On Thursday 12^th July, a team of 7 Turves Green Boys’ pupils visited Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School for their first cricket fixture. Our pupils have been working hard in the nets and were keen to test themselves in a competitive cricket fixture against our local Matrix school, Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School. The Turves Green Boys batted first and posted a very respectable 95/6 off their 10 overs, special mention to our last minute call ups Khizar K. and Fayed Q. who put on a 36 run last wicket partnership.

On the whole, our boys bowled well with special mention to our openers Mikey W. and Azan W., who’s pace and accuracy caused an array of problems of the DEC batsmen. It was a close match but DEC eventually ran out winners, reaching their total 96/2 with 6 balls to spare. It was clear their experience in the indoor format and excellent communication when running between the wickets made the difference. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the game and I have no doubt will go from strength to strength in their respective cricket leagues next year!

On Tuesday 9^th July, we invited our local poet Giovanni Esposito aka ‘Spoz’ to perform and create some spoken word poetry with our year 7, 8 and 10s.

Each year group is currently studying poetry in English. As part of our endeavours to provide enriching experiences for all pupils, we wanted our boys to experience poetry beyond the curriculum.

Each year group listened to him perform and were invited to create some of their own raps. Considering rhyme and vocabulary in a different mode allowed them to extend their learning beyond the classroom in an interactive and fun way.A selection of our Reading Ambassadors and pupils who have read two or more of our recommended 16 by 16 books were invited a reward workshop with Spoz to hone their skills further. The best performances received a signed copy of the poet’s book.

Year 9

On Monday 8^th July, we invited local poet, Giovanni Esposito, aka ‘Spoz’ to run a day long ‘poetry Slam in our main hall.

Year 9 are currently studying poetry in English. As part of our endeavours to provide enriching experiences for all pupils, we wanted our boys to experience poetry beyond the classroom.Pupils were treated to a performance from the former Birmingham City Football Club Poet Laureate ahead of creating some of their own raps. Working in groups, pupils wrote and performed a number of ‘slams’, there was some fierce competition. All winners received a signed copy of one of the poet’s books.

On the 3^rd of July we welcomed back our Year 11s to celebrate their 5 years at TGBS. Unfortunately, the long awaited Lomas Football tournament was rained off but the boys took to the sports hall to enjoy the array of inflatables.

They had their final favourite lunch ahead of their leavers assembly. They were treated to some of their best moments during their time at Turves, world events over the last 5 years and a solo performance from D Robson, ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele and ‘Sweet Caroline’, of course they all joined in. Who would have though Y11 were such huge Adele fans?!

Finally, the afternoon saw some of them playing football on the astro turf and more inflatable battles.It was a pleasure to host the for the day and we wish them all the best.

In the year 7 Earth topic, the students have been learning all about the night sky and the Solar system where both artificial and natural satellites amongst other celestial objects can be found! Models are used all the time within science lessons to contextualise the learning and for this particular homework linked to their Earth topic the students were asked to design their very own model of the solar system! Needless to say, the students were very creative within their designs with several winners selected (Logan, Mason, Matthew, Jay, George, Jamie and Luca) to win a sweet treat that was out of this world for going above and beyond the design brief!

Day 1

Monday 1^st July was the beginning of our annual Careers Week with Year 10. This is an important week to provide our pupils an insight into life beyond school. On Day 1, pupils attended either Aston University or University of Birmingham. They had campus tours, as well as model lectures and workshops. Pupils were involved in engineering-focused workshops at the University of Birmingham, delivered by their Science faculty.

Day 2

On Tuesday 2nd July, our Year 10 pupils visited Cadbury College and Solihull College to experience what they to offer. Pupils experienced a taster of some of the different courses available and enjoyed touring the campus to see what life is like for students at the different colleges. Our pupils represented the school brilliantly and found the day informative and interesting.

Day 3

On Wednesday 3rd July, our Year 10 pupils visited different apprenticeship and training providers to experience what they to offer. Pupils visited either Make UK, Ladder Skills, CITB or University College Birmingham. Pupils experienced a taster of some of the different courses available ranging from practical courses like roofing to engineering and manufacturing focused apprenticeships and training.

Day 4

Thursday 4th July was our ‘Experience of the Workplace’ day where pupils had the chance to hear from professionals from a range of different careers about life in their workplace. Our visitors included: radiographers from the NHS, the Civil Service, Collins Aerospace, Kier Construction, the Army and The Apprenticeship Centre. Our pupils enjoyed learning about different aspects of life in the workplace as well as the different career pathways on offer. Pupils particularly enjoyed getting ‘hands-on’ with some of the tools that Kier had on display!

Day 5

Friday 5th July was our final day of an enjoyable and informative Careers Week. We invited a number of different employers into school to conduct mock interviews with all of our Year 10 pupils. Although many were nervous beforehand, our pupils gave a great account of themselves and found the experience very useful. Our visitors were very complimentary of the pupils and this was a great way to round off an excellent week!

The Allies Club presented a diversity showcase which consisted of a show around the understanding of diversity, including LGBTQ+, showcasing a variety of practiced talents such as a read poem, empowering dances, a drama piece about acceptance written by the pupils, and a finale of a fashion show for which the pupils spent the previous term creating their own clothes from recycled materials. 

Our reading rewards vending machine continues to be a focal point of our celebrations on a Friday lunchtime. Pupils from all year groups are considered and selected for a range of approaches to demonstrating our TURVES Values.  

Winners this week include: 

Year 7 

P Curnew: his efforts around school. This week he has helped with the year 5 transition morning in science, he has attended rehearsals all week. As well as this Mrs Brittain was teaching about recipes in her French lesson. They looked at the recipe for a lemon drizzle cake. Patrick then, without being asked to, went home and made the lemon drizzle cake with his Nan. 

S Jimale – for consistently showing Turves values and being an unsung member of his form that will continually and quietly get it right.   

L Harbridge for his excellent behaviour and meeting expectations each and every day. 

Year 8  

C Kunzwa – For integrating into the school and having a hugely positive start.   

Year 9  

D Zema for his overall excellent behaviour record and fantastic effort in science this month. 

Year 10 

L Commander – For always showing outstanding effort in lessons and acquiring 0 negative points this year.   

A group of students in Year 8 have really excelled at their mid-point English assessments recently. This group includes: K. Hussain (8T1), L. Cullen (8T1), D. Da Conciecao (8T1), L. Thompson Clarke (8T1), T. Cham (8T1) and A. Williams (8T1).

Boys across Year 8 have been improving the way they use academic writing to explain the meanings of poems and have been learning to use new skills and techniques to help them to write with crystal clarity. Some boys have gone on to show a maturity beyond their years in their writing and have really impressed.

Year 8 have been looking at the theme of ‘Identity’ through poetry. The boys have been looking at poets such as: John Agard, Grace Nichols and Sujata Bhatt who write about their experiences of growing into a new culture and identity, when moving to Britain from other parts of the world.  The poets use imagery and humour to get challenging and complex ideas across, and the boys have really risen to the challenge of both understanding these ideas, and of explaining them through their skillful ability to write in an academic style. 

To encourage further excellence, the boys who have been most successful in their writing have been awarded a book to read and enjoy.

Keep it up boys!

The SEND Department has had a busy half term, offering guidance to our Yr 9 pupils as they choose their options for KS4 and supporting our current pupils with their GCSEs and End of Year Examinations.

We have also had the pleasure of welcoming some of our new pupils who will be joining us in September 2024. We held a Parent/Pupil Transition Evening and two additional SEND Transition Mornings this year. All events were extremely successful and we are eager to welcome our new students into the Turves Green family in the new academic year.

July - September is always a time of transition for schools; for some pupils, change can be exciting, for others it can be a time of worry and anxiety. If anyone has any worries or concerns around transition next term, then please let me know and we will do everything possible to support this.

Changes in routines, such as those brought about by summer holidays can be difficult for some pupils. Please see the details for a SEND Youth Club that is hosted every Friday evening for young people aged 7-16, close to Villa Park.

This is a FREE opportunity for young people to take part in fun sporting activities and games, as well as socialise with other each week.

Recently, our year 9 students had the opportunity to witness a fascinating science demonstration on the Thermite reaction. The demonstration not only showcased the incredible power of this reaction but also highlighted its practical applications in real-world scenarios, specifically in rail-road track welding.

The Thermite reaction is a highly exothermic reaction between iron oxide and aluminum, resulting in the production of molten iron. This reaction generates intense heat, reaching temperatures of over 2500 degrees Celsius, making it an effective method for welding metals together. In the case of rail-road track welding, the Thermite reaction is commonly used to join sections of railroad tracks together, creating a seamless and durable connection.

Furthermore, the demonstration was linked to the HS2 project, a high-speed rail project currently under construction. The HS2 project aims to connect major cities in the UK with a high-speed rail network, improving transportation efficiency and reducing travel times. The use of Thermite welding in rail-road track construction plays a crucial role in the success of this project, ensuring that the tracks are securely joined and able to withstand the high speeds of the trains.Overall, the Thermite reaction demonstration provided our students with a valuable insight into the world of chemistry and its practical applications in engineering and construction. By linking the demonstration to the HS2 project, students were able to see how the science they learn in the classroom can have real-world implications and contribute to important infrastructure projects.