Well done to the 15 pupils who took part in the very first rugby training at Five Ways Rugby and Cricket Club. It was great to see how keen the pupils were and how the poor weather didn’t deter them from having a great time and learning some basic rugby skills including passing along the line, tackling and some touch rugby games. Thanks should also go to the rugby club for providing such great facilities for our students to learn at. 

Congratulations to B Mallett in 8x1 for his excellent homework in French this week. B Mallett completed a piece on his town, including what there is to visit and what you can do here in Birmingham. The piece was well-structured with excellent use of grammar and vocabulary. A special mention goes to all pupils in 8X1 who performed some fantastic role plays in French last Thursday. They created their own dialogues based on inviting others out and making excuses not to go. The boys then performed them in front of the class. Well done, 8X1!

This week, we have delivered a series of ‘Lead Lessons’ to support our Y11 pupils with preparation for their upcoming mock exams. Mrs Bacciochi and Mrs Love, supported by the English and Maths teams respectively, have been delivering lessons to multiple classes in the main hall to focus on developing subject specific exam skills. The pupils have been exemplary in their focus and attitude, and feel more confident ahead of their mock exams as a result. These sessions will also be taking place in Maths and English lessons on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week.

Last week we were extremely lucky to welcome Ms N’Diaye to Turves Green Boys’ School. Ms N’Diaye is a French assistant and is here as part of the British Council language assistant programme. Ms N’Diaye has already been supporting boys in lessons and will be instrumental in helping our KS4 pupils improve their speaking and listening. She is a native French speaker and has come here from Senegal! Welcome, Ms N’Diaye!

The topic the Year 9 are studying identifies mature themes but allows scope for pupils to think, evaluate and analyse the impact of Joyriding. Pupils have developed an understanding of the implications surrounding Peer pressure and Joyriding, they have been able to evaluate how things could be different by modelling positive and negative outcomes. This week pupils have shown an excellent level of confidence to be able to perform and respond with feedback in front of their peers.  

This week in Warhammer Alliance most students continued to paint their new Space Marines. With each student finalising the designs of their chapter and colour scheme they have watched tutorial videos on painting and got hands on painting tutorials last week from Miss Soden. Next week we will have a show case of all the painted Space Marines so far and choose a favourite, the owner of which will win a model prize of their own.

The veterans of the club are starting back gaming and they started with a big one! Nearly 100 miniatures built and painted by C-A. Carter-Glover 8A1, P. Curnew 7B1 and O. Warrilow clashed in a battle of epic proportions.

With models painted and ready for battle, next week new pupils in the club will get to experience their first games. With tutorial of a simplified version of Warhammer 40,000 they will learn of the main 3 phases of the game; Movement, Shooting and Close Combat.

We are delighted to launch our themed menus for 2023/24 off the back of our very successful new menu for the academic year. 

These special days are an opportunity to celebrate events, festivals and cultures from around the world across all of the Matrix Academy Trust schools. Not only will these provide pupils with a wide range of food experiences but will also compliment our Personal Development curriculum and Theme of the Week.

Watch this space for more updates on our menus and the wonderful food that we will be offering as part of these events.

On the 1^st October 2023, Mr Hawkes ran the Cardiff Half Marathon. He completed the half marathon on behalf of the UK Sepsis Trust which is a charity very close to his heart. After weeks of training, he joined over twenty thousand other runners on the start line in Cardiff.

Mr Hawkes managed to complete the 13.1-mile course in 2 hours 14 minutes and 35 seconds. In doing so, he managed to raise £1100 for his chosen charity. Mr Hawkes is looking forward to his next big run in 2024!

Our year 7 football team played a home game yesterday on our astro VS UoB School. This was a cup match, the boys got off to a flying start passing the ball around with ease. In the 16^th minute Jack Clark scored a rocket of a goal our first ever year 7 goal, celebrating in front of an audience of 40+ this was a moment to remember for the team. Within 10 minutes the UOB could not get the ball, it was like watching Barcelona. Within this play Jack Clarke scored a scrappy second goal! Half time came and 6 subs were made, this made a difference in our play we were on top for the first 5 minutes but UoB come back with a fight scoring quickly in the first half... 2-1. The game got more intense and aggressive from both sides, 10 minutes left to play the pressure was on to hold the lead then..... Goal UoB got a second making the score 2-2, Turves Y7 Boys were rattled mistakes were becoming more frequent. With 1 minute to go penalties were looming, with 30 seconds to go UoB went for a long shot from half way line... Goal, our keeper Max was caught off guard, devastated turves Y7 boys were now 3-2 down with the game pretty much done. 

The game finished  UoB 3 - Turves 2 .

Please if you see the boys show your support!

Boys involved:

M Carr

N Overthrow

M Jinks

L Lawrence

W Priestley

C Jones

J Mahoney

F Grainger 

J Clark

F Campbell

C Pedley

A Larrud

L Timmins

M Starkey

T Mcclure

C Moulton

Cuisine Island Y11 Newsletter: Designing Digital Information Points for Accessibility

October 2023

Greetings Y11 Digital Information Technology Enthusiasts!

Today, we're excited to share a sneak peek into an intriguing assignment our Year 11 pupils are tackling as part of their BTEC Digital Information Technology course.

What's Cooking?

Our pupils are diving deep into the world of digital information point design for a fictitious restaurant called Cuisine Island. This project is not just about creating aesthetically pleasing interfaces but also ensuring accessibility for all users.

Why Accessibility Matters

In today's digital age, accessibility is of paramount importance. It means making digital content and interfaces usable for everyone, including those with disabilities. Ensuring accessibility is not only ethically responsible but also essential to providing an inclusive user experience.

The Cuisine Island Challenge

The pupils' assignment is to design digital information points for Cuisine Island that will serve both the restaurant's needs and the diverse range of customers it attracts. This includes patrons with different accessibility needs.

Key Accessibility Considerations

Here are some of the accessibility considerations our budding digital designers are focusing on:

1. Screen Readers: Designing interfaces compatible with screen readers to assist visually impaired users in navigating the menu and restaurant information.
2. High Contrast and Large Text: Using high contrast colours and providing options for larger text sizes to aid those with visual impairments.
3. Keyboard Navigation: Ensuring all functions can be accessed and navigated using a keyboard for users who cannot use a mouse or touch screen.
4. Alternative Text: Providing descriptive alt text for images to assist users with visual impairments in understanding the content.
5. Responsive Design: Creating responsive interfaces that adapt to different screen sizes and devices for users with various browsing preferences.
6. Colour Contrast: Ensuring sufficient colour contrast for users with colour vision deficiencies.

The Creative Process

Our Year 11 pupils are not only gaining technical skills but also honing their creativity. They are crafting user-friendly interfaces that incorporate Cuisine Island's branding, enticing imagery of delicious dishes, and intuitive navigation.

Real-World Impact

This assignment is not just a theoretical exercise. The pupils' designs have the potential to make a real-world impact by improving the dining experience for all patrons at Cuisine Island. Accessibility isn't just about meeting legal requirements; it's about fostering inclusivity.

Next Steps

As the pupils continue to refine their designs, they will present their projects to a panel of experts who will evaluate their accessibility features and user-friendliness.

We're incredibly proud of the dedication and creativity our Year 11 pupils are showing in this assignment. We can't wait to see the final designs and, more importantly, how they contribute to making Cuisine Island a more accessible and inclusive dining destination.

Stay tuned for updates as we move forward with this exciting project. If you have any questions or would like to know more about the assignment, feel free to reach out to our dedicated teachers.

Best wishes for your own exciting journeys in the world of digital information technology!

Warm regards,

Turves Green School Computer Science Department