The new Ormiston venture academy uniform will be ready for collection on Tuesday 17th – Friday 20th August 9.00am – 4.00pm, an extra day for collection will be  held on Wednesday 1st September 9.00am – 4.00pm 

You can collect the uniform from the sports hall and access to there will be through the double doors situated near the bus park. this will be sign posted on the day.

Oriel’s annual readathon took place at Gorleston library and was, as usual, a huge success. Students learned all about Gorleston’s historical heroes and villains before embarking on a guided tour and ‘Info-quest’ competition. Other activities included reading, reading, reading, reading…

It was fantastic to see so many avid readers with their faces buried in the pages of their favourite book. Many students went that extra mile by dressing up as their favourite character; I particularly liked ‘Karate Kid’!

Thank you to all students involved for making this a thoroughly enjoyable day for us all. You were a credit to yourselves and to the school – well done.

How will the sponsorship with Gresham’s affect the work going on in both schools?  The partnership is not one-way, Oriel is contributing experience and expertise to Gresham’s as well as receiving input from the North Norfolk school.

Just before Easter a number of staff visited Gresham’s for a series of meetings to discuss how to encourage joint work between their students and ours.  The three, on this occasion, were Ms. Brown, Mr. Gilbert-Barnham and Mr. Sprong.  All three had a productive time and we have some exciting joint projects that will be running from this June.

Ms. Poole has already established an Art link and this has resulted in visits by our GCSE students to use the Press at Gresham’s, and another group will be travelling there on June 22nd to create some collographs.  In November a group of Gresham’s artists are visiting Oriel, to do some joint work in ceramics. 
There will be a joint Exhibition in 2010/11 at the Nicholson Gallery, in Holt, and a Gresham’s pupil will appear as a guest exhibitor in the Oriel Exhibition, to be opened in Gt. Yarmouth Library Galleries on July 2nd.

Ms. Brown will be working with the Gresham’s International Baccalaureate co-ordinator at Gresham’s, Mr. Seldon, to create a team of Year 9 pupils to work with the Oriel Yr7 Nurture group, from September 2010.  Their work will be to support numeracy and literacy and to raise the Yr7s self-esteem through their group work.  The students will physically visit each other’s schools during the year and continue the link through email, Skype and video conferencing. 
This work will complement the IB work already underway between the two schools, where pupils from Gresham’s VI Form come to work in Oriel twice during their two year IB course.

Mr. Sprong, who stayed at Gresham’s in December with the Yr10 exchange students from Oriel, had already developed some joint Expressive Arts work.  This has taken a number of forms:
• Gresham’s Theatre Technicians are coming to Oriel to look over our existing stage, lighting and sound to give an assessment – look to see if it can be ‘rescued’ or needs to be condemned and what we need in terms of replacement, in order to stage our own productions.

• Oriel & Gresham’s Yr10 Expressive Arts/Drama groups are going to participate in a joint pre-GCSE practical Drama workshop in June 2010.
• There is to be a joint schools trip to the Gt. Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus.
• Gresham’s are to loan lighting equipment for Oriel’s Drama Studio.
• There will be a series of trips to Gresham’s to watch the termly plays and musicals that they produce.
This is a very full programme that includes all year groups at Oriel.

Mr. Gilbert-Barnham’s task was not so much to launch student exchange but to see if and when the two schools could work together in terms of Information Technology – an area where Oriel is well in advance of their partner.  It was a comprehensive visit, with Mr. GB able to meet with all IT staff and technicians and he was able to make a pretty thorough assessment of what systems and methods Gresham’s uses. 
The result of the visit made it clear that this is an area where collaboration is needed but that it will be a long-term process, rather than one that could lead to immediate implementation.

There’s a lot going on – if anything here interests you and you would like to know more, please go and see the member of staff named above, or Miss Haddleton.

Our year 9 parents evening takes place today between 5pm and 8pm, we very much look forward to welcoming you to speak to us about your child/children and their learning at Oriel.

Please be advised that due to circumstances out of our control  the following members of staff will not be available for you to meet with.

Miss King – Dance

Miss Ditcham – Music

Miss Poole – Art

Mr Giles – Maths and French

Mrs Williams – Humanities

Miss Hollis – PE

Mr Coleman – Technology

Mr Sprong – Creative Arts and Maths

Miss Playford – Nurture

Notice is given in accordance with section 15(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 that Norfolk County Council, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL intends to discontinue Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College, Oriel Avenue, Gorleston, Norfolk, NR31 7JJ on 31 August 2010.

All pupils of Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College will be able to transfer to the new academy, sponsored by Ormiston Trust, proposed to open on 1 September 2010 on the existing site of Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College.

In accordance with the agreed Norfolk Special Educational Needs (SEN) Strategy, current provision reserved for pupils with SEN will continue at the new academy. In future, planned Specialist Resource Base provision will be provided locally via the Behaviour and Attendance Partnership.

The proposal will not extend journey times or increase transport costs, or result in children being prevented from travelling sustainably due to unsuitable routes e.g. for walking or cycling.

This Notice is an extract from the complete proposal. Copies of the complete proposal can be obtained from: School Organisation Team, Room 20, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL telephone 01603 223905 or email schoolreview@norfolk.gov.uk

Within six weeks from the date of publication of this proposal, any person may object to or make comments on the proposal by sending them to School Organisation Team, Room 20, County Hall, Martineau Lane, Norwich, NR1 2DL.

Signed: Lisa Christensen

Director of Children’s Services

Publication Date: 16 April 2010

Explanatory Notes

The establishment of an academy is subject to the agreement of the Secretary of State. It is proposed that the closure of Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College should be approved to take effect only if by the date of closure an agreement has been made under section 482(1) of the Education Act 2006 for the establishment of an academy to replace Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College. It is planned that the academy will provide 900 places for 11 – 16 provision for boys and girls.