Beacon Project Based Learning

16th December 2021Mr Barnes

The young people at Beacon Secondary have been completing a project over the course of the autumn term about knife crime and its affects.

The young people are engaged extremely well with the project and produced some excellent work. They had the opportunity to speak to uindividuals from the emergency services as well as relatives of victims of knife crime.

This experience has culminated in a showcase of work, which included sculpture, art work, music and poetry, to the school and wider local community including the Police Commissioner Kim McGuinness and the Mayor of South Shields.

We are all very proud of the young people for the work they have completed as well as for their excellent behaviour during the showcase.

Beacon Supporting KEY 2 Life

9th December 2021Mr Barnes

Who are KEY 2 Life?

KEY was the first charity in South Tyneside to run a food bank, when people from local churches began making food bags for young people in 1992. They work in partnership with Churches Together, to collect food donations and distribute them across South Tyneside to anyone who is experiencing hardship. The bags contain enough food for up to 3 days. They also include toiletries and other household items depending on need. In March 2019, the food bank moved to its new home on Boldon Lane and was rechristened KEY 2 Life. They have a team of 35 dedicated volunteers who welcome people, offer support, sort and pack food bags, collect donations from local churches, supermarkets and schools.

Beacon Centre’s New Head Shows His Support.

The Beacon Centre’s new and energetic Head Teacher, Mr Gray, took time out of his extremely busy schedule to help sort food packages with young people from the Secondary site. All involved found the experience rewarding and worth while with one young person stating “It’s nice to be able to do something to help others”.

The group who attended with Mr Gray spent their time sorting packages of food, organiasing products and ensuring that they were in date order and organised to make putting hampers together as easy and staightforward as possible.

Mr Gray and Jack helping out.

The Beacon helps in Santa’s Workshop.

Earlier in the day, a group of young people from the secondary site attended the food bank to support in the sorting of Christmas gifts. Staff and young people spent a rewarding morning sorting LEGO packs for children to open on Christmas day. Again, students found this experience rewarding stating they hoped “the kids like opening their Christmas toys”. The students were so enthusiastic about helping sort the gifts that the job was completed quickly and efficiently meaning that they could do more to help by transporting donations to the storage room.

A huge well done to all involved!

Beacon Centre Careers Education

24th June 2021Mr Barnes

At the Beacon Centre we strive to offer Young People the best possible chance of success in life. We work tirelessly to give them not only the academic skills and qualifications to succeed but also the social and interpersonal skills that are vital to making a successful transition to the world of work.

Working with a growing range of local community partners, including Kier Construction, Equinox, Port of Tyne and Nissan, we are aiming to build a revolutionary careers programme that truly prepares our young people for their future, allowing them to learn the skills that employers are actually looking for.

With that in mind you can now find our Careers Minisite via the link here or by following the shortcut on the main Beacon Centre Website.

We are also today launching our Careers Blog which you can find here, or via the Careers Minisite.

If you would like to get involved in our careers offer, by submitting a diary entry, detailing what goes on in an average day at work, please contact Mr Barnes.

National Careers Week 2021 Events

2nd March 2021Mr Barnes

Follow the links below to access a range of events throughout the week to help you make the right choice for you and your future.

Tuesday 2nd March

INSIGHTS Public Lectures

March 2nd @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Online, Free

Newcastle University are providing free virtual public lectures. The lectures cover a wide range of disciplines and frequently include key contemporary issues, particularly those that affect our daily lives. Many of the speakers are leaders in their field and all have something of special interest to convey.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/newcastle-university/insights-public-lectures?id=134

Engineering roles in the Merchant Navy – webinar for parents and carers

March 2nd @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm, Online, Free

Careers at Sea is here to promote the many career opportunities in the Merchant Navy, from cadet to captain, apprentice to Chief Engineer and so many more. In this session, we will be focusing on the Engineering roles on board ship – maintaining and monitoring ship mechanics, from their immense engines to essential water and heating systems, as well as more complex technical electric equipment.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/national-careers-service/engineering-roles-in-the-merchant-navy-webinar-for-parents-and-carers?id=168

Wednesday 3rd MArch

Pathways into STEM

March 3rd @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am, Online, Free

This virtual interactive session is aimed at post-16, and will feature a panel of STEM employers talking about their job roles, different pathways into STEM and the skills they have developed along the way. Whether joining from home or from the classroom, students can ask questions via the secure ‘chat box’ live to the employers.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/inspiring-the-future/pathways-into-stem?id=170

Founders4schools

March 3rd @ 9:45 am – 4:45 pm, Online, Free

Founders4schools invites you to join this event where we bring together industry professionals from a range of sectors: Environment & Energy, Food & Drink, Financial Services, Engineering & Manufacturing and Science & Tech to talk to students about what it takes to have a fulfilling and successful career in these industries.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/careers-in-the-spotlight/founders4schools?id=174

Thursday 4th March

INSIGHTS Public Lectures

March 4th @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Online, Free

Newcastle University are providing free virtual public lectures. The lectures cover a wide range of disciplines and frequently include key contemporary issues, particularly those that affect our daily lives. Many of the speakers are leaders in their field and all have something of special interest to convey.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/newcastle-university/insights-public-lectures?id=135

North East Business Futures- The Future of Assistive Technology

March 4th @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Online, Free

North East Futures UTC, North East Business Futures and Accenture have partnered once again to deliver this online event, which is designed to provide an opportunity for the industry sector, UTC students and members of the public to hear from, and engage with, leading experts in the field of the digital technologies and how they are being implemented to transform the health and social care and digital sectors. We will be showcasing the innovative uses of technology designed to improve the quality of life and healthcare for our older generation.

Never before has the need for digital technologies been so great as in the confrontation of a wide range of issues being faced by the healthcare sector. The Covid-19 pandemic is driving the need for digital innovations to support the management and treatment of health and social care for the population, and this trend will change the shape of future healthcare as we know it.

Mark Larsen, Managing Director at Accenture will be leading on this event and you can expect facilitated discussions, industry speakers, Q&A’s plus some exciting demos and videos of new innovations.

https://www.northeastambition.co.uk/events/north-east-futures-utc/north-east-business-futures-the-future-of-assistive-technology?id=169

National Apprenticeship Week 8th – 14th Feb

2nd February 2021Mr Barnes

National Apprenticeship Week is 8th – 14th Feb. There are loads of events happening in support of the week. See the file below.

Events-Listing_V2Download

Events include Q & A events, ask an employer events as well as a whole host of events specially aimed at helping young people make the choice that best suits them for their post 16 lives.

Even during these challenging times it is vital that young people think about what their options are, an apprenticeship might just be the way to go.

Below you will find loads of activities that you can complete at home or in school.

1. Complete the Amazing Apprenticeships NAW2021 Activity Pack

Using the interactive word document, this enjoyable activity pack can
be completed digitally or printed off. Working through the activities,
students will explore hundreds of different apprenticeship job roles by
completing quizzes, watching films, filling in a word search and more.
There’s something for everyone!
Visit www.amazingapprenticeships.com/naw2021

www.amazingapprenticeships.com/naw2021

2. Test your apprenticeship knowledge

Amazing Apprenticeships has created lots of fun quizzes to help inform
students, teachers and parents about apprenticeships, traineeships and
T Levels. There is also a recycling quiz which is really good fun (and
nothing to do with apprenticeships).

apprenticeships quiz (amazingapprenticeships.com)

3. How apprenticeships can link to your favourite subject

If students aren’t sure where to start researching apprenticeships, it can
be made easier by encouraging them to think about the school subjects
that they enjoy most, and then looking at which apprenticeships they
could lead to.

Have a think about your favourite subjects.
• Use the subject posters to look at the range of apprenticeships listed for each subject.
• Carry out independent research to see what you can find out about those apprenticeships.

4_NAW2021-Subject-Poster-BundleDownload

4. Which employers offer apprenticeships?

There are thousands of employers that offer apprenticeships. Students
often start by looking at some of the more recognisable names and
the Amazing Apprenticeships Vacancy Snapshot portal has some of the
best-known apprenticeship employers in England.
Through the portal, students can explore the different sections to find
out the company benefits, the programme details, unique look-behindthe-scenes footage, case studies and detailed information about the
recruitment process. You will be amazed at the opportunities!

Visit www.amazingapprenticeships.com/vacancies and browse the different companies offering apprenticeships.
• Which companies do you recognise?
• What can you discover about the apprenticeships that they offer?
• Click on Time To Apply – what can you see about the vacancies currently available?
Please note that this portal only shows the vacancies available with those employers. There are thousands of other apprenticeship vacancies available on the GOV.UK Find an apprenticeship website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship

5. Meet real apprentices

Have a look at the video case studies and meet real
apprentices in their workplace. These films will help to build an
understanding of day-to-day responsibilities and the range of
apprenticeships available.

www.amazingapprenticeships.com/apprentices

Visit www.amazingapprenticeships.com/apprentices
• From the 20 films available, select 2 or 3 to watch that interest you.
• Did you discover anything that surprised you?

6. Relax with a mindfulness colouring sheet.

Download and print the image or copy it onto some paper and colour it in, with a nice cup of tea.

8_NAW2021-Colouring-sheetDownload