Hillside’s Journey to Excellence

In keeping with our commitment to continually update our staff’s training and skills, we are spending this week training some exisiting members of the team and our new crop of HNC students in TCI version 6.

This programme has been widely used in the school since 1994 and we are currently working with the 6th version of the programme. Fresh from their summer updates, our trainers Karen, Craig and Mike are hard at work this term updating staff on the new programme; continuing to learn from our own research and feedback from staff and young people.

Young person involvement remains at the heart of our work and the photographs for this article were kindly taken by Colin in Class 2.

We are also hoping for help from our young people later in the week with the testing aspect of the programme, where support is needed in invigilating the written exam and sharing their experiences of the helping aspects of the TCI system with our young people.

So far the week has been very positive and stimulating, and we are hopeful this will be reflected in a successful outcome for all participants.

It hardly seems like five minutes since we welcomed everyone back at the start of the new school year; enjoying our ‘Indian summer’. Thankfully it did not take long for the sunburn to heal and we were quickly into our stride!

This has generally been a very hardworking and productive term so far, with a huge sense of achievement for both boys and staff. The boys have been busy engaging with their education following the summer holidays and getting used to new class groups, teachers and classmates.

The school received a visit from our colleagues in the Care Commission, and the provisional grades we will receive are extremely good; a great tribute to the efforts of the entire school community. As ever, the school is reluctant to stand still and admire our progress and we are pushing forward with a variety of new ideas and initiatives in Year 2 of our School Development Plan.

Progress is very good, and the examinations results from our 4th Year group who have just departed was a great credit to their hard work and effort, and the skill and support of their teaching and care staff. As ever, the whole school approach to care and education continues to serve our boys very well.

In the forthcoming academic year, there are many important events and experiences to enjoy. In the coming half-term, we will have our annual Children in Need event, and for the first time we are attempting to stage a pantomine as the festive season approaches. We are also in the early stages of looking at our historic walled garden, with a view to developing this space around the Skills for Work model; involving the whole school and possibly the wider community. Our School Council is already considering their involvement in this project and are also looking at the school go-kart project.

All in all it has been a very good term and the boys and staff should be proud of their hard work and effort.

click on the image to find out more about the workshop

On the 1st and 2nd of October the Unit Managers group, along with the Domestic Services manager and Head of Education designate, enjoyed time away from the school to work on their management skills and knowledge. Aside from the hard work and serious business of the two days, the team also engaged in several exercises to promote cohesion and cross-disciplinary working. As you can see from the photographs, the group were very proud of their giraffe, who will be allowed to take up residence in school, subject to the statutory Disclosure checks and risk assessment!

The group have a further day on the 26th of October to review and consolidate their learning, but already there is an increased vibrancy in their work, and initial comments on their experience talk of an “invaluable experience” and that it was really good to spend time away to “reflect and learn”.

All-in-all the days have been received very well and surprise surprise the school ran in it’s usual efficient manner in their absence. Maybe we need to get them out of school more often!

Hillside finally got their home campaign up and running, with a game of mixed fortunes against local rivals, The Bridges. It was an encounter that was to throw up the type of competition and debate that can only usually be found at the party conferences at this time of year.

The game got off to a flier, with Hillside taking the lead within twenty seconds. Kyle carried the ball from the centre, right through the Bridges’ team, whose centre midfield and defence parted as if Moses was standing in front of them.

The lead did not last for long, as a quick one-two from The Bridges saw Hillside trailing. There was a period thereafter when Hillside laid siege to the opposition goal, with Brandon and Kyle going close with chances.

Hillside managed to get the equaliser before half time, when a good passing move through The Bridges saw Peter cross from the right and Kyle saw his header rebound off the bar. However James, back on after an earlier sin bin, was on hand to hit the ball into the net, with the keeper stranded.

The second half started with Hillside taking the game to The Bridges, and they were starting to be believe that the game was there for the taking.

Tempers were boiling over, however, and the tackles were flying in. After a cracking piece of goalkeeping by Shane, The Bridges’ number seven reacted and was ordered from the field of play.

With the extra man advantage, Hillside began to dominate and took the lead again through James who tapped-in from close range, after good passing between Kyle and Peter.

James completed his hat-trick shortly after, when again he found himself in space and was able to beat the keeper with ease. Hillside at this point appeared to believe the game was won.

The Bridges took advantage of this and even without their star player, they got themselves back into the game with a wonderful twenty-five yard strike that Shane could only watch as it flew into the top corner.

The equaliser came when Hillside thought they had played the offside trap, but play was allowed to continue and The Bridges’ striker was left with the easiest of chances to put it away.

From the kick-off, Hillside went back up the park and scored again, this time Kyle getting his second of the game after Peter played him through on the keeper.

This was a good performance from Hillside, who keep their 100% record for the start of the season, though there is still plenty of room for improvement, with the manager looking for his first opportunity to put his full-strength squad out. With the Kibble game just two weeks away, there is work to be done on the training ground.

Man of the Match: Kyle
Scorers: James 3, Kyle 2
Special mentions: Hat trick for James; Brandon with some fine midfield work.

As the summer holidays were fast approaching, staff were racking their brains for ideas for activities and outings to keep our Forthview youngsters amused. Six weeks is a long time for our young people, so planning ahead to fulfil their time was a necessity.

Every day our boys had something different to participate in. This ranged from playing in snooker competitions and football tournaments, to Wii competitions. Things were very competitive at times, with the boys competing against the staff, which is always fun.

We also joined up with the House and went on a trip to Blackpool; this was a new experience for one of our boys, who had never been before. We all had a great day, running around the Pleasure Beach and encouraging each other to go on the scariest rides over and over again.

On certain days, the sun shone on us. We would grab our towels and BBQ, and walk down to our lovely local beach, Silver Sands. The boys loved the freedom to run around in the sand, and when the Lifeguard was present, they enjoyed getting their feet, and the staff, wet.

On rainy days, we wouldn’t get down; we would get all our goodies and head off to our local cinema, to watch our favourite action-packed films. Sometimes, we would take great advantage of the local swimming pools, especially when they offered free admission. The boys would spend endless hours splashing around and diving off the high boards, impressing all the staff.

The boys also enjoyed long drives to visit Scotland’s Number 1 Fish and Chip Shop, in Anstruther. Here we enjoyed the lovely views, munching on our suppers. We also tried Ice Skating a few times, although a lot more practice is needed for several boys and staff!

As you can see, this was a great Summer of 2009 for everyone in Forthview.

The curtain raiser; season opener; the first steps to the league title – however you want to describe it, this was the start of the new season. Away from home in the first fixture is never the best start to a season, though the boys who were involved did not seem too concerned by this.

In conditions which would not be to everyone’s choosing, and some may say with a depleted squad, we headed to Kirkcaldy more in hope than anticipation. With a new captain in Lewis, we all felt that with the right attitude that we could get something from the game.

The game, unlike the conditions, started brightly with early opportunities for both teams. Ness had a shot over the bar that he may have done better with, though he was rushed into shooting by the attention of the opposition’s staff. A mix up between Logie and Munnoch almost let Sandy Brae in, though Wilson was alert and was off his line to smother the ball. Sandy Brae were doing most of the pressing throughout the first 15 minutes and had the majority of possession, though like a heavyweight boxer, Hillside hit them with a sucker punch. Elliott had done well to play the offside trap, and from the resulting free-kick Logie sent Williams down the line and his low cross from the right was met by Ness. After getting the ball under control and steadying himself, he left-footed low to the keeper’s left. Williams should have doubled the lead on half-time, but lost composure at the vital moment and blasted high and wide with the goal at his mercy.

Into the second half, Hillside, buoyed by their lead, began to take the game to the opposition, and with Sandy Brae looking for the equaliser, they were leaving gaps at the back which Williams and Ness should have exploited, however they were trying to be too elaborate with their passing and missed the opportunity. Hillside were winning the midfield battle, with Cosgrove and Robertson snaffling like terriers off their leads at Crufts. Their tackling lead to the second goal – the ball broke for Elliott on the Hillside right and he sent a defence splitting ball through to Williams who took on the staff in a race. There could only be one winner and he slotted it under the keeper to secure the points.

Overall, it was a good team performance from the boys, who took the game to the opposition and kept the chances against to a minimum.

Man Of The Match: Lewis
Scorers: Greg and Lewis
Special mentions: Craig, Dale, Greg and Aaron

With the summer holidays approaching, The Wanderer put his mind into overtime, working out what he and the boys could get up to over the summer holidays. Staff were called to the Batcave for a debriefing.

“Right team, what shall we get up to with the boys this summer? Blackpool, football trips, camping, swimming?” As the team rubbed heads, argued, and deliberated, The Wanderer finally spoke – in his usual, pleasant, diplomatic tone. “I have an idea”, he said; “we shall do it all”.

Blackpool was the first of the expeditions, but Mr Marcus required a member of staff who wouldn’t mind going away for the day. Who would go? He checked the rota and one name popped out – Ross McG. The day went well with the terrible duo and later they thought of playing a prank (not a prank on the boys – that would be cruel). So who could they get? They passed the Blackpool clown and got an idea! They took a photo and forwarded it on to a relaxing Raymond, who got the fright of his life when he answered the phone.

Then came the football matches. First, the Wanderer arranged Rangers v Manchester City at Ibrox to say farewell to his keyboy. There were others: a trip to Aberdeen, then down to Carlisle; topping it off with a visit to Hull to watch ‘The Tigers’. After all this rushing about, The Wanderer thought that he and his colleagues required a short break prior to completing their two weeks ‘on’. They decided a camping trip; but where to go?

He used his usual sweet-talking techniques to persuade Ross W to extend his over-generous nature to accompany him on a camping trip to Stonehaven. Three boys heard about this and demanded they be taken “or else!” The expedition was put into plan and the group departed for the North East. Tents were pitched and tea was served – BBQ, of course. A pleasant evening was had by all, singing around the torch (no fires allowed), only to be told later to be quiet!

Well you can guess the boys were ‘over the moon’ about going back to class after having such a quiet holiday.

Despite the dismal weather, the young people in Westwood were determined to make the most of six weeks away from the classroom, and took part in a number of outings and activities throughout the holiday period, including: ice skating, laser quest, swimming, and visits to the cinema.

Following the hype surrounding Wimbledon, Westwood boys set themselves the challenge of becoming the next Andy Murray. Some tennis equipment was purchased and Beveridge Park became the venue for a number of closely fought battles between Cameron, Greg and Mark. The standard of play was promising for a new activity, so watch out Federer (shame the same couldn’t be said about the banter).

Always keen to try new experiences, Taran, Allan and a contingent from Forthview enjoyed a night out at Racewall in Cowdenbeath. Taran has well and truly caught the motor sport bug and has been spreading the word throughout the school of how enjoyable he found this activity; though it could be said that he enjoyed the crashes more than the racing itself.

There were a number of football outings offered throughout the holiday period. The young people travelled far and wide, visiting many of Scotland’s finest football stadiums and watching some top quality teams in action – and Dundee United. For many of our young people this was their first opportunity to see a live football match, and for those who have been before it was a well loved treat. As always, the boys spent many an hour in the Playbarn, at the pitch, and anywhere else with a bit of grass, honing their own skills and having a kickabout.

From the News section of the Fairbridge website: