The Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning is a new institution opening in September 2009. It includes the students and the majority of staff from Bowring Community Sports College and Knowsley Hey Arts College. Both schools had a strong tradition of striving for excellence in academic achievement and in Sport and the Arts, hence the specialist status in both areas, which is continued in our Centre.

The Huyton Arts and Sports Centre for Learning aims to develop each student's individual talents and interests to full potential. The world class facilities and resources, together with a high quality staff and strong community links create a rich, inspiring and vibrant environment within which the curriculum provides a wealth of opportunities and experiences for learning and for enrichment.

Clive Mark Will be supplying the uniform for this school for the foreseeable future.

If you have any questions or require further information on sizing or stock availability please contact the E-Tail Department on 0121 459 4599 and select option 2.

The RSA Academy opened its doors to 1100 students on the 3rd of September 2008. These are the first students to experience what will be an innovative teaching and learning environment as this is the first Academy to be planned around the RSA's Opening Minds curriculum framework.

Clive Mark Schoolwear is supplying RSA Academy School Uniform as of now for the new 2009 students. All school uniform items are available now and until the foreseeable future on-line at www.clivemark.co.uk and at the Walsall Clive Mark store, which is situated in the Quasar shopping centre.

If you are a parent or a student who would like some more information regarding the RSA Academy School Uniform , sizes and availability please email us on sales@clivemark.co.uk.

Useful information:

Clive Mark Schoolwear (Walsall)

Quasar Shopping Centre Park Street

WS1 1LY

Tel: 01922 622556

The Paul Nicholas School of Acting South Birmingham, opened in September 2008, and despite the economic climate has gone from strength to strength. So much so that due to popular demand we have recently opened new classes in Kings Norton.

Our aim is to provide affordable, professional acting lessons, accessible to all. Acting for all is our motto - we don't believe in auditions!

Our students gain confidence, make friends, learn acting skills for both stage and screen, receive voice training and have a lot of fun!!

We do at least two performances a year, a small low key one in the class for parents to see progress and a main production on stage! Lessons are just £4 per hr - making us one of the cheapest professional acting schools around!

The south Birmingham branch was opened by Paul himself in September of 2008 headed up by local girl Caroline McCarthy. Caroline attended drama classes herself as a child at various venues in Birmingham, and after gaining a Gcse and A-level in performing arts, went on to gain a Drama degree from Newman University College. She gained a place on the Drama and Theatre Masters degree at the university of Birmingham and began teaching for a children's drama academy. In September 2008 she realised her dream of running her own school.

Classes are taught by fully CRB checked staff with years of experience in teaching drama.

For more information phone Caroline on:

The Q3 Academy is a school being constructed on the site of, and replacing, the existing Dartmouth High School. The Academy opened in September 2008 in the existing Dartmouth High School buildings and is expected to move into the new buildings in September 2009. The Q3 Academy will accommodate 1 150 pupils which includes a sixth form provision of 250.

If you are a parent or a student who would like some more information regarding the Q3 school uniform, sizes and availability please email us on sales@clivemark.co.uk.

During the last few months we have been in the process of updating our website. The whole website structure has been streamlined, to make navigation easier. The Shop in particular has been greatly updated, in order to make the shopping experience more smooth and enjoyable. We now have many more product images, improved and more detailed descriptions and better organisation of subsidiary areas.

The Schools section has been improved by division into submenus for each letter of the alphabet, resulting in reduced loading times. Each school's individual page displays, where possible, a school logo and states which of our branches the corresponding uniform can also be purchased from.

We hope that these improvements will make your visit to our website a better experience, whether you are shopping, or merely seeking information. If you have any comments or queries please do not hesitate to contact us on 0121 459 4599, or via email: sales@clivemark.co.uk. ]]> Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://www.clivemark.co.uk/news/general/8 MIDLAND SCHOOL UNIFORM RETAILER ATTENDS LONDON LAUNCH OF THE SCHOOLWEAR ASSOCIATION

On Monday 16 July 2007, something good will come of the tragic murder of headteacher Philip Lawrence.

The Schoolwear Association will be launched with a keynote speech by Lady Marie Stubbs, the former superhead who turned around the failing St George's Secondary School after Mr Lawrence's tragic death.

Faced with damning OFSTED reports when she took over, Lady Stubbs' approach to the Maida Vale school focused on instilling good manners and respect for others. A key belief for her was the benefits of school uniform.

The official launch in Westminster was designed to give educationalists, MPs and industry representatives the opportunity to debate the benefits of school uniform and discuss the aim of the Schoolwear Association to abolish VAT on badged items.

Formed just months after the Office of Fair Trading school uniform report of September 2006, the Schoolwear Association aims to tackle the growing concerns of parents, government officials and bodies such as the Family Support Agency that school uniform is priced prohibitively.

Midland market leader in school uniform, Clive Mark Schoolwear Limited, was at the conference and is also a patron and founding member of the Schoolwear Association. Operations director, Phil Linz, explained why school uniform should not be undermined:
"Uniforms build a strong sense of community in a school. Our research shows that 89 per cent of West Midlands' parents believe school uniform is important, with only 3 per cent considering it old-fashioned and ripe for abolition. "More parents (46 per cent) cited quality as more important than cost (12 per cent) when deciding where to purchase their child's school uniform. This research is also endorsed by Oxford Brookes University's findings."

Focus groups of Oxford secondary school pupils found that school-specific uniform are recognised as social levellers thereby reducing the risk of clothing or label-related bullying. Professor Margaret Harris, head of the psychology department at Oxford Brookes University and leader of the study, said uniforms, "often directly contributed to a feeling of school pride. Students tended to be most in favour of smart and distinctive school uniforms."

Regarding the launch, Linz says, "The Schoolwear Association pulls together all the key players involved in the manufacture and sale of school uniform so that we provide the best quality uniforms, for the best price. The launch event has hopefully shown people that we are here and that, when it comes to campaigning for zero-rated badged schoolwear, we mean business."

Having a uniform helps to reduce bullying in school, makes children better behaved outside the school gates and even aids concentration in class, researchers said.

Pupils at schools without uniform codes were liable to be bullied for the way they dressed, the study found.

Teenagers who took part in the Oxford Brookes University survey said dress codes acted as a social leveller and reduced the risk of children being picked on for wearing "weird" clothes.

Youngsters also admitted they were less likely to misbehave outside the premises because their uniform instantly identified their school.

Pupils were more conscious of their behaviour in public and aware that "old ladies will ring up and report it if you've dropped an apple core in the street".

Others noticed that security guards were more likely to follow children around shops if they were wearing their uniforms.

Professor Margaret Harris, who led the study, said uniforms "often directly contributed to a feeling of school pride, which they did not want to compromise by misbehaving outside the school gate".

She added: "The easy identification also acted as an important preventative factor." Overall, pupils favoured uniforms because they instilled a sense of pride in the school and prevented them having to choose fashionable outfits each morning.

Professor Harris, head of the psychology department at Oxford Brookes, added: "Students tended to be most in favour of smart and distinctive school uniforms."

Pupils at one school without a compulsory dress code hankered after a "proper uniform - with matching socks and blazers".

But one pupil from a school perceived as "posh" voiced concerns that they became more attractive targets for muggers because "people expect you to have a fancier phone or more money".

Ministers have been keen to encourage uniforms but as many as one in five schools does not have them.

The Government has also said schools should scrap exclusive deals with uniform suppliers and ensure clothing is widely available on the High Street or at supermarkets.

This will enable parents to take advantage of massive savings on uniforms offered by supermarkets and over the Internet, but there have been warnings that it could spell the end of distinctive uniforms steeped in tradition, for example sweaters with crests.

The Oxford Brookes study, which involved interviews with 13 to 17-year-olds at a range of schools in Oxford, found they welcomed uniforms because they stop "some pupils wearing Ralph Lauren school jumpers".

One participant said: "There cannot be any, 'Let's group up and laugh at the weird person'."

In schools without uniforms, "students tended to adopt one of a series of dress codes labelled chavs, skaters and preps - and were seen as part of that group". Chavs are known for wearing fake designer sportswear and ostentatious jewellery, while skaters refers to skateboarders. Preps dress more smartly, for example in polo shirts, and boys may have floppy hair.

Girls particularly appreciated uniforms because they prevented male classmates and teachers considering their dress inappropriate and removed a potential source of harassment.

Uniforms were also claimed to improve behaviour in lessons themselves. Pupils reported being more focused on their work because a significant distraction - whether their clothes were "cool" enough - had been removed.

For the full story and reader comments click here - www.dailymail.co.uk