Our Year 10 Drama pupils recently took part in an exciting and engaging practical workshop exploring Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers as part of their BTEC Performing Arts studies.

The workshop was delivered by a former Turves Green Boys’ School pupil, who returned to the school to share his experience, knowledge and practical skills with our current pupils. It was fantastic to welcome a former pupil back into school and see him inspiring the next generation of performers.

The session focused on some of the key performance skills needed to bring the characters and relationships in Blood Brothers to life. Pupils explored characterisation, relationships, dramatic tension and the use of emotion, developing their understanding of how actors can communicate meaning to an audience.

Through a range of practical exercises and activities, pupils experimented with how different characters might move, speak and respond to one another. They explored how physicality, facial expressions, vocal delivery and emotional choices can change the way an audience understands a character.

A particular focus was placed on the relationships between the characters and how these can be used to create dramatic tension. Pupils considered how tension develops throughout the play and how performers can use pauses, space, eye contact, movement and changes in voice to keep an audience engaged.

The workshop also encouraged pupils to take greater risks with their performances and explore the emotions behind their characters. Rather than simply learning lines, pupils were challenged to think about why their character behaves in a particular way and what they want to achieve within each scene.

The practical nature of the workshop gave pupils the opportunity to apply the ideas they have been learning in their BTEC Performing Arts lessons and develop their confidence as performers.

It was particularly valuable for our pupils to learn from someone who was once in their position as a Turves Green Boys’ School pupil. His journey provided an excellent example of how the skills developed through Performing Arts can continue beyond school.

A huge thank you to our former pupil for returning to Turves Green Boys’ School and delivering such an engaging and inspiring workshop. We look forward to seeing how our Year 10 pupils apply these skills as they continue their work on Blood Brothers.

Our Year 11 had a busy and enjoyable day exploring what life could look like after Turves Green.

The Post-16 Pathways Day gave pupils the chance to find out more about the different options available to them after their GCSEs, including A-levels, vocational courses, apprenticeships, college and sixth-form.

Throughout the day, pupils heard from local colleges and sixth forms and got a real insight into what different providers have to offer. There was also a chance to look more closely at apprenticeships, including how they work, what they can expect and where they can lead in the future.

One of the highlights was when pupils were able to look at the different jobs in our local area and make career decisions, which got pupils thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of different routes. It was great to see our pupils challenging ideas, asking questions and, in some cases, changing their minds as they considered different avenues for their progression.

Pupils also took part in a lively debate linked with these different pathways and considered pros and cons of the different options allowing them to practice public speaking and challenge their peers. 

Overall, it was a fun, informative and thought-provoking day. Our Year 11's came away with lots of new information, plenty to think about and, hopefully, a clearer idea of the options available to them when they finish their GCSEs.

A big thank you to all of the staff, colleges, sixth forms and TGBS pupils who helped make the day such a success — and well done to Year 11 for getting involved, asking questions and thinking seriously about their futures.

As part of our Minimum Entitlement Day, Year 10 took part in a day of practical financial education, designed to help prepare pupils for some of the realities of adult life.

Across the day, pupils explored everything from payslips and take-home pay to budgeting, credit cards, credit ratings, fraud and scams. They were encouraged to think about the lives they would like to have in the future – and, importantly, what those lives might actually cost!

In our My Life: Realities and Build Your Life activities, pupils put their decision-making to the test. Given a monthly take-home income of £2,230, they researched real costs for housing, transport, food, bills and other spending. When the numbers didn’t quite add up, they had to make some difficult choices about what they were willing to change – with a few unexpected expenses thrown in along the way!

It was brilliant to see our Year 10 pupils engaging so positively, asking questions and beginning to understand how the financial decisions they make can have a real impact on their future.

A huge thank you to HSBC, WizeUp and Metro Bank for giving their time and expertise to support the day, alongside our staff who delivered school-led sessions.

We hope Year 10 finished the day with greater confidence, a better understanding of the cost of independent living and, most importantly, the knowledge to make informed financial choices in the future.

On Friday 25 September, Year 9 spent a full Personal Development Day looking at the routes open to them after Year 11 and the skills employers look for.

Exploring post-16 pathways

The day started in the Hall with a joint session alongside Year 11. Sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeship providers gave presentations and ran a provider marketplace, where pupils could talk to them directly. Pupils learned about A levels, college courses, apprenticeships and T Levels, and saw how the subjects they study now link to future careers. Question-and-answer sessions let them raise their own questions with each provider.

Working with Johnson & Johnson

After the break, half the year group joined a workshop run by employers from Johnson & Johnson. Pupils took part in a team-building challenge, communication activities, problem-solving tasks and a mock recruitment exercise. The employers then gave feedback on what they had seen. The two groups swapped after lunch, so every pupil took part.

Virtual work experience with U-Explore

The other group worked with their form tutors in the computer rooms on U-Explore. They completed a skills audit, a career interests questionnaire and an aspirations survey, and then tried a virtual work experience placement. Pupils can complete as many placements as they like, so we encourage them to keep trying different careers at home. They sign in with their school Microsoft account at www.u-explore.com.

Reflection and pupil voice

The day ended with a reflection session. Pupils set their Life and Career Goals on U-Explore and filled in a survey on MS Teams. Their feedback will shape future enrichment days.

Thank you

Thank you to the visiting providers, Johnson & Johnson and Katy Henson and to our form tutors for making the day possible.

In 10X/En1, we’ve been working on crafting effective descriptions of setting, using an array of challenging and effective techniques. As part of a recent extended writing activity, we did some peer assessment to see where we could both encourage our peers and challenge them to develop their descriptions. These boys’ work was particularly impressive, and their peers offered excellent feedback to push them towards excellence.

Our Year 11 pupils have made a fantastic start to the academic year and now pupils have begun attending Period 0 to give themselves additional time to prepare for their upcoming mock examinations and future GCSE exams.

This extra session provides pupils with valuable time to revisit key knowledge, practise exam skills and complete additional work beyond their normal lessons. It has been particularly encouraging to see the commitment and effort pupils are putting into these sessions. They are recognising the importance of making the most of every opportunity to improve their understanding and strengthen their confidence. The additional work they are completing now, starting with poetry, will help them to identify areas for development, address misconceptions and build the knowledge and skills they will need as they progress through Year 11.

We are incredibly proud of the effort they are putting in and look forward to seeing this hard work translate into progress and success throughout the year.

7Y2 have hit the ground running with their science education this year. Today we see Bobby and Thomas making very Valuable Contributions by demonstrating to the whole class how some objects float and others sink. This got us thinking about Density and how boats can float. Next week we’ll be looking at Archimedes and how an over-full bathtub led to such an amazing discovery. Thank you to our two scientists for being absolutely golden (this pun will make more sense next week I promise!)

A big well done to our Year 8 and Year 9 basketball teams, who both secured victories against Dame Elizabeth Cadbury.  Year 9 came away with an impressive 33–19 win, while Year 8 secured a 10–5 victory.  

Both year groups represented Turves exceptionally well, demonstrating our Turves values consistently throughout the day. In particular, the pupils showed a fantastic level of teamwork, respect and sportsmanship, both during and after their games. It was great to see them supporting one another and representing the school in such a positive manner.  

A special mention also goes to Ethan and Godlee, who supported with refereeing and coaching tactics throughout the fixtures. Their contribution was greatly appreciated.  Well done to all the pupils involved — a fantastic achievement and a great reflection of our school values. 

A huge well done to our Year 7 basketball team, who represented TGBS in their first-ever school basketball match this afternoon! 

The boys faced a strong Dame Elizabeth Cadbury team in the opening fixture of the newly formed Matrix School Games. Although the result didn’t go our way, the boys were absolutely brilliant and produced a performance they can be extremely proud of. They demonstrated some fantastic basketball skills, but most importantly showed outstanding resilience, teamwork and determination from start to finish.

For all of the boys, this was their first opportunity to represent TGBS in competitive sport, and they represented the school superbly.

Well done to: Kaleb, Flynn, Jacob, Tobia, Lincoln, Enoch, Lewis, Jaeden and Harley.

A fantastic start to the Matrix School Games and hopefully the first of many opportunities for our boys to represent TGBS this year!