Year 10 & 11 pupils enjoyed a visit from Onatti Theatre, a French theatre company who perform interactive and engaging shows. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the story of attempted insurance fraud by a pair of French thieves and many of our pupils took on starring roles in the production as characters Madame Burger (Callum H, Year 11),  Hugo (Jacob H, Year 11) and – central to the plot – the doorbell (various Year 10 pupils)! Pupils (and Mr Woodall) rose to the challenge of understanding the entirely French production. Très bien, les gars!

Our trip to Leicester was out of this world! Arriving in style, we were greeted with a fantastic show of our solar system in the Sir Patrick Moore planetarium which immersed us in a journey through our solar system (though I have to admit it left me feeling a little dizzy whizzing through the planets). Once we regained our centre of gravity we split into 2 teams to tackle both the tower - where the pupils marvelled at how technology has changed over the years – and the ground team who looked through the different principles that underpin our very universe. After meeting back at the home planet and having a spot of lunch we then switch sides so every pupil had a chance to explore the entire centre and engage in all the amazing displays. A quick trip back (and a few choruses of Sweet Caroline later) and we were home. The pupils behaved admirably and really enjoyed the day.

On Friday 7th February the F1 in School Teams competed at the West Midlands Regional Final at Aston University. The boys competed amazingly well and recorded the 2nd, 4th and 5th fastest car times out of 21 teams. They were shortlisted for 3 awards, including "best sponsorship" and "fastest reaction time". They had to present to industry professionals and give team talks to volunteers about their journey, although very nervous, they all performed amazingly and got several commendations from judges. Unfortunately, we didn't walk away with any trophies, but we will be having our own awards ceremony in school.

We are going to meet again after the half term and hopefully start preparing for the step-up into "Development" class.

This week, we have additional awards for pupils who have exemplified TURVES Values in the community. 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., contributions in the community and extra-curricular efforts.  

Year 7: A Hall: A polite and respectful pupil who consistently demonstrates what it means to be a TGBS pupil.  

Year 11: H White: Using his first aid skills to help a member of the community this week.  

Y10 N Shaw exemplifies Turves Values and making excellent progress in GCSEs. 

Our commitment to driving up literacy standards at TGBS continues with a keen focus on developing oracy for all staff and pupils this year. As part of an ongoing programme to promote confidence in a range spoken arenas, all pupils will have the opportunity to take part in an externally run workshop this academic year. Our second workshop took place this week for some of our Year and 9 pupils. The esteemed oracy specialists ‘Talk the Talk’ took the boys through a series of activities exploring their confidence in communicating aloud, friendship groups, adapting to new situations and new opportunities. All the boys took part in individual, paired and group discussions and presentations. The pupils felt they were more confident in talking aloud, sharing ideas and trying new things in their evaluations at the end of the day. The trainers were full of praise for our boys and are keen to come back to work with our older pupils.

11E1 have continued to show their application of key skills for English Literature in their latest Friday morning assessment. The pupils were asked to compare the poem Remains by Simon Armitage with one other of their choice from the Power and Conflict poems. Many made a significant improvement from their attempt in their mocks in October which is great to see. Pupils looked at the feedback they were given and tried to improve their work by focusing on a personalised task - this is the green pen work which you can see in the pictures. The class will continue to complete their assessment tasks on Friday morning between now and half term to help them further develop their skills for English Literature.

The work in the picture is from: B. Abaker, C. Bosely K. Fisher, K. Foster, J. Hartnell, C. Hatch, A. Smith, M. Weston in Year 11. 

As parents and carers, we all aspire for our children to develop the confidence and ability to express their mental health needs effectively. Research indicates that one in five children are recognising their need for support with mental health, highlighting the importance of open conversations and accessible guidance.

At Turves Green Boys’ School, we are committed to equipping our pupils with the knowledge and skills to understand, articulate, and seek appropriate support for their mental wellbeing. We believe that developing self-awareness and resilience is fundamental to their overall development and success.

From Monday 3rd February to Sunday 9th February, we will be supporting Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week, an initiative aimed at promoting mental health awareness among young people. This year’s theme, "Know Yourself, Grow Yourself", delivered in partnership with Here4You and Disney, encourages children across the UK to explore their identity, strengths, and emotions—helping them build resilience, confidence, and a positive mindset.

Throughout the week and beyond, our pupils will engage in assemblies and discussions designed to reinforce these key messages and provide practical strategies for maintaining good mental health.

If you have any questions regarding Children’s Mental Health Week, please feel free to contact the school at postbox@tgbs.co.uk. For further information, you can visit the official website: www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk.

Thank you for your ongoing support in prioritising the well-being of our young people.

Year 10 drama pupils are working on bringing scenes from the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen to life for their BTec Component 2 coursework. This contemporary, emotionally charged production follows the story of Evan Hansen, a socially awkward teenager dealing with the impact of mental health struggles, loneliness, and the consequences of one impulsive lie.

The pupils, who have been studying the musical’s theme of Equality, are working hard to recreate pivotal moments from the show. Dear Evan Hansen has been praised for its raw portrayal of adolescent issues, and these young performers rose to the challenge of interpreting such complex characters and situations.

The pupils were tasked with selecting key scenes from the show that would allow them to explore both emotional depth and dynamic stage presence. They focused on building the authenticity of characters like Evan, who longs to fit in but finds himself at the centre of a web of miscommunication. By embodying the struggles Evan faces, such as his desire to be understood and accepted, the pupils gained deeper insight into the emotional layers of the character.

Throughout the process, pupils have reflected on the experience of engaging with a musical that addresses such poignant, contemporary issues. Many expressed how challenging, yet rewarding, it was to step into the shoes of characters who are struggling with their sense of worth. 

Our reading rewards vending machine continues to be a focal point of our weekly celebrations on a Friday lunchtime in the new year. Pupils from all year groups are considered and selected for a range of approaches to demonstrating our TURVES Values, representing the school and attendance at extra-curricular clubs.

Winners this week include:

Year 7: Abdulazim O:  A polite and respectful young man who has consistently demonstrated the TURVES values since starting in September.  

Year 8: Yaseen I For his outstanding effort in lessons and around school.  

Year 9: Jak A – quiet man but works hard in lessons and has got involved across multiple fields.  

Year 10: Denis B:A pupil who has shown a shift in his attitude to learning, especially showing great effort in his French lessons.  

Year 11: Oscar B is a dedicated and hardworking individual who may be quiet in class but always puts in great effort. Their focus and determination are evident in their work, and they consistently produce thoughtful, high-quality results.

As Spring 1 has begun, the boys have began their dive into plays and drama in English. The English department is thrilled to show off on this post how engaged and brilliant the students attitude is towards the plays.

In KS3 we are currently teaching The Tempest (Y7), Blood Brother (Y8) and Romeo and Juliet (Y9). The boys are reading and, recently, we have introduced a little more drama into our lessons!

Our Trainee, Nat, worked with the Y8’s to create freeze frames for the prologue of Blood Brothers. The boys reflected on the key theme of tragedy to inspire their presentation of the separation of Mickey and Edward and also their death. The Y8’s managed to capture the pain and grief of the play whilst also building on skills like team work, organisation and physical coordination.

In Y9, the boys have been focussing on themes of fate and love. During Miss Tom’s English lessons they have been re-enacting the romance of the first meeting at Capulet’s ball while considering ideas surrounding affection and the concept of love at first sight.

Finally, in Y7 the boys have been focussing on threats and insults between Caliban and Prospero. They have understood how anger can be performed through tone of voice and how meaning can be shifted due to projection of voice.

Below are some photos of the fantastic team work and resilience in these tasks from the boys in Y8 that we hope you enjoy 😊