Northamptonshire housebuilder Barratt Homes has donated a number of hedgehog homes to a Wellingborough school for National Hedgehog Awareness Week (1^st - 7^th May) to help reverse the decline of the species.

National Hedgehog Awareness Week is organised annually by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and aims to highlight the issues hedgehogs face, whilst providing solutions for what people can do to support them.

Following the society’s suggestion to buy or build a hedgehog home, Barratt Homes donated four of the habitats to Redwell Primary School, located near its new Glenvale Park development on Niort Way.

Dulcie Sharpe, Vice Principal at Redwell Primary School, said: “We would like to thank Barratt Homes for donating four hedgehog homes to our school. We always like to find ways to help wildlife thrive in the school grounds and hope that we will have some new prickly residents very soon.”

As of July 2020, the British hedgehog was officially classified as vulnerable to extinction, meaning it is more important than ever to protect our prickly neighbours.

Amer Alkhalil, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “As a leading housebuilder, we know that home is where the heart is and that’s true for all types of residents, human or otherwise!

“We hope our donation will give hedgehogs a new and safe home at Redwell Primary School, whilst also encouraging the pupils to consider the wildlife near their own homes.”

Glenvale Park is a new development of three and four bedroom homes and will have amenities that will be able to suit the lifestyles of young couples, growing families and commuters alike. The development offers the perfect blend between country living while also boasting great commuter links. 

For more information on Glenvale Park, please visit https://www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/northamptonshire/h732801-glenvale-park. For sales enquiries or to book an appointment please call 033 3355 8481.

It is with deep sadness that yesterday, Thursday 31st March, we were made aware of the death of one of our students at Manor School. 

Our thoughts and sympathies are with the young person’s family and friends. 

This is obviously a very difficult time for everyone in our community. 

We ask everyone to respect the privacy of the family at this challenging time.

Members of the Royal British Legion in Rushden visited the town’s Newton Road School to present the children with the Poppy Cup to mark their efforts in raising money in November’s Poppy Appeal.

The cup is awarded to schools that have held events connected with remembrance during the previous 12 months, including holding services, taking part in projects related to the World Wars or creating artwork or exhibitions related to the theme.

The judges heard how children from Newton Road School had taken part in The Snow Goose project, collaborating with actors and artists from Fabula Arts in an incredibly powerful project that engaged children in the theme of remembrance. The project was a resounding success and the school took around 80 children to St Mary’s Church to watch the performance, where they were thrilled to see that the school’s motivational messages had been sewn into a sail and displayed at the church.

Assistant Principal Richard Bosworth said: “We’re very proud to have won the Poppy Cup because remembrance is very much in evidence in our school. The sail from The Snow Goose now has pride of place in our foyer alongside a variety of activities the children have undertaken.

“When we took a group of children to the war memorial in November, we were proud to see how they conducted themselves, carefully placing the wreath and then bowing their heads in respect for the fallen. In school, on 11th November, every child, even the very youngest took part in a two-minute silence, while children from Years 5 and 6 took responsibility for selling poppies and other merchandise linked to Remembrance Day and the Royal British Legion.

“It is vitally important that those who made the ultimate sacrifice are not forgotten and we are proud to have seen the school’s efforts recognised.”

The Poppy Cup was presented by a delegation from the Royal British Legion, which celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2021. They were joined at the presentation by the Mayor of Rushden, Cllr Melanie Coleman.

It’s all too easy, when you’re steeped in the world of education, to lose sight of what is happening in the world outside the classroom, so it’s important to remind ourselves every now and again what the purpose of education is – to create the adults of tomorrow.

That’s why Nene Education Trust has been more than happy to play a pivotal role in the Northamptonshire Schools and Business Alliance. The group was founded a couple of years ago to bring the two sectors together to see what each can learn from the other.

Driving the formation of the alliance was Ben Thomas, from All Things Business, who has stated many times his mantra that Business Needs Education and Education Needs Business. And that makes perfect sense.

If education is not equipping young people with the skills they need to enter the workplace – with academic qualifications and also as fully rounded individuals with good personal and communication skills – then business will suffer. Similarly, if businesses are able to communicate to schools what they are looking for, in general or with regard to their specific sector, or to meet local skills shortages, and support them in delivering that through the curriculum, then we end up with a better outcome.

Currently, the Northamptonshire Schools and Business Alliance meets quarterly and attracts 30 to 40 individuals from organisations across the county. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me, and for the Trust as a whole, to look out more into the business world and find opportunities there.

Ben Thomas said: “I have always been passionate about business and education working together, and supporting links between the two. If businesses are going to get the workforce they need for the future, they need to make sure education is well-equipped and has the knowledge to meet those needs.

“It’s in everyone’s interest to collaborate and make sure children get the best possible education and are ready to play an important part in the world of work once they finish school.”

The traditional way for businesses to get involved in supporting schools is by offering work experience or coming in to schools to give careers talk. But wouldn’t it be great if local businesses could be involved in the school curriculum development?

For example, we have a massive logistics sector in Northamptonshire and I’d love for them to have input into our schools and give young people a clear idea what the logistics sector looks like.

There’s a statistic you often hear quoted that says that approximately 92% of children starting school now will go on to do a job that doesn’t exist yet. As educationalists we are preparing children for the unknown. That’s where we need business to come in and help us. It’s about relating education to the real world.

Every day, I learn from people in the education sector but I can also learn so much from people in business. I find it an enormous benefit to work closely with people like Ben Thomas, and Jon Thorpe from ACS, people who have built successful businesses, to learn from them about people development – how to get the best out of people, how to support people and develop leadership skills. 

All sectors face common challenges, so wouldn’t it be hugely impactful and rewarding for leaders from across the county to come together and learn from one another?

Jon Thorpe said: “We’ve always been happy to be a part of the Northamptonshire Schools and Business Alliance because it makes perfect sense for business and education to work together to create the workforce we are going to need in the future. There’s much to be learned on both side, and anything that facilitates that is only to be  welcomed.”

Tom Cliffe, who runs TRACK NN in Northampton, which supports autistic people to access employment through training, support services and creating opportunities, added: “Having spent a decade working in education, and recently set up my own business I have seen first-hand the need to support not just engagement between education and business, but to build lasting relationships between the two. 

‘This is not only our future workforce we are developing, it is the leaders of the future, and it is crucial that we work together to ensure future economic success. The Alliance is already building these relationships, and I would encourage everyone to get involved and help make a lasting difference.”

Sooner rather than later, we hope, our world will resemble some ‘normality’. Dickens said ‘It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But, don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last’.

We dearly hope that businesses will continue to support our young people in Northants, especially in these tough times. We’d love to see the Northamptonshire Schools and Business Alliance really push forward in 2022 and build on what we’ve already done, so if there are any businesses who would like to find out more, or join us at our next meeting, we’d love to hear from you.

Nene Education Trust is a multi-academy trust comprising Newton Road School, Rushden; Windmill Primary, Raunds; Stanwick Primary; Raunds Park Infants; St. Peter’s CE Junior; Woodford CE Primary; Redwell Primary, Wellingborough and Manor School, Raunds.