Schools/colleges

SIXTHFORMERS at a Pinner secondary have become the first in the borough to earn the new A* grade at A-level.
A group of Year 13 students at Nower Hill High School, in George V Avenue, received their results for the Extended Project Qualification they completed last term - a mini dissertation on a subject of the student's choice that is worth half of an A2 level.
Seventy-seven percent of them received either an A* or A grade.
The former was introduced in September 2009 to help universities differentiate between the highest performing students since last summer more than a quarter of A-level examinations were marked as an A.
Headteacher Howard Freed said: "We are delighted with the wonderful successes and achievements of our 6th Form students.
"Having a 6th Form, as part of the Harrow 6th Form Collegiate, has added greatly to Nower Hill High School.
"Our 6th Form students are mature, conscientious and aspirational and are taught by
dedicated and talented staff - these are the key ingredients of our success."

Harrow Arts Centre are looking for all budding young artists aged between 4 and 19 to create an art piece with the theme 'Your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them'.

A PINNER primary school has received an outstanding Ofsted report.

St John Fisher Roman Catholic First and Middle School, in Melrose Road, Pinner, received a Grade 1 in every area measured during the inspection in January.

Headteacher, Anne Lyons, said: "I am extremely pleased that the inspectors acknowledged the hard work that pupils and staff have put into the varied and wide curriculum.

"The breadth of curriculum has given everyone involved an opportunity to explore new avenues and find areas of interest, hence motivating pupils as well as the staff beyond their initial expectations."

The school choir has also made it through to a national festival after taking part in a regional festival competition.

The competition was organised by Music for Youth - a charity that provides free access to educational and performance opportunities for young musicians and audiences though a nationwide series of festivals and concerts.

The festival will be held in Birmingham in July.

Two pupils at Heathfield Girls School in Pinner hope to study at Oxford next year - having received offers from the elite university.
Zahava Lever, 17, hopes to read music at St Peter's College while Bhavnisha wants to study classics at St Anne's College.
Both girls were elated after finding out they had been accepted and said: "The hard work put into the interview process has paid off.
"We are delighted to have made the interview process and are even happier at being accepted."
Zahava has already passed her music A-Level, having taken it a year early, and is now studying classics, Latin and French.
She hopes to one day teach music and her ultimate ambition would be to play the harp at The Royal Opera House.
Bhavnisha is studying Latin, classics, mathematics and physics at A-Level and having excelled in classics she has decided to carry on with the subject.

A Nower Hill High School pupil has scooped top prize in the Harrow final of Jack Petchey's Speak Out Challenge.

Emmanuella Odita, 15, from the school in George V Avenue, Pinner, gave a speech on her chosen subject which won her an iPod and the chance to go through to the grand final of the Speak Out Challenge being held in July next year.

Controversial plans to merge two Pinner schools will go ahead in January - despite an adjudicator finding errors with the process.

The amalgamation of West Lodge First and Middle Schools has long been the centre of dispute in Pinner and the process has dragged on for more than three years.

And even though a decision has finally been made, Harrow Council was forced to admit its proposals had been inaccurate.

A report presented to cabinet on Monday said: "The local authority's amalgamation policy was misleading, in that it led Governing Bodies to believe they made final decisions on amalgamation. This has led to a set of false expectations."

The council was also forced to uphold 22 complaints from objectors, who protested about the way in which the whole process was dealt with.

However, the report also recommended that the decision went ahead because the majority of the parties were in favour of the merge.

Councillor Christine Bednell (Conservative), responsible for children's services, was delighted at the decision to merge and defended the council's initial programme.

She said: "The proposal has attracted huge interest among the school community, and I am very aware of the strong and diverse views that have been expressed over the months.

"There is now the opportunity for a new start to be made. I believe the council has learned the necessary lessons from the processes."

From the start, the proposals were met with strong opposition by some middle school governors and parents, who were concerned the merge would compromise standards at the school.

But the council received a 301-parent petition in favour of the merge and of the 87 individual stakeholder responses, 70 also supported the plans.

Mediation has been offered to help rebuild relationships between the warring governing bodies, but the complainants could still take the decision to judicial review.

Pupils from Reddiford School are making a last ditch plea to generous Observer readers by asking them to fund a circus act at this year's Pinner Pantomine.
Last year the annual event did not have the popular jugglers and clowns who normally perform during the night and were missed by festival goers, particularly children.
The Pinner Pantomime Committee is inviting people to sponsor a circus act which cost £175 each.
Jean Batt, headteacher at Reddiford School, said: "The 'Save Pinner Christmas Campaign' really is a worthwhile cause. I've had the privilege of participating in the Pantomime Evening with Reddiford Choir for 15 years and feel it marks the start of the Christmas celebrations.
"There is a wonderful sense of community spirit, something that can be sadly lacking in our present society. I feel we must make every endeavour to ensure that it continues for many years to come."
Sharon Pink, of the Pinner Pantomime Committee, said: "One thing we know was very much missed by the visitors last year was the circus acts, the lovely jugglers and clowns and we hope we'll have enough contributions to be able to bring them back this year."
If anyone would like to sponsor one of the acts please email sharon@screenidol.co.uk

Pupils from Reddiford School in Cecil Park, Pinner, have donated £100 to the Observer's Save Pinner's Christmas campaign.

It was feared the popular Pinner Pantomime Evening would be cancelled due to lack of funds but enough money has been raised for the show to go on.

The school's choir has also agreed to perform on the night which takes place in the village on November 27.

Dance and drama teaching at one of Harrow's secondary schools could be given a huge boost if councillors approval a new sixth form centre this Wednesday evening.

Members of Harrow Council's strategic planning committee are recommended to grant planning permission for construction of A-level facilities at Hatch End High School in Headstone Lane, Harrow, which is a specialist arts college.

The proposed two-storey block contains three computing suites, office space, a dining room with terrace, a careers room, a library, eight classrooms and a lift. It will accommodate 137 sixth form students.

School officials also asked to extend the Great Hall by adding a dance and drama studio, and because they will have their own toilets and folding partition walls, these rooms can be rented to the community performance groups.

Nower Hill High School will hold a summer concert on June 27, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.
Pupils at the school in George V Avenue, Pinner, will be joined by professional musicians and dancers in a series of performances throughout the night.
Tickets are £10 and can be purchased by calling 020 8428 6061.