30/6/2006 - Photo opportunity: School Support Staff celebrate success

School support staff will be celebrating their success in achieving Vocational Qualifications at special presentations in Barrow and Carlisle next week (Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 July).

School support staff cover a wide range of roles, including bursars, technicians, secretarial and administrative, reception and teaching assistants.

Support staff from 30 schools across the county have achieved Vocational Qualifications (VQs) in Support Work in Schools at Levels 2 and 3 and National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in Business Administration and IT User at Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The staff being presented with their certificates next week come from all over the county, and from nursery, infant, primary and secondary schools.

Altogether 55 staff achieved their qualifications, working with Cumbria Adult Education Service.  Another eight staff within the schools acted as mentors and have themselves now achieved an NVQ Learning and Development award for mentoring.

Both the learning and assessment for the qualifications took place in  school, with a team from Adult Education carrying out observations and helping staff build up a 'portfolio of evidence'.

The certificate presentations will be made by Councillor Philip Chappelhow, cabinet member for Children's Services  They will be at Abbottsmead Community Development Centre in Cambridge School in Barrow at 11am on Monday 3 July and at the Old Court Room in Carlisle at 2.30pm on Tuesday 4 July.

Councillor Chapplehow said: 

"I am delighted to be asked to present these certificates, and I would like to congratulate everyone who has achieved their qualification. Being part of the support staff in a school is a busy and demanding job, and for them to have worked towards their certificates the same time must have taken a lot of hard work and dedications.

Amanda Towers, Skills Manager in Adult Education and was part of the team assessing with the support staff.  She said: 

"The quality of work presented was exceptionally high and clearly demonstrated the capability of support staff within our schools.

"It was also good to see the high level of support all the candidates received from the other staff in their school." 

Support staff from the following schools will be receiving their awards next Monday and Tuesday: 

Beckstone Primary School 
Bishop Harvey Goodwin 
Bram Longstaff 
Bridekirk Dovenby Primary 
Broughton-in-Furness 
Cockermouth School 
Flookburgh 
Newlaithes 
Settlebeck 
St. Bridget's 
St. James Infant 
St. Thomas CE School 
Walney 
Ewanrigg Juniors 
Keswick School 
Millom School 
Ravenstonedale School 
St Aidan's County High 
St Herbert's 
St Joseph's High 
St. James Catholic Primary 
Thornhill School 
Lindale 
Newbarns Primary 
Settlebeck 
Holy Family RC 
St Michael's Infant 
Cumwhinton 
Kirkby Thore Primary 
Newlaithes 
St. Beghs RC 
St. Herberts Primary 
St. Joseph's High 
St. Joseph's High 
Bridekirk Dovenby Primary 
Cumwhinton 
North Cumbria Technology 
Our Lady & St. Patricks 
Alfred Barrow 
St. Joseph's High