Our 8S1 group have been working with Mr Adams from the University of Birmingham to help adapt and develop models of the solar system and how nuclear fusion occurs within the Sun. We discussed the pros and cons of different model representations of natural phenomena and decided to have a go at making our more accurate living models. They soon discovered though that completing many rotations during a single orbit is not very easy! Their innovation and analysis of our models has really shown how they are thinking hard!

7S4  have been learning about why dual coding is so so important! We’ve been learning about fertilisation and germination (which both have LOTS of key words they need to be able to recall). So we looked at an image, turned it into a step-by-step flow process and then (to show they understood it) then attempted to recreate the image from the start of the activity without having any access to their books. As you can see they did incredibly well and managed to recall quite a few key structures. Well done!

From 1st – 5th July, pupils from all Matrix Academy Trust schools, including Elmwood School who are joining the Matrix family in September, embarked on the final International trip of the 2024–2025 academic year. The 55 children experienced an unforgettable week in the heart of Italy.

During their time in Italy, students explored some of Rome’s most iconic landmarks, including the awe-inspiring Colosseum and the Pantheon. A hands-on gladiator school experience gave everyone a taste of ancient Roman life — a highlight for many, even with the heat!

Adventurous spirits were tested on the high ropes course, followed by visits to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the lively Piazza Navona. Although a planned trip to the Vatican was sadly cancelled due to a metro line closure, spirits remained high. Instead, the group enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the beach at Ostia, where paddling in the sea proved the perfect way to end a packed itinerary.

The behaviour of all students was exemplary throughout the trip — a real credit to the Trust and to their schools. The final trip of this year was a resounding success, leaving everyone with memories that will last a lifetime – and a lot of enthusiasm to participate in next year’s adventures!

On Sunday, a group of our students had the incredible opportunity to visit Wimbledon, the home of tennis, for a day they won’t forget in a hurry.

With Court 1 tickets in hand, we arrived full of excitement and sunshine – ready to soak up the world-famous atmosphere. First up, we watched Taylor Fritz take to the court in a high-quality match that set the tone for the day.

We were lucky enough to watch Cam Norrie, Britain’s No.3, in an unforgettable five-set thriller. The tension, the crowd, and the incredible rallies kept everyone completely gripped. There’s something really special about watching a British player on home turf, and the atmosphere on Court 1 was electric throughout.

In between matches, students explored the beautiful Wimbledon grounds – from Henman Hill (aka Murray Mound!) to the busy gift shop – and soaked up the unique vibe that only Wimbledon offers. The day was as much about the experience as the tennis, and our students made the most of every moment.

One student described it perfectly:
“A once in a lifetime opportunity for me.”

Well done to our students who represented the school with enthusiasm and maturity throughout.

Our feel-good Friday rewards continue celebrating our pupils' success over the last week. 5 pupils from each House and each year group are selected by their Heads of House, the Senior Leadership Team then select one pupil from each year group to receive a token for our book vending machine.

Y 7:  E Andrews – Hidden gem. Great exemplification of TURVES Values every day.  

Y 9  F Mackinnon – most self motivated to achieve classcharts points this week.

Y 8:  L Harbridge for having multiple positive referrals this week. Excellent work across all subjects and up holding the highest of standards against our Turves values 

Y 10: L Gittus for his continued efforts in his subjects, much praise has been shared amongst staff. 

Y 10: C Terry: A mature and commendable approach to the first set of mock exams.  

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 'Empowered’ invited pupils to write a poem about what made them feel empowered, this could be anything from school life, family or changes they want to make to the world. We’re seeing more and more entries each time and we have had 18 pupils published from across all year groups. Well done to everyone who entered!  

10 pupils from year 8 and 9 had a thought provoking day at Millennium Point, joined by our cousins from Wednesfield Academy! We learned why cryogenic freezing isn’t plausible, took a virtual tour through a jet engine (Rolls Royce haven’t made a car since 1974!), learned how a production line works efficiently,  learned that Mason is the ultimate problem solver, built circuits, took a tour through the various engineering departments and had a look at a built-from-scratch racing car that is going to make its way to Silverstone! The pupils also had a chance to talk to employers from a range of sectors and learned that Kamron has the fastest reflexes out of the whole group. As always, the best of values were shown and each pupil did us proud.

Wednesday 18^th June was 'National Thank a Teacher Day' and we wanted to show our appreciation for all of the excellent staff we have at Turves Green Boys' School. Our wonderful pupils spent their form time writing thank you cards to their teachers to show their gratitude. As well as this, our staff were treated to a breakfast treat of their choice and we also held a raffle for a large hamper that had been donated to us recently. 

A selection of Year 9's were out at a careers event today at UCB where they had the opportunity to find out about all of the careers that are available within the construction industry. The boys were tasked with designing houses using CAD systems, became kitchen and bathroom fitters, learnt about the mechanics of building retracting bridges and had the opportunity to build towers using different materials. The boys also got to meet Errol Lawrence and hear his inspirational story - something that they were extremely excited about! 

On Tuesday ​17th June, our Head Boy J Choi in Year 10 represented TGBS in the Speaker's Trust Speak Out Challenge West Midlands Final. Contending with 14 other finalists from local schools, he delivered a superb, motivational speech about 'how you can change everything'. J Choi had performed his speech to staff and pupils as a warmup earlier in the week. The finalists chose a range of topics from deafness awareness to climate change. Pupils had an intensive workout to perfect their performance ahead of performing in front of friends, family and staff for the final. The panel of judges included representatives from Voice 21, Literacy Trust and University of Birmingham. We are incredibly proud of his hard work and whilst he didn't win, he embodied our Turves Values and will go on to support public speaking for the lower years at TGBS.

On the 11th June, a group of enthusiastic TGBS students gathered at the Abbey Stadium for an intense training session in preparation for their upcoming sports day. Under the guidance of their PE teachers, and returning guest coach Toby, the students rotated through a series of activities linked to their event which they will be competing in on the 9th July. Despite the summer heat, the students remained focused, determined to improve their personal bests and sharpen their technique ahead of the big day. The session not only helped build physical fitness but also fostered a strong sense of camaraderie and school spirit . It also allowed to improve motivation and get to grips with a proper athletics environment. While training will keep happening every Monday after school, the boys are looking ahead to the main event at the Alexander Stadium.