VECLife Summer 2016

Term
of n
letter
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e
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ew s a
life
Issue 15 Summer 2016
for parents, our patrons and supporters

nd events
Achieving Through Believing
Spotlight OnTherapies
VECLife Lifts the Lid on Victorias Busy Therapy Departments
Arts Team Wins

Award
News
Features
Classroom
Reach For The Sk y!
An Award Winning Summer of Endeavour at Victoria

Exclusive Auras! only in VECLife!
Look Out For Augmented Content

We preview this Summers top local festival
Achieving
Through
Believing
Welcome
Foreword
Welcome to the summer edition of VEC Life everyone. By the time you receive this termly newsletter, it will
be the end of another busy, exciting and hugely successful year for Victoria Education Centre. This bumper
issue brings you up to date with all the news, activities, events and wonderful achievements that have taken
place over the term.
There is plenty to celebrate in this feature filled edition. We catch-up on this terms classroom activities and
hear from our exceptional therapy departments who tell us what theyve been up to recently. There have
been some fabulous fundraising initiatives this term as well and we thank those whose incredible efforts
are supporting improvements at VEC. Early learning apps are reviewed for you and dont forget to try out
the auras in this edition. There are five photos that will come to life and I would encourage you to take
advantage of this amazing interactive technology.
Outdoor learning opportunities abound this term and alongside creative arts activities and a wide range of
sporting events our students have continued to enjoy and excel.
This years school production of Beauty and the Beast was a resounding success and our approach to
National Schools Sports Week had a truly Latin American twist as we started a journey to the 2016 Rio
Games! At the time of writing there are preparations underway for Sports Day and our Leavers Summer
Ball. Everyone is getting ready for the end of term and making arrangements for the new school year and
we say farewell to some students and staff sending them our very best wishes for the future.
Victoria Education Centre was shortlisted for three TES School Awards this year including: Special School/
Alternative Provision of the year, Creative School of the year and Arts & Drama Team of the Year and we
were absolutely thrilled to be announced as winners of the Arts & Drama Team of the Year at the awards
ceremony in London recently. Being shortlisted in three categories was extraordinary and the award is a
fantastic tribute to all at VEC.
At the end of another school year, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on what has been happening
so much! The students never cease to amaze me with their achievements, ongoing enthusiasm and
eagerness to be involved in everything.
VEC is fortunate to have superb staff. They seize the initiative, have amazing ideas and develop wonderful
opportunities for learning. Everyone works so incredibly hard to ensure the best
possible outcomes for students. VEC is such an exciting, vibrant and aspirational
place and being part of a school that strives to support, shape and develop our
wonderful young people is a genuine privilege.
Thank you everybody for making such a difference.
I wish you all a wonderful, restful summer break and look forward to seeing the
students back at school on Monday 5th September.
Connect to VEC
Phone: 01202 763697
Mail: vec@victoria.poole.sch.uk
Visit: www.victoria.poole.sch.uk
Follow us: Facebook/+VictoriaEducationCentre.uk
Our address: 12 Lindsay Road, Branksome Park, Poole, Dorset. BH13 6AS
2 VEClife
Simon Brown
Headteacher
Inside This Issue

News
Pages 4-15
Features
Pages 16-29
Achieving Through Believing
VEC Arts Wins TES Award, Lord and Lady Shaftesbury Attend Charity Dinner, Amazing Jake Jumps
for Joy, Alphataire App Released, Viv and Paula Flying High, Lord Mayor Tours VEC, Forever Blowin
Bubbles, Priestlands Chooses VEC, Paulas ARC Nomination, Students on Song for Nathan (Aura),
899 Raised by AMCC, Canine Partners Update, Janes Raffles Raise 500, VECs Got Talent 2016, Oily
Carts Light Show, Car Show and Vintage Day (Aura), Bev and Rorys Charity Jump, Four Go Mad in
Exmoor, Sporting Bears, Will Wins Eden iPad, Jurassic Jess Makes a Difference, Fine Finish to Fantasy
Season, Lions Raise 400, VEC Premier Well Attended, The Crew for You, Water Aid Creates a Splash,
Sports Week Blog (Aura).
Talking Therapies, The Staff Room, Apps Amazing, Beer and Bluegrass 2016, Hilarys Lingo Lab (Aura),
The Eco Report, The Sports Report, Creative Arts News Round, The Vibe (Aura).
Classroom
Pages 24-31
Rainbows: A Lovely Summer Term. Explorers: A Day at the Beach. Class JW: A Busy but Fun Term. Class
LB: Our Dolphin Boat Trip and Boyesis Noisy Cafe. Class CN: CN Helps Poole Park Heritage. Green
Island: Sensory Sessions and Random Acts of Wildness. Class BE: A Cinema Experience and a Day at
the Seaside. Furzey: Furzey Fun. Events Management: Our Bestofall Festival. Lifeskills: Lifeskills gets
Serious. French: En Vancances. Culture: Rainbows Greek Odyssey. Pergins: Ending the Term with a
Bang!
Aurasma
This issues Auras can be found on:

Page 7: Grandmas House
Page 9: Car Show and Vintage Day
Page 14: Sports Week Blog
Page 23: Hilarys Lingo Lab
Page 28: The Vibe
And of course The history of Victoria School in 60 seconds below right.
Just look for the Photos with the Aurasma logo
How to set up Aurasma on your device.....

1. Download the Aurasma app onto your device. The app is free for all
Android and Apple devices on Google Play and iTunes.
2. Open the app and swipe through the start-up information until you get
to a sign-up screen.
3. Fill in the details with a user name e-mail address and a password and
tap Join.
4. Next you need to follow our Aurasma channel. Tap the A at the bottom
of the screen to go to the Aurasma home page. Tap the spy glass icon
at the bottom of the page and type Victoria Education Centre into the
search window. Our channel should be the top result.
5. Select it and then tap follow. You are now following our channel.
6. Go back to the viewfinder by taping the square at the bottom of the
screen.
7. Frame a tagged image in the viewfinder and the image should come to
life.
8. Youre good to go! Use Aurasma to frame the tagged image opposite to
see a short Aura on our history.
VEClife
Latest news
VEC Arts Wins TES Award
Our Creative Arts Team have won a top award at

this years TES Awards which were held in London
on 24th June. Victoria was shortlisted for three
awards, Special School/Alternative Provision of
the Year, Creative School of the Year and Arts
Team of the Year. The event was held at the glitzy
Grosvenor House Hotel with the awards being
presented by comedian and TV presenter Dara
The VEC arts team on the big night
Briain. The judges had this to say about why they
decided to present the award to Victoria:
Arts Teacher, Belinda Ellicott commented:
The judges were particularly impressed by how the

arts are woven into the fabric of school life. We were
impressed by the breadth of innovative approaches,
experiences and opportunities that the creative arts
department at Victoria Education Centre has created and
applied to meet a range of complex needs, the judges
said. A variety of learning-enabling technologies,
the school-based radio station and multiple external
partnerships remove barriers to learning. As a
consequence there are high levels of engagement,
participation, enjoyment and progress in the arts and
drama.
As a department we are absolutely thrilled to

have received the TES award, but we could not
do his without the support of all the other teams
within the school or more importantly, without the
amazing creativity of our students. Huge thanks
go to everyone for their support and recognising
the importance of the arts as part of a wide and
inclusive curriculum.
Congratulations to our Creative Arts Team

and thank you to everyone for making such a
difference to the lives and future success of
our students.
Lord and Lady Shaftesbury attend Charity Dinner

Lord & Lady Shaftesbury attended an intimate
charity dinner here at Victoria in June in aid of
our Canopy Appeal. Guests were invited to a
delicious 3 course meal, supplied for free by
catering company Alice Bee at Home, owned
by Alice Ogeleye who commented: Our son
Toby who had cerebral palsy, passed away last
year and we wanted to thank the school for the
wonderful work and the incredible support they
offered Toby and our family. Having recently
set up a catering company, I wanted to offer
a special evening of champagne & fine dining
and in return guests were asked to donate
Supporting Victoria: The Earl and Countess
towards their dining experience. Everyone was
Alices generosity, we are one step closer to
incredibly generous and the evening raised
fulfilling this much needed facility.
2,500, which will go towards the schools
Canopy Appeal.
If you would like to get involved in fundraising
or make a donation to our canopy appeal,
The Canopy Appeal has been set up to
please contact Sue Stratis on 01202 763697
raise funds for an 80 metre walkway between
or email vec@victoria.poole.sch.uk for further
the main school and Carmel House, which
information or if you wish to find out more
desperately requires a covering, as our
information regarding Alices company Alice
students are open to the elements as they
cross between them for lessons. Thanks to the Bee at Home, please call her on 07889 742653
support of the guests at the charity dinner and or send an email to info@alicebeeathome.co.uk
4 VEClife
Amazing Jake Jumps for Joy

What an amazing story this has been! Student
Jacob Whitehouse successfully fulfilled his pledge
to make a parachute jump for Victoria over the
Easter holidays. Jacob took part in the tandem
sky dive with lead instructor Henk Post from
GoSkyDive in Wiltshire on Good Friday. Jacob had
a spectacular experience commenting Jumping
out of the plane felt like going on a roller coaster.
It was awesome and I saw Stonehenge! I also
wanted to see my mum scared! Mum, April,
responded with Jacob has talked about taking
part in a parachute jump for a long time and I
finally gave in! And yes, thank you very much
Jacob, I was scared out of my wits! On top of this
2000 has been raised by generous donations
from family, friends and the general public. The
funds raised will go towards our Canopy Appeal.
The Moment of Truth

Victoria is very proud of Jacob, a young man
who is not only facing his own challenges
with good humour but also still finds time
to take on life and his own ambitions.
Inspiriational.
Alphataire App Released

Staff at Victoria have been getting to grips
with a brand new App called Alphataire. From
the office to the staff room competition for the
highest score has been hot (break times only
of course!) Alphataire is an addictive word
game for IOS and Android devices developed
by Richard Ellicott and his team where you
can score points by rearranging letters to form
words in columns and win a host of trophies
and prizes. Its sort of a cross between
solitaire and scrabble and we think its brilliant.
Available now on Google play and the App
Store there is a free trial version called
Alphataire Lite for those of you that would
like to try before you buy with the full version
costing 79p. A percentage of the proceeds
will come to Victoria to provide our amazing
Crazily addictive: Presenting Alphataire

students with opportunities and equipment! A
great way to have fun AND support Victoria.
Thank you to Richard and the team for
benefitting Victoria from their endeavours.
Viv and Paula Flying High
Just when you thought youd heard all the novel ways
of raising money for a good cause along comes Viv
and Paula. No cake sale for these intrepid ladies! On
16th July at Compton Abbas airfield, and sadly just
too late to feature in this issue, they are planning a
wing walk. Basically put, this entails being strapped
in a standing position on the top wing of a Bi-plane!
Viv and Paula who are Scared and excited all at the
same time are raising money for Lewis-Manning
Hospice. Watch out for a full report in the next edition
of VECLife.
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VEClife 5
Lord Mayor Tours VEC

We were very pleased to greet The Mayor
of Bournemouth, Cllr John Adams on May
3rd who came to visit Victoria for a guided
tour. During his hour long stay with us he
was shown all areas of the school and had
the opportunity to meet and chat to staff and
students. Chair of Governors, Keith Mitchell
and Headteacher, Simon Brown were on hand
to show Cllr Adams around and to provide an
overview of the work we do. From the main
school Cllr Adams visited Physiotherapy, the
Radio Station, Carmel House and Victoria
Horticulture. As well as being shown our
Aurasma video tour, the Mayor also had a
glimpse of the future of Victoria with a look
at some of the new technologies currently
deployed around school in which the Mayor
showed a keen interest. The visit concluded
Cllr Adams Chats to staff and students

with a look at our Hydrotherapy Pool. We enjoyed
hosting Cllr Adams who wrote in our visitors book
that he was Very impressed with this amazing
place. Lovely atmosphere.
Forever Blowin Bubbles

Bubbles abounded when Squidge and Pops
sensory workshop were invited to VEC in May.
Students and staff from Rainbows and Green
Island classes explored the magic and sensory
experience of creating and interacting with these
multi-coloured marvels. The students sang
bubble songs, made their own bubble sticks and
experienced them from the inside as Squidge and
Pop entertained us with their magic. As well as
sensory workshops, Squidge and Pop perform
at festivals and are available for birthday parties
and community events. Director and Bubble Fun
Facilitator Lisa Davies said: As well as special
sensory workshops, we also facilitate bubble fun
at festivals - creating a temporary wonder sky of
giant and miniature bubbles. Inviting people into
a mindfulness moment and sending them on their
way in a state of bubble bliss.
Thank you Squidge and Pop for a memorable

afternoon, the students (and staff) loved it. The
workshop was organised to reinforce our term
theme of water.
Priestlands Chooses VEC
Cara, Lauren and Edith raised 75

6 VEClife
Year 8 students from Priestlands School in Lymington

have chosen Victoria to be their charity for the
year. They have been involved in fundraising for
various charities but on one week inparticular they
concentrate on fundraising for their chosen charity.
Three young ladies, Cara, Lauren and Edith decided
to give up their own time to raise money for us. They
made cakes and spent their pocket money on buying
sweets to sell in Brockenhurst one Sunday afternoon.
Overall, Priestlands has raised 3,200. Victoria is very
grateful to Priestlands School and Cara, Lauren and
Edith, in particular, for for their thoughtful kindness.
Paulas ARC Nomination

Following on from her Livability award for
outstanding achievement which was presented
to her by Princess Anne, our Class BE Education
Support Worker Paula Allcroft has now been
shortlisted as a finalist in this years National
Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards. The
awards are organised by the national charity
ARC (Association for Real Change) who are
dedicated to promoting real change in the
learning disability sector. On their website, ARC
England Director Lisa Lenton has this to say
about the awards:
The Awards are a great opportunity to celebrate
excellence and show what great support looks
like. We particularly enjoy partnering with
people with learning disabilities to identify the
people and projects that have made the best
contribution to enabling people to live the lives
they want to lead.
Paula with Sam

Paula has been nominated in the making a
difference category and we are immensely
proud of her and pleased that her work at
VEC alongside all our amazing staff is being
recognised. The event took place on the 15th
July at the ICC in Birmingham, just too late for
our deadline, but look out in the next edition
for a report. Good luck Paula!
Students on Song for Nathan
Singer-songwriter and record producer Nathan

Thomas has been working closely with students
from our Class BE, Arne, Furzey and Pergins to
produce some original music. Nathan became
involved through our creative arts week and the
SEEDA project which involves musicians working
with people who wouldnt normally be involved
with music production to produce an album.
The whole process involves the students at
every stage of production, from themes, writing
lyrics and choosing a musical style. Nathan has
just sent in this demo version of a song hes
produced with the students called Grandmas
House. The song is based on an idea by Sam
Bird around the theme of Mum and Dad. We
were so knocked out by it we wanted to

include it here as an Aura for you to enjoy.
899 Raised by AMCC
Lisa and Becki with grateful students
We would like to say a huge thank you to Lisa

Brown and Becki Courage who visited in April to
present us with a cheque for a brilliant 899.50.
Lisa and club secretary Becki, organised a
Raffle and Buffet evening at the Alderney Manor
Community Centre to raise money to buy music
therapy equipment for use across Victoria.
The evening was attended by Sue Stratis who
presented a short talk all about our school. We
have close ties to the Community Centre as
some of the club members are parents of former
Victoria students.
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VEClife 7
Canine Partners Update

By Amy Hunt
Back in 2013 Graham Elliot, from Canine
Partners, contacted the school and asked if
he could visit us on a regular basis as he was
starting to volunteer as a full time puppy parent
with Canine Partners https://caninepartners.org.
uk. We were very keen and, since then, Graham
has become a regular face at the school, training
two puppies who have since left him to complete
their training and begin their lives as working
assistance dogs. We are currently enjoying visits
from Graham and his latest recruit Alvin, a black
Labrador who is progressing well and will be
leaving Graham later in the year. The first puppy
Graham brought to visit was Orbit, a Golden
Retriever. This week Graham has shared some
pictures of Orbits partnership ceremony where
Graham was able to meet Orbits permanent
Finola with Mum, Orbit and Graham

partner who he is now been working with for
some time up in Edinburgh. It is great to see
that thanks to Graham and Canine Partners
hard work, the little puppy which first visited us
back in 2013 is now a fully-fledged assistance
dog. Well done Orbit!
Janes Raffles Raises 500
Class LB are already planning a trip
An amazing 507 has been raised by Jane

Stevenson and her generous Pilates students.
Jane, who is a Pilates Teacher in Bournemouth and
Christchurch, raised the money by holding a raffle
over the many classes she teaches. Jane, who
is also Mum to staff member Hannah from class
LB, thanked those who bought tickets for being so
generous. Headteacher, Simon Brown and class
teacher Lisa Boyes along with Hannah and some
students from LB, gratefully accepted the cheque
which will go towards class trips and resources.
Lisa said Were extremely grateful to Jane and her
students and are already planning a trip out.
VECs Got Talent 2016

Rounding off not only the spring term but also an
excellent Creative Arts Week, we staged our best
ever VECs Got Talent on the 24th March. From
songs, to dancing, to cheerleading, juggling and
poetry to name but a few, our students once again
excelled. The judging panel this year comprised
of Chris Maund and Linda Larke from the talented
duo A Couple of Sherberts, Rachel Ann, direct
from her amazing appearances on The Voice, Tim
Cooper from New Forest Woodwind and our very
own Simon Cowell, Headteacher Simon Brown.
The panel had a very difficult time choosing the
winners as all our acts deserved prizes but in the
final reckoning, the winners were as follows. In
3rd place was Philip Henderson for his brilliant
Nelly the Elephant. In 2nd place and runner-up
8 VEClife
Sam Bird: VECs Got Talent Winner 2016

for 2016 was Ben and Connor for their rocky
renditions of Nickelback and Queen songs.
In 1st place and VECs Got Talent champion
for 2016 was (drum roll) Sam Bird for his
beautiful musical expression on his Eye
Gaze.
Oily Carts Light Show

Our friends from the Oily Cart Theatre
Company visited last month bringing the
magic of performance and music to our
students. They performed their new show
Light Show. They transformed part of our
sports hall into a magical paper palace,
creating distinct silhouettes, in an exquisite
play of light and shadow. During the show a
serene papery white landscape transitions
from a beautiful warm day at the beach to a
dreamy moonlit wonderland. The show took
the students on a multi-sensory journey of
textures, smells and tactile experiences, all
accompanied by enchanting live music from
a virtuoso double bass player. The students
The Magic of Oily Cart

really enjoyed this unique immersive experience
as the talented performers adapted to their
specific requirements. Special thanks to all
involved.
Car Show and Vintage Day

Our Car Show and Vintage Day was a huge
success this year and very well attended
by visitors and exhibitors alike, making for
a great atmosphere. The event, which was
organised by FoVEC (Friends of Victoria)
raised 2,558 for the school as well as
providing a memorable day of cars and
nostalgia. We had a huge array of vehicles
past and present, diesel, petrol and electric
on show, enough to satisfy even the most
discerning petrol heads. The Sporting Bears
were on hand offering rides and long time
school friends Can-Am Car Club brought
their incredible North American behemoths
to the show. As well as cars there was also
lots more on offer with craft and plant stalls,
cakes, coffee and bacon baps. Real Vintage
A day of Cars and Nostalgia

set the scene and entertained us all day with their
authentic songs from yesteryear and youngsters
and adults alike were fascinated by the beautiful
birds of prey brought in by Margaret and John.
The Poole Field Gun Display Team also came,
keeping the traditions of naval gunnery alive and
bringing a touch of history to the proceedings. We
would like to thank EVERYONE who made it such
a great day, from our amazing staff who organised
everything and ran stalls, to our stall holders and
exhibitors for giving their time. Thank you.
VEClife 9
Bev and Rorys Charity Jump
Following on from a report in the last edition

of VECLife, were pleased to announce that
Dorset squash coach Bev Vatcher and her son
Rory have raised 1,100 after completing their
daring parachute jump. Bev and Rory visited us
in May to present a cheque for 550 to Victoria
and also 550 to LEAF (Leukaemia Educating
& Fundraising charity). Bev described the jump
as an incredible experience. The donation will
go towards providing our students with specialist
sensory equipment and aids. We were also
pleased to welcome Natasha Hunt, founder of
LEAF and LEAF Trustee Angela Jones who
Huge thanks from Victoria and LEAF go to
also gratefully accepted their donation. After
Bev and Rory.
the presentation our guests got to meet some
for charities. We cannot thank them enough for
of our students and had a guided tour from
their amazing efforts. It was great to meet Bev
Headteacher Simon Brown who commented It
amazes me the lengths people go to raise money and Rory and to thank them in person.
Four Go Mad in Exmoor

Victoria students Brandon, Charlotte, Matthew
and William have recently enjoyed a week
of outdoor activities at Calvert Trust Exmoor.
Located in an area of outstanding natural beauty
on the edge of Exmoor National Park and a
short distance from the North Devon Coast,
Calvert Trust Exmoor enables people with
physical, learning, behavioural and sensory
disabilities to experience exciting, challenging
and enjoyable outdoor activities. Our students
took part in a range of activities during their stay
including horse riding, crate stacking, canoeing,
climbing, abseiling, zip wire, archery and
bush craft. They all showed fantastic bravery
and character in tackling these challenges
which were so different from their usual daily
routines. William especially enjoyed the disco
A challenging but rewarding week

on the Thursday evening! After a brilliant week
of personal discovery, overcoming all the
challenges laid before them, they were able
to sit around the campfire singing songs and
toasting marshmallows. Thank you to all the staff
that supported the trip.
Sporting Bears
We had another brilliant donation from long

standing school supporters The Sporting
Bears. As part of our Grand Prix vehicle display
during sports week, Peter Egerton came in to
school with his Lamborghini and presented
a cheque for 435 to Paula and Chris from
FoVEC. The money was raised at our car show
and vintage day in May offering Dream rides
for donations which they have passed on to us.
Thank you Peter and the Sporting Bears.
10 VEClife
Will Wins Eden iPad
We were delighted to welcome Eden

Vauxhalls Head of Motability Daemon Baker
who popped in on the 24th May with a very
special presentation for VEC student William
Sabine. William was the lucky winner of an
iPad mini at a Motability awareness event
held in May at their Branksome showroom.
It was an opportunity to experience the
range of different Vauxhalls available on the
Scheme and a chance to chat with Motability
specialists. Daemon explained Will won the
iPad by sending in a photo of himself with
his school bus. There were over 60 entries
with the winner being chosen randomly by
stopping a slideshow of all the entrants. We
stopped the slideshow and there was Will
smiling back. Also in the photo is Paula
Daemon, Will, Mum Chris and Paula

Allcroft who liaised with Daemon and Chris,
Williams Mum. To Eden Vauxhall and particularly
to Daemon and the Motability department, thank
you. We had a very happy student around school
that day.
Jurassic Jess Makes a Difference
You may remember a report in last terms

edition of VECLife about Green Island staff
member Jess Edneys fund raising drive.
Well we are pleased to say that Jess made
her target and raised 1000 when she ran
the Jurassic
marathon at the
end of March.
The gruelling
run which
encompasses
all terrain types
including steep
hill climbs
and soft sand
was very
challenging and
the weather
At Holton Lee
didnt help but
Jess and her friends prevailed, completing the
run in just over seven hours. Jess raised the
money to benefit our students and we can now
tell you where some of the money has been
spent. Our Furzey class had a lovely few days
at Holton Lee, which is a wellbeing discovery
centre where
people can take
part in various
pastoral activities
designed to
promote physical,
mental, spiritual
Once upon a time

and social well being. Laura Cousins, a sensory
story teller, came in to weave some magic
with Green Island and a rocking chair was
purchased for Tiago who particularly liked the
one he had sat in when Oily Cart came to visit.
Specially adapted craft supplies
and art materials
have been bought and there
are plans to purchase a
sensory light box. Its amazing
how far the money has gone in
serving to enrich our students
experience at Victoria with
some money left over for future
needs.
Thank you to all Jesss
sponsors and, of course, Jess
herself for making a difference.
VEClife 11
Fine Finish to Fantasy Season
Jacob receives the trophy from league

Chairman Angus Collins
This seasons fantasy football competition
provided thrills and spills galore as staff and
students vied for the top spot in the Victoria
League. It was a bit of a topsy turvy season
with big clubs Manchester Utd and Chelsea
massively underachieving which had a big
effect on staff and students point tallies across
the board. Sergio Aguero got off to a slow start
scoring and Evertons Romelu Lukaku was a
surprise early top goal scorer. All in all it was

a difficult season to predict when choosing
players. Despite this Julie Davies Admin All
Stars flew to the top fairly early on and stayed
there to take 1st place despite some late
pressure from Gary Hicks Chunky Monkeys
who finished second. Angus Collins team
the Carmelite Monks showed early promise
but petered out in the last quarter but he still
managed 3rd place. Student champion this
year was Jacob Whitehouse with his team The
Undertakers. Jacob had been bubbling under
for a few weeks but a late points bonanza
saw him overtake Robert Ewins team Galaxy
11 who had been sitting pretty for a while
eventually finishing 2nd. Abi Smith with her
Sponge Bob team also managed to get past
Robert to claim 3rd place. It was a fine finish
to a fun competition and we are all looking
forward to next season, 2016/17.
Lions Raise 400
We welcomed Ron and Jeanne Thompson to

Victoria on the 23rd June, who kindly came in
to present us with a cheque for 400. Mr and
Mrs Thompson were representing The Swanage
Lions Club which has been raising money for
good causes since 1969. Sadly this is their final
year. Mr Thompson commented Swanage
Lions Club wanted to choose charities in Dorset
to receive their final donations before the club
disbanded and one of our choices was Victoria
Education Centre.
Ron and Jeanne Presented a cheque for 400
Headteacher Simon Brown was on hand to
Canopy Appeal which has been set up to raise
gratefully receive the cheque while Sue Stratis
funds for an 80 metre walkway between the two
Head of Support services conducted a guided
main buildings of the school.
tour. Ron & his wife Jeanne Thompson, who
Thank you to The Swanage Lions and Mr and
were the clubs longest serving members, met
students and staff who were taking part in Sports Mrs Thompson for choosing Victoria as their
Week activities. The money will go towards our beneficiaries.
VEC Premier Well Attended
Our Drama and Creative Arts production this

year is Beauty and the Beast and we held a
special premier on the 3rd of July at the Hangar
Farm Arts Centre in Totton. Much of the film was
shot at Giles House, the ancestral home of the
Shaftesburys and Lord Shaftesbury attended a
performance. If you missed this sold out show,
a DVD of the film is available to purchase for 5
Hangar Farm Arts Center, A Wonderful Venue
from reception.
12 VEClife
The Crew for You

By Mike Whitlock
The Friday Crew Radio Show has really taken
off since its been out on Mixcloud. The crew
have been working hard to make the show the
best it can be by holding production meetings
in the morning to organise the shows content.
The show is driven by subjects that they want
to cover with new features such as hot topic,
where anything from supported living, politics,
or local fundraising is discussed. Plus all the old
favourites like Quiz Chris Do you know what I
think? with Lawrence.
Being out on Mixcloud has brought them a wider
fan base resulting in the shows first live phone in
from the Soundbeam team in Bristol. Other new
listeners include Arcadia who are the creators
of the giant fire breathing spider stage and one
Tune in on Fridays at 11
of the top attractions at Glastonbury and we
are hoping that the Brighton based group stay
up late, who promote nights out and bands for
adults with learning difficulties will be putting the
show on their website soon.
So stay tuned and spread the word, every
Friday 11 12 on Vibe.
Water Aid Creates a Splash

Victorias Water Aid launch day was held in
May and the students and staff enjoyed the
sunshine and created a human pipeline on
the sports pitch. Water was the theme for
the summer term and our aim was to raise
enough money through penny appeal.org to
build a well in either Bangladesh, India, Nepal
or Pakistan. Three children die every minute
from drinking dirty water in these countries
but with reliable access to clean water,
thousands of lives could be saved. At Victoria
our students really wanted to help so we ran
various fund raising events throughout the
summer term.
Our Pupil Pipeline
Water is precious
Our human pipeline served to emphasise
to the students how precious water is and
perhaps how we take it for granted. Lead
on the day Lisa Boyes commented It was
a useful lesson to the students to see how
hard it was to get just a cupful of water
from one end of the line to the other, and
to realise how precious water is, so dont
waste it.
VEClife 13
Sports Week Blog
Victoria celebrated National sports week this year over the week beginning June 20th. With the
excitement over this years Rio games mounting, the whole week had a distinctly South American
flavour. Here is a blow by blow account of one of Victorias favourite weeks as it happened.
Day 1
To the beat of the Samba and to the multicoloured rainbow of international flags, our
Annual Sports Week got underway this morning
with a true Latin American flourish. The opening
ceremony heralds in a week of diverse sporting
activities and a little competition for our students
to enjoy. Todays focus is on the Paralympic
challenge, both physical and mental. Archery and
anagrams, curling and quizzes with boccia golf
and water races completing the fun line up. The
weather was very wet this morning but now we are
all feeling the tropical sunshine as we get into the
spirit of Rio 2016.
Day 3
Day 2
Its day two of Sports Week and the weather has been kinder
today allowing us to get out and about. Our Explorers and
Rainbows classes have gone for a boat ride around Poole
Harbour while the rest of the students have been enjoying
the activities on-site. Today we are continuing the theme
of Paralympic sporting events. The students have been
trying their hands at the exciting sports of Fencing and Rifle
Shooting along with the more sedate but no less fun Tri Golf.
There has also been swimming, bike riding and a Paralympic
scavenger hunt. A full day of sporting fun.
Tomorrow is Grand Prix Day with not only our two big
race events but also coming into school we have loads of
interesting motor vehicles from WW1 to the present day.
We have a Harley Davidson and a 1935 military scout with
machine gun as well as a troop carrier and other iconic
vehicles. There is also an Ice Cream seller and a Coffee man
on hand for refreshments. Lets hope for sunshine!
Victorias Sports Week reaches Grand Prix Day. The

rain just about cleared in time for the students to have a
closer look and sit in some of the amazing vehicles on
display which was the perfect lead-in to our races. The
staff and students put loads of effort into completing the
allotted laps and enjoyed the big race atmosphere as VIBE
Radios Tony Rudd set the scene. We held two races one
for power chairs and one for self-propelled students with a
challenging course across the playground and the sports
pitch. In case anyone tired we had a pit lane on hand for
refuelling. Everyone was a winner today but when the
numbers had been crunched our racing champions were as
14 VEClife
follows.
Self-Propelled Race 1st: Philip Henderson, 2nd: Elliot
Gower, 3rd: Amabel Jibson
Power Chair Race 1st: Liam Drummond, 2nd: Will Mayer
(from Dorchester Middle) 3rd: Sam Moores
Prizes were awarded for many more categories most
notably the Road to Rio award for outstanding effort which
went to Monty Welstead for running the complete race.
Weve had a brilliant day and would like give a huge
amount of thanks to Miranda Prizes, Paula Allcroft,
Daemon Baker from Vauxhall, Tony Bernard and the CanAm Car Club for making it all possible.
Day 4
Sports Week day four and after the racing thrills and spills
of yesterday the pace slowed just slightly with some varied
activities across the whole school. Students took part in some
interesting Fete Games on the sports pitch including some
sensory experiences. Margaret and John brought in their
birds of prey which was a big hit with the younger students
who got to hold them. There was a competitive balloon
football tournament and MILE room and soft play sensory
South American experiences. The afternoon saw some lovely
sensory music sessions with Hazel on Carmels lawn which
was a brilliant way to wind down towards the end of the
afternoon. If all that wasnt enough our students have also
been stacking up the miles in our Road to Rio endeavour.
Phew! What a full day and only one more to go with staff and
students already dusting down their dancing shoes.
Day 5
Rounding off what has been a truly special week of sporting and team activities on Victorias
Road to Rio Sports Week 2016, here are a few photos from todays events. After a morning of
Paralympic sport you could feel the air of anticipation in the run up to our, now legendary, danceoff. This year there was a distinctly Brazilian atmosphere with plenty of Samba, Carimbo and even
a Jongo here and there (google it!). Our dancers were
whittled down by judges Ceri Vosper, Andy Besant and
Rob Belbin until we were left with just two. This years
runner up Deniz Akgul was commended by the judges
for his enthusiasm and Dance off champion for 2016,
Ebony Robinson for her
stamina in not only coping
with Andre but also dancing
for the whole hour. Our
closing ceremony followed
with prize giving culminating
in the Paralympian of the week which was Abi Smith and our team of
the week which this year went to Arne.
There are so many people to thank, particularly our support, therapies
and PE staff but also Martin Pincott, Lush and a special mention to
Hannah Parry without whom nothing would have been possible. Also
the many friends of the school who gave their time to make it so much
fun. To you all we say the biggest Thank You! we can muster!
VEClife 15
Features
Spotlight OnTherapies
VECLife Throws a Spotlight on Victorias Busy Therapy Departments
By Ceri Vosper
Sarah Gilling and I attended a city reception for HRH Princess
Anne in London. It gave us an opportunity to talk about the
new therapy build and to explain to a group of potential
contributors, the benefits of therapy and our dream to not only
Ceri and Sarah meet HRH
improve our service delivery for the students at Victoria but
also to expand our service to offer a more comprehensive
outreach service. This would be offered by all departments and would not only financially benefit
the school but will support other Livability establishments. We are all looking forward to further
news on a start date for the build. Exciting times ahead.
Session Success
On 8th June the SaLT Team held their first eating and drinking information session. The sessions
are designed to give parents an insight into how we manage eating and drinking in school. The
sessions also identify possible issues and causes for concern. It was well attended and was a
great success. Parents reported it was very useful, really good, learnt a lot that I didnt know,
informative and everyone said they would recommend it to another parent. Look out for details of
the next session which will be held in the new school year if you missed it!
Thank You Stuart
By Snow Kuhn
Stuart Holt from Holt recruitment has already
started to make a difference to our students at
Victoria. VEC Student Joanne Sibley has been
given a brand new shiny sleep system to help
her at night time. Joanne was very grateful
and met up with Stuart to show him around
the school and tell him more about everything
that goes on here. Following this our lovely
shiny new Rifton Tricycle has now arrived.
This is a donation which will benefit so many of
our students. It is such an adaptable piece of
equipment which so many students can access
and its therapeutic benefits are fantastic.
Stuart enjoyed looking at the Grand Prix set up
and was pleased that the bike can be a new
16 VEClife
alternative mode of transport for some speedy

laps next time. The physios are now thinking up
the next bit of equipment that Holt recruitment
will support so watch this space for the next
instalment. All very exciting and thank you
Stuart.
Mind and Body
By Stuart Robertson
Not only do the students get the opportunity to take part in
Yoga sessions, but the staff now have their own session on
a Friday morning starting at 8.00am. It takes place outside
Carmel House and the sessions have gone ahead come rain
or shine. Initially, the ladies of the school dominated with their
attendance, but of late we have had some male members of
staff stretching their tight hamstrings, as ably demonstrated by
Andre and Aaron, adopting the Dancer Posture! Next step the
National Royal Ballet..
Focus on OT
By Kelly Westerby
A Year in the Life of a busy Therapy Department

The Occupational therapists have had a fantastic
academic year having lots of fun and playing,
ahem, working really hard, with our students.
We have had lots of new additions to our
department this academic year, Vicky Slingsby
qualified OT who is working with post 16 and
Horizons, Chloe Wright Qualified OT who is
working alongside Gemma in main school and
not least the scrummy Alby, Gemmas beautiful
baby boy!
Gemma is the lead OT for education in the lower
school she is supported by Chloe OT, Kelly OTA
and Sarah OTA. Vicky is the lead OT for Post 16
and Horizons. Although we all work very closely
together, we have our individual case loads and
areas of special interest within Occupational
Therapy. Gemmas special interest is splinting
and life skills, Vickys is transitions and Activities
for Daily Living, Chloes is Sensory Integration as
well as currently studying for her SI qualification.
Kellys special interest is F.M.S. and splinting and
Sarahs is Switching and Sensory Stories.
James reflects on some fun OT sessions
The team are continually developing

Many of the activities have cross curricular
links, mainly in phonics and maths and we
hope that some classes will be able to use
these to support these subjects within lessons.
The library will be continually developing as
we discover new activities. We are also in the
process of developing a Sensory Story Library.
This is where we choose a story and find a
sensory skill including, smell, sound, touch and
vision, which will support nearly every page
of the book. For example, The Magic Train
Ride visits space so the students get to touch
alien slime and space dust. It also goes to cake
land so the students get to whisk shaving foam
and add glitter and sequins to make shaving
foam cakes! We plan to continually add to the
library so we have lots of fun stories to choose
from.
Please feel free to contact us any time either
via home/school book, call the therapies
department 01202 758322 or email us directly
intialsurname@victoria.poole.sch.uk.
We are continually developing our knowledge

base as a team. We are already booked in for
training and courses for the next academic year
and always looking out for any events or courses
that will further develop our knowledge and help
us to provide the best for our students.
We have been doing lots of research into new
ideas in the OT world. Something we have
developed is a Fine Motor Skills (FMS) activity
library. We have F.M.S activity boxes each
containing the activity, a card which explains how
to carry out the activity and what F.M.S skill the
Sensory skills are key
activity supports. So far the students have given
We wish you all a fantastic summer full of fun,
us very positive feed back.
happiness and sun and are looking forward to
The activities are all fun and most of the time
seeing you all in September.
the students have no idea they are working!
VEClife 17
The Staff Room

News with a Staff Perspective
A View From The Chair
By Keith Mitchell
may help this move forward. This would be an
As the end of the term
informal chat over a coffee perhaps 2/3 times a
draws nearer I would like
year to listen to your thoughts on the school. If
to take this opportunity
you were interested in taking part in this please
to wish everyone an
let me know via the office at the school.
enjoyable summer break.
The school had a very successful sports week
I am sure that staff and
and I was pleased to help out with the tennis
students are looking
sessions organised by Southbourne Tennis
forward to a well earned
Chair of Governors break but appreciate that
Club. These sessions went very well and
Keith Mitchell for parents this time may not several students have the opportunity to play
with coaches from the club at the school on
be so peaceful!!
Friday afternoons.
I have really enjoyed my recent time at the
school and by now I think I will have met all our Governors had the opportunity to spend some
time with the student council before their
fantastic students and amazing staff. By the
recent meeting and we had a very interesting
time you read this I also hope I will have met
discussion on a variety of topics. As a result of
and talked to many parents at the family BBQ,
this the students are going to look at different
sports day or leavers ball.
ways of letting governors know their thoughts on
We are still trying to find another parent who
would be willing to serve on the governing body school life. We are very much looking forward to
much more contact with them next year.
and if you think you may be interested and
would like an informal chat please let me know. Once again I hope you all have a very enjoyable
Governors are also very keen to talk to parents summer and look forward to working with you
again next term.
about the school and we were wondering if
linking a parent with a particular governor
Happy Retirement Sue!

Therapies & Nursing Administrator, Sue Barker,
is retiring at the end of term after over two
decades of sterling service to Victoria School.
Sue has been a mainstay of the admin team for
21 years since joining VEC in 1995. Working
in virtually all areas of admin, Sue has always
carried out her roles with great competence and
professionalism. Joining Victoria School in April
1995 as the first appointed receptionist, she
relocated to Carmel House a few years later.
Sue worked closely with Post 16, John Pearce
and Simon Brown until 2008 when she decided
to take on the role of Therapies & Nursing
Administrator. Here, Sue has enjoyed being at
the heart of the therapies team after many years
of working in an office on her own. Ceri Vosper
18 VEClife
Sue Joined VEC in 1995

and the therapies team would especially like
to thank Sue for all her gentle advice, calming
presence and reliable support over the last
eight years. All staff and students at Victoria
send their best wishes and wish Sue a long
and happy retirement.
Good Luck Nicky
At half term Nicky Hewitt left

us after five years of dedicated
service to the Centre and will
be sadly missed by staff and
students alike.
Nicky started as a class teacher
here in January 2012 and then
took over as drama teacher in
September 2013. She has made a significant
contribution not only as a class teacher but
throughout the whole school, leading and
supporting drama, school development and
events. She is hoping to have a little bit of welldeserved rest time before pursuing a career in
health.
We offer her our very best wishes and are
delighted that she has indicated she would like
to stay connected with us in the future.
Welcome Back Annie
Annie Cheer has been appointed

as drama teacher and will return
to VEC after a few years break.
Annie is a very experienced
teacher and first came to Victoria
Education Centre in 1997. She
knows the students and staff well
and spent the last few weeks of
term time with the classes as part of a transition
arrangement.
New Role for Rhi
The post of Registered Manager in the

Childrens Home has been offered to Rhiannon
Beer. As she is currently the interim manager
she will take over the role with immediate effect.
We wish Rhi well in her new role and look
forward to working with her
A Word From Jo
Can I just thank the nursing team

for supporting several student
nurses (child branch) this year on
placement at VEC. All the feedback
from the Student Nurses was very
The SaLT Dept says a hearty Thank you
positive and they enjoyed their short
and Goodbye to Georgina Hayward.
placements here, so much so, a few
George covered Nicky Mearings maternity
are now working on the care side
leave for many of the students at Victoria.
supporting the Childrens Home. Also
We are sad to see her go and are grateful
a big thank you to all the rest of the teams here, who
for her hard work. We wish her good luck
also supported them and let them join in classes and
for the future! Also, welcome back Nicky
sessions.
who will be working three days a week from I think they learnt a great deal and took away some
September.
invaluable learning, that will benefit the young
people here if they ever have to have a hospital stay.
Thank
You
George
Parents Evening
This years Parents Evening and BBQ was

very well attended by parents and carers.
Our Teaching staff all had full appointment
books but there was time to relax later in the
evening at the family BBQ. Entertainment was
laid on by Beth Williamson who sang for us.
There was also a raffle organised on behalf
News Round-Up
We wish Fiona Barnett and Stuart Bursey well

for their wedding which is being held in Poole on
the 29th July. A Hen evening was held for Fiona
at the school beach hut and we are keeping our
fingers crossed for the weather on the big day.
Very best wishes to PE Assistant Rhian Wooten
who is expecting twins in September and to
new Mums Claire Pritchard from Pergins
of FoVEC by Chris Tarring, a cake stall and

plant sales with just over 300 being raised on
the night for FoVEC. A big thanks to Stewart
Fitt for laying on the BBQ and Carol and Alan
Mitchell for manning it and also to Chris Tarring
and all supporting staff who contributed on the
night.
Class and Becky Rodriguez from Class LB.
Congratulations to all staff who will be taking
new roles from September: Kitty Dean has
been appointed Senior Teaching Assistant as
has Jo Grant. Eileen Ridout, Jess Edney
and Alexandra Hayes have all been appointed
as Teaching assistants. Congratulations one
and all.
VEClife 19
A p p s A m a z i n g ! Early Leaaprpnsing
Your guide to Apple apps with SEN in mind.
Welcome to Apps Amazing, in this edition we
are going to look at the very beginning of the
learning process and what apps you might
use to introduce your young ones to numbers,
object and word association, sequencing and
much more. iPads are not the exclusive answer
for early learners but there is a wealth of apps
specifically designed for this pivotal time in a
childs development. iPads can engage young
learners with brightly coloured graphics and ear
catching sounds. Due to the immediacy of its
interface early learners can very quickly grasp
how to use this technology and with the game
like structure of most apps find it a fun way of
learning.
A Day With A Difference

By Robb Research Ltd
1.49
Introduce your child to the comparatives

(bigger, smaller etc) through this interactive
story about Mr. Big and Mr. Small. Early
learners will be required to assist during
the story with tasks which will help them to
understand the comparatives. The app teaches
the key comparatives that children are expected
to learn in their first year of school. These
include:
Bigger and Smaller
More and Less
Same and Different
Longer and Shorter
Throughout the story, users are introduced
to the range of comparatives, and for each
comparative they will be given the opportunity
to practice what they have learned. Once they
have completed the story, they can return to
any of the practice parts again.
Parents and carers can configure how many
questions they would like their early learner to
answer, and the criteria for success. If required,
the sound can be turned off so that the story
can also be read by your child.
In addition, you are provided with a specially
designed single or multi player game, which
tests the childs ability to use the comparatives
20 VEClife
they have just learnt. The game can be

played against the iPad, by two players or by
a parent/ carer and early learner.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later.

Compatible with iPad.
Felt Board
By Software Smoothie
2.29
Felt Board for the iPad is inspired by actual

felt boards used by early learners, teachers
and storytellers worldwide. With this highly
rated app you can create characters by
selecting skin color, hair and facial features.
Choose from a wide variety of costumes,
settings and props. Felt Board brings the
experience of a traditional felt or flannel
board right to your iPad. To begin, choose
a background and then tap an item to send
it to the playing area. Clothes automatically
scale to fit the people. Once in place, clothes
lock down automatically so you can move
people around the board. Tap the person to
unlock and reposition the layers. You can
scale and rotate items with your fingers.
Delete unwanted items quickly and easily
by tapping the trash (recycle) icon and then
tapping each item you want to delete. Use
the camera icon to send your Felt Board to
the photo library. This feature can be turned
off in your device privacy / photo settings. A
gallery lets you edit and re-use Felt Board
creations. As well as auditory and visual
processing, cognitive functioning and fine
motor skills are excercised with this app.
Love to Count
By Next is Great.
2.99
Love to Count is an educational application

for the iPhone and iPad, designed for
children aged from 4 to 7. Aimed at
introducing maths to early learners as an
enjoyable and rewarding activity, this app
creatively demonstrates the idea of numbers
being the indicators of order, time, weight
and quantity, helping with their natural urge to

find order in the world of numbers and shapes.
Love to Count helps teach and perfect such
skills as knowing the sequence of numbers from
1 to 10, counting up and down, understanding
the relationship between numbers, adding and
subtracting, making 10, learning halves, quarters
and thirds and many more number fundamentals.
Parents and carers are provided with a tracking
screen which is helpful for evaluating progress.
Love to Count aims to encourage early learners
to discover and understand maths, rather than
learn it by heart.
Compatible with iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch.
Preschool Connect the Dots

By Murtha Design Inc
2.29
Designed for youngsters from 2 to 5 years old

and with three difficulty levels (Easy/Normal/
Hard) the Preschool Connect the Dots Game
bridges the gap between the traditional dot to
dot game and the latest technology. With over
200 puzzles, users can randomly play from the
many categories, tap or draw to connect
sequential numbers (123), upper case letters
(ABC), and lower case letters (abc). Joining
all the dots forms the outline of the shape and
reveals the image and a sound effect spoken by
a speech therapist. The app is designed so that
children cannot access the settings page, which
is a great idea especially for younger users who
might tap anything that looks like a button. Its a
simple well designed app which most users will
find engaging and is a really good introduction to
using a touch screen for the first time.
Compatible with iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch.
LetterSchool
3.99
By Sanoma Media Netherlands B.V.
On the surface, LetterSchool may look like just

handwriting game with a lot of flash and fun, but
theres a lot more to it. Learning how to write is a
tremendous challenge for young children. They
must visualise and reproduce a huge number
of complex letter trajectories and memorise
dozens of related phonics. Letter sounds must
be associated with words and numbers with
values. LetterSchool works to ensure that kids
absorb all this knowledge as they develop the
fine motor skills they need. This preparation for
handwriting hopes to deliver a head start

upon entering school. LetterSchool presents
every letter at maximum scale, regardless of
device orientation. This helps early learners
learn and memorise the letter shapes.
Achievements are rewarded with special
effects and every successfully written letter
or number is recorded with a star in the menu
screen. A complete set of stars provides
access to the gold level, unlocking a whole
new set of games. LetterSchool does a great
job of teaching letter writing with a three-step
process: learn the starting points for each
stroke, trace the letter, and write the letter
without hints.
Compatible with iPad and iPhone, iPod Touch.
Shape-O ABCs
By Bellamon
1.49
Another app designed with pre-school users

in mind, shape-O brings together elements
of letters, shapes, colours and sounds.
Geometric shapes are pieced together
to form images including animals, plants,
transportation, faces and foods.
Letters are used as puzzle pieces to form
words, helping with letter recognition and
spelling. Friendly voiceovers demonstrate
pronunciation, and parents or carers can
adjust the difficulty to the unique abilities of
the user.
The rainbow button allows users to rotate
through colors expressing a variety of
moods and tonal ranges inspired by natural
and imaginary worlds. The simple screen
designs incorporate warm textures of wood
and craft papers. There are sound effects
and background music which evoke real
instruments and when a shape puzzle is
completed successfully, users are rewarded
with a congratulations sound, word and
graphic. The aural and visual encouragement
rewards the value of their effort and
inspires continued play. Shape-O! ABCs
strikes a balance between entertaining
and challenging early learners. The large,
colourful buttons are designed for small
fingers, and the simple icons are easily
remembered for independent play.
VEClife 21
Beer
and Bluegrass 2016
We are very pleased to be chosen as a Charity
Partner of Beer and Bluegrass, a Festival held
just over the road from us on Friday 22nd 23rd July at St Aldhelms Hall and Gardens.
Situated between the towns Bournemouth
and Poole, Beer and Bluegrass is a small and
intimate Festival over two days which draws
on the influences and the spirit of the early
seventies music gatherings.
The Acts this year include The Amanda

Rheaume Trio from Canada. Ottawa-based
Amanda Rheaume is an award winning singersongwriter with a powerful, slightly gritty, deeply
personal, and instantly accessible folk/roots
sound with elements of country, pop, and soul.
She has released three albums and has recently
A line-up of top talent!
returned from an international tour playing shows
Based in Berlin St Beaufort are a talented
here in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany,
trio who will be performing fresh folk and
Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark.
bluegrass with banjo, guitar and mandolin.
The six piece New Hawleans Jug Band,
Also appearing are UK band Honey Ryder
with their rocked-up, Jazzed-up and messedwho enjoyed a busy festival season in 2015
performing at events such as C2C at the O2, The about versions of blues, folk and standards
are a welcome addition and Surrey-based
Isle of Wight Festival and The British Country
Jonas and Jane complete the bill with their
Music Awards where they received 3 award
seamless harmony vocals and intricate
nominations. They also performed an acoustic
session and were interviewed by Bob Harris on bluegrass style guitar picking.
Bob Harris Country for Radio 2.
The team of organisers have carefully woven

the music with a Real Ale and Cider Festival
The Kentucky Cow Tippers will be bringing
complete with locally sourced food from local
their traditional Appalachian harmonies, fiddle
tunes and progressive Newgrass to the stage. producers. Amongst the many fine beers
last year was Tiny Rebels Cwtch which was
Since forming in 2008, The Kentucky Cow
Tippers have deservedly earned a reputation as voted Champion Beer of Britain just weeks
after at Camras Great British Beer Festival
one of the hardest working and most exciting
in August. They have kept it small, but that
acts on the UKs acoustic music scene.
has not stopped visitors coming from all over
Britain and with overseas visitors from France,
Brennen Leigh and Noel McKay who are
Germany and Spain and despite its under the
based in Austin Texas are also on the bill. Fine
radar approach, it is rapidly becoming the
songsters, guitarists & all round bluegrassy
retro Festival to visit this summer. We will be
musicians, they are very unique and highly
holding a Charity Raffle during the two day
acclaimed in the music capital of USA.
Festival and will have a stall in St Aldhelms
Gardens.
Also joining us are Old Hannah, a band from
the west of Ireland whove taken a deep-rooted The Festival organisers are very keen to hear
love of all things folk, country and traditional, and from anybody who would like to volunteer their
services and have a great time into the
have spun those influences into a unique and
bargain! for more information contact
sophisticated sound thats both contemporary
www.beerandbluegrass.co.uk
and timeless.
info@beerandbluegrass.co.uk
22 VEClife
Hilarys
Lingo Lab
By Hilary Stewart
Welcome, Bienvenue & Wilkommen
to episode two of Madame Stewarts Lingo
Lab and this time around we are looking
at phrases connected with travel. Through
this feature she hopes to introduce you to
bitesize snippets of phrases from another
language, usually with the help of a friend!
Via the wonders of Aurasma technology,
you can view short video clips and hear
the language spoken with English subtitles
making sure you understand. We hope that
this will be an enjoyable way to share the fun
of learning foreign languages and will enable
Hilary and Jaques return for lesson 2

you to listen, speak and learn with your child at
home. To play along, all you need to do is setup your smart device with Aurasma (there are
instructions on how to do this on page two) and
scan the photo of Jaques and Hilary. Please
have a go and let us know how you get on
and look out for more useful phrases in future
editions of VECLife. Bonne chance, mes amis!
The
Bonjour Jacques, a va? Hello, how are you? Oui, a va bien, Et toi? Yes, fine. You? Oui a va trs bien, merci. Alors, tu vas en vacances,
Jacques Yes, very well thanks. So are you going on holiday Jaques? Oui, je vais au Brsil pour les Jeux Olympiques. Yes, Im going to
Brazil for the Olympics Wow! fantastique! Wow! fantastic Oui tres bien Yes, very good. Jadore la sport I love sport Oui moi aussi Yes, me
too. Et toi, tu vas en vacances? Are you going on holiday?
Oui, je vais en France jadore la France. Alors mon ami, tu vas en vacances? Bonnes vacances! Yes, Im going to France. I love France.
Well, my friend, are you going on holiday? Have a great holiday.
Report
By Jen Williams
This term all the classes have continued to care

for their strawberry plants in an attempt to grow
the heaviest ripe strawberry. It seems that some
local wildlife has also been enjoying what we
have grown so finding the ripe strawberries has
been harder than we thought!
However classes CN and LB successfully grew
strawberries they could weigh, with Class LBs
weighing in at a healthy 19g, but Class CN
producing a super 30g strawberry. So Class CN
continue to be champion growers, well done to
them!
There were also many wonderful contributions
for the best strawberry product prize. Amar,
William, Simon Brown and Jon Godber seemed
to be having lots of fun trying all the products
from pavlova to face cream! It was a very difficult
decision but in the end Class JW won (it wasnt
a fix honest!). Thank you to all the classes for
joining in with our growing competition.
Classes seem to have been doing lots of learning
outside this term with trips out and activities in
the grounds. Class CN will be telling you more
Judging was difficult but somebody had to do it!
about their visit to the Canford River platform in

this issue. Even the After-School Sensory Club
has been out in the grounds and with Hazels
leadership they found a lovely big newt in the
ponds.
The Eco-Committee have continued to have
students lead their meetings and Charlotte and
Amar have recently done an excellent job!
Student Eco-Committee members spent last
week on the look out for staff who have left their
cars behind for VECs Walk to Work Week. Its
been a great success and thank you to all those
staff who thought about getting to work in more
environmentally friendly ways during the week.
Have a lovely summer break, with fingers
crossed for good weather.
VEClife 23
The Sports
Report With
Hannah Powis
Dorset School Games Swimming Gala

On April 13th four students attended the Dorset
School Games swimming gala at Canford school.
The event played host to students from schools all
over Dorset. Sophie Pritchett and Heather Rowe
took to the pool first competing in two races each,
Freestyle and Back Stroke.
Torin Van Breda and Elisha Robinson entered the
older age group category where they completed
3 races each. They both competed in freestyle,
breaststroke and backstroke races with Elisha
winning 3 bronze medals and Torin taking home 2
bronze medals.
Well done to all the students taking part, you did
Victoria proud!
The girls did us proud
Step Into Sport 2016

This years step into sport was held here at Victoria
Education Centre with participants from Class HP
alongside young people from other Dorset schools.
Paralympic swimmer and BBC presenter Kate Grey
introduced the day alongside our very own Robert
Ewins who shared his sporting success story.
The day involved both theory and practical
elements where young people looked at being role
models and coachs learning the skills needed to
effectively lead others in their own setting. The day
was a huge success where young people made
friends and left with a plan to introduce others to
sport and activity.
D of E Silver Award
June saw five of our students complete their Silver

Duke of Edinburgh Expedition in style with a 3 day
and 2 night camp at Hengistbury Head. Connor,
Ebony, Esther, Robert and Tom took part in a wide
variety of activities including canoeing, hiking,
rock climbing, archery and dragon boating. They
spent the days working well together as a team
whilst trying new activities as well as doing the
more mundane tasks of making breakfast, lunch
and dinner. All the students had to pitch their own
tents and make all their meals. Everyone enjoyed
cooking on an open fire, toasting marshmallows
and making campfire smores. (chocolate
biscuits with melted marshmallows in the middle!)
Expedition treats...
24 VEClife
Our silver award winners
Help For Heroes Powerchair Football Trip
The event was a great success
Wetwheels Trips out
On the 17th of June Liam Drummond, Ryan

Skinner, Josh Houchen and Robert Ewins travelled
to the Help for Heroes Recovery Base in Tidworth
in order to deliver a session of powerchair football
to recovering soldiers. The session started with
the team coaching some basic introductory
skills to instruct the soldiers on how to drive the
powerchairs and how to control a ball. Students
were then split into teams with the soldiers and
took part in a game where the students were not
allowed to score.The event was really successful
and proved a great opportunity for the students
and school to build links with Help for Heroes. It is
hoped that the centre will come to VEC next term
to try some of our sports.
Following on from sports week two classes,

BE and CN, were invited to take a trip on the
Wetwheels Catamaran. The classes travelled down
to Poole Quay in small groups where they boarded
the accessible boat ready for a trip around the
harbour. The crew took the students all the way
out to Old Harry Rocks where they were then given
the opportunity to drive the boat, safe to say that a
lot of the staff members and some lucky students
got very wet! Thank you to the crew at Wetwheels
for this amazing opportunity and for making the
experience so much fun!
Yes, its as much fun as it looks
Golden Goggles 2016
The students love Golden Goggles Day
Golden goggles took place the week following

sports week this year and involved 4 classes,
LB, CN, JW and Explorers. There were some
fantastic races this year which were all based on
the Olympic theme from sports week. The students
took part in individual races swimming on their front
and back as well as a race around the velodrome
before turning to the team event. Each member of
the class was given a bucket of water which they
had to use to take water across the pool and put
into a tube to see if they could get the Olympic
torch inside to the top.
Well done to all the classes for competing
fantastically!!
Monty Wins Golden Double
Monty, our double champion
Monty Welstead represented Victoria at Warwick

University on the 4th July in the 100m sprint and the
discus. Monty demonstrated great character and
perseverance to achieve Gold in both events.
Well done Monty!
VEClife 25
Sing, Dance, Act, Play.
Creative
News-Round
Arts
With Belinda Ellicott
Express Yourself!
This years Creative Arts Week linked to

our theme of Communication and so all our
activities linked to different ways of expressing
ourselves. Students tried out poetry writing
with performance poets Jonny Fluffypunk
and Liv Torc and dance workshops with The
PreMix, The Remix and Extraordinary Bodies.
They wrote songs with Nathan Thomas and
listened to music performances by New Forest
Woodwind, On Another Note (choir), A Couple of
Sherberts and the Mini Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra.
The brilliant mini BSO

There was an interactive opera Dust Child
performed by English Touring Opera and
projection mapping workshops with Matt Taylor
as an option for older students. Students
also learnt how bees express themselves and
helped collect pollen. Our older students led
workshops in Drama, Music and Sculpture
New Forest Woodwind

for our younger students as part of their
Arts Award qualifications. There were also
opportunities for everyone to try out the new
technology we have in school including the
Omivista, Musii and Pop Up Play, to decorated
cakes, make Easter cards and create radio
shows about their week. The week culminated
in VECs Got Talent with a panel of guest
judges. The standard of competition this year
was very high and it was a very close result,
but our final winner was Sam Bird playing
music through his eye gaze. The class
challenge this year was to design and make
our own flag to represent our class and Class
Rainbows won.
Pop in to see Poppins
As part of their Arts Award Discover studies,

Class LB visited the Mayflower to watch Mary
Poppins. They had a great time joining in with
songs, especially to Step In Time and Lets
Go Fly a Kite. They were also very intrigued
about using the special binoculars to see the
action on stage just a little bit closer. Everyone
had a lovely time and cant wait to go again.
um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
26 VEClife
BSO-The Elements
This year the BSO once again performed
concerts at The Lighthouse for students in
Key Stage 2 and we were fortunate to take
3 of our classes to take part in this. But this
year they also streamed 1 of the concerts live
to schools and so the rest of the school were
able to enjoy the event too. We learnt some
body percussion to join in with a piece of
music called War and Peace and also learnt
a song that had been written especially for
the concert that we sang and signed with the
whole of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
We were very proud to have been asked
to teach BSO the signs for this and so they
A thumbs up for the BSO

taught all the other schools the signs too so it was
a wonderful experience for us all to share. We all
thoroughly enjoyed the experience and cant wait
until next year! We will be singing and signing the
song in our end of year assembly.
JSLN Ballet Company Visit
We were really excited to have JSLN Ballet company back to visit us at VEC in June, with their
interactive workshop/performance. This time we were treated to extracts from Petrouchka, a ballet
all about dolls. We helped to bring them to life and mend them and watched them dance with each
other and make friends. We really enjoyed the morning and look forwards to their next visit.
Arts Award 2016
This year our focus for Bronze and Explore Arts

Awards has been around the BBCs Ten Pieces
II. Students have worked with professional
artists and school staff to create a range of
interesting and creative responses based
around these 10 pieces of music. Students
have visited cinemas, sculpture parks and
theatres to experience different art forms
and professional work and run workshops for
younger students across the school. Combined
with our Discover and Silver Arts Award,

students from VEC will have completed 1 Silver,
28 Bronze, 8 Explore and 8 Discover Arts Award
qualifications this year a massive achievement
and a testament to all their hard work and
creativity. This has also been our year as an
Arts Award Good Practice Centre and I think
our students have demonstrated why we have
achieved this.
Location Location Location
Action: On set at Giles House
Access to the Future
This years school production of Beauty and

the Beast will have a new twist! For the first
time ever and thanks to the kindness of Lord
Shaftesbury a number of scenes were filmed on
location, at Giles House. We would like to thank
Lord Shaftesbury and his very hospitable team
for making us feel so welcome and allowing us
the use of his lovely stately home. We had a
great time and felt very professional shooting
our scenes in the beautiful rooms and grounds.
The premiere took place on Sunday 3rd July at
Hangar Farm Arts Centre.
4 of our KS4 and Post 16 students have been involved with a project organised by Bournemouth
University to work with performance poet Jonny Fluffypunk to create individual poetry about their
rights and expectations. This is an offshoot of a project that took place in school a couple of years
ago and culminated in a sharing of work at Bournemouth University on Tuesday 28th June 2016.
The students had a great time writing about things they value and things that they feel they have a
right to expect.
VEClife 27
The
With Tony Rudd

On behalf of Vibe I was invited to the TES
awards. I was very excited to read about
Vibes contribution in the judges reasons for
why we received the Drama and Arts Team
of the Year award. I was very proud of my
colleagues and proud to be part of the school.
I did my impression of Dara Briain to him
as we bounded on to the stage to accept our
award..Thats fantasticahhh I said to him in
my attempt at his Irish accent and then I got to
dance!
This time I have to offer some big ups to Class
CN and Class LB for their incredible use of Vibe
to produce poems, dramas and stories. We
have been coming up with a new regular feature
Poetry Corner and Class LB water fact of the
day which features on our brand new show the
Weekly Round-up. This showcases jingles and
features made by the students, which features
news reports and Vibe has made a connection
with the Wessex Warriors Wheelchair Football
Team.
Amar records a poem

Daniel Standhaft has been a little star he
has recorded the story The Gruffalo which
incredibly he recited from memory and it has
been produced to be included in Vibes line up at
Storytime at 9.
The Beauty and the Beast preview show which
features Tony and Matt discussing the creative
process of this years school film production
with guests Liam Drummond and former student
Harry Bassett adding insight to their past drama
experiences. Its worth catching this show for
28 VEClife
Its not all serious stuff on the radio

Matts Game of Thrones audition alone.
Radio Star of the term goes to Liam
Drummond-Bass who shows he has all the
makings of a great radio jock, understanding
his audience and the need for structure,
he heads up his own show, co-presents
the Wheeler Fortune Show and shows
the maturity to run Youth Club radio in my
absence, excellent stuff Liam.
Akira Jackson continues to make excellent
voiceover jingles for Vibe, my favourite being
the one when Ryan Skinner does his Stitch
and Monsters Inc. voices, go Ryan.
All the students are making tunes for inclusion
for the Vibe charts Vibe in association with
Mike Whitlock so brace yourself!!
And, coming soon Connor Ferris has come up
with an incredible idea for a Radio Show that
im very excited about!! All will be revealed..
Very pleased with the progress with all the
students who use Vibe, they are talking like
DJs now, a lot of them are coming up with their
own ideas for features, stories, shows, jingles,
poems and dramas. With the inclusion of the
Mixcloud website to host our professionally
made shows, weve had excellent feedback
from the parents as they listen to shows at
home! We now produce 27 shows a week
with an average of 7 to 10 shows per week on
Mixcloud!
New radio star of the term goes to Monty
Welstead, his confidence on the mic and dj
skills are amazing, well done Monty, he also
hosts his own show on Fridays The Monty
Show and contributes to the Friday Vibe,
recently ousting me from the presenters chair
to take over!!
Please contact Vibe if you have an idea for
a show or a recording you may like to do.
Remember on the radio, imagination can take
you anywhere!!!
ssroom
ClaCatch-up
om activities
ro
s
s
la
c
s
rm
at this te
A look back
rs to Pergins
from Explore
This issue
Events
Management
Class CN
French
Furzey
Class BE
Ex
Green Island Culture plorers
ws
Class JW Class LB Rainbo
Pergins
Lifeskills
Rainbows
A Lovely Summer Term
By Beth Kay
Rainbows have
had a lovely
summer term,
despite the lack
of sunshine!
We managed
to handpick
the best of the
weather for our class trip to the Beach. Basing
ourselves at the school beach hut, the students
enjoyed the sunshine whilst we had a walk along
the prom. We spent time together playing on the
sand, building sandcastles and a brave few even
dipped their toes in the water!
Plenty of rain and
sunny spells have
worked well for the
development of
our outside space.
Students have
planted strawberries,
marigolds, tomatoes, sunflowers, lavender and
mint as part of our sensory garden. Each student
has worked with a member of staff to create a
personalised wind chime and a water bottle to
feature on our garden water wall.
Rainbows had
a fun afternoon
when Squidge and
Pop (the bubble
company) came to
visit. The afternoon
was everything
bubbles! The students made bubble sounds,

explored a variety of different bubble shapes
and sizes, listened to bubble songs and to
end the afternoon were placed inside a giant
bubble!
Students and
staff alike
have throughly
enjoyed this
terms Show and
Tell sessions.
It has been a
lovely opportunity
to lean more about each student. We
have enjoyed visits from furry, four-legged
friends, playtime in the park, messy arts and
crafts, Sooty and Sweep, bubble foot spas,
music and film, baby tea parties and bath
time, play dough, hand massages, treasure
hunts, wind chimes, wooden frogs, puppet
shows, a variety of musical instruments,
bubble machines and sensory gardens
on trampolines. What a superb variety of
experiences for students and staff.
As the term has drawn to a close we have
had two very excited boys in our class,
George Kettle and Nathan Wolffe who have
spent a fun filled week at the Calvert Trust
in Exmoor. What a great end to the term for
them!
We hope you all have a lovely summer break,
from everyone in Rainbows.
VEClife 29
Explorers
A Day at the Beach
By Gill Tuttiet
Explorers had a lovely trip to the beach. It was
rather windy and we were glad we had the school
beach hut to sit and have our lunch, which was
rather yummy. (Thank you Stuart and Ladies.)
The boys had fun making sand dinosaurs using
special moulds. Amy helped them dig for treasure;
they found lots of shells which they bought back to
school.
Lexi and Olly enjoyed the big bubbles being blown.
Leanne and Daniel were very brave and went
paddling in the sea. Bobby went one step further
and got rather wet!
Everyone enjoyed the ride in the mini buses thanks
to Amy and Sally. We all arrived back at

school rather tired and ready for home.
Class JW
A Busy but Fun Term
By Jen Williams
This term we have been on a number of trips as
we have been thinking about our environment,
seasons and weather. We have been to Moors
Valley where we enjoyed lovely weather. Some
students took the
opportunity to
get out on to the
grass and listen
to the birds while
others went
looking for plants
and animals.
Some of the
students have been going out in the grounds
every week, experiencing changes to weather,
visiting their favourite places and listening to
sounds. They have also been enjoying story
massage related seasons and the ocean.
We all enjoyed a fabulous show at the
Winchester Royal
Theatre, Tiddler and
Other Stories. James
just wanted more
when it finished and
Izzy was so engaged
as she listened to
all the songs and
enjoyed the brightly
coloured visual performance.
Some students have had a great trip to
Hengistbury Head where Louise and Ro
even managed to get the kite to fly, much
30 VEClife
to Naseems delight! I think Louise and Ro

slept well that night! Our trip to Weymouth
Sealife was a real success, with Izzy loving
the viewing tunnel and Brooke really looking
carefully at the movement of the penguins.
What a busy but fun term. We are looking

forward to a trip to the beach before we break
up, fingers crossed for good weather.
Class LB
Our Dolphin Boat trip
By Lisa Boyes
During Sports Week Class LB were really
fortunate to be able to go on a boat trip around
Poole harbour. We had a fantastic time and
the weather was kind to us too! We saw lots of
different boats using the harbour. We were also
lucky as we saw a seal, who kept following us!!!
The crew on the Dolphin boat were fantastic
and we had a wonderful time.
All Aboard! Great fun on the Dolphin boat
Boyesis Noisy Cafe

During the afternoon of 29th June, Class LB ran
a new enterprise with the OT team and we had
our own caf. The students in class planned
what we needed and then we ran our Noisy
Caf throughout the afternoon.
Great fun was had by all and we raised 31.31
which will go into our Water aid fund.
Many thanks to all involved.
Class CN
CN Helps Poole Park Heritage

By Abbie Graham (Student)
The local council are planning some improvements
to Poole Park and Class CN volunteered to help.
First we all went to visit the park, paying particular
attention to things such as dropped kerbs and
uneven paths. Then Toni from the Poole Park
Heritage Trust came to visit the school to ask for
our ideas for improving the park and making it
more accessible for wheelchair users.
Toni showed us the plans for changing the park.
Lottie and I took Toni to the woods in the grounds
of the school to see the board walk which makes
it easier for the students in their wheelchairs to
get along. We thought a boardwalk into the lake
would be a good idea. Also we would like to see
a sensory garden in a quiet corner of the park.
Green Island
Sensory Sessions
By Margaret Humphreys
Green Island (and special guest star Matthew
Dean) were lucky enough to have a story
session from Laura Cousins from Lifemusic
Community Interest Company. She has been
leading some sessions with a Post 19 group on
Horizons and was highly recommended after
Megan visited to do some transition work. Laura
Abbie and Lottie show Toni around

Sam didnt think the play areas in Poole Park
were very good for disabled children, so he
showed Toni our wheelchair friendly roundabout and swing. The design for the new
park will be announced in August and we are
looking forward to finding out if any of our
ideas have made it into the final plan.
is skilled at creating imaginative props to
represent different elements of stories, and
her warmth and gentleness working with
us all was lovely. Staff and students were
all entertained listening and watching each
others reactions. Loved the ice cream van
musical box, and the rain drum.
If you would like to book sessions with Laura,
her contact details are: Laura@lauracousins.
org and her website is www.lauracousins.org.
VEClife 31
Green Island cont.....
Random Acts of Wildness

The wildlife trusts have been encouraging
people to perform Random Acts of Wildness
throughout June. Green Island have made
dens in the woods and listened to animal
stories; found natural items of all colours of
the rainbow; watched mini-beasts; viewed
web cams of owls and the seashore; tried wax
rubbings of bark and leaves; recorded nature
sounds and wandered down to the local woods
to have our snacks outside. Although June
was not the sunniest of months we have really
enjoyed the fresh air and the sense of calm and
peace
Our mini garden outside the class is also a riot
of summer colour, and we are doing our bit
for the pollinators as well as providing some
herbs for food tech lessons.
Most exciting of all, our compost is coming on

very well, with the remains of our fruit and veg
snacks and the odd shot of lawn clippings and
hedge trimmings.
Class BE
A Cinema Experience
By Jasmine Langord and Akira Jackson (Students)
As a life skills trip we went to the cinema to see the
new Ice Age film and it was really funny. We got to
Bournemouth by public bus. I struggled getting on
the bus but the driver was very helpful and put the
ramp down for us. I found the other people on the
bus were very helpful too. It was my first cinema
experience and I was a bit nervous at the start but
when I got in there I was fine. My favourite bit was
The film was hilarious!
when the squirrel got thrown around the spaceship.
A Day at the Seaside
It was hilarious!!! I am already planning another
cinema trip with my friends. This has given me By Joel, Reece, Mitch, Sam, Ryan and Danielle
more confidence to try new things and my next Joel We went on the bus from school
challenge to myself is to go to a concert.
Reece - We went to Harry Ramsdens for chips
and sausage. Lush!!
Mitch I had an ice-cream for pudding. Salted
caramel. Nice and Id recommend it
Sam Coca cola, beautiful girl, no money
( we all had a free can of coke that a lovely lady
was giving out as samples)
Ryan I went through the water fountain and
got soaking wet and I played ping pong with
Mike
Danielle I had to hook a duck and check the
number underneath. I won a Dory toy
Liz and Paula risk assessed the area using the
bikes from the pier.
All the fun of the fair
The
glamourous
Everyone enjoyed themselves
and
definitely want
Sophie
to go again.
Oral hygene with Jean Houston
32 VEClife
Furzey
Furzey Fun
By Kathryn Webb
Furzey Class had a brilliant time staying at
Holton Lee, the residential trip that they proudly
funded themselves. We all enjoyed chilling
out in the beautiful quiet countryside, taking
part in a Shiatzu massage, pony and carriage
rides and a print making workshop. We had
unexpected sunny weather so on the second
night we could be visited by some very special
Hot Rod Cars very noisy but great fun! The
students universally agreed the best part of the

holiday was sharing rooms with their friends
and having a great time hanging out altogether!!
Furzey Class would like to say a huge THANKYOU to everyone who bought items from our
many stalls or contributed their time to help us
with our fund raising we couldnt have done it
without you!!
Events Management
Our Bestofall Festival
By Aaron Gregory
On Tuesday 5th July the students in class Arne
put on a fantastic event at St Aldhelms Hall
in Poole. The students organised the event
independently for the NCFE Level 2 course in
Event Planning that they have been working
towards. They enjoyed carrying out many
tasks that helped to develop their confidence
of applying their skills in every day settings. On
the night, the event was enjoyed by a sizable
crowd and they enjoyed the free buffet food
that was provided by the students event partner
Tescos. The students worked hard to secure
their event partner and they thoroughly enjoyed
working alongside Jan Gould the Tesco Event
champion. The acts that were booked delivered
some wonderful live performances that were
enjoyed by the crowd. David Young returned for
a hilarious and insightful poetry performance.
Kimari Raven delivered a wonderful set of
acoustic music and the night was finished by
Lifeskills
Lifeskills Get Serious!
By Hilary Stewart and Vicky Slingsby

Every now and again in the Life Skills
curriculum, we look at topics which are very
serious and need to dealt with care and
sensitivity. This term has been a case in
point with students looking at units covering
drug and alcohol awareness. Students have
had the opportunity to learn more about the
legal position in both areas and have also
completed research into the effects of both
drug and alcohol misuse. Pergins and Arne
students watched a very interesting television
documentary on alcoholism and all students
Ben Poczba who covered some excellent

songs that had the crowd clapping and
singing along. The biggest cheer of the night
however came after a performance of I feel
Good by Victorias very own Ben Povey who
gave a vibrant performance that excited the
crowd. The students delivered a fantastic
event and they were very proud to carry out
it out independently and successfully. Their
endeavour to provide an excellent evenings
entertainment ensured that a great time was
had by all who attended.
were affected by the sad cases concerned.
High profile and celebrity drug misuse cases
have also been explored with students learning
about the impact on both the user and their
family. Throughout the term, we have been
consistently impressed with students responses
to the topics they have shown awareness and
plenty of good sense. We hope that our frank
discussions and open approach have given our
students an opportunity to reflect and the ability
to make the right choices if faced with a drugs or
alcohol dilemma in the future. It is important that
we equip VEC students for real life, even the
unpleasant bits, to make sure they stay healthy
and safe.
1
VEClife 33
French
En Vacances
By Hilary Stewart
Class LB & CN have been en vacances in French
this term, learning holiday themed vocabulary
and phrases to link in with our whole school topic
of water. We have learned the French names
for a number of European countries and have
conducted a survey of VEC staff in French, finding
out which countries people would like to visit by
asking O voudrais-tu aller? The winner by some
distance was Italy, luring us with lovely food,
sunshine and fascinating places to visit.
More recently we have learned the French for
the things wed need to pack such as lunettes de
soleil, serviette and chapeau. Class CN have
been working on building sentences with more
complex language features and we are hoping to
Elliot and Tyler sport some interesting chapeau
write some postcards to send before the end

of term.
Weve had great fun singing and signing our
holiday song every week, getting us in the
mood for learning and making great progress
in French.
Trs bien, tout le monde et bonnes vacances!
Culture
Rainbows Greek Odyssey

By Hilary Stewart
Rainbows have been journeying to Greece in
this terms Culture session. Whilst we have
unfortunately not had much Greek style weather
yet this year, weve had lots of fun. At the start
of each session, we have gently applied our
virtual sun cream, before experiencing heat and
cold to remind us that Greece is a hot country.
We have been listening carefully to some words
in the Greek language hello, thank you and
goodbye and Amabel and George Kettle have
been joining in with great enthusiasm. We have
been channelling our internal Zorba the Greek
with fantastic dancing starting off slow and
stately and building to a whirling mass of arms
and legs which George Norris and Mia have
found hilarious. Alexander and Callie have both
joined in the dancing, responding happily to the
music and atmosphere. We have experienced
some ancient Greek sports, venturing outside
VEClife 34
Ama tries on a Laurel Crown

for some shot putting and also participating in
a ball rolling competition. As the end of term
approaches, we are working on our Greek craft
project, painting some stones with traditional
Greek symbols of good luck in lovely deep
blue colours to remind us of the sea. Hopefully,
theres still time for the weather to be kind for
us and deliver a little Greek warmth before we
say Adio for the last time this term.
Pergins
Ending The Term With a Bang!

By Hilary Stewart
Students in Pergins class have ended the term
with an exciting day out doing something a bit
different. With six of our class members leaving,
we decided that we wanted to have a more
memorable and challenging end of term trip.
Class member Spencer Owens has often spoken
about one of his hobbies shooting and this
gave us the inspiration for our day.
On 6th July we went to the Purbeck Shooting
School near Bovington to try our hand at clay
pigeon shooting. Apart from our expert, Spencer,
we didnt really know what to expect. However,
we need not have worried. Instructors greeted us
on arrival and quickly had us sorted into 2 groups
ready to shoot, supporting students where
necessary and explaining everything very clearly.
All the students were soon hitting the clays more
often than missing and had a fantastic time with
beaming smiles all round. After lunch, we then
tried our hand at air rifle shooting which was
fun with students benefitting from the lighter

weight guns.
We had a brilliant day students and staff
commented that it had been great to do
something different and challenging. We
were very grateful to receive some FoVEC
funding towards the cost of the trip and
would also like to thank Bob and Jan Owens
for helping to make the trip happen, Stuart
Bursey for driving the minibus and again to
Bob for his help and support for all students
on the day. We all came away buzzing with
most of us planning a return visit!
Shop at Victoria Horticulture
For all your Summer Garden Needs

Open Monday to Friday 8.30 to 3.30
Our shop is set up and maintained by young

adults who are supported by the team at Victoria.
All plants on sale are cared for and grown
by the young people themselves alongside
our wide range of gifts and produce. The
shop is our unique way of interacting with our
community and many of our customers return
again and again to access this valuable local
resource. Why not pop in and pick up a bargain
knowing every penny you spend goes back into
supporting the young people at Victoria.
Make us your first stop for all your summer bedding, planted tubs & hanging baskets.
We also carry a good range of perennial plants and shrubs at very competitive prices.
1
VEClife 35
Phone: 01202 763697

Mail: vec@victoria.poole.sch.uk
Visit: www.victoria.poole.sch.uk
Follow us: Facebook/victoriaEducationCentre.uk
life Issue 15 Summer 2016

Compiled, written and edited by Jon Godber unless otherwise stated. Victoria School, Spring MMXVI

VECLife Summer 2016

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Term

Issue 15 Summer 2016

for parents, our patrons and supporters

Achieving Through Believing

Arts Team Wins

Reach For The Sk y!

An Award Winning Summer of Endeavour at Victoria

Look Out For Augmented Content

Inside This Issue

Achieving Through Believing

This issues Auras can be found on:

How to set up Aurasma on your device.....

Our Creative Arts Team have won a top award at

The judges were particularly impressed by how the

As a department we are absolutely thrilled to

Congratulations to our Creative Arts Team

Lord and Lady Shaftesbury attend Charity Dinner

Amazing Jake Jumps for Joy

The Moment of Truth

Alphataire App Released

Crazily addictive: Presenting Alphataire

Viv and Paula Flying High

Lord Mayor Tours VEC

Cllr Adams Chats to staff and students

Forever Blowin Bubbles

Thank you Squidge and Pop for a memorable

Priestlands Chooses VEC

Cara, Lauren and Edith raised 75

Year 8 students from Priestlands School in Lymington

Paulas ARC Nomination

Paula with Sam

Students on Song for Nathan

Singer-songwriter and record producer Nathan

were so knocked out by it we wanted to

899 Raised by AMCC

Lisa and Becki with grateful students

We would like to say a huge thank you to Lisa

Canine Partners Update

Finola with Mum, Orbit and Graham

Janes Raffles Raises 500

Class LB are already planning a trip

An amazing 507 has been raised by Jane

VECs Got Talent 2016

Sam Bird: VECs Got Talent Winner 2016

Oily Carts Light Show

The Magic of Oily Cart

Car Show and Vintage Day

A day of Cars and Nostalgia

Bev and Rorys Charity Jump

Following on from a report in the last edition

Four Go Mad in Exmoor

A challenging but rewarding week

We had another brilliant donation from long

Will Wins Eden iPad

We were delighted to welcome Eden

Daemon, Will, Mum Chris and Paula

Jurassic Jess Makes a Difference

You may remember a report in last terms

Once upon a time

Fine Finish to Fantasy Season

Jacob receives the trophy from league

surprise early top goal scorer. All in all it was

Lions Raise 400

We welcomed Ron and Jeanne Thompson to