Hove Park School

Opening and closing sequences

Here are clips of the newsreaders opening the news and closing with a weather report.

Technology Providing A New Tool For Learning

When you think of an iPad, you think of apps such as Angry Birds and Temple Run but now it seems as though technology can be used in a classroom environment by students and teachers: not as a gaming device but as an effective tool for learning.

Hove Park are using iPads to modernize education in all classrooms. In a learning environment, whether at home or at school, iPads can be used to aid students through the use of  innovative educational apps. Different subjects are able to use different apps in order to encourage students to do work at home and help improve their knowledge by using technology that can be accessible at home too. 

By using an iPad in school, it helps students to develop their communication and interactive skills. 

Hove Park students used iPad technology to film and edit all the content seen here in their BBC School Report.

Debate over sixteen-year-old voting age

Hove Park students are split 50-50 over whether or not sixteen-year olds should be able to vote for a new government and whether or not people so young should be in charge of the future of the country. 

The debate has been sparked by how in the Scottish referendum for independence in 2014, 16-year-olds will be able to vote. Should this be the minimum voting age in the UK?  This has led to discussion in and out of politics about whether 16-year-olds should be able to vote. 

At Hove Park School, we decided to conduct a survey to see whether or not people agreed with the change or opposed it. We surveyed 105 Year 10 students, and a slight majority of 55 were in favour of the change whilst 50 opposed it. Those who agreed with the change mostly felt that teenagers had strong opinions on the subject and could be mature enough to make the right choices in politics. The people who said no believed the exact opposite- that 16-year-olds simply weren’t mature enough to vote and wouldn’t take the responsibility seriously. 

Interviews with Sixth-Form students, Year 10 students and a Politics teacher in the Sixth Form revealed that they were all mostly in favour of the voting age being changed. They cited the same reasons which answered the survey- that 16-year-olds on a whole were intelligent and mature enough to take voting seriously.

From Seagulls to Royals

80% of Hove Park Students expressed their disappointment at the news that Brighton and Hove Albion manager, Gus Poyet is the odds on favourite to get the Reading Manager job.   

He shocked Seagulls fans across the county as Brighton gave Reading permission to speak to him. Poyet, who joined the Seagulls in 2009 when they were bottom off the league, is still deciding about leaving them to join Reading. 

Poyet joined Brighton & Hove Albion and in his first whole season as their manager got them promotion to the Npower Championship. Seagulls fans will be disappointed if they lost Poyet whilst they are still fighting for promotion to the Premier League. Poyet is reported to have said that his ambition was to get Brighton to the Premier League.

Reading, who are in the Premier League, are now on the verge of getting relegated from the Premier League and for Brighton they are just outside the play-off places on goal difference. It would be a huge change for Poyet if he left the Albion to join Reading as he has just got to know the team. 

A Hove Park student said “Poyet has just got us promoted to the premier league and it would be a big shock for all the fans if he left”. We asked 60 students and staff at Hove Park School about what they think about Gus Poyet leaving Brighton for Reading and only 20% of them said he should leave as he needs a tougher challenge than Brighton.

Veteran punk rocker Gary Turner from the 1970s punk band the Piranhas’ made a guest appearance at the Journalist Enrichment Group sharing his experiences about how music and his art has influence and shaped his life.  

Gary, who is still playing in a band at the age of 70, was at the school to record a discussion about the revival of punk music in Brighton music scene for Radio 4's Saturday Live show which will also feature Hove Park student Marlon Payne of the Brighton punk band A-M-I.

Gary spoke about how he started playing music in his early teens and went on to join the Punk movement in the 70s finally playing bass guitar with the fierce Brighton based punk band the Piranhas.  He told the group that every generation needs to rebel and be different from the last. He advised young people to try and change things by expressing themselves and gaining their own identify through their talents in music, dance and art.   

These days Gary likes to listen and dance to reggae music  which he described as an expression of both love and friendship. Gary you are inspirational, a true rocker, and a legend. 

Hove Park Student Hannah has won first prize in a photography competition for her snow inspired picture (left).

The competition was run by a local photography studio Document Options. The aim of the competition was to take a creative unique shot that signified winter. The first prize is the winning picture put on a large canvas.

Speaking about her win Hannah said: “The opportunities to take wonderful photos are everywhere. I think the snow gives people a chance to take some unique and beautiful photographs”.

Well done Hannah.

By Student Reporter, Anna 

A foul stench spread across Sussex due to a gas leak in Rouen, France. 

The “rotten egg” odour caused havoc in some schools in Brighton and Hove as children were evacuated out of school buildings and in one incident a school was reported to have closed for safety reasons.

The leak happened on Monday morning when the American owned chemical factory Lubrizol, based 70 miles west of Paris, accidently released the gas.  The smell, which is caused by a chemical that is added to odourless natural gas, then drifted over Northern France on Monday night reaching southern England Tuesday morning.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services, who were inundated with calls from the public, have said that there is no danger to public health and that the unpleasant smell should dissipate naturally. 

The Journalist Enrichment Group

By student reporter, Louis 

Andrea Orlandi Stabilin, Brighton and Hove Albion’s new Spanish midfielder, took time out of a busy training schedule, to talk to students at Hove Park School about the importance of taking part in sport when young. 

Orlandi encouraged the students to take up a regular sport: “Not only is sport great for keeping fit and healthy when young,” he explained, “it also teaches you self-discipline and the ability to work in groups and teams.”  

Orlandi, who grew up in Barcelona, said that he loved sport when he was younger and played football,tennis and basketball before eventually choosing football as his career choice. 

Commenting on his move to Brighton from Swansea, Orlandi said that it was great playing for the Albion and that hewas really enjoying living in Brighton which he says is vibrant place to live.  

Before leaving Orlandi met with some of Hove Park’s footballers who, like Brighton, are currently in winning form.