Newsletter demy Newsletter of Hear tlands Aca
Issue 25 Autumn Term 2017
Heartlands Academy appoints its
first Head girl and boy!
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eartlands Academy is pleased to announce the appointment of its first ever Head Girl and Head Boy. Headteacher Mr Choudhury, recognising the importance of promoting leadership skills amongst the students, invited applications from the Year 10 cohort for the positions of Head Girl and Head Boy. The first stage of the process for those interested in applying, was to complete a letter of application to their Learning Manager. Once the applications had been received a shortlist of six canditates was selected who were then asked
to give a presentation of their ‘manifesto’ at a staff briefing. Following their presentations, all staff and students were asked to vote for their favourite candidate. Finally, the applicants attended a formal interview in front of a panel of three people: an Assistant Head Teacher, the Chair of the AAG and their Learning Manager. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the candidates who have done an amazing job! I wish Destiny Hall and Ahmed Ahmedi and their team the best of luck for the year ahead! Mr Levy, Assistant Head Teacher
A warm greeting to all our parents, carers and peers. It is with great pleasure that I can announce Ahmed Ahmedi and myself Destiny Hall have been selected and appointed to be the Head Girl and Head Boy of Heartlands Academy. It is an honour to be placed in such a prestigious role and something myself and Ahmed are looking forward to. As we commence our journey, we envision that this role will not be an easy one but one that we will serve with integrity and responsibility. The title that we have been given was awarded because of our determination and intent to strive for success; something we feel very passionate about. It is a pleasure to know that we have been given the opportunity to serve our school and peers as we want to bring the enthusiasm and drive to inspire our younger learners to be aspiring for their ambitions. We would like to say a big thank you to those who have supported and believed in us with this role as we will endeavour to be successful in the exciting times that lie ahead. We look forward to working with our student colleagues and the Deputies (Naqib Amin, Simrah Malik, Tsnat Tedla and Rafal Zagacki) in setting an example that if you have resilience you will succeed in the future. Destiny Hall (Head Girl), Ahmed Ahmedi (Head Boy)
The final appointments are: Head Girl, Destiny Hall Deputy, Simrah Malik Deputy, Tsnat Tedla Head Boy, Ahmed Ahmedi Deputy, Naqib Amin Deputy, Rafal Zagacki
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message from the headteacher Dear Parents and Carers,
through the roles.
How quickly time flies – it seems only yesterday that I had my first day here at Heartlands, and here we are one term on. It’s been a fantastic Autumn term, with a real mix of academic and extra-curricular successes that I know you will enjoy reading about in this edition of Heartlines, which is bursting with our students’ amazing achievements. I know I speak for all of the staff when I say a huge congratulations to every single one of our Heartlands students, not just because of the successes featured in the newsletter, but because every day they are an absolute credit to you, to their academy, and to themselves.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents, students and staff who battled with transport difficulties, to keep the academy running during the recent inclement weather. It is always difficult to judge the best course of action on these occasions but it is important to ensure that students, especially those with imminent exams, do not miss valuable study time. Our students demonstrated their maturity and committment and it is this attitude that makes Heartlands such an outstanding place of education.
I am particularly proud to introduce our new Head Girl and Head Boy, who went through a gruelling recruitment process in order to earn the honour of being the role models and representatives of our academy. They richly deserve this wonderful leadership opportunity, and I have no doubt that they will make a tremendous contribution to academy life
On that note, I would like to wish you all a joyful and peaceful holiday season, and happy new year for 2018!
Mr Choudhury Headteacher
staff development: leaders for the future
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n a series of after school sessions throughout the last academic year, Ms Hamman and Mrs Khan delivered the Schools, Students and Teachers network’s (SSAT) Leaders for the Future programme to a group of twenty-three Heartlands teachers. The course is designed to help teachers to develop their
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leadership skills and mindset such as leading themselves, leading projects and leading other people. Well done to Mrs Ali, Mrs Akhtar, Miss Ayub, Miss Blake, Mrs Brock, Mrs Ensell, Mr Farrah, Mr Gyau, Miss Hands, Ms Hawtin, Mrs Blake, Mrs Khanom, Mrs Kobiela, Miss McArthur, Mr Miah, Mrs Mottet, Mrs Nawaz, Mr
Ogunsina, Miss Potts, Mr Robertson, Mrs Rahnie, Miss Sheikh and Ms Zia for successfully completing the course. Mrs Khan, Head of Science
Physical Education appointment of sports captains
Sports captains
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he popularity of sports and extra-curricular activities at the academy this year has soared, with over 150 students now participating in a wide variety of clubs each week. To help support the running of the sports clubs, the Physical Education department has now introduced new student roles: 2 Sports Captain and 2 ViceCaptains for both Key Stages 3 and 4. Students were invited to apply for these new roles in assemblies by their Learning Manager after the first October half term, with instructions that the application process would be closed four weeks later. The application form outlined the duties that the new roles would entail along with a number of questions designed to ‘sell yourself’ to justify your suitability for the role. Duties were to include: writing sports news for Heartlines; taking a leadership role in extra-curricular clubs; assisting with team selections and attending both home and away fixtures as a coach for younger year groups.
The positions were selected by teachers from the PE department who based their decision on the following criteria: • A Sports Captain must be motivated, both in their own performance and the performance of others. • They must always have a positive mind set, even in unfavourable circumstances when matches aren’t always going their way. • A Captain must be committed to Heartlands Academy Sports, act as a role model to other students and demonstrate great sportsmanship. • Finally, a Sports Captain must be passionate about physical activity, sport and the academy in every way.
Congratulations to Sports Captains and Vice-Captains 2017/18
The successful applicants were: KS3 Captains: Sohel Yessen, N’Kira-Rose Henry Vice-Captains: Sohail Yessen, Ciara McGlynn KS4 Captains: Rafal Zagacki, Destiny Hall Vice-Captains: Hamza Olat Ali, Ahlam Mumin
“We have represented the academy in football, netball, athletics and basketball since our very first year at Heartlands, always working at 100%, respecting others and representing the academy with pride. We are so excited and honoured to wear the badge of Sports Captain and Vice-Captain of KS4 and will endeavour to fulfil our roles with passion and pride, demonstrating to the pupils in younger years how great it is to be chosen to take a role within the academy.” Destiny Hall and Ahlam Mumin (Captain and Vice-Captain KS4)
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Geography - off on a field trip
year 11 geography trip to carding mill valley
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n preparation for their Geography GCSE, we took our students to Carding Mill Valley, Shropshire. The aim of the day was to collect data for their exam and give the students the experience of investigating a real river system. When we arrived, the students were amazed by the rural scenery, and the steep valley. We were greeted by the National Trust who
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delivered engaging information about the area, the river and its history. We walked a stretch of the river, seeing how its characteristics changed, collecting primary data such as measuring the width, depth and taking photographs. The students represented the academy exceptionally well, talking to locals and some students even overcame their fear of dogs. When back at
the academy the students have analysed their data and drawn geographical conclusions about what they have found, feeling ready to sit their exam in June. Mrs Dawson, Geography
english - poetry stars physical education-
Y7 girls football team are tops
Young Poets
Year 7 girls football team on top form! aston & erdington football tournament
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eartlands Academy was one of three schools from the local area asked to take part in the Nechells Young Poet Competition. The Year 7 cohort was asked to write their own poems on the topic of ‘family’ whilst exploring various poetic forms. Although many of the students enjoyed writing Haikus, Cinquains and Limericks, many others wrote free verse poems explaining who they love and the reasons why. Staff in the English Department had the tough job of narrowing down the top 20 poems, these were sent off to be entered and now we await the results. A huge well done to all of our Year 7s for their hard work and dedication to this competition. Miss Smith Head of English
n Wednesday 29th of November, the Year 7 girls’ football team participated in the Aston and Erdington schools tournament at Aston Manor Academy. The girls were extremely excited as this was their first tournament representing the academy. As soon as they arrived, the team did not let the cold conditions faze them and went straight into a warm-up led by academy Sports Captain, Destiny Hall. Although anxious and nervous, the players listened carefully to the rules and instructions of the tournament from the organiser. A total of 4 games were to be played, each lasting 10 minutes on outdoor 5-a-side pitches. The team played against girls from Washwood Heath, Aston Manor, St.
Pauls and King Edwards and won the majority of these games with a total of 7 goals being scored. The girls exhibited outstanding teamwork and determination, demonstrating the true passionate nature of Heartlands Academy. In the end, this paid off massively as the Heartlands team came out on top. They finished first in the tournament, meaning they will now be progressing to represent the academy and all the others from the surrounding area of Aston and Erdington in a level 3 competition against schools from the other areas in Birmingham. The academy congratulates them on their amazing sporting achievement and wishes them the best of luck for their upcoming challenge. Georgia Smith, Year 12
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T
he Heartlands Academy Mile Breakfast Club has been introduced this academic year to promote the importance of staying fit. Every Wednesday before embarking on an intense day of learning, students are invited to partake in a substantial amount of exercise by running a mile around the sports field after which they are rewarded with a healthy breakfast. With an average of 15-25 students attending each week, this morning club has proved to be popular although it would be great to have even more students attending. We believe that this activity promotes an energised and primed mindset for a student’s day, as well as ensuring they eat a good breakfast to prepare them both physically and mentally for the day ahead.
COME AND JOIN US!
Wednesday mornings arrive at the academy between 7:30am and 7:45am in PE kit.
The challenge:
Complete FOUR laps of the astro-turf at a pace that suits you. You also have the choice to be timed by the teacher so you can try and beat your time each week!
The reward:
Once the mile challenge is completed, you will receive a breakfast pass. You then get changed back into academy uniform and make your way to the canteen where on offer for breakfast is a choice of cereal, toast, an apple or orange and fruit juice. N’Kira-Rose Henry and Ciara McGlynn (KS3 Sports Captain and Vice-Captain for KS3)
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be prepared physically and mentally for the day ahead with the...
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n u r
l c u t b s a f k a e r b e l i m a 7
drama - partner in eu project music - showcase for future stars!
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his term has seen the start of an exciting new project at the academy. The drama department has been selected to be a partner in a major EU Erasmus+ project entitled ‘Drama and Democracy’ with input from five European Countries. The aim of the project is to open democratic spaces and develop the use of civic skills in
our young people. As a team we will be developing five bespoke workshops which will be tested out and refined with learners from Key Stages 3 and 4. This will be an opportunity to tackle the issues that are vitally important to the young people in our care and give their opinions a voice. This is a cross-curricular venture and will be open to input from teachers of the Arts, Languages and Humanities. Whilst Heartlands is the main hub for this project there will
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be opportunities for teachers across the E-ACT trust to take part in the project. We are aiming to create an advisory board made up of teachers from the aforementioned subjects to inform the content of the study. If you are interested please contact Edward.lee@e-act.org.uk Mr Lee, Head of Drama
heartlands factor
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n Friday 15th December, 13 acts including nearly 40 musicians performed in front of a fantastically enthusiastic audience for Heartlands Factor 2017. The evening was hosted by Naa Adei Kotey and Kristian Stevens. Acts from all year groups performed and were joined by three amazing pupils from St Matthew’s Primary School. The first act was the mixed instrumental group with two Christmas classics followed swiftly by the Year 11 music students; Year 11 singers and musicians supplied many of the standout performances including Levi Henderson with his own grime song and Alex Gallagher
playing guitar, piano and drums. Year 10 proved they have found their voices with a heartfelt a cappella rendition of Stormzy’s Blinded By Your Grace whilst the Year 7 and 8 Dhol group proved worthy competition. Zaki Hussain (Year 12) was joined by Heartlands Alumnus Morgan Swapp for a frenetic Dhol duel. Keyboard extraordinaire Daiyan Majid wowed the audience with his triple keyboard medley including everything from 90s Dance tunes to ringtones. Taking the audience reaction into account, the eventual winner was the year 11 trio of Miro Martins-Pais, Darrelle Warrican and CJ Abrams with their lively interpretation of Big Shaq’s Mans Not Hot. Thank you to all of the performers for yet again wowing everyone with such amazing talent! Mr Mee, Head of Music.
ict - keeping your child
safe online
see also page 12 for parent workshop on 25th january 2018
e-safety advice for parents
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his half term Year 8 students have been learning about how to stay safe online. It is that that time of year again, and with the Christmas shopping well underway (at least for the prepared) many parents will be buying digital devices for children, with technology continuing to feature high on those wish lists for Santa. It’s when children reach the age of ten or eleven that the desire for more sophisticated technology sets in. Young people may well become frustrated when they can’t have the same games or apps as their friends have on Android or iPad. Despite being very different devices, games consoles and tablets carry similar risks for young people. A recent study of 11-16 year olds held by Kaspersky made for interesting reading. Whilst 23% had been asked suspicious personal questions online, as many as 20% said that they trusted the gaming platform so much that they would see no problem meeting contacts from it in real life. Nearly a third of the children in the study said that their parents had no idea who they talked to when they played games.
As a school we make it our priority to educate parents about online safety. Please be vigilant in monitoring your child’s online activities. The run up to Christmas can be a great time to have these conversations before the winter holidays. Together, we can provide a more holistic approach to online safety, building a better school community and one that takes a proactive approach in helping families stay safe, as recommended by Ofsted.
“20% said that they trusted the gaming platform so much that they would see no problem meeting contacts from it in real life. Nearly a third of the children in the study said that their parents had no idea who they talked to when they played games.”
extract from Kapersky Study
This students’ checklist is on page 109 of your child’s planner . Please take some time to read through it with them to make sure they understand the risks and how to stay safe.
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Post 16-
exploring what lies ahead
The Skills show @ the NEC
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his term, a number of Post 16 students were lucky enough to attend The Skills Show which took place at the NEC in November. The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills, apprenticeship and careers event and allows youngsters to have face to face business engagement, whilst having the opportunity to explore future pathways, and gain a greater understanding of their future options, including information about apprenticeships and careers
science masterclass
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eartlands Academy works in collaboration with local Universities such as Aston, University of Birmingham and BCU to offer off site master classes as part of the students’ enrichment programme. The events not only allow students to explore their chosen subject area, but also provide an opportunity to meet current undergraduate students and find out more about university life. For some students this was the first time they had travelled independently and so they were relieved to successfully find their way to and from the local Universities.
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in a range of industry sectors, including: construction and logistics, engineering and technology, health and hospitality, digital and business, creative and design.
Life and Health Science Masterclass “In the master class taster session which I had attended at Aston University, I learnt numerous skills and knowledge during the three hours I was there. In the master class hall, we were segregated into two groups, one group attended a biomedical experience class and the other had an optometry experience. I got to visit the biomedical learning experience first where I found an uncountable amount of science equipment available to work with. I had a go at testing my lung functioning health. Initially, I breathed into a large bag for five minutes to test how much nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide I used. In the second part, I exercised for five minutes and then afterwards, I respired for five minutes into the bag to see the difference.
“One word: intriguing. The NEC Skills Show was an experience I’m glad I got to go to. The event was a way for many work agencies to showcase what they entailed and what to look forward to further down the line. They varied from medicine and healthcare to the building industry and landscaping, there was something for everyone and in the rare case of not finding your dream job; after all there are millions of choices, getting to taste the waters of different opportunities was very exciting. I found out how much growth I was yet to go through, having a go at saving someone from choking and of course the live concert from the military band. There truly is something for everyone.” Anood Tariq In optometry I learned how to use machines to test eye health and frequency waves. This part made me want to explore complementary equipment associated with the eye. The master class taster session made me more adaptable to university life. I learned how to make my own way to the University, which is an important place in later life education.” Mustafa Ali – Year 12B
community and academy ambassadors
Heartlands Academy is interested in community or business projects. If you are a parent, member of the local community or a business who would like to be involved, please contact Mrs Blackham, Community Manager . Telephone: 0121 464 3931 or email: Bina.Blackham@e-act.org.uk
Parent workshop success
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hanks to Big Lottery Funding, Heartlands Academy has been able to deliver a series of parent workshops over the last 12 months to help them support their child’s learning and development. Workshops included a range of topics from ‘Understanding Your Child’s Behaviour’to ‘Helping Your Child Prepare for Life After Year 11’. The sessions have been extremely successful. Parents engaged quickly in the subject matter and were keen to share perspectives and experiences with one other. There is clearly an appetite from within the community to learn about the issues raised in the workshops. Parents said: “It’s been great listening to other mums and realising I am not the only one.” “The facilitator has been brilliant in explaining situations in a way I can understand.” “I learnt how to take time out and to listen to my children - to give each child one to one attention. We can learn from each other.” “I am a SHARK in the model we talked about today. I will try a more gentle approach.” Facilitators said: “Working with Heartlands was a very positive experience. We were impressed with the amount of thought and preparation that went into the organising of the workshops. This included the provision of two translators for each session, having the session materials translated in to
Urdu and Somali and the provision of refreshments and lunch for the participants. All of this made for an inclusive session which helped people to feel comfortable and engage with the material.” The last workshop ‘Keeping Your Child Safe Whilst Using Mobiles And Other Devices’ will be held on 25th January at 9:30am, lunch and refreshments included. Places are limited so please contact Mrs Blackham to reserve a place.
bikeability
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uring this half term at Heartlands Academy, over 120 Year 7 students were given the opportunity by Bikeability Birmingham to participate in a ‘Learn to Ride’ scheme. The purpose of this on site training is to encourage students to ride to school by teaching them the necessary skills, helping to improve confidence and, most importantly, how to stay safe. The prior cycling skills of the students varied from those who hadn’t learnt to ride at all to some who were already road-cycling. All students completed a full day training which began with learning basic skills in the school playground and then, when they were ready, taking to the streets of Birmingham for a supervised ride. By the end of the day they were all thoroughly
exhausted but with big smiles on their faces and feeling a real sense of achievement. The students are now proud to wear their badges on their blazers to show their achievements and participation on the scheme. We will continue to work with Bikeability Birmingham to provide students with this valuable opportunity and to encourage students to ride to school. Nicola Brown, Y7 Learning Manager
Heartland’s Academy needs YOU!
We need parents, guardians and carers to become active members of the academy Ambassadorial Advisory Group (AAG)
“The Ambassadorial Advisory Group is designed to enable local people to be involved in the life of the academy and its standing in the community e.g. helping to run celebration events, inputting into communications about the academy or making links with local businesses in the community. At the same time, it is intended to be a sounding board for the academy - to gauge the opinions and ideas of parents, students, staff and the community and to work together on improving the four key areas of their remit and advising the Board and Regional Directors on how further improvements or shared learning can be achieved.” Maggie Tate, AAG Chair (to get involved, see page 12)
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Calendar 2017-18 NB. There have been some changes since the last newsletter. Please check revised dates below.
Ambassadorial Advisory Group
Spring Term 18 Term Starts
Monday 8 January
Year 11 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 11 January
Teacher Training Day Friday 12 January (Closed to students) Year 9 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 8 February
Half Term
Monday 19 February to Friday 23 February
Post 16 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 1 March
Teacher Training Day
Monday 5 March (Closed to students)
Year 8 Pathways and Parents’ Evening
Thursday 22 March
End of Term
Thursday 29 March
Then why not join the AAG and work with the Head Teacher and other like-minded people to ensure Heartlands Academy is a school to be proud of. We welcome your support and commitment. Want to learn more?
Summer Term 18 Term Starts
Monday 16 April
Teacher Training Day
Monday 23 April (Closed to students)
Year 7 Parents’ Evening
Thursday 17 May
Half Term
Monday 28 May to Friday 1 June
Leavers’ Ball
Friday 13 July
Sports Day
Monday 16 July
End of Term
Tuesday 24 July For up to date announcements, follow us on TWITTER @Heartlands_Acad
Parent Workshop Programme 2017-18
Open to all, free to attend.
Keeping Your Child Safe Online
25th January 2018 All workshops are held at the academy from 09:30 - 11:30, followed by lunch. Further information can be found on the academy website. If you are interested in attending future workshops please contact Mrs Blackham at Heartlands Academy: Bina.Blackham@e-act.org.uk • 0121 464 3931 E-Safety is a priority at Heartlands Academy and we have measures in place to protect students from unsuitable on-line content. 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. Miss Johnson, Miss Brown and Mr Ahsan.
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Do you want to be involved with your child’s education and help Heartland’s Academy to continue to grow and flourish?
Please contact Maggie Tate, recently appointed Chair of Heartlands AAG 0121 464 3931 heartlands.enquiry@e-act.org.uk (see also article on page 11)
Reminder to Parents About Safe Parking Please could all parents show care and consideration for others when dropping off or collecting their children from the academy. Safety is of paramount importance and parents are reminded that it is both dangerous and illegal to park on the zig-zags or the pavement. Thank you.
Heartlines is looking for a sponsor. Could it be you? We are very proud of Heartlines. It is produced three times a year at the end of each term and goes out to 900 parents, members of the community and all our visitors. It is also available on our website. Printed in full colour on high quality paper, it is packed with lots of good news and success stories, useful information for parents and with excellent photography throughout! We want to continue production for the benefit of all our stakeholders and we are now offering the opportunity for someone to be a sponsor for Heartlines. This could be you! In return you can use this space for your company logo and to promote your business. For more information please contact the Reprographics Manager, Sandra Burden on: 0121 464 5532 Sandra.Burden@e-act.org.uk.
© December 2017 Heartlands Academy, No 10 Great Francis Street, Birmingham B7 4QR