We were delighted to welcome back over 130 Year 11 students who returned to school to take part in the Sixth Form Induction Programme.  They arrived smartly dressed in business wear and the week started with a formal assembly where information was shared about expectations, dress-code and the mindset required to be successful in the next important part of their educational journey.  Students spent 3 days attending lessons for their chosen courses, allowing them to get a feel for post-16 life; they experienced Study Hall sessions learning about how they are required to develop their independence and take ownership of using this time effectively; current Year 12 students shared their experiences and offered their top tips; and the week ended with a Team Building Day.  The heavy downpours that day meant we had to move the activities indoors but the students still enjoyed taking part in each of the tasks, allowing them to develop their commination skills, confidence and logical thinking.

The students enjoyed the week and commented on how helpful it has been in preparation for September, when they will be starting their Key Stage 5 journey with us.

We are looking forward to seeing them again on GCSE Results Day – Thursday 24th August 2023.

Comments from students:

“I found the Induction Week very useful and it has helped me feel less nervous about joining Sixth Form in September.  Not only did I experience taster lessons for my chosen subjects but it also helped me to understand what Sixth Form life will be like.  The Team Building Day was enjoyable – I had fun completing all the tasks with my friends.  It was a shame about the weather though!”  Zach Thursfield-Smith

“I enjoyed the Sixth Form Induction Programme. I liked seeing all my friends again and experiencing what Sixth Form will be like. It was interesting to learn about what I will be doing in my chosen subjects and the Team Building Day was so much fun!”  G Carlin

“I really enjoyed my Sixth Form Induction Week.  My lessons were interesting, especially Sports and Exercise Science. I love how independence and organisation become a main priority and I have learnt lots of useful information and what is required in order to be successful in Sixth Form.”  L Thorp

“I thought the Induction Week was great! It gave me a realistic idea of how Year 12 will be in September and I really enjoyed my lessons. I also thought it was helpful to know what I needed to do over the summer, like the summer tasks, and what stationery to bring in September. The Team Building Day was a fun and relaxing way to end the week!”  H Herbet

“The Team Building day consisted of many tasks that required thinking, listening and leadership skills to guide us through. I managed to use these skills and work as a team with my friends as well as with some people who I don’t usually speak to. It was an enjoyable day despite the rain!”  J A Rajput

We will be holding a few open events this year to give all prospective Year 7 parents and pupils the chance to come and visit us. These events will give you a little insight into what is means to be a pupil at Barr Beacon School and give you the chance to ask any questions you may have.

Open Evening will take place on Thursday 14th September 2023 6:00pm – 9:00pm 

Open Mornings in October will take place on Friday 15th September 9:00-10:00am and Friday 6th – October 9:00-10:00am.

Over the past four months, 20 year 10 pupils have been completing their social action projects as part of the Diana Award. The Diana Awards Mentoring Programme works with schools and businesses to give young people an insight into the world of work and offer careers and citizenship skills training. Pupils are matched with a Mentor from the world of work, who work alongside the organisation’s Youth Facilitator to guide the group of pupils through the programme. Mentors also support the pupils to plan a social action project around a topic in their community or globally, of which they feel passionate about. Barr Beacon Pupils were extremely fortunate to work alongside Tom who is a senior advisor at the HSBC.   Some of this year’s social action projects included: setting up a charity providing support for mothers, the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on children and food poverty. All pupils were extremely passionate in their presentations and have successfully achieved their Award. Well done to all pupils involved.  

We enjoyed celebrating with our Year 13 students at their Leavers’ Ball on Friday 7^th July, marking the end of the examination period and the end of their journey with us. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed from the food through to the dancing into the early hours!

We are extremely proud of all that they have achieved over the last 7 years and we are excited to see what the future holds for them.

We are looking forward to celebrating with them again, as they receive their A level and BTEC results, on Thursday 17^th August 2023.  Then we will be ready to send them off, with our good wishes, to embark on the next leg of their journey!

As our Year 12 students continue to prepare for their future steps, they visited the Open Day at Aston University.  They experienced a taste of life at university through attending lectures in a variety of subjects areas such as Computer Science, Psychology, Business Management, Nursing and Law, seeing the facilities that the university offers and meeting lecturers and student ambassadors.  This visit gave them a fantastic opportunity to explore what university has to offer and to begin to make important choices about their future.

Nikita M: “I really enjoyed having the freedom to choose the lectures that I could attend and went to the Business & Management lecture.”

Yasmin C: “I enjoyed learning more about the courses and it gave me an insight into the university process and what you do in the 4 years.  It also gave me clarity on the subject I want to study.”

Karum K: “I enjoyed the opportunity of attending a university when it is busy, experiencing the atmosphere and what it might be like full of students.”

Naran C: “I enjoyed the Accounting and Finance lecture as it was informative.”

Jude M: “I really enjoyed the tours of the university and experiencing all that university life has to offer.”