Heartlines 14 Spring 2014 by Heartlands Academy

Newsletter Newsletter of Heartlands Academy

Issue 14 Spring 2014

Outstanding! Again! Déja vu? H

eartlands Academy has done it again by receiving an Outstanding judgment from Ofsted! The Academy (and the former High School) has now proved itself to be not only head and shoulders above the rest, but also that it can sustain this success following its third consecutive Outstanding judgment last month. Here is an account of our journey:

Outstanding Judgment

(Jan 2009)

In 2007 the Heartlands High School was judged to be Good and by 2009 it had secured its first Outstanding judgment. In September 2009, the High School became what is now Heartlands Academy and shortly afterwards, work began on a new building.

Outstanding Judgment

(Jan 2012)

The staff demonstrated determination and teaching continued to be delivered at an Outstanding level. At that time Ofsted said: “Heartlands Academy is an Outstanding school because, regardless of their background or starting points, students achieve exceptionally well.”

“This is an Outstanding school. Students receive an outstanding education at Heartlands Academy. This includes their personal and social development as well as their academic achievement.” Ofsted 2014

Outstanding Judgment

(Feb 2014)

The academy was inspected again in February; it was announced that Heartlands Academy was judged yet again as Outstanding. This was confirmation that staff and students alike have continued to work hard at maintaining this exceptional level of teaching and learning. As before, the academy successfully achieved Outstanding in ALL criteria. Heartlands Academy truly is Outstanding.

Mrs Jones’ Diary 2014 E-ACT Games Rowing Finals Year 7,8,9 & 10 13/03/2014

March there is still The spring break is getting closer; it offers our all Creative Curriculum Week and an e-mail but students. Then not a phone call, of the one y which reads, “Heartlands Academ at ress prog best in the country for student GCSE.” cational Heartlands has won an SSAT Edu ress prog g Outcomes Award for outstandin AT SS of e Sue Williamson, Chief Executiv said: gratulated ‘Heartlands Academy should be con y have The for their exceptional achievement. in field the proved themselves to be leading ents. stud r thei we? improving GCSE outcomes for ol scho this Thursday 6th February There is so much good practice that documents join will ols More lesson observations, meetings, could share, and I hope many scho t a result. A chance evidence! Then it’s all over and wha us at the celebration ceremony for the judgement. rdawa with third successive “OUTSTANDING” to network and share strategies ernors This is what the staff, students, gov winning schools. tinues to mitment and parents deserve. Heartlands con ‘These results are testament to the com thrives on and hers teac have an amazing community that and hard work of the students, y, dem success. Aca leadership team at Heartlands e most n skilled In a message to the staff I wrote: “Th and show what can be achieved whe is its staff. ambition and valuable resource the academy has teachers have high expectations ectly. this that d You continue to exemplify this perf for every young person. I am prou ’ ork. netw Thank you.” school is a member of the SSAT have is our to ity rtun The other most valuable resource we On that note, may I take this oppo evement k. students and their pride in this achi wish you all a restful spring brea must also be acknowledged. Mrs G. Jones Principal

January term. Morale The start of a new year and a new our external of was high following the outcome review in December 2013. February le, days The “grey” month; weather is miserab emy acad the are short, arriving and leaving TED OFS from in the dark. Then a phone call e, driv over into – what again? Everyone goes few – ns stio a new framework-lots of que uary 2014. answers! The day arrives – 5th Febr rs but ecto insp This time not only OFSTED Won’t we? l Wil ! HMI to keep an eye on them

t was that time of year again for the academy to host the next round of the E-ACT games event. March saw the return of the national rowing finals. It proved to be another competitive event, with academies travelling from all over the country to take part in the prestigious games. A strong Heartlands team managed to improve on their previous overall team score by finishing a very creditable third overall. There were some notable performances throughout the day but the stand out performer was most definitely Abdirazaq Mohamed Year 9who annihilated the field to take the Gold medal! A big thank you has to go out to the Year 10 Trailblazers, who once again did a fantastic job in running the day. Well done to all of Team Heartlands. The PE team

Rising Rugby Star Davon Williams

ver the last few years, Davon Williams (Year 10) has made huge strides in the world of Rugby Union. Initially, Davon realised he had a love of the sport through his PE lessons and decided that he wanted to further develop his natural talent by playing for a team outside of the Academy. After playing for his club side, he was soon asked to represent the County and from there, even greater accolades were to come his way... Rising Rugby star, Davon Williams, had the great honour of donning the kit of Worcester Warriors - a professional Rugby team who play in the Aviva Premiership. Davon was selected to play for the professional side during the holidays and now is a valued member of their prestigious squad. We wish him well on his quest to be the next star of English Rugby.... Mr Vyakaranam

DISCOVERY CENTRE Mathematics, Science, Health & Social Care.

There’s a lot happening in Maths and Science. Visit our website to read about: the online event “I’m a Scientist get me out of here”; The Year 10 Maths competition and Maths success in the UKMT competition.

Big Bang Fair 2014 13/03/2014 Year 7 & 8 @ the NEC, Birmingham

O Science Presentation Year 7

ome of the Year 7 students took part in a science presentation/ demonstration aimed at stretching the extent of their understanding of science and its applications. Mr Barker, from the University of Warwick, delivered the presentation which involved many chemistry demonstrations. Here are some comments from the students about the presentation: “The presentation I attended was really inspiring. It made me think about science and what role it plays in the world. I enjoyed every part of it, especially the explosions.” Abubakar. “I think the performance was breathtaking. At the end of the show I was absolutely speechless.” Sameer. “It was an amazing insight into how chemistry works. There were explosions, colour changes and glowing chemicals. I have now come to know and see things I didn’t know could happen.” Arifah.

n the 13th of March, the Maths Challenge Club went on a spine tingling trip to the Big Bang Fair at the NEC Arena. When we arrived there were hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, from all over the UK. I couldn’t believe how many interesting inventions I found there. Here are some of our favourite moments: “There was a show about explosives with lots of loud bangs, where we learnt how to make fire and gunpowder by combining oxygen, heat and fuel. The presenter also explained how to make cannons and rockets.” Abdulahi Haji 7JOR. “I went to the Air-mazing show which talked about the new compressed air hybrid cars and how in the future people will be driving them. These cars would have pumps that use air to generate energy and they recycle the air whenever you stop.” Anisa Said 8KHA. “One of my favourite models was the Herschel Space Observatory. It is the largest ever infra-red space telescope

which carries a 3.5m diameter mirror! Also, its sensitive instruments were cooled to within a degree of absolute zero using liquid helium stored in the large black tank below the mirror.” Sabrina Chim 8SAR. “We got to see a model of the Bloodhound SSC which is the fastest car in the world! There were lots of facts about this car; one of the facts is that it can travel at 1,000 mph. It was 14m long and weighed 7 tonnes! I liked the trip because we had lots of fun and they gave us a lot of freebies!” Hassan Sajid 8SHL. “I loved the whole experience but I particularly enjoyed putting the organs back together into an human anatomy model. The lady was very nice and she explained about transplants and the surgical processes required” Haleema Khan 8SMK. Overall, it was an amazing opportunity to go to the fair. We were able to learn about interesting things and what we would like to do in the future.

exploration CENTRE History, Geography, Religious Education, Sociology and Psychology

Year 10 Geography Field Trip to Lyme Regis - March 2014

n Friday 28th March pupils from Year 10 geography embarked on a field trip to Lyme Regis, Dorset. Fortunately, after cancelling the trip on account of poor weather in February, the group was treated to glorious sunshine at the second attempt. After several hours of travelling, the group finally

made it down to the Jurassic Coast to investigate the coastal defences protecting the town from the sea. The pupils - accompanied by Miss Fleming, Miss Freeman, Mr Griffin, Mr Heath and Mr Clark - spent an entertaining few hours studying the defences, eating ice creams and enjoying the refreshing coastal air. Having studied coastal

management in the weeks prior to the trip, Year 10 were well aware of the coastal defences they might see: rock armour, beach nourishment and sea walls to name a few. The positive atmosphere of the day spoke volumes about the success of the trip and the benefits of seeing the defences at work before their eyes, and not even the torrential downpour on the journey home could dampen the spirits of the pupils and staff following a thoroughly enjoyable day at the beach! Mr Griffin

expression CENTRE

English, Modern Foreign Languages, Poetry Slam

his term’s Poetry Slam competition was brilliant. The turnout was absolutely fantastic with contributors from years 7-13. The quality of poetry was superb and, what was so great to see, was that there was a whole range of students participating in the competition. Each student stood up and presented their original poem in front of the audience. There was a range of emotions potrayed in the poems and it was lovely to see that the students didn’t shy away from showing it. Ilham (the host), the three judges and our fabulous poets all made the event a positive experience for all. Our third place prize went to Arshad Hussain (year 13), second place went to Rajinderpal Singh (year 7) and first place went to Salma Ibrahim (year 13). Thank you to everyone involved in the evening. Here is an extract from Salma Ibrahim’s winning poem:

My Education

You must understand, Though you are unwilling to see things any differently with your narrowed vision, You must see That it is your culture that doesn't suit I, not that I don't suit your culture. In an attempt to educate myself and the children of fellow immigrants, You taught us to dream for ourselves,... To see the full poem, please visit our website.

Corialanus at the MAC Year 7, 8 & 9

s part of the Academy’s commitment to broadening cultural aspirations, a group of Shakespeare enthusiasts spent an evening at the MAC arts centre in Cannon Hill park to watch the acclaimed National Theatre’s Live screening of Coriolanus, one of Shakespeare’s later, darker, and most politically mature plays. Coriolanus is a hero to his people on the battlefield. When he returns home and is offered a place in the Senate, he reveals himself to be dedicated to the state, but so

unconcerned with his own reputation in regards to the people of the city, he is quickly taken advantage of by unscrupulous Senators, and cast into exile. His revenge takes him, and us, to unexpected places. With a cast led by Tom Hiddleston, this blood drenched, claustrophobic rendition held the audience enthralled to the drama. The feedback from students was so positive that we plan to arrange visits to further National Theatre Live performances! Watch this space. Mr Burns

Her eyes burnt with the desire for vengeance. After 100 years of lying await, it was now time to take revenge... She wasn’t going to give up. She was forced to live this ‘dead’ life. Her story was quite the heartbreaker but she didn’t seem to care. She practised and tracked down blood. She wanted to be more than a fragment of their imagination. She wanted to be the saviour. She wanted to become the night ridden vigilante. She wanted to roam the streets at night looking for the guilty. “They shall pay in full for their mistakes. I shall find them!” The cold abyss in her chest was slowly warming to this new founded warmth. A warmth that was contaminated with the sweet taste of revenge.

The glittering sapphire-blue ocean sparkled below them as they stared out of the window. They looked down at their fates. They saw a place that had been seen by the immortal. They saw the city. The city that had made its way into the lives of the fortunate. They were at the lost city of Atlantis. Did you think that the lost city was only a myth? Think again... An inscription read: ‘You should be loving someone and you know who it must be. You’ll never find Atlantis ‘till you make that someone me.’ Obviously, with great power comes great responsibility. But, could they live up to this? It was too great a challenge. Atlantis – a place of imagination. The ocean could smile, the sand could whisper. That’s what I saw him. He was crying. The sadness was etched upon his face. She kissed him. The pilot circled the island four

Memories plagued his mind. He was soaked full of sad memories. The events of the previous night replayed in his mind. As memory provoked memory, his juggler’s mind threw club after spinning club into the spinning tempest of shame...until the inevitable occurred. Frozen in time, observing the goings on around him – trapped in a frame, a moment of time. No one could hear him or know what he wanted. It was like a terminal illness. His mind was eating him up from the inside out. How could something that looked so happy, have the deep, deep sadness deep inside? The memories kept plaguing him returning when he least expected them. He looked and stared at the endless sight of a frozen image. Yet again, his tears fell – but why was he crying? Could this innocent child be the victim of rejection? Rivers of tears fell from his heart broken eye.

W Y R O ST

Holding hands, the guardians kept watch. Bruised bonds betrayed broken oaths. With the blood dray within their broken skin, they stood there. Waiting. Waiting for a calling to set them free from their hopeless past. A calling never came. Instead, they stood there frozen; hand in hand with the disciples of their mind. The mind that had caused people distress within their lives (the lives they lived with a shattered window with the cold howl of the wounded hound). They looked perplexed and dejected. They held hands as mothers would hold their children. Tauntingly, they opened their hollow mouths and blood gurgling music filled the surroundings. Suddenly, winds protruded from their stone spires, colliding with one another.

Billy wondered if they were still following him. Slowly, he turned around and noticed a strangelooking door that was not there before... Suddenly, as he stared at the ancient door, the door began to creep open! A shiver raced down his elongated spine. Skeletal leaves, capillaries petrified and glinting in flashes in the obscene moonlight, wove manic dances and seemed to sing in runic incantations, shrieking rustled epistles to elemental deities. The issue now awaited him. There was no turning back now. Life as he knew it was to come to an end, the minute he opened the door. Abruptly, a dragon came through it...

G N I WRIT

Using five different pictures for inspiration, the whole Academy combined forces to create five short stories. Every student and member of staff were invited to contribute a sentence, a word or a paragraph to the narrative. Visit our website to see the full story(ies)!

imagination CENTRE Art, Drama, Music Heartlands Beats at the Adrian Boult Hall 07/04/14

or the third year running, the wind band, with its new name, performed at the Adrian Boult Hall in Birmingham Conservatoire as part of the Birmingham Music Service’s gala concerts. It has become a tradition to have tea at McDonald’s prior to the concert and we were delighted to bump into Mr Smith, who we thought was now working there until he told us he was bringing his own children to perform in the concert with their school. We were also very lucky to meet a student from Birmingham Conservatoire, Svetlana, who is a harpist from Bulgaria and she

LAMDA Examinations 04/04/2014 Y8, 9 & 10

O played to us which was wonderful. Sabrina Chim got the chance to play one of the special Steinway concert grand pianos which was also very exciting. All these things happened before the actual performance! The band performed two pieces: Beat It and Bear Necessities and played brilliantly, as they deserved to after all their hard work at rehearsals. Well done to “Heartlands Beats” who were fantastic ambassadors for the Academy. Mrs Hanson

n Friday 4th April, nine students from Heartlands Academy together with six pupils from Nechells Primary E-ACT Academy, were entered for a performance exam offered by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art which is one of London’s oldest and prestigious drama schools. The students from across Years 8-10, had to perform two solo monologues to an external examiner and were tested on their knowledge of the characters within the pieces. These additional nationally recognised qualifications will demonstrate their practical performance skills and when they reach grades 6, 7 and 8, will give them UCAS points which, in turn, will help them when applying to university in the future. The results of the exams graded at either a pass, Merit or Distinction are expected to be available to the academy within the next 4-6 weeks. The pupils from Nechells Primary E-ACT Academy have been preparing for their exam with Mr Henshaw as part of the drama support provided to local primary schools by Heartlands Academy. Mr Henshaw

innovation CENTRE ICT, Business Studies, Design Technology, ASDAN Microsoft Office certification gives you the tools to build a brighter future...

Eat and be Merry! 01/12/2013 Y10

hristmas seems like a lifetime away but despite this, Mrs Salter wanted to share the fantastic event that the year 10 Hospitality and Catering students carried out for the ladies and gentlemen from the POD. Year 10 worked hard to produce a gourmet three course festive meal. The students showed off their culinary talents. The festive chocolate brownie was a triumph! The main course illustrated how simple ingredients could be turned into a gourmet treat. It was the first time that the students had felt the pressure of catering for a large number of customers and they

rose to the challenge in the style of true professionals. The front of house waiting team showed a real confidence with thier newly acquired service skills. The praise from the ladies and gentlemen meant a great deal to the students. All of the students learnt a great deal from the event. They should be very proud of what they achieved. Mrs Salter

s part of our journey in becoming a centre of excellence, the ICT department is now offering a new qualification, giving students the opportunity to become a Microsoft Office Specialist, Expert or Master. They will be trained to develop and advance their skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access. We are looking to trial this in the summer term 2 with Years 8 and 9, before extending the opportunity to parents and other staff members. Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is the world’s most recognised computing qualification for proving a person’s skills and abilities in Microsoft Office applications. Earning MOS certification can help students differentiate themselves in today’s competitive job market. It helps broaden their employment opportunities by proving that they have advanced skills in Microsoft Office, which can result in a higher earning potential. Any questions, please speak to Mr Farooq in ICT.

NEWS FROM THE SIXTH FORM

Year 12 Enrichment Programme

Y Community Apprentice Event with Envision

ebruary saw the launch of the Community Apprentice event which was held at Birmingham Library. Heartlands was chosen, along with nine other schools across Birmingham, to work with Envision with a view to developing projects within their community. Twenty-two of our Year 12 students went along to the launch with open minds. The students came back feeling inspired, thrilled and full of ideas to raise awareness and money for their chosen charity, ‘SIFA Fireside’, a charity that tackles homelessness and alcohol misuse. The group decided to split into two sub-groups and competition between them has been fierce but fair. To date,

the teams have raised money by selling refreshments, holding a movie night, a non-uniform day, planned bag packing, a cultural day, raffles and not forgetting the generous donations from staff. Over the next few weeks, the Year 12 students will continue to raise money for their chosen charity while hoping for the chance to win the title of ’Birmingham’s Community Apprentices’. Watch this space to reveal the final winner!!!!! Miss Taylor You can check out the teams’ progress on Twitter @realityenvision AND @hope_envison_

ear 12 took part in an Employability Career Workshop which was delivered by the Army Careers Service. The workshop highlighted the skills and attributes needed by all employers within the work place. Students were given tips on developing their CV and interview techniques.

“The workshop was a real eye opener, it showed me a multitude of ways to stand out when applying for a job.”

Nalaye Duale 12BGA.

Measuring lung function using a spirometer

Performing keyhole surgery

Taking blood from an artificial arm named “Johnny”

Classroom Medics Y9 & 11

Taking photographs of the retina using the latest technology

Looking inside the body using ultrasound

In March, students from Years 9 and 11 took part in an interactive science workshop led by Tom Warrender from Classroom Medics. They had ‘hands-on’ experience of a range of medical equipment and were able to practise a variety of tests. Overall, it was a fantastic experience and they gained an understanding of how science is used in various careers throughout the health service.

Measuring electrical activity in the heart using an Electrocardiogram (ECG)

“That was brilliant ! I really enjoyed drawing blood from the fake arm.” Angel, Year 11.

“I have learnt so much, we should do this more often.” Fanta, Year 9.

Opening Times Mon - Fri: 8am - 4pm NEW Late Opening for Sixth Form Students Mon - Thu: until 7pm

E Library Service

Heartlands Academy is offering all students and staff a new E Library service. No fees, automatic returns and no lost books. See the LRC for more information or simply log in to the following website and start borrowing:

http://heartlandslrc.lib.overdrive.com/

E-SAFETY

E-Safety is a priority at Heartlands Academy and we have measures in place to protect students from unsuitable on-line content while at the academy. If you would like to find out how to keep your child safe at home, please contact a member of our E-Safety team or visit our website for further information. Mrs Buckingham, Miss Johnson, Miss Brown and Mr Ahsan.

Calendar 2013/14 Summer Term Term Starts Monday 28 April Mayday

Monday 5 May (academy closed)

Teacher day Tuesday 6 May (closed to students) Year 11 Graduation Thursday 8 May (provisional) Year 8 Parents Evening Thursday 15 May Half Term

Monday 26 May to Friday 30 May

Year 10 Parents’ Evening Thursday 26 June Year 7 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 3 July

Term Ends Monday 21 July

Autumn Term Term Starts Monday 1 September Half Term

Monday 27 October to Friday 31 October

Term Ends Friday 19 December NB: Training days and Parents’ Evenings for the autumn term will be published in the next edition of Heartlines.

Music Technology Club started this month with a fantastic turn out for years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Mr Bard is currently teaching the art of remixing and by May half term, our extremely enthusiastic music technologists will have created their very own remix of Pharrell’s “Happy”, Will.i.am’s “Scream and Shout” or Avicii’s “Wake Me Up”. Stay posted for the next newsletter where some of the best Heartlands remixes will be published to YouTube!