On Monday 19 January, we were delighted to welcome parents to our Brew Monday KS3 parental event, providing a valuable opportunity for families to talk openly about mental health and wellbeing together in a supportive setting.

Conversation prompts on arrival were well received, helping to guide discussion and reduce barriers to talking about mental health. Parents and carers also welcomed the sharing of our Mental Health & Wellbeing Calendar, highlighting key awareness weeks and upcoming wellbeing activities.

A range of thoughtful ideas were shared by parents to further strengthen our wellbeing provision, including expanding the website with downloadable resources, exploring the option to stream and record future sessions, creating a dedicated mental health section in the library, introducing a Reading for Wellbeing group, and developing a buddy system linked to upcoming Wellbeing Ambassador training.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed. The event highlighted the strength of our school community and our shared commitment to supporting positive mental health and wellbeing for all pupils.

On Friday 16 January, we were delighted to welcome 171 Key Stage 3 pupils to our Attendance Reward Breakfast to celebrate an outstanding achievement: 100% attendance across the seven weeks of the Autumn 2 half term.

The breakfast provided a valuable opportunity to recognise pupils’ commitment, resilience and consistency, while reinforcing the vital role that good attendance plays in learning, wellbeing and long-term success. Staff were proud to celebrate pupils, acknowledging the effort it takes to attend every day and be fully present in school.

Events like this underline our belief that attendance matters and that pupils’ efforts should be recognised. While we celebrated consistently excellent attendance on this occasion, we are equally committed to recognising and rewarding improved attendance at other points throughout the year, ensuring that progress and positive change are valued too.

A huge congratulations to all pupils who earned their invitation — a fantastic achievement and a brilliant start to the new term. We look forward to continuing to celebrate attendance success and supporting every pupil to attend, achieve and thrive.

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School has been awarded Foundation level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education. Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, so that young people gain the cultural understanding and skills they need for life and work in today’s world.

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School’s international work includes the exchange of letters between our students and pupils at our partner school in Morocco, enabling meaningful cultural dialogue and the development of writing skills. This partnership was strengthened following Miss Dutta’s attendance at an international education conference in Marrakesh, where she met with staff from our partner school to establish and develop shared projects that enrich learning beyond the classroom.

On hearing the news that Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School had achieved Foundation level of the award.

Shannon West, Head of UK Schools for the British Council, said: Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School’s international work has earned the school well-deserved recognition with the British Council International School Award - Foundation Certificate.

We are delighted and proud that Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School is committed to developing a whole school approach to embedding and celebrating international work. The dedication from everyone is enriching education and supporting globally aware young people and the development of key skills.

We thank all involved in this important work; embedding an international ethos across a school can lead to International School Award accreditation, which is the highest level of the award. Schools looking to join this supportive and engaging global network should contact us at the British Council.”

The Award is now available worldwide in countries such as Greece, India and Nigeria. Over 6000 International School Awards have been presented to successful schools in the UK since the scheme began in 1999.

The International School Award encourages and supports schools to develop:

• An international ethos embedded throughout the school
• A whole school approach to international work
• Collaborative curriculum-based work with a number of partner schools
• Year-round international activity
• Involvement of the wider community

Today’s the day. The day you put the kettle on. The day small talk turns into big talk. The day you break open the biscuits and the taboos. The day you remind everyone how good human connection feels. How easy it is. And what a difference it can make.

When: Monday 19^th January at 3.30pm

Where: Canteen 

Why: To encourage our pupils and parents/carers to stop and chat about mental health. 

Details: Key Stage 3 parents and carers invited to join their child(ren)

Link to confirm attendance: Monday 19th January 3.30pm - Brew Monday pupil and Key Stage 3 parent/carer drop-in  – Fill in form

Our Year 10 and 11 Prefects have made a fantastic start to their duties this half term, helping to maintain high standards and supporting students across the school.

This week, they’ve taken the lead in our House Charity Challenge, aiming to cover 394 miles on three spin bikes—supported brilliantly by our Sixth Formers. Students from all year groups have been joining in with great enthusiasm, adding miles through cycling, walking, and even a festive PE Santa Dash!

We are raising funds for our House charities—Help Harry Help Others, Love Brum, NICE, St Basils—and our Trust charity, Papyrus. A highlight of the week was Ms Thompson’s spirited appearance in the Exeter Eagles costume!

Thank you to all families who have donated so far. Further contributions can be made via ParentPay.

Students from Years 10, 11 and 12 participated in the Operation Prosperity visit at the RAF Cosford Air Museum earlier today. Throughout the day, pupils received in-depth career insights into engineering, medical pathways, and the application of advanced technology within the armed forces.

As part of the programme, students engaged in informative discussions with RAF personnel, gaining valuable knowledge about potential future opportunities available to them.

All students conducted themselves with exemplary behaviour, and members of the airbase staff were highly complimentary of their attitude, engagement and professionalism.

We are pleased to share the newly developed Birmingham Parent and Student Labour Market Information (LMI) Guide. This resource has been designed to support families in understanding the key growth sectors within the West Midlands Combined Authority region and to help students make informed decisions about their future pathways. HERE

The guide highlights the region’s major growth sectors, including:

• Digital, Tech and Creative
• Health and Medical Devices
• Clean Tech and Smart Energy
• Advanced Engineering
• Construction
• Green Tech

Within each sector, readers will find:

• A clear industry overview
• Examples of entry, intermediate and advanced level roles, including typical salaries and the skills required
• Suggested school subjects relevant to each sector
• The top ten employers currently recruiting in Birmingham

In addition, the guide provides practical guidance on “What’s Next?” to help students plan their next steps, along with a range of useful links for further exploration.

This resource is an excellent tool for supporting conversations at home about future career and study opportunities.

Students from the Dallaglio RugbyWorks programme recently took part in an inspiring career taster day at Howden Insurance, gaining first-hand insight into the world of risk management and the wide range of roles within the insurance industry.

Throughout the day, students learned how insurance professionals analyse and manage risk, support clients, and help organisations navigate uncertainty. They took part in team activities, met staff from different departments, and asked thoughtful questions about career pathways, personal skills, and real-world applications of risk assessment.

The Howden team praised the group for their enthusiasm, focus, and excellent conduct. Our students represented the school brilliantly, showing maturity, curiosity, and a genuine interest in the opportunities available to them.

We are delighted to share that this is just the beginning of an ongoing partnership. Howden will continue working with our RugbyWorks students throughout the school year, delivering further career education sessions to help them build confidence, develop key employability skills, and explore future pathways.

A huge thank-you to Howden Insurance for hosting such an engaging and insightful day and well done to our students for making the most of this fantastic opportunity.

Miss Dutta, recently had the opportunity to attend a British Council conference in Morocco, celebrating Reading for Pleasure. The event was truly inspiring and highlighted the power of strong reading cultures in schools.

We’re delighted to share that we have now been partnered with a school in Morocco! 🇲🇦🤝🇬🇧
Over the coming months, our pupils will take part in shared reading activities and collaborative projects with their new partner school.

We can’t wait to see this international reading partnership grow — more updates coming soon! 📚💙