SCHOOL NEWS
Updated: 7th September 2009
100% PASS RATE FOR BLUE COAT "A" LEVEL STUDENTS!
(This article appears on the Liverpool Daily Post website for 21st August 2009)
LIVERPOOL’S only grammar school was again all smiles thanks to a 100% pass rate.
The school also saw the number of students achieving B or above increase by 9% to 81%.
The hard work also paid off for nine students who have been accepted at either Cambridge or Oxford.
Last night, Debbie Silcock who last year became the first female headteacher in the school’s 300-year history said: “I am very pleased with our results this year.
“They are the result of some very hard work from our students, who have been determined to focus on what they have had to do.
“They have been encouraged and supported by our dedicated teachers and support staff.”
BLUE COAT TO TAKE OVER RUNNING OF LIVERPOOL'S WORST SCHOOL
(This article appears on the Liverpool Daily Post website, for 13th May 2009)
LIVERPOOL’S only grammar school will take over the city’s worst- performing school, minister Ed Balls confirmed last night.
Parklands High School, Speke, is among the worst 200 schools according to GCSE league tables. But Whitehall has now rubber- stamped a takeover by the Blue Coat – Liverpool’s best- performing school.
The grammar school’s head teacher, Debbie Silcock, will run the management of Parklands, which will also get a £750,000 cash injection to help improve standards.
Last year, only 15% of Parklands pupils got five good GCSEs, including maths and English.
This showed massive improvements on the 2007 performance when just 1% got through, earning it the dubious accolade of the UK’s worst school.
Now the schools will become the city’s first government-backed National Challenge Trust, meaning Blue Coat’s governors will take over all aspects of the way it is run including its curriculum, teaching methods, literacy, numeracy, lesson plans, hiring, and even uniform.
Parklands head Alan Smithies has backed the move, and current teachers are expected to remain.
Mr Balls said schools who had already been part of the national challenge scheme were showing marked signs of improvement.
He said: “It is enabling headteachers to continue their drive to raise standards, often in the most challenging schools.
“There has been much progress with the National Challenge, with most schools embracing a blend of support to help accelerate improvements.”
He also said that Parklands would get even more help if it did not hit the 30% benchmark.”
Teaching staff from Blue Coat will be expected to conduct training and possibly take lessons in Speke.
ROYAL LIVER POETRY OF PLACE RESULTS -
Added 19th November 2008
Lara Rimmer (year 10) won 2nd prize and Ryta Kamarova was in the top 18 out of nearly 1000 entries. They both won prizes and Lara will be mentioned in the Liverpool Echo and will be on the Royal Liver Insurance website.
Their teacher, Belinda Ludlow, won first prize in the teachers' section with a poem about Wavertree Park (The Mystery).
The picture shows Belinda with Ryta and Lara at the awards ceremony. The gentlemen are Royal Liver CEO Steve Burnett and Director of Liverpool City Council Warren Bradley.
Congratulations to Lara and Ryta, and thanks to everybody who voted for them.
DUKE OF GLOUCESTER visits the Blue Coat School
On Monday 10th November 2008, HRH the Duke of Gloucester visited the school and dined with a selected group.
The Brotherly Society was represented by Assistant-Secretary Ernie Foulder. Our President, recently-retired Head Teacher Sandy Tittershill was also present.
The picture was taken by teacher Edmund J Crighton, and shows the Duke signing the Visitors' Book in the company of Head Teacher Debbie Silcock.
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