Latest News: Learning
Bannatyne’s Bright Sparks Set Final Alight
An enterprising competition, organised by Durham EBP, aimed at developing Darlington school pupils’ communication and decision making skills, reached its final last week, to determine the winning team.
Editor of the Northern Echo, Peter Baron, hosted the event. Judges who included multi-millionaire entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, awarded pupils from Darlington Education Village and their idea to create tailor-made wildlife gardens for companies, and for the £1,000 prize! Pupils made bird boxes and other furniture for gardens on site and are using profits from the venture to fund a sensory garden for special needs pupils at the school.
The competition final, involving nine schools was the culmination of months of work by the pupils from Education Village, Hurworth House, Carmel, Hurworth, Hummersknott, Eastbourne, Branksome, Longfield and Polam Hall.
Each school created a business idea and business plan before being grilled on their ideas by the Dragon’s Den-style judging panel.
David Heaton, chairman of Darlington 14-19 Partnership said: “Last year was successful but this year, we have taken a quantum leap forward.”
The final was held at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington on Monday 29 June 2009.
Posted in Learning, The Work Place on Monday, July 6th, 2009
A strong field of students from local schools battled it out to become the Sculpture Competition Champions, earlier today at The Work Place.
The competition was held as part of the In Our Image project, the 16 metre high gigantic head and shoulders sculpture recently put into its permanent home at the Heighington Lane West section of Aycliffe Business Park to celebrate Newton Aycliffe’s industrial heritage and symbolise regeneration.
Newton Aycliffe based Aycliffe Fabrications constructed the sculpture and Managing Director Dave Spensley (pictured to the right together with the scale model of the In Our Image head) has maintained his involvement as the whole practical journey of the fabrication process has been created into an education programme that has been enjoyed by over 700 young people from 45 local schools and colleges.
Only the strongest teams made it through and the one day competition final involved each school designing their own scale model based on a brief given to all students. The judging criteria to decide on the winning team involved judges the teams on:
- How well they worked together as a team
- The accuracy of their scale model
- Talking about the design and how it related to they school
- Sustainability considerations
- Appropriateness of the model
The project has provided a unique opportunity for them to see first-hand the fascinating creative aspects of engineering with an aim of encouraging more young people into considering a career in engineering.
The competition was close but Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering pipped the others to the post to become the overall champions. Well done to all involved, a hard earned but well deserved win!
Posted in Learning, The Work Place on Friday, June 26th, 2009
Duncan Bannatyne sparks ideas in Darlington
Durham EBP has just launched its second year of the Bannatyne’s Bright Sparks Competition. The launch event took place at The Work Place.
Nine secondary schools from Darlington are taking part in the 4 month challenge, which involves teams of up to ten Year 10 students coming up with an idea for a product or service.
At the launch Duncan Bannatyne, the multi-millionaire star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den, passed on his well-wishes to the contestants via a video filmed by students from Darlington College. Over the next few months, students will work to come up with their product ideas, supported and advised by business mentors from a number of regional businesses. They will also take part in workshops on public speaking and presenting business proposals. Teams will then put forward their business plan in front of a panel of judges, including Mr Bannatyne, in a Dragons’ Den-style presentation at the end of June.
The winning school will be awarded £1,000, and there will also be a £500 prize for the team with the best business plan.
Penny Hudson, Work Related Learning Co-ordinator for Durham EBP, said “It’s great having Duncan Bannatyne on board. If you were a young person would you rather do your business presentation in front of your business teachers or him? “He’s got that can-do attitude.”
Pictured: Attendees launching this year’s event
Posted in Learning on Saturday, May 9th, 2009
The Work Place came to life earlier this year with students from schools and colleges in Hartlepool making the most of a fantastic opportunity to work alongside healthcare professionals at the HealthTec.
The first facility of its kind in the North East, HealthTec aims to enable young people to experience real work related learning opportunities whilst bringing the curriculum to life and this was certainly achieved during a number of excellent interactive learning days.
Over three days 117 Health & Social Care students worked alongside a variety of healthcare professionals including volunteers from North East Ambulance Service, National Health Service and Primary Care Trusts. Workshops included interactive activities looking at issues involving mental health, paramedics, podiatry, occupational therapy and nursing.
The days were funded by the Education Business Link Organisation Consortia for the Tees Valley and were aimed at providing a fun and innovative way to encourage learning and to help raise awareness about the different occupations available within healthcare.
EBLOC manager, Christine Thompson said: ‘The students had a fabulous experience at HealthTec. It is vital that they are able to interact with Healthcare professionals and get a ‘hands-on’ experience to support their studies in school. This is not always possible in a hospital setting so this facility allows their experience to be as real as possible. To top it all, if the giggles and laughter evidenced are anything to go by, they have lots of fun whilst learning.’
Teacher’s verdict: ‘Excellent facilities and opportunities to do practical activities which cannot be produced in school’. And the students: ‘It was a fantastic day. Thank you!’
If you are a Healthcare professional or a school who would like to be a part of this exciting experience please contact the Learning Development Team for further information at learning@durham.gov.uk or by calling 01325 375983.
Posted in Learning on Saturday, May 9th, 2009