Glorious weather awaited our Sixth Form Students as they took part in our annual Colour Run.
Over 100 students took part, raising a grand total of £145.66 for charity.
Our students have truly showcased their generous nature and community spirit.
Special thanks go to the students who made this possible with their hard work collecting donations: Z. Barkat, A. Muraleedaran, A. Bains, P. Balu and D. Malik.
We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible success of our very first Trust-wide Spelling Bee – a vibrant event that brought together pupils from all our schools, in a showcase of linguistic talent, nerves of steel, and community spirit.
Over 40 brilliant spellers from Key Stages 2 and 3 took to the stage, each tackling an impressive word list of more than 150 challenging entries. From phosphorescent to megalomaniac, cantankerous, chihuahua, frittata, and hieroglyphics, the competition tested not only vocabulary but also memory, focus, and composure under pressure.
The atmosphere was electric, with supporters gripped from start to finish, watching each round unfold on the edge of their seats. In an extraordinary finish, two winners were crowned – a testament to just how high the standard was. Huge congratulations to our co-champions: one from Etone College and the other from Bloxwich Academy Primary.
Both of them had to complete the tie breaker, spelling as accurately as possible a fearsome word which they had not been told in advance: ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANISM. Both of them spelled it correctly!
This inaugural event marks the beginning of what we expect to become a favourite in the Matrix events calendar. A huge thank you to all the pupils, staff and supporters who made this possible. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Spelling Bee!
All schools across our Trust have been working collaboratively to recognise and celebrate key dates in the PSHE calendar. These are in addition to other events that will also be taking place in our individual schools. We are very proud to share our Matrix Academy Trust Personal Development Calendar which gives details of the events where our schools have come together to produce a wide range of activities for our pupils. These events will be recognised through a combination of assemblies and form time activities as well as their importance being widely publicised through our social media platforms and in schools through displays, posters and TV screens. For some events, there will be additional activities planned such as competitions to engage our learners in the real meaning of these days.
There is a wide range of days recognised to acknowledge different faiths and groups as well as promote very important themes such as equality, diversity, wellbeing and British Values. This project epitomises the real spirit of collaboration in our school as well as our commitment to ensuring that our pupils have the knowledge and skills to not only keep themselves safe but be ready and able to make a valuable contribution to society.
We are very proud to announce that Barr Beacon School has been recognised for its outstanding careers work. The school has been awarded the national Quality in Careers Standard at the highest Gold level, awarded under licence by Ixion (Part of the Shaw Trust Group). The Quality in Careers Standard is awarded to schools and education providers who can demonstrate the importance they place on careers and how they support students to make decisions about their life after school.
This standard has provided a flexible framework that has enabled us to audit our work on careers and ensure our students are receiving advice, practical support and experience so they are prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training. Achieving the national Quality in Careers Standard shows that we embrace, promote and endorse quality careers education and recognise the part it plays in the overall success of the school and its students.
The school offers a range of activities to introduce students to the work of work and help them make decisions about life after school. You can find our Careers Plan and details of our Recent Events here.
At Barr Beacon School we are continually looking to improve the chances and opportunities of all of our students and will keep developing our careers programme. If you would like to work with the school, please email postbox@barrbeaconschool.co.uk.
Our Gold Duke of Edinburgh Team for 2025 began their expedition training refresher and practice expedition this weekend. They spent Saturday in school for a classroom based day recapping emergency procedures, the countryside and Highway Code and first aid. On Sunday they spent the day at Errwood Reservoir focussing on navigation training. They've just finished day 1 of their practice expedition. The weather has been beautiful and all are in high spirits.
Monday morning saw this term's Beacon Values breakfast with 24 pupils, six from each House, who had received nominations from staff. The Beacon Values underpin the ethos of our school and being able to celebrate the pupils who make daily contributions to upholding these values is important to us. What is wonderful about the celebration of the pupils is that each shows in all of their actions how they daily live out the values in action. Each nominated pupil received specific feedback on why they had received the nomination allowing for all to congratulate and celebrate one another. Well done to all who took part; what a wonderful way to start the week!
BTEC Performing Arts Showcase- Come join us at Barr Beacon School on Wednesday 9th April for an evening filled with talent and creativity. Our students have been working hard to bring you performances in Dance, Drama and Music. The event will take place in the main school hall, doors will open at 5.45pm ready for a 6pm start. Tickets are free but must be claimed via the Eventbrite link. We look forward to welcoming you to an evening of Performing Arts!
Our first-ever game in the Matrix Trust League saw us take on Wednesfield Academy on Tuesday this week in a rollercoaster of a match - full of goals, drama, and G Mwase taking no nonsense from absolutely anyone!
The new league has two divisions, Walsall-based and Birmingham-based, with the winners facing off in a final. So basically, it’s like the Champions League… just with worse pitches and fewer sponsorship deals.
Things didn’t start well. We conceded early from a corner to go 1-0 down, which wasn’t exactly part of the game plan.
But panic? Not us.
H Gough got us back on track with a tidy finish to make it 1-1, and before Wednesfield could catch their breath, he was at it again to put us 2-1 up. I don't know whether I'm envious of his talent or whether he just rocks a mullet better than myself.
Then C Bennett decided he wanted in on the action and slotted home to give us a 3-1 lead. Confidence was high, the football was flowing, and for a brief moment, I was relaxed on the sidelines. But of course, we can’t have nice things for long.
Towards the end of the second half - we started to lose shape, conceded silly fouls and allowed too many attempts on goal. L Durrant kept us in the game by pulling out some world class saves!
Halftime Team Talk:
Inspirational words. Tactical genius. Or maybe just, “Lads, please stop messing about with the ball - we need more goals.” Either way, we were ready to go again.
We came out in the second half looking sharp… for about five minutes. Then Wednesfield hit back to make it 3-2. No problem, we thought, until they scored again.
3-3.
Suddenly, nerves kicked in and fingernails were being chewed.
Then, when we needed it most, newcomer A Marshall produced an assist straight out of a highlights reel, setting up H Gough to complete his hat-trick and put us back in front at 4-3. Relief all around. Well, almost.
As the game neared the final whistle, we won a penalty… or should we say, J Bryant won an Oscar for Best Theatrical Dive. VAR wasn’t available, but if it was, we’d probably still be debating whether there was even a gust of wind near him.
Regardless, the ref pointed to the spot, and he dusted himself off to smash home the penalty and seal a 5-3 victory.
Final Whistle – Job Done!
A great result in our first game of the Matrix Trust League. A proper team effort, plenty of goals, and a real sense of camaraderie. The sportsmanship between both teams was outstanding - a real credit to both schools.
And as a final treat, the lads celebrated in style on the minibus home—by absolutely butchering every song they attempted to sing.
Bring on the next round!
Recruiters are now using Assessment Centres more than ever before, with traditional interviews being just a small part of the interview process. In order to prepare our students for apprenticeship and graduate job applications, representatives from the Civil Service visited the school to run mock assessment centres.
Our Year 12 students received essential advice on how to succeed, with everything from making a good first impression, to being aware of their body language, through to how to work effectively in a team and communicate ideas professionally.
Students were given two tasks, both used by big apprenticeship employers in their recruitments practises. Each group received detailed feedback on what went well in Task 1 and students were then able to reflect on this and improve in Task 2.
Every student pushed themselves out of their comfort zone, developed transferable skills and said they felt more confident approaching an assessment centre in future.
Today a group of 33 cadets attended the Bronze Leadership training day at Barr Beacon School. The day is part of our ever-growing cadet experience open to all students within our secondary schools.
The cadets spent the morning learning about effective leadership styles & skills. In the afternoon it was thier turn to be assessed practically in a number of tricky tasks designed to test their management of a team, resources and time.
All of the cadets had a great time, learnt a lot about managing a team and achieved their Bronze Leadership Badges – Well Done!
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
