The council share this latest news. Ed
Local pupil training centre W.I.S.E. (Workshop Initiative Supporting Education), recently celebrated its students’ successes with an annual open day.
Councillors, students, parents and school staff were also able to enjoy an exciting Pinewood Derby style racing competition.
Workshop Initiative for Support in Education
WISE is Workshop Initiative for Support in Education and assists pupils to achieve through practical activities that have a tangible outcome. It provides activities based on woodwork, plumbing, motor vehicle mechanics, painting and decorating and construction.
The students had the chance to show what they had achieved in W.I.S.E.’s woodwork/construction and motor mechanics workshops.
The open day was well attended and pupils proudly displayed their impressive work to more than 50 supportive visitors. The students had designed and built their own racing cars which competed to be the fastest.
The prize winners
The Isle of Wight Council Cabinet member for children’s services, Councillor Paul Brading, and the chairman of the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for children’s services, Councillor Vanessa Churchman, judged the best-constructed car competition and presented students with prizes.
The prize winners included Venus Bright, 16, for Overall Achievement and Bailey Hammam, 11, of The Bay Primary School, who won the best woodwork prize. Lewis Booth, 16, and Matthew Churches, 15, of Ryde Academy shared the prize for most progress made.
Really impressed with the quality
Cabinet member for children’s services, Councillor Paul Brading, said:
“I had the great pleasure of attending the WISE open day and presenting awards to the young people. I was really impressed with the quality of what they have made, and how proud they were to show things off to others. The whole WISE service is a credit to Adrian and his excellent team.
“All Island children deserve the right to achieve their full potential in a supportive and encouraging environment and the W.I.S.E service is playing an essential part in giving pupils more confidence in their skills and abilities.”
Supervised practical activities
The workshop, located on Dodnor Industrial Estate, Newport, offers provision for students from all Island schools, with opportunities in more practical subjects.
W.I.S.E provides pupils with a smaller, less structured working environment, often catering to youngsters who have struggled to adjust to the social or academic demands of mainstream education.
Manager of W.I.S.E, Adrian Earle, said:
“We aim to assist pupils to achieve success through supervised practical activities that have a tangible outcome the student can own. Small group settings are provided, where students can explore practical tasks and are given individual attention to achieve something they, their family, school and friends see as worthwhile.
“We work hard to encourage appropriate behaviour through clear boundaries and expectations with role modelling from the instructors. Our sessions help improve school attendance by building on self-esteem and confidence.”
Applications for placements at W.I.S.E are made through schools and courses are part-time, running alongside pupils’ mainstream schooling. The centre runs City and Guilds courses in motor vehicle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics and construction skills including carpentry and joinery, plumbing, electrical work and painting and decorating. W.I.S.E. also offers jewellery making and cycle mechanics.
Full list of Prize Winners 2017
Mitchell Dent – motorcycle mechanics
Bailey Hammam – best woodwork
Fred Sutton – most creative woodwork
Ajay Parker – motor vehicle mechanics
Lewis Booth – progress prize (shared)
Matthew Churches – progress prize (shared)
Ethan Pinder – City and Guilds construction
Venus Bright – overall achievement prize
Pinewood Derby Results
Fastest car race:
First – Brandon Read
Second – Zac Feakes
Third – Bailey Hammam
Best Car Design:
First – Mitchell Dent
Second – Lewis Booth
For further information on W.I.S.E, please contact (01983) 532391 (during term time) or email [email protected] (during term time).
