Small Heath School Magazine

Issue No. 6

Winter 2012

NEWSLETTER

Winner: Best School Magazine/Website 2011 - 2012

Small Heath School and Sixth Form Centre

Small Heath School’s Green Day 2012 What a busy year 2011 - 2012 was. The school found itself maintaining existing partnerships such as our longstanding relationship with Birmingham Airport and their Flight School (see last issue), while making links with new partners, such as Utensa, a local bakeware manufacturer. In the world of the arts the Art team continued to showcase the talents of our pupils by working closely with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) and local artist Betty Pepper, while the school’s Creative Minds Curriculum put on their first Year 7 Summer Fayre enjoyed by all, including the very wet Mr Turner, who kindly offered to be soaked by pupils; all in the spirit of fun.

Elsewhere this year we have run another Green Day, highlighting environmental issues through pupil participation. Our young children also gained success through the City of Birmingham’s Children’s University with the graduation on June 24th 2012.

All this and more are just the tip of the iceberg and in this and subsequent issues we will continue to put the spotlight on our pupils and the wonderful work they do outside of the classroom.

O MacNamee - Editor

The event was held on Friday 15th June 2012 and involved many staff and Year 7 pupils as well as different outside speakers who ran workshops on the day.

The following workshops took place: • Green up your Act- A Green Shoots workshop where students made handmade paper pots with butternut squash/ sunflower seedlings to take home.

• Grease Lightning – Students looked at the importance of recycling cooking oil to be converted to Biodiesel to run the school minibus.

• ‘Gok up your Wardrobe’- Students redesigned T shirts using recyclable materials.

• Debating Society- Students had the opportunity to raise and discuss environmental issues.

• Severn Trent- Students took part in an interactive workshop discussing the importance of water efficiency.

• Science Team- Students had the opportunity to learn about, as well as create wind turbines.

• Technology Team- Students made bird boxes using recyclable materials (milk bottles).

The day was concluded with an assembly which aimed to bring all key ideas together. Pupils also completed evaluation forms.

An overwhelming majority of the pupils’ evaluations forms were positive, with many commenting that Green Day should be an annual event.

Staff and visitor evaluation forms were also very positive.

Student Evaluation: I really enjoyed Green Day! It was interesting to learn about how to become more eco-friendly. All workshops were fun, we got to do and make things we usually don’t do on a usual school day!

Staff Evaluation: Pupils and staff are more aware of the issues involved. Year 7 are more enthused about subjects by doing something out of the ordinary. Students see how the different subjects are inter-related and hence find interest in subjects they might otherwise not be interested in.

Visitor Evaluation: Pupils were engaged and interested in learning about how they can reduce their water consumption and how the sewage treatment process ensures that water is recycled.

Mohammed Adnan Ali winner of the ‘Greenest Green Wear’ Award Students with their plant pots

Mrs Davies and the winners of the Bird Box challenge

The winners of the ‘Gok up Your Wardrobe’ workshop

Business and Education Conference Pupils participating in the Sports Day in June

On Wednesday July 11th 2012, Small Heath School hosted a Business and Education Conference attended by many of the businesses the school has developed relationships with over the years. Hosted by Richard Riley, this was a chance for the school to show how much work related learning has been achieved and recognised nationally, with representatives from diverse businesses such as Aston Villa, Utensa and the CBI. It was well attended and I think many people went away with a dazzling idea of what can be achieved by schools across the Midlands and the country. Here are just some of the projects highlighted from a special edition of the school magazine given out on the day.

Utensa Following a chance meeting between Jerry Griffiths, Director of Sales at Utensa, of Kings Road, Tyseley, and Richard Riley at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, it transpired the company needed support for the development of some marketing materials for a new bakeware product to be provided for TKMaxx.

It seemed like a job for the 6th Form Media Studies group, led by Olly Macnamee, who, having been briefed by Jerry, set to work and produced their first designs within 48 hours. Over the next week and following some fine tuning, the design was agreed by TKMaxx and Utensa. The product goes on sale this summer and bears the school’s logo in the design.

‘ The school was approached by world famous jewellery manufacturers, Toye, Kenning & Spencer, with a request to provide artwork for their new reception area at the works in the Jewellery Quarter.

Managing Director, Fiona Toye, briefed a group of Year 9 artists, giving them an outline of the company’s requirements and timescale. The group also visited the factory to learn about the history of one of the oldest manufacturing jewellers in Birmingham and to develop ideas for their work.

Designs were produced, reviewed by the company and the group were then given the go ahead to start work on the wall hangings. Work progressed during art lessons and the finished product was unveiled by Fiona Toye, under the watchful eye of some of the artists involved, at a special event at the end of September

Year 7 Annual Sports Day On Friday 29th June the P.E department held a Year 7 Sports Day with an Olympic theme. Tutor groups met in the morning where they decided as a team which pupils would do the various events. The morning consisted of Track and Field events such as the 100m sprint, javelin, long jump and 75m x 4 relay. Each tutor group pair represented a different country that will be represented in the Olympics, They were Great Britain, France, Spain, USA, New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa.

The afternoon part of Sports Day involved fun relays where 6 pupils from each tutor group took part in different relays from the bib relay to a knock out tug of war!

The day was a massive success and all the pupils really enjoyed themselves. The overall winners of the competition were Great Britain who were represented by DBU and AMA. Thanks to Mr Faulkner who organised the day and all the other staff who came down and helped make the day such a success.

Birmingham Pupils Get Top Marks for Transport Debate

Pupils participating in Birmingham Airport Flight School Debate

"It was a great experience to see both schools debate, it inspired me to join the debating society" - Maria Raza 9A Pupils from two Birmingham schools proved they were top of the class this summer, as they took part in a keenly contested debate at Birmingham Airport.

The Year 9 pupils from Small Heath School and King Edward’s School joined forces to debate two of the most contentious transport issues in the UK today, the High Speed Rail network (HS2) and ‘Boris Island’.

In a tightly fought contest, pupils from both schools argued for and against these divisive issues in front of an invited audience, including Birmingham MP’s Gisela Stuart and Shabana Mahmood.

Chaired by a fellow student, the audience was invited to vote on what they had heard after each debate, transforming the airport’s Flight School into a scene from the House of Commons.

The aim of the session was to equip students with some of the key skills they will need in their professional lives, including public speaking, working as a team and appreciating another person’s point of view.

This extracurricular activity has also allowed the two schools to forge a closer relationship, giving pupils from both sides the chance to learn from one another. It is hoped these positive cultural experiences will benefit the students far beyond the classroom and into their personal lives too.

" The debate itself was very interesting and was presented in a good manner" - Abdullah Adam 9A Shabana Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Ladywood, said: “As a former Small Heath pupil, I was proud to see how the school is developing and the new friendships the pupils have made with King Edward’s allow students from both schools to share experiences with peers they may not have otherwise met, which was fantastic to see.”

Shahira Ghani, Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator at Small Heath School, said: “Throughout the past two months, pupils from both schools have worked tirelessly to make this occasion extremely successful. Not only have they learnt how to work as a team, but they have also developed key skills that will benefit them in their working life.

“The children have researched each topic in great detail, examining the environmental, political, financial and social impacts. It is important that younger members of our community discuss issues such as HS2 and ‘Boris Island’ as the outcome of these projects will affect their future more than anyone else’s”.

Andy Holding, Community Affairs Manager at Birmingham Airport, concluded: “The outcome of the HS2 project and the ‘Boris Island’ question will have a huge impact on Birmingham airport, so it seemed only fitting the students chose our new Flight School to stage the debate. We were thoroughly impressed with their arguments and the way they conducted themselves throughout the afternoon.”

Year 10 Work Experience - A Pupil’s Perspective I would like to be a pilot and so decided to apply for my work experience placement at Birmingham Airport, with the Engineering Department. Led by Geoff Brunt, the work of the engineering team is to fix anything which needs fixing within the airport building.

This includes air bridges and light bulbs!

They also have to make sure that everything is working correctly in the “boiler house” and that involved collecting data and putting the information into spreadsheets. Whilst I was there I collected data, helped change light bulbs and tested the air bridges which connect the terminal building to the aircraft.

By Iqra Pervez - Year 11

The Chicago Cultural Exchange 2013

Iqra being given a guided tour of the cockpit.

To test an air bridge, I had to use the controls to move the bridge all the way up and then down, move it left and right and then extend it all the way out and then back in again.

Then I had to park it up.

On the last day, I was given the opportunity to fly to Glasgow and back. It was great! I got to meet the flight crew and was able to talk to the pilot. This has helped me to choose the path I need to follow to achieve my goal of becoming a pilot so I can get paid to travel around the world.

Over the coming months we will be setting up a blog and appropriate social media platforms from which we can inform you all, dear readers, of our progression between now and August.

We hope you will follow the progress of all the schools involved, but particularly Small Heath students as we create, refine and finally exhibit the talents of Small Heath and the talents of the city.

O MacNamee

I enjoyed my work experience at Birmingham Airport and would recommend it to anyone who wants to be a pilot or an engineer.

Iqra Pervez

Summer 2013 will see the 20th anniversary of the sister city partnership between the cities of Chicago and Birmingham. To mark this occasion and to promote our partnership with Chicago, Professor Jo Andrews (Birmingham City University) and your editor, Mr MacNamee, are developing an art and cultural exchange never before attempted, with students from both cities creating and exchanging artwork, writing and even producing multi-media pieces that we hope will be exhibited not only in museums in the city but around the city itself. We are currently in the process of signing up several Birmingham schools to work with, but in Small Heath School we have already created a Year 12 working group full of ideas.

Iqra and the cabin crew

The Dux Awards scheme recognises and rewards high performing pupils in Year 9 (14 year olds). It encourages higher aspirations by inviting high-performing pupils from every secondary school to visit a Russell Group university, accompanied by a teacher or another member of staff. This year two year 9 pupils Tasnim Akhtar and Helena Khan from 9A were the winners of the Dux Award. They were accompained by Mrs S Ghani to Oxford University on the 14th June 2012. It was the most amazing and inspirational day.

The DUX Award 2012: Oxford University

Oxford University

After the visits to the two museums, the college and a couple of walks around the city, we had almost come to the last part and what we believe was the most inspirational.

It was a Q and A session with some students from the University. We found out quite a lot like how the interviewing works, colleges, dorms, courses, etc, but there’s one thing that kept ringing in our heads. When asked if they thought they’d initially get in, all of the students said no, in fact, one girl hadn’t even considered Oxford as an option.

One of the most important things we learnt that day was if you don’t try you won’t achieve. So our advice to anyone considering going to a university like Oxford, but doesn’t think they’ll get in is, don’t let anything hold you back. The only way you can be absolutely sure that you won’t get in, is if you don’t apply.

Finally, we’d like to thank the school and especially Mrs. Ghani for choosing us and giving us the opportunity to visit Oxford University. The experience was very informative; it helped us decide which universities we want to go to and where we want to be in a few years’ time.

By Tasnim Akhter and Halena Khan 9A They say a picture speaks a thousand words… so take a look at the one to the left. Oozing history, architecture and education, Oxford

Tasnim and Halena in Oxford

University is every student’s dream.

So you can pretty much imagine our excitement when we got chosen to spend a whole day there. Throughout this article we will give you an insight into what we got up to, the people we met and everything we got out of it and hopefully by the end you will be just as inspired as us to apply to Oxford or a University like it.

So firstly why us and why Oxford University?

In short we were both chosen for the DUX award. This is an award which recognizes the skills and talents of high-achieving 14 year olds across the country. Two people from each school were selected to visit a Russell Group university, out of which we chose Oxford.

On the day we had to get to school quite early to catch our train. However we knew our day was going to be great when we heard the words “Welcome to sunny Oxford” come out of the intercom. After a fair bit of walking and almost getting lost, we arrived at the university where we sat through a little talk but then went off to start our day. While we were there we visited two museums which are both part of the museum. Firstly we went to the Pitt Rivers Museum where we had to do an activity whilst being paired up with a school from London.

After lunch we had a little tour around one of the colleges where we got to see what an average dorm room looks like, and then we visited the Museum of the History of Science.

Here we made our own astrolabes, but the highlight of this museum was definitely getting to see the blackboard used by Albert Einstein to explain the theory of relativity (e=mc2).

Oxford University

Early Morning Breakfast Club

School Partnerships

Some of the activities the Breakfast Club have been involved in this year.

The RE department at SHS has been working alongside the RE department at Idsall School, Shropshire over the last two years in order to promote inter-faith relations and a better understanding of other cultures. A group of Year 9 students from both schools have had the opportunity to engage in positive dialogue about the faiths practised in their own and other communities. This has benefited both groups of students greatly as it has enabled them to get to know a group of people that they would normally not meet in their day to day lives and to understand that, despite some differences of religion and culture, they have many of the same attitudes, concerns and interests.

SHS have successfully hosted two visits to the Ghamkol Sharif Mosque in Small Heath for the Idsall students and have benefited from reciprocal visits to St Andrew’s Church in Shifnal. This is an association that we hope to continue and expand in the future.

Miss Hussain

Ghamkol Shareef Mosque in Small Heath

Students from the two schools

The Morning Breakfast Club has been running successfully for the past 6 years. It is staffed by Mrs Khimji, five days a week between 8am to 8:30am.

The aim of the sessions is to help enhance pupils’ literacy, and reading skills, social skills and support with their homework and computer access.

This year most pupils have been involved with enrichment type projects such as the gardening project in conjunction with Mrs Allenby, the Asthma Awareness day and many more.

The children are provided with a healthy breakfast to encourage the importance of a healthy start to the day’s learning.

Gardening

Christmas Party

Hallowe’en

Ashtma Awareness

Growing veggies Easter Arts and Crafts Harvesting the veggies

The Extended Personal Project Over the last few years, to complement our pupils’ A level studies, the school’s Sixth form has also offered an opportunity to create an Extended Personal Project.

Here are experiences of three of those pupils.

I undertook an extended project at the start of the year regarding recycling within the school. I really enjoyed my EPQ because it gave me an opportunity to help support my independent studies which will help me towards my university life. During this process I had developed various different skills such as presentation skills, time management skills and organisation skills which were very useful.

Not only that but I had the chance to work in a sector of my own personal interest which was to change the community and make it better. This interest had all began when I started school because I had noticed there was a lot of rubbish being thrown in the bins. The idea of recycling instantly come to my head and therefore I had anticipated in this project a chance to change the school community to make it a better place for the pupils and upcoming pupils.

This project was in a different environment than the usual classroom which was very unique and had motivated me to further develop my independent skills as I had to think for myself to progress rather than a teacher guiding me to my next steps. Therefore it was a huge development in my area of independent learning. Setting personal deadlines was also another important factor because these deadlines were met successfully. I found this area of learning very different due to the fact that usually teachers are in command of deadlines but in this case I had experience of how it actually works.

The top thing I enjoyed about my project was working with younger children as my future career might be based on teaching so consequently I felt this was very useful in developing my skills as a teacher rather than a student. I found that the views of younger children aren’t very different from adults.

Overall, this area of learning was successful as well as useful as it gave me an experience of playing the role of a teacher as well as developing my skills in all area of this topic. I would recommend others to take part in this project as it certainly does help in the future and really enlightens your UCAS. This is what Universities look for, the brighter your UCAS, the better.

Choosing to do the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) is one of the best decisions I have made.

There are many reasons as to why I chose it. I must say that I have benefited from completing the EPQ. My EPQ was about ‘Alternative Medicines’ and I also explored the ethical considerations in medicine. The EPQ has developed my skills and is a experience which is very different to the ‘normal’ A-level subjects that I do. I must say that, compared to my A-levels the EPQ provides different opportunities and skills, it is quite refreshing and alternative to the formal classroom layout of a subject.

During the course of the EPQ I have developed numerous skills which I think will benefit me to a great extent. For instance my time management skills have developed drastically, which I believe was due to the deadlines given for each part of the project. To be frankly honest, I did not meet all the deadlines but I do feel that there was an improvement in my time management skills about two thirds into the course. There were many problems which kept persisting throughout the process, such as the prospect of interviewing techniques. The most difficult thing I had to do was to think like a Sociologist. I found this especially difficult because I am not studying any social sciences, but I must say that the concepts I studied and the ideas I researched were very interesting. For me, working independently was very productive, however at times it felt as though it was a disadvantage because it was up to me to set my own work and I had to guide myself.

Aside from that, I had some guidance in the weekly EPQ lessons since my supervisor specialises in the Social Sciences.

What I have taken from this experience is a better view of what I would like to do at university. I would advise anyone considering doing the EPQ to choose a topic which is related to a subject which you are planning on doing at university. This would really set you apart from other candidates who have the similar grades and course options as yourself. At the start of the year, I didn’t really know what I wanted to study at university but now I have a better idea of what I would like to do after college. At the moment, I am thinking about reading for a degree in Radiology or a course relating to the development of medicines such as Pharmacology. As my project was on ‘Alternative Medicines’, I believe that it proved to be very beneficial towards my chosen degree.

The EPQ is an ideal course to do, especially if you are thinking about progressing onto university.

Furthermore, the EPQ provides you with numerous skills and allows you to have the responsibility to organise and complete your very own project. You get the opportunity to decide pretty much everything, as far as your project is concerned. Areas such as what case study to chose, deadlines, who to interview, planning an event etc. are all coordinated by yourself. What really grabbed my attention was that the EPQ is equivalent to an AS level grade and also can add to your UCAS points score. All in all, the EPQ is a very interesting and enriching course that will help you to develop your own abilities. No exams or revision are required, the EPQ is coursework based. Most importantly the EPQ is guaranteed to enhance a number of your skills, which could be useful for future education and career opportunities.

Zakariya Osman

Alia Azim

Alia delivering her assembly

Year 12 was the year I undertook an EPQ based around the theme of the sociological insights regarding littering within the Sixth Form. My supervisor gave me a choice of either an artefact or a dissertation which consisted of 5000 words. Because I am a creative and loud individual I decided an artefact would be more appropriate as it would allow me to express myself more and give me the opportunity to develop lifelong skills such as time management, interviewing and problem solving.

Because the EPQ is optional it provides a more independent and refreshing approach to learning.

The thing with it is how we don’t really have a teacher telling us exactly what to do; my supervisor helped me set smart targets on what I felt necessary, and not him telling me exactly what to do. I knew it wasn’t a compulsion, in a way this motivated me because I was doing this for myself and not for the teachers. Although I did miss deadlines and did somewhat rush it in the last month, I realized how easy it was to become attached to something (the EPQ) even though I had the option of dropping it at any point during the year.

My final EPQ was presented as an assembly in front of the Year 12. This alone allowed me to enhance my skills including ICT, presenting and self confidence, as they were required in order for the assembly to proceed. These skills are transferrable and although I needed to develop these it gave me a chance to learn them and maintain my knowledge as they are used in my daily life.

As I wish to read for a degree in education, this EPQ gave me a chance to adapt to different situations and act accordingly. For example I needed to learn interview techniques and it was essential for me to adapt in to this environment as I have not carried out formal interviews with me being the interviewee. Because of this experience I now know that I don’t need to panic when I experience encounters with people I don’t know and any sudden changes in situations.

An EPQ is vital in my personal opinion as it mirrors real life. In reality we will not all be in a classroom with instructions, instead we will need to make sure we deal with situations in the most efficient way, moreover independently. This alone will allow you as a person to be able to stand on your own two feet which will enable you as a character to become more confident and selfassured.

The City of Birmingham Children’s University Graduation

Small Heath School joined the CBCU in 2010. The students who sign up have a passport where they collect hours for attending a variety Out of Hours Courses within school and at various places around the City. It is for children between the ages of 7 and 14.

The courses that have been offered so far are: - Boys swimming, working towards Swimming Awards - Beauty Fever a course developing students’ use of make- up along with skin care.

- Repertory Theatre Drama Group who have put on several productions - Skiing at the Ackers - Debating Societ, taking part in debates in school and by visiting other schools.

In June, 24 students received awards from the CBCU, 17 Bronze Awards (for completing 30 hours) and 7 Silver Awards (for completing 65 hours).

The Graduation Ceremony took place in the Great Hall in Aston University.

In September there will be a new course that interested students can be involved with. All the Children attending Summer School will receive a Passport and count the hours they attend towards an award in June 2013.

Ambreen Kauser

Ambreen delivering her assembly

Children’s University is a nationwide programme which was founded here in Birmingham. The Children’s University offers incentives to children of all ages to attend a variety of clubs. It was a good experience and we all agreed that it was useful. I think it really helped us keep motivated and made us proud of our accomplishments. I would recommend more people to enroll in the Children’s University and I would love to take part again next year.

Mohammad Aitisam Sultan and Mohammed Ismail Ali

Advice for running your own fayre

Year 7 Summer Fayre Held at Lower School 9th July 2:35 till 4:30.

A new C.M.C initiative, our first ever Summer Fayre Run by our Year 7 pupils, it was a great success! All students were involved in the planning, organising, making and selling. Run by the students for the students

- Work as a team when selling - Encourage people to come to your stall - Work hard and persuade people to buy the things you are selling.

The aim was to raise money for charity. Students were surveyed and they chose the “Islamic Relief” charity and our school in Pakistan Total Raised: The total amount of money that was raised £267!

Students chose their focus area from the following: - Advertising - Event management - Food - Crafts - Competitions

DO NOT GIVE UP!

‘All the people were very kind’

‘We organised it well and it was a big achievement’

‘This is great and lots of people are taking part’ The advertising & event management team attended a workshop with “IJM Media” to focus their roles, tasks & deadlines Advertising did a fantastic job

• • • • • •

• TV screens around the school promoting the event School website A letter home to let the parents know A text message home Designed & displayed posters Designed leaflets Presentation in assembly

Event Management were responsible for: - Room plans - Equipment sourcing - Labels The event ran smoothly and all the stalls all sold out with only a few bangles left.

‘It was very amusing and it should happen again’

‘I enjoyed working as a team’

‘We felt proud because it was all down to us to attract people and we did’

The Lead Learners Programme Mohammed Yafai, Rehana Gul &Abida Akhtar (Year 12)

Zohaib, Zakariya, Meena & Natasha (Year 12)

The Lead Learners programme provided us with a wonderful and memorable experience.

This was a unique opportunity which encouraged responsibility, teamwork and discipline.

Being part of the Lead Learner programme proved to be an enriching and rewarding experience. It benefited both us and the pupils who attended our club and equipped us with the necessary skills to do similar activities in later life.

The programme required a three day training course which prepared us for the club we would later run. It taught us the foundations of running our own successful club for younger children. We worked as a group and together we decided on the best ways to communicate effectively with the club members. We aimed to come up with the best ways to engage every participant and to make the experience enjoyable and worthwhile for everyone involved.

We played a few games amongst ourselves which we could later use within our own clubs.

We were trained on the different ways to keep discipline within the club whilst still ensuring everyone had a good time and learned something from the experience.

On the final day of the training the different groups got together and each group decided what sort of club they wanted to run. Each group was then to present their club to everyone else.

We decided we wanted to run a sports club for year 7’s which consisted of football, bench ball, dodge ball and other activities.

Once we had successfully completed the training, we were ready to run our club. It was a huge success with a great turnout. The club ran on a weekly basis every Thursday lunchtime for the duration of three months. We had approximately 25 participants each week.

The club provided each participant with the opportunity to take part in physical activity, socialise and make new friends. For us as Lead Learners, we learnt firsthand, what it took to lead a successful club. We had a great time and this experience improved our confidence and built up our leadership skills. Overall this was a great experience and we would encourage anyone who has the chance to take this opportunity.

The training aspect of the programme involved helping us to find ways to engage the pupils. We completed a log book, which we filled with advice and tips given by Jan (our trainer) on how to maintain a successful club. A number of tasks were carried out, to test our abilities as leaders and also ‘’warming up” exercises were given; giving us an indication as to what was required for running a club. The training was very useful, and outlined matters which we would not have considered.

We believe that it is vital that we support the next generation of students, and provide them with essentials to be the best possible students in the future therefore the club we chose to run helped children in Year 7 and 8 with their homework. We really believe that some of the students who attended our club have developed many skills, both academic and non academic. We, as Lead Learners, study a range of A-Levels which really helped us to provide the Year 7s/8s with essential skills.

As a team of 4 budding students, we used our knowledge of IT and other skills, to help the next generation of students with their homework. Within this club we also supported pupils to develop their IT skills because in a time like this, technology really supplements the traditional class room learning style. We ran competitions as children are more prone to try harder with their studies and have maturity about their education if an element of fun is introduced.

The skills which we have acquired, through the lead learners programme are: management skills, leadership skills, communication skills and listening skills. This experience will help us in the near future in terms of higher education opportunities and career opportunities. All of the skills learned throughout the programme will be required for use now and in later life.

Students working together on the Lead Learners programme Students working together towards success

RSBA Art Exhibition

They have developed a range of craft skills and techniques. In June this year pupils had their work exhibited at the Gallery. This was open to the public and has had a private view event where members of the Arts Council, Arts Awards, staff, pupils and their families celebrated their success. As well as this pupils have been creating a portfolio which involves them documenting and sharing their skills with others. Pupils have submitted this portfolio in order to obtain a Bronze Arts Award.

Pupils looking at art produced by Betty Pepper

Betty Pepper working with pupils Betty Pepper talking with our students

Completed artwork for exhibition

Pupils working on their art for exhibition

Twenty of our Year 10 Art pupils were involved in a project with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), entitled ‘History Makers’.

They have visited the RBSA Gallery, looking at and responding to the ‘History Makers’ exhibition. Following on from this they took part in two workshops at school with the designer maker Betty Pepper whose work was in this exhibition. They had the opportunity to create their own work after being inspired from work they saw at the Exhibition.

Pupils recieving their certificates