NEWS COMMENT
SCI-HIGH
Thanks to an ambitious new project , children from across Newton Aycliffe are developing a passion for science .
It is hoped that the new initiative , led by Woodham Academy , will improve science education across the town and inspire a new generation of scientists .
The project , which will benefit more than 600 children , has been made possible thanks to a grant of £ 57,000 from SHINE , an education charity which supports school and teacher-led projects across the north .
Nic Jenkins , the head of Science Academy at Woodham , developed the project after realising that few children were arriving at school with ambitions of a career in science .
The problem , she says , is partly down to the lack of science specialists at some of the town ’ s primary schools .
It is also down to a reduction in primary science teaching , since the government ended the science Sat paper .
“ What it means is that there is a wide discrepancy in science knowledge between children arriving at secondary school ,” said Nic .
“ Research shows that it is at primary school that students really develop the idea of what they want to be when they grow up . But what we don ’ t find often enough – particularly in Newton Aycliffe – are children wanting to be a scientist , because there is no aspiration to be a scientist .
“ For many children in the town , science is not a career that is even an option they have considered .”
Having discussed the matter with science leads at Woodham ’ s 11 feeder primary schools , Nic discovered they faced a range of issues , including a lack of resources , inadequate staff training , a shortage of teachers from a science background , and a lack of confidence in teaching the subject .
Since 2020 , Nic has been working in partnership with her primary school
Woodham Academy is leading on an initiative to improve science education across Newton Aycliffe .
£ 57K grant to improve science education across Newton Aycliffe
colleagues , with the shared aim of tackling these problems and trying to improve science education across the town .
But , she said , to be truly successful , “ we knew that we needed to take it to the next level ”.
The grant from SHINE is helping to fund SHINE @ Woodham , a three-year whole-town project with ambitious aims .
SHINE ’ s funding means that Nic can now dedicate two afternoons a week to leading workshops across all nine local primary schools .
These lessons are observed by the primary teachers , who are then given the resources and lesson plans that they need to deliver the classes themselves .
Over the three years of the project , each of the primaries will receive everything they need to teach a comprehensive science curriculum . Every school will receive the same resources and lesson plans , ensuring consistent primary school science teaching across the town .
Once the primary teachers have been shown how to lead the lessons , the funding covers staff cover , so that they get time to implement the course .
Teachers receive training , lesson plans and resources , helping them to feel more confident teaching science .
Another portion of the budget is being spent on bringing speakers into school from local science and technology companies , as well as arranging field trips to places including a local nature reserve , chemical engineering plant and Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station .
Dr Helen Rafferty , interim CEO of SHINE , added : “ We are so pleased to be supporting this ambitious drive to improve science education across Newton Aycliffe .
“ At SHINE we ’ ve always believed in the power of great teachers . This project presents a great opportunity to build a community of teaching and strengthen the great practice which is happening locally .”
SELLER BEWARE !
When it comes to property law and property contracts , requesting a deposit is a common occurrence in selling a property . But when is a deposit not just a deposit ?
The deposit acts as security for the seller and is usually part of the overall purchase price .
Typically , a deposit in a property purchase is set at 10 per cent of the purchase price . This deposit is usually paid to the seller upon the exchange of contracts as a partial payment towards the overall price .
It ’ s important to be cautious when requesting a buyer to pay a deposit that exceeds 10 per cent , as it may not be legally enforceable . Such a request could be considered a penalty on the buyer and may not hold up in court .
Higher deposit amounts can , of course , indicate a serious buyer , can give the seller some assurance that the buyer has the financial resources to complete the purchase and may also give the seller a sense of security that if the buyer were to back out of the deal , the deposit would cover some or all of the seller ’ s expenses .
However , a deposit that is disproportionately high in relation to the purchase price or is non-refundable regardless of the buyer ’ s reasons for backing out of the deal may be considered a contractual penalty and could be voided by a court .
Ultimately , a seller may decide that the leverage of holding a higher deposit outweighs the risk of being sued if they forfeit it upon non-completion . However , if a seller demands a deposit exceeding 10 per cent , they may face challenges and could be held responsible for returning the entire deposit .
Richard Flounders , Partner Jacksons Law Firm
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