Social care professionals can find out more about some of the job opportunities available in the City of Wolverhampton at a recruitment fair in Manchester today.

Representatives from the City of Wolverhampton Council's Adults and Children's Social Care services will be on hand to highlight current vacancies at the North West Social Work Show, the leading event for all social workers from newly qualified to senior practitioners as well as commissioners and service providers.

The vacancies include social worker posts within the Looked After Children Service, the Disabled Children and Young People Team and the Children in Need and Child Protection Service, while people can also find out about future opportunities within Adult Social Care services.

Job hunters will also be able to speak to employees already working in Wolverhampton about their experiences.

In addition, the council will be hosting a seminar at the event, sharing the steps which it has taken to bring adults and children’s social work more closely together over the last few years.

Councillor Paul Sweet, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are attending this national event to raise the profile of social care services in Wolverhampton and promote the opportunities currently available, which in turn will help us further improve the already high standard of social work practice in the City.

“We’ll also be showcasing what Wolverhampton has to offer as a great place to live and to work.”

Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Councillor Sandra Samuels OBE, added: “We are keen to hear from talented social care professionals who are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference to service users and who want to join our fabulous teams.

"We are also excited to be hosting a seminar and are inviting practitioners to join us to hear how, by bringing together adults and children's social work, we are enabling professionals to share their knowledge and learning with each other and so achieve the best outcomes for the clients they work with."

North West Social Work Show takes place at the Hilton Deansgate, Manchester on Monday. For more information, please visit http://www.compassjobsfair.com/Events/North-West-Social-Work-Show/Book-Tickets. Registration is required to attend both the event and the seminar.

A group of Japanese professors have visited a Wolverhampton nursery school to discover how it is enhancing young children’s learning by using the latest technology.

The six, from universities in and around Tokyo, spent a day at Ashmore Park Nursery speaking to children, teachers and parents and finding out more about a three-year Europe-wide research programme which the school is taking part in.

The programme, funded by the European Union's Erasmus scheme, has seen Ashmore Park and Phoenix Nursery School in Blakenhall work closely with nine other pre-schools in the West Midlands and Sweden to test different ways of using digital technology with young children in creative and expressive ways.

Ashmore Park Nursery Headteacher Sue Lacey said: “We have moved away from the traditional way of using computers and tablets to play educational games or complete tasks, and are instead using them in more creative ways so that our children are using technology more interactively.

“For instance, we use digital projection which the children can respond to through movement, and digital microscopes to investigate things hidden from their view – they are encouraged to think what it may look like before discovering the reality.

“The children are very interested and competent in using technology from a very young age. We aspire to harness this interest in technology as a vehicle to enhance the learning experiences of the children.”

She added: "We were excited and extremely proud to host international visitors at Ashmore Park Nursery School. It was great to be able to share our findings with them and we hope they were impressed with the innovative ways we are using technology here in Wolverhampton.”

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "Schools in Wolverhampton are very forward thinking, and it's great to see that the work taking place at Ashmore Park and Phoenix nursery schools to engage with youngsters in such a creative way is being recognised across the globe."

International recording artist and Birmingham star, Lady Sanity, returned to her former secondary school – Stockland Green - last week to surprise students with an exclusive performance.

The acclaimed rapper - who wowed audiences across the world at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Australia – took to the school stage to inspire a new generation and to share her happy memories of Stockland Green.

Lady Sanity, whose real name is Sherelle Robbins, was a student at Stockland Green – now part of the  respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) - from 2005 to 2010. During her visit, she talked about her journey to musical fame and was interviewed by head students Cara Long, Lillie Robinson, Akash Hussain, Anaum Tabassum, Reiss Munn, Nikola Polaka in front of years 7,8 and 9.

Sherelle described her happy memories of Stockland Green School and how the support and encouragement she had from staff set her on the road to success. As well as performing her latest track to an appreciative audience, she answered questions from enthusiastic and excited students and encouraged them to work hard and to show determination to achieve their dreams.

Sherelle told staff and students: “It’s great to be back at Stockland Green where I have so many happy memories.  The friends I made here are still my friends now and inspired me to become successful.”

Sherelle is also a music technology graduate of De Monfort Univeristy Leicester (DMU). Her talent led to her being chosen to represent her home city of Birmingham in the handover ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Her smash hit ‘Go the Distance’ tells the story of tackling challenges head on while staying true to yourself and the people around you.

Headteacher Marie George, said: “What a fantastic surprise for us all and enormous thanks to Sherelle – her stellar performance raised the roof on the school hall and really made the children’s day. With her positive experiences of school and impressive career, she is an excellent role model for these young people, demonstrating the rewards of talent, ambition and hard work .

“We hope she will return to Stockland Green as she has a real fan club here – students and staff alike!”

A city school has been rated Good by Ofsted in its first inspection since becoming an academy.

Inspectors visited Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy in March and found the school to be very well led by Principal Toni Ellis.

They said Miss Ellis is ambitious for her 830 pupils while her vision for the school as a "demanding, inquisitive and resilient community is well understood by all staff, parents and pupils". The Academy "expects pupils and staff to show a genuine interest in learning".

A "hardworking and experienced" senior leadership team share Miss Ellis’ ambitions for pupils in the school's care. They "have worked hard to improve teaching and to provide a good range of curriculum and extra-curricular activities".

Pupils are "cared for and supported very well", enjoy coming to school, are well behaved and "make good progress during their time at the school"; they are taught well and achieve outcomes in line with their starting points.

Inspectors found the "positive relationships between teaching staff and pupils" to be a strength of the school, and commended the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils and the strong Catholic ethos which is reflected in respectful relationships.

The report praised the Academy’s “… extensive extra-curricular programme that gives pupils good opportunities to experience cultural, artistic and sporting activities”.

A regular training programme supports new and more established staff well. Inspectors found that good use is being made of links with other schools within the academy trust, and the support which is commissioned from the City of Wolverhampton Council, to improve the quality of teaching still further.

The sixth form also provides "a good education". Students are "well taught and achieve good results, particularly in applied and vocational courses. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent”. The inspectors highlighted the way the school "raises aspirations for pupils. A very good programme of information, advice and guidance encourages pupils to aspire to ambitious but realistic career choices".

The governing body "discharges its responsibilities well", making effective use of management information to hold the school to account for pupils' performance. Governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

Inspectors also noted that a proposed expansion of the Academy is also underway to meet the growing demand for places.

Miss Ellis said: "Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Academy is delighted with the inspection report. We are fortunate to be supported by some fantastic staff, parents and students.

“As a team we remain relentless in our determination to continuously drive for excellence and are ambitious and excited for the future of the Academy as we continue to grow.”

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This is a very positive inspection of Our Lady and St Chad's Catholic Academy, which is thanks to the hard work of Toni Ellis and everyone associated with the school."

The inspection on 13 and 14 March was the first since the school converted to an academy.

Adult Education Wolverhampton is holding an open week to showcase its courses for people with a learning disability.

The Outstanding-rated provider's Life Skills programme is designed to help improve people's communication, practical, concentration, team working and problem-solving skills.

Life Skills can also help people take the first step towards employment and develop their English and maths skills to enable them to live more independently.

People with a learning disability, and their family and carers, can find out more about the programme and meet tutors and current students at a series of drop-in sessions taking place from Tuesday to Friday, 22-25 May. Tutors will be on hand to discuss the various course options.

Life Skills student Tony Beardsmore, who attends cookery, arts and crafts sessions, said: “I have attended classes at a number of different colleges but rate Adult Education Wolverhampton as number one – the tutors are fantastic.

“I like to learn and I want to be able to help others in class, and my aim is to develop as many skills as I can. The Life Skills classes have helped me gain more confidence and I have made many new friends.”

Fellow student Emma Hunt added: “Having autism has created many learning barriers throughout the years and I was worried that I would not fit in my class; I should not have worried because I was made to feel safe and my learning could begin straight away.

“I enjoy helping my friends to gain confidence as well because it’s important that we learn so that we can be as independent as possible in the future.”

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “It's great that Life Skills students speak so highly of the programme and of their experiences of Adult Education Wolverhampton, and the open week is an excellent opportunity to find out more about some of the educational opportunities available for adults with a learning disability in Wolverhampton.”

To find out more about the Life Skills programme starting in September 2018, please visit The Maltings, Herbert Street, Wolverhampton, on Tuesday, Thursday 24 and Friday 25 May between 10am and 3pm and Wednesday 23 May from 10am-noon.

Florence Thompson, an 18 year old student at Halesowen College was announced as the winner of a challenge put to second year students by West Midlands based A Perry and Co (Hinges) Ltd.

They were tasked with designing a representative sculpture which will take pride of place at A Perry’s new base.  The 93 year old company which is independent and family-owned offered the opportunity to support the students in their final diploma assignment for the B.Tech Extended Diploma in Art & Design.

Florence‘s design captures A Perry’s heritage and expertise, as it represents vividly the strong link between the history and future of the brand through two linked hands.

Guy Perry, Managing Director of A Perry was on hand to congratulate Florence who will be awarded with a tablet for her achievement The design will be brought to life over the next few months using A Perry’s products by local artist Phil Bayliss.

Check out the full article in the June edition of The Phoenix Newspaper!