Welcome

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Darlington 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter Issue 23, February 2017 © Darlington 11-19 Partnership

In This Issue…

Alps Adventure - Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form

College

Ready, Steady, Bake! - Carmel College

Durham 1:1 Tutoring - Haughton Academy

The Institution of Civil Engineers - Foundation for

Jobs

Smashing Success - Longfield Academy

High Praise - St Aidan’s C of E Academy

Social App Winner - Darlington College

Durham University Visit - Hurworth School

Synagogue Visit - Carmel College

Ahead Partnership - Haughton Academy

National Music Success - Queen Elizabeth Sixth

Form College

Spoonful of Knowledge - Teesside University

Bioplastic - Carmel College

Mental Health - Darlington College

Triple Whammy - St Aidan’s C of E Academy

Subsea week - Foundation for Jobs

Application and Apprenticeship Days - Haughton

Academy

Parent’s and Carer’s Evening - Teesside University

Bear-ing Gifts in Borneo - Queen Elizabeth Sixth

Form College

You’re Hired! - Darlington College

National STEM competition - Hurworth School

Supporting Progression Conference - Teesside

University

Welcome to the latest 11-19 practitioner newsletter; I'm proud to say that once again it showcases the amazing achievements of a whole host of young people across Darlington. This is testament to the hard work of colleagues from a wide range of providers across the town and this work characterises the unique collaborative spirit that exists amongst stakeholders.

This collaborative spirit is more important than ever as once again we once again face a period of curriculum and assessment change across the educational sector. I am confident that this spirit of collaboration will continue in 2017 and colleagues will continue to go the "extra mile" to provide a wide range of opportunities to allow Darlington's students to optimise their potential across a range of activities.

Congratulations to all the young people for their achievements in 2016 and I look forward to seeing these being built upon in 2017.

Dean Judson Head teacher, Hurworth School Chair, 11—19 Partnership

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Alps Adventure

A Level Geology students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, have enjoyed an exciting week long fieldtrip to the European Alps. The aim of the trip was to study the landscape and geological evolution of one of the world’s great glaciated fold mountain belts, but the students also participated in a number of thrilling adventure activities, including rock and ice climbing and trekking across a glacier at the summit of the Mont Blanc range.

The Alps were created by the collision of the European and African continental plates between 35 and 5 million years ago and are the highest mountains in Western Europe. Such provinces are an integral part of the A level Geology course and students at QE have the opportunity to investigate these landscapes in person. During the trip students trekked 1,000 metres up a mountain to the famous icefall on Glacier d’Argentiere, France; travelled on a cable car to the 3,842m high summit of the Aiguille du Midi and explored the high mountainous terrain around Lac d’ Emosson in Switzerland. But the undoubted highlight of the excursion was trekking across the summit ice cap of Mont Blanc Massif.

The staff and students travelled up to the ice cap on the Skyway cable car, which ascends 2,200m from the Courmayeur valley on the Italian side of the mountain. After kitting up with crampons and ice axes the students were led by a team of experienced mountaineers across crevassed glaciers to the summit of Petit Flambeau, from where they enjoyed stunning views of the mountains.

Ed Anderson, trip leader and Head of Geology at QE said, “The trip not only provided a valuable learning opportunity to study mountains and glaciers at first hand but it was also great fun and created many lifelong memories”.

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Ready, Steady, Bake!

“It is wonderful to see our students leading fundraising efforts here and encouraging their peers to be merciful, especially during this Jubilee of Mercy”, said Maura Regan, Chief Executive Officer of Carmel Education Trust.

Following the success of the Great British Bake Off, the Sixth Form Spiritual Depth group decided to use the concept to raise funds for last year’s Harvest Appeal for Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD). Staff baked their way through the technical round and whisked up spectacular showstoppers to impress our very own Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry – Mr Graham and Mrs Atherton.

Miss Hardcastle and Mr Ladyman were crowned the King and Queen of Cakes and were awarded a special golden spoon for their efforts. Over £750 was raised through this event and students continue to bring in CAFOD Fast Day envelopes, and Year 7 will host their own afternoon tea to add to this figure. Students have also looked closer to home and have provided tinned foods for the local Food Bank.

Durham 1:1 Tutoring Opportunity

Year 11 Haughton Academy pupils have taken up the excellent opportunity for additional 1:1 tutoring at Durham University (Thornaby Campus) to enhance studies and revision.

Pupils have been paired up with subject tutors to cover a range of subjects from Maths, English, Science and History.

Pupils are attending weekly sessions in their own time, which will run until their exams in June 2017. Pupils have been introduced to the university environment as their sessions take place in the university auditorium and gives them a feeling of life in a Higher Education setting.

Developments are in place to link with Northumbria university students to enhance and support Business Studies pupils.

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The Institution of Civil Engineers

More than 7,000 young people in Darlington have now benefitted from Foundation for Jobs activities since the private and public sector partnership was launched five years ago.

A busy end to 2016 saw more than 100 pupils from secondary schools across Darlington build a 14 metre long cable-stayed bridge, owned by The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East, from scratch and then carry out the ultimate test of walking across it.

It is the fifth year in a row that ICE has joined forces with Foundation for Jobs and Darlington College, which hosts the activity, to give children and young people a hands-on example of civil engineering work.

2017 started with the official launch of Foundation for Jobs Apprenticeship Event with a breakfast in January attended by business leaders and school representatives, who were able to hear more about plans to bring Year 11 and Year 13 pupils from Darlington schools and colleges together with science, technology, engineering, construction and digital companies who are looking to recruit apprentices.

The event itself will take place in September 2017 and be aimed at young people looking to start an apprenticeship from the summer of 2018.

Jack Cogan (red helmet) of Foundation for Jobs works with engineering teacher Gary Taylor and Haughton Academy

(Education Village) pupils Owen Carter, Kyle Tomlinson, Matthew Costello, Tyler Turner and Lee Redshaw

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Table tennis players proved to be on the ball as they batted away the opposition in a hard-fought contest of speed and skill.

Students from Longfield Academy of Sport competed in the Northern Zone championships winning through to the next stage of the prestigious English Schools Table Tennis Association event.

They will next play in Grantham, in March, in what will be the semi finals of the national contest, cementing the school’s reputation for table tennis at the highest level.

The Longfield Under 13s, Dylan Gunton, 12, Callum Finlay, Callum McRae and Thomas Rayner, all 13, grabbed the honours at the English School Team Event staged in Billingham. Also taking part were the U16 team, comprising Matthew Pearson, 13, Luca Pontone, 13, Nile Gott, 14 and Adam Cruddace, 15.

The U13s had to battle the might of favourites, Saint Mary's School, of Hull, in the first round, who narrowly defeated Longfield 5-3. The second match, against Biddick School, Washington, saw Longfield dominate coming away with a 7-1 win.

The match against St John Fisher School, Harrogate, resulted in another 7-1 win and the final round against St Bernard's, Cumbria, proved a rout with Longfield securing a convincing 8-0 win.

PE teacher Trevor Tearney said, “Both the U13 and U16 teams represented the school fantastically well, exhibiting great resilience, sportsmanship and talent. They fought for every single point.”

Team coach Chris Rayner added, “What was particularly pleasing was seeing the less experienced players glowing with confidence and really playing well and going for their shots.”

Head teacher Susan Johnson added, “The table tennis teams have secured themselves enviable reputations in school and act as great role models for all of our students, showing what can be achieved at a national level with hard work, determination and the brilliant support of their parents.”

Smashing Success!

Smashing their way to success, Longfield Academy’s successful table tennis team, L-R, Dylan Gunton, Callum Finlay, Callum McRae and Thomas Rayner

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High Praise

A Principal had high praise for students, staff and the community two years to the day after taking charge of the transformation of her school. A special appreciation worship was staged at St Aidan’s C of E Academy, to mark the milestone in its new era of learning.

Principal Nicole Gibbon thanked organisations which had supported her since taking the helm, including Whitburn Church of England Academy, the Carmel Education Trust, Hurworth School, the Avec Partnership and Darlington Borough Council.

“All these people have been by my side and I’m delighted they could join us today,” she said. “This is an amazing school with outstanding students and staff and we have come an incredible distance in just two years. We have completed the preparation training and are now ready to take to the track and fly out of the blocks as a true contender.”

Secondary and primary school head teachers and a group of Teach First leaders joined around 700 students for the worship, which featured music, prayers, video and drama. Students produced a humorous video sketch in which they portrayed the senior leadership team while the audience enjoyed a satirical look at Year 9 in which senior teachers returned to their youth.

Staff and students also revealed who they appreciated in their lives and a host of letters were projected on a giant screen. Lauren Kacis sang the Sarah McLachlan melody In the Arms of an Angel before teachers awarded certificates of appreciation to students.

Mrs Gibbon said, “When I look back at how far we have come it inspires me for the future. We will continue to strive for excellence, to help students be motivated, to enjoy learning and to grow in self-awareness, confidence and esteem. Our Christian ethos continues to be reflected in the behaviour, standards and expectations we aspire to see on a daily basis, values such as care, respect, honesty, generosity, selflessness, forgiveness, inclusion and reconciliation as the school strives to be an integral part of the community. We will be working harder than ever to ensure students achieve their full potential, fulfil their ambitions and flourish in life.”

Durham University Trip

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Social App Winner

Darlington College IT student Olivia Reynolds won her category and the overall award with the idea for Socialmoda, an app for anyone who struggles to socialise and can’t access traditional help such as Children and Adolescents Mental Health or Talking Changes therapy services.

“I was shaking so much I almost dropped the award,” said the 17-year-old. “More than 65 per cent of the people voted for me to win the overall award, which is lovely. All my family are really proud of me and this has really helped my self-confidence and self-esteem.”

Olivia received two Federation of Small Businesses Student Award trophies and two certificates at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland.

A level 3 system support and networking student, she will now develop the app further with the help of tutors at Darlington College. Socialmoda will give people instant access to a range of virtual help, advice and support complete with voice synthesis and interactive mood board.

Bishop Auckland born, Olivia, developed her interest in IT while studying media at Richmond School and using her computer skills to produce games magazine covers.

Darlington College enterprise tutor Josh Spears said, “We are all incredibly proud of Olivia’s achievements and believe strongly in the merit of her app, which has the potential to help so many people. It is so rewarding for us to see her develop her skills at college but also grow so much in confidence as she works on an innovation she believes in so strongly.”

For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk

Darlington College IT student Olivia Reynolds

Twelve year 10 pupils from Hurworth School braved the cold weather and went to Durham University for the day.

They had the opportunity to work with student ambassadors on a variety of activities that helped them understand what life would be like at university. The day also included a tour of the University buildings and colleges.

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Synagogue Visit

Ahead Partnership - Northern Power Grid

Year 10 pupils enjoyed a visit to the United Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Gosforth, Newcastle.

Students were shown the main features of the Synagogue, including a celebration hall and kitchen which is divided into two parts, one for meat and one for dairy, allowing the Jewish community to come together in celebration and enjoy Kosher foods together.

Students were also taken into the prayer hall where boys had to wear head coverings to show respect. Men and women sit in different areas here, with women sitting in the gallery, overlooking the Bimah, a raised platform where prayers take place.

Students were shown the Torah Scrolls that are kept behind a curtain in the Ark, the most holy place in the Synagogue.

Victoria Hope enjoyed the experience, stating that ‘it was really interesting to see how different the Synagogue is from a Catholic Church’. The study of Judaism is part of the new GCSE and government guidelines that more than one faith should be studied.

The trip provided understanding of how other faiths live their daily life and how they worship. In turn, this promotes understanding and compassion between different faiths, furthering community cohesion in the lives of our young people.

It is important at Haughton Academy that our pupils are not only prepared for life after school with the relevant qualifications, but also the other hidden skills that will support them in their journey. An example of this was the Employability session held by Ahead Partnership and supported by Northern Power Grid where pupils had to consider and discuss the positives and negative points within a CV and interview process. Feedback from the pupils was very positive and they commented on the usefulness of the process when attending college and future interviews and how they feel better prepared to present their own CVs.

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National Music Success

Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form student, Simon Chorley, who has been accepted onto the highly prestigious National Youth Orchestra for 2017. The orchestra is widely seen as the world’s greatest orchestra of teenagers, and Simon will join 162 other teenagers from all over the country to perform with.

To be selected Simon, who plays bass trombone, had to perform in several auditions in front of well-established professional musicians.

Simon says, “I’m really excited because I’ve never experienced playing in an orchestra as large as the NYO and playing in something so dynamic and powerful is going to be an amazing experience.”

Whilst at QE, Simon has developed his musical skills by playing in the College’s Big Band and Orchestra which he has also conducted in various performances. Simon has been playing the trombone since he was eight when his parents suggested he try it due to his love for blowing down cardboard tubes!

During 2017, Simon and the other NYO musicians will participate in three residencies, give eight major concerts including at the Festival Concert Hall, play live on BBC Radio 3, appear on Classic FM and celebrate the release of a new recording of ‘The Planets’.

After QE, Simon plans to progress to Music College and he has already been offered places following successful auditions. Vice Principal, Laurence Job, comments, “We are delighted that Simon’s extraordinary musical talents have been recognised by the wonderful accolade of being accepted into the National Youth Orchestra. He has a great future ahead of him and we wish him every success.”

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A Spoonful of Knowledge

Join us to discuss, debate and delve into topical areas of new thinking with like-minded individuals in an informal and relaxed environment.

Everyone is welcome. No formal education or expertise is required to attend – all you need is the passion to find out more about an interesting topic. Talks run 6pm - 8pm once a month from February to November in the Dickens Inn coffee shop, 4 Southfield Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BZ.

Snacks and drinks are available before each event and during breaks.

For more information: tees.ac.uk/spoonfulofknowledge

Bioplastic Year 10 students from across Darlington came to Carmel to take part in an innovative workshop creating renewable plastic.

The students had the chance to create their own bioplastic made from potatoes and learn the importance of recycling and reusing what resources we have available.

This exciting workshop was hosted by Foundation for Jobs which works to promote apprenticeships in local industry, as well as to excite and engage young people. Our students embraced the opportunity to ask the scientists questions about their jobs and thoroughly enjoyed making the slimy plastic.

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Mental Health

Students have been deep in thought to help public health officials launch a mental health campaign.

Around 40 students from Darlington College have designed hard-hitting posters that will be used in bus shelters and on social media to promote mental health and wellbeing, remove stigma and end discrimination.

Darlington Borough Council’s Public Health department launched the initiative on 19th December 2016 with funding from NHS Darlington’s Future in Mind fund.

Second year level 3 students studying art and design on the graphics, fine art and photography stream and first year graphics stream produced an array of designs using a variety of media.

Ten powerful images were chosen by public health portfolio lead Rachel Osbaldeston and Gareth Harrison of graphics company Clear Channel.

Miss Osbaldeston said, “One in ten young people experience mental health issues, as do one in four adults. Social media, bullying and exam pressure can all lead to low level anxiety, depression and to more enduring conditions. Students have captured the very essence of the messages we are trying to get over in a very polished and professional way. It is easy to imagine any of them displayed on a bus shelter. The messages are clear and something young people will easily relate to.”

Darlington College tutor Pippa Eeles added, “The students have been working on the project since September, following on from a Legal Highs campaign we were asked to produce last year for Durham Constabulary. The fact that we have been asked again is validation of the quality of students’ work and I am delighted with the range of media they have used, including drawing, painting, photography and Photoshop, on what has been a challenging project.”

For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk.

Darlington College students show off their designs which will form part of a mental health campaign across the borough

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Triple Whammy

It was a triple success at St Aidan's C of E Academy, where triplets Laura, Megan and Chloe Summers achieved 34 A* and A grades between them.

The sisters shed tears of joy as they celebrated their across-the-board success together. Chloe, the eldest of the three, said, "We're all very similar; we all play sports and we all enjoy the same subjects."

On whether they revised together at home, Laura added, "Sometimes it's best to get a bit of space but at other times it's nice to have each other nearby for help if we need it."

The girls, who went to Reid Street Primary School, now face being apart for the first time in their education as Laura heads to Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College and Megan and Chloe study for A levels at Carmel College.

Samantha Nicol, was among other top performers, achieving five A*s, four As and two Bs.

She said, "The wait for the results has been the worst part. I did the National Citizen Service and other things to keep me occupied and keep my mind off today. I'm glad it's all over now!"

Top St Aidan's student was Emma Harland, who achieved 11 A*s and one B.

She is now going on to do A levels in English language, psychology, maths and further mathematics.

Delighted Principal of St Aidan's Academy, Nicole Gibbon, said the results represented the academy's best ever A*-A performance and that improvements had been made across all areas and particularly in the core subjects English language, maths, science and RE.

Every student taking triple science and statistics achieved at least a C grade.

Mrs Gibbon added, "These results show we're making rapid progress in some areas and transforming performance in others. We're very pleased to be moving forward so positively.”

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Foundation for Jobs annual Subsea Week took place at Darlington College in early February with Darlington school pupils able to construct mini kits developed by the US Office of Naval Research which mimic the science behind specialist deep-water robots known as ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles).

Companies based in Darlington such as Modus Seabed Intervention and DeepOcean are presently working across the globe on projects, with much of this work involving ROVs.

The range of professions within the industry is also huge, ranging from those who design and build the ROVS, to those who pilot and maintain them and expertise needed in specialisms such as subsea geology and international marine law.

A Foundation for Jobs spokesman said, “One of our key aims is to tackle young people’s perceptions of engineering careers and STEM subjects and the bridge and subsea projects reflects the real skills they would need but are also fun and challenging. We would again like to thank The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East, Modus Seabed Intervention and Darlington College for their fantastic support which enables us to deliver these activities to pupils on an annual basis.”

Foundation for Jobs is a joint initiative involving Darlington Borough Council, schools, colleges and the Darlington Partnership of private firms and public sector organisations, which has also enjoyed support from businesses and industrialists across the whole North-East region.

Since May last year The Royal Academy of Engineering has part funded the national award winning initiative, along with Darlington’s schools and the County Durham Community Foundation.

Its aim is to reduce youth unemployment by matching young people’s aspirations with those employment sectors which are vital to the North-East’s economy but which many young people are not pursuing because of incorrect perceptions of the type of work involved.

For details on Foundation for Jobs contact programme manager Owen McAteer at owen.mcateer@darlington.gov.uk or visit www.foundationforjobs.co.uk

Subsea Week

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Parent’s and Carer’s Evenings

Application and Apprenticeship Days

Year 11 at Haughton Academy held their Application and Apprenticeship Day at the beginning of December in our school library, where local providers were invited to school to assist pupils with applying and completing their applications.

Pupils were encouraged to attend and filtered down throughout the day, asking many questions and engaging with the College employees.

Local Colleges and Sixth Form schools were available over both days to answer any queries pupils had ranging from Apprenticeship schemes, concerns over travel and distance, what the courses consisted of and grades required. A high percentage of pupils visited this event and made their applications. Everyone should now be in receipt of a letter confirming an interview or an offer.

As a parent or carer you have an important role to play in your son or daughter’s progression to university. You want to be sure they are making the right choice for their future – which is why we would like to invite you to one of our parents’ and carers’ evenings.

We are holding a number of parents evenings across the Tees Valley for parents of any aged student to attend. These will be hosted in local colleges but are open to all. Booking is required and be found with further information at the following address – www.tees.ac.uk/parents. Locally, dates are:

Darlington College – 2nd March 2017 Stockton Riverside College – 8th March 2017

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Bear-ing Gifts in Borneo Friends and family of students at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, have been amazed by their adventure of a lifetime on an expedition to Borneo.

During the presentation evenings held at the college, parents and friends watched video footage and heard about the students’ thrilling experiences on this overseas expedition. Twenty students and four members of staff from QE visited Borneo in order to participate in voluntary work aimed at improving the lives of various communities and groups. The students worked at the sun bear conservation project in Sepelok where, in blistering heat, they worked as a team to plan and build a number of walkways around the sanctuary in order to allow the keepers to be able to move around and look after the bears more easily.

Sun bears are the smallest type of bear in the world and are facing extinction, due to the rainforest being cut down. The sanctuary rescues bears, rehabilitates them and returns them to the wild where possible. The people who run the sanctuary are too busy

fundraising and caring for the bears to carry out repairs so they were extremely grateful for the students’ assistance, especially as they completed the hard physical work in such draining heat and humidity.

During the visit, the QE students also spent time at a local school and delivered lessons to the primary school children who really enjoyed the experience. They also trekked through the rainforest, taking instruction from a local farmer on farming practices and the medicinal uses of many of the plants grown in the area. A visit was also made to the orang-utan sanctuary, where the students were lucky enough to see these beautiful animals swinging through the forest and feeding; an opportunity of a lifetime. The expedition was rounded off with a night camping on the Tar Islands where students were able to snorkel and look at the marine life in this unspoilt area.

Nancy Wall, Project Leader, commented, “Traveling is a fantastic opportunity for everyone, however, for students of this age it opens up a whole new world. They not only learn about other cultures and communities but also learn about themselves and how they can overcome certain challenges. As always the QE students were an absolute credit to the college, and indeed the country, and were a pleasure to be with."

The Rotary Club of Darlington are keen supporters of such college expeditions and, during one recent meeting, the QE students visited the club to give a presentation based on their travels. This was followed by a question and answer session by club members, and was an excellent way to thank the club for their support. Alongside that, a number of QE students visited Northwood Primary School. Each expedition from college now includes the school’s mascots, and the recent visit allowed the mascots to be returned and the students to share their stories with the younger pupils in the school.

Theresa Mason, Northwood teacher, says "The school’s relationship with QE is a great link for us, our students love hearing about the travels of the mascots and students, and really enjoy sharing in their experiences."

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You’re Hired! It proved to be lucky for some as 13 young apprentices aged between 17 and 21 were hired by a major UK employer. The Student Loans Company (SLC), in Darlington, gave the Darlington College apprentices the opportunity to step onto the career ladder after learning the ropes of customer services and administrative work at its offices at Lingfield Point.

Apprentices also gained NVQ qualifications in business administration through Darlington College.

SLC team leader Tanya Greenall said, “This is the first time we have taken in a cohort of business and administration students from Darlington College and we are delighted to have been able to offer each one of them a full-time position following their successful apprenticeships. We were looking for young people with a good work ethic, who wanted to learn, work and study at the same time and who were willing and flexible. The standard of all the college apprentices was particularly high. They integrated into the company extremely well, produced a high standard of work and have all become very valuable members of our team.”

Alongside studying for their qualifications at college, the apprentices duties included mail handling, batching and scanning of loan applications, evidence returns, data entry and identity verification.

Amy Wilson, 19, of Darlington, said, “Working for the SLC really appealed to me. It is a large company in Darlington where I knew I could develop my career. Being an apprentice meant that I could learn in a real working environment, earning while I was learning and get my qualifications at the same time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my apprenticeship and I’m delighted to have been offered a full-time job.”

The Student Loans Company is now looking to continue its work with Darlington College by recruiting a further intake of apprentices in December. Business and administration course tutor Barbara Sturdy added, “This was a bespoke apprenticeship course that Darlington College developed and delivered in partnership with the SLC. We are extremely pleased that all of our apprentices have secured full-time positions and we look forward to working closely with the SLC again in the future.”

For more information on opportunities at Darlington College visit www.darlington.ac.uk

Darlington College apprentices, who have been offered full-time positions at The Student Loans Company, L-R, Darlington College course tutor Barbara Sturdy, Josh Parker, Rhian Williams, Billy Grant, Abigail Herron, Amy Wilson, Cory McGeough, Student Loans Company Tanya Greenall, Jack Cummins, Sophie Pursey, and Declan Stranks.

Supporting Progression Conference

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National STEM Competition

Hurworth School pupils Dominic Hancock and Lewis Collin won a STEM competition at Sheffield University, working with two students from Seaton Burn School in Newcastle.

After winning regional competitions at Teesside and Sunderland Universities, together they beat teams from all over the north of England including Birmingham, Manchester, Lincoln, Huddersfield, Nottingham, Leicester, Leeds, Northumberland, Sheffield, Bradford and Hull.

Jamie Smith, Head of Design and Technology who accompanied the pupils at the competition stated, “They did extremely well and are a credit to the school. The university staff were very complementary of their effort and skill in a challenge which was usually undertaken by first year undergraduate students”.

It’s more important than ever to support students and raise their aspirations. With the competitive nature of the jobs market, our team of experts are ready to share the most up-to-date information to help teachers and careers advisers inform their students in making decisions about higher education progression.

Designed for teachers and those playing an important role in encouraging and advising students, this conference is an opportunity for you to benefit from sharing best practice in teaching and progression. The event will take place on Thursday 30th March 2017, 9.30am - 3.30pm at Teesside University.

Book your place now: http://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/whats_on/events_details.cfm?event_id=8389

The next issue of the 11-19 Practitioner Newsletter will be published in May 2017. If you have anything you

would like to be featured in the next issue, please send text and photos to:

reshma.begum@darlington.gov.uk by Friday 28th April 2017.