A HAPPY EASTER TO OUR READERS!
The Editor and staff at Warrington-Worldwide would like to wish all readers and advertisers a Happy Easter.
As usual, we will be suspending daily updates over the Bank Holiday weekend, although the site will remain on line and the popular Readers Forum will operate as usual. We will be back with a full round-up of the latest news on Tuesday, April 10.
Business school
staff face the axe
by Gary Skentelbery
AT least seven full time teaching jobs are to be axed at Warrington Collegiate’s brand new ?5m business school due to courses being closed after proving unpopular.
A letter has been sent to teaching staff informing them of the impending redundancies at the facility which is part of the ?27 million new campus development on Winwick Road.
The redundancies come just before the Collegiate faces an Ofsted inspection later this month.
Staff affected are pointing the finger of blame at “poor management.”
But a spokesperson for the college said: “Warrington Collegiate has, as part of its ?27 million new campus, developed the Warrington Business School. The Business School is designed to provide a range of services to Warrington employers including courses in leadership and management, general business services, computing and apprentices.
“Our services to employers is a growing area within Warrington Collegiate but this growth is based on two key factors: – that we regularly review our courses to assess whether they are meeting employer needs – that we only offer courses which meet our own high standards consistent with being an outstanding College.
“As a result of reviewing the range of courses offered by the Warrington Business School we have decided to close some courses because they are either not proving popular with employers or they are not meeting our high standards.
This review has reduced the need for as many positions in the business studies team and redundancy consultation has commenced. Like any good employer we will be seeking to redeploy any staff affected as far as is possible.”
School admissions switch
“imposed” on council
by David Skentelbery
EDUCATION chiefs at Warrington will have to switch to a new more complex and more costly schools admissions system from September next year – whether they like it or not.
All education authorities must make the switch imposed by central government – but Coun Sheila Woodyatt,(pictured) Warrington’s executive member for children’s services has made it clear the borough would do so reluctantly.
She told the executive board: “Nobody wanted this change. We were consulted, but the consultation was meaningless. We had no choice but to accept.
“We allow parents to express a preference as to what school their children attend but it will not be so simple to do this as it was previously.
“Under the previous system, most people got their first choice. I am not sure that this will continue to be the case.” Warrington made representations to the Department for Education and Science, as did the headteachers of local aided schools. But the representations were disregarded.
A report to the executive board makes it clear that the change, to what is known as an Equal Preference System, will have significant implications for the authority, both in terms of cost and administration time.
The report states the Equal Preference System is much more time consuming and has necessitated the redrafting of the primary admissions co-ordination scheme timetable. In future, primary admissions and secondary transfer would have to run concurrently.
There will be very significant increase in mapping and measuring requirements and new software will have to be purchased at a cost of ?23,000, with ongoing annual maintenance costs of ?5,000.
One result of the changes is that in future, where a school is oversubscribed and a decision has to be made on which pupils can go to it, those living nearest to the school will be defined “as the crow flies” using a geographical information address point system based on Ordnance Survey, rather than by measuring from the front door of the child’s home to the central point of the main gate of the school.
Celebrating 100 years
by Gary Skentelbery
WARRINGTON based independent jewellers A Baker & Sons started their centenary celebrations with a visit from the town’s Mayor Linda Dirir and her consort husband Allin – who by coincidence have been long standing customers of the Cairo Street business.
Allin celebrated the birth of the couples four children with special commerative silver spoons purchased from the business first started by Annie Baker on Warrington Market.
Historically A Baker & Sons have also carried out maintenance work to the Mayoral Chain of Office over the years, providing another link with the town’s heritage.
Since its early beginnings and first premises in Sankey Street which opened in 1907, the business has now been expanded by current owner Laurence Levey, with another branch at Stockton Heath and two shops in Liverpool.
Laurence, who took over the business nearly seven years ago from Tony Baker, who still acts as a consultant carrying out valuations, said: “I was very fortunate to get the chance of buying a well established family business.
“We are extremely pround to be celebrating 100 years of tradition in Warrington and continue to provide the same family values. We pride ourselves on a personal service for our customers and offer unique items of jewellery.
“I am delighted the Mayor could join us to help launch our celebrations and hopefully the business will still be here in another 100 years.”
Meanwhile plans are in the pipeline to hold a charity ball to continue the centenary celebrations.
University support centres
earn national award
by Lesley Wilkinson
UNIVERSITY students in Warrington are in good hands ? for the support centres which offer them guidance have received a national quality mark.
The University of Chester – which has a campus at Padgate, Warrington ? has received the accolade for its Student Support and Guidance Centres.
They offer advice on issues ranging from student welfare and careers advice to volunteering and holistic care and have completed an assessment to secure national accreditation for their quality service provision.
The Matrix Accreditation recognised the high quality and diverse range of information, advice and guidance provided. It follows a three-day inspection involving individual and group interviews, examination of folders of evidence and speaking to external partners to assess the department.
Although the Careers and Student Welfare sections have received Matrix Accreditation in the past, this is the first time that Student Support and Guidance as a whole has received it.
Project co-ordinator Dr Judith Done, head of the Careers Service, said: “Quite a lot of work went into the process, with staff taking part in workshops and carrying out plenty of groundwork to prepare collectively for the inspection.
“The Matrix Accreditation really is testimony to the holistic and diverse range of support that we provide. We were particularly proud that the assessor highlighted the proactive, professional and enthusiastic approach of our staff. These are qualities which are fundamental to our work.”
Young Enterprise students
celebrate successes
by John Hendon
CULCHETH College?s Young Enterprise company Venu, a charitable organisation, comprising 12 full time students at the college is celebrating a number of successes and achievements.
Since their launch last year they have created and supplied a range of products and services within the local community as well as trading internationally.
After launching last year they gathered funding through a range of events at Culcheth High School; such as a Halloween di
sco and the organisation and catering for open evenings.
This allowed them to fund the importing products from America to sell, as well as Valentine?s roses.
They have also helped to benefit the McMillan cancer charity through a charitable coffee morning when all the proceeds were passed on to the charity.
Another venture has been to create decorative corsages which were sold within the College and helped to raise further funding forkey products.
The company has two key products at VenU, including their latest development; Screen Buffers.
These ingenious products can be attached to most handheld gadgets, primarily mobile phones, and via a micro-fibre backing are able to remove smears, dirt and dust from the screen of any device.
While many people simply use their T-shirt or similar item due to the material used this tends to lead to scratching of the screen rather than cleaning; hence the idea to create the product.
They have designed the product in a variety of styles, with the main design being a Red Nose Buffer. All the profit from the sale of the design will go to Comic Relief and they hope to raise approx. ?150.
Meanwhile their latest and most exciting product will be a Religious Studies education pack directed at students moving from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. The reason for this is a lack of any help for this area of learning and the difficulty caused by children entering Key Stage 3 with massively varied, and often lacking, knowledge of the subject. The pack will not be sold to individuals, incurring no further cost to parents, but to either schools in the area or directly to the education authority. The pack will contain a variety of learning aids such as worksheets, presentations and activities all aimed at giving young children a diverse knowledge of an often overlooked subject.
The students also aim to help Culcheth High School?s newly established link with a school in Uganda.
Another side project is the design and manufacturing of 100% organic and ethically traded T-shirts For more details on the company visit www.venu-ye.com
Cruel thieves steal
from elderly woman
by staff reporter
POLICE at Warrington have issued a warning after two cruel thieves forced their way into an elderly woman?s home.
The burglary was at a house in Delves Avenue and the two men pushed their way passed the woman when she answered their knock on the door.
While one kept her talking, the other went into a bedroom and stole cash and bank cards.
A police spokesman said: ?We would like to warn residents that distraction burglars seem to be active in the Warrington area.?
Anyone who sees anything suspicious is asked to call police on 01244 350000.
Home owner loses
extension appeal
by staff reporter
A HOUSEHOLDER in Brooklyn Drive, Lymm has lost his fight to win planning consent for a single storey extension with roof alterations and a rear dormer window.
His appeal against Warrington Borough Council?s refusal to grant planning consent has been dismissed by a government-appointed inspector.
The inspector said the road had a pleasant character and appearance due to properties of a simple and invariably similar symmetry. The roof alteration would detract from this and would be incongruous and unbalanced, harming he character and appearance of the street scene.
The existence of other dormers nearby was not a good reason to allow a further incongruous feature, he ruled.
Pupils’ art on
show at library
by Lesley Wilkinson
CREATIVE works by the pupils of a local school are being displayed at Grappenhall Library.
Youngsters from Bradshaw Community Primary School are having their artwork displayed.
The exhibitions started last month with the reception class displaying their works, and this month Year I are featured. Exhibitions will change each month until all the years have been featured.
Heritage weekend
by staff reporter
A heritage weekend has been planned by churches in Culcheth and Glazebury near Warrington on April 14 and 15.
The Heritage weekend involves the local churches in the Culcheth Group – Newchurch in Culcheth, Christ Church in Croft, Saint Oswald in Winwick, All Saints in Glazebury and Saint Helen’s Church in Hollins Green.
All of these churches will be open from 10a.m to 5p.m.
There will be a variety of exciting activities for young and old.
Just visit any of the above churches on these days and you will receive details and a map of how to get around all the churches in the group.
Further details from Rev Pat Gray -curate at All Saints Glazebury and Saint Helen, Hollinfare on 01942 603161.
Road closure
A TEMPORARY traffic ban is to be imposed in Whitbarrow Road, Lymm, from its junction with Northway to its junction with Dane Bank Road on Tuesday, April 10 to allow for work on the installation of telegraph poles. It is expected the road closure will only be for one day, between 9.30am and 3.30pm.
Traffic will be diverted via Whitbarrow Road, Camsley Lane, Booths Hill Road, Eagle Brow, The Cross and Brookfield Road.
