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2024

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PGL Osmington Bay Trip

The A Level Geography trip to PGL Osmington Bay was a fantastic and enriching experience for both pupils and staff. After an early start on Saturday morning, students were quickly immersed in fieldwork, kicking off their study with an investigation into the sustainability of service stations along the M5. This practical activity was an excellent introduction to the vital skills needed for their NEA (Non-Examination Assessment), teaching them how to design and conduct their own fieldwork investigations and how to critically analyse and write up their findings.

The group then travelled to the iconic Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, where they explored the fascinating geographical landscapes and got some delicious ice cream. Students observed first-hand the impact of rock type and lithology on the coastal features, further enhancing their understanding of coastal processes and landforms. After a busy day, we returned to PGL for a well-earned evening meal, followed by an early night to rest and prepare for two more days of learning and exploration.

Sunday saw us visiting various coastal sites to investigate coastal management strategies. A poignant moment of the day came when we participated in a one-minute silence at Lyme Regis War Memorial, where we also witnessed part of the Remembrance Day parade. It was a meaningful opportunity for reflection, adding depth to the trip’s educational experience. The day concluded with a beautiful sunset on Chesil Beach, offering a stunning and memorable end to a packed day.

On Monday, students explored Weymouth, where they investigated the town’s regeneration efforts and its historical development. The visit provided valuable insight into how urban areas evolve over time, offering real-world examples of geographical theories in action.

Overall, the trip was a fantastic success, offering our students the chance to apply their knowledge in the field and gain a deeper understanding of geographical processes. It was a memorable experience for all involved, and we are grateful to both the staff and pupils for making it such a rewarding trip. We look forward to seeing how this fieldwork contributes to their learning and NEA projects in the future.

Events - 11/19/2024
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BBC Workshop

Media students had a very rare opportunity today to meet employees from the BBC, learn about their careers and have a go at some of the different roles in TV. Students discovered the array of careers available, from script supervisor, through to production, locations, accounts, props and many more.

Students examined seemingly dangerous props that were actually made of soft materials, with intricate details making them seem very realistic. They also tried their hands at scriptwriting, continuity checks and making their own costumes, using makeup to distress socks.

There was also a backstage insight into the many different roles and responsibilities that are involved in making a special effects explosion scene in a recent episode of EastEnders.

Our students said:

“I really enjoyed looking at the props and seeing behind the scenes of EastEnders, but my favourite part was getting involved and designing the sock.”

“Learning about all of the different job roles was particularly interesting as it gave me a detailed perspective of the industry.”

“I’m thinking about applying for a BBC Apprenticeship and it was useful to get some tips on how the interview process works.”

General - 11/19/2024
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Aberystwyth University Assemblies

Year 12 students have enjoyed two engaging assemblies from Aberystwyth University this term. Each assembly had a twist to make it more fun. First students discovered how to choose the right university and course though a music quiz. Then students learnt how to make the most of open days, with the addition of a few guessing games. All of this was carefully designed to encourage students to start thinking about their next steps early, so they are fully prepared to make a competitive application next autumn. Our students enjoyed the interactive nature of the assemblies, making the information accessible and enjoyable to learn. Moving into next year, we will be focusing on apprenticeships, and students will begin preparing their applications next summer.

Students can access a useful Open Day Calendar here.

Careers / General - 11/14/2024
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Design a Bookmark competition

To build a buzz about our Bookfair, we decided to run a ‘Design a Bookmark Competition’ where the top 3 submissions could win £25 worth of Bookfair vouchers. We wanted pupils’ bookmarks to be inspired by their favourite book. It could include one of the characters, a scene from the book, a quote or they could be inspired by the front cover. We had a lot of beautiful and creative entries. Our team of pupil librarian have chosen the top 3:

1st place – Z.Inman 13M2

2nd place – F.Palmer 10C1

3rd place – K.Choomer 10M1

Congratulations to the winners!

General - 11/12/2024
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Trust Remembrance Service

Our pupils and staff have been considering remembrance. Each year, as a country, we join to consider the sacrifices and efforts made to protect our British values. Throughout conflicts over the years, the men and women who have given their all to ensure our individual liberty and freedom of speech remain intact.

On Friday 8th November, Matrix Academy Trust held their annual trust wide remembrance service. A small contingent of cadets and staff from each of schools joined together, this year hosted by Wednesfield Academy. Whilst any parade is a spectacle of respect to behold, this one particularly hit home the unity that encompasses Great Britain. All our schools joining together, each represented by model student leaders to show their respects.

As the parade began our CCF commanders were joined by Lord-Lieutenant Derrick Anderson CBE, as the sovereign’s representative for the West Midlands, for the event. Lord-Lieutenant Anderson joined our CEO, Headteachers along with other dignitaries to view the exemplary collection of cadets who had turned out with immaculate uniform.

Following an inspection, the traditional poem ‘In Flanders Field’ was read out as Sixth Form pupils from Wednesfield underlined that ‘We will remember them!’. With the last post playing the attendees, school and Trust observed a two-minute silence to pay respect to all of those who have sacrificed for us.

We are so proud of our cadets, and everyone involved for emphasising the importance of remembrance.

CCF / Events - 11/11/2024
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Remembrance Day

‘Too important in life to be forgotten in death’ – Howard Hardman

T.Hunt (Head Student) and Z.Copeland (Deputy Head Student) represented Barr Beacon by laying a wreath at Aldridge’s War Memorial Remembrance parade during Remembrance Sunday. It is 80 years this year since the D-Day landings.

Barr Beacon School’s CCF contingent @ccfcadets @aircadets and Head Students joined veterans, representatives of local government @WalsallCouncil @morton_wendy and members of the local community to lay a wreath at the historic Barr Beacon War Memorial. The War Memorial at Barr Beacon Local Nature Reserve, the highest point in the West Midlands, was built in 1933 to honour those who fell during WW1.

Barr Beacon School’s CCF contingent lead a parade to remember the fallen, together with staff and pupils. Pupils have been learning about ‘remembrance’ all week during assemblies which have featured members of the contingent sharing stories about relatives who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

General - 11/08/2024
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Samosa Sale

Our Sixth Form Charity Leads held their first big charity event in school where they sold veggie samosas and raised a whopping £258.50. Our Charity Leads relished in their sales roles and really showed us their skills! They took a hard sales approach and impressed us every step of the way, whilst raising money for two of our school charities this year: My Shining Star and Young Minds.

General - 10/23/2024
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Autumn Blog – From Setbacks to Success

J A Rajput and Z Copeland – Deputy Head Students
It’s been almost 8 weeks since the new academic year started and already so much has unfolded.
While there is so much to look forward to over the year, there are also more challenging times
ahead that may require you to understand not only how to be successful but also how to turn
failure into success too.
Failure is a tool that should be used more when trying to achieve success as it can be a crucial
learning opportunity but often, we try to ignore our failures, moving on to the next thing when it
could be the perfect method to help us progress and get us closer to reaching our goals.
People experience failure for several reasons; maybe you were unprepared, your goals were
unrealistic or perhaps you simply need more learning and understanding of a topic to help you
succeed. Failure can help you to identify where there is work to be done and more importantly it
can highlight your next steps so that when you try again you do better than you did before. There are
a variety of ways to go about this and one way is setting SMART Targets to help create a streamlined
vision of what you want. For those of you who don’t know what these are, they’re targets that meet
the following requirements:

  • Specific – Is it clear and definitive of what you want to achieve?
  • Measurable – Can you easily track your progress on this goal?
  • Achievable – Is it realistic and able for you to attain?
  • Relevant – Is this goal something that aligns with what you want, long-term or short-term?
  • Timely – Does the goal have a strict but realistic deadline?

It is crucial that you remember that failure is part of the process and is scientifically proven to help
the brain create stronger connections and improve problem-solving skills. This is how those of you
who are disappointed with your grades at the moment, can utilise what you perceive as failure to
your advantage and get that ‘academic comeback’!
But remember you also need to take breaks from your studies and have fun with your hobbies or
take on opportunities available to you because we can succeed in the most unlikely ways. This
could be through Social Mobility programs/charities (as listed at the end of this blog) or through
things like the Duke of Edinburgh Award, after-school clubs or sports teams because they enable
you to experience new fun things while getting extra support and a competitive edge when applying
for your next steps. Take those risks and don’t worry about the outcome! Because if you don’t go
for it, you might regret it and think “What if…?” or “I could have” – instead, go for those
opportunities and be more optimistic so you can say “I did it!” or “I made it!”
Finally, the easiest way to avoid failure is to never give up, give everything your best shot and you’ll
eventually reach the finish line. Approach everyday with your best effort, persistence and follow
your passions, whatever excites you or what you’re enthusiastic about – just never give up, especially
through those challenging times (FYI: there will be lots of them, but your grit and determination is
all you need to persevere). Finally, use this as that little push to get you on track to whatever
journey you’re striving for and make it happen – OWN WHAT YOU DO!
Remember to take a break during Half Term to rest and reset but be geared up, ready to go as soon
as that first Monday hits.

It’s never too early to start nor too late. So, if you do one thing from reading this blog, consider
applying to one of the programs below:
AMT Youth – AMT Youth Programme – Alice Made This
Leaf – Leaf
NCS – Find an NCS Programme Near You: Sign Up Today | NCS (wearencs.com)
SMART Targets –The Ultimate Guide to S.M.A.R.T. Goals – Forbes Advisor
Social Mobility Foundation – The Social Mobility Foundation
Sutton Trust – Sutton Trust
Zero Gravity – Zero Gravity | Unlock your university and career ambition

Happy Halloween and Diwali.

General / SeniorTeam - 10/21/2024
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Year 11 Cambridge Visit

A group of our Year 11 pupils visited Newnham College Cambridge to learn more about the university and take a tour of the campus. Pupils gained advice from current students, practiced new revision techniques and discovered the importance of super-curricular activities in making a competitive application to the top universities in the country. They even enjoyed a special lunch in the college ‘buttery’ to round off an informative day.

General - 10/21/2024
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Clent Pupil of the Week

Congratulations to J. Astley, E. Devaney, K. Lobban, F. Jones, and, yet again, A. Hussain for achieving Pupil of the Week! These pupils consistently go above and beyond to demonstrate our Beacon values, setting a great example for everyone.

A big well done also to J. Evelyn, A. Goody, and F. Edmunds on receiving their Bronze Badge award for earning over 100 praise points! Your hard work and dedication have truly paid off.

I am extremely proud of all our pupils this week. Let’s keep up the momentum as we continue closing the gap on Bredon and Malvern!

General - 10/21/2024

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