Message from the Head Teacher

As the academic year started all students were issued with their new ties in their relevant
House colours. Already a number of House focused activities have taken place as you will
see from this months newsletter. By creating an ethos of competition and identification with a
House, our students are developing their abilities both academic and as positive community
members.
Our Core Values of Participation, Achievement, Citizenship, Endeavour and Responsibility
(PACER) are central to all that we do. They provide a benchmark against which students can
make the right decisions and commit fully to accelerating their progress.
Our improvement journey continues, with our new approach to Home Learning and student
progress flight paths. We look forward to a positive year and the work ahead.
Ms C ODriscoll, Head Teacher
Welcome to the following members of staff who have joined us
this term:

Miss A Turnbull Skills School Director
Mr R Thompson Coordinator of DT Mrs Akhtar
September
2014
Success through Challenge, Support and Partnership
Kingsbury School and Sports College, Kingsbury Road, Erdington,
Birmingham, B24 8RE
Phone: 0121 373 1080 Fax: 0121 306 4878
Web: www.kingsbury.bham.sch.uk E-mail: enquiry@kingsbury.bham.sch.uk t: @KingsburySSC
Dates for your diary
Thursday 9th October Parent Forum

Thursday 16th October Black History Celebration

Mon 27th-Fri 31st October Half term






This years summer school for our new Year 7 students was
based around the theme of super heroes past and present.
In week one over 100 students were involved in a range of
settling in activities to encourage them to make new friends
and to combat any anxiety around transition from Primary to
Secondary school.
We also held a programme for children who had just left
Year 5; they worked with a film producer from Round
Midnight Creative Arts to make their own film to support
transition. During the second week, all the Year 7 students
were involved in a Performing Arts School and chose
options such as Dance, Music, Drama, Sport and Art. They
were supported by 16 of our older students who did a
fantastic job and worked very hard. The event concluded
with a fantastic performance in front of parents, where
students showcased the work done in Summer school - the
standard of which was very high. Mrs Sanders
Summer School 2014

Message from the Chair of Governors
Welcome to the new school year at Kingsbury. The Governors are looking forward to working with
staff to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of our students. There have been significant and
exciting changes already implemented, designed to improve the full educational experience on
offer and we hope that the coming year proves exhilarating and successful for all. Parents and
carers are key partners in our continued drive for improvement and we would welcome your
involvement. Please support Parent Forum and if you would like to join the governing body, we
would love to hear from you. Good luck everybody ! Merrill Atack

This newsletter is also available online at www.kingsbury.bham.sch.uk. If you would like to
receive newsletters by email in future please email: enquiry@kingsbury.bham.sch.uk with
Newsletter in the subject header.
Success through Challenge, Support and Partnership
Well done Reece!

At Kingsbury we have a lot to be proud of; not least Year 11 student Reece
Kerr who completed an amazing challenge by cycling over 140 miles to raise
money for disadvantaged young people.
Reece was part of a team from local social enterprise Gear-Up who cycled the
first leg of Le Tour de France in Yorkshire to raise money. Funds raised will
support Gear-Ups use of cycling to support young people through rides,
mechanics, work experience, training and employment. Funds will also go to
Worth Unlimited which provides youth and community projects in and around
Hodge Hill.
Reece and his team
mates spent the weekend
of 13
th
September cycling
from the Tours 2014
Grand Depart in Leeds, to
Harrogate. Despite
aching limbs Reece was
at school on time on
Monday and keen to thank all the staff and other students
at Kingsbury who helped him raised over 200!
It was a great experience; I built my fitness, teamwork
skills and got a real sense of achievement. said Reece,
who modestly mentioned that he came first on the first
day.
Not content with this achievement, Reece tells us that
next year he is planning to cycle from London to France
on another fundraising venture! Reece also volunteers in the cycle shop and repair centre at Gear-Up in his
spare time, which also helps his own employability skills. Reece you are an inspiration and a credit to
Kingsbury, you exemplify the Kingsbury values of PACER and we are very proud of you. Mrs Sanders
Kingsbury voices

KSSC students made sure their views were heard by Birminghams education decision makers when a group
visited the citys historic Council Chamber to participate in an education themed debate, organised by the
Council and representatives of the Birmingham Youth Parliament. Students debated motions including:
Schools care more about OFSTED than students learning
Faith schools are irrelevant in a multicultural city
Schools equip young people for adult life
Political education should be a compulsory subject
The topics were devised to reflect concerns young people have with the current education system, and all
were debated widely amongst the audience, with
many strong arguments and counter arguments.
Their contributions were listened to intently by the
Councils Cabinet Members and Executives, jointly
responsible for education strategy in the city. The
students shared their personal views openly and hon-
estly, showing confidence and giving articulate an-
swers in front of 100 other students from across
schools in Birmingham.
Ms ODriscoll received a letter from the Council
House praising the outstanding quality of debate and
commitment of our students and saying they were a
credit to the city. Miss Walters

Pictured: Jay Williams, Anna Samba, Fatima Sajid,
Cherrie Hayes, Ellen Ratcliffe, Deanne Cope and
Jack Izon

Year 7 take the bull by the horns

Year 7 had a positive start to the new academic year,
spending their first morning working with Year 11 on a team
building exercise with a difference.
Students were set the challenge of creating a replica of the
Bullring bull, using only newspaper and sellotape. Thanks to a
donation from Trinity Mirror Printing, there were plenty to go
round and much fun was had by all, with older students
supporting the 11 year olds to create versions of all shapes
and sizes.
The winner would be the most realistic bull chosen by Ms
ODriscoll. It was too close to call, and joint winners Tolkein
and Ravenhill Houses were duly announced, with prizes of
chocolates and House points awarded to the winning form
groups. Students thoroughly enjoyed the new start to the
school year:
It was exciting because we had such limited resources, and had to think as a team and problem solve. I
think it helped Year 7 students to settle in and feel more comfortable. commented Year 11 student
Precious Iriabe. Year 7s Jack Robinson agreed: The Year 11 students helped us make the bull, adding
bits and helping us make our ideas better. I learned that this is a hardworking school, but fun aswell.
The event was a great success; it fits with our core values as a school, and helped Year 7 settle in and
gave older students the opportunity to use their leadership and teamwork skills. Mr Halstead

Pictured: Members of the two winning Forms Shannon Whyte and Jack Robinson from Y1 and Jade
Downes and Precious Iriabe from G6.
Success through Challenge, Support and Partnership
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Make the most of your opportunities says alumna Paulina

Former KSSC student Paulina Walicka certainly knows a thing or two about overcoming obstacles, after
adding the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to her list of achievements.
Paulina, an Oral Health Science undergraduate at the University of Dundee, juggled her studies with cake
sales, raffles and sponsored events, including holding a tarantula and a baby alligator at her local zoo to
raise over 2,000 to complete her trek and support a school in Tanzania. This was a real challenge for me
as I have (had) arachnophobia. said Paulina But I was determined to meet my fundraising deadline and
was prepared to do anything and it definitely paid off. Paulina visited the school with charity Childreach
International and was shocked to learn that children were expected to bring two logs of wood to school
each day so that lunches could be cooked. Part of the renovations provided by the project were new
stoves, thus removing this burden from the youngsters.
The mountain ascent took Paulina several days, battling exhaustion and altitude sickness, to reach the
peak at 5,895 above sea level. There were times I thought I wouldnt make it, however, our guides
motivated and took care of us; they were our superheroes during the climb! she said.
Reaching the peak changed me it proves if you push yourself, you can do anything. When I left
Kingsbury in 2011, one of the teachers told me to make the most of my opportunities, and this really stuck
with me. The expedition made me realise how lucky I am and no matter how bad we think things are, there
is always someone worse off who still manages to get through the day with a smile on their face. My
advice to all the current students is the
same as I was given: Make the most of
opportunities, and anything is possible if
you work hard and set your mind to it.
Paulina only arrived in the UK at age
12, and could not speak any English.
With her hard work and perseverance,
her English rapidly became fluent and
she had lots of success with her
GCSEs. She has continued with this
sense of determination; well done
Paulina, we are very proud of you and
we were delighted to make a
contribution to your worthy cause.
Miss Walters

Success through Challenge, Support and Partnership
This newsletter is also available online at www.kingsbury.bham.sch.uk. If you would like
to receive newsletters by email in future please email: enquiry@kingsbury.bham.sch.uk with
Newsletter in the subject header.
Ice Bucket Challenge

KSSC staff got a soaking recently at the Kingsbury Ice Bucket Challenge! Several brave members of staff
agreed to be nominated by colleagues who paid 5 per bucket to see their workmate get a drenching to
raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease charities.
Students enthusiastically helped out with throwing the buckets of freezing cold water over their teachers,
with the winner being Mr Barton with 7 buckets. A total of 200 was raised on the day.
Students will have the opportunity to raise more funds as well as developing their skills in the forthcoming
Headteachers Ice Bucket Challenge. The student who submits the most convincing and creative
application for the job of wielding the bucket gets to soak Ms ODriscoll!
This event showed school can be fun. It was fantastic to see so many students and staff together
supporting such a worthwhile cause. The money we raised is testament to what we can achieve if we all
work together. Mr Barton
I unwillingly took part in the KSSC Ice Bucket Challenge and came away soaked, but with a sense of
achievement. So remember this my fellow KSSC staff and students: Challenge yourself with something you
know you could never do, and what you'll find is that you can overcome anything in life in order to be
successful. What challenges have you set yourself this new school year? Mr Clarke

Miss Masters