12 August 2021 GCSE students collect results following a year of lockdowns. Today, Year 11 students from Albany Academy, Chorley, were welcomed back to school to collect their GCSE results. The 120 16-year-olds had suffered a series of setbacks in their studies because of the pandemic; having to learn online for 6 months of their 18-month course and deal with self-isolation and social distancing measures in school. With restrictions now ended, the school was able to welcome all the students back face to face to collect their results, which they will now take on to college or local apprenticeships. I found the lockdowns and getting into a routine a real challenge Mr Mayland, Headteacher of Albany Academy, said “This group of students are the ones who’ve been most affected by COVID-19 and the lockdowns. The resilience they have shown has been fantastic and I’m very proud of all of them, and delighted that we can share their results today face to face.” Head Girl, Olivia , who is going to Runshaw College to study literature, history and politics A levels, had this to say, “I’m really happy with my results, especially passing my maths.” Head Boy, Matthew, who is also going to Runshaw to study physics, computer science, maths and engineering added, “I found the lockdowns and getting into a routine a real challenge, but I’m very happy with my results. They were better than I expected!” Maisie, who gained seven GCSE grade 9s and a Btec Distinction, was delighted with her results, and said, “I’m so happy. I’m on the verge of crying. Maisie who is going to Newman College to study Maths, Further Maths, Computer Science and biology, thanked the staff because, “there’s always been a teacher to support me and give one to one support when I needed it.” Everything you put into your GCSE counts Emily, pictured with Maisie, who is also going to Newman college to study biology, chemistry and maths, had this to say to younger students who will be starting their GCSEs in September; “Keep a good balance in your life between work and fun and remember that all everything you put into your GCSE counts.” 10 May 2021 Teachers from Albany Academy recognised for their quality of teaching Teachers at Albany Academy are celebrating after being recognised for their quality of teaching and their belief that all students are capable of high performance. 23 February 2021 LEP Report Peter Mayland, who leads Albany Academy on Bolton Road, says that while a phased return would have helped with the practicalities of mass testing pupils for Covid, the pay-off for a wholesale reopening was “getting all children in for the three weeks before we break up for Easter”. 20 November 2020 Jack’s Tour de Food Albany student plans 6 hour cycling marathon to support struggling families GCSE student Jack Appleton is planning a 6 hour indoor ride in aid of Bolton Urban Outreach to help struggling families in this difficult period and going into a 2nd national lockdown. “ I feel that it is very important to raise money for families that are now unable to feed their children as free school meals are not going ahead and I think that helping these children’s families is very important. — Jack Appleton “I want to help families, through this fundraiser, who may not be able to enjoy a Christmas dinner this year as I feel every family should be able to celebrate as it is such an exciting time of year for many families and especially young children.” Jack, who is also preparing for his GCSEs at Albany Academy, is a keen cyclist who has already been cycling for over 10 years. He has taken inspiration from his cycling hero, Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, who cycled 12 hours on Zwift in support of the NHS during the first lockdown. Jack cycles to school every day and is also a member of Lusso Cycling Club, however, he’s never ridden for so long before. “This will be extremely challenging for me and this will the longest ride that I have ever attempted. I have spent lots of my time training for this extremely challenging event, and hope that people will be able to support me and that will encourage me to keep pedalling.” Jack’s Headteacher, Peter Mayland said, “We fundraise a lot at Albany Academy and encourage all our students to support their communities. This year we are focussing on supporting the homeless in our local area and it’s inspiring that Jack has decided to create this challenge for himself and is determined to help such a worthy cause.” Jack in training for his marathon ride Jack will be riding indoors on Zwift, an online cycling app that blends the fun of video games with the intensity of serious training, and will allow Jack to cycle through a virtual world. He has created a Go Fund me page for donations, details below: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jack039s-tour-de-food-bolton-outreach-foodbank?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet Money raised will go to Urban Outreach, which is a Christian charity providing food for households in crisis and person-centred support for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable adults and young people in Bolton. 1 November 2020 Computing Live 2020 Shortly after returning from the Computing Live Trip the school was closed due to Covid-19 and we never got a chance to report on the trip. However, one of Albany’s Digital Leaders Amy Howson has written a report all about the Year 10 trip to Computing Live 2020 at Disneyland Paris. As soon as we arrived, we took the Disney bus from the hotel and to the enormous shopping area just outside the park. Once we entered, we came face to face with the most incredible store ever, ‘World of Disney’. ‘World of Disney’ was a store that sold every Disney product known to man, from badges, teddies and jewelry to ornaments, bags and clothes. The ceiling was covered in incredibly detailed paintings of all the Disney characters, almost like a Disney version of the Sistine Chapel. All the workers spoke both French and English and were incredibly polite and helpful. The rest of the shopping area had stores like McDonalds, a Lego store, clothes shops, Starbucks, a cinema, fancy steak houses, retro restaurants and concession stands that sold things like toffee apples and chocolate covered strawberries. The Computing Live convention was held inside the cinema in the shopping area. All the schools met inside and each group was given a different coloured wristband. We were then taken into a gigantic theatre with around 40 rows of large red seats. On the floor was a giant stage with a screen covering the entire wall behind. Computing Live event was hosted by British television presenter, Dallas Campbell. He introduced the whole event and gave a warm welcome to each of the special guests. Our first speaker was Tom Nelson, a digital commerce manager for Disney Destinations. He talked about how everything online is user centric and data driven. He also spoke about basic technology usage, like how 95% of people own a smartphone and that the average person looks at their phone around 74 times a day. Our second speaker was Roberta Lucca, a serial entrepreneur, CEO of Bossa Studios and she owns a multi-million-dollar computer games business. She talked to us about the use of bulletin board systems, or BBS, and she also explained to us what a multipotentialite was and how they can be incorporated into computer science. Roberta spoke about different careers in the technology industry and her new and upcoming simulation games. Our final speaker was Rik Ferguson, the director of security research and communications at Trend Micro and a leading expert in information security, online threats and the underground economy. He talked about how social media has turned 5G network into something that cannot be trusted. He taught us that 5G network is not harmful, reduces latency and has higher data transfer rates. It could also change the hospital industry as it will allow surgeons to complete remote surgeries. Rik also talked about the development of artificial intelligence, or AI, and how the difference between AI and real people won’t be discernible in the future. Lastly, he showed us a website named “thispersondoesnotexist.com”, which shows the user a human face that had been fully computer generated, proving that AI is capable of replicating human features.. I can honestly say that going to Disneyland was one of the best things I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing. They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, and I completely agree. Read Amy’s full report here. 26 February 2020 ALBANY ACADEMY CELEBRATES COMMITMENT TO REAL LIVING WAGE Albany Academy has today accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Our Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the school receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.30 in the UK or £10.75 in London. Both rates are significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.21 per hour. Albany Academy is based in the North West, a region with nearly a quarter of all jobs (20%) paying less than the real Living Wage - around 584,000 jobs. Despite this, Albany has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. Education is the greatest weapon for tackling social inequality The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 200,000 people and put over £1 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers. Headteacher Peter Mayland, said, “Education is the greatest weapon for tackling social inequality and injustice. As a school we need to take a stand on the issue of fair wages for our own staff if we are to continue to inspire our students and our community.” Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Albany Academy has joined the movement of over 6000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. “They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as IKEA, Heathrow Airport, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Albany, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay." The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives. The UK Living Wage is currently £9.30 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of £10.75 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK. The Living Wage Foundation is the organisation at the heart of the movement of businesses, organisations and individuals who campaign for the simple idea that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage Foundation receives guidance and advice from the Living Wage Advisory Council. The Foundation is supported by our principal partners: Aviva; IKEA; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; KPMG; Linklaters; Nationwide; Nestle; Resolution Foundation; Oxfam; Trust for London; People’s Health Trust; and Queen Mary University of London. What about the Government’s national living wage? In July 2015 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the UK Government would introduce a compulsory ‘national living wage’. This new government rate is a new minimum wage rate for staff over 25 years old. It was introduced in April 2016 and the rate is £8.21 per hour as of April 2019. The rate is different to the Living Wage rates calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The government rate is based on median earnings while the Living Wage Foundation rates are calculated according to the cost of living in London and the UK. 22 August 2019 GCSE results 2019 Students at Albany Academy were celebrating this morning when they collected their results. Students from the Leading Edge school today collected excellent results, including 18 of the very top grades. Adam Howard who was celebrating achieving four grade 9s in maths, computer science, physics and photography and an A* in further maths. said “I’m delighted with my results and really grateful to the support of all my teachers”. “I’m delighted with my results and really grateful to the support of all my teachers”. Adam, who is going to Cardinal Newman to study A levels in physics and maths was joined by Sophie Towler and Morgan Shattock. Sophie achieved five grade 9s, in English Language, maths, biology, geography and religious studies. Morgan, who gained three grade 9s in maths, biology and physics alongside 6 grade 8s in his other subjects, added, “I’m very proud to have attended Albany and am really grateful for the support I’ve received here”. In the top 10 Lancashire Schools for pupil progress. Head teacher, Peter Mayland, said “I am really pleased for our students, all of whom have had to work incredibly hard to complete their GCSEs this year. All our courses have now converted to the new GCSEs and thanks to the hard work of our staff, our students have achieved very good results, which once again are likely to see us in the top 10 Lancashire Schools for pupil progress.” 10 October 2018 Albany Academy Remembers - World War 1 Competition To commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1, the History Club is running a competition. You can create a piece of art, music, dance, poem, story or drama piece to remember the fallen soldiers. 23 August 2018 Students make the top grade at Albany Students at Albany Academy were celebrating this morning when they collected their results having completed the new, tougher GCSE exams. 20 July 2018 Retiring Albany Governor recognised by County After 20 years of volunteering to support one of Chorley’s top secondary schools, Robert Hodgkins, who retired from the role this summer has been awarded the Special Recognition Award by the Lancashire Association for School Governing Bodies. Older Posts By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively.