What a wonderful week! Our Gold DofE participants have been in Dartmoor undertaking their assessed expedition. We are so proud of our Year 12 who not only showed determination but incredible resilience in the face of a huge challenge in extremely warm temperatures. We can’t wait to see all of your photos at the Palace when you collect your awards.
It was a pleasure welcoming back over 120 of our Year 11 students to take part in the Sixth Form Induction Week. They had taster sessions for their chosen courses, allowing them to get a feel for post-16 life. We shared information about the mindset required to enjoy success in our Sixth Form, including a strong work ethic, developing into independent learners and always having the highest expectations of themselves. Our current Year 12 students shared their experiences and offered some valuable advice. The week ended with a day of Team Building activities which encouraged them to develop their confidence, communication skills and logical thinking. The tasks they took part in were Swamp Cross, Night Rope, Barrel Move, Human Knot and Sheep Herd. The students enjoyed their week and found it helpful in preparation for September. The ice-lollies on Friday were very much appreciated too! We are looking forward to them starting their Key Stage 5 journey with us in September.
Comments from students:
“I learnt that I need to organise my revision early. Also, I need to take up opportunities in Sixth Form as these will be beneficial for my UCAS application.”
“I like how the teachers treat us more like adults and that there is more freedom in the way that we can learn and revise. I find having smaller classes also makes it easier to engage with the teachers and ask for help.”
“I enjoyed how interactive the lessons were and how they gave a very clear idea about what life in Sixth Form will be like and what A levels are about.”
“It is good to have an understanding of what we will be taught over the years and to have had the chance to cover some of the content this week.”
“I enjoyed the activities that we did as they helped to create a more insightful experience of what next year will be like.”
“I now know that there is a large amount of wider reading that I will need to do in order to be fully prepared for my option choices, ready to start in September.”
“I understand that I need to be very organised from day 1 to prevent feeling overwhelmed and stressed out.”
“I enjoyed exploring the subjects I have picked in more detail and speaking to the current Sixth Formers who were really helpful.”
“Thank you for the enjoyable Team Building Day.”
Ten lucky Year 10 Barr Beacon pupils are attending a four day residential at Loughborough University. The girls are working in teams of 5 with undergraduates and professors from Loughborough university to design a solution to contemporary global problems. This is a challenge that Ford Motor company give to their own engineers and designers. It all takes place in Loughborough’s state of the art STEMlab.
The girls have been attending lectures about the engineering behind harnessing renewable energy, robotics and other topics. The pupils then apply this information to their own designs and will present their solutions to their global problem at the end of the week. The girls have also had time for lots of fun including a campus treasure hunt, movie nights and a Barbecue.
Year 9 students at Barr Beacon School are preparing to take part in Take Your Child to Work Day on Friday 15th July.
Pupils have secured experiences in a vast range of industries to get a taste of the world of work. Our pupils will be spending a day with dentists, decorators, educators, office managers, pharmacists, lawyers, business owners, jewellers, plumbers and even the Mayor of Walsall.
Pupils will be working for small and large companies, from dog kennels, hairdressers and care homes, to the well-known names of Ernst and Young, Fedex, Rolls Royce and West Midlands Police.
Those pupils staying in school for the day won’t miss out either. They will be taking part in a virtual work experience day with the NextGen Skills Academy, learning about careers in gaming and VFX and taking part in a series of challenges.
Year 13 students marked the end of their examination period, and indeed their journey with us, by celebrating at the Leavers’ Ball which was held on Friday 8th July 2022.
They have found their way through the challenges that the last couple of years have brought and fully deserved to let their hair down and party hard!
The evening consisted of a drinks reception, a Tex Mex style Street Food buffet, a chocolate fountain, a photobooth and a new feature this year – a 360 degree video booth.
After the awards section of the evening, the disco was in full swing with different genres of music – bhangra, R n B and some of the old time favourites! It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening!
We are looking forward to seeing the students on Results Day (Thursday 18th August 2022) and celebrating with them again as they receive the results they need to progress on to their next steps.
Year 11 celebrated the end of their exams on Friday 1st July at Nailcote Hall. Our pupils went all out with some amazing dresses and suits as well as fabulous heels. Everyone had a great time dancing the night away ending the evening with a spectacular firework display. Despite the many challenges this brilliant year group have come up against, they have been exceptional in their effort and commitment. Here’s to the summer!
On the 20th June 2021, forty pupils from the Matrix Academy Trust, travelled from Birmingham for a trip to Frankfurt with the Turing Scheme. The Turing Scheme is a fully funded government initiative that funds a range of international opportunities for young people to go abroad and experience different cultures around the globe. Pupils for this scheme are selected via criteria provided by the Department for Education.
After 15 long hours of travel, we arrived safely in Fulda, a beautiful city one hour North-East of Frankfurt. Upon getting settled at the accommodation the first evening was spent relaxing and preparing for the excitement of the week ahead.
On Monday, the pupils travelled into Fulda for a guided walking tour. With three different tours on offer, each group was able to experience a different aspect of the city and share this over dinner in the evening. Pupils were taken to visit the oldest church in Germany and explore its history, the engineering around it and importance it has on the local community today.
Pupils also had the opportunity to meet German pupils from a local school with a meet and greet arranged in a local park. With a range of activities and games, some familiar and some new it was an opportunity to develop language skills and see how life was different for a pupil in Germany. During the afternoon, we headed to a local school for some German taster lessons and then to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner, which would go on to become a firm favourite of the group! On Tuesday, pupils returned to the German school to experience a day in the life of a German pupil. Our pupils were fascinated to see how different school was in Germany, with one of the pupils even saying they would not mind going to school in Germany over the UK!
As the next few days followed, we had an action-packed schedule; visiting Point Alpha, a memorial to East German citizens and learned about the shocking history of the East German regime, pupils bravely conquered the high-ropes at an adventure park, which involved a range of obstacles and bridges suspended between trees, we were shown the sights of Frankfurt by a local tour guide, went swimming in an outdoor pool, explored the inside of a model heart at the Museum and visited Fulda’s very own palace!
Friday was a much more sombre day for the group, as we took a coach to Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial. Here, we learned about the horrifying actions that took place during the Third Reich and to reflect on what took place. After first watching a film explaining the history of Buchenwald, the pupils were led on an audio tour of the camp itself. This was an incredibly emotional day and all pupils showed the utmost respect while here.
It’s safe to say that everyone had a wonderful time on the trip. Although exhausted, we all returned to England with big smiles and new friends.
Comments from parents:
“We would just like to say a big Thank You to all of the Staff that organised and went on the trip. Without the staff putting in this tremendous effort and taking on so much responsibility many children would not get these experiences. They have certainly had extra challenges Covid restrictions and birds hitting planes to deal with.“
“I would just like to say a massive thank you for choosing my two sons to go to Germany as part of the Turing scheme. They had a wonderful time and haven’t stopped talking about it since they got back. Highlights for the boys were the high ropes, swimming pool and the heart at the museum. They also enjoyed trying the different foods. It was lovely to hear that they made some friends from different schools and spent this evening chatting on the phone and have even arranged to meet at the weekend. Please pass on my gratitude to the staff involved for organising and looking after the children, it must have been a challenge especially when things didn’t go to plan. Thank you once again for giving them this wonderful opportunity which I am sure they will never forget”.
On Monday 20th June, 10 students and 2 staff set out for a week’s residential trip to Barcelona. We met the other pupils from the other schools in Matrix Academy Trust at the airport, just before checking in. For some of the pupils, it was their first-time experiencing flying, but all of the pupils fully committed themselves to the experience, a trait which was repeated throughout the week.
When we arrived at Barcelona airport, we met our bus and then went to our home for the week, the Urbany Hostel. After a quick meal at Glories, the local shopping centre, we went to bed to get an early night ready for the busy week ahead.
On the next day, we braved the Barcelona Metro for the first time, which was our main mode of transport for the week. We visited a few different sites around Montjuic, including the Olympic Museum and arena for the 1992 Olympics, and the cable car up to Castell de Montjuic for some impressive views over the city. After this, we got the Port Vell Cable car across to Barceloneta Harbour (Mr Larvan was not a fan of the ride!). We then enjoyed a lovely meal on the harbourside before heading back to recharge ourselves for another busy day.
Day 3 started with a trip to Camp Nou, home of Barcelona FC, where we had a tour around their trophy room, stadium and sidelines. From there, we headed to La Rambla, where the pupils were able to soak up the culture of one of the most famous streets in Europe. That evening, we had a movie night, watching some of the latest film releases (although pupils were pleased to hear the films were in English with Spanish subtitles!). This allowed us to mix up the schools, giving the pupils chance to get to know each other more.
Day 4 was Gaudí Day, exploring two of the most famous works of one of Spain’s most famous architects. First was a tour of the impressive Sagrada Familia, which is still unfinished 140 years after construction started. We were able to see the inside and outside of the church, marvelling at the detailed sculptures on the outside and the sunlight shining through the stained-glass windows on the inside, spreading fantastic colours through the interior. We even took a bit of time to make our own artwork, inspired by the building. We left the Sagrada Familia and after a lot of escalators, steps and hills made it to Parc Guell, where pupils were given time to explore this large fantasy-inspired park, before meeting at El Drac, a larger-than-life mosaic sculpture of a lizard. As we headed home that evening, we started to see the fireworks and bonfires being set up for the evening’s festivities, which took place all over Barcelona, including right outside our hostel, until the early hours of the morning.
After a late night, Friday started with a well-earned lie-in, before a trip to see the Barcelona aquarium and an afternoon spent relaxing on the beach, followed by another delicious meal in the harbourside.
Feeling refreshed, Saturday saw us heading to see some of the wildlife in the Barcelona Zoo, including tigers, rhinos and elephants. After a wild day, we headed back towards La Rambla for a spot of retail therapy, before heading up to see the views of the city from the Palau Nacional.
Sunday was the day that some of us had been looking forward to the most, a trip to Portaventura Theme Park, which is home to over 50 exhilarating rides, including Dragon Khan and Shambhala. After a fantastic day, we returned to Barcelona before a final evening meal together and then a morning flight (and run through the airport!) to head back home.
Anastasija and Kelis (Year 9) said that “It was the educational experience of a lifetime – my favourite bit was sunbathing on the sunny beach and splashing in the sea” and “It was very inspiring – 10/10 would recommend. My favourite bit was making new friends from other schools”.
Every single one of the pupils represented themselves, the school and the Trust extremely well and we were so impressed by their manners, fantastic attitude and willingness to embrace new experiences, whether that was trying new food, travelling abroad or going on cable cars. We hope that we have instilled an interest in travelling and have opened the pupils’ minds to see more of the world.
Comments from parents:
“My son, has just returned from the Turing Tour to Spain and I just wanted to thank the school for this great opportunity. He has come home full of information about the places he has visited, the friends he has made, and it is so evident just how much he has enjoyed it. I also feel it has given him a confidence he did not have before”
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff at the Turing Scheme for giving my son an amazing experience and for looking after him so well – you are amazing”
To mark the end of their mock examinations, our Year 12 students took part in a Colour Fun Run on Wednesday 6th July. The weather was much kinder to us this time and all participants had a fun packed afternoon!
Here are some comments from the students after the event:-
“A great way to end our busy first year of Sixth Form, with our friends!”
“The colour run was loads of fun and a good way to interact with the whole year group. I came out of it looking insane and got a few weird looks walking home but it was definitely worth it!”
“I’m so glad I participated. It was really good as it got the whole year group together. Would love to do it again next year!”
“The Colour Run was amazing! We had so much fun and lots of memories were made! I can’t wait to do the next one!
“I really enjoyed the Colour Run. I think it was a great way to spend time with friends and relax after mocks!”
Year 8 pupils with the highest number of praise points were rewarded with a visit to the Inspiring the Black Country Event. This was a large careers fair filled with interactive exhibits. The event allowed pupils to explore a multitude of careers and get a hands on insight into each. Pupils had the chance to change a tyre, meet a robot, perform a mock operation with the NHS, test their reflexes with the RAF and even pull their own pint with Marstons. Exhibitors came from a range of industries, including Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, DPD, National Highways, Balfour Beatty and more. All the pupils had a great time engaging with the employers and discovering new and exciting careers.
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
