The Marches Academy Trust | Spring Newsletter 2022

TRUST NEWSLETTER Issue 19

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A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Andersen

This term we are grateful as a family of schools for how our children, young people, families, staff, and our communities are building strong relationships which encourage all to grow and enjoy learning. At Tilstock CE Primary School the children have learnt Makaton sign language to support one of their friends. It is acts like these that are common across our schools that foster a sense of belonging.

I am extremely proud of all that we are doing in our schools to build better learning environments.

Following submission of bids to the Trust Board, all schools in the Trust have been allocated capital funding to use for improvements to their school sites. The Grove School has installed new fencing and gates to improve site security and this summer are completing the replacement of their windows. Tilstock CE Primary School have built two new classrooms to accommodate the growing numbers of children at the school. Longlands Primary School are redecorating the nursery, which they have just taken into their school. Oakmeadow CE Primary School are improving outside play areas and Lower Heath CE Primary has replaced external doors and fencing and replaced the flooring in the school hall. At The Marches School a new reception is being built to enable space to be released for their growing Sixth Form. Sir John Talbot’s School have had additional fencing and improved security arrangements together with a refresh of the fibre ICT infrastructure. Shrewsbury Academy have, at long last, had the green light from the Department for Education to remodel the school to be fit for purpose to house 1200 students. At Grange Primary School work is being undertaken to improve the outdoor play area and Woodlands School have created an outdoor gym, social farm and are creating a new reception area.

Recent events have tested us all, as we have witnessed the people of Ukraine having their environments destroyed and their communities dispersed, which makes us all remember how grateful we are for our wonderful schools.

Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine who have found their lives turned upside down. I am immensely proud of all our school communities who have been doing things to try to support children who have been left as refugees.

Sarah Finch CEO, The Marches Academy Trust

marchesacademytrust.co.uk

@MarchesAcademyTrust

MARCHES ACADEMY TRUST VISION & VALUES

We believe: Empower everyone in our Trust and our communities to live and breathe Achievement Through Caring and reach their full potential.

TOGETHER WE GROW PODCAST We have launched our 'Together We Grow' podcast, where Sarah Finch chats to professionals, policy makers, staff, students and celebrities about the power of education and how we shape the future.

Current Episodes: The Future of Education with Mick Waters The Vision of Education with BBC’s Branwen Jeffreys Improving Opportunities for Special Needs Students with Dr. Ellis Crasnow Encouraging a passion and talent with Dr. Sam Collins Lifting young women out of poverty through education, with Dr. Zareen Roohi Ahmed Life after education with Robert Forrester A student's perspective on education with Lucy Craig (Year 13 student from Sir John Talbot's School) Footballer to Community Leader with Jamie Edwards Paralympic Team GB Cycling Coach, Tom Hodgkinson Click to listen to our podcasts available on Apple/iTunes or Spotify.

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF TRUSTEES Schools hold up a mirror to the communities they are part of, reflecting the diversity of views, beliefs, feelings, and identities of the people within those communities. Inclusion is key to ensuring that our schools recognise and support the needs of everyone, and especially our children and young people, as they go about trying to understand and establish their own roles in society.

To help them do this, we have to set the best example. We need to ensure that everyone feels that they belong within the school community, and support them whenever they find this difficult.

We need to challenge behaviours and attitudes which undermine the security and belonging of others. In order to build and maintain a school community which values diversity, we must all be open-minded and show empathy towards those with different points of view.

If we focus on these core values, we can ensure that our schools are places which are inclusive and fair, where everyone feels they belong and that their contribution to the community is valuable. I am very encouraged by the work we are doing across the Trust to support this, engaging with our children, young people, staff and parents to ensure it remains a priority.

Alex Fry Member and Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Marches Academy Trust

TRUST MEMBERS & TRUSTEES The Marches Academy Trust is governed by the Board of Trustees.

Trustees are appointed by the members.

Members

Anna Burgess

Robert Forrester

David Griffiths

Arthur Walpole The Church of England Central Education Trust

Trustees

Alex Fry Chair

Catherine Bennett Vice Chair

Stuart Cowper

Pam Edwards

Sarah Finch CEO

Mark Liquorish

Angela Cattermole

Arthur Walpole

ALLIANCE OF LEADING LEARNING Cavelle Priestley-Bird | Executive Director of the Alliance of Leading Learning Time to pause and celebrate the achievements of our colleagues and the work of the Alliance of Leading Learning in driving professional learning and supporting career pathways.

Developing Talent Across our family of 10 schools, we have had 158 staff achieve a National Professional Qualification, trained 57 Agents of Change and 49 Architects, supported 26 Conference Facilitators, supported 17 Early Careers Framework Facilitators/Mentors and are about to train our 10 Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) Ambassadors.

We are now compiling a directory of expertise across the Trust to harness all the talents our groups above have and spot new talent and expertise. Our new “Trust Improvement Consultants” will develop the capacity and capability of colleagues in our schools to drive school improvement.

National Professional Qualifications In February 2022 the NPQ team recruited 300 new NPQ participants. Those participants have been supported through the application process and have now successfully launched their learning journey in 18 different groups led by 37 outstanding trained facilitators.

The NPQH group of 50 met for the first of four face to face sessions at Rookery Hall Hotel on the 18th March, NPQH with participants coming from a wide geographical area including Shropshire, Telford, Powys, Staffordshire, Bury, Cheshire, Stockport, Leeds, Manchester, Bolton, Warwickshire, Birmingham, Lambeth, Herefordshire and Lancashire.

Just to say thank you so much for today – I feel totally inspired. The speakers were incredible, and it was a pleasure to spend time with other professionals in such a lovely setting. I can’t imagine how much work went into this, but I appreciated it hugely.

Ruth Shaw

Teacher recruitment We have recruited resilient, hard working and successful Initial Teacher Training (ITT) students this year. This is reflected in the current secondary job offer situation; out of 24 students that we have, 12 have already received job offers, 4 of which are in the Trust. The primary recruitment has just commenced with a few jobs available locally.

These are excellent conversion statistics and better than previous years bearing testament to the brilliant group they have been.

The students from ALL are very well prepared for interview in comparison with other providers. It is obvious that they have had focused support with the recruitment process.

Feedback from partner schools praising the outstanding job the ITT team do

Straight to Teach We have been focusing on several pathways to enable people to reach their potential which are both flexible and affordable.

‘Straight to Teach’ is offered by TES and is a bespoke course planned around the individual’s current experience. We have used this successfully in the Trust for both primary and secondary schools. The Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship Scheme offered by Wolverhampton University enables the Trust to train individuals using the Apprenticeship Levy.

In both options, the participants continue to be employed by their school and receiving their salary as an unqualified teacher.

I went to the drop in session to see Kate a long time ago before I commenced my Access Leader role because teaching English is what I have always wanted to do. When the time came to apply, the bursary had been dropped and I needed to financially support my family.

When Alison Pearson – Headteacher, met with me to offer me the opportunity to train and still be employed, I was speechless. To be supported by The Marches will give me this golden opportunity!

Ashley Morris, Access Leader at The Marches School is hoping to commence the Postgraduate Scheme in June this year

Training and Courses So far this academic year we have run 33 First Aid courses from the ALL training room based at The Marches School. Delegates have predominantly been from local schools, but we are also seeing an increase in local businesses sending staff along.

We have also run courses off-site for several schools and businesses. Governor short courses and 14 Safeguarding courses - which have been run mainly through Teams – have allowed delegates to attend from further afield than in previous years. Our Food Hygiene course has proven popular with over 40 licences being purchased by local schools.

Great trainer and really brought the subject to life. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

First Aid feedback

It is always gruelling subject-matter, but Mansel delivers with such humility and empathy.

Safeguarding feedback

Conferences – Investing in our team The Headteachers Conferences October 2021 / February 2022:

An amazing experience with real consideration for Heads' wellbeing and professional development.

A quality event with team building and collegiate support and care with a garnish of stretch and challenge.

The Marches Academy Trust Conference Our Marches Academy Trust Conference had over 400 of our Trust teaching staff attend – giving us the chance to network, embrace expertise and engage with our vision of the school of the future.

Click to view our conference video.

leadinglearning.co.uk

@ALLearning1

SPOTLIGHT ON LEARNING Claire Turner | Director of Learning, The Marches Academy Trust Tilstock CE Primary School | A curriculum of human connections There is a palpable buzz of excitement at Tilstock CE Primary School. A recent whole school trip to Liverpool…yes ‘Whole School Trip’ lit a fire of excitement and engagement that is still burning brightly. The whole school visit was an ambitious idea, especially as we were only just emerging from the restrictions that have been part of our lives for many months. This trip was born from a desire to bring the curriculum to life.

I recently visited the school to hear all about this from the perspectives of a group of excited, articulate, enthusiastic children all eager to share their accounts. I asked what the Year 2 children had been to see in Liverpool; ‘we saw the Titanic’ said Lyla with a broad smile. ‘There were really expensive things in it like candelabras and gold plates. We could even smell the oils and the coffee’. Perry went on with sincerity ‘there were three funnels on the Titanic but one of them was fake you know. They had four to make the ship look fancy but one of them didn’t even work.’ The idea of things not being as they seem clearly intrigued Perry.

I asked Alfie and Toren from Year 3 and 4 what they enjoyed most about the trip. ‘We went on a double decker coach and we had lunch in a big room with another school’ they replied quickly, ‘and the teachers brought us sweets for the journey, but not even one person was sick’. They were brimming with wonder when they talked about the exhibits. ‘The explorers who sailed around the world did it on smelly, scruffy boats.

They had scurvy and rotten teeth and that made the boats smelly. The Tudor explorers discovered all sorts of things like potatoes and tobacco.

When we were in the museum we were allowed to do sketches and take notes about the explorers. It was fun’. As Alfie and Toren spoke their eyes widened and the pace of their sentences raced as if reliving the excitement of the visit.

The older children Maddie and Sophie from Year 5 and 6 explained how everyone who visited the slavery exhibition had been asked to work independently using the exhibits to uncover 10 of the most interesting facts they could find. They loved this challenge. They described how interactive the exhibits were and how fun it was to pull maps out of the wall or ask museum staff questions. What did you learn I asked them ‘well the journey the slaves took was horrible and took six weeks.

Around 15-25% of the passengers died on the trip. They were chained up in terrible conditions and they were poorly’. Sophie went on ‘we learn about history so that we don’t make the same mistakes again. Some evil, horrendous and cruel things have happened in the past and we can learn from this’. Mrs Kaminski ‘job done’ I thought. The children went on ‘The most gruesome things in the museum were the most memorable. We watched a film about how a slave had escaped from his owner and then been beaten in front of everyone. It was terrible’. It is good that we get to learn about history in this way so that we remember.

A group of children spanning all ages at Tilstock CE Primary School had taken something personal and individual from this trip. The insights they had gained on the ‘human experience’ and the richness of their learning about the world around them changed forever as a result. They had made connections for themselves about the past, the present and the future and were truly enlightened by this visit.

SPOTLIGHT ON LEARNING Claire Turner | Director of Learning, The Marches Academy Trust Lower Heath CE Primary School | A curriculum brought to life by a visitor Lower Heath CE Primary School were visited recently by a member of the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery education outreach team. After learning about the Ancient Egyptians the children were enthralled by the artefacts they were able to see and touch during the visit. Harley told me about the replica Rosetta Stone she had held and the hieroglyphic drawings she had created. ‘I was mummified’ said Bertie with a smile. I asked Bertie to elaborate and he went on to tell me enthusiastically about the whole process he and his classmates had acted out. ‘Well the ancient Egyptians would get a dead body and wash it with either water from the Nile or sometimes with wine, then they would cut the body down the left side with an obsidian knife. This was so that the organs could be removed. The organs were put inside a canopic jar. They didn’t take the heart though. They pulled the brain out and scrambled it. Next the dead body was kept in natron for forty days and then stuffed with sawdust and linen. Finally the body was dressed in fine clothes and put into a sarcophagus’. I pondered the clarity with which Bertie had described this process and the irony that him acting as a dead Egyptian was the very thing that had brought the curriculum to life for him.

The children captivated me with their accounts of the wonderful themes and topics they had studied this term. Harley told me about the myth she had written. ‘My myth is called Arthur and the Golden Rope and in it Revna discovers the sword of shadows. She explores the lakes and forests of Iceland. She wants to defeat the bad guy Rune so she goes on a quest to find Thor so that he can help her’. Harley speaks with authority, clarity and pride. She gets out her book to show me her planning. She goes on to explain that the class all followed a myth-making pattern that had been agreed by the class which they used alongside their own drawing and notes to help them plan their stories.

Both Harley and Bertie then shared the poems they wrote in response to a whole school focus on poetry. We focused on simile, metaphor, personification and oxymorons they exclaimed with unwavering confidence. The poems were impressive. Bertie’s ended with; ‘As I walk home from school I wish that tonight I can sleep peacefully, I wish that tonight the world can sleep peacefully, I wish…

I wish for peace’ And Harley’s; ‘I hear the death-makers descending, Waiting to drop miniature black holes.

I imagine the walls bending in then recoiling from the blast, Scream wails her welcome of the all clear’ As the war in Ukraine rages on I am heartened by the warmth, sincerity, understanding of human connection, empathy and compassion that is breathing life into the curriculum for our children.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY UPDATE George Hounsell | Director of Sport, Health & Community

During spring term, we have taken the time to reflect upon and celebrate the sporting successes within our five primary schools and within our Primary Physical Education Team.

The team has continued to develop and grow over the past two years and now consists of four Apprentices, four Development Coaches, one Physical Education Adviser and three Traineeship students. During this school term, we have celebrated the success of Mr Leask (Grange Primary School), Miss Morris (Oakmeadow CE Primary School) and Miss Smith (Tilstock CE Primary School and Lower Heath CE Primary School) who have now successfully achieved their Level 3 and 4 Sports Apprenticeship Qualification. They have all been promoted to Primary PE and Health Development Coaches within their schools. Congratulations to them all!

Our primary schools have been taking part in sporting competitions against schools within Shropshire and further afield. In total, 315 students have taken part in these tournaments, with some students and schools winning these. All five of our primary schools took part in the spring Varsity event at Shrewsbury School, where two hundred students took part in archery and also girls’ football. This is linked to the upcoming UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Championship taking place in England. We cannot thank Stuart Cowper and everyone at Shrewsbury School enough for hosting this event. Along with holding the competition, they also supplied all of our children and staff with a cooked meal ahead of the activities. Congratulations to Longlands Primary School who were crowned the winners of this Varsity Games.

Keep up to date with the Primary Physical Education Team on Twitter: @MMATPrimaryPE

STUDENT WELLBEING UPDATE George Hounsell | Director of Sport, Health & Community The Marches Academy Trust are proud to be one of the only trusts that have social farms within their schools. Currently Longlands Primary School, Grange Primary School and Woodlands School all have social farm programmes running within their school grounds. Along with student numbers increasing within Marches Academy Trust schools, we have also seen an increase in animals joining our social farms since January 2022.

Currently to date, our animals include chickens, goats, bearded dragons, dogs, tortoises, turkeys plus many more. To date, The Marches Academy Trust are proud to have just over 60 animals within the three social farms.

Staff, students, and volunteers at our three social farm sites have been working hard over the past few months to continue to improve their outdoor learning areas. Staff at Woodlands School are currently building an area to welcome goats into their animal family. Longlands Primary School recently welcomed the Mayor of Market Drayton Town Council, who has agreed to support their programme by donating £300 to help with the costs of keeping their animals. Finally, at Grange Primary School, discussions have been taking place to introduce ducks into their social farm.

You can keep up to date with the Longlands social farm by following their Twitter feed: @LonglandsEco

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES UPDATE Amy Chevin-Dooley | Deputy Headteacher for Safeguarding, LAC & SEND Lead Across the Trust, the special educational needs and safeguarding teams work tirelessly to ensure all learners feel a sense of inclusion and belonging. This term, Grange Primary School, The Marches School, Oakmeadow CE Primary School and Shrewsbury Academy have all taken part in the Autism in Schools Project, a project run in conjunction with the Parent and Carers Council (PACC) and the Autism Education Trust. The project aims to develop schools’ understanding of learners’ needs, particularly neurodiverse children and young people, and how best to enhance the universal offer and make reasonable adjustments in education environments. The project has included training on restorative and relational practice, trauma-responsive education, neurodiversity, behaviour, sensory load and working with families. If you are a parent/carer of a child with special educational needs and are interested in working with PACC and your child’s school, please contact amy.chevin-dooley@mmat.co.uk.

Schools continue, in the post-pandemic climate, to expand their provision for learners and look to support all learners to access education. Here is a sample from our secondary settings of their work this term: Woodlands School | Rachel Butterfield, SENDCo One of our Year 10 students attends weekly Equine Therapy sessions at The Cavalier Centre in Much Wenlock. During the sessions, the student has remained regulated even when completely out of her comfort zone. She has followed all instructions, trusting adults to keep her safe and often looking for reassurance from them. This has helped to build the student’s confidence and strengthen relationships with school staff. Overall, the therapy has made a very positive impact, which has also been noticed by the student’s parent.

Whilst discussing educational provision during a recent Annual Review meeting, one of our parents described the positive impact that Music Therapy sessions with Guy have had on her child. She described how her child sees the Music Therapy sessions as ‘music lessons and gets a lot out of them’.

The Marches School | Rebecca Waldron, Access Leader Every Tuesday after school, the Marches School hosts ‘Hub Club'. This club is enjoyed by our students as a time to relax and take part in fun activities, whilst spending time together. Our Gardening Club focuses on keeping our Hub Garden looking neat and tidy, whilst our Art Club provides time for students to explore their creativity and plan and complete projects with the support and guidance to accomplish their visions. Cookery Club is our most popular activity, where our students make tasty, healthy (most of the time!) meals and snacks, before finishing with the allimportant washing up!

INCLUSION AND BELONGING Carla Whelan | Executive Director of Education, The Marches Academy Trust Our schools have all been working hard on how we can continue to develop our relationships, our sense of belonging and inclusion within our schools and our communities. After the hardship of the past two years, schools and families are working more closely than ever, which is critical to counterbalance adversity and emerge stronger.

As part of our work around this, each school have started working towards a community plan.

These are strategic plans focused on how our schools will continue to strengthen their relationships with all their partners and be in the centre of their communities. The community plan will support the work each school is doing to develop their curriculum models that help us work with children and young people so that they have the opportunities to reach for their goals We know: That our schools matter...and That they need to be places of belonging Inclusion and belonging is a focus because we know it is linked to: Increased student motivation Increased wellbeing Reductions in absenteeism Improved academic achievement A growing sense of agency in students: a belief that they can make a difference Click on each booklet to view

TILSTOCK CE PRIMARY SCHOOL Rowena Kaminski | Headteacher Providing enrichment for all our children: At Tilstock CE Primary School, we feel that our school curriculum should meet the needs of all, and extend beyond the National Curriculum. For us this means including a wide range of enriching experiences and opportunities both within and beyond the school day, that all children can access and enjoy. This includes a wide range of after-school clubs, lunch-time clubs, trips, and learning experiences that support the core curriculum offer, as well as those which develop our children’s personal and social development.

School clubs: After-school clubs are an important way for children to apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt during the school day. It also enables children to indulge in their individual interests and passions. Our lunch-time clubs now include chess, multi-sports and mindfulness. We have even enjoyed a bit of knitting! In the spring term we extended our offer of after-school clubs. We welcomed Shropshire Science into the school, and the children’s faces were full of awe and wonder. We asked if they would provide a weekly after-school Science club in our school, which is now the most popular club we have ever run! To see children want to learn beyond the regular class timetable is an achievement.

Whole school trip to Liverpool: Trips are such an important part of school life. They provide hands-on experiences that children can link to learning within the classroom. We have designed the curriculum so that there is a key whole school focus across the school each term. This term it is water. Oceans, rivers and lakes are a huge focus for the Geography curriculum, and it has been wonderful to see the progression of knowledge from Nursery up to Year 6. The theme of water has also linked our History learning across the school - Reception - Year 2 are learning about the Titanic, Year 3 and 4 are learning about famous Tudor explorers and Year 5 and 6 are learning about the history of America and the meaning behind the Statue of Liberty. This whole school focus means that the whole school connects through one key thread, and school trips are an example of how they can come together to learn.

In February we took the whole school to the British Maritime Museum in Liverpool. The children enjoyed an exciting journey on a double decker bus to the Liverpool docks. All classes took part in various workshops and their behaviour was outstanding. What wonderful memories we made!

First-Aid for children: Learning first aid is an invaluable life-skill. It helps children become more risk aware and equips them with skills to keep themselves safe and help themselves or others if involved in a medical emergency. It could save their life. We invited Keith Robinson from Sir John Talbot's School to deliver a one hour session to our Year 5 and Year 6 children. The children were fully engaged and showed real responsibility for their learning. The First Aid course really boosted our children’s confidence. They now feel prepared should they or their friends or family need medical help. Well done Badgers!

tilstockprimaryschool.co.uk

@tilstockprimaryschool

LOWER HEATH CE PRIMARY SCHOOL Charlotte Williams | Acting Head of School As we reach the end of the term, it is time to reflect on the wonderful opportunities that our children have had, and share some of the fantastic learning that has taken place across school.

We have had lots of visitors in school this term… Shropshire Music Service, Chance to Shine Cricket, Tennis Shropshire, Rocktopus, Max Oakley (Archery GB Young Ambassador), Rachael Latham (Paralympic Swimmer) and Bikeability to name a few! Several of our children have also started learning the piano. It has been great to be able to welcome so many amazing role models into our school and to really connect with our community.

Recently, we held our Polio fundraiser; this was planned and organised by our School Council, who delivered an assembly for the whole school to raise awareness and understanding. They really took responsibility for this event, arranging a sponsored sporting activity which everybody could take part in. We are proud to announce that we raised an incredible total of £586.60!

We had a great time for World Book Day, with an opportunity to come to school dressed as our favourite book characters and participate in a range of themed activities across the day. Wem Book Shop kindly provided a selection of free books for us to choose from and for children to take home on the day. Our Year 5/6 Class also took part in a Trust competition, listening to information about a book and then designing a front cover for younger children.

As well as relaunching our “Together Time” sessions for Nursery, we have hosted a Kinetic Letters (handwriting) workshop for Reception parents. We have also held a face-to-face parents’ evening event, with parents and carers having an opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and celebrate their work.

We have continued to welcome Rest Easy Coach, Emily Gearing, into school each week. She has worked with our children and staff to develop self-regulation techniques, launch our Rest Easy Ambassadors, and we are now well on the way to achieving our Rest Easy Gold Award!

lowerheath.co.uk

@lowerheathcofeprimaryschool

LONGLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL Zillah Cope | Headteacher Here at Longlands Primary School, we are heavily invested in providing an experience where everyone feels included, that they each have an important voice and that every child feels they are able to access the learning and all the opportunities that we offer both in school and outside of the school day.

Here’s what some of our parents had to say about us:

I personally have never seen a school dedicate so much time not only to the child but to the parents and families too.

They are not just teachers at this school. They offer so much support to any child who just needs that extra helping hand and are so quick to recognise any problem your child may have whether big or small.

They are excellent when it comes to special needs too. My son wouldn’t be the teenager he is now if it wasn’t for Longlands.

Well trained, caring, and compassionate staff who not only give support during school hours they give up free time to help before after and in the holidays... I recommend this school to any parent.

This term we have introduced the 'No Outsiders' in our school curriculum which, through reading and discussion activities based on picture books, helps children think about equality and inclusivity. There have been some really in depth and insightful discussions and some great work produced as a result.

This is what some of the children said about the work:

We do lots of discussion activities around the books and the activities are fun and make me think.

We have also completed some training with our Young Leaders who are working with children at lunch times to ensure they have a successful playtime and feel included and supported in the activities provided.

In a planned Art Week, each class will study the works of a female artist from another culture (some of which are still producing works of art today) to help challenge the perception that most artists are male and not alive today.

longlandsprimaryschool.co.uk

@LonglandsPrimarySchool

OAKMEADOW CE PRIMARY SCHOOL Samantha Hill | Headteacher As we reach the end of our spring term, we have been reflecting on what a successful term we have had. Visitors to school have enhanced our curriculum across school - we invited the Shropshire Fire Service to come and deliver an assembly to Years 3 - 5 giving crucial messages on fire safety awareness. Year 1 have had their Victorian Toys workshop, Year 4 have enjoyed a day with a Roman Soldier and 'Rocktopus' joined us to do music workshops with our Key Stage 2 children. The Arts Centre Telford have delivered music lessons and World Book Day saw our children taking part in 'Drop everything and read!' and in a Trust competition in which they designed front covers and blurbs for books. Ending the term with the Easter Disco and Year 3/4 Easter performances has been a real treat too.

The Environment has been a key focus for us this term. Oakmeadow are working towards the Eco Schools Award and we have taken many steps towards achieving this. We have an Eco Club who work collaboratively to lead this and who have started on our Community Allotment. They have contacted members of the local community who are supporting with our planting! We also held a Litter Free Lunch Day and it has been lovely to see the children considering packaging and how their choices can be different to help the environment.

As a Church of England school our relationship with church is so important to us. This term we have been able to resume our whole school visits to church for the first time since Covid began – these have been a fantastic experience for all children and staff. Our relationship with our PTA group, The Friends of Oakmeadow, has continued to thrive and they have offered each class a pot of funding to support their curriculum. It is so wonderful to see how the money raised from the events we hold have gone back to the children and is supporting their learning.

We very much value helping the children to develop a sense of belonging, to see how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. As such we have supported different causes this term including the 'Get moving for Polio' day where the children have been learning about this cause and how we can support. Families donated money for children to complete a range of fitness activities. We have also have been mindful of events taking place in the wider world particularly in Ukraine. As staff we have been considering how we can address the current affairs sensitively with our children, and how we can help. As a result, we decided to support Red Nose Day as part of the money raised this year will go towards funding organisations that are supporting people in Ukraine and those attempting to cross the border. It has been incredibly touching to see how some of our older children have come to ask how school can support further.

Our older children decided to set up a donation box in the main reception where, if families have any goods in the house that they could spare, can place them. Our Community Champions then accompanied staff on the minibus to take these to the local drop off points.

As we celebrate Easter, I think we can be incredibly proud of our children and staff this term and how we have provided experiences beyond the classroom for all.

oakmeadowprimary.co.uk

@oakmeadowceschool

THE GRANGE PRIMARY SCHOOL Charlotte Summers | Headteacher It has certainly been a busy term at Grange Primary School. We have been continuing to embed our new behaviour system ‘The Granger Code’ and have seen some positive changes. Our school values of try our best, honesty, kindness, curiosity and respect are used constantly in learning and in restorative conversations with the children. We have gathered parent voice on the impact of the changes made to our behaviour system.

Our school farm continues to be a firm favourite with the children. The farm is one of the activities on offer in our Nest provision in the afternoon. Other activities include art, cooking, team building and gardening. The Nest aims to support children with social and emotional needs through nurture provision and lots of opportunities to talk and build relationships with other children and adults in school. We now run a Tuesday gardening group which is very popular with the children.

Gardening is really fun. I enjoy all the weeding and digging. I am looking forward to planting seeds soon!

Tulisa in Hedgehog Class

Children in Year 3 and 4 loved taking part in Read the Game earlier this year. We have also attended many events organised across the Trust schools such as Varsity - girls' football and archery and the One Voice group. It has been great to make connections with other schools this way and give the children a chance to socialize with peers their own age from other settings. The teachers have also been meeting with other staff from across the Trust and working together to learn from each other to improve the school.

We were very lucky to be visited by Paralympic athlete Darren Harris. His story was very inspiring and we loved taking part in a sponsored workout with him. Other sporting events include some of our Year 6 students taking part in Sports Leader training – look out for how we develop this in school. Year 5 and 6 also took part in Bikeability this term. We know how important it is to stay safe whilst cycling. Thank you to Bikeability who kindly donated some bikes for children to keep.

It was lovely to see families enjoying our Mother's Day afternoon tea together. We are enjoying seeing more of our parent community in school and are always thinking of ways for parents to become more involved.

The Easter activities the children took part in were a lovely way to end the term. Looking ahead to the summer term, we are busy planning a Family Community Fun Day with Harlescott Grange Community Centre – look out for more information on this coming soon.

Thank you to all of our Grange family – children, parents and staff for a great term. Wishing everyone a happy and safe break.

grangeprimaryshrewsbury.co.uk

@grangeprimaryschoolshrewsbury

Football at Woodlands School gives our students the opportunity to practice the team skills of communication, collaboration and peer support. We have had a number of fixtures over the past term, some quite a distance away. Our team is very inclusive, made up of students of all ages and genders, from Year 6 to Year 11. Everyone has a valuable part to play in the team from our big Year 11 centre halves to our nippy, messi-esque Year 7s, who can nip between the legs of their larger opponents with no trouble at all!

Being part of a team gives children a sense of belonging and pride in their school.

Football trips are very special and everyone knows that it is important they manage their own feelings and emotions on the pitch so they do not let their team mates down. Playing together helps our students learn to self-regulate when they might be feeling angry and under pressure, which is a very important life skill.

WOODLANDS SCHOOL Julia Taylor | Headteacher

On our last football trip to play against a team of Year 10 and 11 students in Uttoxeter, our Woodlanders behaved impeccably in spite of quite a heavy loss.

Our manager Lydia and her able assistants Kev and Gaz, commented on the resilience shown by the squad in spite of some seriously big opponents!

In the adjacent photo you can see the team setting off for their trip, joined by our mascot, Bryan, our therapy horse. He would really like to play but sadly he has been risk assessed out as a bit of a trip hazard!

woodlands.school

@WoodlandsShropshire

THE MARCHES SCHOOL Alison Pearson | Headteacher This is a short but packed half term, with preparation for exams now in full flow. Students have been supported with a Resilience Day and learnt some different ways to revise and stay healthy for the weeks ahead.

We are proud to have achieved two elements now of the Rainbow Flag award after the launch of our LGBTQ+ group in September. Some of these students had the courage to share their experiences in school in assembly and the response from the school community has been excellent.

We have been exploring the War in Ukraine through a course of three sessions for all students looking at the History, Geography and Philosophy of the crisis and using assembly to look at diversity and difference in our own school. Students have had lots of questions and valued the space to process the news they have been hearing.

Careers have been the focus in our Futures work this half term with students learning about the opportunities available to them and getting to speak to employers’ face to face at our Careers Fair, with some in Year 10 also visiting the Futures Careers fair in Birmingham.

Sporting success has continued with Football, Netball and Rugby teams progressing to quarterfinals in local tournaments and Year 7 students on our Extended Project pathway have been presenting some excellent ideas for the projects they will run this year – developing their self-management life skills.

It has also been great to hear a buzz in the hall after school as rehearsals for this year’s production have got under way – Lockdown Diaries will hit the stage in July with a huge cast of students eager to finally get the chance to perform in front of an audience.

Finally – our new fitness suite and dance studio as well as our new Reception block are all coming on a pace and staff and students are excited to see them rise up!

marchesschool.co.uk

@MarchesSchool

THE GROVE SCHOOL Sonia Taylor | Headteacher This term the inclusions team have been working hard to open the Wellbeing Bungalow which will be used as an in-house provision to manage the needs of our students who may have difficulty in accessing main school. The Bungalow offers a suite of interventions and has been designed as a setting for bespoke student focused timetables within our beautiful school grounds.

Currently, students are benefitting from coaching, teenage brain sessions, a school counsellor, external mentors and ELSA therapy.

The inclusion team have also been working closely with the local policing team. PCSO Robinson is based at The Grove School one day a week and is working with students both in groups and one to one sessions. He is addressing topics such as online safety, criminal exploitation and substance abuse. Students report that these sessions are beneficial and helping to reduce the fear of the police and remove barriers to engaging with them. The mobile police station attended school and encouraged members of the public to speak to our safer policing team and was well attended.

Time to Talk, ‘the nation’s biggest mental health conversation’, introduced by Mind is designed to address the need for students to take time out of their days to talk to each other. This was enjoyed by our school community including students, mentors, governors and staff and provided an opportunity to talk, use mindfulness and offer further support. Following Student Voice, this will continue on a smaller scale each Friday lunchtime in collaboration with the Wellbeing Student Leadership Team – everyone welcome!

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@GroveSchoolShropshire

SIR JOHN TALBOT'S SCHOOL Tim Stonall | Headteacher Spring has finally sprung, and our young people have certainly been celebrating by actively participating together in a number of national and local events and projects both in school and out. Students and staff have a real sense of belonging at Sir John Talbot's School and they have been working in partnership with the community to fundraise in support of further enrichment opportunities. Efforts have already helped subsidise SJT's first ‘Earth Day’ organised for students in KS3 by Ms Jennings, Geography. The event aims to help raise awareness of environmental issues.

British Science Week - Year 10 Jenny Wallis and Charlotte Mynard, enjoyed their learning together in Science where they dissected a heart!

International Women’s Day - Our Herstory team led by Sixth Form students and Ms Brinkworth, Assistant Headteacher, had the pleasure of interviewing young girls in Year 5 and 6 from three primary schools within our Trust. They spoke about careers, ambition, self-belief, their hopes for the future and what it is like starting secondary school! Featured also in the issue are articles on the remarkable Halima Aden and Valentina Tereshkova. Upcoming in our next issue is an interview with a very influential local lady and business owner – keep posted!

Maths Pi Day - During form time students watched a presentation on Pi. Pi Day is held on the same day as Albert Einstein’s Birthday and celebrates the mathematical constant, pi (TT). It is celebrated on March 14th because this correlates with the first three digits of pi, 3.14.

Sixth Form Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) - A number of Year 12s have been giving their final EPQ presentations. Topics have ranged from mental health support guides to the future of nuclear fuels to safety issues in boxing and brand equity of Nike. In addition, we have had a fantastic range of creative artefacts this year including a fabulous, crocheted dress which was researched, designed, and produced by Eva Mellor. Ruth Edwards and Jo Haycock, Head of Sixth Form, were delighted with the quality and standard of work that has been produced.

Trust Varsity - Mr Brown, Deputy Director of Performance and his department were thrilled to be able to return to the Trust Varsity. This year’s games included Boccia, an inclusive sport that can be played by anyone regardless of age, gender, ability, or disability.

Year 7 Disco - As they reached the mid-point of their first academic year, over one hundred Year 7 children danced the night away. It was a pleasure to see everyone thoroughly enjoying an evening of social activity with their friends away from the busy classroom environment thanks to Mrs Lewis, Year 7 Progress Lead, and her team including our very own in-house DJ, Mr Hughes!

We look forward to the Trust ‘Big Sing’ event organised by Mr Hughes, Director of Performance, where Trust Year 6 primary children will unite with us as part of their transition to secondary school.

Gareth Von Dinther, Vice Chair, of our Local Governing Body, has been supporting the development of our Parent Forums. We have been engaging with parents/carers on several topics and feedback at local and Trust level has enabled us to make change for the better. We continue with the aim of developing positive relationships, listening, and working together to further improve. Details of these calendared events can be found on the website and in the weekly bulletins. Here is some of our recent parent feedback:

I really enjoyed the last meeting. It was a relaxed and open environment where I got to discuss my concerns with someone who wanted to hear them. I genuinely feel like I am part of the school community. sirjohntalbots.co.uk

@SirJohnTalbotsSchool

SHREWSBURY ACADEMY Julie Johnson | Headteacher As we near the end of our spring term, it is lovely to reflect on the excellence achieved within our school and within our community. With lighter nights and warmer days, we hope to build on the momentum from this term and make further positive changes as we move into the summer term.

We are excited by new prospects for our Academy and look forward to working for the best outcomes for every single student who is a part of our community.

During this term, our focus for staff training was to consider our middle leaders and the crucial role they take in ensuring positive outcomes for our students. We have led two sessions over the term that have been well attended and spent time exploring ideas around curriculum vision, engagement, assessment and staff development. The sessions produced some thoughtful discussion between leaders and have begun processes that are already beginning to have an impact on the way in which our students experience subjects across the Academy. It is exciting to see just how far this will go as we move towards the next stage of training.

This term we have been visiting many of our feeder primary schools to deliver a variety of enrichment activities. Mrs Etches-Everest and Mrs Hansen have been providing Art and Textiles sessions to allow students to really develop their creative skill set, whilst Miss White has supported with the delivery of Modern Foreign Languages. It really has been wonderful to get back to face-to-face enrichment and to continue the growth of these KS2-3 relationships. In the summer term, our focus turns to our upcoming Year 7 students, as we make our visits to meet them and ensure their transition is seamless.

The spring term has seen our students take part in lots of exciting opportunities: A group of Year 10 students visited Liverpool and Manchester for a day packed with post-16 experiences. First stop was the Steven Gerrard Academy in Liverpool for some data analysis and a football tournament. They then headed to Liverpool Hope University, for a tour and an energy drink making masterclass. Students also received a sightseeing tour around Goodison Park, Anfield and Old Trafford, before going to Ninja Warrior in Manchester! We also took 49 students to the NEC to look at life after school. The event was packed with different universities from around the UK giving out advice, goody bags and the occasional sweet! Employers were also on hand to talk through apprenticeship options whilst the RAF had mini presentations and a VR flight simulator.

In little pockets amongst the exhibitors were inspirational speakers and lectures on different career paths. All the students returned to the coach exhausted, however the chatter was animated and filled with energy and enthusiasm as they discussed their different experiences. The day was excellent, and students were inspired by future choices.

On Saturday 2nd April, we were very excited to host the Shropshire LGBTQ+ Youth Showcase at The Hive Belmont. Our school was asked to organise and lead this exciting event, which gave young people from across the county an opportunity to attend and celebrate the wonderful things that our young people do. It also looked at ways in which we can further support them.

Finally, this year marks 70 years since Her Majesty, the Queen first became British Monarch.

Shrewsbury Academy has marked this incredible occasion by planting a tree on the school site.

The Queen’s Green Canopy is a national project that Shrewsbury Town Council are supporting locally. This will be a long-lasting and valuable way to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. shrewsburyacademy.co.uk

@ShrewsburyAcademy

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