Careers Charity Big Draw

Winter 2014

Academy musical to headline on

Blackpool stage

Reading rocks!

INSIDENEWS

Hodgson is the Fylde Secondary School of the Year

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Principal: Mrs RoethlingCHRSITMAS has come early for me this year. I am exceptionally proud of Hodgson Academy’s achievements in the Gazette Education Awards 2014. You will undoubtedly have heard how Hodgson was crowned Secondary School of the Year, which is the third time in four years that we have been awarded this prestigious accolade.

The spectacular Blackpool Tower Ballroom was the venue for the glittering awards ceremony on 1st December. It was incredibly memorable, in this iconic setting, to scoop this top award. The nomination reported how Hodgson produced the best 2014 GCSE results on the Fylde coast. The school was also praised for ‘appropriately challenging and supporting every student to gain the qualifications, skills and attributes needed for life after school’.

There are far too many individuals to list to personally thank within this column – this in itself would fill the Hodgson Highlight! The Secondary School of the Year Award is after all a tribute to everyone within the Hodgson family – students, parents and staff. You have all played your part in creating this successful school. Let us now continue, and build upon, this good work.

Hodgson picked up two more trophies on the night for Creative Arts (won by Year 11 student Eleanor Bannister) and Career Aspirations. Gifted artist Eleanor was credited for her exquisite pen-drawings of mythical creatures for Hodgson’s house system. She was a worthy winner.

We talk here at Hodgson about preparing students for ‘a successful life after school’. This pretty much underpins everything we do, so it was particularly special to receive the Career Aspirations Award. This commends the work we do for Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) through PSHE lessons and other areas of the curriculum. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many local businesses and organisations that help us to deliver CEIAG, including those that attend our annual Mock Interview Work Evening and Careers Convention or provide work experience places for our students. We truly could not have got this award without you all.

Congratulations must also go to Year 10’s Matt Peill for being shortlisted as Secondary School Pupil of the Year. Matt was commended for all he does to help others, as a Student Council representative here at Hodgson and voluntarily for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs in the wider community.

Our attentions now turn to Christmas. I would recommend that the best way to get in the festive mood is to attend the academy’s Christmas Carol Concert, at Poulton St Chad’s Church, on Wednesday 17th December, starting at 7.30pm. I hope to see you there.

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2015.

Student Council Cheque Presentation at Brian House

STUDENTS saw first-hand how monies raised at Hodgson Academy will help patients in a Fylde Coast children’s hospice. Aryssa Wiseman, Yasmin Brown and Nico Cetrulo had a tour of Brian House Children’s Hospice, in Bispham. The trio then officially presented a cheque for £970, which was raised by various Student Council fundraisers over the past academic year. The

students are pictured with two-year-old Nicole, a Brian House patient. Lisa Martin, Community Fundraiser, thanked students and staff at

Hodgson for the donation. She said: “Your effort in raising this amount will make a significant impact here at the hospice, having benefits for patients and their families as well as the community here at Trinity.”

• THE Student Council Christmas Tree Bauble Event (10th December) and House Christmas Markets (11th-16th December) officially kick-started a new batch of fundraising in aid of local charities throughout this academic year.

Ex-Hodgson student in hit TV showTHERE was a familiar face amongst the candidates vying to be Lord Sugar’s business partner in the latest series of The Apprentice. Solicitor Lauren Riley, who hails from Thornton, was a student at Hodgson from 1997 to 2002.

Lauren became the 11th candidate to be fired by Lord Sugar following week seven’s advertising task in New York (screened on 19th November). He said following her exit: “I am looking for someone with drive, passion and ambition to be my business partner. I didn’t see that in Lauren so that, regrettably, is why I fired her.”

Lauren today lives in London, where she specialises in family law. She is also currently devising a new app for law firms to use to communicate with their clients.

Hodgson’s Deputy Principal Mr Yarwood said: “We are all proud of Lauren at Hodgson. We hope to invite her back to talk about her experiences.”

Christmas closure dates for PTFA Uniform ShopTHE PTFA Uniform Shop will open for the last time in 2014 on Wednesday 17th December, 5pm-7pm. It will then close for the Christmas holidays until reopening on Saturday 3rd January 2015, 10am-12 noon.

Art Day at HodgsonSTUDENTS created abstract drawings of local landmarks whilst participating in a national art event. Hodgson Academy took part in The National Big Draw, the world’s biggest drawing festival, on 22nd October.

The students produced landscapes and seascapes in a variety of formats, including abstract art, based on the theme ‘It’s Our World’. Lead Teacher of Art Mrs Duggan is now to combine these drawings to make an abstract map collage of the Fylde Coast, which will be exhibited next year.

She said: “As part of The National Big Draw, I wanted to stage an art day to encourage younger students and local primaries to develop their artistic skills.

We were delighted to welcome several students from Breck Primary School, in Poulton-le-Fylde. These students were from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 and they came in to Hodgson Academy to work alongside my Year 7 and 8 Art Club students.

“They had the opportunity to take part in different workshops led by local artist Dave Healey (who goes under the name Infected by Design), two fine art degree students, Sally Vickers and Julie Taylor, from Blackpool and the Fylde College, and four of our GCSE art students.”

Year 8 student Abigail Eaves enjoyed the experience. She said: “We were taught to experiment with art and be really creative. We could do whatever we wanted as nothing we produced was technically wrong.”

Year 11 student Jordan Stultz helped to oversee a workshop on chalk drawings. He said: “I have really enjoyed working with and helping the younger students.”

Read more about the National Big Draw at www.thebigdraw.org

HODGSON Academy is taking its latest production – Little Shop of Horrors – to the Grand Theatre Blackpool. It will be the first time in the iconic venue’s history that a full school show has appeared on its stage.

The cast has been chosen and rehearsals are well underway. The show’s producer Miss Edgar, Hodgson’s Lead Teacher of Performing Arts, said about Little Shop of Horrors: “This highly acclaimed and much loved musical stars a nerdy florist who finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed. Love, laughter, desperation and fun... this is a show not to be missed!”

The show is appearing at the Grand Theatre on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March, both starting at 7.30pm. Tickets, which are only being sold at the Grand Theatre Box Office, will go on sale in January.

Regular show updates will be posted on Hodgson’s website (www.hodgson.lancs.sch.uk) and twitter account (@Hodgsonacademy) in the New Year.

HEAD Boy Tom Clarke was among guests present for a visit by Princess Anne to a Fylde-based specialist boat builder. Master shipwright David Moss, who is one of the

last remaining wooden boat builders in northern England, welcomed the Princess Royal to his boatyard at Skippool Creek in September. Tom undertook his work experience with David in the summer term.

YEAR 11 student Natalya Stone was crowned overall champion of the vocal category of Kirkham Rotary’s Young Musician of the Year Competition last month. She will progress to the next round – the rotary district finals – on 1st

February 2015.

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READING SCHOOLREAD all about Hodgson Academy’s latest drive to encourage students to pick up a book …or three! This is the vision; to help encourage students to develop a life-long love of reading. Pictured and listed on this double-page spread is a summary of the various Reading School initiatives launched since September.

• More reading opportunities in class for all students across the whole curriculum.

• Mr Siddall’s Lads’ Sports News Luncheon Club on Mondays.

• Students carrying their own personal reading books in their bags and/or on electronic devices for enjoyment on a regular basis, both at the academy and at home.

• A reading session every week during form time.

• Newspapers donated weekly by Carleton News to promote the reading of non-fiction texts in form time.

• Dictionaries and thesauruses given to every single classroom for students to use in reading and writing activities in their subject.

• Students expected to read aloud in many classes to develop speaking and comprehension skills.

• Reading Club, which has a proven-track record of raising reading ages, on Monday and Thursday form times. The club currently has 48 members.

• Reading Rocks Club with Mr Carroll and a lunchtime Reading for Pleasure Club.

• A dedicated section on the academy website to Reading School news and information, including a recommended reads section.

• All form rooms have reading books available.

• Fiction Express: a system that provides access for all students to read a book and then vote for the storyline in the following chapter. The following chapter is released every Friday after the author has written it in ‘real time,’ depending upon the vote.

• Year 9 students visited Poulton Library on 18th November to listen to published poet and author Dean Fraser about his motivation for reading and writing.

• Hodgson students have been chosen by Readathon to review a new release ‘Magisterium,’ by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare (Spiderwick author).

• Hodgson is officially signed up for the annual Readathon.

• Increased use by students of the library in the academy’s Learning Resource Centre.

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PRESTON-based poet Dean Fraser officially launched Hodgson’s annual literacy festival – Hodgsonbury. A packed programme of events for students included story-telling sessions, performances by the Speak Out (public speaking) Club and a poetry slam.

Performance poet inspires studentsIMAGINE Believe Achieve. Hodgson’s motto perfectly sums up Mike Garry, the award-winning Manchester Poet. The academy was delighted to host this high-profile, passionate poet on Tuesday 7th October. He had only just returned a day earlier from California,

where he had been touring with famous modern classical composer Philip Glass.

Mike shared his passion for reading during workshops conducted for students throughout the day. He told how his love of language had been inspired by a primary teacher. He used nursery

rhymes and song lyrics to show how poetry is all around us. He told students: “Get poetry and literature in your life and you will grow. Read poems - they sometimes have as much information in them as a whole novel.”

The day culminated in an amazing poetry reading by Mike in the afternoon, in-front of an audience of 180 students from Hodgson, Blackpool Aspire Academy, Montgomery Academy, St George’s Academy and Blackpool Sixth Form College. Mrs Tingey, Lead Practitioner - Teaching and Learning, who organised Mike’s visit, said: ‘It was absolutely riveting. The feedback from the students and colleagues has been fantastic. They keep asking me when Mike is coming back!’

Mike is a permanent support act of famous punk poet John Cooper Clarke. Mike’s most famous works include Penny For a Guy, The Threads That Weave and What Me Mam Taught Me, and he is renowned for his blog Godisamanc.

RESEARCH has proved without any doubt that “every hour spent reading is an hour spent learning to write” and conversely every hour spent avoiding reading causes the word-poor to get poorer. And this is only going to get worse. As the EU High Level Report on Literacy points out: “The digital world is centered around the written word”. Those who struggle to read and write are at a catastrophic disadvantage.

Hodgson’s Got Talent was also staged on Wednesday 26th November. Pheobe Hoey (7M) won first place in the competition by performing her own song ‘Butterfly’ and Megan Mainds (8M) was the overall runner-up. More than £60 was raised through ticket sales, which is being donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.

SHOWOF TALENT

Student Reading SurveyAt the beginning of the academic year, students were asked to complete a reading questionnaire, in order for the academy to establish baselines in the following areas:

Do you like to read?Do your parents encourage you to read?Does Hodgson Academy promote reading?Do you read every day?

“The results clearly demonstrate a positive response in many areas, however we can see there is still a lot to do within the academy to promote and encourage more of our students to read more regularly”, said Mrs Tingey, who is leading the reading school vision.

“We have raised the profile of reading considerably over the past few months and now expect all students to have a reading book in their bag. As well as this, we are seeing more and more pop-up libraries around school, where teachers and students are sharing and swapping books. It’s about reading becoming a social act that promotes discussion about books and reading, as well as encouraging students to read. This certainly supports our students’ communication skills development and helps them in all subjects, not just in English.”

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HODGSON is bidding a fond farewell to Food Technology teacher Miss Binns. After 17 years at Hodgson, Miss Binns leaves this term for St George’s High School in Blackpool.

Miss Binns also oversaw Applied Learning and enterprise schemes at Hodgson. She coordinated the Enterprise Team, which was a band of former Year 11 students. They sold various products over the past couple of years, including key rings, chocolates and cakes and biscuits, to mark events such as Valentine’s Day and Easter. The team’s hard work and dedication raised an impressive £3,266 for various charitable causes, including Children in Need, Donna’s Dream House, the RSPCA and Cancer Research.

Reporter headlines at Hodgson’s Presentation Evening ceremonyJOURNALIST Jennifer Rigby is pictured being welcomed by Hodgson’s Head Boy and Girl at Presentation Evening. Miss Rigby, who writes for The Telegraph, officially presented GCSE certificates and other awards to the former Year 11 students, who left Hodgson in the summer, at the ceremony on Thursday 20th November.

Miss Rigby, a Hodgson student herself from 1995 to 2000, was up until recently the acting digital editor of Channel 4 News. She began work at The Telegraph newspaper this month.

Miss Rigby said: “I didn’t always want to be a journalist although, when I was at Hodgson, I loved English and other language classes. I also played a lot of sport, which is surprisingly helpful for a career as a journalist because you spend a lot of time unglamorously chasing interviewees and carrying tripods.”

After Hodgson, Miss Rigby studied at Blackpool Sixth Form College and English Literature at university in Bristol. Miss Rigby told Hodgson’s Class of 2014 during her Presentation Evening speech: “You are beginning to be the boss of your own life. You are making choices now which will shape your future. That’s tremendously exciting.

“You’ve also proved to yourself that you can work hard with your GCSEs. Well done on that – it’s a massive achievement and you should be proud of yourselves.”

Young BatsmanWELL done to Year 7 student Jithin Surya for scoring a sporting hat-trick. Jithin, of Form 7W, hasbeen awarded Batsman of the Year, by Blackpool Cricket Club, for the third year in a row. He represented the U11s last season, and scored 150 runs in five games. Jithin was presented his trophy by Steven Croft, from Lancashire County Cricket Club.

CHECK out all of the latest news at Hodgson Academy on our new-look website (www.hodgson.lancs.sch.uk) or twitter account (@Hodgsonacademy). Photographs from all our Christmas events will be posted on these as they were too late to make this edition of the Highlight. Over the past couple of weeks we have had the following:

• Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party – a festive feast and entertainment for local residents.

• The Student Council Christmas Bauble Appeal and Christmas Markets – fundraisers for local charity.

• The Academy Band played at Stanah Primary School’s Christmas Fayre.

• Carol Services at Poulton United Reformed Church (Sunday 14th December) and Poulton St Chad’s Church (Wednesday 17th December).

• Year 7 trip to Blackpool Grand Theatre to watch the pantomime Sleeping Beauty.

• Pantomime by Hodgson Staff – Shrek 3!• Christmas Concerts for students and staff on Friday 19th

December – shows with a medley of drama, music and dance.

Christmas at Hodgson

BYE

TO M

ISS

BINNS

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PENNY FOR THE GUY>>>A GUY by Form 8H (Pegasus House) was selected for last month’s firework and bonfire night extravaganza on Poulton’s Cottom Hall Playing Fields. The competition was judged by former Hodgson teacher and member of Poulton Rotary Club Chris Noall.

1. HODGSON’S Open Evening was on 25th September 2014. The English Department staged a murder mystery for visitors to solve.

2. STUDENTS from Breck Primary School, in Poulton, were given a baking session with a difference in Hodgson’s food technology room. Teacher Miss Binns led a session on biscuit recipes from the Second World War era, using non-rationed items such as honey. And Breck staff and students came dressed as WW2 evacuees.

3. SIX primary schools participated in a Year 6 Mathlete competition, run by Hodgson’s maths department, on Thursday 6th November. Poulton St Chad’s and Breck were runners-up, with Anchorsholme crowned overall champion.

4. MORE than 100 Year 11 students attended Hodgson’s annual Mock Work Interview Evening in October. Volunteers from the local business community made up the interview panels and included representatives from Blackpool Victoria Hospital, BAE Systems and Premier Inn. Representatives from local and national businesses and providers of Further and Higher Education also attended our annual Careers Convention on 23rd October.

5. STUDENTS and staff enjoyed a magical time during a trip to the Harry Potter Studios, in London, in October.

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SPORT REPORT BY MRS BRUNSKILL, PE DEPARTMENT

THE PE department continues to provide many extra-curricular sporting activities as part of the Hodgson Experience.

HOUSE COMPETITIONSSince September, there have been inter-

house competitions twice a week in

netball, football, badminton and rugby.

These have been really well attended

and have developed a very competitive

spirit amongst our students in Years

7-10. The sport captains for each house

have organised the teams and there has

been a significant rise in participation.

Well done to Dragon House, who

were overall champions of the football

contests, and Griffin House, who won

the netball contest.

BASKETBALLThe Year 11 boys’ basketball team is a force to be reckoned with this year, and won its first match against AKS in a resounding victory.

FOOTBALLThe Year 7 boys’ football team has won all of its matches in the Wyre competition, and will bid to be overall champions in the North v South Final. Well done and good luck to them.

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NETBALLThe netball leagues have begun with the Year 11 squad having completed their matches. Years 9 and 10 are currently playing their matches with the Year 10 team having won all of them so far. Congratulations must go to Elle Clarke, who was selected for the Lancashire U15 squad and is now captain of the team. A great achievement! The Years 10 and 11 teams have played in their respective tournaments and performed well.

HOCKEYWith the completion of the new astro-turf pitch, we can now play hockey to a good standard. The first event to celebrate the opening of this great new facility was a goalkeeping course run by Kay Hanham, who has coached international sides. After Christmas, we will be hosting a hockey league between local schools and a tournament.

BADMINTONHodgson are playing in the Lancashire Cup and the mixed U16s team has successfully got through to the second round. The girls’ U14 team won their first match but lost the second and the U16 girls’ have won both matches so far.

LEADERSHIP AND PRIMARY EVENTSOur student sports leaders have been amazing, as usual, and officiated at the Poulton District Athletics event held in Hodgon’s Sports Hall on 26th November. Around 120 primary school children took part. Carelton St Hilda’s were the champions with Poulton St John’s a close second. Both schools go on to the Wyre and Fylde final after Christmas.

CHARITY DANCE FESTIVALThe sixth annual Dance Show took place at the Opera House, in Blackpool, on 25th November. This is organised by Mrs Brunskill, from Hodgson, in partnership with the Hilton in the Community Foundation and the School Sports Network. The event raised more than £9,000 for local charities. A total of 22 primary and secondary schools took part from across Wyre and Fylde schools. The theme this year was ‘Dances at an Exhibition’ and paintings, sculptures, statues and literary pieces were the inspiration.

Hodgson Academy performed ‘Clowns’ with 55 of our students taking part. They were all amazing. Thanks must go to Miss Wade, Amie Perry (choreographer) and Miss Edgar for all their help and support.

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A slice of fundraising at HodgsonTHEY truly are twice as nice. Twins Lucy and Ella Williams put a free day to good use by helping to fundraise at a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. The Year 7 students helped with the event at the Blackpool branch of Nationwide.

Proud mum Karolyn Williams said: “Lucy and Ella gave up their whole day on Friday 26th September (academy inset day) to come to work with me and help out with our annual Macmillan coffee morning.

“They got up at normal school time, wore their school uniforms and spent all day in our banking hall selling raffle tickets, cakes and serving tea and coffee.”

A bake and buy cake sale by Hodgson staff in September raised £400 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

A grand total of £250 was also raised in October by a staff bake off and sale in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

• HODGSON participated in a national Save the Childrenfundraiser on Friday 12th December. Students and staff could wear a Christmas jumper in return for a £1 donation to the charity. The final tally was not known at the time of going to print.

Top Marks to MathsHODGSON’S maths department is celebrating being awarded an industry-recognised mark. The Prince’s Teaching Institute Mark rewards school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities to further enhance teaching and learning. The maths team was rewarded for the following four initiatives:

• Increasing challenge within the curriculum• Further enthusing pupils with activities beyond the curriculum• Developing the staffs’ own specialist subject knowledge• Developing subject-based links outside school

Feta and FrenchSTUDENTS celebrated languages and culture from all over the world at a special event in Preston. A group of 20 Year 9 students visited the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to mark the European Day of Languages in September.

The youngsters tried out new foreign languages and sampled dishes from around the world cooked by UCLan’s international students. Kayley Williams said: “I really enjoyed the Greek and Italian language taster sessions and would definitely consider studying a foreign language after I’ve finished school.”

Community News - Wellbeing and Mental Health HelplineLANCASHIRE Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline has a new name and telephone number. The helpline, previously known as the Mental Health Helpline, provides an out-of-hours listening service for residents across Lancashire who may be concerned about their mental health or that of someone they

know. The helpline offers wellbeing advice and support for people who may be feeling low or in distress with issues ranging from phobias and sleep problems to domestic violence or bereavement problems.

The helpline has a new Freephone number 0300 222 5931, which means calls will not be charged whether they are made

from a landline or mobile phone. The helpline is open Monday to Friday, 7pm to 11pm, and on weekends 12 noon to 12 midnight.

Find out more about the Wellbeing and Mental Health Helpline by visiting www.lancs-mentalhealthhelpline.nhs.uk

Wish you were here?

Apply now to train to teachhere on the Fylde Coast

) 01253 394911

Postgraduate training available in Primary & Secondary subjectsFor more information contact: info@fctsa.co.uk or

www.fctsa.co.uk

Fylde Coast Teaching School

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Powerful PoemTHE pen is mightier than the sword. Students were tasked in English lessons to write poems to mark Anti-Bullying Week. Here is one excellent example: By Isla Gordon, Form 7W (Griffin House)

“STICKS and stones may break your bones but words would never hurt you”.

That’s what they say, you think it’s right?No doubt: they are mistaken.

When they call me a geek. When they call me a freak.When they call me a loser. When they say that I reek.My eyes fill with tears and my heart fills with sorrow,

My stomach contracts and my voice disappears.

So now I speak up, now I declare,Any bully needs to learn how to share.

We cannot just leave them to do what they like,But show them what sharing can do to your life.

Award for all studentsYEAR 11 students Hannah Morris and Ben Foster accepted an award on the academy’s behalf at a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) event in October. The Highly Commended award for Hodgson’s students was given by North West in Bloom.

Spring 2015 TermJanuary

Monday 5 Academy opens for Spring Term Year 9 Exam Week

Friday 9 Year 7 Progress Data 1 and Year 11 Progress Data 2 posted home

Monday 12 Year 11 Maths and English Mock Exams

Tuesday 13 Year 10 Exams start (Until 21st Jan)

Friday 16 Year 8 Interim 2 Reports posted home

Thursday 22 Year 9 Subject Review Evening 4pm-7pm

Friday 30 Year 9 Interim 2 Reports posted home

February

Friday 6 Year 11 Full Written Progress Update posted home

Wednesday 11 Year 11 Final Countdown Evening 6pm-8pm

Thursday 12 Last Day of half-term

Friday 13 Staff Inset Day (Academy closed to students)

New York Trip Departs (Returns 17th February)

Half-term holidays 16th – 20th February

Monday 23 Academy re-opens after half-term holidays

Wednesday 25 PTFA AGM 6.30pm / Parent Forum 7.30pm

Thursday 26 Year 10 Subject Review Evening 4pm-7pm

Friday 27 Year 10 Progress Data 1, Years 7, 8 and 9 Progress Data 2 and Year 11 Progress Data 3 posted home

March

Monday 2 Year 11 Mock Exams start (until 11th March)

Thursday 5 Year 9 KS4 Options Evening 6pm-8.30pm

Thursday 12 Year 8 Subject Review Evening 4pm-7pm

Thursday 19 Year 7 Full Written Progress Update posted home

Friday 27 Year 11 Mock Grades posted home

Academy Production – Little Shop of Horrors – at Grand Theatre Blackpool

Last day of Spring Term

Saturday 28 Academy Production – Little Shop of Horrors – at Grand Theatre Blackpool

Easter holidays 30th March – 10th April

Hodgson Academy presents ... at The Grand Theatre Blackpool

On Friday 27th and Saturday 28th March, start time 7.30pm

Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Howard Ashman

Produced by Katie Edgar Musical Director: Peter Mitchell

Ticket prices: £10 adults and £7 Under 26s and OAPs. All tickets availablefrom the Grand Theatre Blackpool Box Office (T: 01253 290190) or via the

website www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

This amateur production is presented by arrangement by JOSEF WEINBERGER LTD. on behalf of MUSICAL THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of NEW YORK