Fo us Autumn 2017 Contents 3 A Message from the 12 Careers & Enterprise 26 Sport Sideline Chief Executive 14 PACT 28 Aspire2Innovate: Book 4 Head of School, Q3 Donation Academy Great Barr 15 Remembrance Service & The Grace Payne Centre 30 Mr Bailey Hosts TedXYouth 5 Head of School, Q3 Conference Academy Langley 18 Black Country 100 Masters 6 Q3 Academy Sixth Form 19 European Day of Languages Back Cover: Offer from Four Ashes Adventure Golf for Q3 Academies 7 JETs Update 20 The Grace Payne Public Students. Speaking Competition 8 Duke of Edinburgh Award 22 Hori7on & Cre8 Showcases 10 The Black Country Young Chamber Committee 24 Student Achievements Q3 Academies Trust Wilderness Lane Great Barr Birmingham B43 7SD facebook.com/q3greatbarr facebook.com/q3langley FoQus Magazine is designed & produced by T: 0121 358 6186 Miss J Clay & Mrs C Burge. F: 0121 358 5967 Articles and photographs are by the staff, students @q3academy & community of the Q3 Academies Trust apart from W: www.q3academy.org.uk @q3langley pages 30 and 31 - photos by Paul Stringer 2017 2 A Message from the Chief Executive Welcome to the Friday 10th November marked to make a difference. As I reflect on new academic our Annual Remembrance Service this embodiment of the Q3 ethos I am year which started followed by the official opening of reminded of Aristotle’s words: with impressive the Grace Payne Centre, dedicated to examination our Sponsor’s late wife. Our new CCF “Educating the results, followed RAF contingent of 52 cadets paraded mind without by a cohort of 450 Year 7 students during the event, with a number of educating the across both Academies. It has promoted ranks announced by the heart is no been a pleasure to meet all of our RAF Wing Commander. education at new students and share their early all.” experiences of secondary school This edition of FoQus highlights life. I have been impressed with the wide range of opportunities In that vein, we gratefully appreciate their commitment to the Q3 ethos, available for our young people, all the contribution by Four Ashes their love of reading and overall made possible by the tremendous Adventure Golf to FoQus and their enthusiasm for Academy life. It is such input from staff across both kind donation towards Q3 Academies a pleasure to see our children walking Academies. During our Open Week Trust. Please see the back cover to around with books and sharing prospective students and their take advantage of their festive offer. examples of their reading. families commented on the breadth of opportunity available and early Thank you to our Staff, Sponsor, Our talented team of staff have been indications are that we will once again Trustees and Governors for giving our joined by new colleagues at both be heavily oversubscribed for places children the opportunity to flourish Great Barr and Langley and they in Year 7 at Great Barr and Langley. and enjoy a well-rounded education. have quickly settled into our family, I wish you all an enjoyable Christmas bringing with them a wide range of Every day, within the Q3 family break and a prosperous New Year. experience, expertise and innovative we see examples of kindness and ideas. compassion; care and support for one Dr Caroline Badyal another; generosity, and a real desire Chief Executive 3 Head of School, Q3 Academy Great Barr We are What’s certain is that the breadth So a full education should develop delighted to of educational experiences we the mind, body and lastly but not share with you offer can only be achieved with the least, the soul. With the Christmas events from on-going tremendous support of all break ahead of us there’s no this term that the Academy’s staff, Governors and better time to give thanks for our make up our Sponsor. Furthermore this short blessings and spend time with the Autumn FoQus magazine and I am publication cannot cover all of the people who love us the most. especially pleased that these events activities that make Q3 Academy follow on from one of the best set Great Barr such a stimulating May I wish you and your families a of examination results achieved by environment in which to learn and happy Christmas. our students this summer. Just like grow. a children’s annual, this bumper issue is filled with exciting activities This term we have launched our Mr Mark Arnull that have kept students and staff debate club to stretch the minds Head of School very busy indeed. and develop the skills of presenting Q3 Academy Great Barr carefully crafted arguments. We To continue Dr Badyal’s have also successfully started philosophical theme, Socrates once our Business Mentoring scheme said, “The children now love luxury. that matches local employers to They have bad manners, contempt students to help raise and maintain for authority; they show disrespect aspirations and ambitions. It’s for elders and love chatter in place not just the mind that’s being of exercise.” Well we certainly developed as we must give a big cannot say that of the young people ‘shout out’ to all our sports teams that have got involved in, and especially rugby and football often led, many of the activities that have done so well so far this highlighted in the following pages. season. 4 Head of School, Q3 Academy Langley What a first Qualified Teachers across both expert eye of their Impact Officer. term back at sites and work with all our trainee They are a true part of the family Q3 Academy teachers from a range of partners. and certainly embody our ethos: to Langley! It has seek for that which is good, right, been fantastic We continue to be ably supported and true, on a daily basis! to welcome not by colleagues from our Great Barr only our 240 new students but also site: Miss Ingall; Ms Callaghan; and Mr Peter Lee a whole raft of new staff members; Mr Hard join us weekly to deliver Head of School some of whom transferred from P.E. This year has also seen our Q3 Academy Langley our Great Barr site. partnership with City Year start, we have the most fantastic team who The new students have settled very work with our students under the well into secondary academic life and were wonderful role models during our Open Week culminating in our Open Day on the Saturday. We welcomed over 1500 students and their families across the week, and it was fantastic to showcase all the excellent work we are producing daily. It has been great to welcome Mr Gee, a Senior Leader in Education, who joins us as an Assistant Vice Principal. Part of his role this year has been to oversee all the Newly 5 Q3 Academy Sixth Form It’s been a busy We were delighted to share in at universities across the country start to the term our students’ success on A Level and eight students have taken up with students results day. We were proud to apprenticeships. making the maintain 100% pass rate with transition from 44% achieving A* to B grades. We wish all of our students well as Year 11 to Year Marcus Boyle achieved A* in they take their next steps. 12. All students have embraced the History and Geography, and an A in challenge of A Level study. Students Government and Politics securing Mrs Noakes in Year 13 have already had the a place at Cambridge. A further Head of Q3 Academy Sixth Form opportunity to start visiting Open forty two students secured places Days and events to allow them to consider universities and future career pathways. We are delighted to welcome Mrs Henson to the Sixth Form Team. This will allow us to support students as they make the transition from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5. In addition, Mrs Henson will be able to support students giving support and guidance on all aspects of Sixth Form life. Mrs Henson will also work closely with the Sixth Form Team in the UCAS process. 6 JETs Update After the interview I was presented with scenarios, specific to the role. As a new set of Junior Executives This tested my ability to think on the begin their roles, new JET, Keisha spot and how well I would handle (C8), shares her experience of the certain situations. application process. A few days later, Mrs Noakes “Applying for a position in the Junior informed me that I had been Executive Team was a challenging accepted into the role and gave me experience. Even before I created further information on what the my application, I gathered as much role entails, such as; involvement information about the role as I could, in Academy events, working with a to ensure I knew exactly what would member of the AVP staff, and coming be expected of me. I did this by up with my own ideas to benefit the speaking to the current JETs and to role. Mrs Noakes. Although challenging, the experience Soon after handing in my application, was definitely worth it. Not only will I received a letter asking me to create it benefit me as a person, but it will a short presentation on how I would help me in the future to set myself organise a Sixth Form Charity Day, apart from other candidates in my CV which put many of the skills I had and Personal Statement.” mentioned in my application to use, such as; organisation, creativity, We wish our new JETs: Ryan (S10), and time management.