All details are on the following link

jubilee-tea-party-poster-2

Edward’s Trust is a registered charity www.edwardstrust.org.uk  The Trust offers support and counselling for anyone affected by the death of a child.

On Friday 11^th May 2012, Gisela Stuart supported the students from Small Heath School and King Edwards School in their debate on the High Speed Link and the Thames Estuary Airport, which has been dubbed as “Boris Island.

The debate took place at the new Flight School, recently opened by The Rt. Hon. Dr Vince Cable MP, at Birmingham Airport.

Gisela said:

“The students participated in a strong debate titled in support of the construction of HS2 Rail and in support of building ‘Boris’s Island’.  The newly opened Flight School provided the ideal facility for the debate.”

The Flight School’ is a long-term partnership between the Airport, its education partners and Midlands businesses, all working together to create a dedicated learning zone for the exclusive use of schools and colleges. 

The facility is equipped with PCs, AV equipment and classroom furniture to enable students to have a fully functioning learning facility within an exciting business environment. The facility also offers dedicated areas for use by primary and secondary students and unrivalled views across the runway. 

The facility offers important ‘STEM’ activities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to give pupils hands-on access to activities that illustrate the practical application of science and technology. 

The project has been heavily supported by Small Heath School and businesses in the aviation sector, including Goodrich and Bromford Industries, which have provided models of aircraft engines and other practical tools to learn about engineering and aviation.

Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this facility which demonstrates the Airport’s full commitment to taking an active role in the education of the region’s young people as part of its wider Corporate Responsibility programmes.  As a business we feel that we can deliver a real benefit to individuals as they develop skills and attitudes to help them succeed in the competitive world beyond education.”

Pete Slough, Head Teacher, Small Heath School added, “Small Heath School has been a leading light in the development of the idea that education should be extended beyond the classroom to take full advantage of opportunities provided by partnerships with business and industry, helping to produce better qualified, more socially aware and more rounded individuals.  Working closely with Birmingham Airport has helped us achieve our goals.”

The launch event brought together the worlds of business and education with over 100 guests from the local area supporting this new facility.

http://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/meta/about-us/community/education.aspx

Tony Phillips-Jones, Commissioning & Brokerage Manager has stated:

“The return date for consultation response forms has been changed to the 18th June 2012.  Policy documents, summary document and consultation response form can be found at the link below.
“For details of the consultation please visit the consultation web page at: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/transport-consultation

“We are continuing the review of home to school transport. Thank you to everybody who responded to the consultation questionnaires sent out last year. We received almost 300 responses, some from groups of parents, and have carefully considered the feedback to inform the changes we are proposing. These proposed changes are outlined in the summary document and in the policy documents on the web page above.

We would welcome any final comments on the proposed policies by completing the consultation response form on-line by visiting:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hometoschool

Or by downloading the form from the consultation web page which can be returned by email to:

educationtransport@birmingham.gov.uk

Or you can request a paper copy of the documents and consultation response form by contacting the:

Home to School Transport Team
Council House Extension, Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BU

Telephone: 0121 303 4425 / 2450 / 4955

Completed paper consultation response forms can be posted to:

Home to School Transport Consultation
Education Transport Service
FREEPOST, MID2259, Birmingham B4 7BR

Regards

Tony Phillips-Jones
Commissioning & Brokerage Manager

Last Thursday was local council election day.  Like many other party activists across the City I spent much of the day on the telephone. “Have you been to vote yet?” I’d ask.  Those who said “yes” I pushed a bit further. “And how did you vote in the Referendum on the City Mayor?”

The answers were revealing as well as sobering.  Roughly a third had said Yes and another third No. The rest either had not voted at all, could not remember how they voted [particularly if they had done so by post] or would tell me they crossed the “top box or the bottom box” but were not really sure what it all meant. 

By Friday afternoon Birmingham had said No to a directly elected Mayor.  That’s democracy and it’s no good going on about missed opportunities and how different things would be if there had been a Yes. But there are some lessons which need to be learnt, if participatory democracy is to mean anything.

First.  Don’t mix constitutional issues which divide political parties with other elections. Last year it was the Alternative Vote, this year it was the elected mayor. Individual councillors and party members took different positions and the closer we got to the Council elections the less we debated things which divided us. 

Second. Put a straightforward question on the ballot paper. Voters, as well as campaigners for that matter, talked in terms of Yes or No. There was no Yes or No box on the ballot paper; what we got read more like a sixth form essay question.  The Electoral Commission is independence, but it should take advice from politicians. We really do understand  elections more than anyone else.

Third. Giving  power away seems to be the hardest thing to do. The government had not, and still has not, decided what powers the City Mayor would have.  Asking people to vote for a change on the way they are being governed without being precise what these changes amount to is foolishly arrogant. A government holding a plebiscite, must do so in terms which are clear. It would also help if the governing party could support its own policy locally. Where was the Tory campaign for a City Mayor in Birmingham?

Birmingham doesn’t want a Mayor. But at least have a Labour majority, with Albert Bore as an experienced leader, and some pretty sharp new Labour Councillors.

But devolution of power in England [outside London] remains unfinished business. On 15^th November the West Midlands will vote on a Police Commissioners.  There will be a regional democratic dimension to policing, but what about transport and economic regeneration. 

Birmingham’s population is young and growing, but we lack jobs and skills. These problems have not gone away, and indeed, have become more difficult to solve.

Maybe something good can come out of this yet - a strategic regional mayor.  This should have been on offer this time round, but wasn’t.  We may yet get the chance to “make the weather” as Joe Chamberlain did all those years ago. 

END

Free entry to children accompanied by an adult.

                             http://www.staugustines-edgbaston.org.uk

                                          diamond-jubilee-concert

Cure Leukaemia, the blood cancer charity are holding a fun run on 27^th May 2012, to raise funds for a Cure Leukaemia nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

To take part, download the application pack from

http://www.cureleukaemia.co.uk/the-run.php

If you require any further details please contact Ruth Bishop directly at:  ruth@cureleukaemia.co.uk

6th May 2012 - 29.36

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01gy99y/?t=29m34s

She consults Tony Travers of the LSE; former Tory chief of staff Michael Dobbs; the Labour MP Gisela Stuart who wanted to stand as Mayor in Birmingham; and the Tory MP on the public accounts committee, Richard Bacon

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01h2c76

Speaking at the launch today, (4^th May)  Gisela Stuart, an  LLB alumna of the International Programmes and a member of its Board,  said she was delighted to see  Bournville Colleges’ higher education offer being extended from September this year to include three of the University of London’s degree programmes  - BSc Computing and Information Systems, BSc Creative Computing and BSc Business.

Gisela Stuart, MP explained: “The relationship between Bournville College and the University of London International Programmes is one to be celebrated on a number of fronts; it’s yet another opportunity for the people of Birmingham to access University level education through a local FE college; it’s also immediately beneficial for the local economy in that it will attract more students and investment into the City, and thereby make  a positive  long-term impact on our plans to regenerate the Longbridge area of Birmingham.”  

Norman Cave, Principal at Bournville College and Professor Jonathan Kydd, Dean of the University of London International Programmes, were both present at the official launch event to sign an official agreement between the two institutions. 

Professor Jonathan Kydd said: “Bournville College is the first among a new wave of Further Education colleges to offer our degree programmes in the UK.  I believe that this current move into the FE sector is in keeping with our mission to provide access to our study programmes for all students that may benefit from it.

“From our perspective, Bournville College has a tremendous amount to offer. It’s well equipped with cutting-edge IT facilities; it has a brand new campus that’s benefited from a £66 million investment programme and furthermore, it’s able to offer a much more personalised experience for its students through small teaching groups of about 20 students in each.  We believe that all these factors will contribute immensely towards providing a rich and supportive learning environment for our students at Bournville College.”

Norman Cave commented: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be working with the University of London. These new courses strengthen our higher education offer and increase our appeal to the international market, where the initial demand for these courses came from. We believe that we will be offering students the best of both worlds - a chance to study a degree programme recognised by such a prestigious university and based in Bournville’s new campus, often described as one of the most technologically advanced in the country.’

Bournville College has a strong international footprint, especially in emerging markets such as India, Brazil and China where there is a strengthening demand for British qualifications. Bournville College responded to this demand by partnering with the University of London. Whilst the impetus came from the overseas markets, the syllabus of the programmes will be suitable for home students too.

To find out more about the programmes, visit www.bournville.ac.uk or call 0121 477 1300.

Bournville College:

Bournville College was established in 1913 (then known as Bournville Day Continuation School) by George Cadbury

The function of the school was ‘to provide young people with a sound general education which will fit them to meet the demands of life and work in the best possible way’.

In 1973, Bournville College relocated to a new campus on Bristol Road South in Birmingham, which it occupied till September 2011.

In September 2011, Bournville College relocated to a new £66 million purpose built campus in Longbridge, kick-starting wider regeneration of Longbridge after the collapse of MG-Rover in 2005.

Mission statement: To be the education and training provider of first choice.

Bournville College is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all students and to providing a positive environment where everyone can learn and work together.

11,024 students studied at Bournville College in 2010/11.

For further information about Bournville College, visit www.bournville.ac.uk

University of London International Programmes:

The University of London was established in 1836 and is one of the oldest, largest and most diverse universities in the UK. Its founding principle is to provide education for all, irrespective of race, creed or political belief.

In 1858, the University of London was granted its fourth Charter, which paved the way for the establishment of the University of London External System, which became known as the University of London International Programmes from 1 August 2010.

The University of London International Programmes is the world’s oldest provider of degrees through distance and flexible learning.

The International Programmes has been instrumental in the formation of British higher education - all English and Welsh universities founded between 1849 and 1949 offered University of London degrees before obtaining Royal Charters to award their own degrees.

Today, the University of London International Programmes is a unique global network of more than 50,000 students in 180 countries, on 100+ study programmes.

Famous former students and alumni include seven Nobel Prize Winners: Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins; Professor Ronald Coase; Wole Soyinka; Derek Walcott; former President Nelson Mandela; joint-winner Charles Kao; and joint-winner Dr Rolph Payet, currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of Seychelles.

To find out more about the University of London International Programmes, visit our website: www.londoninternational.ac.uk.

The Birmingham Labour Party launched the new policy at Small Heath School on Monday 30 April 2012 in front of an audience of sixth formers together with representatives of the local business community and teachers.

A Labour controlled City Council will introduce the Birmingham Baccalaureate in consultation with teachers, employers, universities, parents and young people.  It will be part of a strategy to bring the city’s education provision closer to the needs of young people and the world of work.

The Birmingham Baccalaureate will build on the planned English Bac but ensure that the skills match the needs of local employers. Students will still take GCSEs and “A” Levels but the Birmingham Baccalaureate will also acknowledge that achievement takes many forms such as community work, sport, and the performing arts. We will also ask local employers to help shape some the curriculum to ensure that the right things are taught in our schools.

Young people who successfully complete the Birmingham Baccalaureate will be guaranteed an interview for jobs or training by the City Council and business organisations who subscribe to the scheme.

Gisela Stuart MP who chaired the launch with local MP Shabana Mahmood commented:

“Small Heath School provides an example of what we would hope to achieve with the Birmingham Baccalaureate.  

“Our schools will soon be obliged to work to the English Baccalaureate but we want to make it more realistic for young people and their potential employers here in Birmingham.

“Every one of the City’s MPs are constantly told by employers of critical skills shortages. By inviting business to come  into partnership with schools the Labour Party believe these issues can be addressed.

Small Heath School has been one of the first in Birmingham to recognise the importance of including business partnerships in its work. The creation of the Birmingham Baccalaureate will foster and formally recognise such partnerships.

For the past 4 years, Richard Riley, Senior Tutor and Work Related Learning Co-ordinator at the school, has been a member of the West Midlands Regional Council of the CBI, the first teacher ever to be invited to become a regional council member anywhere in the UK. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors.

“Partnerships have often grown out of attendance at business networking events, ” says Richard Riley,   ”At all times the school aims to give support to our partners by undertaking projects, through the curriculum where possible, which benefit both sides of the partnership.

“Business benefits by having project undertaking by pupils and students and the school benefits through the development of work related skills in their children.

“Pupils also begin to understand the relevance of their studies to the world of work.

“We believe in making learning real, so that children understand why they are learning what they are learning and teachers also understand why they are teaching what they are teaching.”

Gisela Stuart said:

“Birmingham is one of the youngest and fastest growing cities in Europe. Almost a third of the City is under the age of 24, and almost a third of those don’t have a job. Labour will make sure that the young people of Birmingham have the skills and education needed to take up the new jobs created. “