SAVE THE DATE! Thurs 24th Oct is our Bishop Laney Open Evening! BOOK NOW via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../open-evening-2024...

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Ely College, part of Meridian Trust, is celebrating another year of exceptional GCSE results, with students and staff reflecting on a fantastic set of achievements.

Principal Simon Warburton expressed his pride, saying: “We are delighted with the results of our Year 11 cohort, who approached their studies with incredible maturity and dedication. They deserve to be very proud of their achievements today.”

Among the college's top achievers were:

Lily H with 10 grade 9s and 1 grade 8

Tommy L with 8 grade 9s and 1 grade 8

Martina V with 8 grade 9s and 2 grade 8s

Anastasia A with 6 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and 2 grade 7s

William L with 6 grade 9s and 3 grade 8s

The college also celebrated students who made significant progress beyond expectations such as:

Cameron T, Lydia P, Alice H, Jakub O, Georgia H, Natalie G

    

Simon added: “At Ely College, we continually strive to be an exceptional school for an exceptional community. These fantastic GCSE results, combined with the superb A Level and vocational outcomes announced last week, are a testament to the hard work of our students, the support of their parents and our staff. It was a joy to share this moment with our students and families, and we wish them every success as they embark on the next stage of their journey.”

   

Martin Campbell, Executive Principal at Meridian Trust, added: “A huge congratulations to everyone celebrating their well-deserved success today. The students and their families should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments. The Trust is proud of Ely College’s achievements, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the dedicated staff who have supported these students throughout their time at the school.”

For more information about Ely College, please visit: www.elycollege.com. 

Staff at Ely College, part of Meridian Trust, are proud to have received a coveted Oracy Centre of Excellence award from the national oracy charity, Voice 21, for their work in developing students’ speaking and listening skills.

Voice 21 works with more than 1000 schools nationally, and Ely College was one of only 24 to have their oracy achievements recognised in the most recent round of applications.

The Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence award certifies and celebrates schools that are changing the way they educate by supporting students to find their voice - and as a result, are transforming their learning and life chances. To secure its recognition, Ely College had to demonstrate the quality of oracy education being provided across five areas of school life: their school’s vision, culture, curriculum, learning and impact on students.

A Voice 21 report, shared with the College, states “there is a strong vision for oracy which is held by the whole school community.” This ensures “students have a range of opportunities to develop their voices both inside and outside the classroom and are being supported to enhance their conversational skills with adults.”

Samantha Rasmussen, Oracy Lead and Vice Principal of Ely College said: “Oracy is a vital skill, particularly in our post-pandemic world, and we have seen the incredible difference it can make to the learning and confidence of students at all ages and abilities in our school. We are thrilled to be the only secondary school in the East of England to achieve this award and one of only a handful of secondaries nationally. This has been a significant project for us over the last few years and it’s great to see all our efforts formally recognised.”

As a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence, Ely College will support other schools in the community and across the country, showcasing how oracy teaching can impact their students’ future education and employment opportunities.

Oracy has been shown to be as important as reading and numeracy in improving life outcomes for children. According to The Skills Imperative 2035, communication and collaboration skills are one of six ‘Essential Employment Skills’.

Simon Warburton, Principal of Ely College said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as an Oracy Centre of Excellence by Voice 21. At Ely College, we are passionate about improving the quality of education and life in Ely to ensure the young adults who leave our care are prepared for the next stage of their education and are ready and confident to move forward as responsible and employable citizens. I am so proud of our Ely College team who have worked incredibly hard to place oracy at the heart of our teaching and learning.”

In its 2021 report ‘Speak for Change’, the Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group highlighted the importance of oracy education to improve academic performance, underpin literacy and vocabulary, support wellbeing and confidence, and enable young people to access employment and thrive in life beyond school.

Kate Paradine, CEO at Voice 21, says: “I’d like to congratulate Ely College on becoming a Voice 21 Oracy Centre of Excellence. It’s a testament to the innovative and inspirational oracy teaching by staff across the College. This is already having significant impacts on students’ learning, and will be of huge benefit to them as they progress throughout school and in future education and employment opportunities. Ely College is part of the national oracy movement that is transforming the education system and preparing all students to use their voice to succeed in school and in life.”

For more information about Ely College and Bishop Laney Sixth Form, please visit: www.elycollege.com. 

'The youngest TV composer in British history'... let that sink in for a minute... We always knew he would go far, but to see ex Ely College student Paddy Bennett launch his career while he is still in his first year at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts is awe-inspiring!

This time last year he was finishing up his exams at Bishop Laney Sixth Form & now he's composed for a major BBC drama & is working on a film next! Season 2 of Granite Harbor goes out Fri evening. Listen out for the new theme tune composed by Patrick!

WATCH THIS SPACE as this alumni student is going far and we look forward to following his progress! Congratulations Paddy!

 

Read the full story here: https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/24289059.granite-harbour-music-composed-ely-teen-patrick-bennett/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2OFp0dshwNyHhdOUyaTChb8c04bdbxCHSArK0uuBIzHJthZCVVYXCFbpc_aem_AeZIf8BZUpFmqJvpZDNn3VgCBrUydaBjBsipE3nCGtFMb_pmkQq-StNbPq1IpEO4yteQdyyX7C-_AASwapfZg3a3

British Science Week (8-17 March) is an exciting time for students and teachers alike, as it provides a special platform to showcase the wonders of science and its many connections to our daily lives. Celebrating its 30^th anniversary, this year’s British Science Week theme was ‘TIME’.

Ely College have been ‘maximising the minutes’, packing in a host of trips, workshops and extra curricular experiences that saw one of their busiest terms yet. From entering robotic competitions, to Duke of Edinburgh timed tent challenges; parliamentary debates and a tour to oracy and confidence workshops - staff and students have showcased their passion for ‘extending the boundaries of learning’. The week culminated with their annual Science Festival, spearheaded by Year 8 students. 

Mr O’Neil, Teacher of Biology who organised the Science Festival commented: “We were very impressed at how diligently students worked to carry out their scientific investigations in lessons and collaborated to present their projects with such flair. Throughout school there has been a real buzz and we have excitedly waited for the opportunity to see the results of all the hard work that has gone on this term.”

After weeks of trail and errors, hypothesising and observing, students presented their findings to their families, staff and peers. It was a great opportunity for the students to showcase their scientific knowledge and creativity as well as learning new skills, building confidence, and working in teams to develop a love of science that will stay with them for years to come.

As part of the Meridian Trust curriculum, the college takes this time to develop a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) before their important subject choices and GCSE years. Year 7 & 8 students work towards their CREST Award - CREST is a national scheme that encourages young people to think and act like scientists and engineers. To achieve a CREST Award, students complete these hands-on projects.

Principal, Mr Warburton, who opened the festival with Mr O'Neil was eager to get involved and safely demonstrated the impressive potato clock experiment. He commented: “We are very proud of our Year 8 students – the Science Festival is a tribute to our Trust values in action. Many thanks to the families and friends of the college for attending the day and supporting their projects at home.”

The range of experiments and presentations on offer was impressive. Other stands run by students included how to create lava lamps using household ingredients, fruit batteries made out of lemons, designing mini catapults, floating tea bags and how to make fireworks glow different colours.

On Thursday 7^th and Friday 8^th March, Needham’s Hall was transformed into a theatre-in-the-round for Ely College’s enthralling production of ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle’ by Bertolt Brecht. Both shows brought the audiences to their feet for two unforgettable evenings that celebrated the joy of live and immersive theatre.

The play follows the character, Grusha, a servant girl who rescues baby Micheal during times of war and conflict. Played by Year 10 student Eleanor Wallman, she goes on to be a better mother than the child’s wealthy and contemptible biological parents, but in the final act a decision needs to be made; who will raise ‘the precious child’?

   

The tightknit ensemble took the audience on a transformative descent into the Brechtian chaos, and just as quickly, raised their hopes and spirits as they witnessed justice prevail. From the very start students interacted with the audience, making them feel as if they were one of the villagers. Guests were asked to hold props and were given delicious produce whilst sides were formed. Brecht’s unique style of ‘a play within a play’ was captivating as were the young actors.

   

After two large scale musical productions, this was the first time the college as part of Meridian Trust had set their sights on such a challenging play. These young actors were joyously committed – many of whom had not previously performed on such a scale – but took to the stage in an extraordinary & moving epic drama with music, song, demanding physicality, a central love story and an immersive depth not seen before in an Ely College production.

  

Laura Tod, Teacher of Drama and Director thanked everyone involved in making the show such a success, proud that they had all taken a risk with this relatively unknown play: “We knew the themes would challenge our young cast. I am incredibly proud of all the students involved and how they have engaged with the play in such a mature and thoughtful way. Their willingness to take risks, think outside the box and collaborate with each other has been outstanding. It was amazing to share our project last week with family, friends and the local community.”

This production showcased not only the students’ incredible acting, but also displayed some phenomenal musical talent. A powerful quartet, Catrin Andrews, Leyah Christensen, Annabelle Martinez and Harper Thurow narrated through song, this thrilling and explosive drama. The ensemble doubled up their work, using their skills and talents behind the scenes, creating clever lighting and staging, culminating in yet another high-quality performance.

  

Escaping via a rope bridge made of moving suitcases, as well as some impressive and imaginative use of props to aid the performance, the use of a handmade puppet for the character of Michael was extremely unique and clever. Director Laura Tod explained how they brought the puppet to life: “We watched some National Theatre tutorials online which helped us understand how to animate the puppet. One of the main things was to be able to move the head freely. This really helped demonstrate that Michael was a curious little boy with a strong attachment to Grusha.”

Principal Simon Warburton commented: “I thought the show was a wonderful experience to watch.  It is a challenging and complex text but our students acted with a confidence and assuredness that truly belied their age and experience.  The company have produced an inspirational togetherness and resilience and have developed longstanding friendships across a range of age groups.  I am very grateful for the wonderful teaching and guidance from all the staff involved with this production.”