Gangs - Stoke Park School

BBC Schools – News Report
This is issue 2 – Date 21/03/2013
Latest:
StokeParkToday
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Gang Crime
Parkour
International Women’s
Month
Way back in November, four year 11 students; Jack, Reanne Sophie and Aleyna and three year 10
students; Chloe, Natalie and Inderpreet began the process of making news. They thought of
stories that they believed were important and topical to their world. They began research,
planning, interviewing and production of these pieces. Today these news stories ‘go live’ on this
website and are linked interactively to the BBC site. You can also follow their stories on the BBC
News Channel throughout the day. We hope you enjoy them..
ALL ABOUT THE SCHOOL WE LOVE
EXCLUSIVE NEWS TODAY
Stoke Park School: Today’s Topical Stories
IN TODAY:
Front Page Gang Crime in Coventry.
Page 2 Gangs:
The effects of gangs,
and policing gangs
Page 3 Parkour:
What is it, and what is its
appeal?
Page 4 International Women’s
Month
Pages 5 - 7Women in the Secular
World:
Carol Bradley,
Anglela Baxi,
Jacqueline Clements.
Why do young people join
gangs? We did a report based on
a variety of people’s thoughts
and opinions on gangs and why
they believe youths take part in
such groups that get involved
with anti-social behavior.
Our first step to discovering why
youths join gangs
We took our time to research on
the internet the history of gang
crime in Coventry. To our surprise
we found out that our city has
been dishonourably nicknamed
‘Chaventry‘ as a result to having
‘too many chavs’. A lot of people
on the internet have stereotypical
thoughts on youths in Coventry as
they think ‘chavs’ are the ones
who are linked with gangs and get
involved with anti-social
behaviour. We took our research
even further and interviewed a
variety of different people on their
perception about youth gangs and
crime.
Natalie first interviewed a teenage boy
who would like to remain anonymous
about his feelings about gangs in Coventry.
“I think they're stupid and a pathetic
excuse for humans”. He was also asked
why he thinks people join gangs and he
responded “they have nothing better to do
with their lives therefore resort to joining
gangs to earn reputation and respect”. He
also strongly agreed that something should
be done about the gang crime in Coventry.
Report by Chloe, Natalie and Indy.
TITLE HERE
Stoke Park School in partnership with students and parents
BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
Gangs – Effects and Policing
Report by Chloe, Natalie and Indy
Gangs and Policing
Finally, we all questioned more experienced
people who deal with gangs first hand such as
Sgt. Harrison (West Midlands Police Officer) and
Mark Bellingham (Gang Task Force Birmingham). This interview was quite different
as we allowed the experts to speak whilst we
took notes and questioned them when we
thought was necessary. Sgt. Harrison told us
“gang members sometimes join gangs because
they believe they’re protecting their territory
leaving them feeling superior and tough”.
“Not all gangs are bad, believe it or not, everyone
is in a gang whether it consist of anti-social
behavior or not” explained Sgt. Mark Bellingham..
“There can be different types of anti-social
behavior used in gangs, from abusive language to
violence people tend to feel safer in groups as
they have lack of hope, so joining a gang tends to
make them feel accepted”.
For further information, don’t miss our gang
exposé that we filmed with the BBC airing today!
The Knock-on Effect of Gangs
Next, Chloe spoke to a family member of hers
whose son was a victim of gang crime which led to
him serving life in prison. Chloe discovered that
gang crime doesn't only affect the gang members it
also has a knock on effect on the families and
friends, as the mother of the young man in prison
now suffers from different mental health issues.
After experiencing gang crime/anti-social
behavior, the mother now feels very intolerant
about gang crime and wants to warn youths and
their families about the heartbreak consequences
they can cause.
Please view our News Report on Gang
Crime in Coventry:
While Chloe and Natalie interviewed their sources,
Indy interviewed a law student so we could get
wider range of attitudes on why youths join gangs.
He believes that most gang members commit
themselves to a gang “because they have limited
access to job opportunities and education which in
return effects their financial abilities so they result
to crime which to them is ‘easy money’”.
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BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
Parkour In Coventry
Report by Jack
What is Parkour?
What are its representations in the media
and other form of popular culture?
What is its appeal?
This short news video looks into the lives of Parkour
practitioners from Coventry.
They share their experiences in training, expressing
their opinions and describe Parkour in a
comprehensive way. I hope that through watching
this, any misconceptions or mysteries that surround
Parkour will be unravelled and revealed!
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BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
International Women’s Month
Report by Reanne, Aleyna and Sophie
Women. What is their role in society today? As March is
International Women’s Month three Year 11 students from
Stoke Park School visited Westminster Abbey to get an idea
of the history of women in the UK. Once the history was
established, the students turned their eyes to modern-day
women and how they’ve succeed in their lives
Present day now and the Abbey is the centre of a huge
controversy involving women bishops. For the last 10
years women have been allowed to be members of the
clergy but have been prevented from progressing
within the church hierarchy to the role of a bishop.
To delve further into this issue the reporters
interviewed Canon Austin, one of the first female
canons at Westminster. She was asked to describe the
situation when she was first ordained in 1994 and she
replied that there were “virtually no women” and that
over the years it had increased to twenty. Currently,
the existing women within the Abbey include a canon,
a duty priest and marshals. When asked about the
nature of the relationship with the other clergy in the
Abbey she said they all work together so they don’t feel
like “token women”.
She commented on the fact that women bishops were
the “final hurdle” for the Church of England to face and
that once this occurred their could in theory be a
female Archbishop of Canterbury. Canon Austin was
very candid and openly admitted that she was shocked
that the laity had not voted for women bishops and
hoped that a further vote later this year would be more
successful.
In relation to International Women’s Month she said
that the Abbey played a major role in acknowledging
the achievements of modern women for their “power,
skill and good works”.
This trip was an eye opener for the students as they
gained knowledge of how the role of women and how
it changed within society through an internationally
known religious institution.
Westminster Abbey has been a significant tourist
attraction for decades but has always been a place of
worship. It has only been recently that women have
played a significant role within the Abbey and
despite the improvements, it is still relevant today as
women are not treated equally in the church
hierarchy.
From the visit, it was learned that Medieval women
like Philippa of Hanault, wife of King Edward III and
Catherine of Valois, wife of Henry V would only be
able to accomplish things through the men in their
lives! Although these women were very significant,
they could only channel this power through their
husbands by passing messages on.
Fast forwarding to more modern times, it is apparent
that ‘average’ women started receiving graves at the
Abbey just for being effective - this includes women
in the Poets’ Corner part of the Abbey such as Jane
Austen. Mary Anne Evans also has a grave in Poets’
Corner but wrote under the pseudonym George Eliot
as women were often afraid of not being treated
seriously and equally as poets and authors.
In the twentieth century after the Suffragette
Movement, Olave Baden-Powell is an example of an
influential woman as she and her husband, Robert
Baden-Powell, founded the BoyScouts. The BadenPowells helped to make a difference by taking innercity kids off the streets and making a social
movement. By the time of their deaths, Mrs BadenPowell was considered as equally and independently
important and influential as her husband. This would
not have happened in Medieval times!
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BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
International Women’s Month Women in the Secular World: Carol Bradley,
Actionaid Volunteer.
By Alena
As mentioned above, the role of women in the Church of England is a hotly contested issue. Actionaid is a
registered charity whose mission statement is to ‘work with local people to fight hunger, seek justice for women
and education for children, and cope with emergencies’. Aleyna interviewed one of its volunteers, Ms Carol
Bradley, about her view on British women in the twenty-first century.
With regards to the role of women in the
Ms Bradley went on to say that ‘Better,
Church of England Ms Bradley was
more affordable childcare is one thing that
certainly in favour and noted that ‘women
would vastly improve the lives of women in
are better represented in the Church of
Britain, but not stigmatising those.
England than in the Catholic Church as
they can at least be ordained as vicars’.
She then added that they were still ‘a long
way from equality’.
Please take a look at the news report from
Ms Bradley was then asked about the role
Westminster Abbey:
of women in secular society. ‘To some
extent the women’s role in [British]
society is actually getting worse rather
than better’, Ms Bradley asserted, ‘they
are now expected to be able to do it all ie.
Work full time and have children. It’s no
longer considered to be the norm to be a
stay-at-home mum even before children
start school and women are suffering as a
Result’.
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BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
International Women’s Month
Women in the Secular World: Angela Baxi,
Music teacher and founder of the ‘Soulful Choir’
By Sophie
Alongside the students’ trip to Westminster Abbey, as part of their investigation into
‘International Women’s Month’, they also interviewed professional women within the
secular world. They were interested in their views of women in society now and how
they think they will change in the future.
In this period she taught music at Whitley Abbey
Sophie chose to interview Angela Baxi, the
and Lyng Hall. She continued that she had heard
founder of ‘Soulful Choir’, a group of singers aged
the two choirs sing and she knew that they had to
around 11-25. Angela said that the singers have
perform together. This idea of starting a choir
become a strong family who love singing
changed her life and the perspective of being
together. Soulful has a band, led by the musical
famous and having a big career changed; her new
director Mark Russell; they perform at gigs and
dream was to start a professional choir.
events all over Coventry and outside the area,
Sophie continued on to ask ‘who inspired you?’
singing at weddings, funerals, parties, services,
and Angela told her that it was primarily young
concerts and carnivals. They were recently
people as she believed they should have some good
privileged to support Beverly Knight at the Ricoh
in their life, no matter what they had done in the
Arena. Soulful were the leading choir for the
past, and that everyone deserves a second chance.
Coventry Mystery Plays at the Belgrade Theatre,
She next asked Angela how she sees women in
singing music composed by Ilona Sekacz a BAFTA
the role of society today and how it could be
winning composer. Soulful also won the ‘Choir of
improved. Angela directly said that woman ‘should
the Year’ competition held at the Coventry
become more independent in a professional role’,
Transport Museum in 2006.
and to ‘not be afraid of challenges they need to
Sophie asked about the background story for
overcome in order to achieve their dreams’. Angela
the group and Angela mentioned that she formed
then continued to tell Sophie that more woman rely
the Woodlands School Boys Choir at around the
on claiming benefits than getting a job, and they
same time as she was offered a contract with
need to be taught that this shouldn’t be seen as a
Sony. This was her dream coming true;
‘way of life’. Angela is a prime example of an
unfortunately this dream was smashed by a
independent and determined woman of the 21st
throat infection, when she couldn’t sing for eight
months.
century.
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BBC Schools News Report from Stoke Park School - Coventry
International Women’s Month
Women in the Secular World: Jacqueline Clements,
Head of Student Union, at Warwick University
By Reanne
As part of International women’s month Reanne investigated the role of women in post
secondary education. She interviewed Jaqueline Clements, the Head of the Student
Union at the University of Warwick
I then asked specifically about women’s
Jacqueline was asked about what led
her to her current position. ‘I had no
experiences at the university. Jacqueline
specific ambitions at school’, Jacqueline
answered that ‘as employees, women at
informed, ‘I just wanted to go to university
the S.U. are generally treated in the same
to study and to make the break from
way as men. Certainly there are as many
home. Once I left university I wanted to
women (actually more) in senior
work in a job where I was dealing with
management positions within the union’.
people and most of all I was ambitious to
It was pointed out that within the larger
succeed in whatever I did. I just wanted to
university hierarchy, there are some
do a really good job. Now I’ve realised
women in senior positions but in fifty
what the most important thing is; to be
years, there has never been a woman in
respected for doing a job, for being fair
the top three positions.
Jacqueline did acknowledge that the
and consistent as a manager and to be
women in authority within the university
trusted, acting with integrity’
were generally accepted and women on
the whole were able to carry out their
roles ‘very successfully’. On the whole
Jacqueline thought that ‘the university
would benefit hugely from greater balance
and diversity, it needs to employ more
The Student Union at Warwick University prides itself on the
role of women at the university, including women as part of its
own leadership.
women and more people from different
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ethnic groups at senior levels’.