A teenager has won an award after putting her first aid skills into practice to help a teammate who collapsed while on a Duke of Edinburgh scheme expedition.
Bethan Jenkins, 16, a student at Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy in Burton, was with five fellow police cadets in Bakewell when one of them collapsed.
The group was aiming to achieve the DofE Bronze award, part of which requires participants to complete an unaccompanied expedition in the countryside following a series of training sessions. Leaders are on hand via mobile phones in case of emergencies.
During the expedition, one of the six girls started to feel unwell before dropping to the floor and falling unconscious. Her teammates then used first aid skills they had learnt during their police cadet training, including first aid and rehearsing protocols for emergencies.
Bethan said: “Our friend who collapsed had a bag on her back so we took that off her, we made sure her head was raised and we checked her pulse which felt like it was racing. We tried to help her gain consciousness by splashing water on her. She was burning up but she was also freezing and her lips were turning blue. We lay a jacket on her. I kept thinking of the worst that could happen and running through what we needed to do, so thinking about whether we might end up having to do CPR. Some members of our group were also very upset.
“We tried to bring her around but then when we realised she wasn’t getting any better we got our phones, which are usually locked away in our bags as we are on a DofE expedition. One of the girls called our leader to tell them what had happened. We had to go an app that tells you where you are because we were a bit lost. The mountain rescue team came out and we were taken to our camp and the girl who collapsed was taken to hospital by air ambulance. She was ok, it was something to do with her heart and she was undergoing more tests. I think we did quite well coping with what happened.”
The girls made the decision to continue with the expedition the next day and gained their Bronze Award. As well as the expedition, participants also have to complete fitness, volunteering and skills tasks.
The group’s fast actions have now been recognised as they received a DofE All Stars of the Year Award at Buckingham Palace.
Bethan said: “I was completely shocked when I found out we would be getting an award. We were excited when we found out we would be going to Buckingham Palace and that was nice, we got a certificate.”
Amanda Mcdowall, Head of Year 11 at Blessed Robert Sutton, said: “ I am so proud to have Beth in our year group. She is an amazing young lady and a real asset to our school community. It is no surprise that she acted as quickly and as bravely as she did as Beth has always shown great initiative. I know that she is going to go on and be extremely successful and continue to have such a positive impact on the community and those around her.”
Samuel Gray, Headteacher at Blessed Robert Sutton, said: “Taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award is a challenge that is worth celebrating. What Bethan and her friends did is even more impressive, using their skills and initiative to help a friend in need. Everyone at Blessed Robert Sutton is incredibly proud of Bethan and everyone else involved.”
A Derby primary school has installed an emergency allergy protection kit to support pupils and staff.
The kit, produced by Kitt Medical, contains two junior adrenaline pens – EpiPens – and two adult EpiPens and has been installed at St Alban’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Chaddesden.
All staff have been trained on how to use the kit. Three members of staff at St Alban’s have a severe allergy, including Headteacher Tim Brogan who is allergic to nuts.
He said: “Twenty per cent of our staff body have an allergy and we have a number of pupils with allergies. They have their own EpiPens and care plans in school so the kit is designed to be a failsafe. We do have a number of events that parents attend and visitors who come into school and obviously we don’t know whether they have allergies or not. So it’s about the allergies which are known and those that are unknown and this kit will allow us to respond at pace if we need to.
“We’ve installed it close to our school hall where children eat their dinner. Setting up the kit and the training, which is online, has been really simple. All of our staff have been trained to use the kit, we know that every member of staff can support if required. I can see these kits becoming like defibrillators.”
St Alban’s will receive a yearly supply of adrenaline pens to be stored in the accessible wall mounted emergency ‘Kitt’. All staff also get access to Kitt’s online CPD accredited training course, to help increase awareness of allergic conditions and preparedness to treat anaphylaxis.
Since launching in January 2023, Kitt Medical has partnered with 550 schools, with 700 Kitts in schools, and 15,000 staff members trained.
Zak Marks, co-founder and CEO of Kitt Medical, said: “I’ve lived with severe allergies for as long as I can remember and have always found it to be a burden. Whether it’s not knowing where/what I can eat, being scared I could have an allergic reaction, or just always having to carry two adrenaline pens on me at all times, it unfortunately creates a daily inconvenience – one which I wanted to try and solve. I’m so excited that we’re now creating a new standard for allergy care with schools and academies across the UK.”
Anaphlaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen, such as certain foods or insect stings. During anaphylaxis, the immune system releases chemicals that can cause the body to go into shock, leading to symptoms like swelling, hives, and difficulty breathing. Immediate treatment with an epinephrine injector is crucial.
EpiPens work by rapidly injecting a dose of epipinephrine (also called adrenaline), which reverses the effects of anaphylaxis.
Headteacher Tim Brogan with pupils, showing them the emergency allergy protection kit that has been installed at St Alban’s.
An upcoming band delivered an important mental health message to pupils at St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy in Buxton.
Absnt Mind performed for the whole school and discussed their own journeys through school and how young people should not be afraid to talk about how they feel.
Kerry Taylor, Head of Learning for Year 7 and 8, organised the band’s performance at St Thomas More.
She said: “Having Absnt Mind come and perform was a wonderful and enriching experience for our students. The band were very talented, the students loved their music and the staff too!
“As well as performing, the band took time to discuss their own journeys through school and delivered the message that it’s OK to be your authentic self, work hard – put the games down and get to bed and talk to people if you feel something is not quite right. Hearing young boys willingly discuss mental health and the importance of sharing worries was great to combat some of the significant issues with teenagers today. It was wonderful to be able to arrange something that all of our students could experience and gain so much from.
“For our students to be able to see young people working hard to achieve their dreams and see that success isn’t something that happens overnight will be something that will inspire them beyond their years with us at school.
“The band were a great example for our students, to aspire to be more for our world, using their talent to spread important messages to our young people. I’d like to thank our fantastic PTA, FOSTM, who volunteer so much of their time to raise money and provide opportunities such as this one for our school and students. “
Iris, in Year 7, said: “I really enjoyed the music, the cover of I love you, I’m sorry by Gracie Abrams especially – and the message it carried. I think that their talk was extremely moving and could give a lot of confidence to people in high school especially. I would love to see their performance again.”
Cleona, in Year 10, said: “I enjoyed having Absnt Mind in school. I loved seeing how talented they were and knowing they were only a couple of years older than us makes you feel like we could be part of a band like them when we are older. They gave us positive, inspiring messages and hearing them talk about their own experiences in life when they were younger and what they regret, really gets you thinking. They sang really well and had a good variety of songs plus they sang some covers.”
Logan, in Year 8, said: “They were very cool, brilliant and fantastic. Their music brightened my day and I loved the messages.”
David Redfern, Headteacher at St Thomas More, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Absnt Mind to our school. Their talent, energy, and openness provided an inspiring experience for our students, not only through their music but also their heartfelt message about mental health and resilience. At St Thomas More, we believe in fostering a supportive environment where students feel encouraged to be authentic, work hard, and reach out for help when they need it. The band’s visit reinforced these values beautifully, and we are immensely grateful for their time and efforts to make a lasting impact on our school community.”
Every pupil at Saint Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy sent a birthday card to a 103-year-old following a public appeal.
More than 120 cards were taken by a group of pupils from the school, in New Mills, to Watford Care Home resident Mabel White. The school also recorded all pupils singing happy birthday to Mabel.
Following a public appeal on Facebook and the Buxton Advertiser, Mabel received over 1,700 cards from countries across the world, including the cards from Saint Mary’s.
Pupil Alfie said: “We were told in assembly about Mabel and that she was a 103-year-old who didn’t have any family and that she would like some birthday cards so we all made one and took them to her at the care home.”
“It made feel happy that we were helping Mabel and hopefully we made her feel happy too. We all felt a bit sad when we were told that she didn’t have any family and might not get any birthday cards,” pupil Eva said.
Pupil Lexie said: “We are always thinking about Catholic Social Teaching principles and that means helping charities and helping the homeless so helping those in need.
“We all recorded a happy birthday message for Mabel so that came from the whole school and then some of us brought the cards and flowers to the care home.
“This links to one of our Catholic Social Teaching principles about family and community. That is because Mabel doesn’t have any family and we wanted to show her that she is part of a bigger family.”
Patricia Chapman, Headteacher at Saint Mary’s CVA, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to be part of this wonderful occasion. We are part of a family and a community and as a Catholic school we continually strive to help others. We always support those most in need and instill in all our pupils the right to respect human dignity. This may only be a small act of kindness, but it means a lot to Mabel and our pupils.”
Twelve pupils from St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy will have their poems published in a book that will be sold across the UK.
Forty-six pupils from Years 7 to 9 at the Buxton school entered the Young Writers’ Poetry Competition ‘Be Real in a Fake World’ and 12 pupils had their work selected for publication.
Amy Shaw, Head of English at St Thomas More, said she was thrilled that so many pupils entered the competition and that 12 will have their work published.
She said: “We promoted the competition in lessons and offered to support pupils with their application. We’ve had a lot of in-house competitions previously but this is the first national one that we’ve entered. We had over 46 applications which was great and it’s fantastic to have 12 students selected to have their work published along with other children from across the country. A copy of the book will be in the British Library and the book will be available to buy.
“We are very proud of the pupils and we had a party to celebrate the winners. We try to do a lot to support pupils throughout the year, we are a busy department.”
Year 7 pupils Rhea and Faith were among the 12 pupils who had their work selected for publication.
Faith said: “I didn’t think I would be selected. I think we were both quite shocked when we found out that we had won, it was a bit overwhelming but in a good way.”
Rhea said: “My poem was about being you is enough. It’s exciting to think that our work will be published in a book; it’s something that I’ve always dreamed of.”
The school is now encouraging pupils to enter another Young Writers competition; to write a short story of no more than 100 words. The school also held a Harry Potter day in December and in January pupils will also be encouraged to take part in a Poetry by Heart competition, learning poetry and reciting it in front of an audience.
David Redfern, Headteacher said: “We are incredibly proud of our students’ achievements in this national competition. Their success reflects the creativity, hard work, and passion for writing that we strive to nurture here at St Thomas More. Seeing their poems published is a wonderful recognition of their talent and dedication.”
Top photo: Some of the pupils celebrating their success.
Bottom photo: A pupil whose work will be published in the book.
Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy has been graded Good overall in its latest Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI) inspection.
Catholic life and mission, religious education and collective worship were all graded Good by inspectors following their visit in November 2024.
Headteacher Hazel Boyce said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of our CSI. Having the quality of provision for Catholic Life and Mission and the leadership of Religious Education recognised as being outstanding is wonderful. Our pupils thrive here at Saint Benedict as a result of our school values and the dedication of staff and the CSI report captures this beautifully.”
Inspectors said that the Catholic life and mission of Saint Benedict CVA, in Derby, was known and lived through the school’s values of love, knowledge, integrity and belief.
“Students at Saint Benedict thrive within a strong community ethos and actively embrace the school’s identity in its everyday actions. The values of love, integrity and knowledge are embedded in school culture, shaping the character and development of every student and guiding daily interactions, which support the holistic growth of every student,” the report said.
Inspectors added: “Every student is made to feel valued and that they fully belong within the school through its truly inclusive nature. This forms the basis of the excellent pastoral care and dedication shown by leaders, teachers and support staff.”
The strong culture of diversity was highlighted by inspectors who said: “Leaders have the importance of community at the heart of their decision making and inclusion is considered in all areas of school.”
Leadership in religious education was described as “reflective and proactive” in seeking interventions to help all students flourish. Inspectors praised governors, saying they are highly skilled and actively engaged in the whole life of the school.
Inspectors said that a “profound sense of community” was evident within the school, reflected in the quality of relationships throughout.
“This supportive and loving environment embodies an unwavering commitment to uplifting the most vulnerable members of the school community. Pastoral care at Saint Benedict is exemplary and stands as a cornerstone of the school’s identity,” inspectors said.
Staff at all levels demonstrate exceptional dedication, consistently going above and beyond to nurture and care for their students, with a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable, according to the report.
A teacher and pupil who were at Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy on its opening day joined current staff and students to celebrate the school’s 60th anniversary.
Susan Skinner was a pupil at the Ilkeston school on the day it opened its doors in Abbot Road in 1965. She was in a class taught by Paul Booth and both Susan and Paul returned to Saint John Houghton for a day of Jubilee celebrations.
Paul was joined by other ex-pupils and staff for a question and answer session with current pupils and this was followed by Mass which was celebrated by the Bishop of Nottingham, Patrick McKinney.
Three former Headteachers at the school also attended Mass, including Bernard Monaghan, Joan McCarthy and Terry Murphy.
Ex-pupil Kieran Armstrong, 66, attended Saint John Houghton between 1969 and 1974.
He said: “The school was great when I was a pupil. It’s strange to come back; it’s 50 years since I was a pupil here.
“Both of my children came here and my grandchildren will probably come here too. We do have a group of about a dozen ex-pupils who keep in touch and meet up. It’s great to see my old woodwork teacher, Mr Booth, after I had left school I ended up fitting his kitchen for him!”
Mr Booth worked at Saint John Houghton from 1965 to 1996. He started as a Design and Technology teacher before becoming Head of Lower School and finally he was Deputy Headteacher before he retired.
He said: “I remember when I was here we had three sittings for lunch which took 90 minutes. There was no café and it was all table service.
“We have a bit of a strange anniversary with it being in January because the school wasn’t ready to open in the September of 1964 because it wasn’t finished.”
Susan was one of his first pupils, she said: “I was here when the school first opened in 1965 and I left in 1967 when I was 15. I remember the uniform we had to wear; we wore straw boaters in the summer and hats in the winter. My dad was also a caretaker at the school. Strangely I found out about the Jubilee celebrations from my sister in Australia who had seen it on an app. It’s been lovely to see Mr Booth again, he was quite firm and strict but teachers were in those days.”
Steve Brogan, Headteacher at Saint John Houghton, said: “We were so proud to celebrate 60 years of Catholic education in Ilkeston and the surrounding areas 60 years after students walked through the doors of our school for the very first time. We had a wonderful day in school and we were joined by several members of the local community who were here on that very first day. We were also joined by Bishop Patrick, who led us in our celebration of the Holy Mass. Huge thanks to all of our students and staff for their efforts in making the day such a special celebration. I feel so blessed and honoured to be the Headteacher of this terrific school.”
Bishop Patrick McKinney celebrates Mass (1), current Headteacher Steve Brogan with former Headteachers Bernard Monaghan, Joan McCarthy and Terry Murphy (2), Susan Skinner and Paul Booth (3).
An ex-student at Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy returned to talk to students about being a production assistant on the new blockbuster film Wicked.
Neil Lwanga, 32, left Saint Benedict, in Derby, in 2012 after studying A-levels in Media, IT, Drama and Sociology.
He was invited back to talk to Performing Arts and Media students about his career which has seen him work in production on The Landscapers, starring Olivia Coleman and films including The Marvels and Wicked.
After school Neil went on to study at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham but then he struggled to find work, picking up jobs in call centres and sales.
In 2020 he gained a place at MAMA Youth Project, a four-month training programme for people from under-represented backgrounds to gain the skills and opportunities for work in the film and TV industry.
A key part of the training was to produce a magazine show for Sky Arts. Neil’s role was to research and pitch guests to producers and during that time he managed to book social media influencer, boxer and musician, KSI.
Once he completed the MAMA Youth project, he became part of their alumni and had a number of calls with production companies about potential opportunities. A month later, he received his first job was as a runner on a HBO series called The Landscapers, starring Olivia Coleman.
After Landscapers he worked on the Marvels as a Set PA trainee in the Assistant Director’s department, after that he went onto do a variety of Floor Runner jobs on various productions from ITV, Apple and Netflix.
In 2022 he received a call to work as a Set PA on Wicked, with the same team from the Marvels, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
A Floor Runner / Set PA’s roles are interchangeable; Set PA is a common term on big budget productions. They are responsible for managing the cast, co-ordinating transport, liaising between departments and resolving any issues.
Neil talked to students about what happened when he got the call for Wicked.
He said: “I had a call for a job, but they withhold details of the project in the first conversation.
“I was informed that it would be with the same team from the Marvels, so I checked in with a mutual colleague to see if they received a call and they told me it was for Wicked. You were required to drive on the job but I didn’t have car, but I said I would just make it work and I did.
“Wicked was the longest job I’ve done so far; 12 hour days, including some weekends over eight months. It was filmed across Sky Studios and a backlot in Invinghoe. The Invinghoe shoots invited several drones flying over, operated by paparazzi, trying to get shots while filming was taking place.
“I met Cynthia and Ariana; it took Cynthia four hours in make up as she was green and they also had to cover up Ariana’s tattoos. It’s really interesting to see how a film is put together. They had to film songs in segments of verses, they had to sing to a specific bar and then stop. It’s mind blowing really.
“I had a horn which I had to sound when filming was due to start so that the construction crew stopped working and were quiet. I met the Director, John Chu. and I like to thank that me talking to him about things other than work gave him a chance to escape. He’s a really nice man.
“I had a photo taken with Ariana on a night shoot when she had some friends come in. We were around the trailers and she took the photos on her personal phone. I had to wait for the right moment to ask her to Air Drop the photos! She’s the nicest actor I’ve ever worked with and just to see what she’s achieved is amazing, it’s something she wanted over 10 years ago and now she’s living her dream.”
Anna West, Director of Learning Performing and Creative Arts at Saint Benedict, said: “What an inspiring afternoon our students had. They learnt so much about the film industry, working with superstars, the importance of being true to yourself, always having integrity, surrounding yourself with good people and never giving up. It would be hard to find a more powerful and positive message for our students as they begin to consider their future. It was also the most wonderful moment as a teacher to have a past student come back and inspire a new generation. It’s moments like this that make this job so utterly worthwhile.”
Neil with Director John Chu, with Ariana Grande and on set.
An all day danceathon at St Thomas’ Catholic Voluntary Academy in Ilkeston has raised £1,450 for charity.
Every child at the school took part in the sponsored event which saw Clubbercize instructor Lyndsey Ford, who is a teacher at St Thomas’, taking a class at a time into the hall and leading a dance exercise session.
She said: “It’s just wonderful seeing the children enjoy exercising. They all put 100% effort in and it was just so heart-warming to be dancing and singing with them all. Bring on the next danceathon!”
Clubbercize is a fun, full body workout for all fitness levels which is set to club anthems, from 90s dance tunes to the latest hits, with party lights and glow sticks.
Money raised from the event will go to support a community in Malawi, following an appeal at a local church.
Pupil Lillia, 10, said: “We have got lots of people to sponsor us, all of our family and friends. My younger sister has raised £13. I like dancing so I really enjoyed taking part in this.”
“I go to a lot of discos when I go on holiday and I like dancing. The dance sessions really got our blood pumping and they had a real positive vibe,” said pupil Harrison, 11.
Pupil Jarvis, 10, said: “We danced for about 30 minutes and it was great to be doing something fun which will also help children in Malawi. I’d love to do something like this every week.”
“It was so exciting and it was like a fun way of doing exercise. I felt like it helped me to focus more in lessons after the session too and we got to wear colourful clothes,” said pupil Maja, 10.
Michael Sellors, Headteacher at St Thomas’, said: “As a school we have really supported local charities in recent months, so we wanted to help an international cause this Advent. There was an appeal at our local church recently to help support a community in Malawi and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to help out through the children getting sponsored. The children have loved coming to school in brightly coloured clothes and taking part in the high energy dancing and hopefully we have raised some money to help those in need in Malawi.”
Sponsorship money will be donated to a charity called Network for a Better World, a lay missionary group which works to relieve poverty, with specific support for women and children, in a rural mission parish in Southern Malawi.
Festive fun has been on the timetable for pupils and staff at St Anne’s Catholic Voluntary Academy.
Alongside the usual curriculum there has also been an Advent calendar, a reverse Advent calendar, a jingle jog, carol concert and an appearance from The Grinch.
The Grinch has been revealing what’s behind the doors on the Advent calendar at school every day.
Some of the doors have revealed treats for pupils, including listening to Christmas music and having a hot chocolate, but some doors have revealed chores including tidying up.
Head Girl Georgie, 11, and Head Boy Ozzy, 10, have been running a reverse Advent calendar which has seen pupils bringing in food donations every day and these will be given to a local food bank.
The pair also helped to organise the jingle jog which saw pupils adapt their daily mile by dressing up in festive clothing to raise money for charity and a Christmas carol concert at the school.
Ozzy said: “We were asked if we could come up with some ideas for things to do in school at Christmas and we came up with the reverse Advent calendar, dressing up for the jingle jog and holding the carol concert. We hosted the concert and I was a bit nervous but I think it went ok and was good.”
Georgie said: “We practised for the carol concert and Ozzy came up with the jokes that he would say as the host. We thought of doing a reverse advent calendar because we wanted to be able to give to other people. Lots of donations have been brought in which is good.”
Assistant Headteacher Stephanie Clarke said: “Our Head Girl, Georgie’s initiative of a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ was met with an overwhelming response. We were inundated with generous donations that far exceeded our expectations, showcasing the kindness and community spirit that exists within our school. Well done, Georgie!
Our KS2 children took part in a carol concert which was hosted wonderfully by our Head Boy and Head Girl. It was a resounding success, filled with beautiful singing, festive cheer and funny jokes from our Head Boy Oscar. It was lovely to see so many attend and celebrate with us.
“Children also took part in a ‘Jingle Bell Jog daily mile’, an initiative from our Deputy Head Girl, Ava, which raised money for Blythe House Hospice.
“Finally, the ‘Grinch Whole School Advent Calendar’ has certainly caused a buzz a St. Anne’s. Each day a balloon has been popped on the Advent Calendar to reveal a chore or a treat. The children have loved watching the Grinch videos and can’t wait to see who is behind the mask.”
