Enjoy a cruise on the Mersey as part of the Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta

THE Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Liverpool's World Heritage waterfront in 2018. The Tall Ships 'Parade of Sail' is the highlight of the global maritime spectacular and Mersey Ferries has a special viewing cruise to give guests unique views.

The viewing cruises launch a week of ½ term activities on the River Mersey, including the family River Explorer and Spaceport ticket, which gives access to U-Boat Story and Spaceport; which is currently hosting the popular "Sci-Fi Icons" exhibition

This weekend, Mersey Ferries is offering a full roster of cruises to give visitors to the waterfront an opportunity to take to the water as part of the Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta. With a 17 strong international fleet of Tall Ships set to make a triumphant return to the River Mersey the festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Taking place until Monday, 28 May 2018 and launching the May ½ term for many North West families, 'The Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta' links:- Liverpool, Dublin and Bordeaux through a hotly contested race across the Irish Sea and Bay of Biscay. The race will help the City celebrate the 10th Anniversary of its year as European Capital of Culture.

Gary Evans from Mersey Ferries said:- "Every 1 of these visiting ships has an incredible history and exciting story to tell, much like the Mersey Ferries. It's great that we're able to bring together the vessels for a weekend of family fun on the River Mersey. On the Saturday and Sunday the Tall Ships will be berthed on the Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Canning Dock, Canning ½ Tide Dock and Albert Dock before taking part in the Parade of Sail on Monday. Across the weekend, our River Explorer Cruises will give customers a chance to also take to the water and enjoy the festival with great views of the world famous waterfront. For families it will be a great day out, as our range of family tickets also provide free entry to U-boat Story and the chance to visit Spaceport, where there is currently a Sci-Fi Icons exhibition, which will be open throughout ½ term."

On Monday 28 May 2018, Mersey Ferries will pause its usual River Explorer Cruises to deliver a special:- 'Tall Ships Regatta Parade of Sail Cruise,' which will give customers a unique opportunity to view the parade of sail and follow the vessels along the River Mersey. Onboard, there will be live music and commentary about the maritime history of Liverpool and the parade.

Gary Evans continued:- "Our special viewing cruise will offer the ideal way to see the fascinating Parade of Sail, as the Tall Ships make their way up the river to start the hotly contested Regatta from Liverpool's UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront. For those who are unable to make the cruise on Monday, our usual River Explorer Cruises will run throughout the ½ term and are 1 of Liverpool's most iconic days. They really are a 'must-do' experience for families looking for an action  packed day out this May ½ term."

Tickets for the special viewing cruise are priced at ₤30 for an adult and ₤15 for a child (3  to 15 years), with a licensed bar, drinks and light snacks available to buy on board. The special viewing cruise will board from Seacombe, Wirral, at 11am, Woodside, Wirral, at 11.10am and Pier Head, Liverpool, at 11.30am, with the cruise lasting 2 and a ½ hours.

For more information or to book tickets, call the Mersey Ferries Ticket Office on:- 0151 330 1003, visit any of Mersey Ferries terminals or visit the Mersey Ferries website.

St Julie's receives glowing Ofsted report

A Liverpool Secondary School has been praised by Ofsted for "rapid improvement" over the last 2 years which has seen it graded as:- 'good' overall, with 'outstanding' leadership and management.

Ofsted found that St Julie's Catholic High School in Woolton had quickly set about tackling issues identified during its inspection in 2016 when it was judged as:- "requires improvement."

They praised Head teacher Tim Alderman and the Governors for having "skilfully managed" the transformation, which they found "remarkable" given that at the same time they were overseeing the construction of their ₤20 million new School on the same site.

Teachers and teaching assistants are praised for being "committed to improving teaching" and grasping new ways of working. Improvements in Maths and Humanities are particularly singled out for praise. The School has recently gained the Liverpool Counts Gold Award, from School Improvement Liverpool, the highest accolade for developing students' numeracy across the curriculum.

The inspectors found that students are being "well educated" and the School's work to promote their personal development and welfare is "outstanding," with students showing great respect for each other and staff and a positive attitude to learning.

The curriculum is described as "very good and balanced," matching the interests of all students and leading to successful learning. The report concluded that the School's sixth form is helping students "gain access to high quality courses and training."

Head teacher Tim Alderman said:- "A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into addressing the issues identified in our previous Ofsted inspection and it is hugely gratifying to see that reflected in this latest report.  Everyone associated with the School, from the Governors, Leadership Team, teachers, teaching assistants, students and parents have played their part in getting us to where we are today. We will continue to review all areas of the School and are absolutely determined to deliver the highest quality provision for our students, aided by the fantastic new facilities that we have in our new building."

Inspectors say the progress of disadvantaged children has improved considerably, as have the achievement levels of pupils with special educational needs.

Cabinet member for education, Cllr Barbara Murray, said:- "Congratulations to everyone at St Julie's for the huge turnaround over the last 2 years. The inspection report is testament to the passion and commitment of all of those at the School that they have achieved so much in a relatively short period of time. I have a special interest in the School as both my daughters were educated there and my eldest daughter was Head Girl, so I particularly welcome this report from Ofsted and offer my congratulations and thanks to everyone who has worked hard to make this happen. Our shared vision with Schools is for every child in Liverpool to achieve their potential and it is fantastic to see that is happening at St Julie's."

Although improvements have been made in science, both the School and Ofsted agree more can be done.

Other areas for development include further stretching the most able pupils by encouraging them to excel and think more deeply about their learning, and making sure teachers consistently help students with their spelling and grammar.

St Julie's is 1 of 23 Schools rebuilt or refurbished under the ₤180 million Liverpool Schools Investment Programme set up by Mayor Joe Anderson, and opened its new ₤20 million building, in September 2017.

The full Ofsted report can be found online.