Our employers gave us some excellent feedback. Just a few examples are included below:

• Jia was described as “a credit to the school”.  She was given various tasks, including some anonymised, but real, cases. These ranged from corporate due diligence to gaming law; “Given these were university level tasks, her work was impressive”. 

• Saverah impressed at her pharmacy placement by putting her Punjabi language skills to use in engaging with patients and impressing the owners with her positive attitude: “She was outstanding, with excellent communication skills and a very good work ethic.”

• In Lacey’s placement at a care home, she was: “very good at engaging with the residents. Lacey was a pleasure to have and has taken a keen interest in the activities, providing new ideas”.

• Layla received very positive feedback from the Lighthouse Young People’s Centre, where she has been keen to work on projects supporting young girls, and has been trusted to manage her own budget when planning her own project.

• At Select Windows, Nathan was described as “exceptional. Every task I gave him he completed accurately. He was punctual very day, polite and happy to take on any task. I couldn’t ask for more. He was a real credit to your school”.

• Rory worked at a construction consultants, where his communication skills really stood out to his employer: “Rory was attentive and engaged with all the tasks put to him. The work experience involved working with colleagues in the office and also clients and contractors on development sites. He interacted well with all parties.”

Our students also spoke very highly of their experiences:

• Millie had an exciting insight into the police force, helping to train puppies, work with dispatches and even work closely with 101 and 999 call handlers.

• With his ambition to pursue a career as a criminal investigator, Ryan chose to observe varying criminal cases at the Crown Court, saying: “It has genuinely been really good. I'll probably end up doing this more often.”

• Many of our students have used this week as a chance to see if their chosen career is really for them. Aveneet’s experience at an Accountancy firm “has made me realise I definitely want a career in finance, I am just unsure which area”. Similarly, Parvesh explained that his placement at a civil engineering firm has allowed him to “explore the different types of engineering, as I am not sure which one is best for me yet”.

• Our students have also recognised the value of gaining transferable skills. Scarlett is aspiring to pursue a career as a paramedic, but placements within a healthcare setting are hard to secure; nonetheless her work placement in a customer service environment has helped her gain the skills to remain calm under pressure when dealing with difficult customers.

With the competition to secure work experience places ever increasing, but the value of these opportunities being as important as ever, we are very grateful to all of the employers who supported our students this year. 

Arun’s placement with WSP, in the Mailbox, has confirmed his aspiration to pursue quantity surveying.

Millie was able to visit Tally Ho on her placement, learning how their horses are used within the police force.  

Jonathan’s employers at Allsee Technologies put him to work testing their content management systems.

Keira loved her placement at Oakwood School.

Isabel greatly enhanced her management and organisation skills, balancing the many responsibilities of the Commercial Facilities Service for Birmingham City University.

Joseph took his love of sports to Blue Coat Academy where he inspired the younger generation.

Reece disassembles an old DT project at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School.  

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The trip began with travel from their school to Heathrow Airport before flying to Stockholm and getting settled in their rooms before heading to dinner. Pupils enjoyed buffet style dinner and together getting to know each other across the different schools. 

Throughout the week, pupils visited many of Stockholm's famous attractions. They explored the Paradox Museum, took part in an interactive Scavenger Hunt through the historic streets of Gamla Stan (Old Town), visited the Avicii Experience, and discovered fascinating exhibits at the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology. They also enjoyed a visit to Djurgården, where groups explored the Police Museum and Sports Museum. They explored the famous group of ABBA though their museum and also spend the day at Skansen, experiencing Swedish history, culture, and wildlife. 

One of the highlights of the trip was spending time in Stockholm's vibrant city centre. Pupils walked many miles throughout the week, exploring different districts, parks, shopping areas, landmarks and food choices. This gave them a real appreciation of the city while encouraging resilience and independence. A key achievement for many pupils was confidently using Stockholm's excellent public transport network. They quickly became familiar with travelling on the Metro (Tunnelbana), buses and trams learning how to navigate the city safely and efficiently. For many pupils, this was also their first experience travelling on a public boat, with ferry journeys providing a unique way to see Stockholm's beautiful islands and waterfront. 

Alongside the educational visits, pupils enjoyed eating out together, park evenings, shopping, games at the hostel, and time to socialise with new friends made on the trip. They represented Matrix Academy Trust exceptionally well throughout the trip, showing respect, maturity, and enthusiasm at every venue visited, which many commenting on how well behaved and polite our pupils were. 

Pupils returned with wonderful memories, increased confidence, new friendships, and a greater appreciation of another culture. The trip was a fantastic success and provided experiences that many pupils will remember for years to come. 

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Our students joined separate teams this time, mixed in with delegates from many other schools from across the country, which helped them to make new lasting friendships and greatly assisted their ability to work with new team dynamics in future. In fact, the whole event gave them ample opportunity to develop a multitude of skills that will be helpful in the future. For example, students experienced the true meaning of leadership by encouraging team members who were struggling, tested their resilience and commitment by staying motivated through a busy schedule, and further developed their public speaking abilities.

It wasn’t all work, students were able to enjoy some free time in Newcastle, as well as attend a variety of evening entertainment, including a quiz night and karaoke. Our students led a sing-along to Wonderwall and were swiftly joined by many of their new friends (England went on to beat France 6-4 in that evening’s match).

The main aim of this event was to foster inclusion, bringing students from a wide range of backgrounds together to debate the issues of our time. Our students not only made new friends, but were encouraged to be themselves without fear and to step outside their comfort zones, growing their confidence and inspiring and empowering them for the future. Not only this, but students also gained a real taste of university life, living in student accommodation and working on campus.

Our students are keen to encourage our newest cohort of Year 12 students to take part in the competition again next year.

We would like to extend our thanks to everyone at the European Youth Parliament who volunteered their time to organise and support such an enriching opportunity for our students. We further wish to thank the students and staff from all of the other school’s involved, who made our team feel so welcome.

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We are looking forward to welcoming Year 11 into school on Thursday 20th August to collect their GCSE and BTEC results. We respectfully request that parents do not attend with their child to collect results and that you allow your child to attend school on their own or arrange a place away from school to meet them after they have collected their results.

A Level Results

We are looking forward to welcoming Year 13 into school on Thursday 13th August to collect their A Level and BTEC Level 3 results. We respectfully request that parents do not attend with their child to collect results and that you allow your child to attend school on their own or arrange a place away from school to meet them after they have collected their
results.

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The dance floor was full all evening, with glow sticks lighting up the room as everyone celebrated together one last time before exam results arrive in August. 

A fantastic evening filled with laughter, memories, and friendship. We wish all of our Year 11 pupils the very best of luck for the future – we're so proud of you all! 

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Held at a stunning venue in Birmingham city centre, the evening was a fantastic occasion enjoyed by all. Students danced the night away, shared memories, and reflected on the friendships and experiences they have built over the past seven years.

We wish all of our Year 13 students a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing them again in August for results day. Best of luck for the future—we are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved.

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The challenge was simple but exciting: pupils had to imagine that they had just become a famous author who had published their very first book. Their task was to design an eye-catching cover that would encourage readers to pick up their book and discover the story inside.

We were delighted to receive so many wonderful entries. Pupils came up with a wide range of imaginative book ideas, from exciting adventures and magical tales to mysteries and heart-warming stories. The effort, creativity and artistic talent shown by everyone made the judging process very difficult.

After careful consideration, our judges selected the top three designs:

1st Place – Shreeya Year 9

Shreeya received a certificate, a skip-the-queue pass, and a book prize.

2nd Place – Baani Year 7

Baani received a certificate and a skip-the-queue pass. 

3rd Place – Inaayah Year 7

Inaayah received a certificate for her excellent entry.

Congratulations to our winners for their outstanding book cover designs! We would also like to thank every pupil who entered the competition by awarding each with a praise point. The high standard of work and enthusiasm shown by all participants was truly impressive.

Well done to everyone who took part and helped make the competition such a memorable event. We look forward to seeing more of your creative talents in future competitions.

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The special breakfast rewarded children who have shown outstanding commitment to reading throughout the year. Pupils enjoyed a delicious pastry and a hot chocolate while celebrating their success with friends and staff. 

Children who achieved 250,000 read words were invited to the breakfast and received a Skip the Queue Pass as recognition for their hard work and dedication. 

Those who reached an impressive 500,000 words or more received all of the above, as well as the opportunity to choose a book from our Book Vending Machine to continue their reading journey. 

Our highest achievers, who read an incredible 1 million words or more, received all of these rewards plus a £10 Waterstones gift card to celebrate their exceptional accomplishment. 

We are incredibly proud of all 11 pupils who earned their place at this final Millionaire Club Breakfast. Their enthusiasm for reading and commitment to developing their literacy skills have been outstanding throughout the year. 

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Pupils can wear their uniform or Barr Beacon School PE Kit. 

Please remember to send your child to school with a refillable water bottle and to apply sunscreen. 

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