22/10/03 - Study support award is first in Cumbria

On Friday, 24thOctober 2003 at 3.30pm, at The Living Well Trust on Shadygrove Road, Carlisle, the Morton School will be presented with a nationally recognised award for the quality of its educational study support programme.  The programme, called `Third Session’, is voluntary out of hours learning after school.  Pupils from eight local primary schools, as well as Morton School pupils, have benefited from the scheme.  

Maggie Robinson, Study Support Officer for Cumbria and Steve Smith, Leeds United Learning Centre Manager and Critical Friend for Quality in Study Support will present the award.  The presentation takes place at the Living Well Trust to mark new partnerships and the community ethos of study support.  Corporate Director of Education, Victoria Ashfield joins Headteachers, pupils and staff at the presentation where pupils will be displaying the skills gained at a study support activity.  They will outline the benefits of attending study support in their community.  

Maggie Robinson, Study Support Officer for Cumbria says

“ Increasingly, schools in Cumbria are realising the advantages of delivering out of school learning activities which young people take part in on a voluntary basis. Morton staff have worked hard to deliver a quality programme and this award is a real feather in the school’s cap.”

Margaret Watson, the Morton School Study Support Manager is delighted at the recognition signified by the award.  She says,

“Our school is the only school in Cumbria to have gained Quality in Study Support Recognition and to achieve the high-ranking Established Level is a real achievement.  We were one of the first schools in Cumbria to get involved in the initiative, funded through the New Opportunities Fund.  In the three years the scheme has been running, over 1200 young people have taken part in activities ranging from Arts and Crafts through Sport to GCSE coursework support.

 Mike Bell, the Principal of The Morton School highlighted the hard work and commitment given to study support saying,

“I am pleased that the school has received recognition for its study support provision.  It is a credit to the pupils, staff, parents and schools who have all worked very hard to make it possible.   It shows that pupils in Morton have the initiative and enthusiasm needed to take advantage of the opportunities on offer at the study support sessions.  

Ofsted Inspectors recently noted that links with the community were a strength of the school and this is further recognition of our work”.