Last weekend, the Cadets from across the Trust came together at Barr Beacon School to practice their Leadership Skills. Working collaboratively, they completed challenges while their skills were formally assessed.
Sixth Form Open Evening 2024
Thursday 28th November 2024 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Former Student Achieves PhD
We are delighted to share the news that one of our former students has successfully completed her PhD with the University of Birmingham.
Sandeep, now known as Dr Sandeep Shirgill, completed her A level studies with us in the summer of 2015. She achieved a fantastic set of results: three A* grades in Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics as well as a grade A in AS level Psychology.
Her next steps took her to the University of Birmingham where she studied Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics. She graduated in 2019, achieving an MSci with First Class Honours. She continued her studies with the university and embarked upon a PhD titled ‘Unravelling the Effect of Metal Ions from Bioactive Glasses on Wound Associated Biofilms.’ In simpler terms this translates to Mathematical Biology! Sandeep’s research focused on developing a system of differential equations to predict the behaviours of biofilm constituents.
Huge congratulations to Dr Shirgill – we are exceptionally proud of her and all that she has achieved since leaving school.
We are looking forward to welcoming Sandeep back as our guest speaker at our annual awards evening in November.
Blue Peter Book Badges
As a part of our commitment to reading in Barr Beacon School, we encouraged our year 7 pupils to fill in an application form for BBC’s Blue Peter Book badge. The Book badge was designed by one of the UK’s best-known illustrators, Sir Quentin Blake; who you might know from bringing to life characters such as Roald Dahl's BFG and Matilda.
In the application form, pupils had to tell us about a book they have read and what they think about it, what other books and authors they have enjoyed reading and why; and they had to draw an illustration of a character or a scene from a book.
We collected 135 forms over the first 3 weeks of September and we sent them to BBC. Due to extremely high volume of applications BBC receives every month, it may take 8-12 weeks for the badges to be delivered to children’s home addresses. Thank you to all pupils who participated and we hope you’ll wear your brand-new badge proudly!
Year 7 - Settling In Evening
Year 7 settling in evening will be on Wednesday 25th September 2024
- Start time: If you child is in Malvern and Wrekin house parents are to attend at 5.30pm
- Start time: If your child is in Bredon and Clent parents are to attend at 6pm
- Location : Barr Beacon School
Notices: This is a parent event only. No pupils are to attend.
CCF Battlefields Trip
Joe in Year 13 laid a remembrance cross at the site of his great uncle’s grave on Thursday. A member of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, he succumbed to his wounds at Lijssenthoek hospital at the age of just 22 years old.
On Thursday, pupils visited Lijssenthoek military hospital and cemetery – the biggest hospital on the Ypres Salient in one of our final stops before heading for home.
We have departed our hotel and had an early morning visit to Brandhoek cemetery, site of double Victoria Cross winner Noel Chavasse’s resting place - one of only 3 people ever to have won a double Victoria Cross and the only man of WWI to do so.
Pupils experienced a poignant ceremony which included 'The Last Post' at Menin Gate on Wednesday night.
Pupils visited Tyne Cot British Cemetery in Belgium on Wednesday, the largest Commonwealth graveyard in the world. 11,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers rest here.
Pupils also visited Langemark German cemetery in Belgium on Wednesday. Opened in 1932, it’s an important site for the German nation where 44,000 young German men of the First World War lie in mass graves.
Pupils are visiting The Hooge Crater Museum today, learning all about the Battle of Passchendaele in1917. The interactive exhibits and reconstructions brought the battle to life for our pupils.
On Wednesday, we spent time in Ypres and Mrs Selby spoke to pupils about the Menin Gate. We then visited a very special Belgian chocolate shop and explored the famous Cloth Hall together.
Isabelle in Year 11 located the grave of her great, great grandfather who fell on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916. This trip is her first ever visit to Freicourt cemetery.
Pupils have visited Thiepval Memorial to the missing in the Somme region of France this afternoon. 72,000 names are inscribed on the walls for British casualties at the Somme who have no known grave.
Pupils are visiting Vimy Ridge today, the location of the Battle of Arras. Pupils visited refurbished trenches to experience what it was like for German and Canadian troops and also visited the Canadian War Memorial where 11,000 names are inscribed to remember the fallen.
44 pupils from Years 9-13 are arriving in France as part of their trip to France/Belgium to explore battlefields from WWI. Most of the pupils come from the Combined Cadet Force contingent.
On Tuesday, they will go to Vimy to visit the Canadian National Memorial, then have a guided tour of the Somme battlefield as well as attending a ‘Last Post’ ceremony on Tuesday night at Ypres.
More photos/news to follow each day.
International Day of Democracy
Schools across Matrix Academy Trust have been recognising the International Day of Democracy (15th September).
International Day of Democracy began in 1997 and it is based on the principles of equality, liberty, and justice. Democracy is essential for human rights and development.
Schools will be considering the meaning behind the international day, but also our modern British values – democracy and individual liberty.
We practise democracy in all of our schools by electing pupils to take on various roles and responsibilities on behalf of their peers including Form Captains, School Council Representatives, Personal Development Ambassadors, Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Careers Champions.
We will be celebrating democracy in our schools across the week by voting for our peers and encouraging our pupils to take on these fulfilling roles for the academic year ahead.
Open Events 2024
Barr Beacon School will be holding a series of Open Events for prospective pupils and parents to come and visit us. At our Open Events you will have the opportunity to tour the school and find of what it means to be a pupil at Barr Beacon School.
Open Evening will take place on Thursday 12th September 2024 5.30 - 8.30pm
Open Mornings will take place on Friday 13th September 2024 9.10 - 10.00am and Friday 4th October 2024 9.10- 10.00am.
There is no need to book.
GCSE Results 2024
Congratulations to all of the pupils receiving their results today. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment to their studies, which has paid off.
Our pupils have made some exciting choices for their next steps. We are looking forward to welcoming many into Sixth Form to continue their studies with us and wish others continued success on their chosen pathways.
A Level and BTEC Results 2024
Thursday 15th August 2024
We proudly watched on as our Year 13 students received an impressive set of A Level and BTEC results.
We were delighted to see so many happy faces as students reaped the rewards for the hard work that they have put in over the last two years.
Here are a few examples of individual successes:
Students are progressing on to a wide range of undergraduate courses and apprenticeships including:
Medicine at University of Birmingham
Politics and International Relations at University of Nottingham
Architecture at University of Liverpool
Computer Science at University of Sheffield
Sport and Exercise Science with professional placement or study abroad at University of Bath
Adult Nursing at University of Birmingham
Accounting and Finance at University of Leicester
Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies at University of Central Lancashire
Marketing at Liverpool John Moores University
Degree Apprenticeship with West Midlands Police
Degree Apprenticeship with AWE – Design and Construction Manager
Degree Apprenticeship with HSBC – Finance
Degree Apprenticeship with Wolverhampton Wanderers FC – Sports Coach
Degree Apprenticeship with MBDA – Business Chartered Manager
Degree Apprenticeship with BDO – Audit
Legal Apprenticeship with Gately Legal
Relationship Management Apprenticeship with NatWest
Materials Engineer with Balfour Beatty
The range of exciting destinations is a reflection of the individuality of our students. We send them off with our best wishes and look forward to hearing about their successes in years to come.
This comment, from one of our students, sums up how we suspect many have been feeling:
“It hasn’t been easy but it’s worth it to come out the end feeling like this! Over the last two weeks, I have imagined every outcome for Results Day and not once did I think I would be this happy! I was genuinely shocked when I saw the green tick on UCAS! I am going to uni!”
Congratulations Class of 2024 – we are very proud of you all!
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Contact Info
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
