Concorde is backdrop for send-off (From Knutsford Guardian)

Concorde is backdrop for send-off

1:00pm Tuesday 7th August 2012 in News By James Wilson

PUPILS leaving a Knutsford primary school this year had a novel send-off with a special graduation ceremony at Manchester Airport’s Concorde hangar.

The ceremony was the culmination of the ‘My World’ project, which gave children from Manor Park Primary School their first taste of the world of work.

Experiencing work at Manchester Airport, Bruntwood and Tatton Park, the children took on a variety of future job roles available to them in and around Knutsford as diverse as head gardener, park ranger, airport fire fighter and security officer.

Alison Monks, year six teacher at Manor Park, said the programme started after the SATS tests in May.

“It’s been fantastic for the children to get an idea of what it’s like in the world of work and the things they need to do to prepare themselves for it,” she said.

“They’ve had all sorts of training in visualisation, to goal and dream-setting, along with gaining some excellent presentation skills.”

The event was held in the hangar, which features the retired Concorde, with the audience and stage positioned underneath it.

Many of the children left Manor Park at the end of term and will be starting at Knutsford Academy, in September.

Lucy Beesley, Great Places community development co-ordinator, said: “A lot of the children on the estate go to Manor Park Primary Schoool, and it’s about giving them self-confidence.

“As we’re looking at the fourth generation of unemployment, it’s given the children confidence to get into the world of work, showing them the opportunities out there.”

To see a video of the presentation ceremony visit knutsfordguardian.co.uk.