Train Blog September 2024

16th September 2024Lee Wilkinson

Harrison Foundation

Thank you to the Harrison foundation who has been a big part in funding our STEAM carriage on the train and for the recent donation of iPads.

 

Northern Rail

Thank you to Marie from Northern Trains for helping our students access train travel. This will be particularly important when the Northumberland Line opens giving the school access to stations along the line to help give our students life skills and opportunities. We look forward  to using the train on trips this term for our students to gain life skills.

 

Heaton Depot

Thank you also to Northern Rails Heaton depo, for all the work they have done on the train to help us keep it waterproof and in good condition. We look forward to working with Heaton Depo this year for a plan to help keep the train waterproof.

 

Dovetail Games

Thank you to Dovetail games for providing the software to run our train simulator. Dovetail games has provided us with the new update to the game, which features a Pacer train, for the children to drive.

 

Pathway of thanks

 Thanks to all the businesses and individuals who have purchased a slate for our Pathway of thanks. The Pathway of thanks, has been set up to honour the businesses and individuals involved in the train project, complete with their own personal message.

If you would like to purchase a slate, please contact the school office admin@thedales.northumberland.sch.uk

 

World book Day at The Dales School

3rd March 2023Lee Wilkinson

The Dales School World Book Day

 

B4 (Forest) World Book Day Slideshow:

https://www.facebook.com/100057277276782/videos/886854472572033

 

 

Train Community Project

30th January 2023Lee Wilkinson

The Dales School has been featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. The show followed the conversion of our class 144 Pacer Train.

 

It took an incredible effort from school staff, particularly our amazing site manager Tom McKinnon, working through the summer holidays to get the train ready for George’s visit.

 

We were amazed when the community came together to help support the project, with the intention of helping children gain reading skills. Reading skills are so vital and are linked to developing skills to help children out of poverty.

The school received funding from the Laurel Trust and Hargreaves Foundation as well as contributions from Arnold Clark, Barbour, The Port of Blyth, RW Mann Trust and Northern Rail as well as Blyth Council contributing to the haulage cost to deliver the train to school. The project even caught the attention of Henkal, based in Hertfordshire, who donated weatherproofing products. Noel Forte and his team were regular visitors to The Dales School and carried out work on our pacer train, even a faulty compressor couldn’t stop them in their tracks.

Barry Lewis from Henkal

 

The amazing conversion of the train even comes with its own track donated by Network Rail.

Network Rail volunteers building the track.

 

It’s own train station, donated and built by the local branch of TEXO, with a lot of support from the amazing Alan Conway.

Alan Conway designing the station.

 

Wickes volunteers.

 

A ticket office built by local Blyth-based charity Blyth Man Shed and donated by Mercia as part of the Wickes Community Programme.

Blyth Man Shed.

 

The train is fitted with a fully working driving simulator to help encourage early career aspirations and to help children with sensory needs to experience the sounds and sights of the railway.  The software was kindly donated by Dovetail Games and the simulator was built by our STEM lead John Jennings.

 

Thank you to Morgan Sindall and Rachel Bateman from NCC and the police cadets for volunteering work that made it possible to move forward with the project. Thanks also to Network rail volunteers lead by Dawn Sweeting who volunteered over the summer holidays.

We can all agree the work paid off and we are very proud of our train. Next stop, funding for our STEM carriage. This will be a place to support pupils with early career aspirations linked with local businesses and also to practically learn railway safety in a joint initiative with Network Rail.

 

Reading at Ashdale

26th May 2022Lee Wilkinson
We are busy creating some lovely new reading areas around school. These will be spaces for children to come along too and develop their reading skills and more importantly discover the enjoyment books can bring.
This is the new reading area set up in our reception.