Fo us Spring 2017 ACADEMIES T RUST Contents 3 A Message from the 14 The Q3 Family raise money 31 Arts Charity Day Chief Executive for Comic Relief 32 Aspirational visit to 4 Head of School, Q3 16 Year 7Busy! Q3 Academy Langley by Academy Great Barr Great Britain boxing prodigy 17 Hori7on Mr Fox Menu Niall Farrell 5 Head of School, Q3 Competition Academy Langley 33 Q3 Students ‘Busta Rhyme’ contents 18 Q3 Student Elections 6 Ofsted: GOOD 34 Q3 Students are a 20 Q3 Family get Cut Above the Rest! 7 Q3 Academy Langley Creative with Literacy Celebrate Ethos Week 22 Out and About 8 Duke of Edinburgh 24 Sport Sideline 9 Hairdressing City and Guilds 26 Q3 in the Community 10 The Q3 Family Celebrate 27 Careers Speed Networking British Science Week 28 Student Rewards 12 Music Department 30 Student Achievements FoQus design & production by Miss J Clay & Mrs E Griffiths. Cover photo by Mr S Arrandale. Articles and photography are by the staff and students of Q3 Academies Trust unless stated otherwise. 2 A Message from the Chief Executive Almost a year able to tackle challenges and aspire well-rounded education they had has passed since to exceed their targets.“ received which had launched them I embarked on into successful careers. As I spend my journey as This edition provides a heart- time with students and staff at both Chief Executive warming collection of success of our Academies there is a strong of the Q3 stories showcasing the fantastic ‘family bond’ firmly embedded. Academies Trust. I consider it a achievements of our staff and I have visited many schools and privilege to be part of a team who students. As you will discover in have yet to find one that can are committed to transforming the pages that lie ahead our young demonstrate, as we do, that the lives and challenging young people people can be commended on their Q3 Academies Trust provides an to reach for the stars. The recent talents and determination. None education that is as individual as Ofsted Inspection (January 2017) of this would be possible without our students. highlighted the high aspirations we our dedicated team of staff who have for all students: give unstintingly of their time and I am sure you will join me in wishing expertise both in and outside of the our Year 11 and Post 16 students “Teachers have high expectations classroom to provide the myriad of every success as they embark on of pupils’ conduct and standard activities on offer. their external examinations next of work. This means that pupils’ term. They have worked with behaviour in lessons is consistently Recently we held a Careers determination and deserve the best positive and their books show Networking event for Year 9 outcomes. that they take pride in their work. students and were delighted Underpinning these developments to welcome the Black Country My very best wishes for a relaxing in teaching are high aspirations for Chamber team along with 50 local Easter break. pupils’ progress that are shared by business representatives. During all leaders and teachers. Teachers the event, it was tremendously Dr Caroline Badyal talk regularly with pupils about humbling to hear two of our Chief Executive these aspirations, so pupils feel alumni students reflecting on the 3 Head of School, Q3 Academy Great Barr I am excited shy, just have a go, get involved and learn some new skills and make new to be able to friends by throwing yourself further into Academy life. share with you news of the The articles can only give a flavour of the life at Q3 Academy Great Barr and wide range of I’m sure parents and carers will quiz their children to find out more. varied activities over the last few months. The dedication of the students and staff Mr Mark Arnull and the whole Academy community Head of School shines through in the articles in the Q3 Academy Great Barr following pages. Secondary education has got to be more than just learning to pass exams and I’m thrilled with the work of the students and staff to make Q3 Great Barr a place to celebrate educating the whole child. There really is something for students if they make the effort to get involved and we are often launching new clubs and activities to suit the interests of staff and students. I know that joining new clubs and activities can seem daunting but students needn’t be 4 Head of School, Q3 Academy Langley We’ve had a Red Nose Day was an enjoyable Finally I would just like to pass fantastic time at experience – although I cannot on our best wishes to former Q3 Langley since believe how many students voted colleagues at Great Barr for the we last were for Ed Sheeran to be played during wonderful Ofsted result secured in featured in an our Family Lunch that day! late January. edition of FoQus! We have really settled into our new We were very proud to see the Mr Peter Lee surroundings and life in Year 7. election process for our Head Head of School Boy and Girl take place under the Q3 Academy Langley You will see from within the pages guidance of Ms Smith and also of this publication some of the friend of both Academies Surinder events that we have experienced. Singh. We had a 100% turnout Our first, truly unique, Ethos Week in the polling station and were or eWeek as we termed it, was an delighted to see the response to undoubted success in which staff Ben and Nathania’s election. and students alike were thrilled to take part in! The personal highlight Our new Excellence Leaders have for me was eating our lunch on the been appointed and our very first stage at The Birmingham Repertory Student Council set up this term Theatre on the Friday. too. Finally, it was wonderful to see students from both Academies Mr Anderson our Learning come together to visit the University Consultant of Science organised a of Wolverhampton and meet the range of activities for Science Week newly appointed England cricket – in particular we discussed the captain Joe Root. His signed bat has need for more of a push for women pride of place in our board room! to move into the field of Science. 5 As many of you may already know Q3 Academy Great Barr was inspected by Ofsted on Tuesday 31st January and the team confirmed that we remain a ‘Good’ school. Governors and staff wish to thank parents and carers for their kind words of support and their contributions to Parent View. Most importantly we would like to thank the students who spoke so enthusiastically about their work and life at the Academy. 6 Q3 Academy Langley Celebrate Ethos Week In the last week of February Q3 Academy Langley introduced Ethos Week (eWeek) and it was a truly special week! Monday saw the Wellbeing Crew deliver a range of sessions - from Tai Chi to Aromatherapy; Tuesday our P.S.H.E focus; Wednesday RISE (and P.E/Enrichment); Thursday our wonderful P.L.T.S day, and Friday our trip to Birmingham. In addition, all week, we hosted Made in Oldbury, with local artists Brendan and Kate who helped our students create some delightful artwork! 7 Duke of Edinburgh Twelve students in Year 12 are currently undertaking their Silver Award, with twenty eight students in Year 9 beginning their Bronze Award. The students are independently completing their skills, volunteering and physical units. The groups will then undertake their expeditions in the summer, where they will plan routes, navigate and walk in the countryside to complete the final element of their qualification. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a really exciting opportunity for our students to put some of the skills that they already have into practice, but also to develop some new skills. Our current cohort of Bronze Award students got to do exactly that when working their way through a certificate in First Aid that is especially tailored to equip students with practical, and potentially life-saving First Aid knowledge. Mr Price’s voluntary work for St John Ambulance allows him to deliver and accredit students in a First Aid for Duke of Edinburgh qualification that is designed to teach the most relevant areas of First Aid with the expedition element of the Award in mind, but also enforcing the importance of knowing basic First Aid skills in order to stay healthy, safe, and happy! 8 Hairdressing City and Guilds Students undertaking their City and Guilds qualifications in Hairdressing were showing off their talents in a photo-shoot designed to highlight the hard work they had put into their latest assessment. As part of the assessment criteria the class were asked to create hair and beauty images that were from three main themes; historical, bridal or fantasy. Megan (S9) and Mia (C1) decided to create a vision of fantasy with a well thought out fairy motif. Megan was pictured in the grounds of the Academy amongst the blossoming daffodils. 9 The Q3 Family Celebrate British Science Week British Science Week is celebrated During Science lessons, the Each Company was allocated a nationwide with many schools students were exposed to their leading professional for a short offering a range of activities for usual diet of investigations and presentation and an in-depth students to develop their passion experiments, but with an extra question-and-answer session; the and interest in Science with the focus on looking at real-world quality of the questioning from Q3 Academies Trust being no applications of the topics they are the students was outstanding and exception! studying.