hemel Hempstead to talk to the Year 6 girls about his career before he entered politcs, as well as his life now in parliament.

The girls learnt that Mr Penning originally wanted quite a physical job and joined the army and then the fire service, but an injury while he was a firefighter caused him to step down and take a less physical job as a journalist.

He has now been an MP for 10 years. As a minister of state in government he has worked in various departments including transport where he was responsible for shipping, although his constituency is the furthest from the sea! He now works for the Justice Department and the Police Department as well as being a Privy Councillor.

In his spare time he supports Saracens Rugby Club and loves football.

He brought one of his red boxes with him and told the girls it is very heavy because it is made of stainless steel and would last at least half an hour in a fire.

At the end of the talk everyone got a chance to try out just how heavy the box is. The Year 6 girls and staff found the talk very interesting and thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

Thatched hut arrives at school

Pupils at The Collett School in Hemel Hempstead now have the use of a tiny little thatched hut.

With the support of and donations from Champneys Henlow and Travis Perkins in Hemel, The Little Thatched Company from Ampthill in Bedfordshire installed a miniature thatched building in the grounds of the special needs school.

The building was gifted at cost price to assist the children, many of whom have learning difficulties including autism and Downs Syndrome, which prevents them from attending mainstream schools.

The Little Thatched Company has offered monthly woodwork sessions to help support the children at the school.

Gemma Mitchell from The Little Thatched Company said: “On this occasion we not only produced a beautiful building but a building that will positively impact the learning and behaviour of all that attend the Collett School in Hemel Hempstead.”

School production of story currently showing in cinemas across the world

Rehearsals are well under way at Abbot’s Hill School in Hemel Hempstead for the next senior school drama production, Into the Woods, which will take place in February.

The musical is currently playing to packed cinemas around the world in a Disney film production starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden and Johnny Depp.

Into the Woods is a musical which intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales and follows them to explore the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.

The main characters are taken from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, as well as several others.

The musical is tied together by an original story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family, their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey.

What begins as a lively irreverent fantasy musical eventually becomes a meaningful tale about responsibility, the problems that come from wishes, and the legacy that we leave our children.

Performances will take place in the school’s Judi Dench Theatre on Thursday February 5 and 
Friday 6 at 7pm, and on Saturday 7 
at 2.30pm and 7pm.

Longdean pupils are given a head start in search for work as they learn how to create a good CV

Staff at Longdean School in Rumballs Road, Hemel Hempstead are constantly looking for ways to deliver extra-curricular activities that will help prepare the students for their future adult life.

As part of the extensive careers programme, all Year 10 students were recently involved in a CV workshop organised and delivered by a team of Tesco project managers.

The workshop introduced the students to the importance of creating a CV that will give them the best possible chance of success.

It is important that students hear opinions and advice from people other than teachers, so staff were very pleased thatTesco was able to support the school’s vision.

One of Tesco’s coporate goals is to use its ‘Scale for Good’ to create opportunities for young people, and the staff at the school are sure the event will have given their students the confidence to aim high.

One of the project managers said after the event: “We loved delivering these workshops.

“All the students were so bright and keen to participate.

“We hope they took away some key skills from these sesions.

“It’s also a great opportunity for us as a team to develop our own skills while getting involved in the community, which is something Tesco encourages us to do.”

The students will now write their own CVs in preparation for the Emplouability Skills Day with local Dacorum businesses which will take place in May, their work experience in June and their mock interview, supported by BT, in November.

This comprehensive programme gives them a head start for their future careers.

Ofsted grades Kings Langley School as good in its first inspection since becoming an academy in 2012

Inspectors visited the school in December and found the headteacher and senior leaders have created

a school in which students learn to develop the qualities of character and the academic skills to become successful citizens.

The report, released this month, said standards have risen in this improving school. The proportion of students attaining five or more GCSE

passes at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is above the national average. Students make good progress across a wide range

of subjects. This is because they have excellent attitudes to learning. They learn not to give up and to support each other. Achievement is typically good in all year groups because of regularly good teaching.