PUPILS at this school ended the Summer term with a visit from a Hollywood actor.

As part of a Sustainable Futures Festival held for the 980 pupils at All Saints RC School in South Bank, Thunderbirds actor Dominic Colenso and Gogglebox regular Baasit Siddiqui topped the bill in a week of events to inspire and engage the students in education following the upheaval of Covid and lockdown.

Dominic, is now a coach and motivational speaker, and, having acted in Hollywood and worked for Simon Cowell, will give students an insight into a career in the Arts. And Baasit is also an entrepreneur and educator, who will speak to the students about seizing opportunities, the skills needed to set up your own business and acknowledging and challenging unconscious bias.

Dominic delivered powerful messages on dealing with life’s challenges, adapting, being themselves and above all loving what they do. Baasit, who was unable to deliver in person, used the power of zoom to encourage the students to utilise their personal support networks and to harness the opportunities that surrounded them. He spoke about their rocks of wellbeing and the need to recognise and act upon unconscious bias.

Students had the privilege of listening to Dame Julia Unwin, an experienced and highly respected senior strategic leader, who has dedicated her career to creating practical solutions to social inequality.

Beyond the talks, students participated in a range of exciting projects that included working with Scientists, the professional theatre company ‘Paper Birds’, professional dancers and companies working in STEM. The politics students engaged in a Q and A with York MP Rachael Maskell and didn’t hold back on their questioning on difficult issues.

The students participated in a whole range of projects from white water rafting, to building robots and solar panelled boats, to using recycled goods to creating sustainable fashion items and turning crisp packets into blankets for the homeless. They also spent a day focusing on service and raising money for charity.

Festival co-ordinator and assistant head Sally Lynam said: "We are so proud of the way the students threw themselves into this week’s activities. We pride ourselves on the way we nurture the students personally, as well as academically, and this week allowed us to make up for many of the lost opportunities from lockdown. Students engaged in important discussions on social issues and listened intently to the messages of our key speakers.

"It was a joy to see students flourish in their various projects and sessions. They were pushed out of their comfort zones and encouraged to think in new and different ways. We had to replan and adapt the festival multiple times to respond to the developing Covid picture. It is testament to the hard work and adaptability of staff that we managed to run this ambitious project during such complex times."

Head teacher Sharon Keelan-Beardsley said: "The Sustainable Futures Festival was the tonic we all needed. Staff are tired after a difficult year, but with their enthusiasm and commitment they made this a very special week for our young people and a fantastic time was had by all. Our children learned a lot, had new experiences and built stronger friendships. All involved worked tirelessly to deliver the best week of the year for many of our students and staff, and the students have now ended the school year with a really positive and enriching experience."