Newsletter Easter Edion 2015: Issue 17 Improvements recognised and special measures removed at Willenhall E-ACT Academy Ofsted inspectors recognise substanal improvements and officially remove special measures during recent inspecon, represenng a significant step on our journey of rapid progress. “Senior Leaders, including governors and trustees, have a compelling vision for the Academy that is shared by all staff. Leaders have high expectaons for all students.” (Ofsted, 2015).
Transcript
Newsletter Easter Edition
2015: Issue 17
Improvements recognised and special
measures removed at
Willenhall E-ACT Academy Ofsted inspectors recognise substantial improvements and officially remove
special measures during recent inspection, representing a significant step
on our journey of rapid progress.
“Senior Leaders, including governors and trustees, have a compelling vision
for the Academy that is shared by all staff. Leaders have high expectations
for all students.” (Ofsted, 2015).
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Welcome to the Easter edition of the newsletter. The last few weeks have been very eventful as the Academy continues on its journey to becoming outstanding ! During the last few weeks we have had our last visit from Ofsted. I can now share with you that Willenhall E-ACT Academy has had Special Measures status removed. This news follows four positive visits from HMI over the last eighteen months which have all occurred since my appointment in 2013. In the report, which has now been published and is on our website, the following comments were made by Ofsted: ‘Improvements in teaching, assessment tracking and behaviour management have led to considerable improvements in progress for current students. ‘(Ofsted, 2015). ‘Behaviour in the Academy has improved over the last year because leaders have introduced stricter rules that are more consistently enforced… students are considerate, polite, friendly and cheerful. "(Ofsted, 2015). ‘Senior Leaders, including governors and trustees, have a compelling vision for the Academy that is shared by all staff. Leaders have high expectations for all students.’ (Ofsted, 2015) Another section of the Ofsted report stated that the Academy’s provision of careers education and guidance was a strength. A new element of this programme was our recent Careers Fair. This was a great success with over 30 employers and training providers attending. Our students reported that the Fair helped them to consider what possible careers they may follow. More exciting news this term includes Willenhall E-ACT Academy being invited by Douglas Hansen- Luke, Prospective MP for Walsall North, to attend an event at No 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister David Cameron and Nicky Morgan - Secretary of State for Education. The event was organised by Mr Cameron to thank schools and academies for their inspirational work with students in raising aspirations and making a positive difference to their future prospects. The event was attended by Mrs Haines, our Assistant Head Post 16.
World Book Day was a real success at Willenhall this year. All students were encouraged to bring in and share their favourite book to celebrate the joy of reading. Staff also celebrated the day by dressing up as their favourite book characters. This was part of the Academy’s focus on developing literacy for all our students. We continue our drive to ensure Year 11 and 13 students achieve the best possible preparation for their final examinations. To this end extra sessions will be provided and will take place in the Easter holidays to accelerate student progress in this very important period. All students and parents have been notified of these arrangements and it is vital that students attend. On Friday the 13th of March, Willenhall E-ACT Academy staff showed they were game for a laugh when they agreed to have cold wet sponges thrown at them for Comic Relief. All proceeds of "Soak the Teacher" were added to money raised throughout the day resulting in the Academy raising over £800 for the charity. This was a fantastic effort from everyone involved and celebrates our community spirit at Willenhall. As we go to press we are about to see the Academy production of Fame. Over 40 students have committed considerable hours over the past months to ensure that this production is as professional as possible. I am sure that this will see the first stage appearance of future West-End stars! As always, thank you for your continued support. May I wish you and your families a happy and peaceful Easter.
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The 19th March was a scene more reminiscent of the January
sales as the doors were flung open and the 'customers'
bustled in! What was happening, one might ask! The Sports
Hall at Willenhall E-ACT Academy had morphed into a series of
shopping malls with students from all year groups
enthusiastically seeking out information, guidance and advice
on a variety of careers.
Students and Parents came to be inspired by more than
twenty five stalls that included Birmingham City University,
the Royal Navy and University of Wolverhampton to name
just a few. The professionals were happy to talk about their
own careers and experiences in the hope of inspiring others.
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Ms Haines, Assistant Head of Post 16, was invited by
Douglas Hansen- Luke, Prospective MP for Walsall
North, to attend an event at No 10 Downing Street
with the Prime Minister David Cameron and Nicky
Morgan the Secretary of State for Education.
The event was organised by Mr Cameron to thank
people working within education for their
inspirational work with students which helps them to
raise their aspirations and make a difference to their
future prospects. It was a privilege to be invited to
attend and David Cameron and Nicky Morgan were
keen to listen about what we do at the Academy to
make these differences.
This recognition for Ms Haines was due to the
participation of Post 16 students from Willenhall
E-ACT Academy, in conjunction with Douglas Hansen-
Luke, in the Walsall Vision Exchange. This programme
supports students in the area by helping them to gain
An experience of the working world whilst providing
trips and guest speakers. The programme offers the
participants a wide range of unique opportunities to
help the students gain an awareness of life after
school but also to encourage ideas and career paths
that they might not even have been aware of
themselves.
Ms Haines said “It was a great honour to meet Mr
Cameron.”
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Comic Relief Raised
over £800
On Friday the 13th, Willenhall E-ACT Academy
staff showed they were game for a laugh when
they agreed to have cold wet sponges thrown at
them for Comic Relief by the students. Proceeds
of the “Soak the Teacher” were added to money
raised through Samosa sales and a ‘wear
something red’ day resulting in the Academy
collecting over £800 for the charity which raises
money for projects both at home and abroad. A
very worthwhile cause. Our students will really
be able to make a difference to others lives.
Post 16 Student in Semi Final of Miss Teen
Post 16 students attended Walsall Academy to take part
in the Vision Exchange Programme organised by Douglas
Hansen-Luke Prospective MP for Walsall North.
The event included various talks from inspirational guest
speakers as they shared their experiences about their
career life and
pathways
available, as
well as to gain
insights into
opportunities
after school
life.
Willenhall E-ACT student, Katrina Kaur, has won a place
in the semi-final of Miss Teen Great Britain 2015.
Katrina from Walsall has beaten off competition from
across Great Britain to be named as one of the semi-
finalists.
Katrina says, “I am so happy to have made it to the
semi-final, it is a great honour to represent Walsall”.
Teenagers from across Great Britain will compete for
the crown in a spectacular grand finale. The winner of
Miss Teen Great Britain will walk away with some
incredible prizes, including £500!
The finals of Miss Teen Great Britain will be packed
with fun events and activities. The grand finalists will all
take part in photo-shoots, enjoy the first beauty queen
challenge day, go to a pyjama diva
party and compete for the title
Miss Teen Great Britain!
The grand finale will be held in
2015 at The Globe in Blackpool.
Good Luck Katrina!
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Work Experience just the
start for Adam
Since September 2013, Year 13 student Adam Aston
Moss has been doing work experience at a local fire
station in Aldridge. His aim is to one day gain
employment with the West Midlands Fire Service.
Adam said, “I have been doing my (YFA) course which
will teach me the basic skills for what I need to
become a fire-fighter one day. It is a job I would love
to do”.
Adam completes his studies this summer and will
move onto the University of Wolverhampton where
he will study a BSc (Hons) in Fire and Rescue.
“All in all I am very proud of what I have achieved so
far in my life. I have enjoyed my life here at Willenhall
E-ACT Academy and will always be grateful to all of
the staff that have supported and believed in
me.” (Adam Aston Moss). We wish Adam every
success for his future.
On the 5th March, students from Years 7-11
were selected to attend a workshop
session with James Tibble (ex Navy) from
the company Commando Joe.
Willenhall is working with Commando Joe
to provide support for students whilst
promoting high standards and
expectations. The scheme is designed to
increase communication skills and self-
confidence and really encourages students
to work as a team to problem solve.
The Commando Joe programme nationally
has a proven track record in improving
attendance, behaviour and ultimately
attainment.
We look forward to working with James
and providing you with further updates.
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Recently, Willenhall E-ACT Academy organised a series
of STEM workshops for students. The various
workshops and activities were designed to challenge
the students and assist them in learning.
What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths education. Willenhall is
focusing on these areas together not only because the
skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for
student success, but also because these fields are
deeply intertwined in the real world and in how
students learn most effectively.
Participating students had to work together in teams as
well as utilize communication skills in order to
complete various tasks. The Year 7 students also
attended a trip to the University of Birmingham where
the focus was to engage students into the world of
Science.
“We had a really good day.” Year 7 Student.
“Science is fun.” Year 7 Student.
Science
Technology
Engineering
Maths
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Young Musicians
hit the right notes
The regions finest young musicians and singers
competed to reach the District Final of the Rotary
Young Musicians competition at the Wolverhampton
Music School.
The entrants to the competition came from as far as
Ellesmere and Wem in North Shropshire, Blythe
Bridge, Leek and Stoke on Trent in North
Staffordshire, Dudley, Aldridge as well as the
Wolverhampton and Willenhall areas.
The adjudicating panel comprised Simon Platford,
himself a previous finalist in the Classic FM Music
teacher of the Year competition and Musical Director
of the Jackfield (Elcock Reisen) Brass Band, and
Jeremy Hobbs, Chairman of the Wolverhampton
Musical Comedy Company. They were joined by Jean
Martyn, the well-known local organist and keyboard
performer, who reached the finals of TV’s ’Britain’s
Got Talent’ in 2011.
Three students from Willenhall E-ACT Academy, Year
9 student Mollie Kruczek and Year 10 student’s James
Thomas and Dennis Gjonbalaj entered the ‘Rotary
Club Music Competition’. The three students did very
well and were up against some really tough
competition. Sadly, Mollie, James and Dennis didn’t
make it through to the finals. However, they all
received fantastic feedback from the judges.
One of the judges - Jean Martyn from 'Britain’s Got
Talent' fame was particularly taken with Dennis and
insistent she would follow him on YouTube saying he
would have earned second place in the competition if
there had have been one.
Mollie Kruczek from Year 9 said “It was an amazing
experience and the feedback I received will help me in
the future”.
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On the 5th March, Year 8 pupils attended the GTC
Training and Conference Centre. The event, which has
been running for three years, supports schools in the
Black Country.
The event ‘Your Future, Your Choice’ targets students
from years 8 and 9, ahead of their choice of examination
subjects. Throughout the day, Year 8 pupils received
impartial help, advice and support about their future jobs
and careers. However, it was also an excellent
opportunity for pupils to get involved with interactive
activities run by local businesses, grouped into zones
relating to key business sectors.
During the day, the pupils got;
An insight into the world of work.
An opportunity to engage in industry related tasks
to help them understand how relevant their
subjects are in the real world.
The opportunity to speak to ‘real’ business people
about real careers.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative day!
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Willenhall E-ACT Academy made the decision this year to
take National ‘World Book Day’ to the next level.
Students and staff were invited to participate in lots of
events, activities and competitions including the guess
the character that Mr Ashley was dressed as.
Answer: Lenny from Mice and Men.
On ‘World Book Day’ itself teachers enthusiastically took
part in dressing up as their favourite book characters
and the students enjoyed guessing their teachers fancy
dress costumes. Some of the characters that staff
dressed up as varied from ‘Where’s Wally’ to ‘Harry
Potter.’
World Book Day is one of the most important and
popular events in the Academy’s academic calendar.
Reading has an impact on everyone’s ability to learn in
their subjects and it is a crucial part of the curriculum
here at Willenhall E-ACT Academy.
Both Staff and Students made the day a real success!
World Book Day
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On Friday 13th March, the Animal Man (Pete) paid a
visit to Willenhall E-ACT Academy. Throughout the day,
students got to see some of his weird and wonderful
creatures!
Students got the chance to meet (and touch) a snake,
an owl, a chinchilla and even (for those who were
brave enough) a tarantula!
Pete told students how each creature had adapted to
their habitat and what they do to survive in the wild.
Students even got the chance to watch the owl fly from
its perch.
This was great opportunity for students as animals
provide a number of educational benefits, including
opportunities for detailed observation and
investigation of animal behaviour, life cycles, structure
and function, and growth, and this leads to an
appreciation of the needs of animals.
We were also
delighted to be
joined by Year 4
students from
Short Heath
Junior School
who were able
to share the
experience.
Science Week at Willenhall E-ACT Academy went down
with a bang! Pupils from across all years came
together to celebrate what makes Science great.
Pupils got involved with different activities and
experiments that took place throughout the week such
“It was awesome. I now see Science differently.” (Year
7 pupil.)
“These few days have been great!” (Year 9 pupil.)
Some students were also given the opportunity to
attend the Big Bang Fair at the NEC. Joined by Year 5
students from County Bridge, this was another
opportunity to explore Science in a unique setting.
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On a cold and windy Monday morning, Geography AS
level students got straight down to work as they made
their way to Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to carry
out essential fieldwork.
Despite the weather, Year 12 students collected data
for their investigation to find out how river channel
characteristics affect each other.
Students were looking for effects in the river channel
such as; Discharge, Depth, Width, Bedload Size,
Gradient, Bedload Roundess, Wetter Perimeter,
Hydraulic Radius and Cross- Sectional Area.
The trip proved very successful for Connor Ingram,
Callum Doughty, Chantelle White and Jordan Wilkes
who retrieved a wealth of data to support their
research project.
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Ms Fairburn
(Vice Principal)
Birthplace
Newcastle Upon Tyne (I’m secretly a Geordie/
Northerner with a southern accent!)
Early childhood memories
Running into my house as a nine year old asking if
I could stay out longer; my bike was run over by a
neighbour’s car!
What did you enjoy most at school and why?
I loved my English lessons. My teacher, Mr Lloyd,
who looked like John Thaw (Inspector Morse) was
inspirational. He used to make my lessons so
enjoyable and he is the reason why I became an
English teacher.
What did you enjoy least at school?
At infant school I was forced to eat spaghetti
hoops followed by rhubarb and custard. I was
almost sick. I got told off as I tried to chuck it
under the table…Oops!
Who is your lifetime hero and why?
I’m not sure I have a life time hero; there are
many people I admire though. Katie Piper is an
extremely inspirational woman who has
overcome the most horrific acid attack. I
admire the fact that even though she has
endured so much pain, she still has the
strength of character to support others who
are in similar positions to her and never gives
up.
Which football team do you support?
(Newcastle United from a distance)
What do you do in your spare time?
I have very little spare time as I love my job so
much! However all of my spare time is spent with
my beautiful boys, Oliver, aged 10 and Louis, aged
6. My boys are so much fun to be around. We love
going swimming together, diving, having races and
generally splashing around!
What is the best bit of working at Willenhall
E-ACT Academy?
I really enjoy working with the students at
Willenhall: they are so open to learning and I love
the thought that they are going to achieve
excellent results because they realise how
important it is to have the best life chances.
What is your one tip for success for students at
Willenhall?
Always try to be the best you can be. We are all
different and all have various strengths and areas
to develop however if you work hard, focus and
never give up, you will always know you have
done your best.
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Willenhall Leisure and Community News! INSANITY at Willenhall!
INSANITY is a revolutionary cardio-based total body
conditioning program based on the principles of MAX Interval
Training. By using MAX Interval Training, INSANITY pushes the
participant to new training heights, resulting in more calories
burned, faster results, and a more efficient metabolism.
INSANITY’s interval training is the pinnacle of cardio training.
Burn up to 1,000 calories in just 1 session!
Only £4 a session for non members and £2.60 for class
members and concessions.
Call on 01902 633070 to book your place.
COMMUNITY SWIMMING LESSONS
Enrol your child on one of our swimming lessons! It’s a great way to build your child’s confidence in
the water. We currently run swimming lessons for children aged 3 years and above on Monday,
Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These lessons are 30 minutes long and costs just £2.60 per lesson!!!
For further information please call Louise on 01902 633070.
Children’s School Holiday Activities
Our Children holiday camps have been going from strength to
strength and are proving to be very popular with not only the
children that attended but also the parents.
The last play scheme we ran was February half term where the
children took part in science experiment's, fun maths cube
special, multi sports and much more.
On the Friday we took the children to Wolf Mountain where the
children took part in rock climbing, mountain biking, team building
activities and archery.
Below are a few comments from the children and parents who
gave their feedback.
“ I have loved everything about the whole play scheme.” (Callum
aged 10).
“The price is excellent value for money and the staff were all
brilliant I would love my child to attend again as the activities were
excellent!” (Happy Mom).
“My son has had a fab time over the first 2 days! Looking forward
to Wolf Mountain today!” (Happy child, happy mom:))
Watch this space for more news on our upcoming play schemes.
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2015 Leisure Classes
Have a look and see what leisure classes we have to offer at Willenhall E-ACT Academy. All
our classes welcome beginners and we always pleased to see a new face in the class.
Day Class Time Price
Monday Kettle Krazy Workout
A kettlebell class will supercharge your fitness and melt
your unwanted fat. A combination of a variety of
exercises using different weighted kettlebells to help
aid weight loss and tone.
8-9 pm
FREE
Tuesday Zumba
Come & try this high energy, fun, Latin based,
calorie burning cardio workout!
7-8 pm
£3.50
Tuesday Lane Swimming
Come along to lane swim and choose from slow,
medium or fast lanes. Whatever your age or fitness
level, lane swimming in our dedicated lane swimming
session is the ideal way to keep in shape, keep fit and
stay healthy.
7:30-
9:00 pm
£3.50
Wednesday Adult Swim
Learn to swim or improve technique with our fully
qualified and highly experienced swimming teacher
Chris. Can already swim? Then you can still come along
and have a leisurely swim - great way to meet new
people.
7-8 pm
£3.50
Thursday Step & Tone
Step, aerobics and body toning combined to make a
total body workout.
6-7 pm
£3.50
Friday Women only Swim
Dedicated women only swimming session.
6-7pm
£3.50
Sunday Women only Swim
Dedicated women only swimming session.
12-1pm
£3.50
For more information please call 01902 633070.
For information on our fitness suite tariffs please get in touch for more
information on how to join. No contracts, memberships start from £11.50 per month!
New Swimming Pool
Changing Rooms - An
Update
We are delighted to announce that the
long awaited changing room project
here at Willenhall E-ACT Academy is
back on track after some unforeseen
delays. Working in partnership with
Walsall Council, Willenhall have secured
£100,000 funding from Sport England's
Inspired Facilities Fund to build new
Swimming Pool specific changing rooms
leading directly on to poolside. The
council is contributing £75,000 towards
the scheme, with a further £50,000
from Cory Environmental Trust.
The project will see new changing
rooms built that will be separate from
those currently used, they will enable
the pool to be opened up to the public
during the day when it is not being used
by the pupils, and will provide a better
experience to those already using the
pool in the evenings and at the
weekend.
We hope to have appointed a
contractor to build the changing rooms
by April, the work should begin in May
and we hope to open the new facility to
the public by September. Watch this
space for more information and
pictures once the build begins.
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Willenhall E-ACT Academy Contact Information Postal address: Willenhall E-ACT Academy Furzebank Way Willenhall WV124BD Email us on: [email protected] Visit our website: [email protected]
Telephone: 01902 368221
Social Media Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WillenhallEACTAcademy Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WillenhallEACT
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