Brooke Weston is working together with education charity Future First to build a network of former students. Engaging an Alumni Network helps to stay in touch with former students, and can be of mutual benefit in supporting with careers, work experience and fund raising.

Research has shown that access to relevant and relatable role models can transform a young person’s confidence, motivation and skills with former students the perfect people for this, having grown up in the same community and learnt in the same classrooms, they can show students that ‘people like me’ do succeed.

Alishia Read has recently taken up the post of media officer for Brooke Weston and two other schools in the Trust. She has had a career in media sales and advertising and, after running her own business with young people, she wanted to make the transition to a school environment.

Alishia said: ‘I have generally worked in media, sales, advertising and PR. I was working in London in a magazine company before moving up to the area and becoming manager for Image magazine in Northampton for around seven years. I also did marketing in an estate agency then started my own business teaching baby massage, baby yoga and children’s yoga for those aged from three to 12 years so I have a varied skill set that I bring to the job.

Students are incorporating techniques they learned in a theatrical workshop into practical work for their GCSE coursework. Students from Brooke Weston and Corby Technical School had a workshop with renowned theatre group Frantic Assembly.

A group of Year 12 and 13 students travelled to Worksop College for a two day philosophy conference.

The event, ‘in the pursuit of knowledge’ was a mixture of exciting interactive workshops and innovative seminars and lectures where ideas were challenged and explored.

Year 12 student Advone Katesande said ‘I really enjoyed this experience. It’s not something you can learn in a classroom. It was interactive and it challenged you to engage. I learnt a lot more as you can interpret the information into your own words which gives you more of an open mind.’

Computer science teacher Ray Chambers is being interviewed by national media about the imminent release of an educational version of Minecraft. The game, which allows users to construct virtual structures, is already popular with students, but the new release is specifically aimed at school use. Mr Chambers has been approached by The Sunday Times and TV show Good Morning Britain to talk about how the software can be used to enhance lessons.

The telephone interview with the Sunday Times should appear in this weekend’s paper and Mr Chambers is due to be live on ITV some time between 06:30 and 08:30 on Tuesday morning.

Year 9 students took on practical challenges including building bridges out of paper and level crossings from Lego during a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) day run as part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week.

This is a nationwide initiative where companies from across the country visit schools to set challenges and practical activities. Network Rail led STEM days at ten schools across the region and students from each will visit their headquarters in Milton Keynes later this month for more challenges, including a programming session on level crossing control.