The Year 8 and Year 9 trip to Paris was a truly memorable experience for both pupils and staff. Over the course of the visit, pupils had the opportunity to explore some of the most iconic attractions in France, including a day at Disneyland and a visit to the Eiffel Tower.

One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to Disneyland, where pupils embraced the experience with enthusiasm and positivity. They demonstrated excellent behaviour throughout the day, showing respect for one another, staff, and members of the public. Their ability to follow instructions and remain organised in a busy and exciting environment was particularly impressive.

The group also visited the Eiffel Tower, where pupils were able to take in spectacular views of Paris. This was a fantastic cultural experience, and pupils engaged with it maturely, showing curiosity and appreciation for their surroundings.

Across the entire trip, behaviour was consistently outstanding.  Pupils represented the school with pride, displaying kindness, cooperation, and a strong sense of responsibility. Notably, they showed excellent time management skills—arriving promptly at meeting points, keeping to schedules, and supporting one another to stay organised.

Staff were particularly proud to see the boys being recognised by members of other schools and the public for their exemplary behaviour. This external recognition was a testament to the pupils’ maturity and the high standards they upheld throughout the trip.

In addition to being an enjoyable experience, the visit played a significant role in developing pupils’ cultural capital. By engaging with new environments, landmarks, and experiences, pupils broadened their understanding of the world beyond the classroom, helping to build confidence, independence, and a deeper appreciation for different cultures.

Overall, the trip was a great success. The pupils should be commended for their conduct and maturity, which played a key role in making the experience so enjoyable and rewarding for everyone involved.

Pupils have been working on developing their oracy skills during their PSHE lessons this term. On 11 March, pupils in 8X2 demonstrated their ability to Turn and Talk when they were exploring the change in the character of Edward in Blood Brothers.  As part of the process of Turn and Talk, pupils first reflected independently on the question posed and record their thoughts on their mini whiteboards.  After they had formulated their ideas, they were able to discuss in more detail – in the lesson it was clear that this led to higher quality discussions when pupils shared their thoughts with a partner.  In English lessons, pupils have the opportunity to regularly Turn and Talk and this should enable them to develop their skills in both speaking and listening.

Science Club and Diversity Club have teamed up to celebrate LGBT History Month. We had a wonderful (online) guest speaker Sarah Cosgiff from Schools Out, and LGBT+ Education Charity.

Sarah shared some of her history as a scientists and a member of the LGBT+ community. She explained some of the challenges scientists and teachers have struggled with throughout history including Section 28. We also celebrated the innovation of some LGBT figures. In particular, we learned about:

• Barbara Burford, a medical researcher who established NHS equality and diversity guidelines
• Charles Beyer, a locomotive engineer and a founding member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
• Elke Mackenzie, a lichenologist who researched lichens in Antarctica
• Jemma Redmond, a biotechnologist who developed 3D bioprinters to create tissues and organs
• Robert Boyle, a founder of modern chemistry and of the modern scientific method

Science Club and Diversity Club members asked a lot of really interesting questions, varying from specific science questions about cells, LGBT+ scientists and how Sarah herself became interested in science.  

More information about Schools Out can be found on their website: LGBT+ History Month 2026 - LGBT+ History Month including some short videos about the scientists we leaved about.

Well done and thank you too all the pupils who took part, to Sarah Cosgiff for the fascinating presentation and brilliant answers to (many, many) questions.

Two Year 10's had a work experience placement with Brum Radio for the evening to see how a radio station works. Callum and Oliver got to meet the presenter and production team, they got to see how a show is created, what the presenter was going to talk about and the timings of each topic. They worked with the sound engineers, who explained how they checked and monitored throughout the show.

We are delighted to share that our school recently hosted a fun and engaging penalty shootout event in support of our Schools Trust charity, Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide.

Papyrus is a UK-based charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people. They provide vital support, resources, and helplines for those struggling, as well as guidance for families, schools, and communities.

Our penalty shootout brought students together in a spirit of friendly competition, teamwork, and generosity. Thanks to the enthusiasm and participation of everyone involved, we are proud to announce that we raised a total of £86 for this important cause.

A big thank you to all pupils and staff who took part or contributed -  your support helps make a meaningful difference. A massive well done to Luka -  Year 7 our overall shootout winner!

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the achievements of one of our pupils, Freddie, who has had an outstanding year in wakeboarding.

Over the past year, Freddie has taken part in several wakeboarding competitions, including the National Championships. Through consistent dedication and impressive performances, his combined scores across these events have placed him 1st in the Under-14 category-a remarkable accomplishment. Even more impressively, Freddie is currently ranked 34th in the world for his age group.

Freddie’s hard work, determination, and passion for the sport have now led to an exciting milestone: he has been selected for Team GB. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the commitment he has shown both on and off the water.

Freddie continues to set his sights high, with ambitions to further establish himself within the GB Wakeboarding Team in the years ahead.

We are delighted to share a selection of photos capturing some of Freddie’s recent successes and look forward to following his journey as he continues to excel.

Congratulations, Freddie-we are all very proud of you!

On World Book Day, many pupils were engaged in a book treasure hunt around the school.  Various members of staff had displayed their favourite book and pupils had to look for all 22.  It was great seeing the boys trying to find the answers and the first entries were handed to Mr Warner at breaktime even though the entry sheets had only been handed to them during form time two hours earlier!  All pupils who entered the competition were given ClassCharts points for demonstrated that they were Self-Motivated to Achieve. Those who got all 22 correct by the deadline of breaktime the following day were rewarded by selecting a book from our Book Vending Machine during their celebration time at the end of lunchtime. Well done to the following for getting all 22 correct:

• Ethan
• Ace
• Lennon
• Archie 

In an effort to make Turves Greener, and support our local community, several Eco Committee members donned their high-vis jackets, gloves and litter pickers and were out around our local area picking up litter! While some of us were out and about, the rest of the Eco Committee stayed on site and helped pick up the litter that had blown into the school grounds after the rather blustery weather we had recently. It was nice to be able to be out in our community, making our area a more pleasant place for us all to live. We had originally pledged 6 bags to the Great British School Clean, but ended up collecting 10! Go team Eco! This is going to really strengthen our application for the green flag award this year.

On Wednesday 11 March the Maths department began its early celebrations for Pi Day 2026! Every year on 14 March, mathematicians and enthusiasts around the world celebrate Pi Day, honouring the infinite number π and its crucial role in mathematics and engineering. And as a bonus it is also Einstein’s birthday.

Pupils took part in a hidden question hunt, searching for multiple-choice maths questions placed around the building. Each question tested their knowledge of Pi and circles. Correct answers provided a letter, and once all were found, they had to be rearranged to spell the surname of a teacher.

A massive congratulations to all participants, especially Charlie in 10A2 as well as Ethan and Yisehaq in 8T1 who were the first to hunt down Miss Harrison and deliver the code. Each pupil has received a special Pi day 2026 coin as well as positive points for their house.

On World Book Day this year we welcomed local Young Poet Laureate Damani Dennisur! Every year group had the opportunity to see Damani perform his poetry, take part in his interactive sessions and create and perform a poem for their year group. The pupils loved listening to and creating live poetry and had their views of poetry challenged and expanded. Pupils really enjoyed the sessions and are keen to have more.

Our lucky 16 by 16 readers had the opportunity to take part in much smaller, bespoke and personalised workshop in the library during which Damani worked them individually to develop their own extended poetry.