Tuesday 23 April 2013

Play, Pause, Rewind the music at the first exhibition of St Albans Museums Youth Forum

Source - news release from St Albans Council on 23 Apr 2013 

Come to the launch of ‘Play, Pause, Rewind’, the first exhibition created by St Albans Museums Youth Forum, on Saturday 27 April at the Museum of St Albans.

The exhibition looks at whether the type of music you listen to affects the way you dress, think, or behave. The launch event runs from 12 noon to 3pm at the museum in Hatfield Road. There will be an opportunity to explore the exhibition, listen to or play some music. 

The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to examine their own taste in music and what it does or doesn’t say about them. Visitors will also be able to contribute to, interact with and even change aspects of the exhibition. 

In addition, ‘Play, Pause, Rewind’ will highlight the way people are buying and listening to music is changing and people who have influenced the development of music.

If you are unable to make the launch event, you can see the exhibition at a later date as it runs until Sunday 12 May.

Sam McKenzie, aged 15 years old and a member of the Youth Forum, said: "We have worked incredibly hard on this exhibition and a lot of time and effort has gone into it. We hope that visitors to the exhibition can get an idea of how varied the people of St Albans are in terms of their music tastes. We also hope that people will think about their own preferences and explore, through the exhibition, the music that other people like.”

Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: “The St Albans Museums Youth Forum has done a brilliant job in producing this great exhibition. Come along to find out and enjoy the different kinds of music that people are listening to in the District.”

If you are aged 14-19 years old and are interested in becoming involved in the Youth Forum, then come along to one of the group’s monthly meetings. The next meeting will take place on Thursday May 2 at Verulamium Museum from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

For more information about the exhibition and joining St Albans Museums Youth Forum, please visit www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk or phone 01727-819340.

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Under 11s school places for 2013

Source - news release from Herts County Council, 17 Apr 13

Hertfordshire County Council has today allocated more than 17,000 places at primary, junior and middle schools. More than 95 per cent of pupils have been allocated a place at one of their preferred schools – an increase of four per cent since last year. 

Most parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their allocation information this evening (17 April). More than 98 per cent of parents applied online and allocation emails will be sent, after 6pm, to all parents who made an online application and confirmed their email address. The online allocation system will be available for other online applicants after all emails have been sent. Allocation letters will only be sent to parents who applied on paper or online applicants who did not confirm their email address. 

The number of children applying for a place in a Hertfordshire reception class remains high with 14,859 applications received. Although the group is slightly smaller than last year (99 fewer applications), the number of children allocated a ranked school has increased significantly. 95.15 per cent of reception applicants were allocated a place at one of their four ranked schools and 82.75 per cent were allocated their first ranked school, compared to 91.81 per cent and 80.92 per cent in 2012 

Over the last few years the number of applications for reception places has been steadily increasing and additional capacity has been created in schools in many towns across Hertfordshire, as published in the “Applying for a School Place” booklet. However, more places are needed to ensure that the supply of school places matches local demand as closely as possible. Some potential expansions were therefore identified but were not finalised until primary applications for 2013 had been received and analysed. On the basis of this work the following schools will also be admitting additional pupils in September 2013: 

Cheshunt - Bonneygrove Primary
Harpenden - High Beeches Primary
Hemel Hempstead - Brockswood Primary, South Hill Primary
Hoddesdon - St Catherine’s CE (VC) Primary
Watford - Bournehall Primary, Nascot Wood Infants, St Catherine of Sienna RC Primary

Justin Donovan, Director of Education and Early Intervention, said: “We have been working closely with schools over the last three years to create additional reception places. Although across the county as a whole there are enough reception places for all children, in some areas demand has exceeded both pupil forecasts and the existing supply of school places. All children in Hertfordshire have been allocated a school place but additional capacity will be added in areas of peak demand and more places made available at the first run of continuing interest in the week commencing 13 May 2013. 

“Additional places will be added at the continuing interest stage to ensure all families have equal access to them. I recognise that it is vitally important that all families are treated fairly within a clear and transparent process.” 

All Hertfordshire applicants for reception places will be sent an email or letter on allocation day outlining the process for applying for the additional places available in the first continuing interest run. All applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any schools named higher on their application form than the school offered. Parents can also consider making a new application to any of the schools offering additional places. Full information on how to make a continuing interest application, and the timescales involved, is available at www.hertsdirect.org/primaryoptions. This information is also included in the ‘Under 11s - What Can You Do Now?’ leaflet, provided to parents who applied on paper. 

All parents and carers offered a school place must respond by 2 May 2013. Parents who applied online must also accept the school place offered online. Families are advised to visit the school they have been offered before deciding whether to accept or decline the place. If a response is not received the offered place may be withdrawn. 

The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on 17 May 2013. All information concerning post allocation processes is available online at www.hertsdirect.org/primaryoptions or in the ‘What Can You Do Now?’ leaflet. 

Thursday 11 April 2013

Celebrate Share-a-Story Month with St Albans’ museums

Source - news release from St Albans Council on 11 Apr 13

A series of magical storytelling sessions for all ages will be hosted by St Albans’ museums each Saturday during national Share-a-Story month in May. Make a date to come along to one of the following storytelling sessions at St Albans City and District Council’s museums:

Saturday 4 May at the Clock Tower, from 2pm to 3pm. 

The series kicks off with a session by storyteller Olivia Armstrong who specialises in telling traditional folktales, wonder tales, legends and myths from around the world. Places are limited at this venue in the High Street, St Albans, so do arrive early to secure your place. 

Saturday 11 May, Sopwell Nunnery, from 2pm to 3pm. 

Olivia Armstrong will again relay wonderful tales at Sopwell Nunnery. You are invited to bring a picnic along to enjoy during or after the storytelling session. Sopwell Nunnery in Cottonmill Lane, St Albans is a scheduled monument and the ruins will provide an enchanting backdrop to the stories you will hear. 

Saturday 18 May, Verulamium Museum, from 2pm to 3pm.

Storyteller Kathryn Holt will be delivering tales in Verulamium Museum’s activity room in St Michael’s Street, St Albans. Admission to the museum is not included in the £3 session price. However, you may wish to take this opportunity to explore the artefacts of St Albans’ Roman past.

Saturday 25 May, Museum of Albans, from 2pm to 4pm

The series will culminate with an event to mark the end of the museum’s Lion Under the Stairs Storytelling initiative. Budding storytellers have been attending a series of workshops designed to give them the skills to write and perform their own tales.

Tickets for the all storytelling sessions are £3 per person and are available on the day. For further information please visit www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk or phone 01727-819340.