Enterprise Days

Year 8 strut their stuff!

This year, each year group in KS3 has been given an opportunity to take part in an off-timetable day focusing on Enterprise. As part of the National Global Entrepreneurship Week, thirty Year 8 students took part in a Fashion Challenge on 18th November 2008.

Working in teams, the students were given a variety of old clothes, ribbons, scraps of material, scissors and glue and were given the brief to design, create and model an outfit, accompanied by a commentary as the model walked down the catwalk.

Days like these give students an opportunity to excel outside of the classroom situation and thrive in their use of enterprise skills such as decision making, communication and team work, which are difficult to foster in a classroom situation. It was fantastic to see that students, who were normally reticent to speak out in class could strut their stuff down the catwalk, and confidently and passionately describe their creations.

Enterprise days encourage students to take risks and cultivate a ‘can-do’ attitude. They allow students to work with different groups, to take on roles which suit their natural tendencies, whilst also challenging them to step out of their normal routine and try something new. Some of the winners of the Fashion Challenge were surprised by their newly found confidence and indeed the winners were very proud of their achievements; from a shaky nervous start to the day, they spoke clearly and confidently and showed that the risk they had taken in order to take part was worth it!

‘H2O Revolution’ steals the show!

Last year, twelve Year 10 Science students were presented with their trophy for winning the ‘Waterwheel Project’. This was an environmental project in which students undertook a two-week placement to design a waterwheel. The project was run, hosted and sponsored by the likes of Manchester Airport, The Environment Agency, MCFC, Manchester Metropolitan University, British Waterways, Peel Holdings and the Co-operative Group. To win the competition, Christopher Andrew and Marc Adigun had to present their waterwheel design (on behalf of H2O Revolution) to a distinguished panel of judges and an audience of approximately 150 at Manchester Metropolitan University. They stole the show by giving a scintillating presentation. In fact their presentation and design was "top draw" and scored 155 points (head and shoulders above the competition). This whole project was a great opportunity for a team of GCSE Science students to learn and work outside the classroom towards a common goal and develop communication, team building and presentational skills. Well done to all of you!

Students Make the Grade

Earlier in the year, our Sixth Form students attended a two-day residential at Salford Young Persons' University in order to participate in a graduation ceremony to celebrate the completion of their ‘Aim Higher’ course (a year long project between Manchester Academy and Salford University). Although students had to work incredibly hard to complete the final stages of their course, it wasn’t all work and no play as students had time for fun things too such as going on a tour of Manchester United Football Club and finding time to party at the Student Union. On the evening of the ceremony, the hall was charged with emotion as the ceremony began with a presentation featuring the work our students had carried out throughout the year at the university.

It was a marvellous sight to see our students, dressed in their capes walk onto the stage to receive their well-deserved certificates from the Vice Chancellor of Salford University, Professor Michael Harloe, who expressed his wish to see them at Salford University or other universities in the future. The sense of achievement on the faces of the students was clear for all to see. Well done to all of you!