UoBS Newsletter Autumn Term 2022 Issue 08

UOB SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER

Autumn Edition 2022 | Issue 08

CONTENTS

Message from the Principal 1
Celebration of Character & Excellence Evening 2
3
Aristotle in America: 2 4
Developing Energy Solutions for the Future 5
6
Energised Enrichment 7
Festival of Social Sciences 8
9
UoBS in the Community 10
Sport at UoBS 11
12
Special Guest Visitors 12
Our Sixth Form 13
14
Teachers in Training 14
Visit to Carding Mill 15
16
The Book Nook
In Other News...
Christmas Concert
Remembrance Day
Updates from the SEND Team

Term Dates

PAGE 1

MESSAGE FROM
THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents, Carers, and Friends of the School,

It is my pleasure to introduce this newsletter – Autumn 2022.

As ever, the collective determination across our School community
to put in place the best education and development for our young
citizens, shines through. I am grateful to each of my colleagues for
their care, expertise, and professionalism – together we are greater
than the sum of our parts. I appreciate also the strong and
purposeful working partnerships we hold with our parents, carers,
and family members. In its absence the successes,
accomplishments, and potential of our children would surely be
diminished.

Holistically, we continue our institutional journey to establish exceptional provision, standards, and thus
outcomes. I have always been and remain an advocate of excellence – to aim lower or accept less limits
the possibilities we lay open for pupils, students, and staff. Of course, excellence takes determination and
hard-work… it is a mind-set. I observe those characteristics daily and with delight - and at the end of this
busy term narrated through this newsletter.

At the start of January, an annual point of renewal, we shall continue with our ambitions. This includes in
particular the support and challenge for our Year 11 pupils and Year 13 students – so each is diligent and
resilient in their preparations for GCSE and A level success – their sights set on their individual excellence.

In the meantime, and at this time of year, individuals, families, and communities seize an opportunity to
slow a little – to rest, to reflect, to recharge – and to connect with those nearest and dearest to us.

Wishing you Season’s Greetings, a Happy Hanukkah, and a peaceful Christmas.

Colin Townsend
Principal

'Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.'



Pat Riley
Professional Basketball Executive & Coach (USA - b1945)

PAGE 2

CELEBRATION OF CHARACTER
& EXCELLENCE EVENING

‘The aim of our studies is not to know what virtue is, but to become good’
Aristotle. Whilst Aristotle may have said that the motive for doing good
deeds should not be external rewards but the inherent value and virtue of
the action itself, we all know how good it feels to be recognised for going
above and beyond, and our inaugural Celebration of Character and
Excellence did just that.

Held in the Great Hall at the University Birmingham, and made possible due to the generous support of
UoB alumni Keith and Penny Palmer, the event celebrated pupils and students who really had gone the
extra mile across 2021/22. Form tutors nominated members of their form who showed compassion,
determination, courage, and kindness for character awards; subject leaders nominated pupils and
students who had shown excellent scholarliness, progress, and attainment, and a wide variety of awards
were given for excellence in extra-curricular subjects.

Staff and families, Governors and members of the University celebrated together and were treated to
musical performances by our steel pan band and string quartet.

It was a truly joyful event, one which will now become an annual celebration in the UoB School calendar.

PAGE 3

ARISTOTLE IN AMERICA: 2

Pictured: Our first Aristotle in America Group from February 2022.

Following our previous successful trip to Arizona, this year's adventure is bigger and better with sixteen
pupils and students travelling to Boston in February 2023. The trip is fully supported by funding from the
Turing Scheme, which aims to encourage cultural exchanges across different continents so that young
people are given the chance to explore different cultures and have experiences that are life changing.

Over 150 young people from Years 11 - 13 Well done to our successful applicants and reserves:
applied, and after a rigorous application
and interview process, involving interviews Ayan A Max CW Skye G Cameron T
with the senior leadership team and Haniyah A Tom D Amour G Ayesha A
Professors from the University, sixteen Lucia W Ana S Klaudia H Finley M
individuals and four reserves were selected. Emnet A Kyrah M Ethan J Nimaa E
Sami C Jaydn F Liyah Y Pamela S
The party will be visiting Montrose School in
Medfield, Boston, which also teaches
character education, but in a slightly
different way. Our pupils and students will
be taking an active part in the school day,
attending lessons and extra-curricular
activities and then teaching their own
lessons on the second day.

Pupils and students will then have the
opportunity to discover more about the
history and culture of this part of America,
hopefully culminating with a trip to Harvard
University. We look forward to hearing more
about their adventures next year.

PAGE 4

DEVELOPING ENERGY
SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

A huge well done to our sixth form students who won the Birmingham
Energy Institute (BEI) competition for new heating solutions.

This year, UoB School were Pictured: The Winning Team.
awarded a grant from The
Royal Society – the world’s
oldest independent scientific
academy, dedicated to
promoting excellence in
science - to allow a group of
sixth form students to explore
and learn more about the
function of air-source heat
pumps, performing various
experiments to compare the
heat pump with other more
traditional routes of heating
the home.

Students researched the function of the heat pumps, designed their own prototype apparatus, and tested
the usability of their refrigerant apparatus at the UoB Chemical Engineering Department. The team also
performed an experiment on a model immersion heater to record its efficiency.

Students were then invited to the Birmingham Energy Institute (BEI), alongside industry partners within the
energy field, to present their new solution and to discuss the urgency for a new heating solution for the
UK. The team and their innovative design wowed the panel of judges and they won the competition.
Congratulations to students Tara P, Lucja M, Hannah T, and Max R.

The aim is that eventually this project will be repeated in other schools around the country to improve
education of an emerging technology to fight the current climate crisis.

PAGE 5

ENERGISED ENRICHMENT

Enrichment for the new year goes from
strength to strength with even more diverse
opportunities on offer for pupils and students
in all year groups. A new booklet summarising
our approach to enrichment is available to
read on the Jubilee Centre for Character
website.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 rotate around six
projects, some of which are new for 2022-
23. These include ‘Birmingham Monopoly’
which encourages pupils to develop a sense
of belonging by exploring local places, and
with a nod to ‘Get out of Jail’ includes a trip
to the newly refurbished Police Museum. The
‘My University’ enrichment has included a
new visit to the Tyseley Energy Park for the
first time which received rave reviews from
our staff and pupils. All pupils in Year 8 are
learning how to swim at UoB Sport and
Fitness Centre.

Year 9 are working towards their Duke of
Edinburgh Award and are all having a six
week induction with the charity ‘Kissing it
Better’ – working towards becoming
Community Champions and understanding
intergenerational relationships. This is the
first time we have worked with this charity,
who deliver practical training to young
people around developing the confidence
and communication skills they need to talk to
a wider community of people, giving them
excellent work related learning experiences.
As the project develops, so too will
opportunities for wider collaboration
between our School and service providers
within the community.

Students in Years 12 and 13 have been able
to use Friday afternoons to volunteer in the
community, and several have taken up this
option. Details are available from the Sixth
Form office if anyone else wishes to explore
this route.

PAGE 6

FESTIVAL OF
SOCIAL SCIENCES

The theme of this year's festival of Social Science was
‘My local area’, with a focus on local communities
working together and supporting representation of
people from all backgrounds. Through our work with Dr
Sophie King Hill looking at amplifying pupil and
student voice around relationships education, the
School was offered some time to let our pupil and
students’ voices be heard. A call went out to pupils
and students in Years 11 and 12 who felt they wanted
to be heard, and twelve courageous individuals came
forward and volunteered to share mini papers on
topics close to their heart.

With minimal coaching, working individually or in small
groups, the young people prepared their talks, with
topics ranging from period poverty, the paradox of
relationships on Instagram, radical feminism, and toxic
masculinity.

The young people presented alongside experts in the
sexual health and relationships field from around the
country, including Rebecca Jennings (lead for ‘Raise
Education), Sarah Simons (from Brook), and David
Russel (Community Safety & Justice Manager at
Midlothian Council).

All of our pupils and students spoke articulately and
confidently, were excellent advocates for the School,
whilst also sharing really important insights into topics
rarely spoken about from a young person’s
perspective.

PAGE 7

UOBS IN THE COMMUNITY

Community Engagement Event

The School welcomed over fifty local Upcoming Family Quiz on Culture Day
neighbours and residents in December as
part of a Community Engagement event, in On Friday 10 February 2023, from 17.00 – 19.00 the
partnership with the University of Friends of UoBS (the School’s PTA) will be hosting a
Birmingham. Our established team of Year 11 Family Quiz at School. Staff, pupils, and students will
Prefects provided engaging small-group be celebrating our community’s cultures during
tours, sharing the School’s eight-year journey enrichment, and the celebrations of ‘Culture and
and showing insights into how they learn and Mother Languages’ will continue into the evening in this
flourish on a day-to-day basis. For many fun-filled quiz which is for all of the family! More
members of our community, this was the first information about this event will be distributed to
time they had seen beyond the smart exterior families after the festive break. If you’d like to join the
of the School building. Mr Townsend School’s PTA (Friends of UoBS) then please enquire via:
wrapped up the event with an informative [email protected].
presentation, sharing the School’s purpose,
vision, and ethos framed in the context of our
past, present, and future plans.

UoBS on the Road

UoBS is pleased to connect with the
Jewellery Quarter in what is the first in a
series of ‘UoBS on the Road’. Senior
Leadership members Mr Bennett and
Madame Hayley will be hosting an informal
gathering for parents at St. George’s
Community Hub (B19 3JG) on Friday 27
January 2023, 17.00 – 19.00.

We believe it is important to bring UoBS to
our community nodes, making community
engagement more accessible for all. Lots of
useful information for pupils, students, and
parents will be shared, along with a free
‘goody bag’ and light refreshments. It will
serve as a great opportunity to learn more
about our Jewellery Quarter community, and
answer any questions or queries
parents/carers may have.

Further information and dates for future
nodal visits to Hall Green and Small Heath
will be shared very soon - keep an eye on our
website and social media channels!

PAGE 8

SPORT AT UOBS

Pupils in lower School are flourishing with their sporting endeavours, having competed in 32 different
sporting fixtures across the city since September. Individuals and teams have participated in Dodgeball,
Netball, Sports Hall Athletics, Table Tennis, Badminton, Indoor Cricket, Rugby, Football, and Basketball,
representing the School and our district of South Birmingham against local and regional rivals. Looking
ahead to the Festive Break, there are many more fixtures in store for all year groups, including our Sixth
Form, who have enjoyed competitive sport in Basketball, Netball, and Football.

There are a huge variety of sporting clubs which take place before and after School weekly, attracting
hundreds of pupils and students to participate recreationally, socially, and competitively. These clubs
serve as a great opportunity to socialise, de-stress, and exercise. Our examination pupils and students
are also reaping the benefits of their hard work and commitment in Performance Enrichment to bolster
their practical sporting portfolios. Performance Handball, Football, Table Tennis, Squash, and Basketball
options begin in January for Term 2.

36 Year 10 Sports Studies pupils took part in leading the Panathlon at the University of Birmingham in
December. The Panathlon is a national charity which gives young people with disabilities and special
educational needs the opportunity to take part in competitive sport. The pupils received some excellent
feedback on their leadership and character, which was highly valued by the organisers and primary
school pupils. More leadership opportunities will arise for our budding sports coaches in the New Year,
enabling them to flourish and thrive in their Leadership Module as part of their Sports Studies GCSE.

PGL Sports Tour 2023

Over 124 pupils from Years 7 and 8 enquired to take part in
our annual Sports Tour to PGL Liddington on 05 - 07 May
2023. Congratulations to the 68 pupils who were selected
at random to attend this 3-day residential which will see
pupils compete against other schools nationally in Football
and Netball. More information about this exciting plan will
be distributed in the New Year.

PAGE 9

SPECIAL GUEST VISITORS

Author visits to schools have a positive impact
on children and young people’s reading skills,
and their enjoyment and confidence in reading
and writing. This term we have been fortunate
enough to benefit from such visits from a range
of award winning Authors and Illustrators.

Our next Author to visit was from the multi-award Year 7 had the pleasure of a visit from Humza
winning Stew Foster. Stew’s books are brimming with Arshad who talked about his brilliantly written,
empathy and compassion and tackle issues such as and hugely popular, Little Badman book series
OCD, ADHD, autism, children in care, and children and his work as an ambassador for YouTube's
with hearing impairments. Creators For Change campaign. A hugely
popular and influential YouTuber and Comedy
TV star - this was a fun-packed, highly
entertaining, and informative visit that we will
never forget.

He spent the day working with our Nurture Groups and
worked with groups of pupils across the School
discussing his writing process, talking about his books
and his experiences as an author and writer.
Entertaining and inspiring - this was a fun-filled and
informative day for all.

Later on in the term, we were fortunate to benefit
from a visit from Tamsin Rosewell who is a Bookseller
at Kenilworth Books and an illustrator of many of our
favourite children’s and Young Adult books. Tamsin
brought a range of her full size canvasses from her
most recent projects including her work for Berlie
Doherty’s latest book, The Haunted Hills, and a hugely
impressive London landscape for The Blake Society in
which she used paint made from ground up London
bricks. It was mesmerising to see her work and listen
to her discuss her creative processes with our pupils.

In the afternoon, she held sessions with our Key Stage
4 and Sixth Form Students where she discussed how
she built her career as an illustrator and her
experiences of working within the publishing industry,
which gave our budding illustrators and entrepreneurs
invaluable insights into the realities of working in this
sector.

PAGE 10

OUR SIXTH FORM

Fundraising Events

Sana NS (Year 13) and the Student Guild
raised £320 in October to support the DEC
Pakistan Floods Appeal by holding a bake
sale – it was very well attended and the
treats were delicious!

Our very own daredevil Mariam K (pictured)
raised £684 for the University Hospitals
Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust with her
charity skydive!

UCAS updates Sixth Form
Application Deadline
Year 13 have been working towards
submitting their UCAS applications this term, Applications for Year 12 places in September 2023
and we already have students with offers opened in November.
from Russell Group Universities such as Year 11 pupils are reminded to submit their applications
Birmingham, Cardiff, and Manchester. by 31 January 2023!
Click here to apply.
A number of our students have also been
invited for interviews at Oxford and
Cambridge. To help prepare, they have been
taking part in mock interviews with Professor
James Arthur and Professor Deborah Youdell
from the University of Birmingham. To
support, the Sixth Form staff team have been
busy submitting references in lead up to the
deadline on 15 January 2023.

Football Festival

In November, we held a Sixth Form Football
Festival, where students from both year
groups competed in their form groups with
different football related activities, including
4-a-side, penalty shootouts, keepy-uppy’s
and an e-sports Fifa competition.

The final scores were:

Manchester 43 Cardiff 26
Bristol 30 Oxford 24
Cambridge 29 Warwick 21
Edinburgh 27 Belfast 17

PAGE 11

TEACHERS IN TRAINING

Teachers as Readers Groups

This year we are delighted to be running The
University of Birmingham Teachers as
Readers Group in association with The Open
University. The group aims to provide free
evidence–based Professional Development
for teachers, teaching assistants, early years
professionals, librarians, reading volunteers,
and others to enrich their understanding of
reading for pleasure (RfP) and how to
support and develop by building a
professional community around RfP locally
and online.

Over the six sessions during the academic year, we will be exploring the engaging resources on the Open
University’s Reading for Pleasure website, developing evidence-informed practice, widening our knowledge
of children’s literature, enriching our RfP pedagogy, and documenting the impact on young people as
readers.

Updates from our ITE Team

Our Initial Teacher Education team have been busy hosting our trainee teachers this term in various subject
areas. Five UoB School departments hosted approximately 65 trainee teachers across September and
October, in Physics, Languages, Mathematics, Biology, and History.

The new format for the training means that all trainess were able to attend the School for one day a week
for three consecutive weeks - enabling them to benefit from introductory talks by members of our Senior
Leadership Team, have insight into character education, and learn more about the ethos and vision of the
School.

We currently have ITE students/trainees from the University of Wolverhampton who are reading Psychology.
Their weeks have been centred around SEND and school safeguarding provision. All students are doing
well.

PAGE 12

VISIT TO CARDING MILL

Year 11 GCSE Geography pupils visited Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire in November to carry out physical
Geography fieldwork. They were testing the hypothesis that 'a river gets wider, deeper, and faster with a
smaller bedload as it travels downstream'. This involved working in teams and getting into the river to
measure these different variables at different points. The pupils were warmly congratulated by the National
Trust Education team for their conduct on each of the days we visited.

THE BOOK NOOK

Top borrowers this term:
1. Kashif B Year 8.
2. Sarah V Year 7.
3. Ayaan K Year 7.
4. Alice M in Year 7.
5. Ameera A in Year 10.
6. Nina K in Year 7.
7. Zarah Z in Year 7.
8. Innayah Y in Year 7.
9. Oscar C in Year 9.
10. Izzie H in Year 8.

We collectively borrowed over 4,000 books since September! The most popular books were:

1. Wrecking Ball by Jeff Kinney.

2. Little Badman & the Rise of the Punjabi Zombies by Humza Arshad.

3. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz.

4. Naruto Vol. 1, 2, & 3 by Masashi Kishimoto.

5. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.

6. One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus.

7. One Punch Man Vol. 1 by Yusuke Murata. TOP Class
8. Genius Ideas (Mostly) by Liz Pichon. borrowers were: 7X3
9. Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes.

10. Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman.

PAGE 13

IN OTHER NEWS...

Movember Awareness

Eight staff participated in Movember, which
involved the growing of moustaches during the
month of November to raise awareness of men's
health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular
cancer, and mental health. Whilst a fantastic
total of £305 was raised by staff donations, the
real impact was the powerful conversations had
with pupils and students to break down stigma
surrounding mental health which still prevents
men and boys from talking about their problems
and seeking help when they need it.

Christmas Jumper Day

Well done to Nina in Year 7, Miss Denning, and Miss
Simpson who were voted for wearing the best
Christmas Jumpers on Christmas Jumper Day. We
collectively raised a total of £326 for Save the
Children - well done team!

Christmas Card Competition

Nina also won the runner up prize in local MP Gary
Sambrook's Christmas Card Competition. Her design
was chosen amongst hundreds of entries, and was
printed on the winning card which was handed to
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, earlier this month!

Duke of Edinburgh

In the newest season of DofE at UoBS all 150 of
our Year 9 pupils have been enrolled onto the
Bronze Award. 58 pupils in Year 10 have opted to
take on the Silver Award and 22 students in Year
12 have embarked on their Gold Award.

All expeditions will take place between March
and July in 2023, with locations varying from
Worcestershire to Shropshire, Brecon Beacons to
the Lake District. Keep an eye on the School’s
DofE Instagram for news, updates and pictures of
our adventures! @UoBSchool_dofe

PAGE 14

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

A huge well done to our musicians who
performed in our annual Christmas Concert
this year bringing festive joy to the School
and our community. We had performances
from the School Orchestra, brass ensembles,
vocal performances, steel pan bands, and
duets in guitar, cello, and piano. A fantastic
celebration of talent, culture, and festivties.

A special thank you to our Alumni pupils and
students who attended a networking pre
event and then stayed on to enjoy the
musical performances.

Thank you to all parents, carers, and visitors
who joined us on the evening.

Remembrance Day

We were able to mark Remembrance Day this
year by coming together as a School, in
person, for the first time in a number of years.
Staff, pupils, and students all gathered
together on Armistice Day in the School
grounds to pay their respects.

Green Stamp Achievements

Pupil with the most green stamps this term:
Nina K in Year 7 with 177 stamps.

Form Group with the most green stamps this term:
7Y2 with 3450 stamps.

Pupils with most green stamps in each year group:
Year 7 Nina K with 177 stamps.
Year 8 Akhiel B with 155 stamps.
Year 9 Arman A with 133 stamps.
Year 10 Aoife G with 155 stamps.
Year 11 Tristian R with 74 stamps.

PAGE 15

UPDATES FROM
THE SEND TEAM

Getting to know the team Pictured: Mr Beddow, Mr Hale, & Ms Kyriacou.

In this feature, we will be introducing members School. I am keen to support our pupils and students
of our staff to our community. This term, we start who are experiencing mental health difficulties or
with a hello from our Learning Coaches, Mr have ADHD, providing targeted support either on a
Beddow, Mr Hale, and Ms Kyriacou. Below are a one-to-one basis or within a small group. In addition,
few quick introductions explaining their role in I am looking forward to meeting and interacting with
the School and how they help our School parents/carers and working closely with teaching
community. staff, offering support and advice to help our young
people flourish."
Mr Beddow
Mr Hale
"I hold a degree in English and Creative Writing
from Birmingham City University and a PGCE in "After graduating with a degree in Literature and
Secondary English from the University of Linguistics I went on to complete a PGCE in Primary
Wolverhampton. After two years of teaching Education. I worked for just over two years in a
English in the Black Country, I joined University of primary school before taking up a post at Fox Hollies
Birmingham School in 2016 as a Learning Coach Special School for students aged 11-19. I worked there
for Literacy. I have had the privilege of seeing for 16 years before taking up an offer at UoB School.
the School develop, and watch the pupils I
support, move up through the years and beyond. As the Learning Coach for ASC (Autistic Spectrum
Condition) and Communication, I run group
I run one-to-one or small group interventions for interventions and one-to-one sessions aimed at
pupils who need support with reading or writing, developing social skills and effective communication.
using a variety of programs to suit different I use a structured programme, ‘Talk about Teenagers’,
needs. I also provide support for pupils for whom which pupils work through as a group. The one-to-
English is an additional language and act as one sessions are about supporting pupils with anxiety
inclusion link for the Year 7 and Sixth Form related issues utilising a ‘mindfulness’ approach with
teams." activities designed to facilitate self-regulation and to
also provide a forum for our young people to discuss
Ms Kyriacou any worries should they wish."

"I have many years of experience working in both
primary and secondary schools supporting pupils
with a variety of needs and disabilities. I joined
UoB School in November 2019 as a teaching
intervention assistant, and thanks to the brilliant
opportunity of staff research days provided for
by the school; it ignited my passion for
researching and studying young people’s mental
health.

I am now working as a Learning Coach for
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs
including ADHD. I am excited about my career
development because it is a new role within the

PAGE 16

UPDATES FROM
THE SEND TEAM (CONT'D)

Spotlight Clubs & Resources for families
Are you looking for fun and inclusive sports
activities either for yourself, a child or young
person you support or a member of your family?
If yes, then look no further! Please visit the links
below for more information:

Midland Mencap’s Sports Team

SEND Socials Birmingham

Bring it on Brum Holiday Clubs

TERM DATES

Spring Term 2023

*Staff Professional Development Day: Tuesday 03 January 2023
Term Starts: Wednesday 04 January 2023
*Staff Research Day: Friday 17 February 2023
Half Term: Monday 20 February to Friday 24 February 2023
Term ends: Friday 31 March 2023

*no pupils or students to attend/non-teaching day.

Summer Term 2023

Term Starts: Monday 17 April 2023
BANK HOLIDAY: Monday 01 May 2023
BANK HOLIDAY: Monday 08 May 2023
Half Term: Monday 29 May to Friday 02 June 2023
*Staff Professional Development Day: Friday 30 June 2023
Term ends: Friday 21 July 2023
*Staff Research Day: Monday 24 July 2023

*no pupils or students to attend/non-teaching day.

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