On the 20^th June 2021, forty pupils from the Matrix Academy Trust, travelled from Birmingham for a trip to Frankfurt with the Turing Scheme. The Turing Scheme is a fully funded government initiative that funds a range of international opportunities for young people to go abroad and experience different cultures around the globe. Pupils for this scheme are selected via criteria provided by the Department for Education.

After 15 long hours of travel, we arrived safely in Fulda, a beautiful city one hour North-East of Frankfurt. Upon getting settled at the accommodation the first evening was spent relaxing and preparing for the excitement of the week ahead.

On Monday, the pupils travelled into Fulda for a guided walking tour. With three different tours on offer, each group was able to experience a different aspect of the city and share this over dinner in the evening. Pupils were taken to visit the oldest church in Germany and explore its history, the engineering around it and importance it has on the local community today.

Pupils also had the opportunity to meet German pupils from a local school with a meet and greet arranged in a local park. With a range of activities and games, some familiar and some new it was an opportunity to develop language skills and see how life was different for a pupil in Germany. During the afternoon, we headed to a local school for some German taster lessons and then to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner, which would go on to become a firm favourite of the group! On Tuesday, pupils returned to the German school to experience a day in the life of a German pupil. Our pupils were fascinated to see how different school was in Germany, with one of the pupils even saying they would not mind going to school in Germany over the UK!

As the next few days followed, we had an action-packed schedule; visiting Point Alpha, a memorial to East German citizens and learned about the shocking history of the East German regime, pupils bravely conquered the high-ropes at an adventure park, which involved a range of obstacles and bridges suspended between trees, we were shown the sights of Frankfurt by a local tour guide, went swimming in an outdoor pool, explored the inside of a model heart at the Museum and visited Fulda’s very own palace!

Friday was a much more sombre day for the group, as we took a coach to Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial. Here, we learned about the horrifying actions that took place during the Third Reich and to reflect on what took place. After first watching a film explaining the history of Buchenwald, the pupils were led on an audio tour of the camp itself. This was an incredibly emotional day and all pupils showed the utmost respect while here.

It’s safe to say that everyone had a wonderful time on the trip. Although exhausted, we all returned to England with big smiles and new friends.

Comments from parents:

“We would just like to say a big Thank You to all of the Staff that organised and went on the trip. Without the staff putting in this tremendous effort and taking on so much responsibility many children would not get these experiences.  They have certainly had extra challenges Covid restrictions and birds hitting planes to deal with.“

“I would just like to say a massive thank you for choosing my two sons to go to Germany as part of the Turing scheme. They had a wonderful time and haven’t stopped talking about it since they got back. Highlights for the boys were the high ropes, swimming pool and the heart at the museum. They also enjoyed trying the different foods. It was lovely to hear that they made some friends from different schools and spent this evening chatting on the phone and have even arranged to meet at the weekend. Please pass on my gratitude to the staff involved for organising and looking after the children, it must have been a challenge especially when things didn’t go to plan. Thank you once again for giving them this wonderful opportunity which I am sure they will never forget”.

On Monday 20^th June, 10 students and 2 staff set out for a week’s residential trip to Barcelona. We met the other pupils from the other schools in Matrix Academy Trust at the airport, just before checking in. For some of the pupils, it was their first-time experiencing flying, but all of the pupils fully committed themselves to the experience, a trait which was repeated throughout the week.

When we arrived at Barcelona airport, we met our bus and then went to our home for the week, the Urbany Hostel. After a quick meal at Glories, the local shopping centre, we went to bed to get an early night ready for the busy week ahead.

On the next day, we braved the Barcelona Metro for the first time, which was our main mode of transport for the week. We visited a few different sites around Montjuic, including the Olympic Museum and arena for the 1992 Olympics, and the cable car up to Castell de Montjuic for some impressive views over the city. After this, we got the Port Vell Cable car across to Barceloneta Harbour (Mr Larvan was not a fan of the ride!). We then enjoyed a lovely meal on the harbourside before heading back to recharge ourselves for another busy day.

Day 3 started with a trip to Camp Nou, home of Barcelona FC, where we had a tour around their trophy room, stadium and sidelines.  From there, we headed to La Rambla, where the pupils were able to soak up the culture of one of the most famous streets in Europe. That evening, we had a movie night, watching some of the latest film releases (although pupils were pleased to hear the films were in English with Spanish subtitles!). This allowed us to mix up the schools, giving the pupils chance to get to know each other more.

Day 4 was Gaudí Day, exploring two of the most famous works of one of Spain’s most famous architects. First was a tour of the impressive Sagrada Familia, which is still unfinished 140 years after construction started. We were able to see the inside and outside of the church, marvelling at the detailed sculptures on the outside and the sunlight shining through the stained-glass windows on the inside, spreading fantastic colours through the interior. We even took a bit of time to make our own artwork, inspired by the building. We left the Sagrada Familia and after a lot of escalators, steps and hills made it to Parc Guell, where pupils were given time to explore this large fantasy-inspired park, before meeting at El Drac, a larger-than-life mosaic sculpture of a lizard. As we headed home that evening, we started to see the fireworks and bonfires being set up for the evening’s festivities, which took place all over Barcelona, including right outside our hostel, until the early hours of the morning.

After a late night, Friday started with a well-earned lie-in, before a trip to see the Barcelona aquarium and an afternoon spent relaxing on the beach, followed by another delicious meal in the harbourside.

Feeling refreshed, Saturday saw us heading to see some of the wildlife in the Barcelona Zoo, including tigers, rhinos and elephants. After a wild day, we headed back towards La Rambla for a spot of retail therapy, before heading up to see the views of the city from the Palau Nacional.

Sunday was the day that some of us had been looking forward to the most, a trip to Portaventura Theme Park, which is home to over 50 exhilarating rides, including Dragon Khan and Shambhala. After a fantastic day, we returned to Barcelona before a final evening meal together and then a morning flight (and run through the airport!) to head back home.

Every single one of the pupils represented themselves, the school and the Trust extremely well and we were so impressed by their manners, fantastic attitude and willingness to embrace new experiences, whether that was trying new food, travelling abroad or going on cable cars. We hope that we have instilled an interest in travelling and have opened the pupils’ minds to see more of the world.

Comments from parents:

“My son, has just returned from the Turing Tour to Spain and I just wanted to thank the school for this great opportunity. He has come home full of information about the places he has visited, the friends he has made, and it is so evident just how much he has enjoyed it. I also feel it has given him a confidence he did not have before”

“I would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff at the Turing Scheme for giving my son an amazing experience and for looking after him so well – you are amazing”

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s programme to provide funding for international opportunities in education and training across the world. It supports Global Britain by providing an opportunity for UK organisations from the higher education, further education, vocational education and training and schools sectors to offer their students, learners and pupils life-changing experiences to study or work abroad.

On Sunday 19^th June and Monday 20^th June,  a group of Year 8 and Year 9 pupils will be boarding planes to Spain and Germany as part of the Turing Scheme international exchanges.  

Across Matrix Academy Trust, 100 pupils will have the chance to take part in two projects: one to Fulda, Germany and one to Barcelona, Spain. This opportunity is fully funded by the Turing Scheme, the UK’s scheme to encourage young people to travel overseas as part of their education. 

The pupils are very excited about their travels – follow our school social channels to keep up-to-date with what they’re up to. 

The itineraries for both projects are below – as you can see, both trips will be an action-packed week with the chance for pupils to fully immerse themselves in everything Germany and Spain have to offer. 

When we return after half term, we will be checking all pupils’ equipment to make sure they are ready to learn.
As a minimum, all pupils need to bring a blue or black pen, a green pen, a pencil, a ruler and their planner.
Thank you for your support.

Everything you need to know about exams in Summer 2022

When are my exams?

Year 11 pupils and year 13 students have been issued with a personalised exam timetable. Should you need to look up when an exam is taking place, you can check it on the overall exam timetable here:

https://decschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Summer-2022-Dame-Elizabeth-Cadbury-LATEST.pdf

What happens after an exam in the afternoon?

If the exam finishes after 2:40pm, pupils will be dismissed straight from the exam and will be allowed to make their way home immediately after the exam. Pupils can remain on site, if transport is not due to collect them until 3pm.

What are the rules? Can I wear a watch?

The rules of examinations are the same for all schools. You can read them in full here:

https://decschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Exams/IFC-Written_Examinations_2021_v5.pdf

Watches are not allowed. Mobile phones are not allowed, even if turned off. Pupils need to put anything which is not allowed in their bag or hand it in to the exam invigilator.

This poster is in every exam venue to remind pupils: https://decschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Exams/Warning-to-Candidates-20122.pdf

We must inform the exam boards of any rule breaking. This includes people turning around in their seats, which counts as an attempt to communicate to others. Anyone who breaks an exam rule may be disqualified from that qualification and it may jeopardise their other qualifications.

What if I’m ill, injured or something bad happens which I couldn’t do anything about?

Special Consideration is given to a candidate who has temporarily experienced illness, injury or some other event outside of their control at the time of the assessment. It is the responsibility of pupils and parents/carers to inform the school of what has happened, either right before or immediately after the exam. Even in extreme circumstances (such as the death of an immediate family member), the maximum allowance given by the exams authority is 5% additional marks.

You can read the full details here:

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Guide_to_spec_con_process_2122.pdf

What if I test positive for Covid or have a high temperature on the day of one of my exams?

Follow public health advice and do not attend school.

The exams for each subject have been spaced a minimum of 10 days apart so if a pupil misses one exam for a subject they will be able to do the others. Their marks from the exams they do complete will be used to inform their final overall grade. If they miss all of the exams for a subject, they will not gain that qualification.

If anyone does have to miss an exam due to Covid, they will follow the same Special Consideration process described above. The only difference is that they and their parent/carer will need to complete the relevant sections of a special form (called Form 14) and we can verify the contents.

There is more detailed information here: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/04/12/everything-you-need-to-know-about-covid-measures-during-exams-this-summer/

What if I miss an exam because I forget about it, or any other reason that wouldn’t fall under Special Consideration?

You will be charged the full amount for that exam entry.

What can parents do to support their children?

We have produced this guide:

https://decschool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Matrix-Exams-Help.pdf

Year 9 have been learning about John Williams’s musical leitmotifs in Star Wars for #MayThe4th, starting with Anakin’s/Vader’s motifs. #StarWars

Our RE specialist Ms Jones has been very impressed with the homework her Year 7 classes have completed. Their task was to write a report considering different view points about the disappearance of Jesus’ body over the Easter break.