Our House is the story of Joe Casey who, on the night of his sixteenth birthday, takes Sarah, the girl of his dreams, out on their first date. In an effort to impress her with bravado, he breaks into a building site overlooking his home on Casey Street, which is owned by Mister Pressman, a high-end property developer. The police turn up, at which point Joe’s life splits into two: the Good Joe, who stays to help, and Bad Joe, who flees.

The story then continues, following both good Joe and Bad Joe’s lives through alternating scenes and the lyrics of some very well know Madness songs.

Last night we went to the Grand Theatre to see “Our House” performed by a cast from Coppice Performing Arts School, Ashmore Park and we did not come away disappointed.

They were amazing. From the second the young cast took to the stage to the final curtain call the audience we’re enthralled. The musical numbers had us tapping our feet and the characters we believable and incredibly well-played. Sitting high up in the Grand Circle it was easy for us to see the cast exiting the stage and we were impressed by the professionalism of all involved staying in character until the were well out of sight.

A special mention must go to Jay Wiley (Joe Casey) for some very speedy costume changes when switching between Good and Bad Joe, and to Stephen Clifton (Vegas Minister) for a very brave costume choice coming onto stage in front of cast and audience of his students in a white “Elvis” jumpsuit!

Each and every individual on the stage looked like they both belonged and wanted to be there, from the dancers in the chorus to the lead actors/actresses who gave it their all and the teachers who had given up their weekends to support both on stage and off. The dedication of all involved is a credit to the school and to Wednesfield as a whole.

They deserved the rapturous applause they left the stage to and we can only hope that they enjoyed performing for us as much as we enjoyed watching them!

Our House was first performed by the pupils of Coppice Performing Arts School in Spring 2011 and images from those shows can be found on the school website.

Bikeability is described as the 21st Century Cycling Profciency course and is designed to give young people confdence in cycling on the roads.

Wolverhampton City Council’s Community Development organise courses for 8 – 16 year olds at Aldersley School in conjunction with the Road Safety Team during school holidays and are now taking bookings for April and June.

To get the Bikeability award, young people will be instructed on how to ride their bikes to the Government approved National Standard for Cycle Training, which sets out the training and skills essential for making cycling trips in today’s road conditions.

Those taking part will receive a certifcate for each award gained and a FREE gift.

Bikes and helmets can be provided for courses subject to availability and storage space.

For more information and to book, phone 01902 556220 or visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/bikeability.

Photo: Andreas Kambanis

Wolverhampton City council have today released a press release with the details of forthcoming school closures due to strike action this coming Wednesday 30th November 2011.

We’ve listed all the schools we’ve been supplied details for across the city – not just in Wednesfield. If your school is not listed please contact the school directly for information

The following schools will definitely be closed.

Aldersley High
Ashmore Park Nursery
Bantock Primary
Berrybrook Primary
Braybrook Centre
Bushbury Hill Primary
Castlecroft Primary
Christ Church C of E Infant
Colton Hills
Coppice High School
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary
Deansfield High
D’Eyncourt Primary
Dunstall Hill Primary
East Park Primary
Eastfield Primary
Edward the Elder Primary
Elston Hall Primary
Fallings Park Primary
Field View Primary
Graiseley Primary
Green Park
Heath Park High School
Highfields
Hill Avenue Primary
Holy Trinity Catholic Primary
Kings Church of England
Kingston Centre
Lanesfield Primary
Long Knowle Primary
Low Hill Nursery
Loxdale Primary
Moreton Community
Moseley Park,
New Park
Northwood Park,
Oak Meadow Primary
Oxley Primary
Palmers Cross Primary
Parkfield Primary
Penn Fields Special
Penn Hall Special
Rakegate Primary
Smestow
SS Mary& John’s Catholic Primary
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary
St Bartholomew’s C of E Primary
St Edmunds Catholic,
St Jude’s Church of England Primary
St Luke’s Church of England Primary,
St Martin’s Church of England Primary
St Mary’s Catholic Primary
St Michael’s Catholic Primary
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary
St Paul’s Church of England Primary
St Peter’s Collegiate
St Teresa’s Catholic Primary
Stow Heath Infant
Stow Heath Junior
Stowlawn Primary,
Tettenhall Wood
Trinity Church of England Primary
Uplands Junior
Warstones
Wednesfield High
West Park Primary
Westacre Infant
Westcroft
Whitgreave Infant
Whitgreave Junior
Wodensfield Primary
Wood End Primary
Woodfield Infant
Woodthorne Primary
Star & Crescent Children’s Centres.

The following schools have indicated will either be open as normal, or partially open (please note the situation is liable to change):

Berrybrook Children’s Centre
Bilston Nursery (closed for Year 3)
Bilston Church of England Primary
Broadmeadow Nursery Special
Bushbury Nursery
Claregate Primary (open to Year 3, Year 5 and nursery only)
Dove Childrens Centre
Dovecotes Primary (open for Nursery, Reception, Year 3 and Year 5)
Eastfield Nursery
Giffard Catholic Primary
Goldthorn Park Primary (partially open)
Grove Primary (closed for Key Stage 2 pupils)
Holy Rosary Catholic Primary
Manor Primary
Midpoint Centre (open to small groups only)
Our Lady & St Chad’s Catholic (open to Years 10, 11, 12 and 13, closed to Year 7, 8 and 9)
Perry Hall Primary
Phoenix Nursery
Spring Vale Primary
Springdale Infant (Infant open, Nursery closed)
St Michael’s Church of England Primary
St Stephen’s Church of England Primary
Villiers Primary
Wilkinson Primary
Windsor Nursery/Centre for Children (Nursery closed, Centre for Children open)
Woden Primary (partially open)
Dove Children’s Centre.

 The following schools have not yet announced a decision:

Christ Church C of E Junior
Merridale Primary
Orchard Centre
Springdale Junior
St Alban’s Church of England Primary
St Andrew’s Church of England Primary
St Thomas’s Church of England Primary (may be open to some pupil groups)
Wolverhampton Girls High
Woodfield Junior.

Schools will be contacting parents to notify them of the school’s position; if parents are unclear of the situation they are advised to contact the school directly as they may need to make alternative childcare arrangements as necessary.

Pupils, staff and governors of Oak Meadow Primary School turned out in force to mark the opening of their new £7m accommodation.

Wolverhampton Mayor Councillor Bert Turner cut the ribbon to declare the school, in Ashmore Park, officially open at a ceremony yesterday (Tuesday November 8, 2011).

The event marked the completion of Oak Meadow’s state-of-the-art facilities, which have been developed by Midlands-based Thomas Vale Construction as part of Wolverhampton City Council’s £16.6m Primary Capital Programme, which is transforming educational facilities for primary age pupils in the city.

The new building will accommodate up to 420 pupils and is one of the first schools in the country to be built to ‘Passivhaus’ standards, meaning it has been designed to use up to 90% less energy to heat and cool it compared to standard buildings.

Oak Meadow’s new school hall has been designed so that it can be easily transformed into a performance area with state-of-the-art sound and lighting facilities.

It has received state-of-the-art ICT facilities, with digital displays in the entrance and learning areas enabling pupils to share their work, while the school is also planning to launch its own radio station to enable parents to keep up-to-date with pupils’ activities.

Pupils have designed the engravings which feature on the natural wood on show in the school, while the main staircase featured artwork created by the youngsters.

Councillor Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning, said: “I am delighted with the new school building; pupils at Oak Meadow now have wonderful learning environments that will inspire the young people at the school to go on and achieve great things in their education.

“Thomas Vale Construction worked with our architects, Architype, on this and Bushbury Hill Primary School, which is also undergoing a major transformation, and previously worked with us on the award-winning St Luke’s Primary School in Blakenhall. I hope that they have created another award-winning school for the young people in Wednesfield.”

Oak Meadow’s old building, which was erected in the 1960s, will now be demolished and the land re-developed as playing fields.

To find out more about Wolverhampton’s Primary Capital Programme, please visit www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk.

Located in the old Chubb Locks building, Fryer Street the Chubb IT Centre offers a flexible way to gain those IT qualifications that are so necessary in today’s world. Irrespective of whether you are a complete novice or someone wishing to update your existing skills the IT Centre has a course for you.

Courses available

Chubb IT Learning Centre, part of the City of Wolverhampton College, has been open since February 2002 and offers City and Guild courses at a variety of levels including:

City and Guilds Start IT (iTQ) 4248 – Entry Level
City and Guilds iTQ Certificate for IT Users Level 1
City and Guilds iTQ Certificate for IT Users Level 2
City and Guilds iTQ Certificate for IT Users Level 3

A state-of-the-art sports facility has officially been unveiled at Wednesfield High School.

Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds cut the ribbon to declare the school’s new sports hall, changing rooms and community entrance open.

It also marked the completion of the first phase of the multi-million-pound transformation of the school. It began in April and has also seen the development of a new Performance Zone which includes specialist teaching spaces for Music, Drama and PE. The school’s new dining room and sixth form base complete the first phase.

The sports hall will serve the local community and Claire Evans, Headteacher of Wednesfield High School, said: “The new sporting facilities are state-of-the-art.

“They, along with the rest of the improvements which have already been carried out at our school, have been greeted enthusiastically by students, staff and visitors alike.

“They are particularly impressive for our new Year 7 students because this is their first experience of the school.”

Second Phase Begins

Work is now underway on the second phase of the transformation of Wednesfield High School, which is undergoing a £14.6m refurbishment as part of Wolverhampton City Council’s £270m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

Much of the old frontage has already been removed from the Lichfield Road school to make way for a new engineering hall, a 170-seater lecture theatre and several science laboratories and teaching rooms. There will also be a new STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – block which, it is hoped, will help give learners the skills which local businesses need.

Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds said: “I was delighted to open the new Wednesfield High School sports hall.

“This is a very ambitious and exciting development and I’m sure that the school and community will use it to its full potential.

“I congratulate all those involved in the project and welcome the continued BSF investment into our schools. The new buildings at Wednesfield High School are excellent, and the learning spaces which are being created will mean students have the very best facilities.”

Councillor Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning, said: “We are committed to delivering the kind of transformation in secondary schools we always envisaged and this is a massive investment in education, skills and the local economy that Wednesfield – and Wolverhampton – deserves.”

The work is being carried out Wolverhampton-based support services and construction company Carillion, which is the lead contractor for the BSF programme, and is due to be complete by June 2012.

Work is well underway on the £17.5m transformation of Coppice Performing Arts School

The school is undergoing a major makeover as part of Wolverhampton City Council’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, which is transforming education for secondary age pupils in the city.

Carillion, the Wolverhampton-based support services and construction company which is the lead contractor for the BSF programme, has completed the first phase of the work, with more than 120 people busy on site at any one time.

As a result, students are already able to enjoy a new Discovery Zone which includes state-of-the-art Science labs and Maths classrooms and which opened for the first time at the start of term.

Brickwork and cladding has been completed on the school’s new sports hall with work now underway to fit out the interior, including the changing rooms. It should be ready for use this autumn.

The next phase of the build includes the creation of a new Performance Zone to include an iconic elliptical theatre block and a three-storey Communications Zone which will bring together Business, English, Humanities, Modern Foreign Languages and Social Sciences.

Headteacher Janice Fletcher said: “Coppice Performing Arts School is already benefitting from an amazing Discovery Zone which is providing the state-of-the-art learning environments we were promised.

“The new learning environments truly enhance the educational experiences of our students, and the brand new Coppice Theatre will also significantly enhance the school and community performance opportunities that will be available in the future.”

The complete refurbishment is due to be completed by February 2013. Overall, Wolverhampton’s £270m BSF programme will see the rebuilding or refurbishment of 25 schools and academies in four phases between now and 2014.

Members of Wolverhampton City Council’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel inspected the work at Coppice Performing Arts School yesterday. Pictured in the new facilities are pupils Ryan Downing and Alyce Russell with (standing, left to right): Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel Councillor Julie Hodgkiss, Headteacher Janice Fletcher, Vice Chair of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel Councillor Pat Patten, Building Schools for the Future Programme Director Gerard Stone and Carillion Project Manager Sam Hudson.

Ashmore Park Nursery School has won a ‘WOSCAR’ award at an awards ceremony run by Wolverhampton City Council.

The School and Children Centre submitted a presentation on ‘The Language of Photography’ which demonstrated children using digital cameras to support their experiences in and beyond nursery.
The staff and children (from two to four years) were using the digital cameras to enhance their interests, experiences and curiosity within their environment.

They won the award for most Innovative Practice for Early Years. Debbie Harris and Headteacher Sue Lacey accompanied two children to represent the nursery, and attended the award ceremony on Thursday 7th July 2011, at the Science Park in Wolverhampton.

Governor Phil Bateman said: “I am delighted that once again the school has won an award for the innovative work we undertake with nursery aged children”.

Ashmore Park Nursery received an ‘outstanding school’ accolade from Ofsted in 2009.

Source: Phil Bateman

Pupils at Oak Meadow Primary are getting the first glimpses of their new £7m school building.

Work on the Wednesfield school’s new accommodation began in September and is progressing well, with the building’s timber frame and roof now in place and the external doors and windows currently being installed.

The development of Oak Meadow’s state-of-the-art accommodation is being carried out by Midlands-based Thomas Vale Construction as part of Wolverhampton City Council’s £16.6m Primary Capital Programme, which is transforming education for primary age pupils by giving them learning environments fit for the 21st century.

Councillor Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning, said: “I am delighted that work is progressing well at Oak Meadow Primary School. The new school will transform the way that learning is delivered and will provide environments that engage and inspire young children, their teachers and the wider community.

“Thomas Vale Construction worked with our architects, Architype, on the award-winning St Luke’s Primary School in Blakenhall, and I hope that they will be able to create another award-winning school for the young people in Wednesfield.”

Oak Meadow Primary School headteacher Sara Morris added: “It is exciting to see all our work throughout the design process now becoming a reality. We are delighted with the progress already made on the school and are looking forward to seeing the internal areas taking shape over the coming months.”

“In order to commemorate our existing school building, we will be hosting a Celebration Day on Wednesday July 6, 2011. There will be singing, dancing, sport, refreshments, raffles and stalls. All former pupils, staff and governors are invited to come along and join in the celebrations and see Oak Meadow in all its glory.”

The new building will be able to accommodate 420 pupils and is one of the first schools in the country to be built to ‘Passivhaus’ standards, meaning it has been designed to use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than standard buildings.

The whole building will be wrapped in several layers of insulation and made extremely airtight, meaning any heat put into the building cannot escape easily. Large windows, made of highly insulating triple-glazed glass, allow the heat from the sun into the building, while heat from cooking, lighting and computers and the body heat of pupils and teachers is captured to replenish any minor heat loss.

Windows can be opened in the summer to allow excess heat to escape and fresh air to come into the building, while in the winter, warm stale air is extracted through a heat exchange unit bringing fresh air in from outside, heating it up as it passes.

The school will also benefit from state-of-the-art ICT facilities, with digital displays in the entrance and learning areas enabling pupils to share their recent school activities.

The new school hall has been designed so that it can be transformed into a performance area with state-of-the-art sound and lighting facilities, while the school is also planning to launch its own radio station to enable parents to tune in to hear about pupil activities.

The new building is being constructed alongside the existing school to minimise any disruption. Once the external doors and windows have been installed in the frame of the building, work will commence fitting out the internal areas of the school.

Oak Meadow’s new building is expected to open to pupils this autumn, at which point the old building, which was erected in the 1960s, will be demolished and the land re-developed as playing fields.

To find out more about Wolverhampton’s Primary Capital Programme, please visit www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk.

To see a picture of staff and pupils inspecting the work on their new school, please visit www.twitter.com/wolvescouncil or click here.

Source: Wolverhampton City Council

Pupils from St Alban’s Church of England Primary School in Ashmore Park, Wednesfield will be amongst youngsters who will once again be able to use the latest technology to help them learn when they are out and about this summer.

Last year more than 1,000 pupils from 34 Wolverhampton schools used the latest smartphone technology as part of a nationwide project to track the spread of the Harlequin Ladybird.

It was the first time smartphones had been used by pupils city-wide – and it proved so successful that plans are already underway for an even bigger event this year.

Dr David Whyley, Wolverhampton City Council’s Headteacher Consultant for Learning Technologies, said: “Staff and pupils were given a working understanding of the use of the smartphones, with even nursery children showing how adept youngsters are with this technology.

“The pupils then went out into the field and searched for ladybirds and other beetles and, using GPS-based technology, either recorded them on the smartphone or took their ‘finds’ back to the classroom to input via their laptops. This information was fed into the National Harlequin Ladybird Survey and entire classes were able to look at their results on screen and find their locations using Google Maps.

“Our schools were really enthusiastic about the challenge, with 34 taking part. For some this was their first taste of using smartphones for learning.”

The results of last year’s project have now been published online at www.learning2go.org, while the data has been included on the National Harlequin Ladybird Survey website, www.harlequin-survey.org.

Councillor Phil Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Schools, said: “This was a really significant milestone in using technology such as smartphones, which young children are increasingly used to in their everyday lives, to enhance their learning. It gave them a greater understanding of the use of technology to record their learning and the chance to contribute to a real life environmental issue.

“We are delighted that, following the success of last year’s trial, pupils will once again be able to take part in this really innovative form of learning this year. It will be based on a similar outdoor theme as last year, which will give youngsters the chance to carry out research in the natural environment.”

Source: Wolverhampton City Council