NBA Newsletter - Feb 2011 - North Birmingham Academy

Message from the Principal
Welcome to our first
Academy newsletter of
2011. In the pages that
follow, you will find details
about all the exciting things
that have been happening
around the Academy. We
would also like to take this
opportunity to tell you about
some of the fantastic
initiatives and events we
have coming up in the next
few months and beyond.
Highlights include the
launch of our English
Department’s innovative
Literacy project which is
designed to enhance and
develop the vocabulary and
literacy levels of all students
which will impact on their
performance across all
subjects. In addition to this,
we are delighted to report
back positively on the early
GCSE Maths results some
of our budding
mathematicians achieved
last term. You will find more
details about these and
other success stories inside
this newsletter.
Thank you for your
continued support, as we
look forward to another
hard-working, successful
and exciting term.
Mrs. K.L. Popratnjak
Principal
STOP PRESS...NBA students impress MP
On a recent visit to NBA Jack Dromey MP, Labour MP
for Birmingham,
Erdington
praised the
Academy’s
GCSE and A
level results and
the significant
achievements
made within one
year of opening.
...NBA transition programme
Friday March 18 will see all Year 6s who will be
joining the Academy this September visit the
Academy for our annual Friendship Day. This is an
opportunity to meet children from other local schools,
form new friendships and become familiar with the
Academy and staff before the Induction Day which
takes place in the summer term.
RAISING ASPIRATIONS
Our annual Raising Aspirations Day
saw representatives from a broad
range of companies and
organisations visit the Academy
including, Pinsent Masons LLP, the
Great Barr Observer, the Royal
Navy, Radshape, Made, Willmot
Dixon and many more. The visitors
shared their expert knowledge with
our Year 9 students and gave them
advice about launching their careers
and making the right
subject choices for their
futures.
Students were inspired to
‘think differently’ about
future job opportunities
and in their aspirations to
succeed. The event was
a great opportunity for
Year 9s to find out about
the various career options
available to them,
what working life is
like and what
subjects they need to
study in order to
succeed in their
career of choice.
A big thank you to all
of our visitors and we
look forward to
seeing you again next
year.

FOCUS ON ENGLISH
TECHNO-
LIBRARY
Following a recent audit
of student
requirements, there
was a clear request for
more use of ICT to
encourage reading
across the whole
Academy. To this end,
we have purchased
three Kindle E readers
and Year 11
students (at first) will be
LITERARY
SPECIALISTS
The Academy is
currently recruiting
students in Years 9 and
10 to become 'Literacy
Specialists'. These
students will expand
their own understanding
of Literacy and then
able to borrow these
exciting resources to
take home and read at
their leisure. The
students have also
requested the range of
books they would like
downloaded, as well as
a selection of key
revision material, which
will all be available
soon.
As an extra support to
students who find
plan and resource
activities be used in a
lesson.
Once these resources
are complete, teaching
staff will be able to book
a Literacy to come to
their lesson at an
agreed time to shares
their expertise.
reading challenging,
some of the
downloaded novels
feature a Text to
Speech feature which
'reads' the text to you
as you follow the words
on screen. If the trial is
successful, then more
Kindles will be
purchased and
the opportunity to
borrow them will be
rolled out to all year
groups.
STORY BOOK
Year 7 have been
working with Miss
Hopkins writing
stories which will be
published in a North
Birmingham Academy
Year 7 story book
later this year.
CONTROLLED ASSESSMENT
Year 10 English have produced some
excellent work in English lessons.
Students have been awarded the
highest band for speaking and
listening and the creative writing
element of their controlled assessment
BOOSTER SESSIONS
Year 11 booster sessions will be taking
place for selected C/D borderline
students and F/G grade students.
Students will receive letters inviting
them to attend. All students who
attend all of these sessions will receive
a reward for their continued hard work
and progress.
INNOVATIVE LITERACY
PROGRAMME
Our specialism in English continues to be a
priority for the Academy and this half term has
seen a focus on improving vocabulary and
challenging students to increase their reading.
As part of this, the English Department have
developed an innovative rolling programme of
key words and challenging vocabulary which are
displayed prominently on television screens
throughout the Academy. These words have
been carefully selected to develop students’
spoken vocabulary and also their written
responses in exams and assessments. Staff are
also being asked to get involved. If the whole
Academy community uses thoughtful, mature
and analytical language, then students will see
an increase in their performance across all
subject areas.
As part of this initiative, the new Academy
website now features lots of information for
parents on how they can support their children
with their literacy.
ALIEN INVASION!
Dreadlock Alien visited NBA in February and helped show the
power, the passion and the fun of poetry to selected pupils in
year 7 and 8.
The day started with a poem challenge with the pupils thinking
up words for Dreadlock Alien to incorporate into a free styled
poem that also included the names of every pupil involved.
Students were entertained by stories and modern rhymes from
the internationally respected poet on topics from school and
childhood to sports stars. The fast delivery style and wide range
of topics helped students to see that poetry does not necessarily
mean sonnets or love poetry but an expression of their lives
and their experiences.
Students worked at a fantastic pace when they were
writing their own poetry and were using their new found
confidence to try using
poetic devices in their
own work. Their work
reflected the expert's
and the topics of the
students' work included
England's failure at the
recent world cup, pain,
fashion labels and
emotional pain.

THE RICH TAPESTRY OF ACADEMY LIFE
EVERY CHILD MATTERS
Within a culture of high
expectations, NBA nurtures and
develops the individual gifts, talents
and interests of every student,
ECM Team:
Miss Banbury, Mr S. Higgins, P.C.
Bolwell, Mrs. Richards, Ms. Wilson
(ECM Manager), Miss Guest.
GIFTED AND TALENTED
PROGRAMME
Key Stage 3 gifted and talented
students took part in a puzzle
ensuring that they feel safe and
secure in a community that is
student and family friendly.
At the heart of this is an award
winning team of specialist
professionals whose role is to
ensure the health and emotional
wellbeing of each individual student
which is paramount to their
development and learning.
Working alongside teachers, the
team consistently monitors all
students providing support, advice
and mentoring for young people and
their families. They also have strong
workshop aimed at developing their
critical thinking and analytical skills as
well as building a team ethos
amongst the new group of students.
During the workshop, run by the
Happy Puzzle Company students
worked in teams trying to solve a
number of different puzzles, from
balancing 24 penguins on a wobbly
iceberg to putting a jigsaw together
without knowing the picture or even
the shape of the jigsaw.
In the evening, parents joined in the
event to learn more about the gifted
and talented programme and how it
benefits Academy students. They
also took part in a puzzle workshop
working partnerships with outside
agencies who work with young
people and their families. Some of
the services that the team offers
include:
Weekly drop-in health clinic for
students in partnership with the
NHS and Youth Services
1:1 mentoring and counselling
Review meetings and support
for parents
Literacy programme
Courses, workshops and
coffee mornings for parents and
the local community.
with their children which gave them
an insight into how their children
think in order to be better placed to
support their learning at home.
INTRODUCING NBA’S STUDENT
COUNCIL
Student Voice at North Birmingham Academy
continues to go from strength to strength and allows
our students to play a key role in the success and
major achievements of NBA.
Student Council members meet regularly with their
tutor groups to discuss and get their peers’ views on
a broad range of topics from the uniform and the
structure of the Academy day to the new catering
system and subject options for Year 9s. The year
group representatives then take their top two issues
to a whole Academy meeting.
We are delighted to announce this year’s Student
Council representatives:
Ryan Williams - Year 7
Asonia Anderson Year 7
Nicole Burrell Year 8
Lesroy Wedderburn Year 8
Emily Hadley Year 9
Usama Abbas Year 9
Kimala Lopez Year 10
Khiem Nguyen Year 10
Kiesha Beaupierre Year 11
Kiasis Wilson Year 11

...MORE ACADEMY LIFE
ACADEMY STAFF
HONOURED WITH AN MBE
We are delighted to announce that
our very own Jeanette Hart has been
recognised at the highest possible
level for her outstanding contribution
to the community of North
Birmingham. She was awarded an
MBE in the New Year Honours List,
which recognises outstanding
achievement and service across the
whole of the UK, and will personally
receive her award from the Queen
later this year.
absent students, providing much
needed support and forming links
STOP PRESS...
SIXTH FORM UPDATE
The Academy’s first full academic
year with a sixth form got off to a
flying start. Students are enjoying
their courses and the depth and
variety of learning experiences
available to them at post-16. They
are also benefitting from a range of
enrichment and personal
development workshops that are
focussed on preparing students for
university, further education and the
working world.
Jeanette Hart MBE joined our school
community in 1988 as a dinner lady
and later moved on to work in the
attendance office on a voluntary
basis, a role she still maintains with
real professionalism and commitment
23 years on. She contacts families of
BUDDING MATHEMATICIANS
Following on from our successful GCSE results last summer, we are
delighted that NBA students have excelled again.
During the autumn term, approximately 40 Year 11
students took their maths GCSE early and all passed
with excellent results. The top achiever was Zainab
Yuusuf who received a fantastic A* grade. Nine
students received grade ‘A’s, a further ten students
received ‘B’ grades and the remaining students all
gained a grade ‘C’.
Furthermore, a group of budding mathematicians in
Years 9 and 10 also passed their maths GCSE with
flying colours. This is an outstanding achievement – well done to everyone.
GUIDED TOUR
A group of Year 9 Students
went to the Sikh Gurdwara
in Soho Road Handsworth.
with families that are so crucial to
ensuring all of our students’ are
individually known, nurtured and
supported. She brings a personal
touch to the job and is so well known
among local residents and within our
Academy.
Students had a
guided tour of the
place of worship and
participated in
Langher (Religious
Meal).
Students have also
visited Birmingham
Cathedral as part of
their programme of
visiting places or worship
around the city.
Year 13s have just completed their
UCAS forms and are all awaiting
replies from universities round the
country. Meanwhile three sixth
formers will represent the Academy
at the annual Student Voice
Conference in Coventry where they
will share and debate values and
ideas with other students from
around the country.
...SAFE TRAVEL AWARD
We are delighted that Mergime
Miftari, one of our sixth formers, has
won a Safe Travel West Midlands
Travel (CENTRO) and Police
competition. She will receive an
iPod after her views on safe travel
for students impressed the judges.
The Academy will receive a prize of
a sports kit of our choice.
...PRINCIPALS PEN AWARD
Lisa Wright 9JP - for Community
Service

SPOTLIGHT on the ARTS
CHORAL HIGH
NOTES
On Wednesday 2 nd
February, the Academy
Choir took part in an
evening of Musical Theatre
at the Sutton Arts Theatre
in Sutton Coldfield. They
shared top billing with the
VILLA PARK PROVIDES
INSPIRATION
Photography students are making the
most of an exciting photography project
this term as they head down to Villa Park,
the home of Aston Villa Football Club,
every Friday to photograph different
aspects of the grounds and the facilities.
Working with digital photography and film,
the students are then using Apple Mac
laptops to produce a fantastic and varied
range of work. As well as getting to walk
down the players tunnel to the pitch, the
students have exclusive access to all the
behind the scenes facilities.
New Oscott ‘Nightingales’
choir and sang to a packed
theatre. The Academy
choir performed ‘Defying
Gravity’ from the musical
Wicked, and sang a
rousing rendition of ‘Don’t
Stop Believing’, made
popular by the television
show, Glee. Heather
Arnold and Anna Szklar
wowed the audience with
their mature and heart-felt
performance of ‘For Good’,
a duet also from ‘Wicked’.
The talented choir was so
popular that they have
been invited to sing at the
next Sutton Arts Theatre
concert!
Their finished work will be displayed in an
exhibition held at the ground on Friday 4
March, as well as going some way to
boosting their grades in the subject.
STARS OF THE
STAGE
There is a feeling of
nervous excitement in the
air...! Rehearsals are now
taking place every night in
preparation for the
Academy’s annual musical
performance. This year our
talented students will be
performing in Hairspray –
the Musical! Lines are
being learned, costumes
are being stitched and the
set building is well
underway – it’s all hands
on deck as performance
night fast approaches.
For more information and
performance dates, please
visit the Academy website
www.nbacademy.org.uk
SEA LIFE CENTRE Following their trip to the Sea Life Centre, year 11 have gone all
aquatic. They have produced studies and designs
based on a range of
sea
creatures. These
have been
developed into multi
media sculptures.
They are alll showing
fantastic creative and
independent skills in
making these
wonderful sculptures
ARTS CHAMPIONS
This year the Arts Champions are back! The new team have been
helping students fill in their Arts Awards and we are looking forward
to giving out lots of badges. They have also been looking at what
future events students thinks should be happening at North
Birmingham Academy and they will be planning some events
soon...

SPORTS ROUNDUP
THE NEXT SPRINTING STAR
In preparation for the 2012
Olympics, Birmingham City
Council have created a sports
exchange programme with
Jamaica whose track and field
team have selected Birmingham
as their base for the Olympics.
This will allow selected young
people of Birmingham to travel
to Jamaica (and vice versa) to compete in Athletics,
Football, Netball and Cricket.
Following rigorous athletics trials at the University of
Birmingham sports grounds in December, the Academy’s
very own Norton Massamba has been selected to
represent Birmingham at the ‘Gibson Relays’ event in
Jamaica in March. This event pulls together schools from
all over the West Indies and world class athletes such as
Usain Bolt have competed in them in the past!
This is such a fantastic and inspiring opportunity and one
which we hope will bring lasting links with schools in
Jamaica. Good luck Norton!
U15 BOYS BASKETBALL
The Boys under 15 basketball squad
represented NBA in the Birmingham
Schools City Final in January at the
Dough Ellis Sports Centre. The boys
came in third place out of five
schools.
The third
place play
off is verses
King Edward
Aston
Grammar
School
during
February.
FOOTBALL FOCUS
All the Academy football teams are continuing
to do well. At the end of January the Year 9
boys’ side got through to the semi finals of the
District Cup after beating Heartlands Academy
6 – 0.
In February they also played in the quarter final
of the Birmingham Cup and after a superb
team effort beat The International School 5 – 0
with goals scored by Shaquille Leachman (3)
and Declan Sullivan (2) and are now through to
the semi- finals.
The girls under 14 side, made up of players
from Years 7,8 and 9 have won the local 5-aside
league and the under 12’s side are doing
really well in their fixtures.
INDOOR ATHLETICS
A group of 12 Year 7 girls competed in the City
Finals Indoor Athletics Competition at the NIA.
Although no medals were won the girls were
excellent throughout the day and deserve a
huge well done. It was a massive achievement
to reach the finals and they should be very
proud of themselves.
IMPORTANT DATES!
Academy Production
‘Hairspray’
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Primary Matinee
Evening - 7pm
Friendship Day
Friday 18th March 2011
9:30 - 10:50am
Year 6 Open Morning
Thursday 24th March 2011
9:40 - 11:00am
Dates Academy Closed
Half Term Holiday
Monday 21 February -
Friday 25 February
Easter Holiday
Monday 11 April 2011 -
Monday 25 April 2011
YOUR TRASH IS
WORTH CASH
Your rubbish could be
worth thousands of pounds
to NBA! Office materials
that normally end up in the
bin - such as toner and
printer cartridges and old
mobile phones - can be
recycled to raise valuable
money for us.
We have signed up to a
leading recycling
programme Recycool,
which will help boost
school funds and divert
products from landfill.
Every time you donate a
cartridge or old mobile
phone to us, the Academy
could receive a cash
donation.
So please send your old
mobile phones, inkjet and
toner printer cartridges to
Mr Gifford. You will be
helping the environment
and our own fundraising
efforts and it won’t cost you
a penny.
Teacher Training Day
Tuesday 26 April
Royal Wedding Academy
Friday 29 April
Bank Holiday
Monday 2 May