The event provided clear guidance on the options process and the importance of choosing subjects carefully for Years 10 and 11. Families received information about compulsory subjects, the EBacc, facilitating subjects preferred by universities, and the differences between GCSE and vocational pathways.

We also highlighted how careers education and employability skills support pupils in making informed decisions, with a strong focus on keeping future Post-16 and career pathways open.

The evening gave parents the opportunity to discuss both progress and aspirations with subject teachers, ensuring that choices are rooted in achievement as well as ambition.

Thank you to all families who attended and engaged so positively in this important stage of their child’s journey.

The event was led by the Cadet Forces from each school, who played a central role in the commemorations, including readings, the laying of wreaths, and leading the Trust-wide act of remembrance. Their pride, discipline, and respect set the tone for a moving and meaningful occasion.

At 11:00am, pupils, staff, and guests across the Trust joined together in the Two Minutes' Silence, uniting as one community to remember those who gave their lives in service of others.

We are incredibly proud of the way our schools came together — standing side by side to honour the past, reflect on the present, and look with hope towards the future. A huge thank you to Etone College for hosting the event and to Elmwood School for joining us for their first trust wide event.

"We will remember them."

We are thrilled to announce a landmark moment in our trust’s calendar — the very first Trust-Wide Sports Day, bringing together more than 3,000 pupils from across Matrix schools.

Venue: The iconic Alexander Stadium, Birmingham – home of the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Date: Wednesday, 9th July 2025

This incredible event will be a full day of competition, celebration, and community spirit. As part of our Healthy Competitions Initiative, the day will showcase the power of sport in promoting teamwork, resilience, and ambition. Schools have now completed their in-school heats and successful participants will receive letters to notify them of their involvement as a participant. Additionally, this event provides a unique opportunity for pupils to showcase their talents in front of athletics club scouts, potentially opening doors for future athletic opportunities.

What to Expect:

• 456 student athletes battling it out in a range of exciting track and field events
• Live performances from our talented performing arts pupils to energise the crowd
• A cheering audience of 2,600 spectators from Years 7 and 10, supporting their teams with pride and passion (details will be shared In a letter in the coming weeks)
• A chance to claim the prestigious title of Trust-Wide Sports Champions 2025

Parents and carers of participants are warmly invited to attend and spectate this exciting event! With over 2,000 spectators expected, the day promises an electric atmosphere — and your support will make all the difference to our pupils. A full schedule of events is below so you can plan when to attend to cheer on your child. Spectators will be seated in the East Stand. Tickets are available via Eventbrite at £3 per person. All proceeds will be donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, our Trust charity for the year.

So you can plan when you would like to arrive and watch a particular event - a schedule of events will be confirmed on the trust website HERE closer to the event. Follow us on social media for the latest timings.

Book here: https://bit.ly/matsportsday

This is more than just a sports day — it’s a celebration of talent, teamwork, and trust unity. Whether you’re competing, performing, or cheering from the stands, get ready to be part of something unforgettable.

Let the countdown begin.

How to enter:

• Have one of your performing arts teachers record your performance (or film it yourself and email to your teacher).
• A snippet of your performance can be submitted. Please do not worry about submitting a performance in its entirety.
• Your teacher will be able to submit your performance video to the judging panel.
• Finalists will have the opportunity to perform at our next big trust event and some school events this year.
• Solo entries and group entries are welcome.

Submit your entry by 4pm on Friday 21st February 2025

A look back at last years event where our winning acts will have the opportunity to play can be seen below.

This event emphasised the importance of the performing arts in shaping well-rounded individuals. The confidence, discipline, and teamwork required in these artistic disciplines provide invaluable life skills that extend far beyond the stage.

The success of this event is a testament to the thriving performing arts community within our Trust schools. It’s clear that the future of dance, drama, and music is in good hands. With such incredible talent on display, it’s exciting to think about the future performances and productions that will emerge from these talented young artists.

Thank you to everyone for their involvement with the event.

The day was split into 3 separate sessions:

Session 1 was the Comfort Zone in which the students reflected on their past helping them reflect on how they became the person they are. This session was a roller coaster as students were roaring with laughter one minute and deep in reflection the next minute.

Session 2 was the Stretch Zone where the students considered how the present could be so different if each person behaved differently. Our pupils found it highly engaging as they interacted with others outside their normal friendship group.

Session 3 was the Panic Zone during which our pupils imagined who they could be in the future, discussing dreams, hopes, goals and ambitions. The day was concluded when every student identified and committed to making three positive changes to improve their future.

To find out more about the providers please visit https://www.humanutopia.com/.

If you walked around School on 12^th November you will have seen an odd sight! Pupils and staff were wearing odd socks to raise awareness of anti-bullying week. 

We have lots going on in school this week such as:

• A poetry competition - create a poem about making a noise about bullying. Deadline for entries 29th November with prizes available, please hand into Ms Faulkner.
• 12^th November - Odd Socks Day
• 16^th November - drop in sessions with SWISS workers in the Library for anyone that wants to speak about any concerns they have about bullying.
• Assemblies reminding pupils how they can report bullying:
  • Speak to a member of staff
  • Speak to Head of House  and Form tutor
  • Seek out an Anti Bullying Ambassador
  • Speak to a trusted adult.
• Applying to be an Anti-bullying Ambassador - there are now opportunities for pupils to apply to be an antibullying ambassador. To apply they need to write a letter or design a poster about why they want to be an antibullying ambassador and what they can bring to the role. The deadline for this is Friday 29^th November - hand in to Ms Faulkner.

This year, an impressive 50% of our pupils achieved a grade 5 or higher in both English and Mathematics, marking a significant increase from our 2023 results. Additionally, nearly three quarters of our pupils earned a grade 4 or above in these core subjects, demonstrating their commitment to strive for excellence.

These outstanding achievements have paved the way for our students to secure high-quality destinations as they embark on the next steps of their educational journeys.

Notable results from our pupils included:

• J Choudhury achieving 8 grade 9s, 1 grade 8 and 1 grade 7
• C Lau achieving 6 grade 9s, 2 grade 8s and grade 7s
• S Elkington achieving 3 grade 9s, 5 grade 8s and 1 grade 7

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them and look forward to their continued success in the future.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

We are delighted to announce that, for the third year running, Matrix Academy Trust has had another successful Turing bid.

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 young people  life-changing experiences.

This year, pupils in Year 8 from across Matrix schools will be visiting Sweden. Year 10 will be exploring ancient history in Italy. Year 12 students will be travelling around the world to Peru.

We chose ‘Far From Home’ as the name of our 2023-24 Turing project because we are committed to promoting an international outlook with our pupils. For our young people to be successful, we need to do whatever we can to broaden their horizons - and one way of doing this is to take them ‘far from home’. We will be making sure the pupils who are selected to go on these visits will be those that will benefit most from them.

More information about these opportunities will be shared in September.

Read our report on last year’s Matrix visit to Japan here: https://matrixacademytrust.co.uk/japan/

Find out more about the Turing scheme here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk