A total of 113 cadets, including cadet staff, took part, making it a wonderful opportunity for members of our Cadet Forces from across all our schools to come together.

We were pleased to welcome Nicky Padmore, Chair of Bloxwich Royal British Legion (RBL), Dave Padmore, Standard Bearer and RBL member, Faye Wood, RBL member, and Dr Phil Bright, Trustee of Matrix Academy Trust.

Years 5 and 6 pupils from Bloxwich Academy Primary also attended and our secondary pupils contributed a number of readings, with Dr Phil Bright delivering the closing address.

Following the parade, the Bloxwich Academy catering team provided a fantastic lunch, giving cadets and staff the opportunity to sit together, enjoy some food and spend time as one Trust community.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the occasion so special. We are incredibly proud of our cadets and the respect, dedication and pride they demonstrated.

Lest we forget.

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Choosing a top three was no easy task, but huge congratulations go to:

1. Sundr, Year 7 

2. Kale, Year 7

3. Paige, Year 7 

Our winners were presented with Praise Points and a sweet treat to celebrate their success. Thank you to everyone who took part. #ProudToSucceed

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This was shared with pupils today in their Welcome Back assembly and a letter has been sent to parents/carers, sharing further information about our refreshed system.

Remember, your voice matters! You can continue to share your ideas and help shape our school through Pupil Parliament.

#ProudToSucceed 

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Students visited HomeServe, a large company that offers home emergency cover to people across the UK, but their headquarters are right on our doorstep in Walsall. Our students didn’t anticipate to discover so many IT related careers at this business. Students took part in a range of activities from different departments, including Technology and AI, Building a Customer Journey Online and Cyber Security. The whole day helped them to not only meet different employers and learn about new careers, but also to prepare for the application processes ahead, with the event ending on challenge that imitated tasks apprentices may take part in during assessment centres.

Our student’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many recognising that the networking session had increased their confidence communicating, and others saying the event had opened their eyes to new career possibilities. By far the most common piece of feedback we received was that the students were grateful to feel so welcomed by the staff at HomeServe; the students felt they had treated like adults and peers, making meeting new people an enjoyable experience rather than a scary one. HomeServe is widely recognised as one of the top employers in the UK, with 82% saying it is a great place to work- and our students saw this first hand.  

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We prepare our pupils for the event to ensure they can make the most of it. At Key Stage 3, this starts with Year 7 playing ‘Careers Fair Bingo’ to help them discover and understand new terminology around careers; our Year 8 pupils become ‘Careers Fair Detectives’, making links between their career aspiration and the choices that are available in their local area; in Year 9, pupils are supported to consider suitable GCSE subject options in relation to the different learning pathways and qualifications required. Our Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils are supported to focus on the important transitions ahead. For Years 10 and 12, students can start thinking seriously about which learning pathways are right for them and make sure those choices will help them progress onto their chosen career aspiration. They can also use the fair to learn more about what they can be doing now to prepare for future applications. Whereas Year 11 and 13 students will be finalising their next steps plans, weighing up the pros and cons of each pathway, considering entry requirements and recruitment selection processes, and gaining application tips. 

Each year we survey our pupils, with the majority asking for access to the fair every year and valuing the information it provides. This year:

• 89% of pupils said the fair had helped them to consider new careers and learning pathways.
• 91% of pupils said they now understand more about the qualifications, skills or training needed for different careers.
• 88% of pupils feel more confident to make decisions about their future education, training or career.

We have also seen some fantastic impact on future progression from these fairs, with pupils securing roles at apprenticeship providers featured at the fair, to others remaining in touch with providers for several years until they are old enough to apply. Many pupils are also encouraged to do more research, either through the prospectuses they take home, or by attending open days to get a feel for a provider.

The Careers Fair is often a starting point into considering the choices ahead, but it is just one of many events we run to help support our pupils. We explore their options in much more depth through one to one meetings with our qualified careers advisers, lessons with tutors that are embedded into the PSHE curriculum, focused Labour Market Information assemblies for National Careers Week, and many other careers focused events, workshops and visits. This all culminates with extensive support and guidance when it comes to making next steps applications in Year 11 and 13.

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After the workshop, 100% of students said the sessions made them aware of new careers and gave them more insight into what they needed to do to achieve their ambitions.

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Following the visit, the majority of pupils said they were now considering applying to a Russell Group university and all pupils agreed the trip had been worthwhile and informative.

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How to get involved:

1⃣ Pick a book you’ve enjoyed recently (it could even be your Read to Succeed book).

2⃣ Write a short review sharing what you loved about it.

3⃣ Draw a character or scene from the story (drawing, painting, or digital artwork).

4⃣ Submit your entry online via My Blue Peter with a parent/guardian's BBC account!

Need help or have questions? Pop in and ask Miss Walsh in B112.

Get reading, get drawing, and get your badge!

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Recently we have had an engaging session from Aberystwyth Universty on how to choose university courses, a workshop form the University of Law exploring different legal careers and our Alumni joined us for a Universty vs Apprenticeship assembly, where the benefits and realities of each pathway were shared, with honest, unbiased feedback from our former students helping our students to learn from trusted sources of advice. The feedback for this was strong, with 98% of students saying they found the event useful in giving them a  new insight into the pros and cons of both pathways, and 93% saying it had helped them to think carefully about their next steps.

We have many more events planned throughout the year for Year 7 through to Year 13 and occasionally we will have optional sessions that students can sign up for if they have a particular career interest. These will be advertised by tutors in form time.

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