We were delighted to receive a large number of wonderful entries, all showcasing impressive creativity, originality, and storytelling skills. The competition was judged by Mrs Garrett alongside our pupil librarians, who thoroughly enjoyed reading each submission before selecting the top three winners. 

Congratulations to our winners: 

 1st Place – Baani, Year 7 
Baani received a certificate, a skip-the-queue pass, and a book prize. 

 2nd Place – Innayah, Year 7 
Innayah received a certificate and a skip-the-queue pass. 

 3rd Place – Ayyan, Year 7 
Ayyan received a certificate for his excellent entry. 

A huge well done to everyone who took part, all have received a house token and a praise point for participating. Thank you to all pupils who entered and helped make the competition such a success.

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One of the most popular drinks of the day was the refreshing Apple Spritz, which proved to be a firm favourite among staff members. For those who would like to recreate it at home, here is the simple recipe:

Apple Spritz Recipe

• 1/2 ginger ale
• 1/2 apple juice
• Fresh apples
• Lots of ice

A big thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the event such a success despite the rainy weather.

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Unfortunately for the boys, Mr Cusworth had commandeered the speaker.

“Sir… not Runaround Sue again!”

Groans erupted from the back of the bus as song after song from what the lads described as “the prehistoric era” blasted through the speakers. Yet somehow, between the complaints, the laughter, and endless predictions about who’d score the most goals, the atmosphere was perfect. This wasn’t just another school trip anymore. This was tournament day.

And by the time they arrived, boots laced and nerves kicking in, everyone knew it.

Game 1 - Barr Beacon 1-2 Turves Green Boys School

The first whistle of the tournament brought instant tension. Nervous faces. Shaky touches. Every pass felt important. Beacon started cautiously, but Turves struck first. A long throw-in caused chaos in the box, slipping between defenders before falling kindly to their striker, who buried it past the keeper.

Before Beacon could settle, Turves did it again. Almost identical. Like someone had pressed replay.

2-0.

Heads dropped for a moment, but Beacon refused to disappear quietly. Oscar battled through and calmly slotted one past the Turves goalkeeper to give Beacon hope. The comeback never quite arrived, though, and the final whistle confirmed defeat in the opening game.

Not the start they wanted.

But sometimes stories need a rough opening.

Game 2 - Barr Beacon 4-0 Dame Elizabeth Cadbury

The equation was simple now: lose again, and it was an early journey home.

Beacon responded like a team with something to prove.

From the very first minute, the energy was completely different. Tackles flew in. Passes zipped across the pitch. Confidence returned. And leading the charge was Oscar.

One goal.
Then another.
Then another.

Hat-trick.

Every touch looked dangerous, every run caused panic, and by the time the third hit the net, Beacon were roaring with belief again. Then came a moment everyone loved - Year 7’s Isaiah playing up with older boys, calmly adding a fourth goal like he’d been doing it for years.

4-0.

Statement made.

The confidence was back.

Game 3 - Barr Beacon 5-0 Elmwood

One game left. Win, or go home.

Elmwood arrived full of determination, fighting for every ball like their tournament depended on it too. Beacon knew this wouldn’t be easy.

But this time, the football flowed beautifully.

O. Wetherall burst down the wing before squaring perfectly for Haidyn, who tucked home with composure. Then Mason charged out from defence, carrying the ball half the pitch before slipping it perfectly into Adam's path for goal number two.

The floodgates opened.

Isaiah scored again.
Adam grabbed his second after another I. Wynter assist.
Joseph finished things off to cap a relentless performance.

5-0.

Huge credit went to Elmwood, who battled until the final whistle despite the scoreline. But Beacon had done their job.

Then came the news everyone was waiting for.

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury had beaten Turves Green.

Goal difference meant one thing:

Barr Beacon were through as group winners.

Semi-Final - Barr Beacon 3-1 Wednesfield

The confidence inside the camp was growing with every game, but one player still looked frustrated.

Jayden

Beacon’s striker hadn’t found his rhythm in the group stage and looked disappointed in himself. Before the semi-final, he pulled aside the coaching staff for a chat. Whatever was said lit a fire inside him.

Three minutes into the game, Nihal launched a throw into the danger area… and there was Jayden, reacting quickest to smash Beacon into the lead.

1-0.

Suddenly he looked like a different player.

Running harder. Smiling more. Playing freely.

Then came the second. Isaiah slipped a brilliant through ball behind the defence and Jayden finished confidently for his brace.

Now he was unstoppable.

Skipping beyond one defender. Then another. Driving into the box before squaring perfectly for Adam to score Beacon’s third.

The semi-final belonged to Jayden

The striker who couldn’t buy a goal earlier in the day had suddenly turned into Beacon’s very own Haaland.

Big games require big players - quite literally!

And now… only one game remained.

THE FINAL - Etone vs Barr Beacon

Wow.

What. An. Atmosphere.

On one side stood Barr Beacon — backed by Mr Cusworth, Mr Hale, and the growing noise of every other Matrix school inside the venue.

On the other stood Etone — the reigning champions, backed by what felt like their entire PE department, sixth form, and half the building.

No school had managed to take the title away from them.

The challenge couldn’t have been bigger.

From kick-off, Beacon played fearless football. Crisp one-touch passing. Clever movement. Chance after chance carved open. But standing in the way was an unbelievable Etone goalkeeper producing save after save after save.

Beacon pushed.
Etone resisted.

The whistle blew.

0-0.

Penalties.

The entire venue held its breath.

First up for Beacon: Isaiah

The youngest player on the team walked forward carrying the pressure of the entire tournament. Calmly, he placed the ball down, took a breath, and buried it.

1-0 Beacon.

Etone responded immediately.

1-1.

Next came Haidyn. No hesitation. Ball down. Strike. Top corner.

Advantage Beacon.

Then came the moment.

“No keeper is expected to save a penalty… but if they do, they become the hero.”

Etone stepped up.

Archie stood tall.

SAVE.

Chaos.

Beacon suddenly had one hand on the trophy.

Now it all rested on Joseph.

Around the pitch, six other schools had united behind Beacon.

“BEACON! BEACON! BEACON!”

Players stood frozen with hands on heads. Teachers couldn’t watch. The tension was unbearable.

Joseph stepped forward.

Ice in his veins.

Strike.

GOAL.

BARR BEACON WERE MATRIX CHAMPIONS.

The celebrations exploded instantly. Players sprinting everywhere. Teachers and students roaring. Pure joy.

What a day.
What an experience.
What a team.

And the bus journey home?

Even louder than the one there.

The boys sang every song imaginable at the top of their lungs — Wonderwall, Iris, Sweet Caroline — before eventually settling on their unlikely victory anthem:

Someone Like You by Adele.

Questionable choice?

Absolutely.

But after becoming champions, they’d earned the right to sing whatever they wanted.

An extremely proud moment as a teacher to these pupils to see them achieve a sense of success in school together, as a team. A great moment, an everlasting memory created. Their standards throughout as players and pupils were nothing short of exceptional. Their conduct, attitude, behaviour speaks volumes of us as a school and them as people.

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Every response helps shape the future of our school community, and we truly value your voice. Please follow the link or scan the QR code on the poster to share your thoughts. Thank you for your continued support of Barr Beacon School.

Parent Survey | HERE

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Experienced forensic scientists and a real-life CSI professional with 20 years’ experience at West Midlands Police led the session. Students took part in real life crime scene scenarios, together with forensic science examinations and analysis activities. Students particularly enjoyed the crime scene investigation activity at a bespoke crime scene house, involving evidence recovery, analysis and interpretation activities.

Students and staff alike very much enjoyed the insights gained on this taster day and valued the interactive nature of the learning tasks, helping them to really test out if not only this course, but also this career, would be suited to them. 

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The feedback received was overwhelming positive, with 100% of parents saying their child enjoyed the placement and the vast majority of pupils getting the chance to develop their skillset and come away feeling more positive about the world of work. Our feedback from parents encouraged greater access to longer work placements, something we are looking into for the future.

Even more good news came from employers, with 100% confirming that our pupils represented the school well. We have also been gathering insights into work experience from an employer perspective, to help us better work with their needs and to understand the benefits and challenges faced. We look forward to maintaining strong relationships with employers and shaping impactful experiences for our pupils moving forward.

Thank you to all of the parents and carers who worked hard to secure a placement for their child and to every employer that gave up their day to help our pupils settle in and get a valuable day in the workplace. 

For our pupils who remained in school on this day, a special employer led event was arranged in school. Pupils got to experience life in the army, with a talk about the different careers available within the army, followed by an Elite Skills course, where pupils took part in multiple hands on activities to test their team work and problem solving abilities under pressure. Pupils were also given time to research careers linked to their skills and interests in computer room sessions supported by UCAS. 

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The Department for Work and Pensions gave students a taste of their assessment centre process, giving pupils the chance to take on two group tasks, and also to get direct feedback from employers for their conduct, not just during the tasks, but throughout the event. This feedback was overwhelmingly positive. 

The students themselves said: 

“It was a really good session. I took away a lot from it. I didn’t need to be worried at all; this has given me a confidence boost.”

“Definitely one of the most enjoyable sessions I have been a part of in long time. Sometiemes it is hard to concentrate when a guest speaker just talks at us, but this was fun and much more interactive.”

“I felt like my skills definitely grew as the session went on.”

“I learnt lots about how the assessment process works. I didn’t know any of this before the session. I came away with lots of tips.”

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Held at the beautiful Bank Restaurant in Birmingham, the afternoon was an opportunity to recognise the dedication, commitment and passion shown by colleagues who have devoted two decades or more to supporting our communities and delivering outstanding care.

The event brought together staff from a wide range of teams and roles across the Trust, each with their own stories and experiences but all sharing a common commitment to the people we serve. Colleagues had the chance to reconnect, reflect on their journeys, and celebrate the impact they have made over the years.

Reaching 20+ years of service is a remarkable achievement, and the evening served as a small token of our appreciation for the knowledge, experience and compassion these colleagues bring to their work every day.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to all those celebrating their long service this year. Your dedication truly makes a difference.

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