On Friday, 7th November 2025, all schools across our Trust came together to mark Remembrance Day — a time to honour and reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who have served, and continue to serve, in our armed forces.

The event was led by the Cadet Forces from each school, who played a central role in the commemorations, including readings, the laying of wreaths, and leading the Trust-wide act of remembrance. Their pride, discipline, and respect set the tone for a moving and meaningful occasion.

At 11:00am, pupils, staff, and guests across the Trust joined together in the Two Minutes' Silence, uniting as one community to remember those who gave their lives in service of others.

We are incredibly proud of the way our schools came together — standing side by side to honour the past, reflect on the present, and look with hope towards the future. A huge thank you to Etone College for hosting the event and to Elmwood School for joining us for their first trust wide event.

"We will remember them."

Year 10 and Year 11 had the opportunity to watch the Onatti Theatre team perform in the first week of half term.  All pupils study French up until Year 9 at TGBS, as part of their ongoing Personal Development offer, KS4 had the privilege of watching the live show  - entirely in French! 

After an uncertain start, the pupils warmed to the actors and came into their own when they were invited up to be part of the performance.  As an additional, fun supplement of the French GCSE, it was great for the boys to be reminded of how to use their skills in context.  The pupils were very complimentary about the experience and can use it in their GCSE curriculum and wider travelling for those going to St Omer later in the year.

On Tuesday 11 November, pupils of Turves Green Boys' School held a remembrance service to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Pupils demonstrated our key value of 'Respectful to all' throughout the service which included a parade from our Combined Cadet Force, pupil wreath laying, pupil readings and performances from our school choir. 

We were also pleased to welcome guests from the local church and warm space, who stayed for tea and cakes with our cadets following the service.

Based on the recent updates from the Department for Education to the RSHE curriculum, our commitment to ensuring all our young pupils receive a broad, balanced and context rich curriculum was enacted last week with our Autumn Y11 Personal Development drop down day. 

Our Year 11 pupils watched a Loudmouth Productions performance of 'Working for Marcus' which explores how teenagers can be drawn into exploitative, harmful relationships by criminal gangs, how to spot the signs and what to do about it.

Whilst hard hitting, the pupils realised it is an important topic that affects many teenagers today and felt it was helpful and informative.

Following the performance, pupils undertook a range of workshop activities to ensure they understood the issues and which avenues of support are available to them should they need it or suspect someone else needs it.

To end, the pupils wrote a mock letter to their MP about raising awareness of child exploitation in schools and wider communities. 

Last month we shared with you the marvellous free physics lectures that take place at the University of Birmingham. Cian in Year 9 went to one of these and was kind enough to write us some notes on the lecture to share with the rest of the school. He truly embodies being self-motivated to achieve, providing valuable contributions to us all by sharing his experiences. Thank you Cian!

“‘Colour beyond human vision’. Colour can be used beyond the visible range. Colour can be measured in many more than 3 channels. Colour is used in imaging. 

Histology is when a small sample of tissue is taken and dyed with colour to determine whether a tumor is removed. Colour in the human body is already able to tell us information. Colour of blood can tell us about health. Sadly, humans are not transparent, but they are also not fully opaque. Light scatters through our cells, so it is unable to be used for medical imaging. But we can combine light and sound to get medical imaging. We can use the photoacoustic effect. Light absortion = impulsive heating = increased pressure. The lecturer used a camera on an empty can, and when the flash activated it made A small ping. The haemoglobin in blood absorbs light. We can play sound waves back in time, and it can show us images of when the light was absorbed. This is an imaging technique and can show us the absorption rates of different materials. It is safe and non-ionising, and the lasers are low powered, so they are not harming to human tissue. Imaging can measure blood vessels in the human hand. The amount of research across the years is increasing, to the point where it may be able to be used in marketing very soon. We can detect sound with light. A simple system doesn’t always make the best images. Photoacoustic signals can be weak. The deeper the ultrasound source, the worse the imaging is, as the sound gets weaker as it goes through.

We want a sensitive detector that can detect high and low frequencies of ultrasound. If we lose the high frequency, we lose the higher resolution. We need a detector that is small and scalable. Optical ultrasound detectors are transparent and meet the requirements for a good thing. We detect sound by pointing a laser beam at the sensor and it bounces around the sensor.  

We add more laser beams to make imaging scans faster. We can see very detailed images like the valves to stop blood flowing in wrong direction. Larger blood vessels at bottom branch into smaller ones. Dynamic imaging. We can look at below the surface burns and injuries. We can also see for arthritis.  

We can also see how things like cancer and tumors react to different drugs. We can give drugs over time and do a scan every day, then compare the images. Since the scans are non-ionising, they are safe to do numerous times without any bad health effects.

The Year 10 football team put on a thrilling display of skill and determination as they secured a 6–3 victory against Bournville in an action-packed match on Wednesday afternoon.

From the start, the team looked sharp but suffered a set back when the opposition scored from a corner putting the boys 1-0 down. This only seemed to galvanise the team though as a goal from Mitchell and Lewis as well as a couple from Ryan meant that Turves went into half time 4-1 up.

In the second half, both sides attacked relentlessly but Turves really turned on the style. A sumptuous volley from Lewis as well as a solo effort that Thierry Henry would be proud of from Demario meant that with 8 minutes to go, we were 6-1 up. Bournville tried to mount a comeback bagging a couple of goals but it was too little too late and our boys picked up a 6-3 win in their season opener.

This year, the boys in 11Y1 at Turves Green Boys’ School have shown what true determination and character look like.  Facing the pressures of exams, coursework, and preparation for life beyond school, they have demonstrated a level of focus and resilience that deserves the highest praise.

From the very start of the academic year, 11Y1 set the tone for excellence.  Their commitment to learning, teamwork, and mutual support has inspired younger pupils and staff alike.  Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, or during school events, the boys have embodied the school’s values of respect, perseverance, and ambition.

Among these remarkable pupils, Louis stands out as an example of quiet strength and unwavering dedication.  His attitude toward both his studies and his peers has been exemplary - consistently showing maturity, discipline, and a drive to succeed.  Louis’ ability to remain focused under pressure, while encouraging others to do their best, has made him a respected figure within the group and a role model across the school.

Teachers have commended the entire class for their positive approach to challenges, especially during key moments of assessment and revision.  Their collective resilience, developed through hard work and mutual encouragement, has created a sense of unity and pride that reflects the very best of Turves Green Boys’ School.

Pupils have been making great progress in writing news articles alongside their study of Animal Farm by George Orwell.  This combination has helped them not only understand the novel’s key themes, such as power, propaganda and control, but also develop their skills in journalistic writing.

Using major events from the book—like the Rebellion, the Battle of the Cowshed, and Napoleon’s rise to power – pupils have been turning fiction into fact-based news reports.  This task has encouraged them to think carefully about perspective, bias, and how information is presented to different audiences.  It’s also given them the chance to explore how language can be used to influence people’s opinions, something Orwell was clearly concerned with.

Many pupils have enjoyed writing as reporters, either from the point of view of animals on the farm or as outside journalists looking in.  This creative angle has helped them engage more deeply with the text and think critically about what’s really going on in the story.  Some have even picked up on the irony and satire in Orwell’s writing, using it to add humour or tension to their own work.

Overall, combining news writing with the study of Animal Farm has been a really effective way to build both analytical and creative skills.  Pupils have shown a strong understanding of the novel and produced some thoughtful, imaginative articles that demonstrate real progress in their writing.

Well done to these pupils!

Our Prefect team has been working hard this term to make a real difference across the school community.  During our recent Open Evening, Prefects played a key role in welcoming families and guiding tours for potential new starters — showcasing the very best of life at our school.  Their professionalism and enthusiasm were widely praised by visitors and staff alike.

Beyond events, our Prefects continue to support younger pupils through guided reading sessions, helping to build confidence and a love of learning.

Breaktime heroes - our Prefects are now involved in the library at break times, offering homework help and keeping the space a calm and productive environment for everyone.

Their commitment, leadership, and willingness to get involved make them excellent role models — and we’re proud of the positive impact they continue to have every day.

There are still some spots left on the Prefect team for the 2025-26 academic year with new Prefects being chosen in December!

As we come to the end of the first term we are celebrating the efforts of those pupils using Mathswatch over the last 8 weeks.  Since September pupils across all year groups have been putting in the time and effort outside the classroom to complete homework and additional independent practise online.

Pupils have spent a combined total of over 727 hours (that’s 30 days) completing over 21,000 homework questions and even more independent learning questions. Our highest scorers are Toby (Year 7), Daniel (Year 11) and Khalidou (Year 8) who have got the most individual marks in their questions.  With Martia (Year 11), Toby (Year 7) and Joshua (Year 11) spending the most time on the website answering questions.  A true reflection of being Self Motivated to achieve by all of them.

Not only have Year 11 being completing their homework online but as they are currently in the middle of their mock exams many pupils have been using Mathswatch to attempt online past exam papers to give them a flavour of what might come up when they get into the exam hall.  With Mathswatch marking and grading everything they do it is a fantastic resource to use.

The Maths Department is extremely proud of all pupils who have engaged so positively this term.  Mathswatch continues to be an invaluable tool in supporting learning, and we look forward to seeing even more success in the next term.