Our mission statement at the Diamonds Study Centre is:

The Diamonds Study Centre, in partnership with schools and community groups, delivers exciting projects in Education, Environment, Health and Citizenship to improve the life chances of children and to raise standards in key areas.  Through an inclusive approach the Centre helps to raise young people’s motivation and confidence, by improving their personal and social skills, and attitudes towards learning.  Although access to football is for many a special ingredient, the Diamonds experience is unique in that it can be formal or informal, structured or flexible, in school or out but it is always inclusive, interactive, educational and lots of fun.

What do you think?  Do we do this?

Let us know your views by clicking on the ‘comments’ button below, or have a go at writing your own mission statement for the Study Centre based on your experience whilst here.

On Friday 24th October, 27 year 5 pupils from Stanwick Primary School were invited to take part in a Barclaycard Reward Day at the Diamonds Study Centre.  Young learners took part in making name badges and origmai football shirts, played team games, participated in a stadium tour, had a football coaching session with members of the 2nd Year Youth Team at R&DFC and finally produced a poster of their day at the Centre on the computers. 

Lots of fun was had by all the pupils and staff members and our thanks goes to the Barclaycard staff for their support and enthusiasm to get involved as mentors for the day.

This week students have been on a tour of the Nene Park Stadium.  Whilst there the young learners worked in teams to complete an orienteering activity.  This involved solving maths sums to locate nine seats in the stadium behind which were control cards with nine different letters.  They then had to solve an anagram to complete the activity.  On their return to the Study Centre, students produced a Stadium Tour poster and the year 8 students took part in a quiz about the history of RDFC. 

Next time:  Player Interviews!

Last week the PfS students completed their Club Challenge by displaying all their hard work on a poster.  The results were fantastic with all the students completing the challenge.  Well done to you all!

 A year 5 Club Challenge Poster by Finedon Mulso.

A Club Challenge Poster by year 8 students from Huxlow Science College.

This week PfS students will complete a Premier Places map and take part in a Player Maths activity.

Towards the end of the course of the “Playing for Success” term at the Diamonds Study Centre a week was set aside for Year 8 students, from Latimer, Montagu and Southfield Secondary schools as well as Year 5 pupils from Grange, Avondale and Millbrook Junior schools and a group of looked after children, from the Northamptonshire County Council “Kicin2study” project, to interview the Diamonds first team players. 

Grange with Lee and Jon

Latimer with Michael and Curtis

 Millbrook with Andy and Phil

Avondale with Martyn and Lawrence

They all had a great time interviewing first team players Phil Gulliver, Curtis Osano, Marcus Kelly, Tom Shaw, Lee Phillips, Michael Jon Challinor, Michael Rankine, Martyn Margarson and Lawrence Lambley as well as some of the clubs prospective future stars in Adam Sharpe and Sean Calcutt
The “Playing for Success” project is part of a national initiative which involves a partnership between the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Northamptonshire County Council and the football club itself and one of its major objectives is to raise standards in literacy.

Montagu with Adam and Sean

Southfield with Marcus and Tom

The interview activity and the follow up work proved to be an extremely worthwhile exercise in the improvement of their speaking, listening and writing skills in a very enjoyable way. The stimulus of being enabled to interview professional footballers and to write about the experience proved to be invaluable in that the students were motivated to record what they had been told during the course of the interview.

The Diamonds Study Centre held its Presentation Evening on Tuesday July 22nd to celebrate the end of the Summer Term of “Playing for Success” sessions at the centre. The sessions have been run in the evenings, at the Study Centre based at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club, as part of a national government initiative with the aims being to improve the children’s standards in Numeracy, Literacy and Information Technology as well as to boost their confidence and self-esteem through the medium of “sports related” activities. The scheme involves a partnership between the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Northamptonshire County Council and the football club and is geared towards Year 5 and Year 8 students in the year before their end of key stage tests.

The Presentation Evening for the Diamonds Study Centre was held in the Kimberley Suite at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club and the room was full as relatives and teachers watched the youngsters, aged between 9 and 14 years, being presented with their certificates by Rushden& Diamonds first team players Sam Smith and Jake Beecroft . 

The schools involved in the scheme this term have all come from the Kettering area namely from Latimer, Montagu and Southfield Secondary Schools in addition to the younger students from Grange, Avondale and Millbrook Jumior Schools.

Sam Smith with Latimer Arts College

Jake Beecroft with Grange Community School                 

Diamonds Study Centre Manager Rob Jones said, “The Presentation Evening was a superb occasion for all concerned and it was pleasing to hear some of the young people talking both to their teachers and their families about their achievements during the course of the term and it was particularly pleasing to see Kettering born player Sam Smith present certificates to students from his old school Latimer Arts College.The youngsters have been a credit to their families and their schools and the tremendous turnout reflected the high regard shown for the Playing for Success initiative. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank their teachers and parents for their assistance this term and to commend Rushden and Diamonds Football Club for its involvement with the local community and the support it has given to the Study Centre during this academic term.”  

Speaking on behalf of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club, Rachel Roberts added, “It was really nice to see so many parents come to the Presentation Evening, and from the displays and comments made on the night, the children really enjoy the work they do. This scheme is so important, its nice to think that Rushden & Diamonds FC had a part in helping the children improve their education in a fun way.”

 The Diamonds Study Centre held its Presentation Evening on Tuesday April 1st to celebrate the end of the Spring Term of “Playing for Success” sessions at the centre. The sessions have been run in the evenings at the Study Centre as part of a national government initiative with the aims being to improve the children’s standards in Numeracy, Literacy and Information Technology as well as to boost their confidence and self-esteem through the medium of “sports related” activities. The scheme involves a partnership between the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Northamptonshire County Council and Rushden and Diamonds F.C and is geared towards Year 5 and Year 8 students in the year before their end of key stage tests.

The Presentation Evening for the Diamonds Study Centre was held in the Kimberley Suite at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club and the room was full as relatives and teachers witnessed the youngsters, aged between 9 and 14 years, being presented with their certificates by Rushden& Diamonds players Dale Roberts and Michael Corcoran. 

Michael Corcoran with Wollaston School

Dale Roberts with Hardwick Junior School

The schools involved in the scheme this term have all come from the Wellingborough area namely from Wrenn, Weavers and Wollaston Secondary Schools plus Hardwick, Victoria and Oakway Junior Schools.

Study Centre Manager Rob Jones said, “The Presentation Evening was a lovely occasion for all concerned and it was pleasing to hear some of the young people talking to a large audience about their achievements during the course of the term.

The youngsters have been a credit to their families and their schools and the tremendous turnout reflected the high regard shown for the Playing for Success initiative. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank their teachers and parents for their assistance this term and to commend Rushden and Diamonds Football Club for its involvement with the local community and the support it has given to the Study Centre during this academic term.”     

 Ferrers Specialist Arts College spend a day at the Diamonds Study Centre in preparation for GCSE examinations.

 A group consisting of four staff and forty-four Year Eleven pupils from Ferrers Specialist Arts College spent the whole day at the Diamonds Study Centre on Wednesday 19^th December 2007. The aim of the day was part of the schools drive to raise standards in Maths and a target group of students focused on their GCSE coursework in preparation for their forthcoming examinations.

  The day was a huge success as students commented on their ability to focus on their work within a completely different learning environment. Alex Rudgalvis, aged 16 said, “we had a really good time in a relaxed environment but work was always the priority!” Sasha Leone, aged 15 said, “I thought it was a very interesting approach towards Maths and it was really good!” To add to the excitement of the day the group were given a guided tour of the Nene Park stadium and they were also served with a buffet lunch by the chefs in the players’ restaurant, which is adjacent to the Study Centre classroom.

Rob Jones, Diamonds Study Centre Manager said, “the newly refurbished classroom is an ideal venue for such an activity and the location of the centre, with its panoramic views over the Stadium Complex, the river and the fields beyond, adds to the “wow” factor!”

Helen Thompson, Chief Executive at Rushden & Diamonds said ” We have written to all the local schools and colleges in an effort to engage their interest in what we have to offer at Nene Park.As well as the 44 students who came for the specialist maths day, we also have teams of media students from Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire schools coming in to work with Radio Diamonds and the Sports Centre.It is mutually beneficial to all concerned.”

During the course of the “Playing for Success” term at the Diamonds Study Centre a week was set aside for local school pupils to interview Rushden & Diamonds players. The students were from year eight at Manor Sports College, Ferrers Arts College and Huxlow Science College, as well as Year 5 pupils from Irthlingborough, Higham Ferrers and Great Addington Junior Schools along with a group of looked after children from the local community.

They all had a great time interviewing the first team players Chris Hope, Simeon Jackson, Marcus Kelly, Jake Beecroft, Michael Rankine, Abdou El-Kholti and Alex Bolt as well as some of the clubs prospective future stars in Ben Nunn, Sam Smith and Joe Day.

“Playing for Success”is a project which forms part of a national initiative that involves a partnership between the D.C.S.F. (Department for Children, Schools and Families) the County Council and Rushden & Diamonds Football Club and one of its major objectives is to raise standards in literacy.

 The interview activity and the follow up work proved to be an invaluable exercise in the improvement of the students speaking, listening and writing skills in a very enjoyable way.

Chief Executive Helen Thompson said “I know that the children enjoy this activity immensely and in fact ask some searching questions of the players which at times causes some surprises!The notes that the children produce as a result of the interviews are excellent and this is a very worthwhile activity for all concerned.”