£260,000.
Ground floor flat with entrance hall, living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom.
Allocated parking.
Advert
Author: chris
4 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Burkett Way
Offers in the region of £480,000, freehold.
Extended semi. Downstairs: Entrance hall, living room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom, study/bedroom with ensuite shower room.
Upstairs: Four bedrooms, bathroom, separate WC.
Advert
1 bedroom flat to rent in Pine Court
Available 08/04/2023 for £850pcm, unfurnished.
First floor flat with allocated parking. Entrance hall, living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
Local autistic girls’ school responds to bruising Ofsted report
Hope Tree School in Impington, which teaches autistic girls, has been given an Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’ after its first inspection in November last year.
The school, located on Manor Farm on the outskirts of Impington, was inspected between 22-24 November 2022, just 15 teaching weeks after becoming operational, despite Ofsted guidance suggesting an inspection was unlikely to happen for approximately 12 months.
The full Ofsted report, which has been seen by HI HUB, rated the the school’s overall effectiveness as ‘requires improvement’, with the category of quality of education, also rated as ‘requires improvement’. Other categories of behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management were all rated ‘good’. The school was also found to have met Ofsted’s standard for independent schools.
AdvertOfsted found ‘the curriculum does not provide all the specific information that staff require to meet pupils’ complex needs’ and that, as a result, ‘pupils do not progress as quickly as they should’. The report also states that, ‘teachers do not have all the information they need to deliver leaders’ subject plans well’, adding that ‘where subject knowledge is not as strong, some key content of the curriculum is not taught well’. The school has just one full-time teacher, Rebecca Sands, who is also Head of Learning and co-founder of the school with Fiona D’Arcy.
Staff share disappointment
Responding to the report, Fiona D’Arcy, the school’s Head of Pastoral care, told HI HUB, “It is a shame and we are disappointed. Not necessarily with ourselves but with a system that does not consider how long a school has been operational but only when the computer says a school must be inspected. As it turned out quite a lot of what we had done in those 15 weeks did, in fact, meet the criteria in three out of four of Ofsted’s categories. In fact, three ‘goods’ after only 15 weeks is something to be very proud of.”
The report does acknowledge the school’s short history, noting ‘over a short period, leaders have successfully created a welcoming and safe school environment’. The school’s strengths in other areas were also praised. ‘Staff are caring and take time to understand pupils’ complex social and emotional needs. This helps pupils to feel safe and settled.’ Many of the school’s pupils have had negative experiences of school prior to attending Hope Tree, with some having spent time outside of education.
Students are the priority
Fiona describes meeting the “understandably strict criteria for Quality of Education”, while also reintroducing students to education at their preferred pace and allowing them to develop safe and secure relationships with staff as “an almost impossible task.” She said that by “prioritising students over sequencing the curriculum, by prioritising relationship development over curriculum coverage at that very early stage in our school’s development, it just wasn’t possible to get to that elusive ‘good’ that we would have liked to have.
“It is interesting that Ofsted agreed with our approach and the decisions we had made, however when it comes to criteria – that box didn’t get ticked.”
Ofsted’s views of the school appear not to be shared universally, as one parent, quoted anonymously in the report, said that ‘ “Hope Tree is quite simply amazing in every aspect possible”.’
You can read the full Ofsted report here.
Community groups invited to apply for Feast funding
Community groups, local charities and organisations are being invited to apply for grants funded by Histon & Impington Feast 2023, scheduled to take place from 1-9 July 2023. Any group, organisation or charity wishing to apply should be able to demonstrate that it provides a benefit or service to the residents of the local community.
The Feast Committee has slightly altered the eligibility criteria this year and told HI HUB “applications for both a specific purpose and for providing support to general funds and running costs are now also welcome.”
Applications must be received by midday on Sunday 12 March. Representatives from each applicant will be invited to attend a meeting at 8pm on Tuesday 21 March, at a venue to be confirmed, to give a brief explanation of why they are asking for funding and how their organisation meets the local benefit criteria. Full details of how to apply can be found on the Feast website.
Histon FC reaches out to budding sports photographers
Photo: Brian Whitehead Aspiring photographers are being offered a unique opportunity to develop the techniques and knowledge needed to master the art of capturing football in motion.
Thanks to a partnership between Histon FC and Cambridge photography retailer Campkins Cameras, experienced sports photographer Ben Phillips will be giving expert insights and practical tips on capturing breathtaking football shots on a busy matchday at Histon’s Bridge Road ground.
For more than six years Ben has been capturing sports events on camera, both locally and nationally, and he is also the official photographer for Cambridge United FC.
The workshop will take place on 8 April at 2pm, and spaces are limited. Tickets for the photography session, which include a match ticket, are available online. Parking is limited and on a first come, first served basis.
MOTs fit for the future of motoring
With a third of all vehicles failing their annual MOT, it’s easy to see why proposals to change the rules are proving controversial. Buckingham & Stanley’s MD, Andrew Ballard, talked to Lucy Callington about the future of the annual MOT test and the changing face of motoring.
Since the MOT test was first devised back in 1960, the landscape of driving has changed dramatically but the test itself has not. That’s why the Government has launched a consultation seeking views on the future of driving generally, and the annual safety test in particular.
Headline proposals from the consultation include changing the requirement for the first MOT for new vehicles from three to four years, and every two years after that.
Buckingham and Stanley has been offering MOTs at its Histon site for over 50 years. I asked Managing Director Andrew Ballard how important to road safety and the longevity of a vehicle MOTs really are. “The test is fundamental to the safety of vehicles and to road safety in general” he said. “We find that nearly a third of cars fail their MOT with us, which mirrors the picture nationally.
“The most common faults are lighting, tyres, brakes and suspension components – all vital safety concerns. While some people regularly maintain their vehicles to a safe standard, others rely on the MOT test to flag up any faults.”
The Department of Transport is consulting on the first changes to the MOT testing system for decades. Photo: Lucy Callington Does Andrew agree with the Department of Transport’s statement that the change from three to four years for the first MOT – standard practice across many European countries already – won’t impact road safety? “Many motoring organisations are strongly opposed to this and it’s easy to see why” he said. “10% of cars fail the first MOT at three years so it seems logical that the number of failures would increase in an extra year without testing.
“At the moment, when potholes are so prevalent, damage to tyres and suspension components can easily go unnoticed by the driver. The MOT test can, and often does, highlight these issues before a failure occurs.”
Counting the cost of checks
Despite the Government’s statement suggesting that the move to four years before first testing would save motorists around £100 million a year in MOT fees, critics of the proposed change argue that it could lead to increased vehicle repair, maintenance and insurance costs.
So does Andrew think the figures really stack up?
“It’s clear that there would be a reduction in the number of MOT tests carried out, but the industry is already going through a shortage of testers, so this may perhaps mitigate that situation.
“What could change is the number of stations giving discounts for MOTs. Fewer stations and testers will likely see the average cost of the MOT rise. The cost of our MOT at £54.85 has not changed for over ten years, despite labour costs and overheads rising dramatically.”
Evolving with Electric
Among the proposals, the consultation will consider whether electric vehicles’ (EV) batteries should be tested to improve their safety and reliability. I asked whether Andrew feels the current MOT system for EVs is fit for purpose.
“In the future, the complexity of vehicles will mean a change of testing standards, but this has always happened organically over the years anyway. Imagine the vehicles that were tested in 1960 when the MOT was first introduced. They are certainly very different from the cars and motorbikes we own now. Over the next few years, the focus is likely to change to testing the safety systems on EVs, such as blind spot and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).”
Buckingham & Stanley Histon has been offering MOT testing for over 50 years. Photo: Lucy Callington Putting Safety First
The Government’s consultation is a chance for all parties concerned with road safety to have their say, and Andrew is pleased that this will open up conversations between drivers, garages, motoring organisations and the Government.
“Due to continued development and testing we have some of the safest roads in the world and I don’t think any steps to jeopardise that would be allowed to happen.”
It’s a view echoed by Edmund King, president of the AA, who states: “The MOT plays a vital role in ensuring that vehicles on our roads are safe and well maintained. We strongly discourage the Government from extending a car’s first MOT to the fourth anniversary due to road safety concerns.”
Whatever the future holds for MOTs, the Government is quick to remind the public on its consultation documents that keeping their two- and four-wheelers safe and legal is ultimately the responsibility of road users.
The deadline for the public to have their say on proposals is 11:45pm on 22 March 2023. Visit the consultation web page to have your say on the future of MOTs.
Visit Buckingham and Stanley for details of MOT testing and servicing for all makes of vehicle, or call 01223 554069
Identifying care needs for the elderly in our village
Responses to the online questionnaire could help shape future care and support for older people in our area. Photo: Cambridgeshire County Council People over the age of 55 in Histon & Impington are being invited to complete an online questionnaire to help gauge support needs for elderly residents. The aim is to help people remain living independently and happily in their own home for longer.
A pilot of the Care Together scheme in East Cambridgeshire identified the need for early intervention initiatives such as more social groups for hobbies and exercise, as well as increased provision for local homecare and day opportunities for people over 65.
The scheme is a Cambridgeshire County Council initiative being run in collaboration with local partners, community groups and residents. It has helped identify that support was needed for those older people living with long-term conditions and in need of longer-term care.
The Council hopes the scheme will change the way care and support for older people in the community is commissioned and delivered in the future.
Complete the online questionnaire here. The deadline for responses is 15 April 2023. If you don’t have access to the internet, call 01954 286 002 or 07771 545 674 (Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm) to answer questions over the phone or request a paper copy.
Senior Architectural Technologist – NORR
NORR is an employee-owned global architecture and engineering firm who are looking for this role based in their office on the Vision Park.
Senior Architectural Technologist to apply and integrate technical detailing and material technologies to develop design solution into a concise set of construction documents. Using your ability to analyze and understand design intent you will produce efficient and effective technical design solutions. You will work with members of the design team to develop design solutions appropriate to the context, budget, and aesthetic requirements of architectural projects. You will use your knowledge of detailing, building materials, building codes, and construction technologies to collaborate with other professional disciplines and have opportunities to coordinate the design through all phases of the project.
Operations Manager – Holiday Inn
LGH who manage the Holiday Inn in Impington are looking for several roles including this.
Operations Manager to work in partnership with the General Manager and oversee all hotel operations with the presence and confidence to drive the team in a new direction. They are looking for an all-rounder in operations, with a strong background in hotel management in a larger property. The ideal candidate will have good commercial awareness and can lead a team of Hospitality Service Managers. This role would suit someone planning on a General Management opportunity, next move. As the active No 2. within the property you will have a visible and involved presence across the hotel, actively supporting teams by identifying in-the-moment feedback. You will support the General Manager in being involved in all financial, commercial, and operational planning, using your strong commercial awareness and the ability to work as a key decision-maker. Closing Date 19/03/2023
