Making dreams a reality
by Gaby Spinks

“Smile like Mr Howe does…” says the sign behind the student reception at Fir Vale school and the school has reason to. In August 2003 Fir Vale saw its best GCSE results ever, with 34% of pupils attaining 5 A*–C passes compared with just 11% four years ago.

“It is way above expectations and six points ahead of the target set for us – we are thrilled,” said Bob Hamlyn, Deputy Head as he gave me a guided tour. The atmosphere at the school was calm and quiet, at break time there was none of the shouting and shoving that I remember from my school days, and lessons were conducted peaceably.

I admired the level of support. Students who don’t have English as their first language are allowed to take their exams in their own language and this has led to higher grades being achieved. Other systems are in place for settling in new pupils and ensuring that Year 10 students have enough support and encouragement to enter further education.

At a careers and aspirations day on 1st October, Year 10 students got the chance to meet organisations including Sheffield College, Henry Boot Training, Sheaf Training, South Yorkshire Fire Service, Longley Sixth Form College, Sheffield Hallam University, Connexions, Yorkshire Training Partnerships and A4e. Students were encouraged to look at the wide range of opportunities available – including university degrees and apprenticeships. There were taster sessions for students who were unsure of a direction to go in.

Over subscribed

It’s official, Fir Vale school is now over-subscribed and families from other parts of Sheffield are now trying to get places for their children. I was assured that children living in the catchment area were given places first, but if all the children in the area wanted to go to Fir Vale School then they wouldn’t have room. Luckily, some children still opt to go to other city schools such as Notre Dame and King Edward VII.

The Spread Your Wings Mentoring Project.

Spreading their wings

The Spread Your Wings Mentoring Project, run by Mohammed Ziarat, is now on its fourth intake of mentor trainees, and very successful it’s proving to be. The mentors have come to the training to build their own self confidence, help others and learn useful skills for future employment.

The mentees found it useful to have someone who wasn’t a parent or teacher to talk to. Word has quickly spread and now students request mentoring sessions from Mohammed when they meet him in the corridors.

I spoke to two women who had been students at Fir Vale and had finished the mentoring training. Both said it would have greatly improved their own school lives if mentors had been available for them. “We understand what the students are telling us,” said Caroline Ovendale. “We relate to them. When I was at school here I would never had believed that I’d be back here in a official role.”

Future for Fir Vale

Headteacher Hugh Howe explained that the school would continue to do its best for all its students, and carry on consolidating learning and actively encouraging the community to become more involved with the school facilities. The school is currently applying for Specialist School Status, as a Business and Enterprise Centre (BEC).

Student exclusion is an issue for all schools, and I asked about the school’s policies. “It’s a combination of the schools failing the children and the children failing in the system. We try to engage earlier and put into place other strategies like modifying timetables and counselling. We use exclusion systematically and have seen a reduction over the last few years.”

Finally I asked him what would happen to Fir Vale School if he decided to leave, as Hugh has been an enormous driving force for teachers and students alike.

“I don’t have plans to move on, but I hope the systems we’ve set up here would run successfully with another Head. The application process that appointed me to this post is very rigorous and it would carry on being so. This is my second headship, has the school I left failed without me? I was in London all day yesterday, did this school grind to a halt? The answer, of course, is no.”

www.firvale.sheffield.sch.uk

It would be a great shame if Mr Howe did decide to leave but he would leave behind a highly successful secondary school for us all to send our children to.