On Tuesday 7th March ten Year 8 students attended a computer science event at Manchester University.  The students were chosen for their interest in computer science and in particular programming.  There were 5 boys and 5 girls.

Students learned about the computer science developments that were going on in the university and about some of the career pathways that are open to computer scientists. They took part in two workshops, the first one was using the python programming language to control and program minecraft games.  The students loved this and learned how to build worlds and adapt blocks by creating the programming language behind the game.

The second workshop was using the BBC Microbit to create a radio station and voice synthesizer. The students had used python programming on the Microbit in their lessons previously and they loved the physical computing aspect where the end result could be seen immediately.  They had great fun sending each other messages and changing their voices to sound like a Dalek from Dr Who.

The day was a great success and we are looking forward to taking more students to the university for further computer science days.

It was attack of the Zorbs at Pleckgate as the students continued to show their generous side.

Since 2008, Pleckgate have raised £3,730 for Comic Relief and put on a range of events every year for Red Nose Day.

They have been so kind-hearted that they received a letter off Comic Relief comedian Lenny Henry, praising them as a ‘Red Nose Super School.’

This year they will dress in red, a mile run with staff and students will take place and there will also be a cake sale.

But the most popular event was the Zorb football which had students rolling around in giant inflatables, after giving money to Comic Relief to ‘have a go.’

Year 10 student Mohammed Patel said: “It’s amazing, it’s something completely different. There is complete freedom and you do not get hurt.”

It was the idea of PE teacher Mr Pickup: “We hired the Zorbs in and the students have loved it.  Year 9s, 10s and 11s have all had a go and it’s given them a buzz – and it’s for a great cause.”

Pleckgate High School’s Welcome Event encouraged next year’s Year Sevens to have high aspirations.

The Lancashire Telegraph School of the Year in 2016 has had a bumper intake for the next school year and their future students and their parents spent an evening at the school.

The students got to try out Science, Food Technology, English, Sport and Music while the parents listened to Head Teacher Mark Cocker talk about the many successes at Pleckgate.

“We want all our students to have high aspirations and follow our school ethos: Aspire and Believe. Act and Succeed,” said Mr Cocker.

“We were delighted to see so many of our future students come into their new school, meet and talk to our current students and try out our various lessons. This will help them settle in seamlessly in September.

“Parents have been so receptive and supportive of the vision for our school. We have had a further increase in the number of students wanting to come to Pleckgate and that’s testament to the hard work of the staff at the school.”

It was all red at Pleckgate High School as the generous students raised money for Comic Relief.

There were red noses, red hijabs and scarves, a themed cake sale as well as students and teachers putting their best foot forward by running a mile at lunchtime.

Since 2008, Pleckgate has raised £3,730 for Comic Relief and have been recognised as a ‘Red Nose Super School’.

Pleckgate is aiming to take the total towards £5,000 with the addition of this year’s charity funds.

Pleckgate High School student Ummaih Shah is the new Youth MP for Blackburn with Darwen.

Year 11 student Ummaih, 16, was elected recently and will take over from Hamza Khan and her first task is to focus on encouraging work experience for students.

“I have been deputy youth MP to Hamza for the last year and I have learnt a lot through that,” said Ummaih, who is expected to get top grades in her GCSEs and admits she is ‘sports mad.’

“I wasn’t going to go for it but my elder sister Zohra encouraged me and I am honoured to have this role.

“It was a tough election process as I had to come up with my own manifesto, speak to the young people of Blackburn with Darwen and hand out posters and leaflets to all the youth clubs in the area.

“Then there was a ballot and I was delighted and surprised to win.”

Ummaih’s manifesto consisted of encouraging more work experience for young people, raising awareness of bullying and encouraging more ‘exhilarating opportunities’ for young people such as trips and residentials.

“My main focus is work experience as we don’t do that any more in schools and I think it’s really important to help young people make an informed career choice,” said Ummaih. “I want to organise careers fairs and other business-focused events.”

Ummaih got involved with politics when she went to Blackburn Youth Zone aged 13 with her sister Zohra.

“I applied to be a young leader and I loved it. I was a role model for those who attended and it was my job to set an example.

“That opened up more doors to me around Blackburn and I started attending events, which helped my confidence.

“My dad, Farzand, has been a big influence on me. He is my biggest inspiration. He is 52 and he has just completed a degree. He has encouraged me to chase my dreams.”

Ummaih will now attend youth events and get feed back from the young people of Blackburn with Darwen to take to the council.

“If they feel there needs to be, for example, new equipment in a certain park, it’s my job to speak for them and let Blackburn with Darwen council know.

“I am extremely honoured to have this position and I know it will be a big year, especially with me doing my GCSEs as well, but I am proud to be the voice of the young people in Blackburn with Darwen.”Ummaih aims to go onto St Mary’s College to study A-Levels once she has completed her GSCEs.

Ramadan falls within the exam season in 2017 and will do so for the next few years. This year a part of Ramadan will coincide with the summer solstice. The combination of long days and exams will put extra pressure on many of our pupils. Ramadan is a time of self –reflection, increased religious devotion and self- control.  We at Pleckgate would like to make this time as safe and productive as possible for our pupils who choose to fast.

Fasting as a student

A pre-dawn meal (suhur) is absolutely essential for a student as this will replace breakfast during the month of Ramadan. This pre-dawn meal should be wholesome and filling in order to sustain energy for many hours. It is important to include slowly digested foods. Complex carbohydrates are foods that will help release energy slowly during fasting and are found in grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, cereals, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour and basmati rice. Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly; these include bran, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin left on, all types of bread and breakfast cereals, vegetables such as green beans and fruit such as apricots, prunes or figs.

The meal which breaks the day’s fast (Iftar)

This meal could include dates following the Prophetic traditions. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet, enjoying some protein from meat/fish or lentils and some vegetables. Try to eat as you would normally and remember to eat only a moderate amount, especially of fat and sugar.  There will be ample time between iftar and suhur to eat and drink. Take extra special care to drink plenty of water during this time. It is good to sip small amounts whilst praying, doing revision, reading and other activities. This will keep you strong for the long fasting hours and will help prevent dehydration and headaches.

Avoid beverages containing caffeine such as tea, coffee and cola. Reduce the quantity consumed before Ramadan to prevent headache, irritability and mood swings.

Taraweeh (night prayer) is the prayer performed during the month of Ramadan. It is advisable to perform 8 units of prayer (rakaahs) at your nearest mosque to save time to help gain enough rest/sleep.

Abstain from doing too much physical activity such as extra sports, running for the bus, and generally rushing. Take the opportunity to rest when you can and avoid the dehydrating effects of sitting in hot sunshine.

Try to plan your day ahead. Check the examination timetable carefully on the night before an examination. Prepare your clothes, schoolbooks, pens and so on in advance to avoid rushing around in the morning.

If your health is put at risk due to the fast, i.e. dehydration or injury, you can break your fast as your health is more important. Islam teaches that Allah has given permission in the Qur’an to break the fast in these circumstances. Islam does not require you to harm yourself in fulfilling the fast. If a fast is broken, the days will need to be made up by fasting at a later date when your health is better.

It is really important that if you have a medical condition, especially one that requires regular medication that you see your GP before Ramadan begins to discuss treatment options that do not interfere with your fast. You can also talk to your Imam.

A consultation with your GP or community pharmacist before Ramadan starts should provide an opportunity for you to discuss your options such as using inhalers, taking tablets or receiving injections that will allow you to control your medical condition whilst completing a fast safely.

Advice for parents and carers

•  Ensure that your child is eating healthily and balance the food from all the major food groups
•  Ensure that your child is waking in time to have suhur (the meal before fasting begins) every day
•  Ensure that your child is well hydrated between iftar and suhur
• Ensure that children who are exempt from fasting do not fast (under the age of puberty and/or severely unwell)
• Encourage children to prepare school books, clothes and so on the night before so there is not rush in the morning.
• Help your child to organise a timetable so that they can manage revision and school work with fasting and prayer.
• Ensure that your child is taking any medication prescribed by their doctor. With the permission of the doctor, some medication, such as hayfever tablets might be taken during non-fasting hours. Consider reducing visits to and from family and relatives during Ramadan when that coincides with school study/exam times
• Try to encourage children to resume their studies if they become lethargic
• Fasting for children under the age of seven or eight is not advisable. It is a good idea to make young children aware of what fasting involves.

What we will do as a school

At Pleckgate we want to ensure that all students feel they are able to practice their faith with the support of the school community.

• Lunch times will be reduced and fasting pupils will have access to supervised quiet spaces to rest.
• Revision lessons will take place in cooler classrooms during hot weather where possible.
• Any pupils not fasting will be provided with a space to eat where they feel comfortable.
• We will consider granting some exemptions from PE to children who are fasting.
• We have considered the possible impact that fasting and late night prayers during Ramadan may have on some of our pupils when setting dates for other activities, such as sports days and trips.
• A prayer room is available to all pupils and will continue to be available during Ramadan.

We would like to wish all the Muslims within our Pleckgate community a very peaceful and happy Ramadan.

Students should arrive for their examination 15 minutes before the start time.

Morning exams will start at 8.45 a.m.                 Afternoon exams will start at 1.30 p.m.

               Pleckgate’s First Goal

“An amazing experience” summed up how Pleckgate High School’s Year Nine football team felt after playing at Ewood Park.

Despite losing 6-2 to Darwen Aldridge Community Academy in the Blackburn with Darwen Year Nine final, the Pleckgate pupils heralded their day in the spotlight a success.

Asad Ali scored both their goals at the home of Blackburn Rovers and, while it was runners-up medals, it did little to dampen the spirits on the day.

Captain Bilal Vaid said: “It was a great feeling to play at Ewood Park, to think which players have played on it in the past.

“We had two tough rounds to come this far, beating Witton Park and St Bede’s, who were probably the favourites for the competition.

“We were just happy to be here.”

Midfielder Aljo Ferhatbegovic, who plays for Blackburn Eagles, said: “It was something to remember. The atmosphere was great. You see Ewood Park on television but to play here was something else.”

Manager and PE teacher Stuart Cadman said: “Everyone was a bit nervous before the game, even me, but it was a superb experience for them.

“They got to change in the home team dressing room and experience playing on a former Premier League football pitch.

“They might have lost but they have a lot to be proud of. It’s a massive achievement getting to the final.”

A record number of pupils from Pleckgate High School will be hiking, fundraising and boosting their CVs this summer after a bumper 72  signed up to take part in the National Citizen Service Programme.

It’s thought to be one of the highest intakes in the country as the Year 11s develop new skills, meet new friends and test themselves.

“Students will spend 18 days over the summer on NCS which is in three phases. The first is an outward bounds course which could be anywhere in Britain to encourage communication and teamwork,” said Phillipa Murphy, NCS Engagement Leader, who was at the school handing out special T-shirts to the Pleckgate students.

“The second phase is sending the students to experience university life, so they will be spending time at UCLAN in Preston, living independently and developing new skills.

“The third is a social action where it’s their own community project, whether it’s getting involved with a charity or a company.

“They have to do a ‘Dragon’s Den’ type proposal to business people in the form of a business plan, they will be given money to help with their project and then carry it out.

“At the end of it all, they will graduate with a certificate which will look great on their CV. Having 72 pupils from Pleckgate taking part is outstanding for the school.”

Pleckgate teacher Ms Hartley said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Year 11s and it will allow them to develop skills which they will need in life.

“The fact 72 from Pleckgate have signed up is unbelievable. The pupils are a real credit to the school.”

One of those, Muhammad Buronkar, admitted he was excited: “It will be fun, I will meet new people and learn new skills. It will be an excellent experience and will be good on my CV.”

Photo:  Pleckgate students Muhammad Buronkar, Maariya Kapadia, Haleemah Jassat and Muzaffar Bandarkar with NCS’s Aftab Asghar, Safiyya Musa and Phillipa Murphy

Students at Pleckgate High School are the doctors of the future – with a large number hoping to study medicine at university.

Daanyaal Dalal wants to go to Newman College to study A-Levels in Chemistry, Biology and Maths before going to university and following in his father’s footsteps.

“My dad Ismael is a diabetic specialist for children in Blackpool and he has inspired me to follow a career in medicine,” said Daanyaal.

“I am still unsure about which way I want to go in medicine –whether it’s a doctor, a surgeon or something in the community but I know I want to help people.”

Daanyaal, who plays football for Blackburn United Under 16s most Sundays, is hoping to go to Manchester University to pursue his career.

“I have loved my time at Pleckgate, it’s not just about the five years here as it sets you up for the future.”

Umayrah Hassan wants to go into medicine as well – and has ruled out following in her mum and dad’s careers.

“They are both teachers in a school in Bolton and I don’t want to do that, I have seen all the work they have to do!” said Umayrah.

“I want to go to Clitheroe Grammar School and study Maths along with sciences and I know I will have to study for a long time but it will  pay off in the end.

“I was quite sporty when I came to Pleckgate and wanted to do something with sport but Mr Pontifex in physics really inspired me to pursue a career in science. He made it all really interesting.”

Halima Zaman has no medical background in her family – but it’s her dream to find cures for diseases.

“I am just really interested in this type of work and Pleckgate has helped develop my love of medicine,” said Halima, who will study Biology, Chemistry and Maths A Levels.

Ammar Rehman is choosing a different career to his classmates as he wants to go into civil engineering.

“I want to study Maths, Physics and Geography at Newman College. I love the idea of designing things.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do really but Pleckgate has helped develop my passion for subjects like maths and physics and I want to study these at the next level.”

Pleckgate High School has plenty to shout about after being voted the Lancashire Telegraph Secondary School of the Year for the second successive year.

Head teacher Mark Cocker was delighted to collect the award in 2016 and the school has gone from strength to strength culminating in another year of celebrations.

The motto of Pleckgate is ‘Aspire and Believe, Act and Succeed’ and students are doing just that.

“Our motto is a recipe for success. We encourage high aspirations, we believe we can achieve them, we will act and work hard for them and that will lead to success,” said Mr Cocker.

Academically, the school enjoyed a strong year. They achieved a 61% pass rate for students recording grades A*-C in both English and Mathematics in their GCSE results last August, they enjoyed a second successive positive Progress 8 score and Pleckgate was heralded as a ‘Beacon of Success’ by the Institute of Public Policy and Research.

The school’s Mathematics department was also recognised in the top 1% of schools nationally for progress.

As the school’s reputation continues to flourish, Pleckgate has been boosted by an increase in students for the 2017/18 school year.

Year 11 student Usmaan Malik was full of praise after his five years at Pleckgate. He said: “The teachers are passionate about their jobs and in helping students fulfil their potential.

“The staff are willing to go that extra mile for students.

“It’s not all about education though as the sporting side of school life is strong as is the charity work, raising £75,000 over the last seven years for various charities.”

Pleckgate High School students have once again shown their generous side as they brought items in from home for charity.

Pleckgate have raised £75,000 over the last seven years for a variety of charities and recently collected a wide range of food items for Blackburn Food Bank and the Al Imdaad Foundation.

“As part of Ramadan, the last few days are about giving to charity and we have collected food items at Pleckgate for the last three years” said teacher Shahiesta Raja.

“We collected over 2,000 items last year and I am hoping we have done even better this year.  We asked every student from Years 7-10 to bring in just one item as we know it can make a big difference.  We decided to share these items between Blackburn Food Bank and Al Imdaad Foundation, both are in different parts of Blackburn so we are able to make an impact over a large area and also we want to support our community”.

Photo:  Students (Front) Iram Hussain and Muhammad Chopdat alongside other students from Years 7-10 and Headteacher Mark Cocker.

Pleckgate High School held a Super Learning Day as pupils came ‘off timetable’ and explored different topical issues.

The Year Sevens held an Inter-Faith Day which included a visit from Blackburn’s Inter-Faith Forum.

“The day consisted of pupils being introduced to community cohesion and we talked about how people should celebrate their differences but also focus on the similarities and realise that we are all just human beings,” said Religious Studies teacher Jenny Savage.

“Pupils had the opportunity to then think about how different religions can help with community cohesion.”

They had a visit from Blackburn’s Inter-Faith Forum who took part in a question and answer session.

“The students worked on designing an inter-faith centre and they also had the opportunity to look at religious artefacts and religious artwork.

“They had the opportunity to design their own mandalas, crosses, complete some Islamic artwork, write their name in Hebrew, make prayer and reflection beads as well as Rakhi bracelets.

“Pupils then completed a reflection activity on a jigsaw piece, either artwork, a poem, rap or a piece of writing, which we are going to make a display with.”

The Year Eights to 10s looked at British Values in modern society.

“The Year Eights had a visit from the Parliament Education Outreach Department who held an assembly to tell them about parliament and how it operates,” said teacher Paula Dean who organised the day.

“They then took part in a debating session looking at whether or not the voting age should be reduced to 16 as well as discussing British Values in the afternoon.”

The Reveal Theatre Company spent the day working in a workshop with the Year Nines, informing, exploring and finding positive solutions a range of issues that can threaten social harmony in communities as part of their ‘Game On’ programme.

Finally, Year 10 worked with Foundation for Peace and they discussed stereotypes.

“The students got time to think about different issues, talk about it and learn more about different religions,” said Ms Dean. “It was a positive day.”

Seven Pleckgate High School will be trained as Anne Frank Ambassadors to look at the past – and take it into the future.

The Anne Frank Trust came to Pleckgate earlier in the year to train 30 Year Eight students to be guides for the Anne Frank Exhibition which is held in the school every year.

Jewish student Anne wrote a now famous diary while in hiding in Germany during the Second World War, before she died in a concentration camp. 

After this students were invited to apply to become an Anne Frank Ambassadors and those selected attended a workshop with the Anne Frank Trust at Blackburn Town Hall along with students from St Bede’s and Teehaudal Girls School with Darwen Vale and Blackburn Central also involved.

“Out of all the applications we chose seven pupils to attend the training,” said Pleckgate High School Religious Studies teacher Jenny Savage.

“The training focussed on trying to stop any kind of discrimination happening again and how they could lead a campaign to try and help this. 

“Pupils had to decide on a focus, for example gender inequality, or religious prejudice, and then had to decide how they were going to try and make people aware of their campaign through assemblies in their own school, in primary schools and by using social media. 

“This will be a project for pupils to continue as Anne Frank Ambassadors.”

“It’s an honour to be an Anne Frank Ambassador,” said student Amaan Khan. “We have learnt more about prejudice and discrimination in the workshop and it’s about emphasising, no matter what religion or gender, everyone is the same.”

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council are supporting the Anne Frank Trust.

Pleckgate High School explored life on Mars at a Science Taster Day at St Mary’s College.

The Year 10 students spent a day at St Mary’s in their science department examining the theme of life on Mars though biology, chemistry and physics.

“We looked at the scientific challenges of colonising Mars, a real project,” said Head of the Science Faculty at St Mary’s, Steve Kirk.

“In 2013, a project was set up by Mars One Foundation, a non profit charitable company aiming to send people to Mars with the knowledge they wouldn’t come back. They have 200,000 applicants.

“The funding is in place and the idea is to send equipment and supplies in 2018 and then people in 2025. It takes eight months to travel there.

“We looked at the challenges they face, such as the cold temperatures and the length of time it can take to send people to explore a planet, like NASA and other organisations are planning to do.

“In biology, we used the example of fish. Fish can freeze in a pond over winter and then, as the temperature increases, they start breathing again.

“We used fish in our biology experiment which were frozen and then checked the temperature as it increased and counted their breathing rate.

“In physics, the students took part in experiments based on the atmosphere of the planets and we also looked at software which is available to the public to identify new planets.

“In chemistry, students analysed soil samples.”

“It’s been really interesting,” said student Zul-Norain Zab who hopes to follow a career in science. “We were looking at the different reactions to temperatures on fish, as they would affect people.”

Zainul Nuniya said: “We learnt a lot in physics about the atmosphere and how thick it can get and what could or couldn’t survive in it.”

Pleckgate Head of Year 10 Zoe Millest added: “The students thoroughly enjoyed their Science Taster Day at St Mary’s college. It was interesting and informative and has played a big part in considering their decisions and options for future colleges and courses.”

The heat was rising in the Pleckgate High School food technology rooms as the Year Five primary school students aimed to be ‘Bake Off’ winners.

The final was between students from Lammack Primary School and St James C of E Primary School who were tasked with making ‘Melting Moments’ biscuits.

“In the previous rounds they had made flap jacks and cheese biscuits and every school has been impressive,” said Pleckgate’s Head of Technology Helen O’Connor who was judging the finale alongside fellow Food Technology teacher Sarah Redfearn.

“They were in teams of two and were given a recipe to follow. They were marked on good consistency of dough, each of the 20 biscuits had to be evenly coated in oats and/or coconut.

“They had to be even sizes, well shaped and have a cherry in the centre – the pressure was on!”

The winning pair were Alisha Patel and Zaina Hasan from Lammack who were praised for their even consistency and accurate, precision shaped biscuits.

There was sprinting, wellington throwing, the high jump and more as Pleckgate High School held their sports day.

The photographs feature the Year Sevens who were experiencing a senior sports day for the first time.

“There was something for everyone,”  said PE teacher Mr Haworth. “There were some really good performances.”

There was archery, cycling, Zorb football and more as the Year Nines at Pleckgate High School enjoyed an outdoor pursuits day.

The day was run by Blackburn company Sporting NRG and the students got to try out different team building exercises, skills and sports to find new talents and be encouraged to work together.

They tried their hand at archery and Zorb football but also had to use logisitics, they had to overcome problems and also test themselves in unfamiliar situations.

Pleckgate’s Mr Cadman said: “The aim of the day was to develop team building skills, along with leadership, self management and resilience.

“Students experienced a range of activities including archery, mountain biking, bubble football as well as many other team building activities and games.

“The event was a huge success and finished the year off nicely as the students prepare to take on their GCSE’s next year.

“Students got a lot out of the day and thoroughly enjoyed the new experiences of activities they wouldn’t normally get the chance to try.”

It certainly added up to GCSE success for Pleckgate High School as an outstanding 19 students achieved the highest Grade 9 in mathematics under the new, more challenging grading system introduced this year for English and maths.

These impressive results put these students among the country’s elite mathematicians, solidifying Pleckgate’s position as one of the highest performing mathematics departments in the country.

“We are so proud of our students and staff,” said Head Teacher Mark Cocker. “The staff and students have worked tirelessly, shown incredible dedication and it has paid off.”

Eight of Pleckgate’s students celebrated a Grade 9 in English Language or Literature as the Blackburn school’s students excelled.

Success was also widespread across all performance measures. Overall, the percentage of students achieving C equivalent (Grade 4) or above in GCSE English and maths has increased by 10 per cent – to 71 per cent this year.

“We have had huge increases in the proportion of students scoring at least C equivalent in English – it jumped from 66 per cent in 2016 to 82 per cent in 2017 – and maths, where we moved up to 77 per cent this year from 69 per cent,” said Mr Cocker.

“Students achieving Grade 9-5 (the new good pass) in English was 63 per cent, and in maths, students achieving 9-5 was 64 per cent.

“We are so pleased to have continued the strong trend of academic achievement at Pleckgate. We believe in the school philosophy of ‘Aspire & Believe, Act & Succeed’ and these results are testament to that shared vision.”