Bedford Highlights Academy News and Views from Bedford Academy Spring 2018 WHOLE SCHOOL PRODUCTION: Little Shop of Horrors See page 8 Inside this issue: • National Careers Week pg 3 • World Book Day pg 6 • Academy Alumni pg 15 Welcome A message from Bedford Academy Head Teacher, Mr McGregor. The Spring edition of our Highlights magazine really emphasises the vast array of experiences that are open to the students at the school. We have coordinated a number of external visits including trips to Universities, apprenticeship links and our first ever Duke of Edinburgh camping experience. We are also delighted that we can provide a range of activities during the school day to inspire and stretch our students. During this term we have had a visit from the Mayor, Dave Hodgson, World Book Day and a fantastic school musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. We were also proud to host our annual careers fair which was branded this year as ‘Careers Quest’. This involved our students interacting with a wide range of exhibiitors from local and national businesses and further education. Our students continue to demonstrate a vast array of talents with our Sixth Form basketball team crowned local champions for the first time. We also have four keen musicians representing us in ‘The Battle of the Bands’! The next few weeks are a very busy time at Bedford Academy. Exam season is almost upon us and staff and students are working hard to ensure that we maximise every opportunity for success. We continue to promote various revision strategies and have a number of subject specific resources to support knowledge retention. We are also looking forward to continuing out transition programme and to welcoming a new cohort of students to the school. I hope that you all enjoy a wonderful Easter break. Mr McGregor, Principal Kind Donations to the Local Community Designed to help teach first aid and CPR, our collection of Little Resusci Annes have been kindly donated to good causes in the local community. Now redundant in the Humanities department these resources will be invaluable to the following grateful recipients; · Ampthill and Flitwick Sea Cadets · Taylor House – helping vulnerable young adults in provision · Biggleswade United Football Club · Duke of Edinburgh Award · Army Cadets 02 Highlights - Spring 2018 News National Careers Week #NCW2018 This year we celebrated NCW with career related activities in lessons, employer talks and our Careers Quest where over fifty employers, universities, colleges and training providers gave up their time to challenge students in Years 9 to 13 to earn stars by completing mini activities. The talks included; Entrepreneurship with Paul Shadbolt from Lloyds, A career in commercial property, land and development Meeting by Richard Last from Brown & Lee, Legal Apprenticeships by Hannah West and Joe Freestone from CILEX, Human Resources by the Mayor! Showing the application Paula Grayson, CIPD, If anyone told me beforehand that of maths in everyday work by Warren Brown, I’d be having lunch with the Mayor, The business side of Richardsons Engineering, I’d have been sure that they weren’t personal training by Kelvin Dwumfuo, KPDT being serious. Yet, that is exactly what Construction and finally by Farhan Sattar happened! CITB Skills for Site. Delegates included: Being able to talk face-to-face with the Mayor, Moulton College asking questions and hearing about his life University of Bedfordshire was incredibly interesting and eye-opening. We asked him questions that included: “Why SSG did you want to become the Mayor?”, “How University of Peterborough do you become the Mayor?” and, of course, Bond Bryan Architects Feedback from both our visitors and students was really positive, with students “If you were a biscuit, what type of biscuit CVS (Community Voluntary Service) commenting that they would have liked would you be?”. Chartered Institute Of Logistics & more time! Transport I was definitely lucky to have been given that fascinating opportunity, hearing about the Bedford College “Students who spoke to us were polite and work that the council does and even about Lloyds Bank respectful, their general attitude was great the issues that face Bedfordshire Council. As Halifax and they were genuinely interested in what we had to offer.” a result, I’m far more interested in everything Southampton Solent University “My first Careers Fair – an excellent event. that happens in Bedfordshire and the work RVC (Royal Veterinary College) that goes behind it.’ Frontier Some very keen and mature students Charlee Snowball Nissan Technical Centre wanting to improve career prospects and CITB opportunities. It is clear that you prioritise extracurricular activities and your students DWP/Jobcentre Plus seem to recognise the importance of this.” Shuttleworth Collection National Citizen Service A massive thank you to the Sixth Formers Sue Ryder Care / St. John’s Hospice and Careers Assistants that helped us Falmouth University in running this year’s event. A special mention to Kayleigh Frost who was our Santander MC, making announcements throughout Willmott Dixon the morning, and who demonstrated true Pearson College professionalism. A number of employers The Royal Veterinary College commented on how well she came across. What Uni/Hot Courses Hanna Brown 3AAA Senior Careers Assistant Meeting the Mayor was, for me, an absolutely Army unique and invaluable opportunity to gain an Millbrook insight into his work, inspirations, ambitions ASHE Construction and advice for success. I was pleasantly taken Anglia Ruskin University aback by his approachability, his infectious Mini Map Makers enthusiasm, wealth of experiences, incredible Macintyre Hudson stories and, of course, the chains! I’ve since BDCPS taken up a firmer interest in the local Watton Recruitment community, striving to follow by his inspiring Wyboston Lakes example, and am grateful to the school for Football Education Academy facilitating such a special occasion. Adam Haque Highlights - Spring 2018 03 Humanities Cartography Talk Year 7 Geography students had a visit from a cartographer back in January. The talk was timed perfectly as the students had just learnt what a cartographer is and to perfect their map skills. Alice Gadney has 16 years experience as a cartographer having graduated as a Geologist in 2000 and a Cartographer in 2002. She is a small business owner and her job involves marketing and creating map ideas/concepts as well as actual maps. She took the following route to qualify: GCSEs and A levels in Geography, Maths and Science. She then completed a Geology BSc (Hons) followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Cartography. Her first job involved London Underground mapping and she cites the best parts of her job as being able to approach companies she wants to work for. She also enjoys being able to talk to teachers and children about maps and travelling to the most incredible places! LGBT History Month February was LGBT History month and students across Bedford Academy have been discussing issues surrounding LGBT and homophobia. Assemblies have focussed on the use of Jordan – battling with coming out in the inclusive place to study and work and we are language, what homophobic bullying looks football industry. working to ensure all students feel they can like and why people choose to bully. In Ryan – coming to terms with his own sexual be themselves without labels or judgement. PCD, 8 students have been delving into orientation by bullying others. issues surrounding friendships, acceptance, Isaac – a victim at home, taking his homophobia in sport, stereotyping and the aggression out on his ‘friends’ who he impact of language. They have been doing this doesn’t really know. through the Stonewall production ‘FIT’ which Students were respectful and showed follows the lives of 6 young people battling curiosity when discussing the issues with who they are; and meaningful dialogue was led in Lee – feeling the effects of stereotyping as different directions by the students she doesn’t ‘act like a girl’. themselves. This allowed for a relaxed Karmel – battling with coming out, and reflective learning environment particularly to her parents. where students felt safe to express Tegs – suffering the effects of homophobic themselves and ask questions. bullying despite being straight. Bedford Academy is a safe and Further information and support can be found at: www.youngstonewall.org.uk www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk www.beatbullying.org 04 Highlights - Spring 2018 Maths Taking Maths further visit to Cambridge University When we first arrived on campus, we involved ordering numbers in a specific way. problem solving and patience as we had to were given a talk on false news by Dr Emily This involved a lot of trial and error and connect shapes in a certain way in order to Grossman, a scientist, broadcaster and expert challenged our resilience. Our next activity successfully build the different shapes. The day in molecular biology. She spoke to us about involved us working with students from concluded with a maths lecture that talked the importance of not believing everything other schools to solve a series of problems about the importance and origin of numbers we saw online and shared with us some which ended with us building a dragon! which required a lot of thinking about, but examples about how she herself had been We then went to a shape building session was really enjoyable! tricked by believing false news. where we worked together to build shapes Ann Stevens, Year 10, 8th January 2018 We then participated in an activity which of varying complexities. This involved a lot of Wadham College, Oxford University On the 30th January approximately really engage with the people running the to ask questions to students who study there 30 Bedford Academy students took a day. After our first hour-long talk we were currently and learn more about life at the wonderful, eye opening trip to Oxford separated into two groups where we then university.