Her Majesty the Queen was with no doubt the mother of Britain. Her devotion, dedication and love throughout her 70-year reign were a constant. I never had the opportunity to meet the Queen in person. However, she was a woman I held close to my heart. Her Majesty kept us all connected and proud to be British. The passing away of Her Majesty has brought great sadness to the whole nation but also a sense of togetherness as we reflect on her great service to our country and indeed the Commonwealth.

As a way of honouring Her Majesty I, on behalf of Barr Beacon School, went to pay my respects to the late Queen lying in state. Despite the 14-hour queue and the cold evening, I can proudly say I am now a part of history. I will be able to say to generations to come that I was part of this Elizabethan era. This was an experience which I will forever hold close to my heart. The sense of community and togetherness throughout the 6-mile journey proved how the Queen had the capability to bring everyone together. This was an experience which I will never forget.

‘Thank you, Ma’am, for your endless service and selflessness to us all.’

Dilraaj

Deputy Head Boy

We will be holding both open evenings and open mornings 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 15th September 2022 – 5pm – 8pm

Open Mornings will take place on both Friday 16^th September 2022 – 9.10-10.00am and Friday 7^th October 2022 – 9.10 – 10.00am

We are celebrating some super results for our pupils this year with 71% achieving grades 9-5 including English and maths and 85% securing grades 9-4 including English and maths.  Despite the interruptions and challenges that all of this cohort has met during their Key Stage 4, they have worked tirelessly to show what they can do.  All of our staff have been committed to supporting the pupils to achieve today’s outcomes. 

There are so many stories of success for this year group and here are some examples: 

• Isobel C secured eight grade 9s and 1 grade 8.
• Jessica M secured two grade 9s, 6 grade 8s and one grade 7.
• Alex H secured six grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and one grade 7.
• Nikita M secured three grade 9s, five grade 8s and a Distinction*
• Mohammad M secured four grade 9s, three grade 8s and 2 grade 7s.
• Heleana secured seven grade 9s, one grade 8 and one grade 7.
• Maisie secured six grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and a Distinction*.

Other stories of success include pupils who exceeded their baselines in all subjects: Shantelle E, Ishaq A, Callum F, Jai H and Dadiso G. 

Well done to everyone for their hard work and effort. 

Our students are celebrating a host of impressive Key Stage 5 results including A Level and BTEC, with over 40% of grades at A*/A or equivalent. We are delighted with our students who have achieved a 97% pass rate at A Level and 100% pass rate for BTEC.

We are so very proud of our students.  They have faced two turbulent years in their education which removed the opportunity for formal exams in year 11.  Given the challenges encountered, our students have worked hard and it has paid off.

Many are progressing to a wide range of exciting courses and destinations including: medicine, nursing, criminology and law.  to name a few. Our students’ choices reflect their individuality and we are delighted for them.

Individual successes include: 

Theo Michael achieved A*, A & A who is going to Exeter to read Law

Sam Wilson is celebrating A*, A & A is going to read Maths

Jack Tranter achieved D*, D* & D and is going to study Digital Film Production

Jack Mander achieved A, A & A and is going to read Medicine

Holly Payton has secured an Apprenticeship with Collins Aerospace Engineering

Simran Ghuman achieved A*, A & D*.  Simran is going to Aston to read Law.

Sophia Ali is going to read Psychology at Cardiff after securing A*, A* & D*

We are extremely proud of our Year 13 student Dinuk D-S who completed his leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games later this week.  Dinuk carried the baton through Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich on Monday 25^th July 2022.  Spectators cheered him on along the route.

In February, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee asked us to nominate  students who have made a meaningful contribution to sport and have an inspiring story to tell.  This is Dinuk’s story:

From the age of 2 years, Dinuk showed an interest in tennis and starting playing from a young age.  He spent 8 years practising daily and improving his technique.  At the age of 10 years, this time commitment became difficult as Dinuk was preparing for his 11+ exam and had to attend tutoring sessions.  It was time to pick a new sport and being the grandson of a Sri Lankan cricketer and son of a professional cricket player, Dinuk naturally followed in their footsteps.

His cricket career started at the age of 10 years.  For 3 years he trialed for the county team and enjoyed success at the age of 14.  Since then he has played for Warwickshire U14, Warwickshire U17 and currently plays for Derby’s U18 team.  His commitment to his team involves him training weekly from 7:30pm – 9:30pm (enduring a 2 hour round trip to and from the training ground).  In addition to this, he trains at the local net centre 4 times a week.  His sport has also given him the opportunity to travel to Barbados for a tournament. He is an inspiration to others.  He has run summer camps for 9 – 12 year olds.  In school, he has set up a Sports Society for other sportsmen and women. He is working with them on the Psychology of Sport – how to deal with set-backs and bouncing back.  

A truly inspirational young man who gives 100% to his sport without letting his commitment to his A level studies slip.

Year 12 student Sanvir B is enjoying his work experience with the team at Halfpenny Airport, Wolverhampton.  To escape the sweltering temperatures earlier this week, he enjoyed a flight to Wales and back.  As well as taking in the spectacular views, he learnt about all the things a pilot needs to do to ensure the flight is safe and as smooth as possible.

“It was such a good experience!  I learnt a lot about how the planes are flown and everything you have to look out for during the flight.”

Sports Day 2022 and Commonwealth Games themed day

On Wednesday 13th July 2022 Barr Beacon School held its annual Sports Day. This year it was bigger and better than ever. 

Over 300 pupils from all year groups competed in more sports than has ever been seen at a Barr Beacon Sports Day before. In addition to traditional track and field activities, the pupils have spent the last month competing in Handball, Football, Basketball, Badminton and a host of other sports. 

Whilst our 300+ competitors were giving their best performances on the track and field, the remaining pupils spent the morning engaging in Commonwealth Games themed lessons which included quizzes, documentaries and the Geography of the Commonwealth. 

After lunchtime the Sports Day climax began. The whole school took to the field seated in House Groups to cheer on participants from their Houses. The competition was tight, but Bredon romped to a convincing win, their second in 3 sports days and largely due to their participation points. At one point during the day Clent had closed the gap to a mere 300 points,  but a fine afternoon of track success saw Bredon House run away with the trophy. Despite languishing in 4^th position for most of Sports Day, Malvern House managed to climb to third place following some impressive relay running. A mere 10 points seperated 3^rd and 4^th position.  

Final Results table: 

Congratulations to all competitors and spectators for their exemplary sportsmanship, behaviour and support of others. Sports Day was a huge success and demonstrated our Beacon Values in action. Huge thank you to the PE and Performing Arts faculty for the hard work they put into this memorable event. 

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.