South Axholme Academy Parent Portal - South Axholme Academy, Spring Term, April 2023 Copy

This term students have been busy as always learning about Careers, Post 16 courses and Apprenticeships. Our Year 9 students are taking the next step in their academic journeys and are selecting their GCSE Options. They have been helped along the way, with assemblies, 1:1 support, a special options evening with colleges and our careers advisor attending, all to help them make an informed decision about their future.

Our Year 9 students also had the opportunity to visit Hull University for the first time, where they learnt more about Higher Education and university life. They were able to see for themselves what the university and campus looks like, learn more about students life, finances, courses on offer and all the clubs and societies that add to the experience. This was a great chance for students to gain a better understanding of Higher Education and what it has to offer, and inspire some students to consider studying at a university in the future. Although it seems a long way off in Year 9, it is never too early to start considering options for the future.

We have been lucky this term with the number of visitors to school for National Apprenticeship Week, shortly followed by National Careers Week, all keen to pass on their career stories to our students. During NAW, Ex SAX Alumni Jakob Bartlett, kindly returned to school for an in-depth interview with Principal Mr Barlow, which was streamed live to the students. In the interview Jakob was able to give an honest portrayal of his journey from SAX student to gaining an Apprenticeship with Howdens. The students were given a real insight into the day-to-day life of an Apprentice, hopefully inspiring some to do the same.

National Careers Week was packed with guest speakers from a variety of career areas, all kindly donating their time to give truthful insights into working life and how to achieve your career goals. The students heard from a Music Performer, Engineer, Sports Coach, Pharmacist, Property and Land Developer, Lawyer, Tree Arborist, Chiropractor, Music Tour Manager, Army, and Early Years Practitioners to name a few. Many of the talks were delivered by parents and SAX alumni, showcasing careers and opportunities within the local labor market, and further afield. With such a wide range of careers being discussed, the students were given a fantastic opportunity to develop their own career knowledge, and maybe even a few new career goals were set!

SIX!

Our cast of eleven year 11 students have worked tirelessly over the past eight months to prepare for their three performances of SIX!

Monday 16^th January saw them perform to the whole of year 7 as their final dress and tech rehearsal - year 7 were a fantastic audience and gave some super feedback despite us having a few issues with the sound equipment.

Two evening performances to family and friends then followed on Wednesday 18^th & Thursday 19^th January.

The show begins with a dramatic rendition of 'Ex Wives' where we learn how the six wives of Henry VIII died and then we are introduced to our wonderful Ladies in Waiting - Dee Bothomley, Emily Bruce, Ella Jones, Imogen Leng & Katie Reynolds. The show would not have been as fantastic without these five in the background providing backing vocals and intricate choreography.

Then Catherine of Aragon, played by Ruby Laws, sings the first solo; her personalised rendition of 'No Way'. It has been a joy to see Ruby grow in confidence during our rehearsal process and watch how she blossomed as an actress, singer and dancer.

Anne Boleyn, played by Ava Fisher, has the next solo 'Don't Lose Your Head'. Ava is a natural on stage and a true triple threat, landing every single line, executing the repertoire with flair and having the audience in stitches. She has recently secured a place at CAPA where she will continue her Performing Art journey - Go Ava!

Jane Seymour's solo 'Heart of Stone' ends the first act. Ellen Malson plays Jane and there was not a dry eye in the house after her solo. Such pose and beauty, Ellen truly embodied all that Jane Seymour should be hitting every note with the ease of a seasoned professional.

In Act 2 we meet Anna of Cleves, played perfectly by Lucy Welsch, in 'Haus of Holbein' and then in her solo 'Get Down'. Lucy is born comedian and owned the stage. Her interaction with the audience was a delight to watch and as with Ava, Lucy delivered all the comic parts with ease.

Katherine Howard, the diva, sings 'All You Wanna Do' next. This being the longest of the solos and challenging in so many ways. Katherine Howard was played by Francesca Atkinson, and all her hard work and effort was clearly evident as she smashed every note and every dance move show after show.

The final queen we meet is Catherine Parr, played by Scarlett Kirwan. Those who know Scarlett know what a talented musician she is, and her solo did not disappoint. It wasn't until Scarlett performed 'I Don't Need Your Love' that the team really appreciated the beauty of this song, her subtle personal

additions made it the perfect solo to finish the individual song performances.

The show finished with the remix of SIX! then Mega Six! and when the curtain closed the atmosphere backstage was euphoric. Screams followed by tears, hugs & laughter, the perfect end to a perfect show.

A huge thank you goes to Andy Malsom for all the hours he put in sourcing the lights, rigging them, building additional scaffolding, adding our own projector and then creating and printing the programmes. We could not have done it without him or Claire Welsch, our amazing costume designer - her bespoke pieces, the result of hours upon hours of work, were the icing on the cake that is SIX! and we will forever be grateful to you both.

SIX! will go down in the SAX history books as being one of the best productions to come out of the Academy and the Performing Arts department are so very proud of each and every one of you! #TEAMSIXFOREVER!

Darren and Zoe in the kitchen (Image: North Lindsey College)

A catering student at North Lindsey College has been offered her dream apprenticeship placement at an exclusive private Member’s Club in Scotland.

Zoe Priest, 17, completed a six-week summer placement at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland, which is one of the world’s finest private Members' Clubs. Zoe made a huge impression on the Club and worked hard during her time spent there which resulted in her securing an apprenticeship at the prestigious golf club.

The college has strong links with the club as other students have also completed work experience there. The Executive Chef from Loch Lomond Golf Club, Darren Harrison, is a former student of North Lindsey College and was a very promising chef during his training.

As a student, he was noticed at the Scotch Lamb competition by the head judge Jeff Bland who was the Executive Chef from the famous Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh.

As a result, Darren moved to Edinburgh after his studies to take up a position within the Balmoral’s fine dining restaurant, Number One. This exposure into a professional kitchen was invaluable to him and he has since honed his skills in some of Scotland’s most iconic hotels.

Darren made the 285-mile journey specifically to come to North Lindsey College and meet with the staff, talk to the students and observe them working in the kitchen, this was then followed up with interviews with students via Microsoft Teams.

Darren wants to support young talent and help give back to where it all started for him, which is great to have such a strong connection in the industry outside of our local area. He said: “As a former student of North Lindsey College I know that the invaluable training I received there has helped me carve out my career as a Chef. I therefore felt it was important to pay this back, to give an opportunity to a student from my hometown and to build a relationship with the College in order to nurture future talent.

“I feel passionately about my chosen profession and know only too well how hard it is to get the support and opportunity to work in a successful and highly acclaimed kitchen. One of my many roles as an Executive Chef is to seek out upcoming talent that can add to an already successful and strong brigade.”

Darren continued: “When meeting Zoe for the first time I knew she had the makings of a good chef. This was due to her commitment and execution of every task given to her. A methodical work ethic and concentration are becoming harder to find within chefs, but Zoe displays all of these attributes, which will stand her in good stead for the future. Zoe shows great promise and is competent in dealing with any situation a busy service throws at her and has now cemented herself as a permanent member of my brigade for which all at Loch Lomond Golf Club are very proud. I look forward to building a long and successful relationship with the College and continuing to give the next generation of talent opportunities.”

Zoe will work in various types of outlets including banqueting, functions, a la carte restaurants and fine dining. She will use the skills and knowledge she has acquired from North Lindsey College as a catering student on the City and Guilds Level 2 Diploma in Professional Cookery.

Zoe said: “During my time at College, I was offered multiple amazing opportunities, such as a 2 week all expenses paid trip to France by the Erasmus+ program for work experience, and I was also lucky enough to be given the opportunity to complete a 6-week summer placement at the prestigious Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland. But in addition to this, I met some of my closest friends and learnt some of the basic knowledge and tools that will serve me well for the next step in my career.