Developing Technology, Innovation and Enterprise
Rivington and Blackrod High School has achieved a further five years of Technology College Specialist status focusing on learning in Mathematics, Science and Technology. We have been commended for our substantial progress made.
We share this expertise with Ladybridge High School so that both schools
have state of the art IT facilities. This ensures every child leaves with
at least two GCSEs in IT qualifications. We are leading in the development
of Enterprise skills and Technological Education with Catering, CAD Cam
and Graphics. Our learners work alongside Industry and Commerce and help
turn their creative skills to solving a range of real problems presented
by industry. 
At Rivington & Blackrod High School, lower school we will establish
a Science and Technology Innovation Centre which will be offered to our
Primary Schools to give those Science & Technology time every week.
Staff have been appointed to work with young people in this centre.
We developed our own Radio Station, RIVI FM and ran it for two days last
year but the confidence and the expertise it brought to young people was
outstanding. We will run this throughout the year from 2006 enabling all
schools to participate in the Technical, Presenting and Research elements
of the project. Rivington & Blackrod High School students recently won
first prize for the best designed robot in Europe and first in their age
group in the city of Genova, Italy. The students were awarded a prize called
‘Keys to the City of Verona’ for style and design of the finished
robot.
Providing Outstanding Artistic Pieces
Young people in both schools have outstanding success in the Arts, Music, Drama and Dance. We are happy to receive commissions for work and look for a range of opportunities and contexts to display that achievement.
We work on arts projects in the local community, both engaging primary school children and working with our youth club and outside agencies to deliver arts projects.
Developing Environmental & Local Projects
Our Humanities departments are proactive in developing both historic and environmental projects which touch the heart of our community. Our Locolise project concentrates on developing our knowledge of the Loco works in Horwich and we engage local community groups to work with us to do this.
RESPECT, our Environmental Action Team are proactive in working in the local community and work with companies such as United Utilities to help preserve our local environment.
Crossing Global Boundaries
Our schools have both been designated International schools for their role in the International Arena.
We have extensive links across the globe with staff recently visiting US, Brunei, South Africa and China to share practise and develop resources.
Students exchange with Germany, France, South Africa and Sweden. Every sixth former is encouraged to participate in a European cultural activity in the summer.
Although we specialise in English, French, German and Spanish, young people across our schools speak 20 languages.
We are currently working with our primary schools at the moment to allow them to start learning Language’s before they come to Secondary School.
We believe young people need to celebrate these differences but in addition be prepared for the global economy in which they live. We are at the moment trying to raise £12,000 for a new school in Africa. It is part of the year long ‘Make Poverty History’ Campaign.
Staying Close to the Farm
Our schools have many unique features, but perhaps one of the more unusual than most is our Farm at Ladybridge High School.
This unique resource needs urgent re-development and we plan to invest £80 000 this year in a rebuild and refit, not just so it can be incorporated into our new Science Curriculum but so it can be a valuable community resource. This will enable us to encourage young people across our local community to learn about farm life and develop a skill that is often forgotten in the current climate.
We are working with Myerscough College so that we can run courses in horticulture and animal husbandry.
Once this is developed, we see if being a focal point of life at Ladybridge High School and a vital learning tool for all of our primary school children in the local area.
Developing Youth Work
With the help of Big Lottery Funding, Youth Express has been developed, a youth club for 9 to 13 year olds. We are for the first time offering facilities for these young people in the evening and 104 young people are now enrolled and access a Youth Club at our Pathway Centre.
Fox Street Youth Centre for 14-18 year olds has been redeveloped and we have appointed two full time youth workers and an Activities Coordinator to develop this provision. We are now developing positive activities for older youngsters in the evening and through the daytime.
We need to be able to do the same at Ladybridge High School alongside other providers in order to provide our young people with a safe place to go to in the evenings.
See website www.youthexpress.co.uk