December 2009
My name is Carla Holmes I am in 9RW and I have been elected as the vice secretary of Abertillery Comprehensive school council. This term has been quite eventful in that the group has discussed many issues that each year council has brought up.
The school council were invited to discuss with the LEA its views on the new learning zone that will be built in Ebbw Vale’s old steel worksite. All the pupils’ opinions were listened to and will be put forward to Blaenau Gwent County Council.
Members of the school council were offerd a great opportunity to get the chance to interview the new possible headteachers. We all created our own question to ask the four teachers that were up for the job and all of them answerd the question in their own way, this helped all of the group to get an insight of what the new headteacher would be like. After serious discussions between the board of governors, Mr.Stock got the post and we couldn’t have been happier. It was a nice experience to take part in an important matter.
In the meeting in November we discussed that our school may have the opportunity for an extension to the canteen and our ideas would be put forward. This caused quite some excitment amongst the group and they came up with pleanty of ideas such as, what food would be on offer, a ‘Subway’ type snack bar was was the most popular suggestion. Other ideas were about the interior of the building and the designs of the seating provision. More vegetarian options to be available was another popular idea. Mrs Woodroffe explained that next term there would be representatives from Blaenau Gwent Council at our council meeting who are architects and canteen managers who want to speak to us about our ideas. She also asked us to ask our year group councils for any ideas that they may have that could be brought to the next council meeting. If you have any ideas please see your form reps and tell them your ideas. Your voice is very important to us.
As well as the discussions about a new canteen the group also discussed the possibility of the closure of Nantyglo Comprehensive School. We discussed how we could make the transition for the pupils easier, if this were to happen. This got the group’s brains racing, and they came up with plenty of exciting, fun ideas e.g. artistic pupils from both schools could come together and make a sculpture that could be displayed in the school grounds.
Other ideas included:
1. A Year 9 taster day for both schools of BTecs and GCSE’s.
2. There should be an opportunity for the SNAG group, the eco club, and the school councils from both schools to get together and work on a project.
3. A forensic science puzzle day , like a ‘Cluedo’ type game set around the school, involving the pupils to all work together to unscramble the clues and solve the mystery.
Calma Holmes 9 RW
