From everyone at Oriel Specialist Mathematics and Computing College we wish you a safe and happy Summer holiday.

We have a staggered return for our students as follows:

Wednesday 3rd September – Year 7 and 8 Students
Thursday 4th September – Year 7, 8 and 9 Students
Friday 5th September – All Students

Oriel Prom 2008

Best of luck to our class of 2008.

A meeting of Minds between Gresham’s and Oriel

An informal working relationship between Gresham’s School in Holt and Oriel College in Gorleston has been transformed to become an established partnership.

Oriel and Gresham’s began working together through the medium of ‘Creative Arts’ but this has been recently formalised to include residentials and work experience blocks for the International Baccalaureate students.

5 jubilant gifted students from Oriel – Jack Hopes, Michaela Bailey, Lewis Webster, Josh Turton and Jisel Dagumboy will be taking part in a twice-yearly residential experience at Gresham’s, joining in with lessons and researching the differences between learning styles across both institutions.

Equally, 5 Gresham’s students will visit Oriel to complete work experience as Teaching Assistants working with a variety of Oriel’s students.

Staff representing both institutions are certain that the ‘exchanges’ will result in a positive experience for all and will lead to further links and opportunities.

Nigel Flower, Deputy Headteacher of Gresham’s said:

“Following a visit by year 10 students working on GCSE Art, I was impressed with the serious and constructive way Oriel pupils go about their business. I very much look forward to forging stronger links with Oriel.  I am particularly struck by the passion the staff have for the school and welfare of its pupils; it is something that we share, and I think this will inevitably enhance the partnership between the two schools.”

Naomi Palmer, Deputy Headteacher of Oriel said:

“I’m delighted that this partnership has been consolidated – our students are excited about the planned visits and it will also provide an excellent opportunity for professional development of the staff involved”.

For twelve weeks leading up to half term a group of five year 10 and 11 students gave up there Tuesday evenings to attend a short engineering course at Yarmouth college. During the sessions the students added to their skills already learnt at Oriel by completing a varied range of workshop based activities using both hand tools and lathes.

As the weeks passed the students developed not only skills but confidence in themselves, working more and more independently. Mike Bramell, lecturer at Yarmouth college commented "it was really pleasing to see how the students developed over the twelve weeks and how well their confidence grew as their skills increased".

Mr Coleman and Mrs Simms are hoping to continue this link into the next academic year and we will be looking for students to give this opportunity a go from September.

The current Exhibition from our students is now showing at the Great Yarmouth Library Galleries and is open from 9.30 till 4.30 pm daily.

Catch it before it ends on Thursday at 4.30.