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:

• 🏸 Primary Schools Sports Event
• 📅 Y9 Pathways Evening
• InvestIN FREE Workshops for Students ✅
• What Parents and Educators Need to Know about Mental Health Misinformation Online🧠
• ✨ House System Reveal! ✨
• Invitation: Talk on the Trees of Handsworth Wood🌳
• Visually Impaired Football Fun Day ⚽
• 📱 Layer Up for Online Safety – A Simple Guide for Families
• A HPL focus on Resilience

We hope you enjoy reading this weeks news.

What an amazing time hosting our Y3/4 Primary School Sports Event in the Sports Hall! Our focus was Badminton, and it was brilliant to see pupils showing enthusiasm, teamwork and real community spirit throughout. ✨

A huge shoutout to our BTEC Sport students, who planned, organised and led the entire event. Their leadership, collaboration and confidence were fantastic examples of our High Performance Learning values in action. 💡🙌

Thank you to all pupils, staff and our visiting primary schools for bringing such energy. We love building these community connections and can’t wait to welcome everyone back again soon! 🤝💙

Year 9 students will soon begin choosing their GCSE/vocational pathway for Key Stage 4

School support will include assemblies, careers days and subject taster sessions.

• Pathways Evening:🕟 4.30–6.30pm🤝Meet subject staff and learn about courses on offer
• 📍 In school (marketplace-style stalls – you can arrive anytime)
• 📅 Wednesday 4th February

We look forward to welcoming you and supporting your daughter with her next steps.

Life after school may feel uncertain for you and your child with AI reshaping the graduate job market and changing careers today.

That’s why InvestIN is launching a new series of free workshops in February, with two sessions to help students prepare for the future.

Will AI Take My Dream Job? – 3rd February | 6PM (UK time)

• How is AI affecting jobs today?

• How AI will impact jobs in the future

• The opportunities and challenges of AI

• How AI affects subject choices, university decisions and career planning

How to Futureproof Your Career – 10th February | 6PM (UK time)

• How to prepare for changing career paths

• Why personal values matter more than ever

• How to develop key transferable skills

• The importance of work experience

You can register for the sessions here.

Children and young people are increasingly turning to social media for mental health advice, but much of what they encounter online is unverified, oversimplified or misleading. This guide explores why platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become go-to sources, and how misuse of clinical language and viral trends can distort children and young people’s understanding of mental health.

Aimed at parent and educators, it offers clear, expert-led strategies to counter misinformation. The guide looks at topics such as encouraging open conversations, identifying reliable sources, and strengthening school–home collaboration. Use this information to build young people’s critical thinking, resilience and confidence in seeking appropriate professional help when needed.

We’re excited to introduce our six brand‑new Houses at KEVI HWGA — each one inspired by a world‑changer who represents the values we demonstrate every day. 💙💛❤️💚🖤💜

Attenborough – Curiosity leads to discovery 🌍

Mandela – Courage in every action, integrity in every choice ✊

Nightingale – Care is the heart of every community 🕊️

Seacole – Healing hands, helping hearts 💐

Grey-Thompson – Resilience turns obstacles into achievements 🏅

Yousafzai – Knowledge empowers; courage inspires ✨

These banners represent who we are, what we stand for, and the futures we’re building together!

Which house do you represent?

Please find attached details of a community talk about the fantastic trees in Handsworth Wood and the current issues affecting them. The event will take place on Saturday 31st January, 2–4pm, at the Sons of Rest in Handsworth Park.

The talk will explore important local trees across the ward, including those on Woodland Playing Fields, where some trees are now believed to have origins in ancient woodland. This site is currently under threat of redevelopment, with a potential loss of up to 75% of its natural grass.

The session will be led by the Chair of Birmingham Tree People, and everyone is warmly encouraged to attend.

Kick off a new adventure! The Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre (BMEC) has teamed up with West Bromwich Albion’s The Albion Foundation and Roper Hall Eye Foundation to bring you an incredible opportunity!

Partnering with Your City & Metropolitan Hospitals Charity, join our free 12 week sports program designed to support young people living within Sandwell and West Birmingham, particularly those with visual impairments. Starting from January 2025, you’ll get to train with The Albion Foundation’s specialist sports coaches, meet new friends, and build your confidence—all while staying active.

Your family can get involved too, and every participant gets a free branded kit, medals, and a certificate. The program wraps up with a special awards event and a stadium tour at The Hawthorns!

Our programme is designed to take referrals, so ask your BMEC clinician, school or parent (particularly if under age 18) to sign up here and enrol you.

With less than 30 spots left, sign up now to secure your place! For more information contact:

Richard Henderson

Disability Sport Coordinator

The Albion Foundation

richard.henderson@albionfoundation.co.uk

07587949752

Or

Josephine Frater

Your City & Metropolitan Hospitals Charity

Josephine.frater@nhs.net

07483487800

Please have a look at this helpful guide from Internet Matters that introduces an easy, layered approach to supporting your child online. It breaks safety settings into three clear steps—your home network, your child’s device, and the apps they use—so you can add the right level of support as they grow.

It’s a quick, practical read designed to help families build confidence with online safety, one small step at a time.

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.

• 4th Feb – Y9 Pathways Evening
• 6th Feb – Dress up for Digits – NSPCC Number Day
• 9th Feb – Y9 Pathways Taster Day
• 9th Feb – Chai and Chat
• Term ends: Friday 13th February

• 4th Feb – 6888 Pull Together Day – KEVI Northfield School for Girls
• 4th Feb – Y9 Pathways Evening
• 5th Feb – KS5 Trip to Cadbury World
• 5th Feb – Brilliant Club Graduation Event
• 6th Feb – Dress up for Digits – NSPCC Number Day
• 9th Feb – Y9 Pathways Taster Day
• 9th Feb – Y9 Physics Big Quiz UOB
• 9th Feb- Chai and Chat
• 10th Feb – STEM Women Apprenticeship Careers Event

Please see information about how young people and families can access support for mental health through Pause. There is also information about events and workshops that are available.

Here are some practical tips to help stay grounded and healthy for teens:

1. Prioritise Sleep   8–10 hours of sleep each night. A consistent bedtime and reduced screen time before bed can dramatically improve mood, focus, and energy.
2. Move Your Body   Regular physical activity—whether it’s dancing, walking, or team sports-releases endorphins that boost mood and reduce stress.
3. Eat Smart   A balanced diet rich in fruits, veggies, and Omega-3s supports brain function and emotional wellbeing. Skip the ultra-processed snacks when possible.
4. Talk It Out   Open communication with trusted adults or friends helps feel heard and supported. Listening without judgment is key.
5. Practice Mindfulness  Simple techniques like deep breathing, journaling, or yoga can help manage anxiety and build emotional resilience.
6. Build Positive Connections   Strong friendships and supportive relationships are vital. Join clubs or groups that align with your interests.
7. Manage Screen Time -Set boundaries that work for you-
   1. Create a daily screen schedule that includes breaks
   2. Use timers or app limits to avoid endless scrolling
   3. Keep screens out of bedrooms to protect sleep
8. Know When to Ask for Help   Mental health matters. If a you feel overwhelmed, support is available—whether through school counsellors, helplines, or trusted adult

Sleep Matters – Tips

• A consistent bedtime—even on weekends
• A wind-down routine (no phones 30 minutes before bed)
• A cool, quiet sleep environment

• Keep windows closed during high pollen days
• Shower and change clothes after being outdoors
• Use antihistamines as advised by a GP or pharmacist

• Drink 6–8 glasses of water daily
• Eat fibre-rich foods (whole grains, fruits, veg)
• Stay active to support gut health

• Practice breathing exercises or mindfulness
• Break tasks into manageable chunks
• Reach out to a trusted adult or school nurse

• Gentle cleansing twice daily
• Avoiding harsh scrubs or picking at skin
• Seeking medical advice for persistent or painful acne

• School nurses can advise on immunisation schedules
• Any health concerns can be raised with the school nurse/First Aid team.

Advice to Parents – School Age Immunisation Service has been published by the NHS to help you to understand the immunisations your daughter will be offered at school.

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.

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?

✓ Model the belief that you are resilient by not giving up.

✓ Talk about situations that may arise that require you to be resilient.

✓ Don’t be too quick to solve their problems. Remember that making mistakes is all part of the learning process. Reflecting on something that went wrong and talking through how they might do it differently next time helps to build resilience.

✓ Recognising and rewarding your child when they do suffer setbacks is crucial to developing resilience. Sometimes we hang back with our congratulations until our child has completed something successfully. Being vigilant of the steps they have taken along the way is just as vital to building up this skill.

✓ Try to model optimism – crucial for resilience.

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.

• 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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