Industry Day
News and media
On industry day 2010 the team and I were set free around the school finding out about what everybody else was up to. We interviewed each class then come back to the library and sat behind a desk and wrote about what they did.
We had three leaders throughout the day; Victoria, Danny and Matt.. I believe that we had good day and worked well as a team.
Working together were -
- Joseph Drake
- Glenn Hardie
- Matt Kingston
- Danny Holloway
- Tyler Loveridge
- and Vicky Golding
By Bradley Bryant
HSBC
Those who chose HSBC as an Industry day experience were perhaps expecting a dull session full of numbers, complicated mathematics ands endless graphs and charts instead they were presented with a blindfold and told to walk around the room. This demonstrated the difficulty of working with a disability. “As we are a school of white middle class majority and this will help the students to realise what its like in a working environment.” The students interviewed said that “it was an enjoyable task from which we learnt a lot”. Most students were open minded towards disability however some were expressing “naïve and uneducated views” however said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience and we want to Thank HSBC for coming.
Written by Victoria Golding
Ford Motors
Sam Chambers was one of the few students to take part in the Ford Company activities, and he said that the task “gets you thinking,” and during period two Race Fergus also stated that the activities were a “nice challenge.” All of the students participating seemed to enjoy it and seemed to really get into the activities.
The students were set the puzzle where they had to make skates and a skateboard; they then had to test them using the F1 speed trial. The activities seemed to be brilliant in building communication effectively, and everyone involved gained something by the end of the day.Many thanks to Ford Motors for coming in.
Royal Bank of Scotland
RBS were operating and instructing in GG27 with Mrs. K Conran. She was teaching the students how to run a business in the form of organizing catering for a tennis club along the theme of the Wimbledon tennis finals. Mrs.Conran commented on the dedication of the students to the task in hand. After a creative and well-designed brief the students were engaged on the big activity of organizing the catering. We were not able to get an interview with Mrs. Conran but we got two interviews from students instead.
Max Jaggers said, “This activity was exquisite and I loved it, Mrs. Conran is a brilliant teacher and she has helped with my work today. It is harder than you think but lucky that Mrs. Conran was there.”
Race Fergus commented, “This activity was good! I enjoyed that I was in charge of the money and I found this the best activity I have done all day.”
By Danny Holloway and Glenn Hardie
Essex Police
The Essex police taught Greensward students about how to respond to a call and the general responsibilities of a policeman. The leader of this activity, P.C Copeland, told the students that he has had to leave many meals for a call from the force. Students said that the activities were ‘enjoyable activities’ and they enjoyed learning about organising techniques. They also learned about police resources, one example would be police dogs. P.C Copeland also talked about what breeds they use to restore peace. P.C Copeland gave an informative speech on his job and talked about how quickly he has to respond to a call to a crime. The students who were in the police activity had fun learning about something new and interesting.
By Bradley Bryant
Anglian Water
In Anglian Water, the students participating in the activities learned about making efficient water supplies for towns, using miniature pipes and water tubs. They learn where the water comes from, where it flows to and how it flows from one place to another. The teacher, Mrs. Delahunty, said “it is very important as our job dealing with peoples water supplies”. The students found it hard work whilst they was trying to work out and understand how all the small pipes fit together and link up to all the main water supplies.
As we spoke to Dan Griffiths, he said: “the small pipes are cool, and it is quite interesting learning about how they all fit together. It is also interesting learning from how the water goes from the main water supply to places like hospitals, schools and other places”. Although it was interesting learning about this, the students found it “very stressful” when they was trying to work out how the pipes all link up to each water supply.
Basildon Women's Aid
There was more of a quite and sinister atmosphere in this event, but for the right reasons as Basildon Women’s Aid is all about domestic violence and women’s rights. The objective was to list what is Domestic violence and there were stories on girls which have encountered domestic violence. When I interviewed one of the girls, Samantha Ellis, she said that it was “sad but interesting, enjoyable, and there are surprising facts and scary statistics.” I could tell that it was not so much of a fun and active event, but more of an awareness lesson.
Music Inc.
In music they had the great pleasure of having a professional drummer called Steevi Bacon. Steevi has been in bands and has been recorded on cd with some big hit singers in America. They have been recording an industry day song. We had a moment to pull Steevi aside and ask him a few questions. “Today I brought my drum kit and showed the students. We spoke about the different parts of the drum kit and had a brief history of some of the parts. Greensward ROCKS! I think the same of students here. I love being here, the staff are the best and I love coming here every time as I always enjoy myself. I cannot wait for the song to be published as I'm so excited to hear it.”
Afterwards we interviewed two students that were taking part. Luke Calder said, “He is incredible. I appreciate the work he has done today with us. He is a cool guy. He knows every aspect in music and has helped everyone in the class today. He has taught me valuable techniques on my guitar which will help me towards my GCSE in music. He is a talented man and I have enjoyed it.
James Dalton said, “Steevi is brilliant. He is a good team player and helped everyone out. He has helped me to understand my drumming and how to play it properly. To find out more about Steevi Bacon the professional drummer go to Steevi.com and he is currently in a band called Too REX Thank you Steevi for coming to Greensward it has been a privilege. The song will be on the Greensward site shortly.
By Danny Holloway
Textiles
Deep in the depths of D block a class are stitching and sewing, gluing and tracing. Mrs Smith and her volunteers hosted a textiles group in which the students were given only a basic paper bag, a few magazines and lots of glittery things! They were decorating bags by pasting feathers, ribbons, sequins etc. and sewing to it an image transferred onto tracing paper which was subsequently torn around the edges for a rustic look.
I picked up on the atmosphere that was full of happiness and excitement as the students enjoyed completing their set of tasks. The participants described the activity as “crafty” and say “it’s really fun-I like it!” Mrs Smith said that it was a “great experience for the students.” Overall the textiles task was a complete success for the students, teachers and volunteers as everyone thoroughly enjoyed their time in the sessions.
Written by Victoria Golding and edited by Matthew Kingston
Waters and Stanton
“Enjoyable”, is the word that George Snell used to describe Waters & Stanton’s activities. There were many laughs and giggles and generally a good atmosphere in the technology room whilst students were instructed how to solder by retired repairs-worker Bernard Harris. When asked about the Greensward Academy students, Mr. Harris said, “I think the students here are extremely polite and attentive, and I have had great pleasure meeting such lovely new people.” Mr. Harris was also accompanied by Mr. Bowman, and received great respect when explaining safety procedures and risks. From the side of the classroom, the class seemed to really enjoy their task and found it an exciting challenge. The task they were given was to wire and solder using some PVC and create a light, generated by the batteries connected to the wires. Richard Hodges was the first to finish, closely followed by George Snell, and they both seemed very happy with the outcome. During this period, the group learnt about the professional side to electronics and discovered about how Mr. Harris works on a daily basis as part of his work. Greensward Academy would like to say many thanks to Waters & Stanton for their continued support over the years.
Army
The students that participated in the army activity tried three different ‘team building’ tasks. They did a bridge challenge where students had to use teamwork to cross the’ mine field’, a tyre challenge where they could only use body language to communicate together and finally a minefield challenge where a student had to guide a blindfolded peer through the minefield. I believe that the person who was influenced most was Ashley Fisher as he managed to keep his mouth closed for once!
By Bradley Bryant
Royal Air Force
The RAF visitors taught our students teamwork and what makes a good team. They talked about how ‘co-operation’ and ‘communication’ are vital for a mutual trust between a team. Students said the activities were ‘fun and energetic’ and they had fun learning ‘how to work as a team'. One activity I liked particularly was when the students were striking one another with pipe insulating foam. My favourite moment was seeing Albert Smith closing his eyes and running round hitting people as hard as he could. Some students said that they ‘would definitely recommend it’.
By Bradley Bryant
Haynes Florists
Haynes the Florist; Certainly the sweetest smelling experience of industry day. The class learnt key words and how to handle delicate flowers such as roses. They also created their own corsage from roses and ruscus leaves, not as easy as it sounds. Corsages they created usually sell for about £9 or £10 in floristry shops. One student claimed, "I’ve never done anything like this-I like it, it’s a great experience.” In previous years this activity has prompted a few students to pursue a career in floristry! Mrs Wigglesworth said, "It’s an absolutely fantastic opportunity for the children to learn,” and I could clearly see that she was happy at the students enjoying their activity and thoroughly enjoying their day. I thought that it was nice to see that the opportunity of doing this task was taken not only by girls but by boys as well. This made me happy to see that some boys aren’t afraid of getting involved in things that might be considered a “girly” task.
By Victoria Golding Edited by Matthew Kingston
Essex Fire and Rescue
A popular activity throughout the day, the fire and rescue was a success with all students that participated in the activity. Students learnt about the dangers of car crashes as the firemen demonstrated the catastrophic damage that a road accident can cause. The activity leaders showed Greensward students how they treat these crashes and the equipment needed in order to do so. This activity held place on the school playground allowed the firemen to create real life scenarios. The experience was exciting due to talk of ‘toxic gas’ and ‘burning cars’. Overall the activity was captivating and exciting thanks to the generous men and women who came in and helped us at Greensward Academy.
By Bradley Bryant
The Plane Company
The task for The Plane Company was to design a poster on an airline company. They had to design a logo and finally make a plane that would fly to a certain extent! They had a little shop at the front of the classroom for the students to buy parts for their planes (they didn’t have to use real money!). Tim Parfett said that The Plane Company was “Interesting and amusing.” Nathan Threllfall also said that he “enjoyed the different ideas.” When I was in the classroom and observing there was a very lively and controlled atmosphere which was good. The students looked like they were having fun and were coming up with some great ideas. When the students had finished making their planes they raced them to see who was the winner…
By Glenn Hardie
Dive Odyssea
Diving was located in the Greensward Academy swimming pool. I interviewed Harrison Payne at the side of the swimming pool he had this to say: “I really am enjoying the diving.” The diving consisted of staying underwater for a long period of time using the breathing apparatus to help them breathe. We could see all the students having a great time. Before the students embarked on their deep sea adventure they had a briefing in the library which included a talk from the instructors and a video for the students to watch. The video included how to communicate underwater and how to, if you enjoyed the diving experience, carry on and gain different levels of achievement so you could dive in other areas! Some of the safety features of diving, is obviously drowning but there are a few features that I have never heard about before such as lung expansion which is where you ascend from the deep water and your lungs expand, that is why it is essential to keep breathing while ascending. The video that was shown gave great detail about the fun and enjoyment of diving and how it can be like a brand new world of different species!
By Glenn Hardie
Salon
In the salon the students were there to learn about key skills in hairdressing, and just general skills in the salon. The students learned about washing/cleaning hair, hair drying, straightening, using hair sprays and gels, and more. They also learned about painting nails, especially the boys. All the boys that have been have had their nails painted, and got involved by straightening their partners hair. The students said this activity was really enjoyable, they could relax but achieve a knowledge and understanding throughout the process of hairdressing.
The teacher of the activity told us that ‘every boy that went into the class wanted and had their nails done’. And that even the boys had enjoyed being involved in an activity that boys do not usually want to do.
By Tyler Loveridge.
Fitness First
Stuart, coordinating the activity, was helping the students gain an understanding of using the gym equipment. All of the students in there looked like they was enjoying the activity but also they could work on their muscles and exercise at the same time. Being an enjoyable activity, the students could learn easier what it is like in the gym and the sort of equipment they use to exercise, work out and more. Fitness First aim to achieve that everyone has a fit and healthy lifestyle. They want to succeed as much as possible in making more and more people fitter and healthier everyday. As I was talking to some of the students about the activity, I was told that working out and exercising in the gym was ‘fabulous’ and it was ‘good to get an experience of what it is like in the gym’. All the students claimed they were ‘achieving what they are supposed to’. Overall, the fitness first club makes a great success and was an excellent activity for the students on industry day.
By Tyler Loveridge.
Bob The Builder
In the Bob The Builder activity students participated in building their very own constructions, led by Mr. Cornell the students were taken through an experience they would never forget. The students who were participating were going to achieve a gain in knowledge and understanding throughout the activity. During the visit, students told us how ‘absolutely fantastic’ it was and also how they found it to be a ‘one in a lifetime experience’. The students found this very enjoyable and interesting to learn about, and the activity can also help them out in the future. They were building miniature objects like small houses, and building some things for fun like small pyramids. Health and safety was an important factor during the activity. Mr Cornell had made them all wear special boots and some of them had to wear goggles, depending on what they was doing.
By Tyler Loveridge.
Easy Eating
The “Easy Eating” class involved a team of five teachers, one of them being our very own Mrs. Bearwish. My colleague Danny Holloway and I went into to this cooking palace to learn about the amazing work that was going on. When we entered the students were being taught how to prepare soufflés.....
These were to be preparing for the staff and visitors that were going to be present on the day. We watched the students enjoy making the food and the teachers enjoy their teaching. We saw stunning tasty food which made me realise how amazing the assembly of food can be. At 9:35 after making our way through the soufflés which were made to perfection, and the cakes that lay dormant on the side waiting for people to enjoy their wonderful taste. We interviewed the great mistress of food, Mrs Bearwish. We asked her about how the knowledge of food making is important in the modern day life of society. She explained that “it is important for students to learn how create healthy food so that the future can grow with no problems due to poor food quality”.
We also asked the students about what they thought of the task that was specified for them. Many seemed to enjoy their task, Harry Hughes told us that he found the task “enjoyable” and that he could tell he was going to have a “brilliant day” and Michael Green said “it is ambitious to his dreams and enjoys making the food”. My initial thought of the class was, it was going to be a mess and there were going to be students burning things and making a complete tragedy. But I was completely taken by surprised to see these gorgeous looking food just sitting there, glistening in the light and the amazing smell of freshly baked Soufflés.
I felt that the class was a complete success, only thing I feel bad about is that I can enjoy the great tasting food that our very own Mrs. Bearwish had prepared with the talented students that worked there that the sweet smell of fresh cakes lay within.
By Matthew Kingston
Prospects
Prospects involve making aircrafts pieces. The main leader Tom Kennedy made sure that the students got involved in some activities and the demonstrations. He also made sure that their health and safety were not at risk as he gave out ear plugs to the students as they worked. We spoke with the two main leaders Mr Bailey and Mr Kennedy and took them aside from an interview. My colleague Matthew Kingston interviewed Mr Kennedy and this is what he said. We try to encourage kids to enjoy what the experience is like making aircraft pieces. It is essential that is it done properly as lives are at stake. We get the kids involved in many activities to show them what it is like and hopefully they will pursue this career as there is a massive gap in this industry and we need more apprentices to do this career”. After talking to the main person Mr Kennedy we interviewed Mr Bailey and he said, “This course is very important to the younger generation. It helps you realise how precise and the quality you have to put into the work to make sure the job is done properly”. After interviewing the two main people, we interviewed two students to see what they thought about the activity. Jasmine Chinnery said “the course is very interesting as it shows you get well paid for this job”. Jack White said “It is very fun and exciting and I enjoyed this activity session. Also it opens up more jobs in the industry apart from actually make the parts for different planes”.
By Danny Holloway
KeyMed
Keymed is known as Olympus. Olympus is well known for manufacturing cameras but also manufacture other items like lenses for cameras and items for the hospital. Graham Lennon, the person in charge, was very nice to me and show me the latest invention of the camera called I-speed. It goes really quick and I haven’t seen a camera flash that quick. After showing me the I-speed I was able to get an interview off of him, he said. "Keymed shows what we can actually do. Everyone knows us for making cameras and no one actually knows the real Olympus because they don’t know we manufacture other items. By coming into Greensward academy it illustrates to the people hopefully we should be recognised for other items. I think also this is a good course to follow as it shows you have ambition and the will to complete items". After interviewing him I saw this machine that comes from the hospital where they do operations. I didn’t have a go but it looked really hard. I interviewed two students to ask about this machine. Megan Graves said "The course is really good and I like all the practical’s but they are hard to complete. Leigh Anness said "The course is really hard to understand but it is good and also shows how much time goes in to manufacture them".
By Danny Holloway