This Week in the Academy - 20th June 2025

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:

• Place a focus on Perseverance,
• update you on some of the trips and events from this week,
• We look at the use of YouTube Kids and
• update the School calendar.

Next week we have Culture Day on Tuesday, where we encourage your daughter to come in wearing her cultural clothes and to experience the other cultures represented in the school as well as celebrating her own!

We hope you enjoy reading this weeks news.

A Day of Discovery and Inspiration

Our Year 7 students recently had an unforgettable experience at the Big Bang Fair held at the NEC. This exciting event provided them with a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Engaging Workshops 

Throughout the day, students (and teachers!) participated in a variety of hands-on workshops that sparked their curiosity and creativity. They had the chance to engage with cutting-edge technologies, from robotics and virtual reality to innovative engineering projects. These interactive sessions not only enhanced their understanding of scientific concepts but also allowed them to see the real-world applications of their classroom learning.

“There were different fun stalls that I visited, like the Heart stall where I learned some cool facts about how the heart works, the Technician stall where we got to try hands-on activities, and even a Specsavers stall which had fun games and optical illusions. Spending the day with my friends, listening to great music, and exploring all the activities made the day so memorable. It was a trip I won’t forget anytime soon!” – Ajunni Kaur, 7G

Exploring STEM Career Opportunities

One of the highlights of the trip was the exposure to the vast array of career opportunities within the STEM fields. Students interacted with professionals from various industries, gaining insights into potential future careers. This experience broadened their horizons and inspired many to consider pursuing paths in science and technology.

A Memorable Experience

The Big Bang Fair was more than just an educational trip; it was a day filled with excitement, inspiration, and discovery. Our Year 7 students returned with a renewed enthusiasm for STEM subjects and a greater appreciation for the possibilities that lie ahead.

We look forward to more such enriching experiences in the future!

We are thrilled to introduce two of our talented Year 10 students, Malka and Saabrin, who have completed a remarkable short film as part of the University of Birmingham’s Stuart Hall Archive Project. This film, which delves into the profound work of Stuart Hall, showcases their dedication and creativity in bringing archival material to life.

About the Film: The short film offers a unique perspective on Stuart Hall’s influential contributions, drawing from the rich resources of the Stuart Hall Archive. Through meticulous research and innovative storytelling, Malka and Saabrin have crafted a piece that not only honours Hall’s legacy but also engages viewers in a meaningful dialogue about his work.
Upcoming Ceremony: We are proud to announce that this outstanding film will be showcased at a special ceremony in August, attended by esteemed professors and scholars. Malka and Saabrin, along with their peers, have been invited to attend and share insights about their experiences working on this project. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to discuss their creative process and the impact of their work.

Congratulations: We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Malka and Saabrin for their exceptional work and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the ceremony.

Absence disrupts the education of the individual pupil and the whole class. Are you aware those children who do not attend regularly:

• do not achieve well in exams
• find it difficult to maintain friendships
• are more likely to become involved in crime
• miss out on opportunities in further education and the world of work?

Please be advised that term-time holidays are very unlikely to be approved. If families ignore this the absence will be unauthorised and you will be at risk of receiving a £160 Fixed Penalty Notice per parent on your return.

Last term, 36 parents have received Penalty Notices for taking students on unauthorised leave in term time.

Please note that, Birmingham City Council strongly discourages pupil leave of absence during term time. The expectation is that such leave would only be authorised in the most exceptional circumstance.

Please ensure that leave is taken in the school holidays only.

Frequent absence can add up to a considerable amount of lost learning and can seriously disadvantage your child in adult life.

• 5 minutes late every day means around 3 ½ days of education are missed
• a score of 90% in a test would be a good result but 90% attendance means that a child
• will have missed around 100 lessons over a school year.

The majority of our students are on time to school every day. Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring that your daughter attends school on time every day. Lesson 1 begins promptly at 8:45am, which means that your daughter needs to be in her seat waiting for the register to be taken by 08:40am.

Students who are late, without a valid reason, will sit in a 30 minute after school detention on the same day.

The only method for reporting your child’s absence is now through the Arbor Parent Portal App.

Using the Arbor Parent Portal App is quick and easy, and it is now our preferred way for parents to communicate absence reasons to the school.

For step-by-step instructions on how to report an absence, please visit our online guide.

Benefits of the Arbor Parent Portal App:

• Update student/parent details
• Top up dinner money
• Sign up for trips and clubs
• Check your child’s attendance
• Access school reports
• and now reporting absences

Additionally, our new school app, KEVI Handsworth Wood Girls (via Reach More
Parents), will be our primary platform for sharing school-related updates and information.

Please note that the absence reporting feature will no longer be available on other
platforms, and we will no longer monitor absences reported via Studybugs, even if you still have access to it.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Welcome to all of our new and existing students. Thank you to all who continue to support your daughter attending school every day and arriving on time. We have seen a dramatic improvement in morning punctuality, and attendance overall is way above the National average for Secondary schools. In fact, at the end of the Spring Term 2024 we were recognised as being in the top 25% of all FFT secondary schools for secondary attendance.

Please take some time to view the letters pertaining to Attendance and Punctuality at King Edward’s VI Handsworth Wood Girls’ Academy that were sent to you by email in September 2024. If you didn’t get the email, then we have attached the letters here too.

• 24th June 2025 – Culture Day
• 27th June 2025 – End of Year Reward Trip (KS4)
• 2nd – 4th July 2025 – France Trip (SELECTED STUDENTS)
• 8th July 2025 -End of Year Reward Trip (KS3)
• 10th July 2025 – End of Year Reward Trip (KS5)

Summer Term 2025

• Term Starts: Monday 28 April 2025
• Half-term: Monday 26 May 2025 to Friday 30 May 2025
• Term ends: Monday 21 July 2025

Remaining INSET Days

• Monday 21 July 2025

• 17th June 25 – The Big Bang Fair NEC (Year 7 students – limited spaces)
• 24th-25th June 25 – Duke of Edinburgh Cannock Chase (Selected Students)
• 27th June 25 End of Year Reward Trip (KS4)
• 2nd-4th July 25 France Trip (Selected Students)
• 8th July 25 End of Year Reward Trip (KS3)
• 10th July 25 End of Year Reward Trip (KS5)

We are thrilled to announce that HWGA has achieved the prestigious Wellbeing Award! This incredible achievement highlights our commitment to ensuring that the wellbeing of both staff and students remains at the heart of everything we do.

We want to remind families that we offer a range of in-house support for students, so if you feel your child needs someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we are here to help.

Additionally, families should know that period products are provided free of charge at the academy. We are dedicated to ensuring our girls feel seen, valued, and confident, with no shame in asking for what they need.

We are proud of the way our students support one another, and we celebrate the
uniqueness and superpowers each girl brings to our school community.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us!

We know how challenging it can be to balance all the demands parents and carers have to cope with. That’s why NSPCC have put together some tips to help. All children need boundaries and discipline, and this guide helps you develop what works for you and your child.

If your family is in need of any support for any of the following issues –

• money advice,
• special educational needs,
• disability,
• food,
• housing,
• parenting groups,
• relationships,
• sexual health & family planning,
• under 5’s support,
• bereavement,
• mental health,
• leisure activities,
• physical health
• & much more.

Please see download the family action leaflet here.

Our Healthy Lifestyle Checklist:

• Exercise – 60 minutes a day
• Hydration – Drink 2 litres of water a day
• Nutrition – Eat a balanced Diet
• Sleep – 8-10 hours a night

Please find a range of helpful medical factsheets put together by the School’s First Aid Medical Lead.

If you would like to see these factsheets in an alternative language, please get in touch.

This week saw the school visited by the HPL team for our re-accreditation, the whole school spent the day showcasing the fantastic things we do with HPL. The assessors were really complimentary of the student, having asked some really difficult questions which they answered with ease and sophistication.

HPL has become part of our school life and this was clearly evident with what was seen in the day.

If you would like to understand more about High Performance Learning and how it fits into your daughters life at school visit our parent’s guide here.

We use the High Performance Learning philosophy and framework in our school. This means that we believe that all the students can be high performers, and we teach with these expectations in mind.

Using the research-based High Performance Learning approach helps us to systematically build the cognitive competencies that lead a young person to thrive in school and in later life.

We embed the HPL philosophy throughout our school. We never tell our students they cannot achieve; it is just they are not doing it yet but with practice and persevere it will happen.

You can support your child with developing the High Performance Learning skills at home.

There are 30 skills which are broken down into the two categories of Advanced Cognitive Performance Characteristics (ACPs) and Values, Attitudes and Attributes (VAAs). These help students how to think, and how to behave.

HWGA will be sharing a some HPL key competencies (VAAS & ACPs) strategies with you weekly.

Using the HPL framework at home will help you to enhance your child’s academic
achievement and personal development.

Home Challenge:

• Quiz your child on the ACPs and VAAs. How may of each can they remember?
• Ask them to quiz you? Can you beat your child?
• Select 3 VAAs and ACPs at random. Can your child tell you what they mean?

Not there yet? Repeat the challenge – can you both beat your previous attempt?

✓ 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.

QUESTIONS:

• Do you have a concern that a student is being physically, sexually or emotionally abused or neglected?
• Has a child/young person made a disclosure to you?
• Are you concerned that a student could be living in a private fostering arrangement?

REMEMBER:

• Please do not ask the student leading questions
• You must report concerns relating to FGM,CSE, FM, HBV and Prevent
• Do not ask children to remove items of clothing and do not ask them to write anything down or sign anything you have written
• Allegations against staff MUST be referred directly to the Headteacher (or to the Chair of Governors if about the Head)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Safeguarding Team will gather all of the information, link with multiple agencies and the decision will be made whether a referral to Children’s Services or an Early Help Assessment (or other action) needs to be made. Any information the Safeguarding Team are able to share with you will be shared. If you have any questions or a ‘gut feeling’, then please do not hesitate to seek advice and support from the Safeguarding Team.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about: YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is designed to be the safer cousin of the regular YouTube app; however, built-in risks continue to pose concerns 👀 From targeted advertising to addictive design, there’s more going on behind the scenes than many realise. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide breaks it all down.

Whether it’s inappropriate content slipping past filters or tech-savvy kids bypassing parental settings, YouTube Kids still needs careful oversight. Our guide provides clear, easy-to-follow tips to help adults keep young users protected while still enjoying their favourite videos 🎬🛡

• All students must wear jumpers.
• Skirts if worn should be black and pleated.
• Hoodies are not permitted in school.
• The school uniform consists of a jumper, a white revere blouse, and a black skirt or trousers.

Students are not permitted to wear trainers unless medically required to do so School shoes should be below the ankle.

Boots should only be worn in severe weather (snow).

Jackets/coats should be plain and Hoodies should not be worn in school.

• No nail polish/ false nails
• Make-up if worn should be natural looking
• False eyelashes are not permitted in schoo
• Pins are not allowed to be used for headscarves. Please use a safer style fastening to secure headscarves.

Jewellery:

• One stud in each ear
• One small nose stud – not a ring
• No rings,
• No bracelets – unless for religious purposes
• No necklaces.

We collect preloved but good quality uniform throughout the year. If you would like to donate preloved items, please bring them to the School reception.

if you would like to receive preloved items for your child, please contact the pastoral team at pastoralteam@hwga.org.uk

We are now using the Free School Meals Eligibility Checking Service in School. If you think that your child may be entitled to Free School Meals, please complete a ‘New Application’ on the following link: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/birmingham

Just registering your child for Free School Meals means that the School gets extra funding – register now to make sure we don’t miss out!

Get notifications on your phone by using the King Edward VI Handsworth Wood Girls App available in your phones app store to download today.

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Visiting our website, you will find the news feed on the homepage with quick links to our most up to date news and information.