AUTUMN EDITIONfeaturing...

CAREERS FAIR 2018

WORLD CHALLENGE NEPAL WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

@barrbeaconsch www.barrbeaconschool.co.uk vimeo.com/matrixacademytrust

Exam Success

Icelandic Adventure

Bristol Fieldwork

A message from the Head

TeacherMs L Draycott

World Challenge Nepal

16th - 31st July 2018

Barr Beacon pupils had the amazing opportunity this summer to take part in an extraordinary expedition to Nepal in Asia. The itinerary took the pupils well out of their comfort zones and gave them opportunities most can only dream of experiencing. What made this trip even more fulfilling for the pupils that took part is that they raised the money themselves through fundraising activities like abseiling to secure their place on the trip!

The expedition was split into 3 parts. Each Barr Beacon team did the expedition in a different order but all experienced the same amazing expedition.

The project phase took the teams to the outskirts of Kathmandu and this stage of our expedition was certainly the most satisfying and the primary reason for this great trip. Our 2 teams visited 2 different schools, where Barr Beacon’s pupils and staff helped renovate their very dilapidated school that had been affected by the earthquake in 2015. The staff and the pupils of the schools were absolutely thrilled when they received our gifts of torches and especially excited with the donation of football kits which the team collected through numerous kind donations from the local area and the wider school community. We spent a number of hard days painting, scrubbing and decorating the school – and then on the final day took part in a leaving ceremony with performances from the Nepalese children as well as some performances from Barr Beacon pupils.

The second part of the expedition was the ‘relaxation’ phase which took our teams back to Kathmandu for some much needed rest following the hard work they’d already done on their expedition. Pupils got the opportunity to buy their elephant trousers and visit the famous Monkey Temple in Kathmandu. Nothing could have prepared our pupils for the completely different way of life and hustle and bustle of the city. Pupils also had the opportunity to try out traditional Nepalese dishes as they visited restaurants within the city. Dal Bhat is a traditional meal from Nepal. It consists of steamed rice and a cooked lentil soup called dal. We were regularly served this on expedition and project and pupils were even given the opportunity to try cooking it along with Momo’s a steamed dumpling filled with curried vegetables – it was delicious!

The third part of our expedition was the “trek phase” the part of the expedition which provides pupils with the biggest challenge. Team 1 and Team 2 both faced the gruelling climb to the top in completely different weather conditions. Pupils had to forget any fear of heights when they climberd through the breath-taking mountains, seeing stunning scenery as they went. Our amazing porters provided us with excellent food and our accommodation was fantastic; camping on some nights and staying in tea houses on others. During the many kilometres walking we learnt some Nepali and were treated to some traditional music by the porters. Team 1 were lucky enough to see wild monkeys as they came back down the mountain. Our base before and after the expedition was Pokhara where pupils were able to see a more relaxed way of life as well as the beautiful Phewa Lake. Team 1 even managed to squeeze in a visit to the Peace Pagoda.

Barr Beacon School would very much like to recognise this amazing expedition and commend the pupils from both teams who gave up their time and effort to aid those less fortunate than themselves on the other side of the world.

This year we have continued to move the school forward and improved our performance in many key areas. We acheived a Progess 8 score which was, for the third successive year, above national average. Already this year we have had our best Sports Day ever. Thank you to all the parents and carers who were able to attend. Alexander Stadium was buzzing with encouragement from the crowd.

I am already looking forward to seeing many of you at our annual Awards Evening at Walsall Town Hall on Tuesday 13th November. This evening allows us to celebrate some of our pupils’ finest achievements and it is always an inspiring event. Change can be incredibly exciting. If you have not yet had a look at the ‘swimming pool’ section of the website then I urge you to do so: the new swimming pool is coming along nicely. We will also be updating this page with a time lapse video very soon to show the ongoing progress. Year 11 and 12 pupils are already counting down to their mock examinations which commence on the 19th November. Good luck! Finally, Barr Beacon School opened in 1958. To celebrate the school’s first 60 years, we are looking for former students to share their memories of their time here. If you are a former pupil of Barr Beacon and you would like to share your story, please email alumni@barrbeaconschool.co.uk

Ms L Draycott

Icelandic Adventure

Day 1:

After a very early morning flight, we arrived in Iceland and went straight to the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Here we began by visiting Gunnuhver, Iceland’s largest bubbling mud pool. The area was full of geothermal steam which stank of rotten eggs!

Later in the day, we visited the magnificent Blue Lagoon. Here we bobbed around in 40°C geothermal waters, with our face masks on and smoothies in hand.

Later in the evening we arrived at the scenic Arhus Cottages, where we had little log cabins overlooking a river.

Day 2:

We started the day by visiting the Lava Centre, where we explored the science of Iceland’s tectonic history and future. We were able to stand on earthquake simulators and see an enormous model of the magma plume underneath Iceland.

Later in the day we visited lots of geographic features including black beaches, waterfalls and a huge glacier! We were shocked to see how much the Sólheimajökull Glacier has receded since 2010 and agreed that we must not deny the effects of global warming.

Day 3:

On our final full day, we went to the very hot and explosive geysers. Here the Strokkur Geyser erupted every 5-8 minutes.

We then had some delicious ice cream from a family run dairy farm.

We finished the day at Þingvellir National Park, where we stood in a rift valley between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. We were very lucky as it was the 100 year anniversary of the National Park, so we caught a glimpse of the Icelandic President and all his dignitaries!

Miss O’Connor and Mr Nunn would like to congratulate all pupils on their impeccable behaviour, enthusiasm for learning all about Iceland and acting as responsible tourists around the island. Our tour guide Karen shared excellent knowledge with us and also commented on how well our pupils represented Barr Beacon.

Monday 1st October 2018

After 15 minutes of drill practice, year 9 covered Airmanship with Sgt Andy Dipple. They were placed into groups and given a focus to consider: the aircraft, the people and emergencies. Each group then let two spokespeople present to and teach the rest of the cadets about what they had considered when helping the plane land safely.

Year 9 were also given letters for their first trip and were reminded of the importance of covering their uniform for safety reasons on the way to and from school.

Year 10 Cadets were briefed on the lessons that they will be delivering to the Year 9s in two weeks time. This involved reflecting on their first experience camping on Exercise Beacon Light 1 and what they wish they had known. This was then broken down into 13 separate lessons with Cadets forming small teams to deliver these lessons. They then went on to identify what content and equipment they would need to deliver the lesson. At final parade they were informed of the possibility of a Method Of Instruction Course being available to some of them and asked that any who were interested contact the SSI by Wednesday.

Cadet Blog - Our flying experience!By Corporal Payne (Year 10) On Tuesday 23rd of October, our Cadets traded the school gates for RAF Cosford as we began our flying experience. As soon as we arrived, we were briefed by a fully qualified instructor with hundreds of flying hours experience. The flight safety briefing test was completed by everyone before entering the aircraft. It was a “beautiful day” to be flying according to the pilots we were allocated. The views were magnificent and the pilot I was allocated told me “I’ve been doing it for 38 years but it still amazes me!” All Cadets agreed that this experience is an eye opener for the types of careers they can accomplish in the future. To the pilots it was imperative that you had the best experience possible, so they would perform whatever you were comfortable with. Some Cadets were anxious about flying but the pilots were made aware what they would not like to do in the air and made it a very safe environment for them. However, they must have had a change of mind in the air as each Cadet came down with a huge grin on their face! Some Cadets wanted to experience ‘aerobics’ and described the barrel roles as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”. All Cadets took control of the plane at some period of the flight and felt that it was such a rewarding experience as it shows us what we are capable of. We are also very proud that we can say at fourteen years old we have flown planes which is not something most of our parents can say! Everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed the trip and cannot wait to go again.

The new Year 9 cadets, accompanied by Cpl Lawlor from Year 10, went on their first camping experience. They stayed at ‘Farm on the Hill’ campsite where they had to use an eco-toilet and eat genuine military ration packs which they had to cook themselves. Some cadets took longer to put their tents up than others and some ended up eating relatively cold food. Some even managed to melt the cooking equipment, but they were all learning experiences and a great time was had by all.

Upon leaving the campsite, the cadets lined up to sweep the area for rubbish and then had to complete twenty ‘spotty dogs’ (a fitness move) in payment for the two pieces that they missed. But there was so little rubbish there weren’t many ‘spotty dogs’!

While sat round the campfire, cadets enjoyed toasted marshmallows and some attempted a scary story or two.It was an early start back to school on the Thursday but all cadets rose to the challenge and managed to make it through the rest of the day back at school.

Well done cadets.

Combined Cadet Force

Update

World Mental Health Awareness Day

Senior leadership had a really hard time judging the Humanities model competitions this year. Some of the winning models are shown with their creators here. The focus for each of the subjects was: R.E. - ValuesHistory - TudorsGeography - Ecosystems Congratulations to all the winners: Tani, Ben, Elliot, Tilly, Abigail, Abbigail, Isabelle, Grace, Noel, Natalia

We do a lot to raise the profile of mental health and banish the stigma of mental illness. And this year, we’re stepping it up even further. Our assemblies have been reinforcing our key message – It’s OK not to be OK – throughout October. Our team of Mental Health Champions have been involved in lots of events, including promoting the wearing of green ribbons and cake sales.

PUPILS

Despite some pretty miserable weather, this half term our GCSE Geographers have had the opportunity to visit Bristol as part of their fieldwork investigations. Whilst there, pupils have had the opportunity to complete both a physical investigation and a human investigation.

They investigated how the River Avon is being managed and how successful the regeneration of the city has been. They used a variety of different techniques including; questionnaires, environmental quality surveys and field sketches to decide whether they agree or disagree with their hypotheses.

A huge well done to Annabelle in Year 7 who had the amazing opportunity to Dance with ‘Flawless’ at the Coventry arena this term with her dance troupe. Following a competition to compete with them, Annabelle’s group were chosen and this once in a lifetime opportunity was given to them. Annabelle was so excited when she returned to school and said that the experience was amazing. She said that it was tiring to perform at such a level but that it has really given her inspiration to want to do more in the future. We could have a future star on our hands so watch this space. A huge well done to Ethan in Year 11 who is close to raising his target for his Scout Jamboree next year to America. Ethan has worked tirelessly, most notably selling jam in school in order to raise enough funds to go on the trip and he informs me that he is only a couple of hundred pounds away. Look out for an update in the next newsletter about him achieving his target. And finally I wanted to say a huge well done to all of the Wrekin pupils. This half term we were crowned the 2017-2018 House Cup champions which is a fantastic accumulation of the hard work shown by all during the academic year. We also came runners up during Sports Day and this was another great achievement. As Head of House I could not be more proud to be leading such an amazing, hardworking and determined House. We have come a long way in the 4 years I have been here and am looking forward to what we can achieve next as a House.

Bristol Geography Trip

Wrekin House

Black History Month

Form group 12B1 and their tutor Mr Delaney made and delivered an assembly to highlight the massively significant contributions made by black scientists, but which have often gone uncelebrated or disregarded entirely.

How many of these scientists have you heard of?

Mr Grocutt

Wow, what a fantastic start to the academic year it has been for Bredon House. We were able to enjoy a jubilant first assembly back where we celebrated winning the prestigious Sports Day trophy! It is clear that Bredon pupils are again involving themselves fully in House Competitions and are engaging in all that Barr Beacon has to offer.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our Year 7 pupils and congratulate them on settling in so well at Barr Beacon School. I have been overwhelmed by the vast amount of commendations and praise postcards that I have seen within your planners. Through observing your behaviour and participation, it is clear that you definitely understand exactly what it means to wear the blue tie.

Sports Day

After winning yet another Sports Day trophy, our enthusiasm, support and determination could not be rivalled. Some of my personal highlights were watching our Year 7 boys and girls triumph in the 100-metre relays. Simon (Year 8) and Paige (Year 9) dominated the 1500-metres event and Zavier (Year 11) cruised to victory in the 200-metre final. Kia (Year 9) also claimed top spot in the 400-metres, whilst Connor (Year 9) leaped for gold in the High Jump. A special mention also needs to be given to Khia (Year 7) for winning Gold in her 100-metre final event and Manraj (Year 11) and Olivia (Year 10) who claimed top spot in the Javelin. A fantastic collective effort made by the entire house!

Attendance and punctuality

Bredon House have an impressive attendance of 96.74%. A huge well done to 7B2, whose attendance is an incredible 99.11%. This is the highest percentage in Bredon House! 7B2 are also leading the way with their punctuality record as they are yet to register a single late mark. Keep this up!

Cricket Ace – Written by Sam (Year 11)

“I am really proud to inform everybody that I was awarded Bronze Cricket Club Clubman of the Year, 2018! I achieved this award for everything I have done for my cricket club this year. This includes helping and supporting the younger teams, supporting the coaches, consistently attending matches and training, as well as involving myself in the club’s social events.

“This is the first time that a junior has ever received this prestigious award, so I am very proud of myself. Well done, we are proud of you as well.”

BMX Star – Mackenzie (Year 11)

Mackenzie recently competed in the British Championships in Blackpool, racing against the best riders from all around the UK. Mackenzie finished on the podium in 2nd place! It is fair to say that 2018 has been Mackenzie’s best year to date; finishing 2nd at the British Championships as well as finishing in 6th position in the National Championships.

This now means that Mackenzie has qualified to represent Great Britain in the World Championships in Belgium in 2019! Well done, Mackenzie! This is truly incredible!

And finally...

I hope you have a relaxing half term and I look forward to seeing you all on the 5th November. Please stay safe as we approach Halloween and Bonfire night.

Bredon House

Mr Townsend

Sam collecting his trophy.

ATTENDANCE

Last year, we had 118 people with 100% attendance.

On Wednesday 19th September 2018 Barr Beacon School celebrated all of these pupils with a special assembly.

There was also a prize draw for the latest iPad. The draws were organised into 5 different pots. The first pot was for all pupils with 100% attendance for 1 year and this then continued up until the fifth and final pot for all pupils with 5/6 years’ 100% attendance.

The pupils waited in eager anticipation to see if their name was drawn by Ms Draycott. There were winners across all year groups and it was fantastic to recognise such brilliant achievements by all.

A special mention goes to Kelly Baker who has 6 consecutive years’ 100% attendance and Henna Balu who has 5. Well done all.

100%

A Level Results 2018

Our Year 13 students celebrated fantastic results with superlative destinations ahead of them.

We could not be more proud of our students. They progressed to a wide range of superlative destinations: physics, film production, computer science, journalism, psychology, Russian… Our students’ choices reflect their individuality and we are delighted for them.

Here are just a few of the many individual successes:

Alex Taylor, who achieved A*A*A in maths, further maths and physics, will be reading Theoretical Physics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Birmingham.

Ben Wright achieved A*AB in psychology, English literature and biology and will be reading Journalism at Sheffield University.

Amrita Panaser, who achieved AAB in history, psychology and sociology, will be reading Psychology at the University of Birmingham.

Jamie Sadler-Ripley is looking forward to joining the world of computer science after achieving A*A*A in history, sociology and computer science and an A* in his extended project.

Karisma Takhar achieved ABB in philosophy, English literature and history and will be reading English at the University of Birmingham.

Rosie Spurr achieved BB Distinction* is history, psychology and business with an A in her extended project. She will be reading Russian at Leeds University.

Jamie Williams achieved A*AA in further maths, maths and computer science and will be reading maths and computer science at the University of Birmingham.

Cameron Langston achieved AAB and will be reading Film, Television and Digital Production at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Careers Fair 2018

Barr Beacon’s annual careers fair was another triumphant success. This year, we had over 30 employers, apprenticeship providers and further and higher education institutions talking with over 2000 pupils, including some from our Matrix family members Bloxwich Academy and Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School.

Written in Stone project

Over the course of the next two years, pupils will have the opportunity to research, visit and explore our historical castles in the Midlands, presenting their findings to teachers at school and school leaders from other European partner schools. Pupils are committed to updating a termly newsletter which will be shared amongst the schools involved in the project, whilst also contributing to websites and online platforms.

Through the course of the project all pupils will have the opportunity to visit a European country and learn more about their local history, exploring the surrounding area and expanding their cultural capital. Also during their visit, pupils will continue to work on their project in schools, whilst supporting the European pupils in developing their English speaking and writing skills.

Postcards from Prague, from Miss Smith

Day 1

We arrived in Prague and meet Alexandra who is an English teacher in Nový Jičín.

Alexandra took us on a tour of Prague, visiting the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. We also viewed the amazing stained glass windows in St Vitus’ cathedral with an amazing array of colours shining through onto the walls. We then walked to the Old Square, soaking in the sights, and waited for the astronomical clock to strike 12 where there was a display that had been going on since medieval times.

After the afternoon in Prague we boarded the train to Nový Jičín. The pupils met their Czech families, ready to be welcomed into their homes for the night.

Czech in later (see what I did there…)

Day 2

The pupils met the Vice Major of Nový Jičín at the local town hall, who gave a brief history talk about the town. We went up the town hall clock tower, showing us a scenic view of the town.

During the morning the pupils had a tour around the school, sharing their presentations about themselves and Barr Beacon School, taking part in team building activities with the Czech and Romanian pupils.

During the afternoon we visited the Museum of Hats. This was an interactive museum where pupils and staff could

try on a range of 120 hats! We also had an tour of Nový Jičín, taking in the sights of the picturesque town.

Day 3

Pupils started off the day with a ‘Ghosts of the Czech Republic’ workshop where they made their own ghosts in mixed country teams. Pupils and staff shared and compared their countries’ national ghosts!

After lunch we caught the bus to Štramberk, a town that is dominated by the Trúba castle tower. The town had many historical timber buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Staff and pupils made their own gingerbread ‘ears’ at the local bakery. We also climbed the stairs to the Trúba castle tower, where, at the top, we took in the views of Štramberk.

After this we went to the local ceramic artist where pupils got the chance to spin a pot! Another great day in Czech Republic!

Erasmus Project 2018

Czech Republic

GCSE Success!

Barr Beacon School pupils celebrated an impressive set of GCSE results with a record number continuing into the Sixth Form.

Several achieved a string of 7, 8 and 9 grades (equivalent to the old A*/A). 76% of pupils achieved Grade 4 or above in both English and maths. 53% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in both English and maths.

Ms Draycott said: “It’s immensely satisfying to celebrate not only the pupils with the top grades but also those who have made the most progress in their time with us, and for many this success will only continue into the sixth form.”

As the opening half term draws to a close, we can look forward to the forthcoming break to reflect on the fantastic start to the academic year to which the whole of Malvern House has contributed.

Elliot Hobbs (7M1) showed his academic excellence by winning a Geography competition and helped Malvern House to 300 House Points. With efforts like this the House trophy will be returning soon to its natural home; Malvern House Office!

Leading the way with sporting success is 11M2 with Jack continuing his karate exploits, recently competing at the Wadokai All Nations Championships. We wish him all the best in his forthcoming competition in Dublin next month.

Further sporting ability within 11M2 has been shown by Oliver, who recently achieved 4th place in the National Tumbling championships.

Proving that talent and success is not all about being a great sportsperson, Harreson (8M1) recently went to London to commentate on Biggelswade FC v Edgeware FC. Give it a few years and, who knows, maybe we will be listening to

Malvern House

Mr Murphy

Harreson commentating on the FA Cup Final!

Grace (7M1) showed her aquatic ability at a recent Wolverhampton swimming gala, winning Gold and Bronze medals. Let’s see what she can do when our new pool opens. Can anyone beat her?

Callum (7M3) takes part in competitive regional BMX competitions, regularly travelling around the country taking on the best in Britain. Let’s hope it’s not too long until he is seeing success.

Hannah (11M2) recently completed a charity walk in London with her family and raised over £1000! Well done to all involved.

Success isn’t always about winning trophies or being the best at something, but about having goals and working hard to achieve them. Success isn’t always about being better than others but being the best you can. Success can be improved grades, improved attendance and punctuality or just working out something that had been troubling you. As long as everyone in Malvern keeps working hard for your own personal success then we’re proud of you all.

This year, Barr Beacon School are looking to provide as many shoeboxes

as possible for communities around Europe that are less fortunate than

ourselves. Our support will alllow them to have respite around the Christmas

period.

We would really appreciate any support you could offer in donating a shoebox

full of wonderful goodies.

In advance we would like to thank you for your generosity.

Here’s what it involves:

- Shoe boxes to be filled with goodies and sent into school, by your child or dropped off by yourself.

- Please see the attached leaflet as a guide to what goes into the box.

- Decoration of a box is optional but encouraged.- Deadline 19th November.

- A great way to work with your child on helping others less fortunate then ourselves.

It has been a busy start to the academic year for pupils in Clent House. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the Year 7 pupils into Clent. You have been a real credit to the house. Lots has been happening over the past 8 weeks. On the sporting front Jacob, Ben and Aaron have represented the school Year 11 football team and in Year 10 Dilsher, Taylor, Ryan and Ashley represented the Year 10 team winning their first match against St Francis. In September we had some great results for Sports Day. Whilst we didn’t bring home the trophy, we brought back some first places from a number of pupils, which is a great achievement. First places were as follows Year 8: Cayla 100m and 200m, Millie 300m, Grace 400m and 800m, Rayhan javelin. In Year 9, Maisie 800m, Katie high jump, Hussain and Bethan shot put.

Clent House

Mrs Sorensen

In Year 10: Dilsher 400m and 800m, Josh shot put and Cameron high jump.In Year 11: Emily 400m and 800m, Paris 200m, Bonnie javelin and shot put. Special mention needs to also go to the girls’ Year 8 and Year 11 relay team who finished in 1st place as well as overall for their year group. A huge well done to Katie in Year 8 who had the amazing opportunity to represent Walsall North girl guides at a festival earlier in the year. On Saturday 29th September she sang while playing her ukulele at the open air event on stage in front of around 1,500 Guides, Brownies and leaders. She also met the TV and radio presenter Joanne Malin off Midlands Today who said that Katie was her favourite act. I would like to thank all pupils for their hard work so far this year and wish you a lovely and well deserved half term.