Month: May 2022

Students raise £1635.82 for MAD-Aid

Written by Gemma Long on May 6, 2022. Posted in News - CC, News - MC, Uncategorized.

Students raise £1635.82 for MAD-aid

This week, members of Carisbrooke College and Medina College’s Student Councils handed over a cheque for £1635.82 to Victoria Dunford of the East Cowes based charity, MAD-Aid. MAD-Aid provide support to Ukrainian refugees who are currently in Moldova and support to Ukrainian hospitals. In addition to the financial donation, students also collected and donated a large amount of toiletries and baby items.

The student council of each school is allowed to decide on which charities we support throughout the year through a termly mufti day. Both schools came together to support this one charity as they felt so passionately about helping those who are fleeing Ukraine. Here are some quotes from members of the student councils to further explain why they chose to support this charity.

“As a school, we chose a Ukrainian refugee charity to donate items to as people have been forced to leave their homes and their nation due to the war, and they have arrived in the UK and many other countries with nothing.”

“Student Council chose to support the Ukrainian refugees through MAD-Aid without hesitation as it’s clear to see the life changing work currently taking place for one of the world’s worst humanitarian events of our time. I hope our contribution supports Ukrainian refugees in need and makes a positive impact on their life.”

“Our student councils as a whole chose our mufti day donations to go to the Ukrainian refugees and we had heard of MAD-Aid that is based in East Cowes and the amazing job they are all doing! We are incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to help others and we look forward to welcoming the refugees into our community.”

“I felt really proud being a part of this experience. It was amazing seeing all of the donations of toiletries and baby products and huge amount of money raised that we can give to MAD-Aid who are helping the Ukrainian refugees.”

Business and Law students visit Southampton Solent

Written by Gemma Long on May 6, 2022. Posted in News - VI, The Island VI Form.

Business and Law Students visit Southampton Solent University

34 business studies and law students from The Island VI Form visited Southampton Solent University last week. They had a taster day to experience what life is like studying these subjects at a higher level.

Students met with staff and current university students to discuss what life is like as a student at Southampton Solent. They attended a range of speeches and presentations to find out about the courses offered and the additional experiences they can expect from university life. They also took part in a mock courtroom with various discussions and challenges set to test their problem solving skills. This was delivered by members of IBM.

Overall, the students found the taster day extremely beneficial as they gained a real insight into what they can expect from life at University, particularly within these two subject areas.

Thank you to Mr Mather and Mrs Drage for organising this opportunity.

Dance Live Finals

Written by Gemma Long on May 6, 2022. Posted in News - CC, News - MC, News - VI, Uncategorized.

Dance Live Finals

Huge congratulations to our Dance Live team for making it all the way to the finals and putting on another fantastic performance of their entry ‘Medusa’ at Portsmouth Guildhall this week.

The standard of the competition was incredibly high but we are proud to say that our team held their own and received amazing feedback.

The students showed such professionalism and were supportive of each other throughout the day, as they have been for the last 7 months. They all should be very proud of themselves.

A special mention must be given for the committee who have worked incredibly hard, led by example and have been fantastic role models to the younger students involved.

We can’t wait to see what they will do next year – roll on Dance Live 2023!

Amazing Glasshouse Donation

Written by Gemma Long on May 5, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

Amazing Glasshouse Donation

A custom designed and built 12ft x 20ft glasshouse has been donated by Isle of Wight businesses APS Produce Group and P3P Partners, and constructed on the site at Medina College by Cambridge HOK, ahead of the launch of the IGCSE in Agriculture this September.

The specialist and impressive structure allows students at the school to grow plants in a protected area where specific conditions can be maintained to ensure the highest efficiency. Students will be able to grow plants in the glasshouse all year round, which will hugely support them throughout the GCSE course and potentially future further education studies.

The structure has been constructed on a piece of land on the school site which has been specifically developed as a farming plot. Students are already working on this land and have been so excited to start using the glasshouse. They are currently growing a variety of tomatoes, peppers, squashes and herbs in it.

The glasshouse was donated to the school collaboratively by national companies with a large Isle of Wight presence, P3P Partners, specialists in sustainable energy and vertical farming and APS Produce Group, the UK’s leading tomato and salad crop horticulture specialist, and was built by Cambridge HOK, a leading glasshouse construction specialist. Using their expertise and the latest technology, the glasshouse has been purpose-built to the needs of the students and the new course that they will be following from September.

Medina College is one of just three providers in the country to be offering the Cambridge IGCSE in Agriculture.

“The course presents a really exciting opportunity for our students to get a head start on a future career in agriculture; an area with a vast range of exciting opportunities for young people across the UK and, particularly, here on the Isle of Wight.”

Victoria Lloyd, Agriculture Course Leader

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of APS Produce Group and P3P Partners. Without their ﬁnancial support and technical skills and experience, we would not have been able to provide this resource for the students. It will make such a diﬀerence to their studies and will provide them with experiences that will enhance their learning massively.

It has been fantastic to see how excited the students are to get involved with using the glasshouse already. We can’t wait to literally taste the fruits of their labour this summer!”

Matthew Parr-Burman, Executive Headteacher and Head of Medina College

APS Produce Group are the UK’s largest supplier of British tomatoes to the high street, responsible for approximately 40% of total UK production. Specialising in the production and supply of top quality tomatoes grown in the most sustainable way possible, APS is a genuinely innovative and forward thinking business. They have 26.3 hectares of glasshouses on the Isle of Wight and 70 hectares in total across the UK.

P3P Partners are one of the UK’s leading distributed heat and power specialists, with extensive operations in combined heat-and-power installations for horticulture, industry and hospitality applications, as well as development portfolios spanning anaerobic digestion, solar power and battery energy storage systems. P3P also invests in the specialist waste and vertical farming sectors. P3P operates several sites locally in the Arreton Valley.

Cambridge HOK are vertical farming, glasshouses and energy specialists. Their glasshouses are designed and built to meet a growers exact needs. From large commercial glasshouses, research or leisure glasshouses, they create the optimum environment with the latest technology.

Be the Spark Cricket Leaders

Written by Gemma Long on May 5, 2022. Posted in Medina College, News - MC.

‘Be the Spark’ Cricket Leaders

Thank you the Isle of Wight Cricket Board for running the ‘Be the Spark’ programme for a group of students this week.

Our new cricket leaders in Years 7, 8 and 9 can’t wait to help out at primary school cricket events across the Island this summer!

Head of School’s Blog Post – 29 April 2022

Written by Gemma Long on May 3, 2022. Posted in HoS Blog - VI, The Island VI Form.

29 April 2022

Welcome back, I hope that all students had a productive break and managed to finish their revision notes. It’s now time to switch to burning that information into your memory by repeating, repeating, repeating.

If you are at all worried about your exams, speak to your teachers and/or Student Services. Exams can be stressful and it is normal to be worried or anxious; speak to friends and family or school staff, exercise / relax, try and be prepared as best you can.

On a personal level, I have now had my third (hopefully final) hip replacement over the Easter break. I’m now starting to do rehab work and strengthening my leg muscles and remembering how to walk, still with crutches at the moment, and hopefully I will be able to get rid of those soon. I anticipate returning to VI Form after half term, if everything goes to plan.

Upcoming events for Year 13:

Year 13 leavers photograph – second week of May – details will be shared with students
End of year celebration assembly – Wednesday 18 May at 9.50am
Year 13 ‘Old Hollywood’ Prom – Thursday 30 June at Landguard Manor (tickets available via the School Gateway app)

Head of School’s Blog – 29 April 2022

Written by Gemma Long on May 3, 2022. Posted in HoS Blog - MC, Medina College.

29 April 2022

We are now in a pivotal term for our Year 11 and Year 13 students. The exam season is very nearly here and it is important that students are focussed on their own learning and revision schedules. If they have concerns, please encourage them to talk to their tutor or the year team. The top tips for this week in relation to the process and revision are:

Make sure they know the dates of their exams and to be on time. Allow themselves plenty of time to arrive at school and get to where they need to be. While they will be allowed to sit the exam if they arrive late, the exam board may refuse to mark the paper.

Set goals they want to achieve every time they sit down to revise. This will ensure they are getting something out of every revision session and will provide an inspiring sense of achievement throughout.

Final reminders will be given to students as time goes on so please be assured that we are here to encourage, motivate, and support them.

Next Thursday is Year 10 Parents’ Evening. If you have not already booked appointments then please do so. This is an important time for this year group as they will be sitting trial exams at the end of June. Knowing how your child is doing at this point in their GCSE journey is vital to making sure they address any challenges now, rather than delay these conversations until Year 11.

We have an exciting event next Tuesday evening, the Dance Live final. It is being held at Portsmouth Guildhall and I am very much looking forward to going to watch this. All of the students have worked so hard, and whatever the result, they should all be immensely proud of themselves. I would also like to extend my thanks to all of the staff who have worked tirelessly to support this entry. This is an example of The Isle of Wight Education Federation working as one team, at its best. I look forward to updating you next week.

Please remember we have Bank Holiday on Monday, so all students need to be recharged and arrive on time ready to learn on Tuesday morning. Details regarding the IW Festival weekend will also be shared next week.

I hope you have a good weekend.

Head of School’s Blog – 29 April 2022

Written by Gemma Long on May 3, 2022. Posted in Carisbrooke College, HoS Blog - CC.

29 April 2022

We have had a very good start to the term. Students have arrived dressed smartly and settled back into routines well. I have enjoyed leading the assemblies this week on Respect. As you know, our core values are built around ASPIRE which are Ambition, Success, Progress, Inspiration, Respect and Equality.

During the Easter break some of our students went on a Ski trip to Alpendorf, Austria. It was great to receive positive feedback from the staff on their excellent attitude and behaviour. A huge thank you to the staff – Miss Caddick, Mr Rock, Mrs Mackett and Mr Jones for giving up their time – trips like this broaden our students’ horizons and help them to gain confidence and independence, amongst many other skills. The students made new friendships and memories which will last them a lifetime.

I would like to congratulate Grace in year 10 on her achievement so far in the Duke of Edinburgh award. Mr Bridle is quoted saying “her evidence portfolio is one of the best submissions I have ever seen”. He feels she has the potential to be one of the youngest participants from our centre to reach Gold. She has signed up to the ‘Introduction to DofE Young Leaders Programme Session’. Well done Grace.

We had the moderator in for the sports BTEC. The examiner was very complimentary about our students. He provided feedback to Mr Phillips on how impressed he was with the exceptional behaviour of our students as they moved around the school. He thought the school felt very calm, welcoming and he found our students to be very polite.

Well done to our year 11’s who have completed their Chinese speaking and listening exams this week. It does not seem possible that the first actual written exam is 13 days away – 9 school days and the first exam that affects all of year 11 is on Tuesday 17 May – 20 days away – 13 school days

Next Wednesday is Year 10 Parents’ Evening. If you have not already booked appointments then please do so. This is an important time for this year group as they will be sitting trial exams at the end of June. Knowing how your child is doing at this point in their GCSE journey is vital to making sure they address any challenges now, rather than delay these conversations until Year 11.

Next Tuesday evening is the Dance Live final at Portsmouth Guildhall. All of the students have worked so hard, and whatever the result, they should all be immensely proud of themselves. I would also like to extend my thanks to all of the staff who have worked tirelessly to support this entry. This is an example of The Isle of Wight Education Federation working as one team, at its best.

Congratulations to our top achievement point winners for the last week of the Spring term – Year 7 William, Year 8 Louis, Year 9 Isabella, Year 10 Ben and Year 11 Isabelle (for the second week in a row!).

I hope you have a lovely bank holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.