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Parents' Association
Dart Valley Learning Trust
The College continues to enjoy
the generous support of our active
Parent's Association (PA). This year
the PA has invited bids from College
staff, andhaveup to£1,500 todonate
to support the purchase of materials
and resources for the development
of new projects for students.
Bids prepared by staff are currently
being considered by the PA but
include requests from various
departments as included here:
The result of this bidding round
should be known in April.
Sincere thanks to the PA for their
continuing support of the College
and their enthusiasm for getting
involved in all that is available to
support our students.
Teresa Lakeman, Business Director
Bids for Parents' Association support:
Modern Foreign Languages department has bid for:
Student resources to support GCSE classes in the form of:
1. Vocabulary booklets which students will use to support revision and
complete weekly homework
2. A booklet for each student to support themwith exampractice, in particular
the speaking exam. This will be used at key points throughout the GCSE
course to assess progress and build student confidence in the lead up to
the final exams
3. Copies of Reading and Listening and Writing practice papers (including
translation - a new focus skill for exams)
Science department has bid for:
10 Air burst rockets – these are rockets which are powered by compressed air
from a pump and which can reach over 200m in altitude.
All years will benefit from being able to do physics investigations on motion,
velocity, energy, acceleration, streamlining etc. in a really fun and engaging
way. These topics are often hard to teach in a more interesting way and these
resources would add additional interest to physics classes.
Design and Technology department has bid for:
A set of entry level Sphero 2.0s for use in computer science and science and
technology classes.
Spheros allow the student user to create programme code to move the devices
around (e.g. around a room) or, at a basic level, for a device to be directed from
a smart phone app. This will help introduce students to the concept of droids.
College is now fully connected to, and receiving power
supply from, the new Dart Renewables hydro-electric
plant on Totnes weir – which adjoins the Elmhirst site.
Whilst there have been a few teething problems due
to the sensitivity of new trip switches installed by Dart
Renewables as part of the scheme, the installation
is now fully operational and the College is already
benefiting. The majority of our electricity supply for
the Redworth site is now being generated from the
hydro-electric plant.
This new connection reduces further the College
carbon footprint, and complements our existing green
energy sources (i.e. our biomass boiler and PV array),
with the added benefit of a considerable reduction in
our electricity unit cost.
The next phase of this project will, we hope, see the
connection of both the Kennicott and Elmhirst sites
to the same hydro-generated electricity supply.
Teresa Lakeman, Business Director
Following the installation of
a new supply cable and the
moving around of various
meters during February half
term the Redworth site of the
