Heartlines issue 19 Autumn 2015

Newsletter Newsletter of Heartlands Academy

Issue 19 Autumn Term 2015

Farewell Mrs Jones! 2003-15

The journey and transformation of the school under the headship of Mrs Jones : 2003 THHS HMI Special Measures In May, Mrs Jones is appointed as the new Headteacher.

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Ofsted - Good and Improving.

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he end of this autumn term will mark the end of an era, as we all say a fond farewell to our Principal, Mrs Jones who is stepping down to take a well deserved retirement after over 41 years in education.

When Glynis first arrived in 2003, the school was in special measures and in danger of closing. Instead, under her influential leadership, the school, staff and students have been on an incredible journey of success.

In 2006, HMI returned and judged it “good and improving” and by 2008, the school recorded its highest ever GCSE results. It was also praised in an Ofsted national report as “an aspiration to other schools”. Glynis said this had been achieved by “taking the school back to basics and making teaching and learning a high focus”.

Glynis’ leadership has proved to be inspirational for everyone at

Heartlands, encouraging students to maximise their progress and staff to develop to their full potential. Glynis has always put the students and their education first and her mantra of “Heartlands students can…” has been influential to all and has been embraced by everyone within the academy.

Glynis’ drive to improve has been persistent, energetic and focussed with a willingness to listen and give staff the time and opportunity to flourish.

Thanks to Glynis, the community now has a well-established outstanding academy to support the development of children in the area.

All the staff and students wish her a long and happy retirement, time to enjoy her family, her friends and beautiful garden - she will be sadly missed.

Mrs Smith, Senior Assistant Principal

In February, the Heartlands High School receives an Ofsted Outstanding judgment.

In September, it converts to an E-ACT academy and became known as Heartlands Academy.

2011

Construction work was underway for a new academy building.

2012

In January, the academy receives an Ofsted Outstanding judgment.

In September, the new building opens and everyone moves in.

2013

In January, the academy is listed as one of the government’s top 100 most improved schools for pupil progress.

The new sports fields are completed.

2014

In February, the academy receives an Ofsted Outstanding judgment.

2015

The academy is awarded Teaching School status.

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Mrs Jones’ Diary 2015

This is my last newsletter and never has a message been so difficult to write. I hope that over the years, I have helped you young people to develop so that you can create your own image.

I hope I have: • Made you feel important • Made you feel special • Made you realise I believe in you • Made you realise I respect you • Helped you to succeed You can all be winners.

In life, sometimes be silly but always be honest and kind. As I

Welcome to our New Principal, Mr Tattersfield

close the latest chapter in my life, your next chapter is well and truly up and running. It has been a privilege to be an important part of your education; you are a credit to your families and this academy.

Finally, I would like to wish everybody, staff and students alike, the very best for the future at the academy under the leadership of Mr Tattersfield.

Merry Christmas Mrs G Jones, Principal

I am delighted and honoured to be appointed the Principal at Heartlands Academy. Firstly, I would like to offer my sincere good luck wishes to Mrs Jones for a very happy and healthy retirement. Her outstanding leadership has created a culture of support, care and guidance which enables all to flourish and strive for excellence. Mrs Jones is a remarkable lady and I know that I have very big shoes to fill!

I began my teaching career in 1992 as a PE teacher and loved the opportunities for leadership and teamwork that PE brings. I gradually moved through the different leadership roles in schools before receiving my first acting Headship in 2009 at Wheelers Lane Boys School. My first full Headship was at Dame Elizabeth Technology College in 2010 where I led the school from a position of having the lowest levels of progress in English of all Birmingham non special schools to a “good” Ofsted rating in 2012. By 2013, we were in the top 3% nationally for English progress and 58% of our students achieved 5+ A*-C including English and Maths.

Outside of school I am a keen golfer and also a huge Arsenal FC fan (although I often wish I wasn’t!) and I am looking forward to joining in with the staff football matches.

I have already met a number of staff and students since my appointment and have been hugely impressed by how the school feels like one big family. I passionately believe that the key to a successful school is supportive relationships and strong communication so will continue with this ethos and look at ways to develop it even further. To this end I will be meeting with all staff early in the spring term as well as holding a number of drop in sessions where any parent or community partner can come and meet me personally.

I look forward to leading Heartlands Academy and furthering the great legacy of achievements.

With best wishes, Richard Tattersfield

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Year 8 Aston Schools’ Tournament Champions

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he Year 8s competed fiercely among 10 other schools in The Aston Schools’ Football Tournament.

The tournament was split into two pools, with the leading team from each respective pool going through to the final. The first of the three pool games were played against Aston Manor with a comprehensive 3-0 win. King Edwards were next up for Heartlands with a 1-1 draw as the result. These results meant that Heartlands only had to draw their last game to go through to the final. The girls did not disappoint, holding their nerve with a closely fought 2-2 draw vs Stockland Green.

Heartlands waited nervously to see the outcome of pool 2 and discover their potential opponents in the finals…Broadway Academy. This was a very difficult game, the girls worked tirelessly to defend their goal and keep Broadway Academy at bay.

Excellent goals from Destiny Hall and Ahlam Mumin made sure that Heartlands Academy came out on top and win the overall tournament. A big ‘well done’ to the girls, who showed great perseverance and sportsmanship in this win. They were a credit to the academy; I am a very proud PE teacher!

Miss Hands, PE

DISCOVERY CENTRE Mathematics, Science, Health & Social Care, PE.

Maths Hold Public Lesson Study Sessions T

his year at Heartlands Academy, the Maths department is planning to carry out a series of public “Lesson Study” sessions.

Lesson Study involves a community of teachers and ‘knowledgeable other(s)’ (academics or other educational experts from a range of contexts) collaborating in a cyclical process that comprises planning a ‘research lesson’, joint observation of the lesson and critical reflection in a detailed post-lesson discussion.

Research Lesson 1 Bridging the gap between number and algebra.

We proposed three lessons (the second of which constituted the main Public Research Lesson) during

which we began with a simple 10x10 grid which was super-imposed with dominoes, as a source of patterns.

Following students’ familiarisation with patterns within an n x n grid of consecutive numbers, we introduced the idea of a variable as something which can be mapped to anything on the grid, and from which we required expressions to be formed.

Miss Javeheri, Maths dept.

Miss Joomun’s reflection on the teaching experience Having delivered the Research Lessons for Lesson Study, I feel I particularly benefited from our prelesson discussions as well as the act of writing the official Lesson Plan. Rather than operating in isolation, the core team of four consulted heavily with our department and even students.

This contributed diverse and useful perspectives to our planning and helped us avoid “tunnel vision”.

Moreover, I found the teaching experience challenged my questioning skills

and enabled me to dig into the students’(mis)understanding in order to guide them through their learning journey.

The framework of the lesson was also refreshing as students were encouraged to approach mathematics with open and opinionated minds – their questions were embraced and their ideas valued and built upon. I wish l could teach every lesson in this fashion. My teaching of algebra has been genuinely transformed and my ability to teach for understanding has been enhanced.

Miss Jooman, Maths dept.

Observers’ feedback We had observers from different schools/organisations. Below are some of the comments about the Heartlands’ “Lesson Study” session: “Enjoyable, informative and interesting. Lesson study is definitely a tool I want to use to improve my teaching.”

“It was a pleasure to observe a lesson study and how the students learn with each other.”

“This is a good way of moving from concrete to abstract areas of algebra.”

“Thank you so much for inviting me - it was fascinating and I learnt a lot.”

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

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he Year 12 Psychology students at Heartlands Academy Sixth Form recently attended ’The Power of the Mind Event’ at Warwick University on the 24th November 2015. The students were able to explore how Psychology can be applied to the real world. The students participated in a number of events which included the Psychology of anxiety, laughing, magic and dancing. The students collectively agreed that they gained valuable insight into how dancing can improve problem solving and how memory and perception can be distorted through magic tricks.

The students also enjoyed a lecture on concentration by Dr.Sam Wass, who currently has a documentary on Channel 4 called ‘The secret life of a 4, 5 and 6 year old’. The highlight of the event was participating in a dance routine introduced by Paul Lovatt.

Miss Bhuttay and all Year 12 students were involved in the dance routine and were so impressed with their own dance routines that they may incorporate them into Psychology lessons in the near future. Watch this space!

Miss Bhuttay, Psycholgy

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Daleside Retreat Memories that will last a lifetime

were made this half term when seven lucky students in Year 8 swapped the grey concrete landscape of Birmingham for a transformed farmhouse set in the beautiful countryside of the Peak District.

Destiny, Faizaan, Foday, Hashim, Leo, Rima, Safiyat and Mr Williams all packed their suitcases, clambered into the minivan and headed to the tranquil Derbyshire dales in order to become part of the first ever CHICKS break at their brand new Daleside Retreat! Surrounded by green fields as far as the eye could see, they had the privilege of

spending a week in our countryside paradise. From rock climbing to kite flying, and from pizza making to cave exploring, every single day was jam-packed full of fun and games that were simply unforgettable. On one day alone, they climbed to the top of a formidable folly, then descended into the dark, mysterious caves of an ancient civilisation, and still made it back to the retreat in time for hot chocolate and a festive film! What an incredible week it was.

Mr Williams, English

expression CENTRE

English and Modern Foreign Languages, Bedtime Stories at

react in these difficult situations, and we now have a greater amount of respect towards the health care profession.

Over the last month, we have also assisted Father Christmas with his annual workload and helped patients write and send letters to Santa. This has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience and one which we feel extremely fortunate to have experienced before we end our placement. It was shocking just how little the children actually wanted for Christmas and how motivated they were to get out of bed and hand deliver their own letter.

We would like to wish a Happy Christmas to Lisa Robinson and the team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital from all of us at Heartlands Academy.

Amna Hussain (13BIK) and Fatumo Abdullahi (13HMS)

Reading Together

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e are coming to the end of our six month voluntary placement with Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

During this time, a group of sixth formers have visited the hospital each Monday night to read bedtime stories to the patients. We have experienced a range of different wards – such as oncology, trauma, urology, and surgery. It has been a humbling experience to see how the children

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uring Year 6 transition, all students were tested for their reading age. The test assessed eight different reading skills and we were able to see the strengths and weaknesses of each student.

Over the last term, students have been made aware of their reading age and their reading target. This information can be found on a sticker in the inside of their planner.

More information will be sent to you in the new year regarding how best to support your child with their specific reading skill. However, in the meantime, please make time to sit and read together as a family over the holiday period.

Miss Hamman, English

Classic Texts

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he new curriculum for GCSE English will see students studying Shakespeare, 19th century novels, a selection of poetry since 1789 (including Romantic poetry), and British fiction/drama from 1914 onwards. The Department of Education says that the revised curriculum will reward students who have read widely.

Due to this, all students in Key Stage 3 have been studying classical texts over the last half term. Classes have read classics such as Lord of the Flies, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, and Animal Farm. Not only have they been able to complete the entire text but, in preparation for their closed book GCSE exams, they have been memorising quotations along the way.

Year 7 students were fortunate to benefit from a host of brand new texts and each class has been reading an American award-winning dystopian novel.

Miss Hamman, English

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Kingswood Staffordhire

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It was hard to decide who was more excited the teachers or the students. A few parents had come to say goodbye but the students were too preoccupied to pay too much attention. The start of the year seven residential had begun and the students just wanted to be on their way. A short drive up the motorway saw the Heartlands students arrive at Kingswood outdoor activity centre in Staffordshire. On arrival one of the students was heard to remark that there was “so much green stuff”. The students were soon unpacked and raring to go wondering which activity they would be able to experience first. Each day saw the students experience something different from Aeroball, teambuilding, rock climbing, laser zone and go karting. The children even enjoyed getting dirty! The night time was just as thrilling with the students too overwhelmed to sleep and wanting to make the most of their unique ‘sleepover’. The same could not be said however of the staff! The students were exceptionally behaved and many compliments were made by the Kingswood staff. All too soon the residential was over. Although the students were only away for a few days both the students and staff agreed that a great time was had by all.

Miss Christie, Y7 Learning Manager

Year 7 Residential

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imagination CENTRE Art, Drama, Music

The Heartlands Factor

What a fantastic evening of performances by some of the most talented students at the academy. Heartlands Factor 2015 was held on Tuesday 8th December to a sell out audience. Sixteen acts made it through to the live final and performed their hearts out. Judging this year was Mr Henshaw, Miss Bailey, Miss Mfundisi and a guest appearance from former head of music, Mr Bard. The final decision was made very difficult because of the amazing quality of all of the performers.

The evening was opened in great style by our two Steel Pan groups and followed by the Wind Band, the largest group of the evening accompanied by Miss Henry. They gradually expanded into an orchestra with the addition of violin and flute players from St Matthew’s Primary School.

The singing acts followed. Y7s Kacey Barron, Najma Ismail and Amina Jimcale created Heartlands’ very own Little Mix, performing ‘Black Magic’. Panashe Hove brought a touch of comedy to the evening with his impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Batman. Next onto stage were the dancers with second place finisher Jadon Dyett, dazzling the audience with his moves. The evening was hosted by Y11 double act, Naa Adei Kotey and Teny Kuti, who provided some very entertaining interludes between performances.

Finishing the first half were two performers from Y11, first singing solo was Luke Bathgate and finally, wowing the judges and the audience was Remmel Sewell.

The second half began in a Christmas-y mood with a trio of saxophones played by Alex Gallagher, Naa Adei Kotey and Keana Miller. Followed quickly by our very own Beyonce, Rianne Mpiana. Y11 BTEC music students were the first of three groups and performed The Script song ‘Hall of Fame’.

Next up was a solo performance of Emeli Sandé’s ‘Read All About It’ by third place finisher Ramatoulie Mbowe who had the audience singing every word along with her and earned a standing ovation. The penultimate act was the Rock Band formed of Alex Gallagher (Y9) Keana Miller, Sabrina Chim, Sania Tahsin, Latay Penant-McIntosh (Y10), Naa Adei Kotey and Ismail Olanrewaju (Y11) playing a medley of Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’, Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars’‘Uptown Funk’ to one of the biggest cheers of the night. This was enough for the judges to award them the winners’ trophy.

The evening was closed by Y10 BTEC music students with their performance of Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’, willing the audience to stay for more.

Heartlands Factor 2015 was an enormous success and all the hard work by the students and the music department over the last term has really paid off.

Mrs Ward and I are extremely proud of everyone who was involved in putting on such an amazing performance and we cannot wait until the next concert.

Mr Mee, Music

The Rock Band, winners 2015

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Year 11 Theatre Trip to London

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n Thursday 10th December the Y11 Drama cohort were treated to a theatre visit as part of their GCSE studies. Mr Lee and the gang made the trip to the Gielgud Theatre in London to see ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ by Simon Stephens. The play is based on the story of a boy named Christopher who has Asperger’s Syndrome and his quest to understand the world around him. The students were amazed by the acting and production values on display. Ismail O said, ‘There was so much to see and analyse, I could talk about it all day!’ This is probably a good job because the learners now have to write a 2,000 word review based on what they saw!

Mr Lee, Drama

innovation CENTRE ICT, Business Studies, Design Technology, ASDAN The Big Bake Off

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hat a delectable delight! All those delicious cakes had to be seen to be believed. This year at the academy we launched the Great Heartlands Bake Off. There were numerous entries ranging from the simple cookie and cup cakes to elaborately decorated cakes with exotic fruit. Chocolate cakes seemed to be the most popular choice and we saw Oreo, Maltesers and double chocolate cakes to name but a few.

We were not short of volunteers willing to judge the cakes but the overall decision was down to our Principal, Mrs Jones and head of Design Technology, Mrs Salter. They did not find the task easy as the standards and air shown by all entries was of a very high standard.

Nevertheless, in the end the ultimate winner was Simrah Malik, in year eight whose double chocolate sponge cake wowed the judges. She was closely followed by Nasreen Xara and Christina Li both in year seven.

Miss Christie, Learning Manager

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NEWS FROM THE SIXTH FORM Celebrations and Presentations!

Year 13 2015 Friday, 11

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Year 11 2015 Thursday, 19

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November

his time it really was farewell. On a brisk autumn evening, the graduates of 2015 came to say one last goodbye. It was a wonderful occasion and an ideal opportunity for everyone to catch up. For some students it was just a short walk from our sixth form centre but many had to travel from a little further away. It was a wonderful turn out and seeing so many parents, friends and family members all here to support our students and to get the opportunity to thank the staff. Some were even grateful to be able to say their own personal goodbye to Mrs Jones.

How fitting this was as our Principal’s final presentation evening. The class of 2015 achieved some excellent results and our chair of governors, Noran Flynn, thanked them all as did our Principal.

Many awards were handed out by subject leaders and it was further proof that “Heartlands students can...”

Miss Christie, Learning Manager

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December

he Presentation event is an opportunity for our former Year 13 students and staff alike to converse with each other in a more social setting, with an obvious talking point being the transition from the Heartlands Academy Sixth Form to University.

There was also the chance to collect A Level certificates before the presentation of subject specific book awards, delivered alongside glowing testimonies from the teachers to the recipients.

The evening closed with a short speech from Mr. King, highlighting how important it is to seize every opportunity which comes the former students’ way. A special mention must also be given to Jurana Ahmed, who walked away with the prize for Outstanding Contribution to the Sixth Form. An accolade which was most definitely deserved.

Mr. Ewart, Head of Year 13

AND IN OTHER NEWS...

If students are struggling with their homework, please feel free to attend Year 7 Homework Club which is held straight after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the ICT suite.

From Sao Paulo to Nechells

exceptional goalkeeper. He says that the four months he has spent here are amongst the best of his life, and he is a little sad to be leaving his newfound friends behind as he prepares to return home.

Luigi would like to thank all of the staff and students at Heartlands for the friendship and support he has received during his stay, and says that the Heartlands experience will always be in his mind.

I’m sure we would all like to wish Luigi all the very best for the future.

Mr Heath, Photographer

Employability Day

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n September this year the new intake of Sixth Formers were joined by Luigi Pelissari, an exchange student from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Luigi had travelled to England as part of the Study Abroad UK programme, an organisation that brings students from all over the world into UK Sixth Forms.

Luigi has thoroughly enjoyed his time in England, and especially at Heartlands Academy. Although it was difficult at first because he didn’t know anybody, and he was in a completely new environment, he soon made friends amongst the other Yr12 students, and as well as enjoying his academic studies he became an important part of the Sixth Form football team, proving to be an

Y

ear 10 students had a day away from lessons to learn about Employability Skills. The day was organised and delivered by over forty PwC staff who volunteered a day away from the office to work with

our students. Everyone learnt exactly what it meant to be employable.

The message of the day was that to be successful in a chosen career, you will need to learn a mixture of skills. Employability is also about capabilities, competencies, attitudes and behaviour. Students were able to talk to and quiz PwC volunteers about their career pathways and salaries! Volunteers were from all business areas and management levels. Workshops were delivered on the importance of broader skills and experiences as well as qualifications when seeking employment. Other popular workshops of the day were: Careers in Business, Communicating with Confidence and Employability Skills. PwC are eager to continue working with our students to help give them the competitive advantage they need to be successful in the job market when the time comes. A fantastic day was had by all so a big thank you goes to all the staff and volunteers who supported the event.

Mrs Blackham, Community Manager

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Help your child retrieve the facts

The skill of retrieving is one of the most important reading techniques for your child to learn. By being able to retrieve, students are far more likely to engage with the whole curriculum. When retrieving, students are not expected to infer or apply any prior knowledge; the answer they are looking for will always be clearly in the text. In order to improve retrieval skills, after listening to your child read, you can ask questions based on the following sentence starts: What is …? • When did …? • Who thinks …? • Which word shows …? • Who is …? • How does …? • Where is …?

IF YOU WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ABOUT: • primary school transition

Spring Term Term Starts Half Term Teacher Day Term Ends

Monday 4 January Monday 15 Feb to Friday 19 February Monday 22 February (closed to students) Thursday 24 March

Summer Term Term Starts Mayday Half Term Teacher Day Teacher Day Term Ends A level results GCSE results

Monday 11 April Monday 2 May (Academy closed) Monday 30 May to Friday 3 June Friday 1 July (closed to students) Monday 4 July (closed to students) Friday 22 July Thursday 18 August Thursday 25 August

Autumn Term

• Heartlands Academy events • parenting support programmes • community partnership work Contact: Mrs Rachel Buckingham, Business Manager Heartlands Academy, No 10 Great Francis Street, Birmingham B7 4QR 0121 464 5530 r.buckingham@heartlands-Academy.org.uk

LITERACY CLUB

Literacy Club has got off to a great start this term!

Cross-curricular conundrums in hangman, mindboggling word snakes in Boggle and a plethora of other word puzzles and literacy games bring out the competitive sides of attendees; yes, students are never short of fun and games!

Every Tuesday 3:10 until 3:40pm in the English SLZ Attendees are enjoying themselves in a variety of games and activities all in the name of improving literacy.

Will we see you there next week?

Mr Williams

YOUNG REPORTER The Young Reporter page on our website has been extremely successful this year. It is updated on a weekly basis and covers a range of different types of writing and a variety of topics. All the work published belongs to students in the Academy – and demonstrates the outstanding nature of our students’ creativity. Some of the work has been completed in lessons, and some has been sent in by students who have written articles in their own time.

Miss Hamman

www.heartlands-Academy.org.uk/news/young-reporter

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Calendar 2016

Term Starts Half Term Term Ends

Monday 5 September Monday 24 October to Friday 28 October Friday 16 December For up to date announcements, follow us on TWITTER @Heartlands_Acad

Opening Times Mon - Fri: 8am - 4pm 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.

© December 2015 Heartlands Academy, No 10 Great Francis Street, Birmingham B7 4QR