10 members of the Hagley Lower Sixth travelled down to Westminster on 30th June to join 600 sixth formers from all over the country at a Global Student Forum sponsored by the Department for International Development. The students spent the day examining issues related to infant mortality in the developing world. The learned about the importance of clean water and were provided with some shocking information on child mortality. Throughout the day a tally was kept of the children who had died that day in the developing world at the rate of one every three seconds. The students returned determined to do something about the issues they had looked at during the day. Two of the students contacted a local MP and interviewed him on local radio. Two of the students are planning a peer education exercise for the new Year 12 for the start of the summer term.

Year 12 students Catherine Booth and Peter Sayce were so fired up by a Global Student Forum they had attended in London that they contacted their local radio station and participated in an important interview with Worcester MP Mike Foster. Mike is Permanent Under Secretary in the Department for International Development and was the keynote speaker at the London Conference, where he answered questions from a forum of 600 sixth formers. Peter Sayce, from Stourport-on-Severn and Catherine Booth, from Bewdley, featured on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester’s Sunday Morning programme on the 5th July and put several questions to Mike live on air. Mike explained the effectiveness of several DFID projects and highlighted the devastating effects of diarrhoea, resulting from lack of access to clean water. Mike has agreed to visit Hagley Catholic High School to raise awareness of development issues and to see the school’s work on the global dimension and on community cohesion.

 

On a day of glorious sunshine, Monday 29th June, Hagley played host to over 100 students looking forward to returning to the school to pursue their sixth form studies. The day consisted of welcome speeches from current Year 12 students as well as a series of opportunities to find out more about A-level courses from both teachers and current students. A superb outdoor buffet was provided, as well as a special afternoon tea with scones and jam. The lunch hour saw a very vibrant Freshers Fair, with stalls run by Sixth Formers and featuring a dozen different enrichment opportunities. The day also provided an opportunity to welcome 15 students from other schools who will be joining Hagley for their A-Level studies in September. Everybody commented on how welcome they felt and the students are now looking forward to the first day of the school year, which will be Monday 7th September.

Ruth Davies (Poem entitled DY10) has been chosen by Megan Bradbury (Young Poet Laureate) as the overall winner for Worcestershire in the Bright Space/Benjamin Zephaniah Poetry Competition.

Megan Bradbury was very impressed with Ruth’s poem especially when she found out afterwards that she was a Year 7 pupil.Here are her comments: “The layout of the poem was very effective with a few short verses that would be likely to catch your eye, and the contrast between the verse made the points made stand out. Some very vivid descriptions and language were used and underneath this a very powerful and meaningful message that creates a brilliant poem with a strong sense of place.”

As well as Ruth’s poem appearing on Benjamin Zephaniah’s website, she will also have the first two stanzas of her poem printed on bags. This will be arranged during the summer.Marcia Springer, Communications Officer for Bright Space, is aiming to draft a press release announcing Ruth as the winner over the summer.

Ruth’s poem should appear on Benjamin Zephaniah’s website this week.