The Family Directory

Isle of Wight Family Directory

Education

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Major maths improvement for Island primary schools

Island primary schoolchildren taking part in a special targeted initiative have achieved a massive 15 per cent improvement in their Key Stage Two maths performance, provisional figures show.

About half of the Island’s primary schools were involved in the project over a four-term period – and now it is planned the scheme will be rolled out to the remaining primary schools.

The Isle of Wight Council, in partnership with Hampshire County Council, devised the project in 2017 and won funding of £155,000 from the Department for Education (DfE).

The project focused on devising and reviewing teaching strategies, supported by external experts, to help pupils boost their understanding of maths. It started in summer 2018 and was monitored by the council and the DfE.

Cabinet member for education, skills and children’s services, Councillor Paul Brading, said: “This is a magnificent achievement and credit should go to all the children involved, their teachers and those who masterminded this project.”

The provisional 15 per cent improvement in maths goes towards the children’s overall ‘age related expectations’ (ARE) grading for reading, writing and maths.

The maths improvement has meant an uplift of nine per cent in the proportion of pupils achieving ARE in the schools involved in the project.

Councillor Brading said: “Even though initially this project has been trialled in half the primary schools, such has its success been, that it has boosted the ARE figure for maths across all our primary schools by eight per cent, and the combined figure for reading, writing and maths by five per cent.

“These improvements are testament to the drive and tenacity of leaders in these schools, the commitment of the teachers and the engagement of the pupils.

“These figures for maths bring us broadly in line with the national average, and it is vital now to secure these improvements for future years.

“We are currently looking to expand the work to all our primary schools and draw upon the expertise from those schools which have already taken part.”

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Rugbytots Isle of Wight

Rugbytots is a FUN and ENERGETIC play session for 2-7 year olds helping them develop balance, coordination and agility whilst teaching them the values of teamwork, improving their communication and social interaction skills and increasing their self confidence.  Our programme also has an underlying educational thread reinforcing colours, shapes, counting and learning body parts.  We are offering to do a free session (or a few small group sessions on one day) up to 2 hours, at any Nursery, Pre-School or Primary School.  Space is a consideration but we can do it indoors or out (weather permitting) and can tailor the exercises and games to suit, we use soft foam balls so simple passing and catching and teamwork games can be done even in a relatively small space.  Get in touch if you’d like us to come and do a FREE session at YOUR school!

E ralph@rugbytots.co.uk
T 0345 313 0836

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Black Arrow Project It’s 3,2,1… Blast Off For Pioneering Primary

Pupils in Ryde have been learning the art of rocket science thanks to an iconic rocket with an Isle of Wight link and a dash of grant funding.

The Black Arrow was the UK’s first satellite carrier rocket to successfully launch into orbit.

It was developed and tested on the Isle of Wight but will not be returning as its found a new home in Scotland.

But its history is being kept alive on the Island with a new project which is currently being tried and tested at Dover Park Primary School.

 

Behind the project is Councillor Michael Lilley, who said:

“It is fantastic the Black Arrow is coming back to the UK after 48

years to UK. I would have preferred it to have come home to the Isle

of Wight where it was built. We need to celebrate this wonderful

achievement. The Isle of Wight was Rocket Island from the 1950s to

1970s. It is fantastic that this National Lottery grant will enable us to

tell this amazing story in our local schools. I am a governor of Dover

Park School and the Year 5 children there are already designing a

Rocket Island school’s programme that will be rolled across the Isle

of Wight over the year.”

 

LISTEN: Dover Park Primary pupils give Isle of Wight Radio’s Lauren Roberts a lesson in rocket science

Audio Playerhttps://media.iwradio.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/16110946/black-arrow-1pm.mp3

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The project has also attracted the help of the Wight Aviation Museum in Sandown – which is where a Black Arrow replica has recently landed.Volunteers from the museum visit the school to carry out workshops which see the children get hands on with science and even build their own rockets.

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Isle of Wight NHS Trust Ambulance Service can’t wait to celebrate Restart a Heart Day (RSHD) 2019

Following the Isle of Wight NHS Trust Ambulance Training and Community Response Services (ATCoRS) success in training of over 1000 people in CPR on Restart a Heart Day last October, the ATCoRS team has now adopted Island schools as part of their CPR guardian scheme and will kick start this year’s Restart a Heart Day (RSHD).

Starting on 20th May 2019 the Isle of Wight NHS Trust Ambulance Service will be the first UK (United Kingdom) Ambulance Service to commence 2019 RSHD celebrations.

The IW NHS Trust ATCoRS team will be providing free CPR training sessions throughout the year to Island school children in a pledge to help make every Island child a lifesaver.  Brighstone Primary School will be the first school to receive their free CPR training on Monday 20th May 2019.

The ATCoRS will also be offering free CPR training at various venues across the Isle of Wight in support of Restart a Heart Day, 16th October 2019.  More information regarding the training sessions will be published throughout the year on their website www.isleofwightambulance.co.uk

Louise Walker, Head of the ATCoRS explains; “We know first-hand only too well how important it is for people to learn lifesaving skills and we are thrilled to be part of the Restart a Heart Day campaign again.”

Victoria White, Head of Ambulance, IW NHS Trust said “We are proud to be supporting Restart a Heart Day again this year.  We feel it is so important that people know how to recognise cardiac arrest and do not feel afraid to provide CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), as it is proven that bystander CPR and early defibrillation greatly increases survival rate for an out of hospital cardiac arrest.

Unfortunately cardiac arrest can occur at any time to any one which is why the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service is passionate about educating our community and we are grateful to all the schools that have committed to our free CPR training sessions.