At Turves Green Boys' School, our Year 7 students have been making impressive strides in their Dance lessons this term, with a particular focus on Street Dance. The energy, creativity, and commitment they have shown throughout their lessons have been exceptional, resulting in dynamic and exciting performances that truly showcase their developing talent.

Over the course of the unit, students have been working on both their choreography and performance skills. They began by learning foundational street dance moves, before progressing to creating their own sequences in small groups. Through this process, they explored timing, musicality, spatial awareness, and how to work effectively as a team.

The boys showed great enthusiasm in experimenting with different movement styles and demonstrating individuality in their routines. A key focus was on performance quality—ensuring movements were confident, expressive, and sharp. The final pieces performed in class reflected the hard work and dedication each group put into refining their choreography.

Mrs Haynes commented, “It’s been fantastic to see how much progress the Year 7 students have made in such a short time. They’ve embraced street dance with enthusiasm and developed important skills, not just in movement, but also in collaboration and creativity.”

The project has also helped build the students' confidence and has provided a platform for self-expression. Many students who were new to dance found the experience enjoyable and empowering, and several have shown an interest in pursuing dance further in school clubs or performances.

We’re incredibly proud of all the Year 7 students and look forward to seeing how they continue to grow in future dance projects. Well done, boys!

Our year 10s have been learning about the wonders of plants and how their various chemical processes take place. In this session, we could see where in a leaf photosynthesis had taken place by how the iodine had reacted to the starch in the greener parts of the leaf turning the reagent from a orangey-brown to a blue-black colour. Lots of cross-subject links here that all the pupils appreciated. Here is a comparison between two identical leaves.

Social Media Awareness experts, ‘Positive Social’ gave an informative talk about the pitfalls of social media, online bullying and how to ensure privacy settings are protecting them. Rachel spoke to them candidly about Snapchat, Tik Tok, Facebook, RoadBlox, and Instagram.  

Year 7 were very open about their social media use and all admitted to learning something that they did not already know about how they’re privacy setting can be compromised. Pupils all wrote a pledge at the end about how they will limit and control the hold some social media platforms have on their social time.

The spirit of community and generosity has been shining brightly at Turves Green, where pupils and staff have come together to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital in support of Mr Kelley, Mr Evans and Mr Woodall, who are bravely taking on the Three Peaks Challenge.

In the run-up to the challenge, the school has been buzzing with energy and compassion. From delicious cake sales to exciting penalty shoot-outs, pupils'  have shown immense enthusiasm and determination to contribute to this important cause. Each event brought fun, laughter, and a strong sense of purpose as everyone worked towards a shared goal.

Thanks to their fantastic efforts, an impressive total of £130 has been raised. This contribution not only supports Mr Kelley, Mr Woodall and Mr Evans on their journey but, also makes a meaningful difference to the lives of children cared for at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

A huge thank you goes out to every pupil, parent, and member of staff who took part, donated, or helped organise these events. Your kindness and teamwork embody the very best of Turves Green.

Through this first summer term, the English department have placed a strong emphasis on fostering inclusive thinking and respectful dialogue. Our Year 9 students have recently embarked on a powerful journey exploring the concept of freedom through the lens ofempowering speeches. The English department is proud to see how thoughtfully and passionately students are engaging with these complex and meaningful ideas.

We are currently guiding students to express their thoughts and perspectives on freedom—what it means to different people and how it can be experienced or restricted in various contexts. Ny understanding how to create a logical argument and structure their writing , they are learning to present their ideas clearly and with empathy, promoting a respectful and inclusive environment for discussion.

As part of their learning, students have been working together to create their own speeches that promote inclusive values. These agreements help shape conversations where every voice is heard and respected, ensuring that all students feel safe to share their views. By discussing real-world scenarios and historical examples, they are developing a deeper understanding of freedom in relation to equality, identity, and human rights. Students are also practising how to present their ideas in a professional and thoughtful manner. By using polite and inclusive language, and by working collaboratively, they are ensuring their arguments are well-reasoned, respectful, and considerate of diverse perspectives.

The Year 9s have embraced this important challenge with maturity and insight. We’re excited to see how they continue to grow as inclusive thinkers and empathetic communicators in the weeks ahead.

Year 7 and year 8 are celebrating an amazing success in the UK Maths Trusts’ Junior Maths Challenge. Two weeks ago, students completed an hour long set of maths challenges in exam conditions and have now received the awards. Our students did fantastically, achieving 9 silver certificates and 17 Bronze certificates! Congratulations to everyone who took part who all walked away with a certificate of participation. And especially to those who earnt one of the three awards.

Bronze awards were achieved by:

O. Davis 7B1

C. Farrell 7A1

K. Gabbidon-Frazer 7A1

A. Hall 7B1

M. Jaep 7A1

K. Lewis 7A1

R. Cartwright 8A1

D. Cartwright-George 8A1

V. French 8B1

L. Glasford 8B1

C. Hamshaw 8B1

S. Ismael 8B1

M. Jinks 8A1

C. Jones 8B1

T. Lancaster 8B1

H. McGann 8A1

C. Moulton 8B1

Silver awards were achieved by:

N. Buckler 7B1

C. Flint 7A1

A. Moore 7B1

A. Abaker 8B1

L. Connolly 8B1

A. Dale 8B1

L. Field 8B1

E. Griffiths 8B1

And K. Saho Saho 7A1 (who also achieved the highest score in the school)

The auditorium at Millennium Point was once again filled with excitement and pride as the third annual Matrix Pupil Awards Ceremony took place. Now a firmly established tradition, the event recognised outstanding academic achievements across all our schools while celebrating the unique talents and character of each of our pupils.

The evening was opened by CEO Lynsey Draycott, with Headteachers from across the trust taking to the stage to present awards to their proud pupils. Among the honours were five standout titles: Most Creative, Most Resilient, Most Selfless, Continuous Improver, and Most Enthusiastic — each highlighting the remarkable qualities shown by pupils throughout the year.

The ceremony also featured captivating performances from pupils who triumphed in our trust-wide talent competition. Their musical skills added an unforgettable touch to the evening and demonstrated the breadth of talent within our schools.

Special recognition was also given to pupils involved in our Combined Cadet Force and those who successfully completed their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, celebrating their commitment, resilience, and leadership beyond the classroom.

The awards were presented by our Chair of Trustees, Sir Mark Aspinall. A big thank you to our special guest Beth who gave some very inspiring words.

A heartfelt thank you and congratulations to all of our award winners, performers, dedicated staff, trustees, parents and carers who made the evening such a success. A highlight video will be posted shortly.

Our Year 11 pupils have made an incredible start to their final GCSEs with our daily breakfast revision sessions. The boys have been taking advantage of our breakfast club that is also attended by their teachers to offer some last-minute tips and reassurance. The boys are well fed and watered before they go into their exams. We have been very proud of the mature and prepared manner our Year 11s have embraced their examinations and wish them well. 

Our reading rewards vending machine continues to be a focal point of our weekly celebrations on a Friday lunchtime in the new year. Pupils from all year groups are considered and selected for a range of approaches to demonstrating our TURVES Values, representing the school and attendance at extra-curricular clubs.

Winners this week include:

Y7 A Corberley – responsible in the community - helping a younger pupil in need.

Y8 L Bashford - responsible in the community – helping a younger pupil in need.

Y9 D Hayden - Consistently upholding the TURVES Values

Y10 S Fazlishbluiski - for representing our school in the Speaker’s Trust Speak Out Challenge

Y11 B Abaker - outstanding and consistent approach to GCSEs

Our commitment to improving literacy continues with a focus on developing creative writing this year. ‘Young Writers’ is a national competition that offer multiple opportunities for pupils to submit a range of creative writing from poems to mini sagas. We encourage all pupils to enter but target specific year groups to mirror some of the content in their curricula. The most recent competition ‘Grim Tales’ invited pupils to write their own take on fairy tales using their creative imaginations. We’re seeing more and more entries each time and we have had 28 pupils published from across all year groups. Well done to everyone who entered!