INSIDEOUT CTC Kingshurst Academy’s Official Termly Magazine ISSUE 41 Follow us on: ctckingshurstacademy @ctcka Dec 2015

CTC Kingshurst Academy’s Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party 2015

The party, now in its 12th year, took place on Friday 4th December. This year, we accommodated our second highest audience of one hundred and seventy two senior citizens. The event helps support SMSC at the academy and enables a vulnerable group in our community to enjoy a superb afternoon, in what is arguably one of the academy’s biggest events and a key event in our community engagement programme.

At the academy, the need to care for others and support those in need is a very important attribute that we try to instil in our students. This event is only possible as a result of the youngsters and staff that give up their time to help. Volunteering is essential to make this event possible and students not only enjoyed the event but developed valuable interpersonal skills that will help them develop into well-rounded individuals. Guests praised the students, drawn from Years 7-12 for their effort and they supported the event by welcoming guests, serving drinks and food and assisting with bingo and the raffle.

The event was free to guests thanks to the fund raising efforts of CTC students. We were also supported by local partners including BJ’s Bingo, Boots, Greggs and B & Q who all donated high quality raffle prizes while Bidvest Food Service, Worcester Produce and Hopwells all supported the catering.

According to the academy’s Principal, Damon Hewson, “It was a very successful Senior Citizens’ event on Friday - an absolutely excellent evening. Feedback was hugely positive and, as always, our students were fantastic throughout. Thanks to all involved.”

Message from Damon Hewson, Principal

It is an absolute delight to introduce this edition of ‘InsideOut’ which, for the first time, has moved to an innovative and far more versatile electronic format. Packed with even more articles, some of which are interactive, it once again highlights the successes of our students and staff over the past few months. I’d like to extend special thanks to everyone who was involved in organising our twelfth Christmas dinner for over 170 senior citizens earlier this month – it was a hugely enjoyable event for all and a tremendous achievement on everyone’s part. Our Carol Concert at St Phillip’s Cathedral in Birmingham was one of our most impressive in recent years; with over one hundred and fifty students and staff performing together, there is no doubt that it put all those involved thoroughly in the Christmas spirit!

Sincere thanks to Lee Fletcher, Editor of ‘InsideOut’, ably assisted by Tori Sutton, for once again capturing so well that flavour of what makes the academy such a special place. As we come to the end of a very busy term, I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and positive 2016.

InsideOut Dec 2015 1 Performing Arts Ian Rushbury Laura Morris Liz Walsh CTC Kingshurst Academy’s Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party 2015 Kirsten Pearce Bernie Norris Jo Poole Alumni Sam Bibb

Admin Angela Jenkins

Santa Roy Adams

First Aid Doreen Hall

Photography James Howell

Catering Marc Carpenter Hayley Dickenson Laura Taylor Viv Cummings Gail Lane Corina Stinson Maria Boggis Vicki Griffin Caron Watson Sarah Gowland

Tea and Coffee Katie Barker

Washing up Yvonne Bailey Tracy Wyton Richard Jones Lee Parfitt

Maintenance Carl Hoyles Rachael Abbs

General Support Eleanor Mitchison Suzanna Graves Matthew Brocklebank

Grotto Tony Harper Kuvi Dale Hannah Reynolds

Christmas Decorations Lee Miles Jon Swift

Sponsors We are grateful to the following organisations for supporting us and donating goods: Boots – a variety of raffle prizes BJs Bingo B & Q - £25 voucher Greggs - £10 voucher Bidvest Food Service Worcester Produce Hopwells

2 InsideOut Dec 2015 CTC Kingshurst Academy’s Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party 2015

InsideOut Dec 2015 3 Zambia

In July 2015, a group of post-16 students, accompanied by Miss Ivery and Mr Bailey, travelled to Zambia, where we would be working at a school, whilst also doing some sightseeing. After a year of careful planning and waiting, the day we left for Zambia seemed surreal. Two flights and 24 hours later we found ourselves at our lodge, Chikupi Estate.

We spent the large majority of the time aiding our partner schools: Mungu Primary and Chikoka Primary. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with an assembly involving the whole school, which was very daunting. They sang their national anthem and then asked us to perform ours. Each of us were asked to write a short speech to introduce ourselves and talk about how excited we were to be visiting Zambia.

We spent the rest of the time in the school, teaching various lessons. We invested quite a lot of time into teaching English lessons, where the Zambian students wrote pen pal letters back to CTC Year 7 students. We helped them with their reading and pronunciation skills, whilst also getting the opportunity to read a piece of work in their native language of Nyanja! The students particularly enjoyed hearing us trying to speak their language!

We also spent time playing football with the students, a favourite hobby of theirs. It was exciting to see how much fun they had playing sports and their eagerness to learn. With us, we brought over geography supplies and made a quiz, which we helped the students to complete. During our visits to Mungu Primary and Chikoka Primary, we were asked to paint a mural on the school wall, to make the entrance more vibrant for both the students and visitors. Since it was only Miss Ivery that was artistic, we definitely found it to be a new challenge. Luckily, the project turned out very well (apart from misspelling ‘partnership’ to ‘partnepship’).

On our last day at the school, we had our final assembly in which the students performed a number of songs, dances and speeches for us. They also gave each of us a present- a hand-knitted scarf- something we can all treasure and will remind us of our amazing trip.

Whilst travelling to the many places in Zambia, we experienced a wide variety of transport vehicles. Everyday when we visited the school, we travelled in an open truck. The people we passed were all very friendly and would wave at us, which was very different to how people are back in the UK. One day, we were fortunate enough to be taken to see giraffes by the lodge owner, Tom. We had to stand on the back of his truck whilst he drove through his reserve and over his trees. To say that it was a bumpy ride would be an understatement! We spent more time being attacked by trees and bushes than we did seeing the giraffes.

During one of our free weekends, we made a trip to Livingstone, in order to see Victoria Falls. The falls were beautiful, with lots of wildlife and animals surrounding them, including baboons. At first we went on the ‘Boiling Pot Trail’, where we walked down to see the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe - we even got to see people bungee jumping! We wanted to have a go, but unfortunately we were told we wouldn't be able to. The group went back up to see the falls, however the 25 minute trail felt much longer on the way back up. The waterfall was so powerful that it seemed like it was raining and, by the time we had crossed the bridge to the other side, we were soaked! In hindsight, we could've worn rain macs like many of the tourists had, however it was all part of the experience.

Whilst in Livingstone, we decided to stock up on food from the local supermarket, including chocolate, cookies and crisps. Of a night, we ate in a restaurant, which was very different. The restaurant was open top, so we could see the stars as we ate. We tried lots of new foods, including crocodile burgers, goat stew, and even a starter of caterpillars! At our hotel, Faulty Towers, there were lots of other travellers, including a group of university students from Kent, with whom we shared stories around the fire. We had been told not to stroke the stray cats whilst we were at Fawlty Towers by Mr Bailey and Miss Ivery, however they had other ideas and took selfies with the cats!

On our last weekend, we went on a canoeing trip down the lower Zambezi river. This was very tiring and at one point we were chased by hippos! This trip was a fantastic opportunity to see wildlife in its natural habitat, including a wide variety of birds and crocodiles and elephants. Sadly, we never saw any lions but during the night we could hear them. Each night we camped on islands in the middle of the river, where we cooked our own food on fires and slept in tents. Beside the animals we saw, one of the best parts of the canoeing trip was the beautiful scenery. Because it was winter whilst we were in Zambia, the sun went down very early, presenting the most beautiful sunsets that would fade into the pitch black night- and with no other lights around, we were able to see hundreds of stars.

4 InsideOut Dec 2015 InsideOut Dec 2015 5 Zambia cont...

6 InsideOut Dec 2015 The impact

“The two weeks we spent in Zambia were truly unforgettable and arguably one of the best experiences of our lives. We were able to meet some amazing people, and had the opportunity to challenge ourselves with tasks out of our comfort zone. For anyone considering applying for this amazing trip, we highly recommend it, as it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Ellie Dudley

“One of the best decisions I ever made was applying “I can honestly say that the trip to Zambia was the best two weeks of my for this trip. Teaching in the schools was an amazing life. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity which I will remember forever. experience and the children were so grateful and I was in awe when visiting Victoria Falls as it was such an amazing view welcoming; definitely something I’d consider doing with beautiful surrounding scenery. In the evening, whilst in Livingstone, again. Zambia is a beautiful place, unlike any I’ve seen we ate at a restaurant which served local dishes that we got to try for before, and we were so submerged in the culture ourselves. My personal favourite was crocodile ribs and my least favourite through visiting the school and going on safari.” was caterpillars! Working in Mungu Primary School was an inspiring Laurie-Anne Kinsella experience. I admired how much the students valued their education and respected their teachers; it has encouraged me to work even harder toward my goal of becoming a vet. My favourite part of the trip was the “Zambia was an amazing trip that I’ll never forget. It river safari on the Lower Zambezi River. We got to see many wild animals was a truly enlightening experience to work with the in their natural habitat such as hippos, crocodiles and my favourite animal, kids and teachers over there, that made me realise how elephants. It was amazing to see how these animals live in the wild as lucky I am and made me appreciate everything so much opposed to being in a zoo or seeing them on the TV. On this weekend more. The visit to Victoria Falls was part of my journey trip we canoed for a few hours each day and stayed in tents on a sandy into visiting as much of the world as I can, and cannot island overnight. During the night we could hear hippos, elephants and compare to any video or picture that you may have seen lions just metres away from our tents. The accommodation we stayed of it. Being able to see the animals whilst camping in the in was very different to what we were all used to at home yet had the wild is definitely on the list for being one of the most necessities we thought we would miss, such as a comfy bed, electricity, unbelievable things I have done. The memories I have and warm showers. However, we did have a lot of visits from lizards, mice from the trip still make me smile when I think about and spiders! I would definitely recommend going on this trip to everyone them. I hope everyone has the chance of going on an as it is an eye opening experience and I have come home with many great opportunity like this to create memories of their own.” memories that I will remember for a long time.” Hamish Gibbons Lois Franklin

“Having the opportunity to go to Zambia and work with a range of children of different ages has been life changing. Despite sightseeing, experiencing different foods and buying things from the market, the highlight was definitely being in the school with the children. Everyone was extremely excited to see us, including the teachers and headmaster, and we had a warm welcome as they sang their national anthem to us. We were also able to see how beneficial the resources that the academy raised money to buy and bring over, really are. Rather than writing on old newspaper with small pencils, they can now write on paper like us and have a wide range of reading books to help practise their English skills. This made me feel like I have achieved something as I was able to help young children, who are enthusiastic to learn, practise pronunciation and reading. Overall, this opportunity was a once in a lifetime chance and I am very grateful thatI was able to experience all of the amazing things that I did in such a short amount of time.” Hannah-Mai Amory

The 2015 Zambia trip was an experience of a lifetime. Before going on the trip I already had a basic idea of what to expect both in the schools and in our accommodations. The main place that we stopped at whilst we were there wasn’t like what I had imagined. The accommodation itself was really nice, but it took a few nights getting used to the different noises all around you. Once you got over that, everything was fine apart - from waking up in the morning with it being that cold you can see your own breath. On the other hand it was one of the most relaxing places to wake up I have ever been to.”

“I was already aware that the schools we were visiting didn’t have much and were quite far behind in their education. However, when we got to the schools in Zambia it was quite a shock to see how basic they were, how little they had and how much they still appreciated what they had. I was also surprised how much the students there actually wanted to learn and how much it meant to them to get their education.”

“The three day Zambezi river safari was up there with one of the best things I have ever done in my life. It was such an amazing feeling knowing that you are in the middle of nowhere and that you can look all around you and see nothing but some hippos or some crocodiles or even some elephants. It was also quite a crazy feeling pulling up onto some sandy island that is covered in hippo tracks in the middle of the Zambezi river and knowing that this is where you are going to be spending your night.”

“As far as I am concerned, this is a trip that I think everyone needs to go on at some point in their lives, just to make you appreciate everything you’ve got and to see the world in its natural state.” Dan Hands

InsideOut Dec 2015 7 Joshua Williams - “Mr Birmingham”

Dashing Post-16 student Joshua Williams is adorning billboards throughout the Midlands. Here we learn more about his endeavours.

Post-16 student Josh Williams has recently been named the new 'Mr Birmingham' - becoming the youngest contender to win the coveted title . Following his gracious victory in the national competition, Josh was able to elevate his charity work, which includes working with the homeless, (The Red Bag Co) and mental health charities (Time To Change) which he is also the ambassador for. Josh has also independently organised major fund raiser events, including a sold-out charity fashion show for the humanitarian charity 'Beauty With A Purpose', managing to raise an impressive total of over £2000. Josh has also had the honour of accompany in the Lord Mayor of Birmingham at several events these past few months, including Birmingham Pride, the Pride of Birmingham Awards and the Birmingham Zombie Walk, in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Alongside Josh's extensive charity work, he has also been an active member of the local community, as well as the West Midlands region. Josh co-founded the Marston Green Leo's Club, after completing the National Citizens Service (distinction), which he gained for excellent work in the community, and engaging and encouraging the youth to give back to their community.

What has been the biggest challenge since winning the title of Mr Birmingham?

I must admit, away from the competition side of things, the biggest challenge has been a lack of understanding. Since winning the title and working through almost all of my free time on events, admin or work, the support network I have has been absolutely incredible. Due to the misconceptions of the old-age pageant world, some people think that, in short, the title is meaningless and I should give it up and focus on what's important - my education and future studies. However, I feel this in itself is wrong and ignorant. As young people, education is the backbone of our future successes; this cannot be faulted. Yet it is not the only thing necessary to succeed or be a better person. Being able to get involved in the community and charity work, take opportunities that few people my age have had and join projects and career routes I would have never thought possible is just as important and, if anything, will give me a more rounded view point of the world and my future aspirations. We should all take any opportunity given to us for in five years or ten years, they may not still be there.

What inspires you to do what you do?

I have met so many different inspirational people in my life but rather than taking inspiration from them directly, I try to take their courage, their wisdom and their strive to do more. Honestly, what inspires me is seeing the effect the youth of today can have. Within media and socially, young people are consistently judged by education, location, wealth and more and I have noticed how when speaking of young people, it always seems to be highlighting the negatives. I want to be able to show that no matter what your age, background or past experiences, you can make something of yourself because, as the future, we have a real opportunity to do something great. As Carina Tyrell stated, 'If your dreams do not scare you, then they are not big enough'. I wish to follow my dreams and be the best person I physically can.

In the future, Josh hope to evolve his practice into a career involving helping a significant amount of people. He wishes to study Politics and International Relations at university, where he wishes to change the things he has witnessed in his life through working with charities and politically correct them “through the UN or another factor, I just wish to be able to make a substantial difference”.

8 InsideOut Dec 2015 InsideOut Dec 2015 9 The CTC is a happy and vibrant community which for over twenty-seven years has been helping equip students with the confidence and skills to succeed in adulthood and play a positive role in society. We are an innovative, outward looking school responding to the changing needs of ALUMNI our students in order to help them enjoy their learning and achieve their potential.

After leaving the CTC in 2012, I went on to study physiotherapy Lauren Berry at the University of Birmingham. Studying the IB really helped in the university application process as it made me stand out, Years spent at the academy especially with the various opportunities that creative, active, 2005-2012 service hours gave me and the extended essay component. This was highlighted to me at interview stage. In addition, the step Course undertaken in post-16 from college to university did not feel so steep, as I was used to International Baccalaureate juggling lots of work as well as my extra-curricular activities.

I attended the CTC from Year 7 and continued onto post-16 where I I graduated from the University of Birmingham in July and I completed the International Baccalaureate in which I studied standard am now working as a rotational physiotherapist at the Queen Russian, Maths and Sports Science and higher Geography, Biology and Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. Every four months I rotate to a English. different speciality in the hospital and I am currently working as a physiotherapist as part of the major trauma centre. Solihull Gardens In Bloom During my time at university and since graduating I have been able to seize some brilliant opportunities of which I feel I After entering the Solihull Neighbourhood in Bloom competition last wouldn’t be capable if it weren’t for completing the IB. I recently year we gained the Bronze award. After a year of hard work from the presented my dissertation work at a paediatric physiotherapy students involved we were proud to be awarded the Gold award. conference in Newcastle and I have been lucky enough to have it accepted for publication in May too, which I am currently The club is available to all students and gives everybody a chance to in the process of writing. I feel my Theory of Knowledge learn all aspects of gardening techniques from sowing seedlings to presentation and definitely the extended essay process cultivating more established areas. The ceremony evening was hosted prepared me well for this. by the CTC and the Lord Mayor of Solihull presented the awards. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the CTC and loved the support I was unable to attend the ceremony, as I am nursing a broken ankle, the staff provided and have loved having the opportunity to however Mrs Constantinou very kindly stood in for me. keep involved through helping at open evenings.

I would like to thank all of the students for the effort that they have What advice would you offer students currently at the put in to this venture and I am sure that you will agree that this has academy, based on your experiences during and after your been rewarded by this prestigious Gold award. time there. The advice I would offer current students is that you don’t have Mr Allbrook to be the most confident or brainy person in order to achieve the things you want to. I definitely was not and still am not either of those but have gone on to achieve things I never dreamed I would have been able to. As long as you have the drive, the determination and are willing to put the work in, almost anything is achievable.

Remember to enjoy your time at the CTC and make some brilliant memories as, before you know it, you’re having to step out into the big wide world like me!

What is your favourite book? My favourite book series is the shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella because they’re very funny and relatable!

10 InsideOut Dec 2015 Christina Webley

Years spent at the academy 2010-2012

Course undertaken in post-16 International Baccalaureate

I was a student at CTC Kingshurst from 2005 to 2012. I spent those seven years making good use of the facilities and various opportunities provided by the academy. This varied from trips abroad to completing The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. These opportunities contributed significantly to my academic future as well as my overall perspective.

I chose to study the International Baccalaureate during sixth form. To me the IB sounded great in terms of subject variety as well as the ability to gaining experience through CAS. It seemed like a well-rounded course that would appeal to potential employers and/or recruiters. As I went on to further study and employment, I realised that this was true. As well as making me stand out among some of the most competitive crowds, the IB prepared me for university in the best possible way. Thanks to the IB, my first year of university was a breeze. I already had experience of independent study, research and writing 4000 word essays!

Having an easy adjustment to university as well as a CTC education meant that I was able to study at a high standard whilst producing high quality assignments, projects and practical work. This was frequently rewarded throughout my time at university, most recently in the form of a trip to Shanghai. As a result of my final year dissertation project I was selected to take an all-expenses paid trip to one of China’s most affluent cities. This was an amazing experience that broadened my horizons and made me realise how much my education has contributed to my success both academically and personally.

Psychology was one of the subjects I had chosen to study as part of the IB; having enjoyed it so much I went on to university to study BSc Psychology which later mapped out my career path. I now work with young people to build confidence and resilience against peer pressure in relation to risky behaviours. As well as this I work at Birmingham Children’s Hospital providing clinical support and guidance in order to maintain the psychological wellbeing of young people around the UK. This is a massive step towards becoming an independent psychotherapist, which is my ultimate goal.

What advice would you offer students currently at the academy, based on your experiences during and after your time there. The main bit of advice I would give to students at CTCKA would be to take full advantage of the opportunities presented throughout your time at the academy. Get involved in as much as you can - even little things like helping out in the IC can make a big difference when mentioned on your CV and/or applications. Finally, without sounding clichéd – work hard and stay focused, as it’s all worth it in the end!

What is your favourite book? My favourite book would have to be “Act Like a Success, Think like a Success” By Steve Harvey.

Daniel Parsons

Years spent at the academy 1998 - 2005

Course undertaken in post-16 AVCE Business & Economic Studies

When I left post-16, I went straight into employment as a trainee golf professional. I pursued this career path for a number of years, reaching the position of Golf Centre Assistant Manager. However, I recently have had a change of career, and now am going through a hotel management training program at a four star hotel near Sutton Coldfield. This involves working in every department, duty manager shifts, as well as running functions, conferences and events. In line with this, I have enrolled back into education and I’m currently studying a Business Management & Hospitality Degree through UCB in Birmingham. I am currently in my second year, having achieved the equivalent to an A in my first year.

Away from working, I have been travelling, spending time in both Australia and America.

What advice would you offer students currently at the academy, based on your experiences during and after your time there. To make the most it, when I was there, it was unlike any other school; everybody there wants the best for every one of their students. Take every opportunity, and enjoy it.

What is your favourite book? 1984 by George Orwell.

InsideOut Dec 2015 11 Post-16 CTC students invited to the national T19 tournament at St George’s Park

Post-16 students who are not playing in the academy representative side had the chance to visit St George’s Park and play in a 5 a side tournament against schools from all over England. The students acquitted themselves very well, played some high quality football and enjoyed one of the many benefits of being an academy that is working closely with the FA.

COMMUNITY TRUST FEBRUARY FOOTBALL CAMPS MONDAY 15TH - FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY The Community Trust will be delivering a wide variety of football focused activities during February 2016. Why not come and join us for a week of fun, improve your skills and fitness level, and make some new friends along the way!

VENUES

ARDEN SCHOOL Station Rd, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands B93 0PT

LANGLEY SCHOOL Kineton Green Road, Solihull, B92 7ER 50 15 CTC KINGSHURST Academy Cooks Lane Kingshurst, Birmingham 25 8 B37 6NU

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT BIRMINGHAM CITY COMMUNITY TRUST ON 0344 557 1875 (OPTION 2) OR EMAIL [email protected] 12 InsideOut Dec 2015 Did You Know?

AFTER ACADEMY ACTIVITIES If students are staying in the academy after 3:05pm for any reason then they MUST register with the member of staff running the activity.

TELEPHONE AT STUDENT RECEPTION IN ADMINISTRATION OFFICE Students should only ask to use the telephone at student reception for emergencies.

A minimum charge of 20p will be made for each call.

CONFISCATIONS Phones confiscated can be collected following afternoon registration on the same day from the HIPs’ office.

Other items confiscated can be collected following afternoon registration on a Friday from the HIP’s office.

FIRST CALL HOME A reminder that if your child is not going to be at the academy, for a legitimate reason, then parents need to contact the college by 8.00 a.m. at the latest, on the day of absence on 0121 329 8300.

Switchboard is open from 7.00 a.m. When the academy is closed, messages can be left on the answering machine.

If students are late into the academy they MUST sign in with Danielle Livingstone in the HIP’s office.

All the above will ensure that registers are kept up to date, which is a legal requirement and in accordance with Fire Regulations.

DT benefits from free goods kindly donated to the academy

Tony Harper, our very own technology technician continues, to make more contacts with local companies, promoting the academy and building links in an effort to collect goods which are surplus to their requirements.

Tony gratefully receives goods on behalf of the academy from local companies who often destroy their surplus materials. Having collected the goods, Tony then maintains contact with the company by sending Inside Out and project photographs showing how students have put their materials to good use.

Many of these local companies have also kindly offered work experience placements to our students. Other areas in the academy benefit from these cheaper and free materials.

Here is a list of donations kindly provided. We welcome all support to enhance teaching and learning at the academy. Should you wish to help DT, please contact [email protected]

InsideOut Dec 2015 13 CTC Kingshurst Academy retains National Citizen Service Trust Champion School status

CTC Kingshurst Academy has been identified as a Champion School by the National Citizen Service Trust for the second year running. We are one of just 16 schools in the Midlands to have been given this award for our continued support and shared ethos of NCS (National Citizen Service). Over the summer and autumn, over 30 students from our school took part in the programme where they met new people, learned new skills and made a positive contribution to their local area.

Recently, participants of the autumn programme received their certificate at a graduation ceremony at Coventry Central Hall. Sixth former, Eleanor Burford, was in attendance and will soon feature in the Coventry Telegraph for receiving her award.

AWAKEN Youth Group Friday nights 11+

14 InsideOut Dec 2015 Shakespeare Schools Festival

Colleen Powell (10 Galloway) looks back on a mesmerising Shakespeare Schools Festival performance by CTC thespians.

This half term, 16 students from Year 7 – 13 took part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival, performing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. We had rehearsals for a number of months in the drama studio with Miss Galloway directing us. The play was very challenging to remember, as some students had more than one role to perform. On 2nd November, we went to the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham to perform the play; we arrived early in the morning and rehearsed twice. Throughout the day, we went up to the balcony of Birmingham library and practised projecting our voices ready for the performance later on. We also visited the Shakespeare room for a selfie with the Bard himself. During the day, a few of us forgot our lines, but luckily by the time we performed in front of the paying audience in the evening, everything went to plan. Overall, the play went really well and numerous people did say that the CTC performance was best out of the four schools that evening. I really enjoyed taking part in the workshop and would definitely take part next year.

Fordbridge Prize CTC students rewarded for volunteering by Fordbridge Town Council

This year, Fordbridge Town Council was looking to reward children from local schools who are making a contribution to the local community. They were asked the following questions:

Do you work as a volunteer outside of school?

Do you help others in your spare time?

Do you care for a family member or another person?

Do you try and improve your local area?

Do you help as part of a group? If the students answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, Fordbridge Town Council wanted to hear from them. According to Mr Fletcher who nominated Josh Adams and Conor Thompson, “Both students have made a substantial contribution to the local community. Josh has supported a number of charitable fund raising events, many on Saturday evenings and through his dancing has helped boost attendance, enjoyment and ultimately funds raised. Conor has supported John Gallagher’s Football Coaching camps and completed over three hundred hours. This is a phenomenal achievement that augurs well for a career in football coaching. Mr Jones and I were very pleased to see both receive their trophy and prize worth £125 each on Monday 30th November at Fordbridge Community Centre. Well done to both of you.”

Should you wish to enroll as a volunteer or enter the Fordbridge Prize next year, please see Mr Fletcher.

InsideOut Dec 2015 15 Houses of Parliament visit 2015

Year 13 Health and Social Care students visited the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday 18th September. Here we learn more about this fascinating experience as Mrs Kavanagh looks back on the day.

We were delighted to be invited by The SEPSIS Trust UK to attend a reception in the Houses of Parliament. Our Social Science Department recently established a link with THE UK SEPSIS TRUST. Dr Julian Hull, Senior Intensivist from Good Hope Hospital and Founder of THE UK SEPSIS TRUST along with Fiona Lawrence, Managing Director of The UK SEPSIS TRUST both offered to come to CTC Kingshurst Academy to teach our students about SEPSIS and the dangers of the killer disease, which claims 37,00 lives in the United Kingdom each year. Having taught our Year 13 Health and Social Care students about the importance of being aware of the signs and symptoms of septicaemia, Dr Hull and Miss Lawrence then gave them the opportunity to design their own ‘Campaigns for SEPSIS’. The reward would be a trip to London to meet with members of the UK SEPSIS Trust, members of Parliament, hospital consultants and members of the public who had experienced SEPSIS. Hannah Green, Nick Morris, Eve Prince, Georgia Travers, Chloe McDermott, Lara Blackwell and Meegan Shorey were invited to the Houses of Parliament and were a tremendous asset to our academy.

The reception was introduced by Dr Ron Daniels, Senior Consultant from Good Hope Hospital and Chief Executive of the UK SEPSIS Trust who among many others had, that day, cycled from Birmingham to London to raise awareness of SEPSIS. He was delighted to introduce MP Jeremy Hunt and Cheryl Gillian, both of whom are great supporters of The UK SEPSIS TRUST. Jeremy Hunt was delighted to announce that Parliament had agreed to introduce new clinical toolkits to Emergency Departments in order to help in the fight to save more lives from the disease. He also announced the availability of new information cards which advise parents on SEPSIS, which will be available to the public to help save children’s lives.

The afternoon ended with the most emotional extract read by Sue Morrish, a mother who sadly had lost her little boy to SEPSIS. Sue has recently launched a book, ‘Three and a half heartbeats’. Her extract was so unbelievably moving that there was not a dry eye in the room. It is her campaigning, along with many other parents who have sadly lost young children to this disease, that has been able to encourage the government to make the public and NHS employees more aware of SEPSIS and how they can save thousands of valuable lives each year. Our trip to the Houses of Parliament was an extremely valuable and inspirational day which was thoroughly enjoyed by the Year 13 Health and Social Care students and me. We hope to continue raising awareness within our community by taking part in the Birmingham Half Marathon and also intend to arrange a coffee morning to raise money and awareness for the UK SEPSIS TRUST. We look forward to further developing our link and raising awareness within our community.

16 InsideOut Dec 2015 Year 7 learn how to save a life

On Friday 16th October, one hundred and thirty Year 7 students from the CTC were involved in European Restart a Heart Day. Every year on the 16th October, the day is dedicated to raise awareness of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). We welcomed medical students from The University of Birmingham. The trainee doctors were led by our very own alumni, Liam Barrett who secured 38 points in his IB Diploma while at the academy.

Liam and his team were part of the Midlands Life Support Education (MiLE). They taught over 1000 students in one day and the CTC was one of the five schools that they visited.

According to Liam, “On the day, the Year 7 students learnt all about what to do with a casualty ( DRSABC) danger, response , airway , breathing and CPR. The students had the opportunity to practise their chest compressions (30) and rescue breathes (2) on a first aid mannequin.”

InsideOut Dec 2015 17 Spotlight on Humanities

Head of the humanities faculty, Scott Williams looks back on an extremely busy and productive term for the faculty. According to Scott “There has been a lot going on in humanities over the last three months. We have had six new staff join us along with an excellent history trainee and staff have been planning a whole host of activities to enrich students’ experience of their subjects. Some of the things that have been happening in the faculty have been detailed below.” Staff Development Educational visits

This half term has been a busy one for our history staff. Heather There have already been two visits conducted by the humanities and Gemma both completed a master’s - accredited module team this year. Nathan applied for, and was accepted onto, a trip in holocaust education – this looked at a whole range of issues for staff to Berlin. On this trip he learned about how the Holocaust including modern day genocides, representations in the is still relevant and went to see sites around the city that can media, obstacles in teaching the Holocaust and differing views. contribute to Holocaust education in the classroom. Both worked extremely hard on this whilst maintaining very high standards in the classroom. The work taken on to do this Further to this, Gemma took two students on a trip to see the should not be underestimated and it is a testament to their WWI battlefields in France and Belgium. This trip is a government professionalism that they managed to do this. funded initiative and is part of the 100 year anniversary commemorations. Gemma has also organised a battlefields trip for KS3 which will be going ahead in 2016. Black History Month This year we will be looking to send two post-16 students on the To celebrate Black History Month this year, Nathan decided to go “Lessons from Auschwitz” programme once more. Please ask your with the theme of the contribution of black soldiers to Britain’s war teacher for further details. effort. He decided on this as it is 101 years since the start of WWI and because when we study WWI, the story of black and ethnic minority soldiers is often missed out. Curriculum days

He delivered 5 assemblies on this theme to Year 7s – 11 during For the recent curriculum day, humanities provided activities for the first week of October. The assemblies were well received two of the year groups. Geography hosted a day on climate change by both staff and students and there were many examples of which culminated in a mini ‘world conference debate’ in the drama positive feedback. This was then built upon during PSHE lessons studio that was broadcast across the school. Students spent the during the week, where students focused in more detail on how first part of the day learning about the causes of and responses to black soldiers contributed to Britain’s war effort. In addition, a climate change and each was given a different country that they competition was held for students to design a piece of display had to represent at the debate. They had to present their country’s work to commemorate the contributions of black soldiers and their view on the issue of climate change and make a case for change. efforts in the war. The best pieces of work were selected for display There was excellent feedback on this from staff and students alike. and prizes given to those students for their efforts. This day was organised by Dan Last.

For the RE Curriculum Day, Year 10 students had the opportunity to focus on a topical moral issue, assisted suicide. Students engaged with a range of different case studies and religious views on euthanasia and debated whether assisted suicide should become law. They then expressed their views in a letter to Julian Knight, MP for Solihull, who recently voted against the defeated Assisted Suicide Bill to inform him of what they thought. A number of these letters, which showed particularly good expression of thought and a range of perspectives, have been chosen to be sent off to Mr Knight and we are hopeful of receiving a response back from him shortly. Students commented that this was a challenging topic to consider but enjoyed looking at the case studies given and having the opportunity to develop their own views.

OEAC

The faculty has made good use of the outdoor centre already this year. The history staff in particular have taken Year 9 students down to the trench to give them an experience akin to what the soldiers in WWI experienced. Nick has been particularly active with this and taken several groups down. Students always thoroughly enjoy this and it is a great learning resource for us to have.

18 InsideOut Dec 2015 IC update

To see what the IC fully has to offer to students and teachers, I was able to get an interview with the IC Manager who kindly gave an insight into the world of the IC.

Louise began with a tour of the different collections of resources within the Information Centre. Throughout the IC, the main collections are Fiction and Non-Fiction books. You are able to take two books out at a time from each collection.

The IC also has a reading corner with soft chairs for people to relax. This is a popular area with fun facts and quiz books. The seating areas are divided into group, individual and comfortable seating spaces.

The IC also offers DVDs stored on the left hand side near the entrance, these can be loaned for 48 hours after school with a refundable deposit of £1.00.

Louise explained that there are two search terminals which access the library catalogue. This allows students to search the catalogue for all of the resources the IC has to offer, ranging from books, Journals/magazines, educational websites and our main online resource Encyclopaedia Britannica. This facility makes it easier and quicker to find what you are looking for.

The main study area accommodates a complete class, this is beneficial as it allows students to use the resources and sit and work in groups, especially if you’re a post-16 student. The post-16 reference collection is located at the bottom of the IC and stocks all of the up to date IB course companions and study guides for all subject areas.

There is a workspace offered for staff near to the printer with Pedagogy and practice books. The IC includes a computer room, which seats a full class with thirteen computers with iPad soon to provide a full class of twenty six student’s access to either a computer or iPad.

Journals are on display located in the study area, these are an important and valuable resource, particularly for post-16 student’s, as they are the most up to date resource available and can provide links for further research, work placements and contacts. They are published in magazine format which makes the resources more appealing to use. The IC also has a range of tabloid and broadsheet newspapers for people to read for pleasure and for current and topical affairs.

The IC also has its own webpage located on the academy webpage, which is also accessible at home. The IC online resources are free and include Encyclopaedia Britannica; this covers all subject areas from secondary to post-16 level. We also offer an Oxford Dictionary and Oxford Reference package and more specifically an Oxford Art online and Oxford Music online resource for research purposes, as well as online Journals.

Additionally, the IC also offers access to the online syllabuses and exemplar essays along with Theory of Knowledge; these are of great benefit to post-16 students studying the IB. There is something for every subject, with the freedom to access the marking sheets. The pros are: the score and how it’s broken down and the annotations, with first print copies of the syllabuses.

As well as the educational purpose of the IC, it can easily attract students with its quiet working atmosphere, perfect for reading or revising. The IC is open from 8.10-4.30 Monday to Thursday and until 4pm Friday welcome to all students. As you may well know, the IC has been an established part of the furniture at the academy for years, without the facility, students would struggle to gain access to revision guides, and sources collecting plus much more. It truly is the perfect place to learn and progress outside the classroom!

InsideOut Dec 2015 19 Local dancers become world champions

The academy hosts a number of organisations that provide opportunities for academy students and the wider community to participate. Spotlight is one such organisation and every Saturday hundreds pf youngsters attend the academy and develop their skills. Eight academy pupils, Melody, Rhodes, Grace Arkell, Tionna Gordon, Caitlin McDonough, Jodie McDonough, Nicole Stoney, Imani Pinnock, Isabel Micthell- Oram as well as also Georgina Whittle who used to attend the academy have benefitted enormously from this opportunity. Here we look at how Spotlight helped academystudents and other local youngsters to perform with Team England to win the Dance World Cup.

This summer, thirty one children from Spotlight Stage School travelled to Romania to represent Birmingham and England in the Dance World Cup World Championships. The Dance World Cup is the biggest dance competition in the world, attracting over 18,000 competitors from 38 different countries.

Team England was made up of nearly 400 of the country’s best young dancers who had all qualified for the prestigious event. Team England won the Dance World Cup, with Spain coming in 2nd and Portugal coming in 3rd.

The team of elite dancers from Birmingham did particularly well, winning medals for all 8 routines they entered. Spotlight Stage School pupils won 3 gold medals / world titles, 3 silver medals and 2 bronze medals, as well as a special accolade for the Best Quartet in the competition and gaining the highest mark.

Spotlight principal Vicky Richards said “We were just thrilled to be asked to represent our country at the World Championships – never did I imagine we would win any medals, let alone world titles! The standard was so high, but my pupils had worked really hard and it paid off. They put Birmingham on the map and made me incredibly proud.”

The local group was especially praised for producing dancers who could sing, act and do gymnastics, as well as dance to a world-class standard.

Spotlight were supported by many local and national businesses who helped them fund the trip, including Contact Transport, KnowHow, Bedfred, GES, Guhring, JML, Peter Evans Partnership, RLM Contractors, Verdu Bar and HD Brows. The dancers also gained support from local stores B&M and Morrisons who kindly allowed them to bag pack and the school organised numerous fundraising events.

The 400-pupil strong school is now looking forwards to the 2016 World Championships but, before then, students have been asked to dance at Silverstone, Wembley Stadium, Disneyland Paris, in West End shows and UK tours, as well as working on numerous films and TV programmes. Their teacher explained “we never stop, but if the opportunities are there for these young people I think we should take them”.

If you are interested in your child joining the award-winning school and the opportunities on offer contact Vicky on 0121-242-3904 / 07775-631316 or email [email protected]

Proud academy parent, Louise McDonough, was very grateful for the support the academy provided in terms of facilities and fundraising support for Spotlight and her two daughters who train with Spotlight and competed with facilities and fund raising.

“Thank you for all your help and effort in our fundraising for the dance world cup. The girls had an amazing experience. Spotlight’s younger competitors came home with 3 golds, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. The older group was in a very tough section with 18 competitors from across the world, as far afield as Malaysia and India.

They all worked incredibly hard and their main aim was to not come last and do their very best. They exceeded all expectations and danced their hearts out and won themselves a silver medal. They were only beaten by 0.3 points! It has been an amazing experience for them all and the memories of Romania will stay with them for a very long time.”

20 InsideOut Dec 2015 InsideOut Dec 2015 21 Young gymnast follows in Louis Smith’s footsteps.

Here, Year 7 student, Joshua Vaughan, describes his passion for gymnastics and how nothing will stand in his way.

Hello, my name is Joshua Vaughan. I am 11 years old and I have been involved in gymnastics for a year now. I love doing gymnastics because I was inspired by my stepmom, Nicki. I became inspired because she used to take part in gymnastics and I like the way people balance and control; it’s just so amazing.

Every four years the Olympics happen and loads of people go to the proper place where the Olympics happen. I go to Coleshill Gymnastics Club every Wednesday and Saturday. On Saturdays, everyone who likes to do gymnastics goes but the people who were picked for the competition squad go on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays I go with fifteen other youngsters as well so I’m not alone but I am the only boy so I’m surrounded by girls!

My big dream is to be a professional gymnast. My hero and idol is Louis Smith. He is a really good gymnast who has won loads of silver and gold medals. I have watched him in the men’s all around final, he was amazing, especially his muscles. Louis Smith has to be strong because on the rings he has to hold his own body weight up, that’s some skill. When I watched Louis Smith on the floor he did some incredible tumbles, especially the twists and back somersaults. I like the way that male gymnasts tackle the pommel horse because they go round and round and come off as a handstand.

Whatever happens, nothing will get in the way of my gymnastics, not even bullying from some people who think it’s girly because I think that it shows incredible strength. All I think of is gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics. I love gymnastics that much that I would go on about it all day and every day.

My favourite apparatus is the bars. I am now officially part of the British Gymnastics More Than a Sport and I am really happy about that because I did not expect to be a part of it. Remember, it takes incredible power and strength to become a gymnast.

If you would like to get involved in gymnastics you can take part in the gymnastics class that is held every Wednesday in the academy gym between 3.15 and 4.15. It is free and led by England’s Commonwealth Games gymnast Mimi-Isabella Cesar. Alternatively, you can go to the Saturday sessions that Joshua attends. Please ask Joshua for further details.

Year 7 footballers remain unbeaten this season

Proud Year 7 team manager Mr McEvoy, himself a CTC student who won all the midlands honours and reached the ESFA national final, assesses the season so far.

We have enjoyed a great start to the season with four games played, four victories, over twenty four goals scored and only five goals conceded. The team have shown impeccable behaviour on the pitch which has been led by captain Kingsley Eze-Sunday. I have high hopes for this team and I am looking forward to developing them from a 9-a-side team to an 11-a-side team. The football they have played has been some of the best I’ve seen in this age group and this team have played their opposition off the park.

22 InsideOut Dec 2015 Jake continues to excel at international level

Jake Hughes left the academy just over three ago years after successfully completing his IB and is now following a career as a racing driver. Jake is regarded as one of the best youngsters in the world at his level and whilst it’s difficult to get into F1, his career is mapped out to become a successful professional racing driver in the coming years.

Here, Jake looks back on his recent test of the Formula 3.5 V8 car in Spain this week. This is one step below F1. Jake was really competitive in the tests, was best rookie and finished up 3rd overall of all the 20 drivers testing.

I’m just on my way back from Jerez after a great two-day test in Formula 3.5 V8. Many of us stayed on in Andalusia after the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup final round at the weekend, and I had two fantastic days in the F3.5 V8 car with Strakka Racing – the same car that Tio Ellinas drove to race victories this year.

On the first day I was fourth in the morning and second in the afternoon, and on the second day I was fourth again in the morning. I was only 11th in the afternoon but that’s because we didn’t run new tyres, as my old Formula Renault 2.0 team-mate Jack Aitken and I had to leave Jerez early to get back to Britain for two days of McLaren Autosport BRDC Award assessments.

The F3.5 V8 car was mega, it was really nice to jump in and feel the power. The extra braking and downforce compared to what I’m used to were really impressive. We had some good benchmarks as well – Matthieu Vaxiviere was testing and he was runner-up in the series this year – so I was happy with the pace.

I did some races with Strakka in Formula Renault 2.0 last year so it was nice to be back with them. The boys and girls there are a great bunch of people and the team did a fantastic job over the two days. In a weird way it was nice to be back with an English team again – they make you great cups of tea, too!

I was very happy with my position in the sessions. I felt I could have been quickest on the first afternoon but got compromised in the last corner, but things like that happen to everyone so it’s all give and take.

I’ll be back in the Formula 3.5 V8 car for another test at Motorland Aragon. I’ve got a half-day as a prize for finishing runner-up this year in Formula Renault ALPS, and hopefully we’ll do the rest of the two-day test.

Now it’s Silverstone for the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award tests. I can’t wait! The Formula 2 car is a real animal to muscle round, The McLaren GT car will be great too, but the DTM Mercedes is the one I’m really looking forward to – it’s like a ballerina-point-shoes kind of car, absolutely mega to drive!

To find out more how his career is progressing you can also visit his website www.jakehughesracing.co.uk

InsideOut Dec 2015 23 Community use of the Outdoor Education and Adventure Centre (OEAC)

The OEAC at Kingshurst Academy is a fantastic outdoor learning facility that offers young people from the Academy and from the wider community the opportunity to take part in some very unique outdoor activities, from a challenging low ropes course to a caving system and a day in a World War 1 trench. In this edition we highlight the impact it is having, how we are using it to support schools and the wider community and how you can access the innovative centre.

The centre cost £250,000 to develop and was supported through grant funding from various organisations, with £30,000 from the Armed Forces Community Covenant, £30,000 from ALCOA and £3,000 from Birmingham Airport Community Trust. The area consists of the following areas: • Low Ropes • Artificial Caving System • WW1 Trench • Wildlife Area • Allotment Area • Performance Area • Art / Outdoor Classroom • Pond area (£3000 Birmingham Airport)

The OEAC is split up into the following sections to allow a maximum safe usage.

Challenge Zone This area contains the low ropes and the caving system. It currently has the most use and offers the opportunity to challenge the individual but also to improve a team working ethos.

Wildlife Zone Understanding our natural environment is a key theme in outdoor learning. This area allows users to explore aquatic life in a purpose built pond and the miniature world of mini beasts in the insect habitats.

WW1 Trench Zone Named after a WW1 veteran and local recipient of the Victoria Cross, Arthur Vickers, the trench system can allow a much greater understanding than can be gained from a text book about life in a trench.

Allotment This area has been developed in partnership with a local community interest company to provide an opportunity for members of the community to learn the means to grow their own food and to increase the understanding of sustainable living.

24 InsideOut Dec 2015 How can the OEAC help our community?

The OEAC is supporting all faculties in the academy and enhancing teaching and learning. However, we are keen to see spare capacity in the school day and beyond utilised by the wider community. Here we highlight some of the work being undertaken.

Primary, Secondary SEN and SEBD Schools The OEAC offers schools the opportunity book planned workshops in the following areas;

• Wildlife A workshop that will increase the child’s understanding of the animal kingdom through classification, habitats and life cycles. • WW1 Trench A workshop that gives an interactive experience of life in the trenches. This workshop will allow children to use mathematics and technology skills, develop creative writing and have a better knowledge of history by experiencing situations that faced the soldiers of the Great War. • Adventure Challenge Day A day where students take part in low ropes, caving, team building and archery activities. Designed to increase self-esteem and team participation.

These workshops are available to schools and other organisations that work with children. They can be adapted to meet the needs of individuals and organisations.

The academy also offers training in order to allow staff from other schools to develop and deliver their own programmes. One example of this working is Northern House, whose pupils are regular visitors.

The Wider Community

CTC Kingshurst Academy is keen to work in partnership with other community organisations from all three sectors. This is demonstrated by the links with Solihull Girls Can, Solihull Active and local scout groups.

There are also weekend and holiday programmes run out of the OEAC that can be accessed by the individual. Strengthening links between the civilian and armed forces community is a key aim of the centre. This year, the Army Engagement Team from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst visited the academy to promote greater awareness and understanding of the Army. Their “Your Army” presentation given by the Army Engagement Team who represents the head of the Army, General Sir Nick Carter, was a resounding success. During this, there was a guided tour of the centre and a session in the trench led by a performance historian, recounting life in the trenches. We are working with cadet groups, scouts and many other groups and are keen to strengthen the links between the military and civilian community further as we enter 2016.

To find out more how the community can use this innovative facility you can see the centre via our virtual tour.

Please select www.ctckingshurst.academy/about-us/academy-life/virtual-tour/ and select Outdoor Education and Adventure Centre.

Alternatively, please contact Lee Fletcher on [email protected] or 0121 329 4799 to find out how the academy can help you.

We are delighted to support the organisations that awarded us grants and look forward to working with our community to maximise the benefits for all.

"The OEAC facility has caught the imagination of the local community and brought learning about the 1st World War to life. I am particularly impressed with the level of partnership work that has been inspired through this project. CTC Kingshurst Academy have shown an admirable approach to building community links ensuring that a massive 14 local schools have also benefited from the project. The decision to include the centre as part of the Children's University accreditation programme is an inspired one. Congratulations to everyone involved".

Alan Crawford Programme Manager Solihull SUSTAiN

InsideOut Dec 2015 25 Windy Arbor students use the CTC’s “fantastic facility”

Post-16 media student Jarvase Kerr had the pleasure of seeing one of our local schools, Windy Arbor, use the centre. Here, he reports back on the visit and the impact it had.

The general perspective was that the Year 6 students that came to the CTC said they enjoyed the experience outdoor learning centre with others commented saying it was “fun”. One student said that it was “a new experience so it was interesting” and that it was “entertaining” and “exciting!” Others in the Year 6 group provided more instructive educational answers such as “it was crucial to use teamwork”. Another young male cited that it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity for people who don’t attend CTC”.

Here are some quotes that came from the teachers who accompanied the students…

Amazingly the year 6 group who “It’s great for the children and were supervised by teachers had Another teacher said, “It is great their confidence, especially for walked the half an hour journey to for building the confidence and the quieter children. The teachers the CTC. Even though on the day it’s also challenging as well, it’s a clearly recognise its ability to help being the weather conditions were great start of year activity”. build confidence.” wet and windy, with the stop-start troublesome rain, one teacher Mr Matthews also mentioned two pupils who were assigned remarked, “We are thankful and as captains benefitted immediately from the outdoor learning grateful for the opportunity to visit facility. One student was reported as being surprisingly CTC Kingshurst academy and to use confident, as the teachers hadn’t seen this in them before and this fantastic facility”. another pupil was “beaming” while at the facility.

“It’s fantastic, the confidence it helps build for one According to Andy Matthews (Unity senior outdoor leader), and secondly the team work involved and resilience “Nobody wanted to leave!” It was great as it develops team nurtured. This outdoor learning centre has an building and confidence. The children were, in many ways, advantage over the “old fashioned” pen and paper managing their own risk by pointing out that communication work. It utilizes the strengths of the pupils who struggle was key. It’s just a fantastic facility for Unity.” Furthermore, risk for consistency in the classroom and it gives them and challenge was also mentioned in terms of getting used to something extra to build on.” falling and getting back up and not giving up.

26 InsideOut Dec 2015 CTC Kingshurst Academy Mini Kickers

£3 per child. Football coaching every Saturday morning 9am-10am on the All 5-12 year 3G pitch. old boys and girls welcome. Qualified coaches. Contact 0790 213 1007 or extendedservices@ ctckingshurst.academy

A446 M6 A452 4a M42

A452 B4114 Smiths Wood B4114 Two hour party includes: Coleshill Low Ropes Kingshurst A446

Bouldering M6 4 M42 A452 Caving Tile Cross 7a

Chelmsley Wood A452 M6 Archery 4 7 Team Challenges A446 Marston Green Certificates for participants Medal for the birthday child Use of post party room Birthday Parties at CTC Kingshurst Aacdemy’s new Mini Kickers at CTC Kingshurst Aacdemy’s new 3G pitch. Outdoor Education and Adventure Centre CTC Kingshurst Academy, Cooks Lane, Kingshurst, Birmingham, B37 6NU

Birthday parties

The OEAC is a fantastic venue for birthday parties. Over the year we have accommodated a number of groups and the feedback has been excellent.

Feedback from users has been superb, with 100% of children stating that they would come to the OEAC again. According to one youngster, “I cannot decide what the favourite part of the course was because all of the activities are fun, educating and exercise”. Evaluations also revealed increased confidence and a strong desire to return.

There is a training day on March 17th 2016 for schools to learn more about the centre and how to lead classes and maximise its effectiveness. For more info on this or how the wider community can book the OEAC please email [email protected]

InsideOut Dec 2015 27 CTC 3G

The academy’s £1.2 million facilities, co-funded by the PLFA, Sport England and Solihull Regen is having a transformational impact on teaching and learning with students cheering when they know they are on the 3G. With 100% attendance, progress in PR is being facilitated by this leading edge FIFA endorsed facility. Similarly, the local community are benefitting from these facilities as well as our students and their families. Here we highlight some of the initiatives that this incredible facility has enabled us to provide in partnership with high quality providers.

Mini Soccer Referee Courses

Our latest coach education offer is a mini soccer referee course. To ensure accessibility, the classroom-based aspects of the qualification will be held in K2 and the practical on the CTC 3G. With over two hundered games played already since September on our 3G and Sport England funded grass pitches there are a wealth of opportunities for CTC students to get involved, earn money and, who knows, some may be starting the journey to become the next Premiership referee.

This course is designed for those who do not wish to go through the basic referee’s 11v11 course yet, but would like to concentrate solely on officiating on mini-soccer. You can look to become an 11-a-side referee using our conversion course, information on Champion Soccer which will be available from our website and from our tutors during the course. Champion Soccer is a small-sided provider, accredited by the FA, that has been chosen as our partner to help ensure that we can The initial four units will be as follows: cater for adults on our 3G. With a proven track record we look Understanding your role in Mini Soccer – outlining the forward to working with them in the future and expanding our background to the game and the important role you play as partnership to include key events such as the FA Peoples’ Cup. referee within it. Developing your role – helping to create a safe learning We are delighted to see post-16 students and parents taking part environment and considering the practical applications of the laws in the league. If you have any queries or would like to join, please The realities of the role – considering the need to deal with contact Champion Soccer on: players, parents and coaches and the general management of the game 0113 253 5800 (Mon-Fri, 9-5pm) or Your role as an educator – considering how to educate players as email [email protected] well as refereeing the game Course Dates 3G hire Introductory Evening Tuesday 9th February 2016, 18.30 -21.30 The 3G and pavilion is the culmination of six years of work with our local Charter Standard partner clubs, the Central Warwickshire Practical Course Session Youth League, local parish and ward councillors and BCFD. With Thursday 18th February 2016, 09.30 - 16.30 their support, our students can join high quality clubs where FA Charter Standard status offers parents quality assurance. Following this, you will then go out and officiate three games of Marston Green FC train on Tuesday evening, Kingshurst Sporting Mini Soccer before returning for a fifth unit to review your role and FC Wednesday evening and Arden Forest on Thursday evening. become registered as a Mini Soccer referee with the County FA Furthermore, Birmingham City FC provides development squads after successful approval. The final session is noted below: and holiday camps. Module 5 Follow-Up Session Please see the Extended Services section of the academy website Monday 16th May 2016, 6:30pm - 8:30pm to learn more about these and the multitude of other activities available to you. If you would like to book the 3G please contact The course costs £95 and to enrol please follow this link me via [email protected] or http://eventspace.thefa.com/birminghamfa/CTCFebruary2016 0121 329 4799 Students who have volunteered to referee games will be financially supported. To find out about this or to learn more of the refereeing opportunities beyond the school day at the CTC, please contact Lee Fletcher.

28 InsideOut Dec 2015

3G testimonial

“We first booked CTC’s artificial pitch at very short notice for a district cup game against

FREE ENTRY FOR Bristol. The staff were very accommodating in making arrangements and on the day, ALL NEW TEAMS OR helping with changing facilities, refreshments and generally creating a welcoming 7 FREE PRO STAR SHIRTS atmosphere. Having worked in academy football, I can assure you the facility itself

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this on our doorstep. The pitch we requested was presented immaculately and the

whole experience for our team was superb. Furthermore, we won 3-2 in extra-time *** BRAND NEW MONDAY, FRIDAY & SUNDAY NIGHT

LEAGUE’S*** after being 2-0 down! Maybe I have to credit my team for that one, but CTC provided AT CTC KINGSHURST ACADEMY excellently for us and I would be delighted to play there again anytime.” **Cooks Lane, Kingshurst, Birmingham B37 6NU**

• ALL LEAGUES ARE PLAYED ON QUALITY 3G SURFACES WITH PROFESSIONAL Gareth Vowles (Team manager - Solihull District under 11s) MANAGEMENT AND ONLINE TABLES, RESULTS & FIXTURES

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For more information

Call 0113 253 5800 or text ‘CTC’ to 07502 126499 www.championsoccer.co.uk www.facebook.com/ChampionSoccer

The REAL Champions League

The FA People’s Cup The FA and the BBC have joined together to launch The FA People’s Cup and the CTC will be supporting this event Saturday 23rd January and Sunday 24th January for the veterans cup.

The new knockout competition forms part of the BBC’s ‘Get Inspired’ campaign. Up to 14,000 small-sided teams and more than 100,000 players will be given the chance to taste the glory of lifting a trophy at Wembley Stadium on FA Cup Final day. From Sunday League regulars to those who have only ever kicked a ball in their back yard, The FA People’s Cup offers everyone the opportunity to follow in the path of FA Cup legends such as Bryan Robson, Steven Gerrard and Nat Lofthouse.

The FA People’s Cup • Small-sided nationwide knockout tournament • Open to all players of all ages and abilities • Completely free to enter • Participants can register as teams or individuals • Winners collect trophy at Wembley Stadium

FA Chairman Greg Dyke gave his backing to the new competition and spoke of the wonderful opportunity to get people active and involved in the national game. “Football is everybody’s game and The FA People’s Cup embodies that ethos,” he said. “It is completely free to enter and whether you support a team that is fortunate enough to still have hopes of making it to the Wembley showpiece or one that went out in the preliminary round back in July, now you have your own chance of claiming honours at the home of football. “I am passionate about increasing participation in grassroots football and applaud the BBC which has given us a platform to further this work and ensure that the game continues to grow and flourish.”

The competition begins on the weekend of 21st and 22nd February with more than 5,000 hours of football played across 550 venues nationwide. The FA People’s Cup is completely free to enter and welcomes male, female and disability players across ten categories – ranging from U14s through to veterans (over-35s). It also features the increasingly popular walking football, which caters to those who enjoy playing the beautiful game at a more sedate, but no less competitive pace.

Players can register whether they are part of an established team or an individual who can join ‘wild card’ teams that are formed on the day once they complete the registration. Once the registration is complete the competition will take place over three rounds. After the First Round weekend there will be with eight regional venues hosting the semi-finals between 24-26 April. The finals will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 25 May in Manchester, and the winning teams will be invited to the FA Cup Final at Wembley to receive their FA People’s Cup trophy on 30 May.

Highlights of the finals will be made available to watch on the BBC Get Inspired website. Details of this event will be released shortly via the CTC’s communication channels (text and website) as well as social media. If you haven’t already done so, please follow us so you never miss out.

www.facebook.com/CTCKingshurstAcademy www.twitter.com/ctcka

InsideOut Dec 2015 29 SPORT Kindly supported by

Extended Services helps create positive conditions for learning through providing an extensive range of enrichments that boost confidence and enable students to discover new skills. Here we highlight some notable activities this term that have also helped improve attendance.

Girls’ football continues to thrive U13 Beat Park Hall 6-0 Miss Lowe assesses the season so far. Drew 7-7 with Arden Beat Alderbrook 14-1 The U13 and U15 girls’ football teams have made a great start to the new season and are already both in their respective North Solihull Cup finals. In terms of the league, they have Lost to Smithswood 2-1 both made positive starts with the following results. U15 The rest of the league games will take place after the Christmas break and both teams hope Drew 3-3 with Park Hall to improve on the runners-up position in the league from last season. It has been great to have played so many games already and make full use of the new 3G at the school. With the Beat Arden 7-1 added bonus of floodlights, it has meant that the majority of the games have been played at Beat Alderbrook 9-2 home and there has been good support for the students from classmates, parents and staff. Beat Smithswood 8-0

National Football Museum Visit

The academy community has benefitted enormously from the input of the FA over the last year and the latest opportunity to expand understanding of the nation’s most popular sport manifested itself in Mrs Wright’s educational visit to the National Football Museum in Manchester. Here Mrs Wright outlines the rationale for the visit.

To support the delivery of Unit 13 unit, “Current Issues in Sport”, Year 12 Sport Science and Year 13 Sport Academy students visited the National Football Museum in Manchester. This visit took place on Monday 23rd November. The visit provided a great educational opportunity for students to gain a deeper understanding of the history of football and key events that have influenced the development of the game. Students also investigated the impact the media has on football, as well as looking into the technological developments shaping the game.

Interested in a post-16 course using our multi million pound leading edge facilities? Please contact Head of Sport and Outdoor Learning, Chris Curran at [email protected]

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Cycling initiatives at the academy

The resurgence in the popularity of cycling in the UK has been mirrored at the academy with students taking part in a wide range of cycling initiatives. Cycling has always been popular with students, as shown by the high number of students that can be seen cycling to school on a daily basis. Here at InsideOut, we wanted to find out more about what was fueling this growth, by meeting Uniform Services teacher John Kennedy - the catalyst for the new cycling programmes.

“Here at CTC Kingshurst Academy, we have worked in close partnership with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, to deliver cycle training and cycle based activities. This initiative has been running for four years and has been led through co-operation with myself and Lorraine Doran, one of the Council’s Road Safety Managers. Lorraine has brought a wealth of experience and also colleagues to the project, including Andy Stowe who actively supports the school with on-and off-site activities”.

John also told Inside Out magazine about some of the upcoming cycle-based events being held throughout Birmingham. "We've had a whole host of activities running, such as ‘Fun on a Bike’, which equips our students with Level 2 and 3 skills for on road riding and the 'Frame Academy' initiative, which allows students to re-build bikes and either take them home or donate them to local schools. It's now on its second session and we hope to run one Frame Academy every term."

Another scheme which John hopes will take off is the Parent and Child Maintenance class. This four week, 8-hour session led, by Solihull MBC, aims to teach students and their parent(s) basic bike maintenance skills.

According to John, “In the future it is hoped to develop the staff skills base and the latest initiative is student cycle leaders who will hopefully find some casual work with / through Solihull MBC.”

Dan Hands Descending steps in Sutton Park

Students developing their skills early in the session Challenge week students learning basic skills safely on a school car park

For more information on how you can get involved in these cycling initiatives, please contact John Kennedy on john.kennedy@ ctckingshurst. academy

John Kennedy, Jack Clark, Andy Stowe, Lorraine Cecia Othman fording a stream in Sutton Park Doran, Hadi Rizvi, Kieron Hiorns, Jim Everitt and Alfie Foxall with the bikes that the students rebuilt as part of Frame Academy

InsideOut Dec 2015 31 Sports Day 2015

YEAR 10 SPORTS DAY 2015 - RECORDS Girls Boys 100m Chante,10 Sylva - 14.2 secs Josh,10 Beddows - 12.02 secs 200m Jamie J,10 Akhtar - 29.12 secs Nathan F, 10 Akhtar - 26.85 secs 400m Kiah W, 10 Elwell -1min 26 Alfie,10 Curran - 1min 02 800m Sophie McGuire,10 Dunn - 3mins 38 Elliot Dunward ,10 Rayment -3 mins 04 1500m Chloe Deeming, 10 Rayment - 8 mins 30 Elliot Dunward ,10 Rayment - 5 mins 57 Long Jump Holly J Johnston,10 Beddows - 3 mins 96 Ryan Barnes,10 Mughal - 4 mins 24 Javelin Olivia Meah,10 Akhtar - 14.7m Joe Turrell,10 Dunn - 23.30m Shot Danielle Carter,10 Sylva - 7. 68m Jake Cox,10 Rayment - 8m Discus Megan Joicey,10 Dunn - 17.25m Cole Houston,10 Dunn - 21.95m Relay Winners Sutton & Beddows

YEAR 9 SPORTS DAY 2015 - RECORDS Girls Boys 100m Amiyah G, 9 Alousa - 14.3 secs Kian Flanagan, 9 Grove -11.2 secs 200m Kassie B, 9 Hockin - 28.66 secs Euan D, 9 Alousa 400m Erin Cook, 9 Walker - 1min 15 Josh Endall, 9 Howells - 1min 03 800m Kiah Paris-Keenan, 9 O’Brien - 3 mins 05 Kia Mallen, 9 Grove - 2 mins 41 1500m Maisie McDonnell, 9 Howells - 6 mins 48 Daniel Scott Taggart, 9 Grove - 5 mins 17 Long Jump Ellie Clarke, 9 Palaha - 3.61m Thomas Brown, 9 Alousa - 4.42m Javelin Amy Dwyer, 9 O’Brien - 15m Mason Chandler, 9 Palaha - 22.60m Shot Scarlett Hall, 9 Howells - 6.53m Fraser Wallwork, 9 Walker - 8.88m Discus Sianna O’Donnell, 9 O’Brien - 14.90m Declan Harold, 9 Hockin - 19.90m Relay Winners O’Brien & Grove

YEAR 8 SPORTS DAY 2015 - RECORDS Girls Boys 100m Robyn Bamber, 8 Harris -12.73 secs D Coogan, 8 Harris -12.16 secs 200m Kirsty Broadbent, 8 Lawton - 31.45 secs T Lloyd, 8 Walsh - 28.75 secs 400m Robyn Bamber, 8 Harris -1 min 15 Aaron Stroud, 8 Kaur -1 min 06 800m Hollie Lloyd, 8 Grey - 3 mins 06 L Meddings, 8 Last - 2 mins 54 1500m Danielle Armstrong, 8 Asghar - 6 mins 22 C Byrne, 8 Lawton - 5 mins 55 Long Jump Jade Games, 8 Harris - 2.89m Cairo Grant, 8 Harris - 4.10m Javelin Humera Asfaq, 8 Kaur - 11m Callum Robertson, 8 Asghar - 22.3m Shot Emma Finch, 8 Kaur - 7.27m Pedro Photiou, 8 Patria - 8.08m Discus Megan Adams, 8 Lawlor - 10.80m Daniel Parker, 8 Lawton - 17.30m Relay Winners Asghar & Harris

YEAR 7 SPORTS DAY 2015 - RECORDS Girls Boys 100m M Houston, 7 Callow -14.66 secs A Brown, 7 Callow - 14.3 secs 200m T Davistines, 7 Hall - 31.45 secs G Bloxland, 7 Hall 400m Cara Sharrard-Smith, 7 Medhurst -1min 34 K Griffiths, 7 Turnbull - 1 min 17 800m Mollie Mayo, 7 Turnbull - 3 mins 39 Josiah Campbell, 7 Medhurst - 2 mins 46 1500m Evie O’Carroll, 7 Lowe - 6 mins 58 Josiah Campbell, 7 Medhurst. 5 mins 56 Long Jump Demi Freeman, 7 Medhurst - 2.93m Sam Noibi, 7 Hall Javelin Ellie Hull, 7 Lowe - 8.60m Lewis Jones, 7 Medhurst - 14.90m Shot Megan Foster, 7 Martin - 5.67m Lewis Taylor, 7 Wheeldon - 7.37m Discus Tori Woodcock, 7 Callow - 13.20m Jahmani Edwards, 7 Martin -11.70m Relay Winners Wheeldon & Lowe

32 InsideOut Dec 2015 Girls Boys 100m M Houston, 7 Callow -14.66 secs A Brown, 7 Callow - 14.3 secs 200m T Davistines, 7 Hall - 31.45 secs G Bloxland, 7 Hall 400m Cara Sharrard-Smith, 7 Medhurst -1min 34 K Griffiths, 7 Turnbull - 1 min 17 800m Mollie Mayo, 7 Turnbull - 3 mins 39 Josiah Campbell, 7 Medhurst - 2 mins 46 1500m Evie O’Carroll, 7 Lowe - 6 mins 58 Josiah Campbell, 7 Medhurst. 5 mins 56 Long Jump Demi Freeman, 7 Medhurst - 2.93m Sam Noibi, 7 Hall Javelin Ellie Hull, 7 Lowe - 8.60m Lewis Jones, 7 Medhurst - 14.90m Shot Megan Foster, 7 Martin - 5.67m Lewis Taylor, 7 Wheeldon - 7.37m Discus Tori Woodcock, 7 Callow - 13.20m Jahmani Edwards, 7 Martin -11.70m Relay Winners Wheeldon & Lowe

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Sports Day 2015

The Annual CTC Kingshurst Academy Sports Day yet again galvanised the school community with a day of high energy and superb levels of student engagement with the whole school involved. As always, students entered into the spirit of the day and there were some fabulous performances.

This year, students who finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd were presented with a certificate and had their photo taken on the podium. Well done to all students for participating well and representing their form groups.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of Inside Out that, once again, illustrates the energy of the school as reflected by the multitude of activities taking place. Students and staff deserve great credit for the progress they have made. I’d like to thank Tori Sutton for her design skills and all the students involved who shared their achievements. If you’ve any comments or suggestions about this issue you can contact me at: lee.fletcher@ctckingshurst. academy. If any students are interested in journalism and contributing to InsideOut please get in touch with me. Enjoy a relaxing Christmas break! Lee Fletcher.

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