Two authors visited Beamont Collegiate Academy as part of World Book Day celebrations. Cathy Cassidy and Jon Mayhew, who write the Chocolate Box Girls and Monster Odyssey series  respectively, visited the Long Lane school to host questions and answer sessions and workshops.

More than 100 pupils from Beamont Community Primary l, Brook Acre Community Primary, Dallam Community Primary, Meadowside Community Primary, Oakwood Avenue Community Primary, St Andrew’s CE Primary, St Ann’s CE Primary and St Margaret’s CE Primary Schools attended the event, which also saw signed books handed out.

Taken from the Warrington Guardian

STUDENTS at Beamont Collegiate Academy had a visit from a member of the House of Lords. Lord John Sharkey met pupils at the Long Lane school as part of the Lord Speaker’s Peers in Schools programme, which was set up to encourage young people to get involved with politics. A former managing director of Saatchi and Saatchi, Wigan-born Baron Sharkey was put into the firing line with tough questions from students. The Liberal Democrat Lord said: “One of the things you got used to in politics is answering difficult questions, but as a rule the most difficult questions come from school students.

“There are no holds barred, very direct and very to the point – there’s no messing around and I think that’s a very good thing. It’s also enjoyable from my point of view. “When I first got involved with the programme six years ago students were very worried about tuition fees because it coincided with the steep rise – people were worried about their futures and the money. “There were a lot of difficult questions over that but the opportunity to talk about that was important.” Baron Sharkey was keen to emphasise that the House of Lords allows politics to remain connected with the public.

The 68-year-old added: “Most people don’t get to the House of Lords until they are quite old and I normally ask the students what they think is the average age in the House of Lords. “I was at a school in Preston about a month ago and I asked the kids what they thought and a brave girl said 35 – it’s actually 70. “But what that age means is most of us have done other things and some still do – the merit of that is we are still deeply connected with the world outside in a way that isn’t possible in the Commons.”

Taken from the Warrington Guardian

Students at Beamont Collegiate Academy have been earning rave reviews for their Shakespeare production at a top Manchester theatre. A total of 31 students from each school year took part in a 30-minute performance of The Tempest at the Contact Theatre as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. The headline production was described as a ‘gripping’ by one of the festival organisers. The performing arts department is also set to move into new facilities at the school. Head of department Henrietta Curwen said: “The performing arts department at Beamont Collegiate Academy is thriving.”

Taken from the Warrington Guardian

Rose who spoke in the House of Commons was ‘crazy nervous’ before she brought a motion to improve public transport for young people. Priestley College student Rose Warburton, MYP for Warrington North, addressed the youth parliament on the subject, which she feels ‘really passionately’ about.

Orford resident Rose said: “I was crazy nervous. I was moving the motion for public transport to be better, more accessible and cheaper for young people. I feel really passionately about it and it should be cheaper for young people. I get public transport going to college a lot and young people get on and say ‘how much is it today?’ because the prices go up so much. People get turned away as well because they can’t afford the bus to college. The last time they raised prices I think it was a 72 per cent increase in young people’s fares in Warrington, which is ridiculous. Around the country there are some places where children have to pay an adult fare at 13, which is ridiculous because it’s nowhere near the legal age of becoming an adult.”

The 17-year-old sat in the Prime Minister’s chair in the House of Commons and also met the Speaker John Bercow. She added: “I loved every second of it – it was probably the most amazing experience I’ll ever have. It was really good and before going into the chambers we were shown all around Parliament and we met John Bercow. We had a conversation and he said we were doing the youth parliament proud – it was an incredible experience.”

Rose thanked Beamont Collegiate Academy for putting her on the path to greatness. She said: “Beamont is the best school in the world – the teachers were an inspiration and they changed my life and the way I view things. They instil ambition in people and that’s one of the best things about the school and the teachers. When I speak to the teachers now they say I didn’t say one word in year seven or eight and I sat in the corner and kept myself to myself. They gave me the confidence and said that you can do more.” And she had a message for current pupils: “Take advantage of every opportunity. The teachers do everything in your best interests so go with it and take advantage of everything the school gives you.” Rose plans on going into medicine but may go into politics in later life. She added: “I would like to go into politics but from a different perspective so I want to go into medicine and help people for a while, and then when I’ve experienced life I can see what really needs to be changed.”

Draft post 16 policy statement for academic year 2016/17

The local authority is proposing changes to existing arrangements and invites comments on the Draft post 16 policy statement for academic year 2016/17.

The Post 16 Transport policy statement is currently under review for implementation September 2016.  

For more information please click here

Science whizzes at Beamont Collegiate Academy will be presenting to hundreds of thousands of people at an exhibition in Birmingham next week. Pupils at the Longford School have been invited to present to 200,000 people at the Big Bang Science exhibition at the Birmingham NEC from March 16 to 19. It is one of only 10 in the UK invited to the exhibition. Director of science, technology, engineering and maths Chris Hillidge said: “It’s great for the students and teachers to get some recognition for the ground-breaking science, technology, engineering and maths projects they run. “It gives the children such a fantastic introduction into an exciting career in coding or robotics or any of the other amazing technologies we teach.”

A 19th century oil painting of Warrington Victorian solicitor and philanthropist William Beamont, which was gathering dust in a cupboard at a local law firm, is now taking pride of place at a school named in his memory.

Beamont was one of the founders of FDR Law, having been the founder of the firm that became Robert Davies and Co in offices in Market Place next to the Barley Mow.

FDR Consultant Norman Banner (DL) discovered the oil painting gathering dust in a cupboard at his offices in Palmyra Square and following a meeting with Beamont Collegiate Academy Chair of Governors Howard Platt, it was agreed to a long term loan of the painting.

Norman said: “We believe it is better exhibited at the school which bears his name and takes his beliefs in education well into the 21st century.”

Beamont, who died in 1889 aged 92,  helped to promote the creation of Warrington as a borough in 1847 becoming the first mayor of the town. He also helped set up the first free lending library in Museum Street, endowed many schools and churches in the town, helped create Warrington Dispensary and Warrington Infirmary and personally contributed to the creation of a major 20 year programme for new sewers in the growing town in the 19th century.

His name lives on in Beamont Collegiate Academy which is moving to terrific new buildings in September; an investment of £11m in the children of Orford.

Beamont travelled extensively, including in the Holy Land and his diaries, stored in the town’s main library, are a valuable source of social history. For many years he lived at Orford Hall.