stakeholder report Autumn 2020 final

Autumn Edition 2020
WHAT’S GOING ON
@
Our Vision: “To open minds creating opportunities for all to believe in themselves, achieve their
potential and develop the skills needed to succeed and enjoy life”
Our Values: Ambition, Integrity, Inclusivity, Endeavour, Resilience
Claire-Marie Cuthbert, CEO of The Evolve Trust
Welcome to latest edition of The
Evolve Trust stakeholder newsletter.
The final one of 2020 and what a
year it has been! Who would have
thought at the outset of this year we
would have gone through the
experiences we have with
Coronavirus. The impact of this
situation has been incredible, bigger
than probably anything I have ever
experienced in education before.
However, there are some amazing
things that have resulted from the position we find ourselves in.
You will see from the next few pages the fantastic work that has
been happening across our family of schools. I would also like to
take this opportunity to wish you a very peaceful and happy
Christmas and offer my warmest regards for a prosperous New
Year.
Claire-Marie
Cuthbert
was invited
to submit
written and
verbal
evidence to
an inquiry at
the
Education
Select
Committee
in the House
of Commons
on the 17th November 2020. The topic of discussion was ‘Left
behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds’. In Claire’s
paper, she says that ‘the achievement of white working class
children in schools is increasingly becoming a matter of concern
(Strand 2014 and 2013; Cassen and Kingdon 2007).’
‘Recent research on social class and attainment
provides a useful means of understanding about
social class and social class inequalities. Social
class has been shown to have significant effects
on educational outcomes and future life chances
even when educational achievement is high
(Strand 2014;Demie and Lewis 2010; Runnymede
Trust 2009).’
‘It is well documented in many research reports
that the worryingly low achievement levels of
many white working-class pupils have been
masked by the middle class success in the English
school system. There is much empirical data to
confirm that one of the biggest groups of
underachievers is the White British Working
Class and their outcomes at each key stage are
considerably below those achieved by all other
ethnic groups.’
‘The Department for Education’s 2018 GCSE
performance statistics show that while the national
average attainment score across eight subjects was
46.5, white boys who are eligible for free school
meals score an average of just 28.5.’
Claire goes on to say that ‘the effects of school
closures and the lockdown in response to the
Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly
detrimental for the most disadvantaged groups in
society, including vulnerable children and young
people’. Recent figures from an online survey of
4,000 parents in England by the Institute of Fiscal
Studies carried out between April and May shows
that children from better off households are
spending 30% more time each day on educational
activities than are children from the poorest fifth
of households and our internal surveys indicate
similar patterns.

EYFS Make Over
A positive nurturing environment is an indispensable part of learning. It is in a positive
environment that a child feels comfortable; a place where healthy relationships with
peers and teachers flourish. In the case of EYFS an immersive environment is essential
as it enables them to be inquirers and explorers and true leaders of their own learning.
BEFORE
Members of the Trust Executive Team made some massive changes in the home corner
of EYFS at The Bramble Academy at the start of the new academic year. It
is wonderful to see the transformation in the EYFS classroom. We now
have a real life lounge/diner, construction office and shop for our
Foundation pupils to enjoy. Please see the before and
after pictures below:
AFTER

World
Teacher Day
2020
We celebrated
our amazing
teachers on World Teacher Day on the 5th October
2020 with a small token to say heart felt thanks for
everything they do for our pupils and students. We
asked for a few messages from our students that we
included in a bespoke book which was given out to all
our teachers. One example “I couldn’t say thank you
just once, I could say it a million times. Thank you for
your support for people like me”.
A big thank you to our Bramble pupils who helped put together some food hampers which were distributed during October
half term to our disadvantaged families within our community. Thank you to all who kindly donated food - this is very much
appreciated. The Evolve Foundation was set up in July 2020 to support our community and food share is just one of the
community initiatives set up this term. A massive thank you to all donations.
Percy Pledgehog received some final
touches from members of the Exec Team
detailing our enrichment activities at
Bramble as part of the curriculum.
Super excited to announce that
Evolve has been awarded
Collective ED Coaching,
Mentoring and Professional
Learning in Education Award.

Claire-Marie Cuthbert and Carl Atkin
prepared for our first virtual open
evening on the 1st October 2020. It
was an amazing success - thanks to
Ms Aveyard and Mr Hindmarch for
their contribution to the event.
We are looking forward to welcoming
the parents of 2020/21.
Martin Fiddimore, Head of Sixth Form was also
live to speak to potential sixth form students
about our post 16 provision on the 7th October
2020.

Nurture 1 and 2
have been learning
all about the
Christmas story,
Advent and
Christingle in their
R.E lessons.
As part of those
lessons, they learnt
about what Advent
means, why and
how it is
celebrated.
The students
learned lots about
the advent wreath
and made their
own.
This terms research
The core text focused on by the Trust Executive Team for the first half term was
Legacy by James Kerr. The book is based on the legendary All Blacks of New
Zealand and reveals powerful and practical leadership lessons and explores
culture needed to build a successful team. The
team thoroughly enjoyed debating aspects of the
book. The Exec Team are now working on Head,
Hand, Heart by David
Goodhart which focuses
on cognitive achievement
and society’s view on
technical, practical abilities
(hand), and social and
empathetic skills (heart),
while alienating and
demoralising the people
who do the jobs that
require them.
Institute of Director Awards -
2020
Congratulations to Claire-Marie
Cuthbert who was announced a finalist
for the Director of the Year Awards
2020.

New Ukuleles for the
Bramble Academy
This term the Bramble Academy
won a bid for new ukuleles - this is
brilliant news and meant that our Year
3 pupils started on the 1st October to
start to learn how to play.
We look forward to hearing what they have learned.
This term, our Post 16 students have been visiting their various work experience placements, and are proudly
demonstrating ALL of our core values each week.
One of the places they go to is Floralands in Lambley, which is a garden centre and farm park all rolled into one.
Our students are learning a whole host of new animal care skills and working towards a vocational
qualification.
Well done, we’re really proud of you
all.

Award Winning
Well done to Claire-Marie Cuthbert who won Lead 50/50
Teacher / Academic Director of 2020.
Visit to the Evolve Trust by Ben Bradley, MP
for Mansfield to the
Bramble Academy on
the 21st September
2020 to see the
wonderful work
being done in the
academy. Many
thanks to him for
visiting us and for all
his comments on our
epic curriculum.
Ben was really
impressed with
Bramble and said
that it is a model for
what schools should
be. We are super
proud and wanted to
share the video he
made on leaving the academy:
https://youtu.be/ghcTrEEQpaU
At the start of
term Bramble
received some
new books
which were a
great addition
to our library -
we love books
and reading at
the Bramble
Academy.
Drama at Beech
Nurture 1? Or the wild things? During our
drama lesson we got creative! We designed
and made these amazing wild thing masks
while learning about the history of masks in drama.
What fantastic masks we have all made.
The Beech students enjoyed letting their imaginations
run WILD!

Year 3 Visit to Creswell Craggs
On the 2nd October Year 3 went on their Stone Age
pledge to Creswell Craggs. The day consisted of three main
activities which gave the children the opportunity to
practice some Stone Age survival skills, identify animals
from their footprints and have a tour around a cave which
was home to humans over 40,000 years ago. We had a
fantastic time and Year 3 were an excellent asset to The
Bramble Academy.

Nurture Provision at Westfield
Nurture 1 have been learning about how to use a microscope in Science.
The group made a slide of onion cells and then used a microscope to look at them closely. Pupils
made a Chatta board using photographs of the different parts of a microscope and audio clips that named the
parts and described their functions. Each pupil had a
go at recording their voice, showing great resilience
as some had felt very nervous about this.
Chatta boards were emailed home to the pupils’
families, so that they could share their lesson and
practice, remembering what each part of a
microscope is called.
Pupils then used the same pictures the next lesson
to see how much they could remember, and to
prompt an extended writing task.
You can look at the Chatta board, and listen to the
audio clips, here: http://expertkids.chatta.co.uk/
getchat/5c43d335-039a-4b28-adad-22342875e89e
The Evolve Foundation has had donations of IT
equipment that has been recycled across the
academies, together with donations of books in
preparation for creating an adult library.
Educational Debate at
Vision
West
Notts
Thrilled and
delighted that
the amazing
work of the
Evolve Trust is
being
recognised
nationally.
Here is
Claire-Marie
Cuthbert and
Carl Atkin
ready to
contribute to the educational debate for Mansfield children.
New Starter
Hampers
We welcomed our new
members of staff joining
us from September with
hand delivered starter
baskets. Included in
the baskets were lots of
practical gifts to help
them settle in to their
career with Evolve.

The Bramble Academy - Welcome Video
Filming took place at Bramble on Tuesday 13th October for our school welcome video. Many pupils and members of staff
took part, including Kerry Stopps who was amazing playing the part of mum. Everyone was fantastic - we definitely have
some budding actors/actresses. Thanks to everyone involved.
I hope you enjoy the video which is on the website and shows the amazing curriculum we have at Bramble. The video is
centred around the theme of space - here are a few photos from the day.

The teachers at the Bramble Academy celebrated
Halloween with some brilliant costumes.
Post 16 had a
fantastic lesson
working on their
Speaking, Listening
and
Communication as part of their
Functional Skills English.
Each group began discussing and
planning a new product to pitch
to their classmates.
The lesson was fantastic, with
some excellent ideas including a
new motor scooter, a new shoe brand and a new video game for
all!
Recycling School Uniform Donations
Well done Post-16!
Please help our disadvantaged families within the community by donating your child’s outgrown school uniform. School
uniforms will be gratefully accepted at your school office and will be re-distributed to families in need. A donation of £2.00 will
be asked for the uniforms which will go towards other community initiatives, such as food bank, mother and baby support and
Christmas packs.
Adult Educational Courses
The Evolve Foundation have offered free adult learning courses this term, including digital inclusion
course where attendees received a free laptop. Parents have attended mental health first aid and
functional skills in English and Maths.
The Evolve Foundation are working with Futures for Business to support individual development
and the progression into employment. Why not try one of the following courses to increase your
skills and boost confidence. All training courses are fully funded and you will be supported
throughout the course. You will also finish the course with an accredited qualification.
Please contact Dawn on
dpare@evolvetrust.org
if you are interested in
any of the courses or if
you need any further
details.
• Mental Health First Aid
• Functional Skills Maths and English
• EDCL (European Computer Driving Licence)
- Computer Literacy
• Employability Short Course
- CV Development / Confidence Building
Eligibility Criteria
• Are aged 16 years old or over
• Have lived in the UK or a European Economic Area (EEA) Member state for
the last three years or more or be an Individual or Asylum Seeker
• Are actively seeking employment and claiming an unemployment benefit of
either: Universal Credit, Job Seekers Allowance or Employment Support
Allowance
• OR Must be earning under £17,004 annual gross salary and be able to
commit to the course.

Children’s
Christmas Packs
Christmas packs have been
put together ready for
distribution to our families
who will be struggling this
Christmas. Thank you to
staff, Trustees, Members and
local suppliers of the Evolve
Trust who have very kindly
donated food, gift items, toys,
activity books, art sets, gift
cards, together with financial
contributions. These
donations will make a
massive difference to our
families in need.
Thank you to all our
suppliers who provided
support in the form of
financial donations or gift
cards. Pictured is Jen Fagan
from SAAF Education kindly
donating gift cards to be
included in the Christmas
Boxes.
The Evolve Foundation
Community Food Bank is up
and running
The Evolve Foundation are so excited to be
able to open their own Community food
bank from w/c 9th November 2020. With the
help of Bev Cheesmond, who runs a food
share charity in
Rainworth and
Blidworth, the
Trust were able to
distribute 10 food
bags to our most
disadvantaged
families across the
Trust. Each week
food bags will be
delivered to our
families who are
struggling through
these very difficult
times and we hope
that this initiative
provides some
support to those
families.
Please do contact Dawn Pare
(dpare@evolvetrust.org) if you, or anyone
you know, are struggling to provide food for
their children and we will ensure food bags
reach these families.
Community Charity Shop
The Evolve Trust are delighted to open their very own Community Charity
Shop on Tuesdays, and Thursdays every week from 2:45 to 3.45 in the Bramble
Academy. First day of
opening was the 1st
December. There
were lots and lots of
bargains to be had
and new stock
arriving each week.
Contributions are
welcome.
A massive thank you
to our staff, Members
and Trustees for their
generosity in donating
items.

NCS Qualification
Post 16 visited Portland College to complete their NCS
Qualification. During the week they did many activities such as
rock climbing, abseiling, zip wire and bush craft. They worked hard
as a team and supported each other throughout. They now all
have their qualification to add to their record of achievement.
Remembrance Day Celebrations
As part of the novel study this term the Year 9’s have been
studying World War II.
This was a perfect opportunity to design and create a
Remembrance display in the garden to commemorate
Remembrance Day.
All students at Beech were asked to contribute by making poppies
for the display and as you can see the results were amazing! Thank you everyone for your
hard work.
Super well done to all who contributed
to Children in Need across the Evolve
Trust - we raised £139.00.
The Y9’s chose Max’s design as the winner of
the best poppy – Well Done Max!
On Wednesday 11 th November at 11am, on
behalf of the whole school, Daniel and Ruby
laid a wreath beside the display to pay their
respects and remember the members of the
Armed Forces who have died in the line of
duty.
Later on at lunchtime Jorjha in Y7 recited
beautifully from memory ‘In Flanders Fields’ a
famous war poem by Lieutenant Colonel John
McCrae. Well done Jorjha!

The Schools and Academies Show
The Schools and Academies Show takes place biannually
which attracts over 8,000 attendees from
Schools, Academies, Multi-Academy Trusts, Local
Authorities, Central Government and the wider
Education Sector. The Evolve Trust are delighted that
Claire-Marie Cuthbert was invited to
contribute to this year’s event.
Barbara Sims, Chief Finance Officer, also
took part in a panel debate on
preparing students, staff and school
estates for future interruptions.
Please click on the link below to hear
Claire’s thoughts on Covid as a catalyst
for evolution in education adapting agile
mindsets and Barbara's contribution to
the panel discussion.
https://www.evolvetrust.org/staff-development-/contribution_to_the_/
The Brunts Academy Year 7 National Youth Choir
The Year 7 singing group had the opportunity to work with Joanna Tomlinson from the National Youth Choir of Great Britain in
a virtual workshop. Students worked with Joanna on vocal technique, posture and performance skills as well and learning and
performing a piece entitled “Snow”. This performance will be part of a virtual concert held on 7 th December with several
other schools across Nottinghamshire. The students gained a wealth of knowledge and experience during this workshop and
hope to take part in the next NYCGB concert at The Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham next year.
Radio Experience at the Beech Academy
Jorjha (Year 7) and Daniel (Year 9) spoke live on radio to share their experiences of Autism and lockdown. Jorjha
and Daniel were interviewed by two radio presenters, and
demonstrated great resilience in response to their initial anxieties.
Daniel shared his aspirations to become a chef, and Jorjha
highlighted the missed opportunities for Year 6 pupils to say goodbye to their
friends before joining secondary school earlier this year.
Their families listened to, and were all really proud of both pupils. Well done for
representing Beech Academy!

Christmas Food Hampers
Many thanks for all the kind donations of food that has been
contributed - pictured below is Elizabeth Orridge, Member of
the Evolve Trust and owner of Elizabeth Orridge Photography
who, with the kind generosity of her customers, has donated
a huge amount of food, toiletries , cleaning items and more.
Baby Massage Sessions
Come and join us in our baby massage sessions which will start on the 15th January 2021 to be run from the Bramble Academy
for 5 weeks. Mums and babies from across the trust are welcome- to book your place please email Dawn Pare on
dpare@evolvetrust.org
BABY MASSAGE
Come and join us
Session One starts on Friday, 15th January 2021
at 10:00am - 11:00am in The Bramble Academy
Sessions will take place every Friday
until the 12th February 2021
(5 sessions in total)
Learn techniques
to communicate
and bond with
your baby
Sessions will be run by a qualified baby massage practitioner
Babies need to have had their 6-8 week health check
Donation of £1 per session
For further information please contact Dawn Pare, Community Engagement Lead on
dpare@evolvetrust.org
Develop your
relationship
with your
baby through
massage

Water Safety
Pupils from Year 5 Bramble
Academy enjoyed a day at the
Mill Adventure to learn about
water safety. The damp
weather did not deter them from getting in the canoes and
having a wonderful time.
Bramble Pledges
It was great to see Year 3 enjoying a movie in their
pyjamas and pizza as part of their pledge.
Year 6 enjoyed tasting some Mexican food linked to
their learning on the Mayans
Year 4 really
enjoyed
their lego
robotics
workshop at
the start of
term.

The Beech Academy -
Novel Study
Year 9 students from Beech are
currently studying The Iron man by
Ted Hughes. As part of the novel
study they have been looking at the Iron Age
period in Humanities.
The Iron Age people lived in roundhouses. The
roundhouses were made from wattle and daub
( sticks, twigs, mud and clay )
The students followed a set of instructions to
make their own roundhouses, some of them
featuring clay ovens, fireplaces and beds. They look
amazing - well done
Former Brunts student makes his debut for
England.
Congratulations to Lee Buchanan who made his first start for
England under 21s on Tuesday 17th November against Albania.
New Interactive Screen Panels in Brunts
We are pleased to have some new interactive,
touch screen panels in the Maths Department in
Brunts.These replace poor quality projectors and
will enhance maths lessons for our Brunts
students.
ICT Support Service
We would like to thank Our Learning Cloud for
their interim ICT support over the last term and would like to welcome
Ergo as our new ICT partner. Look out for more IT news in the New Year.
ITV News Interview
Carl Atkin, Principal from The
Brunts Academy was
interviewed by ITV News on
the subject of students sitting
exams next Summer due to
difference class experiences during the pandemic.
Please click on the link below to see the interview:
Virtual
Reality
The
Brunts
Academy
have
secured
a bid to investigate the feasibility of using
virtual reality in the education of our
students. In a world where we are seeing
rapid changes, it has never been more vital
to make sure we are using every method
possible to experience the wider world.
https://www.evolvetrust.org/staff-development-/contribution_to_the_/

Christmas Card Competition
A very well done to our winners of 2020 Christmas Card Competition. Their
designs are shown below - I'm sure you will agree they are amazing. The
winning entries have been used as the official Trust Christmas card. The
winners have received a framed copy of their design, together with a small gift.
To everyone celebrating over the festive period, We
wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year to you all from
the Evolve Trust