Page 15, 4th September 2009

4th September 2009

Page 15

Page 15, 4th September 2009 — Partnership helps pupils enjoy music and art
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Partnership helps pupils enjoy music and art

THE HEXHAM and Newcastle Catholic Partnership South is a family of 11 Catholic secondary schools in the south of the Hexham and Newcastle Diocese.
Formed 10 years ago by five schools in Durham and Darlington, the partnership grew to its existing number in 2002 embracing schools in Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool and Sunderland.
Supported by a full-time director and a permanent administration office, the Catholic partnership exists to create opportunities for students, supporting those in need, facilitating staff development and articulating Catholic values.
Groups of staff meet throughout the year to identify activities and events that would enhance the opportunities offered to students in Partnership schools.
As a result students have shared their musical talents at the Sage auditorium, Gateshead, competed in track and field Events at the International Stadium at Gateshead and enjoyed an art summer school led by artists in residence.
Pupils have taken part in maths challenges, Eurovision-style song contests, debating competitions, swimming galas, young li brarians activities, ICT and history projects and many other enriching opportunities.
Students have attested to the value of these collaborative experiences and identified the richness of the new opportunities they offer.
A pupil who took part in the Sage concert said: “It has been a great opportunity that many people do not get, I have loved being part of such an amazing work.” Another said: “It inspired me so much that when I went home I wrote a massive chord work that very evening.” Many students said they “needed” to go again as it was “awesome”.
Staff value the opportunities to identify their own professional needs and the professional community to share best practice.
Sara Crawshaw, director of Catholic Partnership South, said: “Colleagues from all Catholic partnership schools show enormous professional generosity, sharing a wealth of teaching experience and expertise. We are very lucky to have such talented and driven staff who see the importance of the development of colleagues and pupils within and beyond their own school.” The schools involved are the English Martyrs school and sixth-form college, Hartlepool, St Michael’s Catholic school, Billingham, St Robert of Newminster Catholic school and sixthform college, Washington, St Leonard’s Catholic school, Durham, St Bede’s Catholic comprehensive school and Byron sixthform college, Peterlee, St Aidan’s Catholic school and sixth-form centre, Sunderland, Our Lady and St Bede Catholic School, Stockton, St John’s Catholic school and sixthform centre, Bishop Auckland, Carmel Catholic college, Darlington, St Anthony’s girls’ school, Sunderland, and St Bede’s Catholic school and sixthform college, Manchester. All the schools work collaboratively to support the common good and to share best practice.
Senior and middle leaders meet to ensure the Catholic Partnership offers support for school improvement and to identify common staff needs. Over 40 different staff groups meet every year, including teaching and non-teaching staff, to identify professional development opportunities and ways in which colleagues can work together supporting the Catholic mission for education. Annually headteachers and Catholic Partnership coordinators meet at a conference to address issues facing Catholic education and to ensure a shared vision of the strategic direction for collaborative working within the Hexham and Newcastle Catholic Partnership South. Much professional development is provided by colleagues from different schools. This fosters a sustainable and creative climate for sharing schemes of work, policies and proce dures and approaches to new learning and teaching initiatives. A thriving action research team has worked across schools to explore many issues, including special educational needs in RE, thinking skills, crosscurricular skills, and raising achievement in foreign languages. A conference at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield, on October 21 and 22, concerns community cohesion.




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