The Academy was awarded Fairtrade School status in April and we have been working hard over the last year to gain this recognition.   As a local school with a global outreach, we adopted and embraced the use of Fairtrade in order to make our world a better place.  Therefore, ASFA is committed to supporting, promoting and using Fairtrade wherever possible.   We believe that people should be given a fair price for fair work and we have a responsibility to stand up for the rights of those who are being treated unfairly by global trade rules.  We want to be part of something that will help people and to also see our Academy become an even fairer place.

A word from our students……

A fair-trade school is a school that specialises in fair-trade and helps promote fair-trade to both staff, students and even the local community. We have done many things in order to become a fair-trade school including:

Learning about Fairtrade issues in lessons, holding Fair-trade events like giving out Fairtrade goodie bags at the Newsham park festival, a Fairtrade afternoon tea community event, and selling Fair-trade goods like chocolate, pencils and even breakfast bars.

It has made a huge difference as it has had a great impact on our Academy and local community, and lots more products have been bought in and sold. Also lots of people come to our events, hear about Fairtrade and buy Fairtrade items from our stall.

We wanted to get involved in Fairtrade because we think it’s not fair that people in developing world countries don’t get paid the fair price for their products and we wanted to help them to get that fair pay.

By Matthew Evans and Prince Torkornoo 8DF, members of the Fairtrade Steering Committee

HERE

Local residents, school children and community groups were out in force on Saturday 24th March for the Academy of St Francis of Assisi’s ‘Spring Fling’! This year the theme was regeneration as the Academy and its partners began the groundwork for a programme of renewal for Denman Drive Gardens at the entrance to Newsham Park. On the day dozens of volunteers from Plusdane Housing, Venture Housing, Riverside Housing, The friends of Newsham Park and Academy staff and students took part in a spring clean of the park and surrounding streets before getting stuck in to the redevelopment of the gardens. The tired old benches were sanded and repainted, the fountain planting areas weeded and replanted and four brand new wild flower beds were dug and sown with seeds. These will become natural havens for bees, butterflies and other small animals.
Academy Principal Dermot McNiffe said the country’s first environmental school is determined to take a lead in community regeneration in Kensington, Fairfield and Tuebrook.
“Our specialism is sustainability and there is no better way to teach this than through pupils’ involvement with the environment on our own doorstep. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful setting here in Newsham Park, and it’s exciting for our students and staff to take such an active part in its revival.”
Inside the Academy, the Adult Learning Service, Faiths for Change and Sowing seed for Success ran workshops teaching young people about plants and wildlife alongside fun spring time activities such as cookery, crafts and arts. Over 170 people attended the event in total which signalled the beginning of a commitment from the council, Academy and local people to help in the regeneration of Liverpool’s ‘forgotten’ park.
Local resident Jonathan Brown has been actively campaigning to improve Newsham Park for almost ten years, and expressed delight at its change in fortunes.
“It’s brilliant we are now seeing real change after several decades of steep decline – six years ago there were even threats to develop housing on the green space. Newsham Park missed out on the big lottery cash won by our ‘sister parks’, Stanley and Sefton, so we’ve still got a lot further to go. But having the Academy and city council throw their weight behind us is a real leap forward – it feels like somebody cares about the park again.”
The Academy of St Francis of Assisi, built at the entrance to the park, was built with the dual aim of helping to rejuvenate the park alongside improving educational standards for the children of Kensington. It initiated and still organises the Newsham Park Arts Festival, held every summer and which attracted some 4,000 visitors last year.
Teacher Lisa Heron runs the Academy’s community and extended schools department, working with local residents, housing providers and primary schools in the area. She said the hard work on the Spring Fling was worthwhile:
“We want to build our pupil’s pride in the history and wildlife of their own local environment, so they will become its custodians in future. We’re looking forward to welcoming people of all ages to Saturday’s activities, which build on the success of our Newsham Park Summer Festival each June.”

Year 11 Hospitality and Catering students created a range of delicious cupcakes and scones, made with Fairtrade sugar, cocoa, icing sugar and fruit, which were served with plenty of Fairtrade tea and coffee.

Guests were given a Fairtrade goodie bag when they arrived which included lots of information about Fairtrade and a sample of Fairtrade Hot Chocolate.

The Academy Fairtrade Committee gave a short talk about Fairtrade and guests took part in a quiz all about Fairtrade.  The students also ran a Traidcraft stall selling everything from Fairtrade lip balm to Fairtrade chocolate.

Event organiser and Academy Chaplain, Laura Jones said: “As an academy we are really committed to promoting, using and learning about Fairtrade, and we are working towards becoming a Fairtrade School.  This event was a great way to also involve the local community, for the students to share the importance of Fairtrade, as well as raising money for Traidcraft and their work around the world.”

Emma Jewitt, from Traidcraft’s Fair Trade Schools team, adds: “We’re delighted that students at The Academy of St Francis of Assisi are supporting fair trade. We’re asking that students take just one step, whether that be a small event or a big event involving the whole school, to make fair trade part of their everyday lives and, in turn, help families to flourish in the developing world.”

Consultation – Proposal for adding a 6th form

Year 9 Pathways

The Academy recently underwent an OFSTED monitoring visit to evaluate progress since our last inspection.  The visit was Liverpool’s first “no-notice” OFSTED monitoring visit and the inspection team was quick to praise the readiness of staff and students in co-operating with their requirements and providing all of the necessary paper work and information.

These visits will become more and more common across the whole country as part of OFSTED and the government’s drive to improve school performance.

We are pleased to report that the Academy came out of the process in a very positive light. Some of the key obseravtions indicated that our “Ready to Learn” programme is really paying dividends in terms of progress, student motivation and attitudes around the Academy.

The inspection team found:

“Most significantly the 5 A*-C measure is now significantly above the national average.”

“Results from English and Mathematics examinations put the Academy in a stronger position than it was this time last year.”

“Expectations have been raised and this has already shown impact in results.”

“Inspectors found the behaviour around the Academy to be orderly and polite.”

The Academy has raised expectations of behaviour [and] students report a more harmonious community.”

Once again the Academy hosted an array of colleges, employers and further education establishments during our successful careers event. Over 400 students attended the conference, leaving with the advice, recommendations and freebies which all of the participants had to offer.

Our visitors left some glowing tributes to our students and the event as a whole and just some of them are included below:

Liverpool Community College – “The event is very well organised and welcoming.  The children are very polite and keen to talk about their ambitions and aspirations.”

Merseyside Youth Association – “Nice to see so many young people thinking about their future.”

Greenbank College – “Well organised event with a good range of training providers.  A good way for pupils to gain knowledge of services/training available.”

Alder Training – “Very well organised event.  All students eager to gather information.”

Skills Solutions – “A well-structured event with the right amount of students attending at any given time.  Well Mannered, attentive and polite students – a credit to the school.”

Broadgreen International School – “Pupils very interested and polite.  Staff and pupils very helpful and supportive.  Good atmosphere.”