Blackburn school children get together before merger
9:00pm Monday 13th February 2012 in News
STUDENTS from three high schools are being brought together to stave off potential problems when they amalgamate in September.
Bosses at Blakewater College, Beardwood Humanities College and Crosshill School have put together a programme to ensure pupils begin integrating before the move.
Youngsters from the schools will transfer to the new Blackburn Central High School, off Haslingden Road, as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Building Schools for the Future, BSF, programme.
The schools have prepared a programme of activities including orienteering, residential trips, team building days, go karting, paint balling and much more in the run up to the summer holidays.
Blakewater deputy headteacher Majid Ditta said the aim of the programme was to ensure the pupils mix before they start as part of a plan to ‘minimise apprehension’.
One of the first activities arranged by the schools was a football tournament at DW Sports, Guide.
Here 75 year eight pupils from the three schools were put into teams with students from the other schools.
Blakewater College pupil Reece Grimshaw, 12, said: “It was fantastic to play with children from other schools. I have made new friends and we played together as a team.”
Beardwood Humanities College student Yasin Latif, 12, said: “Teachers from Blakewater College were welcoming and friendly. We made friends with each other and I’m looking forward to moving into Blackburn Central High School in September.
“I want to do more activities with the other schools before we move into the new school.”
Deputy headteacher of Blakewater College Majid Ditta, said: “The real backbone to promote pupil integration is to get the three school communities as fully prepared as possible to integrate and mix before moving into the new school.
“It is important because we want to start September as positively as we can to maintain levels of attainment.
“It will minimise apprehension.
“This is a huge challenge for all three school communities.”
Comments(10)
Dusty Snatchmonger
says...
11:07pm Mon 13 Feb 12
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher leave them kids alone
Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
Graham Hartley
says...
11:28pm Mon 13 Feb 12
From Majid Ditta, deputy head - 'It will minimise apprehension.' Among other generations of teachers, maximising apprehension was the intent. That way, pupils were more likely to do as they were told to do and the teachers were free to doze off. If any pupils disturbed that peace, throw the chalk at them - or the board rubber, it didn't matter which! Cane any who continued to protest.
woolywords
says...
5:36am Tue 14 Feb 12
Am really glad THEY are getting orienteering because THEY can 'get lost'!
'Residential visits' during school time will show US where they live, so on the weekend we can go round and tell THEM again.
We have developed a weapon for the paintballing thingy, it fires quarter litre tins of gloss..bring it on!
I don't mind sitting next to my mate from Sierra Leone or even near to the smelly kid from Senegal but do I have to sit near THEM from THAT school?
Oh yes, wonderful times are ahead for teachers sorting this generation out, God help them, I say. Has anyone remembered to put the police riot squad on notice because I can see this all ending tears before bedtime.
jack daniels
says...
7:40am Tue 14 Feb 12
Dusty Snatchmonger
says...
8:26am Tue 14 Feb 12
Graham Hartley wrote:All in all you're just another brick in the wall
Ah, the bitter truth of Dusty's remarks! From Majid Ditta, deputy head - 'It will minimise apprehension.' Among other generations of teachers, maximising apprehension was the intent. That way, pupils were more likely to do as they were told to do and the teachers were free to doze off. If any pupils disturbed that peace, throw the chalk at them - or the board rubber, it didn't matter which! Cane any who continued to protest.
louderfasterlonger
says...
4:37pm Tue 14 Feb 12
woolywords wrote:1st day of the new school year sees wide eyed, excited and slightly terrified kids coming together from primary schools all over the region.
Thank you Graham for the teachers point of view, am quite sure that the young people will take that on board-NOT! Here are a few quotes that LT failed to publish..enjoy.
Am really glad THEY are getting orienteering because THEY can 'get lost'!
'Residential visits' during school time will show US where they live, so on the weekend we can go round and tell THEM again.
We have developed a weapon for the paintballing thingy, it fires quarter litre tins of gloss..bring it on!
I don't mind sitting next to my mate from Sierra Leone or even near to the smelly kid from Senegal but do I have to sit near THEM from THAT school?
Oh yes, wonderful times are ahead for teachers sorting this generation out, God help them, I say. Has anyone remembered to put the police riot squad on notice because I can see this all ending tears before bedtime.
So I don't see why this is any different, do the authorities think that only kids from the same school hang out together after 3.30pm ?
Saying that, structured activity for kids is never a bad thing, I just hope the children don't approach this as immaturely as you Mr Wooly !
woolywords
says...
6:37pm Tue 14 Feb 12
Irrespective of the schism that already exists in Blackburn between Shia and Sunni or races, you fail to realise that the old rivalries between schools that are merging will not abate until the last merged child leaves school.
Nice turn of phrase by the reporter, where 'stave off' implies that the teachers will be armed with sticks.
This is the result of when you merge schools to get rid of Grammar schools, giving teachers jobs on lower wages rather than pay someone with a Masters degree..
Basic comprehension of words, from Comprehensive education schools.
Graham Hartley
says...
6:59pm Tue 14 Feb 12
In its first paragraph the report says that '...students... are being brought together to stave off...'
Etymology is such fun; we may expect that the students will have a gay time with the staving.
BuzzOff
says...
9:25am Thu 16 Feb 12
jack daniels wrote:Just to let you know. Crosshill pupils are like your average pupil but with learning needs. They know how to use computers, laptops and apple macs. Also they have their own iPads. Why would they need to comment on this forum when they can access more resourceful websites!!!
Interesting that there are no comments from the crosshill pupils. Any reason why?
Dickiepayshey says...
9:46pm Mon 13 Feb 12