Once again, our Sixth Form students took the lead on fundraising for Children in Need.
They arranged events that took place during breaktime. These included a doughnut sale (they sold 400!) and a Beat the Teacher penalty shootout competition. Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts. Thank you also to Mr Dawes and Ms Busby for being goalkeepers!
Well done to our Sixth Form Ambassadors for their effort and determination to make a difference to the lives of others.
A team of our Year 13 students visited the Great Hall of the University of Birmingham to take part in the annual Lord Mayor’s Sixth Form Mega Quiz. The event supports local charities and gives students the chance to compete in a fun challenge against other local Sixth Forms. The very tricky questions this year fell into the categories of Geography, English Language, Physics, Mathematics, Business and Music, with a slightly easier round introduced this year on Social Media. Students had a enjoyable day out and ranked a very respectable 7th place in their House grouping.
We are extremely proud of Head students Jada and James, who braved a very cold and wet Sunday morning, to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom. They joined the parade at Aldridge Service of Remembrance before laying a wreath, on behalf of the school, at the War Memorial. This year marked 70 years since the end of the Korean war. Those who served in the ‘Forgotten War’ were also saluted.
Year 12 students aspiring to become doctors and dentists have begun their mentoring programme with In2Med School. The long term support will run throughout Year 12 and 13 and aims to support students in making successful applications to highly competitive courses in the healthcare field. Our student mentor is currently training to become a doctor at the University of Birmingham and is volunteering to support students every step of the way with their journey to medical school. Beginning with learning about the medical issues in their community and the challenges facing the NHS, students will be supported in developing their voluntary experiences and building up essential skills needed to be effective healthcare practitioners, right through to getting expert guidance with their applications, UCAT testing and interviews.
This week as part of the national Armistice period, our cadets have been preparing for the Matrix Academy Trust Armistice Parade.
The parade incorporates members of the Combined Cadet Forces from all of our schools in remembering those who sacrifice their lives to serve and protect our communities.
This year the trust has commissioned a new Union Standard to commemorate the work of our staff and students who are members of the Combined Cadet Forces.
Lest We Forget!
As Armistice day approaches the students of Barr Beacon School have been remembering those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice their lives to protect our communities and nation.
The members of the Combined Cadet Force along with Mrs Selby have delivered assemblies to our houses. Meanwhile, other members of the Cadets have been selling poppies and supporting the Royal British Legion poppy appeal.
Year 11 pupils visited Newnham College Cambridge and received guidance on applying to universities, interactive workshops about study skills, the importance of being ‘super curricular’ as well as a guided tour and Q & A sessions with undergraduates of Cambridge University.
Louis said: “The visit has really helped me consider my options for a future in education, through experiencing what university life can be like.”
Clara said: “The trip to Cambridge was very educational, especially the guidance on applying to universities and how to be super curricular. I enjoyed the campus tour, it was very historic and the food was nice too.”
Year 10 will soon be visited by members of both Cambridge and Oxford with further visits to these universities planned later in the year.
Today our two Contingents were involved in a field training day designed to train and then test our cadets in field craft activities.
All of the cadets worked together in groups made up of both contingents to encourage collaborative working, confidence and sharing of ideas. They then were put through their paces with a number of testing scenarios in which the designated commanders had to lead their teams. Many of the cadets commented on how much they had learnt and all wanted to know when the next day or camp would take place.
A big thank you to all of the staff who attended & supported the event.
Pupils in Year 8 visited the University of Birmingham for a taster day, exploring the huge campus and meeting current students. After an introduction to what university has to offer and a few games, pupils had the chance to tour the grounds, visiting the impressive Great Hall in the Aston Webb building, the library, the sports fields and gym (with an impressive rock climbing wall) and the Student’s Union.
Kai said “I enjoyed learning more about the university”. Cassie and Safaa said they enjoyed the question and answer session with the current university students, as they were able to “ask loads of questions”. Olivia and Eliza found the Pictionary Course Game really helpful to learn about the many different courses you can study at university.
In preparation for their future careers, students with ambitions to enter the healthcare sector took part in a workshop delivered by the NHS. Our students were able to increase their awareness of health attitudes and behaviours, and the impact they can have in their local community. This was part of a wider programme focusing on helping to reduce the risk of maternal poor health and infant mortality, as Birmingham currently has higher than average rates.
The workshop also introduced students to the different career opportunities within healthcare.
Students enjoyed taking part in a variety of engaging activities and now have something they can reflect on in their university or apprenticeship interviews.
Barr Beacon School
Old Hall Lane
Aldridge, Walsall
West Midlands
WS9 0RF
T: 0121 366 6600
postbox@barrbeaconschool.co.uk
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
