Youth Parliament debates school measures to help save the environment

PUPILS from schools across West Somerset have formed their own Youth Parliament to encourage the district council to be more involved in the activities of local youngsters.
The ‘Parliament’ met in the council chamber at the authority’s new offices in Williton and issues surrounding the environment proved to the main topics up for discussion.
The youngsters were welcomed by council chairman Councillor Eddie May before other councillors gave them a tour of the new offices to show them the building’s carbon-reducing and environmentally-friendly features.
The students made presentations to their fellow pupils and to councillors to explain what they were doing in their schools to help the environment, as well as their future plans.
Projects already running included the West Somerset Community College, Minehead, funding schoolchildren in Uganda to fence off an area of their school to grow tea.
The tea is then sent to DJ Miles and Co, in Minehead, which packages it for the college students to sell as Free Trade tea at the college.
Funds raised are returned to Uganda to enable the African students to build new facilities at their school.
Minehead Middle School had been clearing soft wood trees to improve a local habitat for wildlife, while Knights Templar School, in Watchet, had its own vegetable patch.
Danesfield School, Williton, had paper recycling bins, composting facilities, low energy light bulb,s and a school woodland, while Dunster First School recycled its paper and had made a number of bird feeders, helping it to receive an EcoSchool Bronze Award in 2008.
For the future, community college students were to investigate how they could recycle plastic bottles, while St Peter’s First School, Williton, was going to carry out a lunch box survey to find out how healthy the contents were, and then produce a leaflet to provide recycling and food ideas for lunch boxes.
Minehead Middle School was looking at improving its composting site, planting trees in the school grounds, and keeping chickens to help students to learn how to look after animals.
Knights Templar wanted to use rainwater to flush toilets, put up signs to ask students to turn off taps, and to increase the amount it recycled.
Dulverton Middle School was going to refurbish its pond and make it deeper to take fish, while Danesfield School wanted to achieve its EcoSchool Bronze Award, and Old Cleeve School was interested in holding a Fair Trade tasting event and encouraging pupils to use Fair Trade products.
Minehead First School was also organising a healthy eating day on April 1, with smoothies, dips, and soups, and promoting waste-free lunch boxes, while Dunster First School was delivering a campaign to encourage students to walk to school and their parents to car share on the school run.
Ecoschool status was high on the schools’ agenda.
Porlock First School already had its silver award, and other schools were working toward their silver and bronze awards.
They unanimously agreed that every school in West Somerset should aim to achieve a minimum of bronze award before the next ‘Parliament’ session.
Councillor May said: “The pupils were a real inspiration.
“The environmental future of the planet is in their hands and they are taking the matter seriously.
“They are very well-informed, and I think it is fair to say that we learned a lot from them on the day.
“Their knowledge and enthusiasm is very impressive, and they are a real credit to their schools.”

• Our photograph shows Councillor Eddie May with some of the youngsters who attended the Youth Parliament. Photo submitted.

Students' views help to shape future of district economy

HUNDREDS of young people have been having their say on the future shape of West Somerset by taking part in a major consultation on the district’s economy.
About 240 sixth form students gave their views to the experts working on West Somerset Council’s long-term economic ‘masterplan’ at a series of workshops held yesterday.
The event at West Somerset Community College, Minehead, was organised by the council and consultancy EKOS, which is developing the plan for the authority.
It is the first time young people have been consulted on the plan in this way.
Last year, the council asked EKOS to develop a 15-year strategy to help regenerate the local economy, retaining and creating jobs in West Somerset and supporting enterprise, training, tourism, and business growth.
EKOS director Adrian Dawson said: “We have been speaking to businesses, community groups, and many other people with an interest in the long-term future of West Somerset.
“It was important to get the views of the young people too, as they will be in work or training in the future and will be directly affected by economic developments in West Somerset over the next 15 years.
“It is vital for them that we get this right, and that is why we have sought their views now.”
The consultation event saw young people take part in two workshops led by EKOS, Somerset Rural Youth Project, and local councillors.
Their views will be used by EKOS to develop an action plan which will form part of the council’s strategy.
The plan’s action will be funded by the Government’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund, the South West Regional Development Agency, European Union funds, and other sources.
The college’s head of sixth form, Jerry Hardingham, said: “This event was well attended and the students found it extremely worthwhile.
“They contributed a number of excellent and imaginative ideas with real enthusiasm.
“They were a real credit to the college.
“Young people are the future of West Somerset, and the best way to ensure that the council’s plans meet their needs is to seek their views now.
“I am pleased that young people have been given the chance to be included in this important consultation.”
Council leader Councillor Keith Ross said: “We aim to create an economy that serves all of our residents and provides high quality, sustainable employment and business opportunities.
“Young people are key to maintaining sustainable communities, so we need to know what economic opportunities we should be providing to help keep our communities healthy, as well as boost the district’s future business prospects.
“This event has played an important part in developing our strategy, and I would like to thank the students and teachers for their enthusiasm and ideas, and for giving us a valuable insight into their aspirations for West Somerset’s economic future.”
The council’s economic development strategy is due to be finalised in March.
Our photograph shows Councillor Keith Ross (right) with college sixth form head Jerry Hardingham. Photo submitted.

Baccalaureate winner Grace becomes UK 'A-level student of the year'

ONE of first students to receive the new award for AQA Baccalaureate was today announced as ‘A-Level Student of the Year 2008’.
Grace Chesterton (pictured), of Nether Stowey, who attended Richard Huish College, in Taunton, received the prestigious ‘A-level Student of the Year’ award through the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) at a seminar in London.
She beat more than 310,000 other examination entrants for it.
Grace was also joint-top student in the country for her performance in a brand new award for the AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) and received a solid silver medal for this.
There were more than 800 entries for the AQA Bacc this summer and Grace was joint top with one other student.
AQA director general Dr Mike Cresswell said: “We are delighted that the Student of the Year is one of the first to win our new award for the AQA Bacc.
“We are very proud of our new Baccalaureate and believe that it greatly enhances young people’s opportunities in further education and employment.”
A total of six medals were awarded today across six groups of subjects.
Grace was chosen from these top student contenders as the ‘A-level Student of the Year’ on the basis of her academic performance in A-levels taken this year. She has four A grade A-levels and one AS at grade A.
She received a trophy, a cheque for £500, and a certificate to mark the occasion.
As a self-confessed life-long enthusiastic reader, Grace is now studying English language and literature at Oxford University.
The awards presentation was held in partnership with five major companies with an interest in education and lifelong learning.
The main speakers at the seminar were the chairman of new regulators Ofqual, Kathleen Tattersall, and Dr Mike Cresswell.

A-level student Grace is one of top six in the country

A NETHER Stowey student is to receive a national award next week from the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) after gaining four A grades at A level as well as one A grade at A/S level.
Grace Elizabeth Chesterton (pictured), of Bishop Road, was aged 18 when she took the examinations in Richard Huish College, Taunton.
She is one of six top-performing students to become AQA award winners, each of whom will receive a solid silver medal and a framed diploma to mark the occasion at a prestigious ceremony in London on Monday.
Grace said: “I have many hobbies and interests which I have been pursuing both in and out of college.
“I love playing the violin, both classical and folk music, and played in my college orchestra.
“Over the past four years I have also loved helping at a local children’s club and in many other community-related events.
“As a life-long enthusiastic reader, I am really pleased to have been offered a place at Oxford University, where I am reading English.”
Grace won her award in a new category introduced this year, the AQA Baccalaureate Syllabus.
AQA director general Dr Mike Cresswell said: “This event recognises outstanding performance in A-level examinations and celebrates the success of our young people.
“Our award winners have achieved outstanding success, and I congratulate them and wish them every success in the future.
“We are delighted to introduce an award for our AQA Baccalaureate (Bacc) qualification this year.
“The AQA Bacc is an inclusive qualification which recognises and celebrates the achievements of well-rounded students with A-levels and more.”
Also at Monday’s ceremony, the A-Level ‘Student of the Year’ will be chosen from among the six award winners, who will additionally receive a trophy and a framed diploma and a cheque for £500.
The awards are co-sponsored by AQA and a number of companies with an interest in the field of education.
The award winners come from 330,000 full A-level examination entries taken with AQA.

Police work taster for college students

TEENAGERS across West Somerset have been given a taste of what is required to work in the police force.
Youngsters from the West Somerset College, Minehead, spent the past week with one of the town’s police officers, PC Charlie Fitzpatrick.
The experienced a flavour of everyday working life for a police officer and for Police Community Support Officerse.
Activities included taking part in a police physical, learning how to use a police radio, learning about powers of arrest, and using a driving simulator.
The students also had sessions with a dog handler, the police helicopter, underwater search team, and even had an opportunity to don protective equipment used in public order situations.
They were able to put their new-found skills to the test when they posed as police officers in a series of scenarios, including asking other students what they would do in a missing person search and during a serious road traffic collision involving a cyclist.
The week ended with the students being presented with certificates for their work with the initiative, which also goes towards endeavour credits for their college courses.
PC Fitzpatrick said: “The week was a great success and a big insight into the role of police officers and PCSOs.
“It is important that young people see how we work in order to fully appreciate what the police are about and this week gave the students a very broad look at policing in West Somerset.
“We could also have been looking at police officers and PCSOs of the future, as recruitment to the constabulary was also explained.
“It is not often we are able to hold work experience weeks on this scale, but hopefully it is an eye opener for all involved.”

• Our photographs show (from top): Youngsters being given a 'hands on' experience of the police helicopter; Working with Sgt Mike Smalley, of the Road Policing Unit; Handling a serious road traffic collision involving a cyclist, with PSCO Les Lloyd. Photos submitted.

Students help police express crime reduction message

SIXTH form students of the West Somerset Community College, Minehead, have been working with police to help find ways to put across crime reduction messages to the local community.
It was part of the teenagers’ public services course as they looked at ways of solving problems such as reducing theft from sports changing rooms.
Their ideas included crime prevention pop-ups on school computers, new crime reduction posters, and better lockers.
The course also involved working with West Somerset Council and the West Somerset Crime Prevention Panel.
Minehead Police crime prevention officer PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, who organised the initiative, said: “The council, ourselves, and the crime prevention panel were very impressed with the level of work carried out by the students.
“They were given a real problem to research and solve and their ideas were innovative and positive.
“The school has seen a small number of thefts from changing rooms, but we are hopeful the number will be reduced following the students’ ideas and the crime reduction advice we have been able to give them.
“I am hoping this will be a regular part of the public services course and that in future we can give them some other local issues to look at.”
Council community safety officer Pete Hughes said: “These projects are an excellent example of young people taking ownership of an issue that affects them and other users of the sports facilities.
“Their breadth of thought to identify ways of stopping these thefts is to be commended.”
One student, Emma Taylor, said: “The project was a fun and interesting. It is amazing to think that we as a group have come up with something to reduce the crime.”
Another of the students, Emily Ketchen, said: “The project enabled us to work closely with the local police on a subject that directly affects us as a college and we hope our ideas can be taken forward and put into action, benefiting the community as a whole.”

• Our photograph shows Minehead Police Inspector Carol Pearce (front, centre) and PC Charlie Fitzpatrick, with council community safety officer Pete Hughes (front, second from left), college principal Nick Swann (front, right) and some of the staff and students involved in the course. Photo submitted.

Emergency services to reconstruct car smash to teach students a graphic lesson

A GRAPHIC demonstration of the effects of poor driving is to be given to students in West Somerset as part of a road safety campaign by the emergency services.
It will involve a full reconstruction of a road traffic collision to be staged for sixth form students at the West Somerset Community College, Minehead.
The event will show exactly what happens to the occupants of a vehicle after it has been involved in a serious accident.
Ambulance, police, and firefighters will show what they do when rescuing casualties from a crashed car.
Jon Martin, of the Somerset Road Safety Partnership, who has been a fireman for 24 years, said: “Many of the students watching will be turning 17 and about to start learning to drive, so just maybe this will slow them down and make them think.
“The college has been very supportive and is keen to make it an annual event. Teachers are even designing lessons and question papers around the day.”
The demonstration takes place on Thursday, December 6, and will also include presentations by representatives from the road safety partnership, a driving simulator, and questions and answers.
The emergency services will also be highlighting their annual Christmas drink-drive message.
The national campaign will aim to convince all drivers, with a particular focus on young male drivers aged between 17 and 29 years, that a drink-drive conviction has the potential to ruin their life, by highlighting a mixture of the legal and personal consequences.
These include:

• being caught and breathalysed by the police
• a minimum12-month driving ban
• a criminal record
• a hefty fine
• lifestyle changes (ie, potential loss of job, relationships, or car)