This Week in the Academy - 24th April 2026 | King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls' Academy

Welcome to the academies weekly newsletter, rounding up the events of the past week and keeping you informed of coming events and information to support you and your daughter in school and beyond.

This week we have:

Aspire & Achieve Day ⭐
Staying safe when travelling to and from school
Revision Focus
HPL Top Tips – Perseverance
What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Youtube

We hope you enjoy reading this weeks news!

Aspire & Achieve Day ⭐

The highlight of this week a day of growth, confidence and collaboration 🌟

We were delighted to hold our second Aspire & Achieve Day, where students across the school took part in a wide range of enriching activities designed to support wellbeing, personal development and academic success.

Here’s what each year group got up to:

🟢 Year 7 focused on problem-solving and wellbeing, including learning about healthy choices and working together to create their own nutritious smoothies.

🔵 Year 8 worked with the external company, Talk the Talk, taking part in engaging sessions on confident communication, helping them build strong speaking and listening skills.

🟣 Year 9 explored a social issue of their choice, planning and organising social action and activities to support a charity they felt passionate about.

🟠 Year 10 took part in Positively You workshops, which inspire empowered learning. The focus was on motivation, study skills and resilience, giving students tools to support their GCSE journey.

🔴 Year 11 and Year 13 benefited from targeted interventions, supporting them as they prepare for their upcoming examinations.

🟡 Year 12 students showed fantastic leadership, helping to deliver sessions and offering support to Year 7 and Year 9, acting as positive role models within our school community.

It was a fantastic day that truly reflected our commitment to developing confident, resilient and socially aware young people. Thank you to staff, students and external partners who helped make the day such a success!

Staying safe when travelling to and from school

We would like to remind all students and families of the importance of personal safety when travelling to and from school, particularly for those who walk independently.

To help keep everyone safe, we ask that students follow the guidance below:

Travel Smart and Stay Visible

Wherever possible, travel in small groups or with siblings or other family members.
Stick to direct routes that take you through well‑lit, busy public areas.
Avoid shortcuts, secluded paths, alleyways, parks, or quiet areas, especially at early or later times of the day.
Keep personal belongings secure and avoid using mobile phones or headphones, which can reduce awareness of surroundings.

Communication and Parental Awareness

Students should go straight home after school unless alternative arrangements have been agreed.
If students are not going directly home for any reason, parents/carers must be aware of where they are going, who they are with, and when they expect to return.
Ensure phones are charged before leaving school so students can contact home if needed.

Stranger Safety

Never approach or engage with strangers, even if they ask for help or seem friendly.
Students should not accept lifts, gifts, or directions from anyone they do not know.
If feeling uncomfortable or worried, move to a busy place such as a shop and seek help from a trusted adult or uniformed professional.

Reporting Concerns

Any behaviour or situation that causes concern should be reported immediately:
- To a parent/carer
- To a trusted member of school staff
- Or to the police if there is immediate danger
Students should trust their instincts—if something doesn’t feel right, tell someone.

If You Feel Unsafe

Stay calm, keep moving towards people or well‑lit areas, and call home or emergency services if needed.
In an emergency, always dial 999.

By working together and making safe choices, we can help ensure that all students travel to and from school safely each day. Thank you for your continued support in reinforcing these important messages at home.

Revision Focus

With exams fast approaching, now is a crucial time for Year 11 and Year 13 students to step up their revision and build confidence ahead of the exam season. Regular, focused revision can make a real difference – helping to reinforce knowledge, improve exam technique, and reduce stress.

To support this, staff have been creating short, targeted revision videos across a range of subjects, designed to break down exam questions and key topics clearly and accessibly.

👉 Follow our Instagram: @kevihwga
New revision videos are being posted regularly, giving students easy access to expert guidance anytime, anywhere.

Make the most of these resources, keep revision consistent, and give yourself the best possible chance of success. 💪✨

HPL Top Tips - Perseverance

✓ Talk to your child about obstacles or challenges being important to allow them to progress in their learning.

✓ Allow them to see the long-term benefits of performing a task to completion.

✓ Encourage your child to work for extended periods of time on a task with encouragement and not to give up on difficulty tasks.

✓ Identify distractions and begin to recognise the effect these might have on their work.

✓ Identify and use strategies (e.g. rewards) for setting and meeting personal targets in order to increase personal motivation.

✓ Help your child to recognise and accept that making mistakes is a natural part of learning.

What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Youtube

YouTube continues to be a go-to platform for entertainment, learning and creativity, but its vast and largely unregulated content library presents ongoing challenges. This guide outlines how features like recommendations, Shorts and social interaction can shape young people’s viewing habits, sometimes exposing them to inappropriate or extreme material.

It also explores key safeguarding concerns, including stranger interaction, risky trends and the limits of automated moderation. With practical advice on tools such as YouTube Kids, supervised accounts and parental controls, the guide supports parents and educators in encouraging safer, more balanced and informed use of the platform.