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Smithills’ Family of Primary Schools Summer Concert

On Tuesday evening, July 20th, the final concert of this academic year took place in the school hall; the annual, Family of Primary Schools’ Summer Concert.

Introduced by Assistant Headteacher Mr Wormald, and with new Smithills Head of Music Mr Pavey in the audience, the concert was a showcase of Year 5 and 6 pupils from our family of feeder primary schools playing Caribbean Steel Pans, Samba drums, Guitars, singing and, by way of a contrast, two guest solos by current Smithills pupils also featured. 14 Year old Elizabeth Tonge (Year 9) stunned the packed audience with her playing of the solo “Carnival of Venice” which she performed on the Cornet, Flute and Alto Saxophone and 14 year old Nikitta Minihane (Year 9) was equally superb in singing the solo verses of the Abba song “Thank You For The Music” which brought the concert to a close with a massed choir comprising every primary school pupil present.

Organised by Mrs Gill McLaughlin of Bolton Music Service and our own Mr Wormald, the concert involved a number of Bolton Music Service instrumental teachers including Mrs McLaughlin herself, Mr Packwood, Mr Thornton, Mr Fuschi and Miss Jenkins.

Having begun at 6.30pm, the concert ended at 7.50pm with a presentation of a bouquet of flowers to Mrs Margaret Gregory, the retiring Headteacher of Devonshire Road Primary School who leaves her post after many years this Summer.

More Pictures

posted: 21.07.10

School Win Enterprise Award

The fifth annual Bolton and Bury Business Awards took place on Thursday 10th June at the De Vere Whites Hotel, Bolton, with the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Cllr John Byrne and Mrs Lynda Byrne, along with the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Cllr John Byrne and Mrs Brenda Byrne, as guests of honour.

This glittering black-tie event was packed as the winners of 11 separate categories of awards, along with a surprise Special Achievement award, were announced by BBC North West Tonight weather presenter Dianne Oxberry. Smithills School was a finalist in two categories :

The Community Award, sponsored by O2, and The Schools Enterprise Award, sponsored by Balfour Beatty Education.

There were four schools who were finalists in the Schools Enterprise Award : Essa Academy (Bolton); Smithills School (Bolton); Phillips High School (Bury) and Powerwave (Rivington and Blackrod, Bolton). As each school was highlighted with pictures and comments by Dianne Oxberry, the tension and expectation mounted. We felt we wouldn’t win again so soon after 2008, but then….‘ And the winners are  SMITHILLS SCHOOL!’

Ms Haworth, Work Related Learning and Enterprise Manager at Smithills said she was stunned when Smithills were announced the winners. She said " It's an award for all the hard work and dedication of all the students and staff as everybody has contributed to the school's success." The award was a fantastic leaving present for Ms Haworth who is due to retire this summer .

posted:18.06.10

Family of Primary Schools Spring Concert

Guest Soloists; Akil Thompson (Year 11) & Luke Gregory (Year 10)

On Thursday evening 27th May, a full and enthusiastic St Thomas’s Church hosted the latest musical extravaganza involving nearly one hundred primary school instrumentalists from the Smithills family of primary schools; Church Road, Devonshire Road, Oxford Grove, St Matthew’s and St Thomas’s.

The announcer for the evening was Assistant Headteacher Mr Wormald and with two guest soloist spots from Akil Thompson (Year 11) and Luke Gregory (Year 10), the concert featured a wide variety of styles and genres including Caribbean Steel Drums/Pans, World Percussion, large groups of Guitarists and a final massed song which was sung by everyone who had taken part in the highly successful evening.

The concert was organised by Mrs Gill McLaughlin and Mr Sam Packwood of Bolton Music Service and also featured Mr Paul Thornton (Guitar) and Mr Rick Hughes (Percussion).

more pictures

posted: 07.06.10

Smithills  School Celebrates  Outstanding  Ofsted

A two day Ofsted inspection of Citizenship has judged Smithills School to be Outstanding.  Lead Inspector Judith Straw remarked that she “could not recall inspecting a better secondary school for Citizenship."

The Ofsted report highlights outstanding achievements at GCSE; “81% of pupils achieved an A* to C grade at GCSE compared with 57% nationally. The proportion of pupils who achieve the top grades of A* and A is double the national average.”

The report identifies excellent teaching in the classroom and excellent participation in active citizenship.

Citizenship gives pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding to play an effective role in society at local, national and international levels.  It helps pupils to become informed, thoughtful and responsible citizens. It promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, making them more self-confident and responsible both in, and beyond, the classroom. 

Pupils are encouraged to play a helpful part in the life of their school, neighbourhood, community and wider world.  Pupils learn about our economy and democratic institutions and values. They are also encouraged to respect different national, religious and ethnic identities.

It is the report's comments on the rich contribution Smithills pupils make to their local community, to the town of Bolton and internationally which are, however, the most impressive.

Headteacher Chris Roberts is clearly delighted with the report.  “This success reflects on the whole school.  The report recognises not only the excellent quality of teaching and learning in the classroom but also the unique contribution Smithills School makes to the town and to the wider community, nationally and internationally.  It is an achievement we can all be justly proud of.”

Posted: 10.05.10

Smithills School Students Scoop Prestigious ‘Innovation in Action’ Accolade   

Aaliyah Adam, Ruqaiyah Yousaf, Francis Rawlinson and Sara Dakri (all in Year 9) have won Northgate Managed Services’ ‘Innovation in Action’ 2010 competition, demonstrating ways that new technology can help transform their school. Created to reward innovation and collaboration using ICT, pupils from the six schools involved in the first phase of Bolton’s BSF project were invited to attend a London technology exhibition, to investigate new software and equipment they would like in their new schools.

Smithills students visited BETT 2010, the largest education resource event in the world to discover new learning technologies and resources. Supported by Mr Hussain and teachers at ‘study@bwfc’, they were challenged to design an interactive presentation to show how particular technologies could benefit their peers and school.

Commended by judges for their “excellent understanding and knowledge of technologies in a learning environment”, winning Smithills students created a cinema-style virtual classroom and streamlined processes such as electronic registration and school meals (e-dinner system).

Demonstrating their commercial awareness, the students also highlighted that their ‘cinema experience’ could be rented to the local community to help generate the funding.

The competition entries were judged by experts from Northgate Managed Services and members of Bolton Council who looked at how the students addressed issues such as the application of the technology in their school and the overall benefits to the school and students.

David Kilgallon, Bolton’s Transformational Lead, comments: “In Bolton we actively encourage students to get involved and have a say in what resources are implemented in their school and are delighted that the efforts of Smithills students have been recognised by Northgate Managed Services. The students’ research and recommendations have helped provide us and the school with an even deeper understanding of the ways they want to learn.”

David Hyland, Managing Director of Education at Northgate Managed Services comments: “Both schools involved showed a confident approach to planning their presentation and evaluating their choices. Smithills School was chosen as the overall winning school because they demonstrated clearly the reasons for their choice, the applications and value to their education. Their recommendations for a cinema-style virtual classroom won it for them as they gave specific examples on how they would use the resources to aid learning and even a method to help fund this investment.”

Smithills School received a Mac Netbook as a prize with the eight students involved from both schools receiving an iPod nano each. Northgate Managed Services will also be reviewing all the ICT that each school demonstrated in their presentation to see if it can be offered as part of their solution.

Watch the competition video

posted: 22.04.10

School Closure in Severe Weather

As winter approaches, I need to plan for the possibility of severe weather
conditions.
In extreme conditions I may need to close the school. The school is well stocked
with grit and I am confident that we can quickly make footpaths and steps safe
should the weather turn to snow.
If it is necessary for me to close the school I will contact two local radio stations
and also update the school’s website of this decision.
You can find out if the school is closed by:
· Visiting the School Website – www.smithillsschool.net
A school closure notice will be clearly displayed if the school is closed.
· Tune your radio to 105.4 Real Radio or 100.4 Smooth Radio where the
presenters will announce school closures.
· Visit the websites www.realradionorthwest.co.uk or www.smoothradionorthwest.co.uk, where an up to date list of school closures will be displayed.

Mr C.Roberts
Headteacher

posted: 13.12.09

Annual Awards Evening 2009

Principal Guest Speaker Mrs Margaret Asquith, Director of

Children’s Services For Bolton

On Thursday evening November 12th, the school staged its annual awards presentation evening to a packed Victoria Hall in Bolton, this for the sixth year in Bolton’s largest hall. Previous guest speakers have included former Smithills pupils Amir Khan, the World Champion boxer, and Ronnie Irani, the former England cricketer turned Sky television broadcaster. This year we were delighted that Mrs Margaret Asquith, Director of Children’s Services for Bolton, accepted the invitation to be our principal guest.

The school’s World Champion Senior Brass Band began the evening by performing an excellent concert under the direction of Assistant Headteacher Mr Wormald whilst parents, relatives and friends of the prize winners took to their seats. A fanfare then greeted the award winners into the hall and Headteacher Mr Roberts opened the evening with a short welcome in which he expressed extreme delight and pride at the World Champion success of both our Senior Brass Band and Senior Concert Band in Holland this Summer and also that this year’s GCSE results had been the best ever in the school’s history. He then introduced the magician Mr Matt Grindley. Mr Grindley generated great interest amongst everyone in the audience, but especially amongst the young award winners and pupils of Year 7 who were present. Mrs Asquith then gave an excellent and informative address to the packed audience and she also praised Smithills very much for the excellent education the school continued to provide.

For the first time, the awards evening this year was compered by Mr Wormald, who introduced all of the awards and award winners to the audience. With the aid of a huge video screen, each category of awards was introduced by a specially created computer graphic, superbly designed and made by Performing Arts Technician Mr Gallimore.

This year the awards ceremony was divided into three sections and in between each of these was a short presentation made by the Performing Arts department. Having begun the evening with music performed by the Senior Brass Band, there was also a dance presentation choreographed by Mrs Stevens part way through the presentation of awards and later on a drama presentation, in which a short section of ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ directed by Miss Ballinger was equally well received. At the conclusion of the evening, Miss Flemming conducted the Chamber Choir in an excellent performance of
‘O Happy Day.’

As every year, awards were presented for examination and individual subject success, excellent attendance, effort and special categories. This year, for the very first time, each prize winner was presented with an engraved, glass trophy in which the Smithills rose took pride of place above each winner’s name. Each member of the school’s Senior Brass Band and Senior Concert Band was also presented with a World Music Contest Gold Medal.

The highly successful evening concluded at just after 8.30pm.

More photos

posted: 17.11.09

Civic Reception For Our World Champion Musicians

On Tuesday afternoon September 22nd, the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Councillor and Mrs Norman Critchley, held a civic reception in honour of our World Champion musicians and their conductor Mr Wormald in the Lancaster Suite of Bolton Town Hall at 3pm. Attended by a number of high profile dignitaries including Mrs Margaret Asquith, Director of Children's Services in Bolton, town councillors, our Headteacher Mr Roberts and staff members Mr Gibbs, Miss Flemming and Mr Gallimore, our musicians were treated to a reception which began with short speeches by the Mayor, Mr Wormald and Mr Roberts, continued with the presentation of a glass trophy to Mr Wormald on behalf of both our WMC Gold Medal winning bands, involved a number of photographs being organised and taken by the Bolton News and concluded with refreshments and cakes for everyone present, during which the Mayor talked with band members about their incredible achievements.

The photograph shows Director of Children's Services Mrs Margaret Asquith, the Mayor, Mr Roberts, Mr Wormald and the Mayoress of Bolton together with Smithills band members as the engraved glass trophy is presented to Mr Wormald on behalf of the Senior Brass Band, Senior Concert Band and the school as a whole.

Posted: 22.09.09

Smithills Officially Receives 2009 Artsmark Gold Award

On Monday evening, 21 September, Arts Council England held its North West Regional Artsmark Reception at the Brindley Arts Centre in Runcorn from 5pm through to 8pm.

Attended by our Director of Arts and Assistant Headteacher Mr Wormald, Smithills received its Gold Award certification at the event, an award the school now keeps for three years until it has to apply once again in 2012.

It is the first time ever that Smithills has achieved Artsmark Gold and demonstrates the school’s on-going and ever-expanding commitment to the arts. In both previous applications to Arts Council England, Smithills has been delighted to achieve the Artsmark Silver Award but now, in 2009, we have gone to the highest level possible and the Gold standard Artsmark has been bestowed upon Smithills.

posted: 22.09.09

Senior Brass Band And Senior Concert Band Both Strike Gold

At 2009 World Music Contest In Kerkrade, Holland

Just two weeks apart from each other our Senior Brass Band and Senior Concert Band have both achieved coveted WMC Gold Medals at the 2009 World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Holland!

Competing in the Parkstad Limburg Theatre on Saturday July 11th and Saturday July 25th respectively, our two National Festival of Music For Youth Champion bands from last year conducted as always by Assistant Headteacher Mr Wormald gave outstanding performances of four extremely difficult, extended, prescribed test pieces to international panels of judges which resulted in both bands being awarded 2009 WMC Gold Medals, this being the fourth consecutive time for our Senior Brass Band (1997, 2001, 2005 & 2009) and the first time for our Senior Concert Band.

The Senior Brass Band performed its most challenging work ever under the most extreme pressure, the set test piece Lake of The Moon by Kevin Houben, and immediately followed this by performing another test piece with equal success, Music From Kantara by Kenneth Downie, which the band performed so superbly in April 2008 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester to win the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain for the seventh time.

Exactly two weeks after the Senior Brass Band became the only school brass band in the World to be awarded a Gold Medal, the Senior Concert Band travelled out to Kerkrade in the Summer holiday and followed suit, becoming the only school wind band in the World to be awarded a 2009 WMC Gold Medal by performing the most difficult and challenging test piece any of our Smithills bands has ever had to perform, the set test piece Invocation And Toccata by James Barnes. The Senior Concert Band immediately following this by performing another test piece to an equally superb standard; Prelude, Siciliano And Rondo by Malcolm Arnold. It was only the second time our Senior Concert Band has ever applied to be accepted into the WMC World Music Contest in Kerkrade - back in 2001 the band achieved a Silver Medal on its first ever appearance outside the UK but this July it managed to emulate our Senior Brass Band with an equally stunning performance to an international panel of judges.

July 2009 has seen both our Senior Brass Band and Senior Concert Band become the only school bands in the World to achieve WMC Gold Medal standard. We congratulate each and everyone involved over many, many months of lunchtime, evening, weekend and holiday rehearasal and preparation for such a spectacular success!

posted: 16.09.09

North West Asian Arts Evening of Music And Dance 2009

On Saturday evening July 18th, the day after school broke up for the Summer holiday, North West Asian Arts staged its latest evening of Music And Dance in our school hall, commencing at 7.30pm.

Attracting its largest audience to date, with the hall filled almost to capacity, North West Asian Arts delighted its patrons with an evening of colour, energy, passion, sensitivity, eclectic variety and outstanding choreography, all delivered by its members aged from the very young to adult.

The evening was once again a great success and at the conclusion of the many performances, the NWAA annual awards and certificates were presented by Mr Dinesh Chevli, Head of NWAA, and our own Assistant Headteacher, Mr Wormald.  

posted: 11.09.09

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