We ended the half term with our ‘Don’t Ghost Us!’ attendance incentive, encouraging pupils to attend school every day during the final four days to earn a special treat!

An impressive 579 pupils achieved 100% attendance during the final four days of half term, earning themselves a well-deserved treat! This was 18 more pupils than when we ran the incentive at the same time last year. 

As an extra reward, 27 pupils from Years 8–11 were invited to a special hot chocolate pop-up in recognition of their fantastic improvements in attendance compared to the same time last year.

These pupils achieved attendance improvements ranging from 17% to an incredible 65%! This is a fantastic achievement and reflects their commitment to improving their attendance.

It was lovely to see pupils enjoying a well-deserved hot chocolate as we celebrated their progress. Well done to everyone involved – keep up the fantastic effort!

As part of the European Day of Languages celebrations, Year 7 pupil Arham submitted a fantastic entry to the ‘Languages Unite!’ competition.

The competition encouraged pupils to explore how learning languages brings people together, helps us understand different cultures and perspectives, builds friendships and ensures everyone feels included and valued.

Entries also had to include text in a European language, giving Arham the opportunity to showcase his Spanish knowledge.

Well done, Arham, for representing DEC and celebrating the power of languages to connect people and communities!

A huge well done to this week’s winners! 🌟 It’s fantastic to see our pupils being recognised for their hard work, effort, progress and positive contributions around school.

Our winners have earned themselves a well-deserved reward from the book vending machine! 🏆📖

Keep up the brilliant work, everyone, and happy reading! 💙👏

Our Year 7 pupils have made fantastic progress during their Spanish Period 0 intervention sessions this half-term!

The sessions have focused on strengthening pupils' foundations in Spanish, developing their understanding of key vocabulary and phrases, and building their confidence through engaging activities, including interactive Tarsia puzzles and vocabulary retrieval tasks.

We are delighted to share that 100% of pupils who attended improved their scores between their baseline and endline assessments, with every pupil achieving an impressive 100% in their final assessment!

A fantastic achievement that reflects the pupils' hard work, enthusiasm and commitment to improving their Spanish. ¡Enhorabuena a todos! 

On 15th October, pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury welcomed the Fire Service into school for a series of one-hour “Be Fire Wise” assemblies.

Alongside exploring the science behind fires, pupils learnt to recognise common fire dangers, identify key safety practices and understand how fires can be prevented. They also explored what to do if a fire occurs, including how to respond safely and seek help.

The sessions encouraged pupils to consider how their choices can help protect themselves and others, reinforcing the importance of awareness and responsible behaviour.

A big thank you to the Fire Service for sharing their expertise and helping our pupils become more fire aware!

Throughout October, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School is celebrating Black History Month through themed assemblies, form time sessions and a special themed menu, reflecting this year’s theme, “Honouring Our Communities.”

The theme encourages us to recognise the contributions of Black people whose everyday actions help communities thrive: volunteers giving their time, teachers shaping futures, and nurses and carers providing dignity and compassion. Their contributions may not always make the headlines, but their impact is felt every day.

Through our assemblies and themed form time sessions, pupils are exploring how Black communities have shaped Britain’s history and continue to enrich society today. A particular focus is “Windrush and British Communities”, recognising the Windrush generation and their descendants’ contributions to public services, culture and community life. Pupils are reflecting on the experiences of those who came to Britain, the challenges they faced and the lasting communities they helped to build.

These activities also encourage pupils to look closer to home, recognising the people who support and inspire them and considering how they can make a positive contribution themselves.

Our catering team is supporting the celebrations with a Black History Month themed menu, creating an opportunity to celebrate cultural heritage and the role food plays in bringing communities together.

At DEC, “Honouring Our Communities” means making everyday contributions visible, celebrating Black history and culture, and helping every pupil understand the value of belonging, respect and service to others.

On Wednesday 14th October, our Year 7 pupils welcomed Loudmouth Education & Training to DEC for Screen Time, an interactive performance and workshop exploring how to stay safe, think critically and behave respectfully online.

Through drama and discussion, pupils explored why information online cannot always be trusted. They learnt about the difference between misinformation, which is false information shared by mistake, and disinformation, which is deliberately misleading, and considered the importance of checking information before believing or sharing it.

The session also explored how personal information can be collected, shared and used online. Pupils considered how to recognise harmful online behaviour, where to seek support and why the same expectations of kindness and respect apply both online and face to face.

Part of our PSHE programme, Screen Time provided a valuable opportunity for pupils to develop the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices in the digital world.

As a parent, you can find out more information HERE 

Thank you to Loudmouth for bringing these important messages to life!

This week at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury, our Theme of the Week has focused on Mental Health and Wellbeing, with activities encouraging pupils to talk openly, look after themselves and know where to turn for support.

Breaktime drop-in sessions with Ms Finnegan, Mrs Palmer and Ms Larden, members of our wellbeing team, have provided opportunities for pupils to chat, ask questions and access support in a welcoming environment.

Our Year 7 and Year 8 pupils also attended assemblies delivered by the MHST (Mental Health Support Team), focusing on mental health and wellbeing and highlighting the importance of seeking help when needed.

Through House assemblies and form time activities, we recognised World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2026 and its theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.” This encouraged pupils to consider the importance of listening to people’s experiences, valuing their voices and using greater understanding to make a positive difference.

Thank you to our wellbeing team and MHST for helping reinforce an important message: asking for help is a positive step, and support is available at DEC.

On 12^th October 2026, Year 7 and Year 8 pupils welcomed MHST (Mental Health Support Team) Birmingham for special assemblies marking World Mental Health Day.

The assemblies provided a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of mental health, encourage conversations about wellbeing and reinforce the importance of asking for support. The message was clear: looking after our mental health matters, and nobody should feel they have to manage their worries alone.

At Dame Elizabeth Cadbury, we want every pupil to feel supported and know that their voice matters. These assemblies encouraged kindness, understanding and care for ourselves and others.

Thank you to MHST Birmingham for supporting our pupils and helping us keep mental wellbeing at the heart of our school community.

Find out more: Mental Health Support Team | Forward Thinking Birmingham

Year 9 and 10 pupils at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury took part in a powerful performance and workshop of Faultlines, delivered by Saltmine as part of our PSHE programme.

Through the stories of people who have experienced domestic abuse, the production explored healthy and unhealthy relationships, helping pupils recognise how behaviours such as manipulation, gaslighting and coercive control can develop.

The accompanying workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on the messages, ask questions and consider how to recognise warning signs in relationships. Central to the session were the importance of respect, knowing where to seek support and understanding that abuse is never the fault of the person experiencing it.

The experience reinforced our STRIVE values, particularly Respectful to all, Integrity in all we do and Everyone is equal, encouraging pupils to consider how we can help build a community where everyone feels safe, valued and supported.

Thank you to Saltmine for bringing this important learning to life and supporting our pupils to make informed choices about relationships.