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.

On Friday 5th December, the Envision group delivered their social action project. They have been working hard this term to create a meaningful project that would make a real difference in our school community. After discussing a range of ideas, the group chose to focus on mental health awareness, aiming to support students in Years 7 and 8 with practical strategies and positive conversations about wellbeing.

As part of their project, the students designed a mental health workshop filled with engaging and calming activities. The group presented the rationale for their project to students and then students took part in mindfulness-based tasks such as colouring, wordsearches and even biscuit decorating. Each activity was chosen to help students relax, reflect and open up about how they are feeling. The group also produced information packs about where to find support in school, along with a fun quiz that helped students learn more about the resources available to them.

To ensure that everyone could benefit, they also created classroom activities for teachers to run with their classes when they were not attending the workshop. These sessions encouraged discussions about emotions, coping strategies and how to support friends who may be struggling.

The feedback from both staff and students has been overwhelmingly positive. Teachers reported having “really supportive and meaningful conversations” with students during the sessions. Students themselves said they “really enjoyed” the activities and felt they had learned a lot about caring for their own mental health and supporting others.

A huge well done to the Envision group for showing the Envision essential skills of determination, teamwork, creativity and communication and for making a genuine impact on our school community. Please ask them about it and congratulate them on their hard work paying off, they are; Ella M, Sabar A, Isaac K, Jabid S, Amelie S, Amelia H, Corey A, Enoch S, Musa A, Evie H, Leo W and Louis W.

Now they have produced their project the next steps is preparing their presentation for the finals in January where they will present their project to a panel of judges and other schools, in competition for the best project and presentation.

Thanks to Mr Smith for helping to run this project!

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! 📚💙

Students in Years 11–13 recently had the exciting opportunity to attend The National School & College Leavers Festival at the NEC Birmingham on Tuesday 11th November 2025. This event designed to inspire, inform, and prepare young people for the next steps in their education and career journeys.

Throughout the day, students explored a wide range of exhibitions from universities, apprenticeship providers, employers, and training organisations. With interactive workshops, live talks, and hands-on activities, the festival gave our learners valuable insights into the variety of pathways available after leaving school or sixth form.

Many students commented on how useful the event was in helping them clarify their future goals, discover new opportunities, and speak directly with industry professionals. From STEM careers and creative industries to higher-level apprenticeships and university life, the festival offered something for everyone.

We are incredibly proud of how engaged and enthusiastic our students were throughout the day. Events like these are an important part of our commitment to supporting every young person in making informed decisions about their future.

A big thank-you to the staff who supported the visit and to the NEC team for hosting such an inspiring and informative event. We look forward to returning next year.

Two out of five groups in year 10 recently took part in a CV Workshop designed to help them prepare for future work experience, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities. The session was a great success, giving students practical guidance on how to present their strengths, skills, and achievements with confidence.

A huge thank you to Solihull College for delivering the workshops and sharing their expert insight into what employers look for in a strong CV. Their advice on layout, language, and showcasing personal qualities was invaluable and really helped students understand how to stand out in a competitive job market.

We would also like to express our appreciation to Mrs Fellows for organising and supporting the workshops. Her dedication to ensuring students are equipped with essential career skills made the event both engaging and impactful.

Students left the sessions with their own polished CV drafts and a clearer understanding of how to continue developing their employability skills. This marks an important step in their careers education, and we look forward to seeing them put their new knowledge into practice.

Today our school got involved in Odd Socks Day, marking the start of Anti-Bullying Week!

Odd Socks Day is all about celebrating individuality and spreading kindness. It’s a simple but powerful reminder that we’re all different — and that’s something to be proud of.

All students (and staff!) were invited to come to school wearing odd or mismatched socks. The wilder, brighter, or sillier, the better! There was no need to donate money — it was just a chance to have some fun and share an important message about being yourself and respecting others.

We had some brilliant odd socks and we had fun as a school community. Pupils and staff left feeling valued and included.

We are very proud of the 14 pupils we have selected to take part in The Scholars Programme.

The Scholars Programme gives students in secondary school the opportunity to explore higher education and build key skills to help them succeed in the next stages of their education.   

Students take part in a series of seven university-style tutorials, delivered in-school by a PhD tutor throughout the course of an academic term. The tutorials are based on the tutor’s area of research expertise, so pupils explore an inspiring, supra-curricular topic whilst developing key academic skills that support their attainment across the curriculum. Students receive feedback and support from their PhD tutor to write a final assignment of 1,500-2000 words, demonstrating the subject knowledge, written communication and critical thinking skills they have developed throughout the programme.  

On completion of the programme, students visit a university for a Graduation Event to celebrate their achievements and build their understanding of higher education, helping them make informed choices in the future and believe that they can succeed in university-style learning.