Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries, the market leader in cross Solent ferry services, is helping Downside Middle School develop a state of the art Communications Centre with a generous donation.

The new centre is all part of Downside’s push on drama and dance in the curriculum.  The centre's main function is to raise standards of literacy through drama as this is a big priority for the school.  The new centre is used by all students in the school from Year 5 - Year 8 (9-13) as part of its exciting new curriculum.  Recently Downside won the best video award for lighting, costumes, video direction and best concept and originality at the Senior Global Rock Awards, thus enhancing the school’s drama and dance capabilities.

This donation from Wightlink will enable the school to buy professional lighting and drapes for the new Communications Centre which has been created out of an old classroom and therefore required total refurbishment, the final product costing a considerable sum of money.

This is the first time that Downside has had such a facility and it has gone down a storm with all the students.  The benefits it will bring to the school are numerous.  Already, as a direct result of the new Communications Centre, the school has had students performing in assemblies, and drama has really livened up the curriculum right across the board. 

Downside also has drama clubs running after school as part of its Extended School status and is the only Full Service Extended School on the Island. As such, it works with a number of external agencies, one of which is Wightlink. 

Commenting on the sponsorship of the Communications Centre by Wightlink, Pete Shaw, Head Teacher of Downside Middle School, said: -

“I am aware that communication is a major priority for Wightlink and this mirrors our own push in the school to raising standards of literacy and make people confident in both speaking and performing.

“As such, the advent of the Wightlink Communications Station is a fantastic development for the school and will benefit many of our youngsters in so many ways.”

Kerry Jackson, Wightlink’s Marketing Manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to help Downside Middle School in its push for greater literacy through drama, and we hope that our contribution will give the school, its students and its staff the encouragement they need to achieve even greater heights of success in the future.”

ENDS   

9th May 2007

For more information, please contact:-

• Kerry Jackson, Wightlink Isle of Wight Ferries, Tel. 02392 855427

• Pete Shaw, Downside Middle School, Tel. 01983 524340

• Christopher Clode Public Relations, Tel. 01243 431343