So here are the good news articles reproduced in full without any comment from me so if you are so inclined to agree or disagree with the content feel free.
Furness Academy has launched a partnership with Wigan Warriors. Link
Wigan Warriors Community Foundation will support the academy's Learning Zone curriculum.
Students will learn first-hand how the club's first team players use sports science in their everyday training regimes and diet, and how they work as a team.
Stars from the squad are set to visit Barrow as part of the programme and arrangements are being made for BTEC PE students to travel to Wigan's DW Stadium next year.
The scheme was launched yesterday with officers from Wigan Warriors Community Foundation delivering workshops on the importance of teamwork at Furness Academy South Site in West Avenue and at North Site in Thorncliffe Road.
Year Seven students worked with Wigan Warriors Community Foundation manager Mike Watson, who is from Barrow, and community development officer Amanda Wilkinson, who is from Ulverston, on cooperation, communication, encouragement and respect.
Mr Watson said the partnership was formed from Wigan's good relationship with amateur Furness teams and Barrow Raiders.
He said Wigan Warriors Community Foundation promotes the sport through the club's brand.
Mr Watson said they were impressed with the students and look forward to developing the programme.
He said: "We are really pleased to be at Furness Academy.
"It's an exciting new partnership we have launched.
"It's an opportunity for all the pupils in the school to engage with the activities we have on offer, based around respect and cooperation and how they can use these ideas in their wider studies and in their life.
"Cumbria has such a strong rugby league heritage which we at Wigan are very pleased and proud to be a part of.
"Our community foundation's commitment to furthering educational opportunities for young people isn't restricted solely to the Wigan area."
Furness Academy has specialisms in sport and maths, and academy leaders say working with Wigan can bring academic benefits for students.
Stephen Kelly, director of the Learning Zone for Creativity and Performance, said: "We are delighted with the partnership. It's an opportunity for students to get a connection with a professional sporting team. It links nicely with our sport specialism and it's a springboard for us to develop further partnerships, particularly with local teams." Mr Kelly said the scheme is a three-way collaboration between Furness Academy, Wigan Warriors and Barrow Raiders.
Mr Kelly said the students' support for the teams is an excellent opportunity to enhance their learning.
He said: "Being able to put into practice all that they learn in the PE, BTEC and Learning Zone programmes will really help our students get the most out of the courses they are studying."
Mr Kelly said all the students were really excited to work with Wigan.
Jordan Garnett, a student at South Site, took part in the activity.
The 12-year-old, who is a supporter of Wigan and Barrow plays rugby for his school.
He said: "My dad is a Wigan Warriors fan so he'll be dead pleased for me because he likes rugby and so do I."
Douglas Blackledge, Furness Academy's principal, praised the partnership and said: "I am sure working with the Warriors will generate lots of interest and enthusiasm within the academy, and really give our students the opportunity to benefit from seeing their learning being applied in a truly vocational way."
The second bit of good news.
THE principal of Barrow's academy
has praised students and staff as the new secondary school approaches
the end of its first term. Link
Furness Academy opened in September, replacing the former Thorncliffe, Parkview and Alfred Barrow schools.
The school has almost 1,800 pupils who attend either North Site, which was formerly Thorncliffe School, or South Site, which was Parkview.
Douglas Blackledge, Furness Academy's principal and chief executive, said: "We are very pleased overall with the impression the students have made in the community.
"Their smart appearance has met with universal praise. Business
leaders have also commented to us about how smart the students look.
"We have received very positive comments from community-based activities students have been involved with, such as the sheltered shopping for the elderly.
"Members of the public and staff at Asda commented about how courteous and helpful they are."
The sheltered shopping event was at held at Asda last Monday. Students took people from local care homes around the store for their Christmas shopping.
The evening was organised by Furness Lions and Ann Niven, the Asda Barrow events coordinator, with the academy and the homes.
Moira McMinn, who works at Asda, said: "The children looked very smart in their uniforms. They took the people around the store and then they came into the cafe and had mince pies and sandwiches. The children were not shy and they struck up conversations with the older people.
"Everyone enjoyed themselves, it was a real success."
Mr Blackledge said: "Another plus is the way in which the students of the predecessor schools have come together to bond as members of Furness Academy."
This term the Furness Academy Year 11 Netball team became Cumbria champions.
The principal also thanked the academy staff.
He said: "I would like to thank the staff for their hard work and the commitment they have show in the first term. Everyone is working as part of a new team and they have shown great flexibility and comradeship to make this team successful from the word go.
"As we get into the new year we will continue to embed all the new policies and practices, and there will be a huge focus on supporting the Year 11 students with their GCSEs."
Mr Blackledge said the academy has a philosophy of everyone achieving their personal best and it will develop the values of respect, cooperation, responsibility and personal best.
A house system is to be launched with house names that have been selected by the pupils and students have also designed a new school jumper.
Work on the new building plans will also continue.
Its not all good news I was told yesterday by a pupil that all scool trips and residentials are cancelled according to Blackledge (thats not what he called him!). Merry Christmas kids!
Don't know where that's come from, unless I am very much mistaken, the skiing trip is still on.
I hope it is just another scare story.
I was told by a staff member that school trips were not to be taken during school time.MR Blackledge wants trips,residentials etc to be taken at weekends or during school holidays.
Does this man have a uniform fetish?
All he talks about is people telling him how smart his pupils look in their new uniform and he sees this as a positive.
It's just a plain black suit and that's it. Get over it.
Fantastic..at last, thank God for a bit of sense in all this. Dowdales always take their trips in holiday times. They manage to make sure their children get as much schooling as possible, so should all schools.
Well done Doug, credit where credit is due.
No they don't! Dowdales take their language trips in the last week of the summer term.Get your facts right.
Dowdales take their skiing trip in the Feb half term not in term time. What a sensible school. I hope the Academy follow this superb example.
St Bernard's have always taken their residential trips during school holidays and not in term time so the academy is way behind!!
Thanks for that T agent, another fine example of a school doing right by its pupils, now seemingly the academy is catching up and not before time.
Well it's good to see nothing much has changed regarding communication from the academy. Still so much confusion as to what is actually going on. I have just checked with my daugter over the skiing trip and according to what she has heard it is still on for next year but it could be the last one. Even the pupils don't know what is happening.
My daughter has twice been to Germany with good old Parkview school and it was always taken around the last week of the school summer break. Regardless of what has been said on this page it was a sensible time to go and did not in anyway interfere with her education. The last week before the summer break is a time when things start to wind down in every school. The trips benefitted her enormously and gave her independence, an insight into another culture and to speak a foreign language and also the confidence to be away from the comfort and familiarity of her home and parents. Bring back the school trips! Some of these new rules are pathetic beyond any reasoning.
Credit where credit is due?
Do you remeber the enforced eight weeks summer break so the academy could catch up on itself and open in September. Mr Blackledge didn't give a toss then did he?
Yer, well done Doug. Double standards springs to mind.
T Agent. I think you'll find that St Bernard's language trips also go in the last week of the summer term.Again, check your facts before you post!