STAR NEWS

Pupils celebrate A level, GCSE and BTec success

Pupils from Star schools celebrated their A level GCSE and BTec achievements this summer after overcoming a year of pandemic disruption.

Pupils and staff across the country faced a turbulent year as they worked to counter disruption caused by lockdown, periods of self-isolation and illness. Exams were cancelled this summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Exam boards issued qualifications based on grades determined by teachers following assessments and tests completed in school. In August, pupils collected their results and celebrated their efforts as they took their next steps towards securing their dream careers.

Many A level and BTec students secured their places on degree courses at universities across the country. Zeba Phoplunkar from Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School and Sixth Form College (TIGHS) in Blackburn achieved the top A* grade in A level Maths, Biology and Chemistry and has secured a place to study Medicine at The University of Cambridge. Zeba says that the school helped her to flourish and offered excellent support that has enabled her to fulfil her ambitions. She said: “I want to say thank you to all those that have helped me achieve one of my lifelong dreams. I want to thank my family for their endless support and the teachers at TIGHS who adapted their traditional teaching styles so that I was able to flourish. Even though this is all happening during an unprecedented time, I am grateful of those around me for making this journey as normal as Covid-19 would allow it.” Talented student Sheldon Leigh from Bay Leadership Academy in Morecambe achieved A levels in English Literature A and History A and a BTec Photography Distinction. Sheldon is delighted to have secured a place to study English Literature and History at Bangor University. Sheldon’s talent was recognised by the university, which awarded him a £2,000 scholarship after he proved his ability in a scholarship exam. Sheldon said: “I’m really pleased with the grades I got and so proud that I can go to my first choice university with the confidence that I can do anything that I put my mind to.” Two Year 13 students at Tong Leadership Academy in Bradford have been awarded prestigious scholarships to help them work towards their dream careers.

Nokukhanya Moyo and Estera Mititelu have been granted £10,000 each, by the Frank Hester scholarship, to help finance their university education. Funding for the scholarship has been provided by Leeds-based healthcare software provider, TPP. The scholarship was established in 2016 to help students who want to further their education, but who do not have the financial means to do so or whose circumstances have adversely affected their education. Estera achieved an A in English and B in Law at A level and a Distinction in BTec Business and is now continuing her studies with a degree in Law at Leeds University. Estera is the first person in her family to study at university and is grateful for the additional support she will receive. She said: “I was absolutely speechless when I heard the news that I had been selected for the scholarship. The scholarship will make a huge difference. I work at a local tea room and I couldn’t ever save that amount of money. It will make life a lot easier. My family didn’t know what to say, they couldn’t believe it. I feel really proud of myself. It feels like I’ve had a chance in a million, and I feel really appreciated and supported by my school and my family.” Nokukhanya was awarded D*D*D* in BTec Triple Science and has secured a place to study Pharmacy at Nottingham University. She said: “I was so happy when I heard about the scholarship. I just couldn’t believe it. The funding means I won’t have to find a part time job straight away, so I’ll be able to really focus on my university work. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, it means so much to me.”

Despite Covid-19 related disruption of recent years, GCSE pupils across the trust celebrated their results day with their usual enthusiasm.

At Eden Boys’ School, Bolton Saim Chatha achieved a fantastic set of ten grade 9s. Never one to settle for second best, Saim pushed himself tirelessly to achieve his best and those efforts are rewarded as he moves on to Runshaw College to study A levels in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science. Lee Black from Highfield Leadership Academy was awarded a scholarship to study A levels at Rossall School thanks to his talent and commitment to his education. Lee secured eight grade 9s in English, Maths, Science, Geography, RE, Creative

iMedia and Health and Fitness and two grade 7s in French and English Literature. He is also a gifted swimmer and footballer, who trains with Fleetwood Academy. At Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest, Sedra Afzali was the school’s highest achiever after securing an outstanding set of results. Teachers said her nine grade 9s and one grade 8 in her GCSE subjects, as well as a BTec Distinction*, came as no surprise as she has always worked incredibly hard. Sedra said: “It is such a wonderful feeling to finally have these results. I cannot actually believe it. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me get here.” Sumayyah Miah from Small Heath Leadership Academy was awarded four grade 9s and 3 grade 8s in her GCSEs. Teachers say that Sumayyah demonstrated great resilience throughout her studies and was determined to achieve grade 9s across multiple subjects. The diligent pupil is looking to continue her studies in science and eventually pursue dentistry at university and beyond. Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “This past year has presented challenge after challenge to the pupils and staff at our schools. Yet despite these difficulties, our pupils have shown incredible character and determination to continue to make steadfast progress towards achieving their ultimate goals. Our pupils’ success is testimony to their fortitude and perseverance, which I know will carry them far in life. Congratulations to all our pupils and thank you to all our families and staff who have helped to support our pupils’ wonderful achievements.”

Bradford school moves to state-of-the-art permanent home

Pupils and staff at Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford are celebrating the opening of their new school site.

The new purpose-built site will give pupils access to outstanding facilities in an environment that is tailored to ensure every pupil is able to achieve their very best outcome.

Pupils and staff are enjoying the experience of working and learning in their outstanding tailor-made facilities, which they say are already beginning to support improved learning outcomes. The new Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Bradford site, which is located on Syedna Way, will provide pupils with modern teaching classrooms featuring the latest technology, with specialist rooms for art, food technology, creative arts and ICT. The building also contains a suite of well-equipped, contemporary science laboratories, a large science preparatory room and a modern, spacious library with a new learning resource centre. Pupils and staff will also have access to a reflection hall for prayer. The school, is also home to excellent sports facilities, including a sports hall, fitness studio, hard play area, astro turf MUGA (multi-use games area) and a 9-aside pitch. Pupils and staff are already enjoying the features at the new permanent school site which will enable pupils to pursue their ambitions with even greater success for many years to come.

Star schools’ blended teaching practices praised by Department for Education

Two Star Academies schools have been highlighted by the Department for Education (DfE) as examples of excellence in blended teaching practices.

The Olive School, Bolton and Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School (TIBHS) both featured in the recent DfE publication, ‘Remote Education Blended Delivery Case Studies’, which detailed teaching success stories from life in the pandemic. As schools closed their doors to the majority of pupils during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff at Star Academies worked tirelessly to meet the educational and wellbeing needs of its pupils. Teachers at The Olive School, Bolton identified that stalled language development in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) posed a key risk to pupil progress during lockdown. A significant number of pupils at the school have English as an additional language — a challenge which was ordinarily met by immersing pupils in vocabulary and syntactic language patterns in school.

During lockdown, the school worked to deliver language-rich remote lessons, which prioritised vocabulary development. Each day, pupils received three ‘live’ online lessons, where they could interact with staff and peers at the school. A ‘story of the week’ gave pupils multiple opportunities to hear, repeat and memorise language patterns that would enable them to learn essential language skills. Children at home continued to read individually from books uploaded to MS Teams, which were differentiated according to their ability to blend sounds. On a weekly basis, all children were called by staff and read a story aloud. Parents could hear the feedback their child received and have some further time with the staff member to discuss their children’s progress. As a result of the school’s efforts, pupils benefitted from meaningful contact with their teachers, support staff and friends. They followed routines that were well established in school and, through regular practice and repetition of language, they continued to develop their vocabulary. At TIBHS, staff focused on ensuring pupils did not become disengaged from their learning during the pandemic and that staff workloads remained manageable. The process began by ensuring that the IT equipment used by pupils and staff was fit for purpose and that every single pupil was able to access remote learning. A member of the Senior Leadership Team was nominated to support staff training and staff were given a bespoke CPD programme using Microsoft Learning Pathways to improve practice. The school adopted MS OneNote as the default for teachers’ planning, pupils’ recording and for all the school’s business activities. Pupils at home used OneNote so teachers could check and probe their work in real-time whilst pupils in class would work in their own books.

By defining core digital tools and training staff so that everyone understood the applications and the rationale for their use, the school successfully created a commonality of approach. This ensured that pupils were familiar with common expectations across the school.

Teachers also taught pupils face-to-face and online in one virtual classroom where possible, which enabled all pupils to interact with their teachers and peers during lessons. One teacher would focus on those face-to-face and, where a member of support staff was available, they would manage the online ‘chat’ function and support those at home. Where support staff were not available, the teacher would alternate between questioning those studying at home and those present in the classroom.

The school saw exceptionally high levels of pupil engagement which was monitored through work completed in lessons and on OneNote, interaction in lessons, completion of exit and start tasks, as well as summative and formative exams using online tools. Online attendance at TIBHS was 99.5% during lockdown. The Covid-19 pandemic presented many challenges to the pupils’ education and wellbeing, but staff at Star Academies and its schools worked incredibly hard to minimise any effect of the pandemic on its pupils. Schools are learning from their practice under Covid-19 and are continuing to seek out innovative approaches and tailormade solutions for the long-term benefit of pupils.

PUPILS IMMERSED IN ‘GIGANTICUS’ Roald Dahl day

In September, a host of Star schools joined in the global celebration of the life and works of British children’s author, Roald Dahl, who wrote many children’s classics including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG. On Roald Dahl Day, Star pupils joined children all over the world to remember the favourite characters and stories from these ever-popular children’s books, which have sold more than 250 million copies.

Among the activities taking place in our schools, Bay Leadership Academy held a Roald Dahl themed open evening where free copies of Dahl’s books were handed out to pupils. At Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East, golden tickets were hidden around the school in true Chocolate Factory style. Those lucky enough to find one didn’t receive an invitation to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory but they did receive their own copy of a Roald Dahl classic. As well as being remembered for his kind-hearted child heroes and humorous narratives, Dahl created his own distinctive language to create the vivid worlds in which his characters lived. Pupils at Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy explored Dahl’s extraordinary use of language in a ‘Guess the Quote’ competition where the winners got to make their very own ‘scrumdiddlyumptious’ chocolate bar. Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest marked the day by officially opening their new library. Following a cake cutting ceremony, pupils were filmed talking about their favourite Roald Dahl books.

Year 7 pupils at Small Heath Leadership Academy were lucky enough to be gifted a Roald Dahl book to help them discover Dahl’s heroic characters and imaginative worlds. Highfield Leadership Academy pupils used the day to learn about Roald Dahl’s life and an important life lesson - how success didn’t come easily. Dahl had to overcome many challenges along the way - including the deaths of close family members and overcoming a serious injury sustained during World War II - which made him even more determined to succeed.

Pupils in Star primary schools also immersed themselves in the magical worlds from Roald Dahl’s novels. At The Olive School, Blackburn, a school poll found the most popular Roald Dahl character was Miss Trunchbull from Dahl’s classic Matilda. Meanwhile at The Olive School, Preston, pupils dressed up as characters from the best-selling books and made potions, chocolate and biscuits inspired by Roald Dahl’s characters and storylines. Year 6 pupils at Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy chose family-favourite James and the Giant Peach as their focus for the day. Pupils dressed up as insects to pay homage to some of their most cherished characters from the book, including Old-Green-Grasshopper, Ladybird and Miss Spider.

OFSTED INSPECTORS PRAISE HIGHFIELD SCHOOL LEADERS FOR “TRANSFORMING” SCHOOL

Highfield Leadership Academy has reached a significant milestone in its improvement journey and is now out of special measures following an Ofsted inspection in July.

The inspectors reported that school leaders are “transforming” the Blackpool school for its pupils. Ofsted commended the excellent progress the school is making and recognised that “pupils cherish the support that they get from staff, including for their mental health and wellbeing.” The inspectors noted the excellent progress that had been made since the last inspection in 2018 and graded the school ‘good’ in three out of the four inspection areas, namely Leadership and Management, Personal Development, and Behaviour and Attitudes. The report highlighted the caring ethos of the school and says that “pupils feel happy and safe” and that “bullying of any kind is rare”. Pupils said that “the best thing about Highfield Leadership Academy is the sense of belonging that they feel”. The inspectors recognised that “pupils are proud of their school”. The school was praised for its safeguarding measures, which were deemed to be “a considerable strength” of the school. The report also acknowledged that “leaders have strengthened the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)”.

School leaders welcomed the findings, which have given them even greater confidence that the school will soon secure its goal of achieving an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grading.

Teaching assistants treated on special day

Star schools celebrated National Teaching Assistants Day to show their appreciation for the valuable role teaching assistants play in school each and every day.

To recognise the exceptional contribution teaching assistants make to children’s education and support, staff and pupils held special events to thank them for their priceless support. Many schools marked the occasion by hosting celebratory meals for their teaching assistants and support staff, including breakfasts and brunches at Starbank School, The Olive School, Bolton and The Olive School, Hackney. Pupils at Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest made thank you cards and cakes to recognise and give thanks to their teaching assistants. Staff at Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy were invited to attend a luxurious afternoon tea. Whilst enjoying cream cakes and other sweet treats, the school’s teaching assistants were given cards made by the pupils. Meanwhile, teaching assistants at The Olive School, Blackburn were treated to some much-needed rest and recuperation at a Chai and Chat morning The UK has almost 250,000 teaching assistants working in schools, of which over 370 work at Star. They play an invaluable role in providing tailored classroom support for pupils, creating outstanding learning environments and providing the support pupils need to succeed.

The Big Teach kicks off with behaviour masterclass

More than 1,000 teachers and school leaders from all Star schools joined the Star Institute’s first virtual Big Teach event of 2021-22.

The Big Teach session was delivered by nationally-renowned behaviour expert and author, Tom Bennett. Tom is the author of ‘Running the Room: the teacher’s guide to behaviour’. In 2015, he was appointed the UK government’s advisor on school behaviour and is in charge of the Behaviour Hubs programme. Tom’s Big Teach session focused on the importance of teaching habits of good behaviour, including how to make it easy for pupils to behave well and hard for them not to.

The Big Teach is a series of teaching masterclasses led by international experts. It is organised by Star Institute, Star Academies’ learning and development arm, as part of the trust’s ongoing professional development for its team of over 1,000 teaching staff. Big Teach events coming up next year will see the return of Tom Sherrington, best-selling author of Rosenshine’s Principles in Action, and Doug Lemov, an internationally acclaimed American educator and author of the Teach Like a Champion, who will be joined by Erica Woolway, Chief Academic Officer of the Teach Like a Champion Team and co-author of Reading Reconsidered and Practice Perfect.

STAR SCHOOLS CELEBRATE

Black History Month in October is always an important month in the Star calendar and this year was no different. Pupils and staff at Star schools across the country embraced Black History Month as an opportunity to explore and develop a greater understanding of Black History, heritage and culture.

In every school, history classes, assemblies and displays were used to celebrate Black History and remember key events, from the Civil Rights movement to the murder of George Floyd. Against an international backdrop of protest and unrest, Black History Month and our responsibility to educate pupils about both historic and current events continued to hold special significance. Throughout the month, pupils learnt about the positive contribution Black people have made throughout history and celebrated more recent achievements and contributions of Black people in the UK and around the world, such as footballer Marcus Rashford’s political campaigning and Amanda Gorman’s poetry and activism for equality. Star schools marked the month with a range of activities that enhanced their understanding of the history of Black people. Pupils at Bay Leadership Academy researched influential science heroes, from George Washington Carver, regarded by many as the most prominent Black scientist of the early 20th century, to Mae Carol Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space. At Eden Boy’s Leadership Academy, Birmingham East, pupils spent the week learning about Somalia and its contribution to world history. Nearby, pupils at Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham immersed themselves in different African civilisations. They learnt about the Mali Empire and its leader, Mansa Musa. Pupils also celebrated the inspirational life of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo – a prominent Muslim prince from West Africa who was kidnapped to America and sold into slavery – with a powerful and poignant presentation through music, poetry and rap with guest, Abdullah Bustami Khir. In London, pupils at Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest used social media to share motivational quotes from prominent Black individuals each day throughout the month. They also took part in a Black History Heroes workshop with local schools, and pupils wrote their own spoken word poetry on the theme of Proud to Be to celebrate their roots. Nelson Mandela is recognised around the world as one of the leading social rights activist and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his anti-apartheid work. Pupils at Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy celebrated Nelson Mandela’s numerous achievements by holding a Mandela cultural day. The school was decorated with inspirational and poignant quotes from Nelson Mandela to remind pupils of his life and wisdom. Children dressed in red, green and yellow clothes – colours from the South African flag – and celebrated with a special lunch.

Our primary pupils enjoyed a wealth of cultural experiences to mark the month. Pupils at The Olive School, Blackburn created artwork inspired by Lois Mailou Jones. At Thornbury Primary Leadership Academy, pupils studied the life and work of American poet and activist Amanda Gorman, whose work focuses on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization. Pupils created a display inspired by the US Youth Poet Laureate’s writing and poetry. The sound of African drumming raised the roof at The Olive School, Hackney with pupils learning about African music and trying their hand at traditional drumming.

SEARCHING FOR OUR STARS

Following the success of the inaugural Star Awards in March 2020, nominations are now open for the 2022 awards.

The Star Awards bring together schools from across the Star Academies family to celebrate the achievements of pupils, staff and governors who embody our STAR values. The awards are designed to celebrate the stars in our schools - both the unsung heroes and the high achievers - and there are 20 categories to recognise the many different ways our pupils, staff and governors contribute to the Star community. Chief Executive, Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE said: “These awards provide a wonderful way of showcasing some wonderful examples of the commitment, drive and innovation demonstrated every day by our pupils, teachers, support staff and governors across the Star family. Many of our pupils face significant challenges and adversity in their lives, yet they are still committed to their education, and to helping others thrive in our schools. The stories the awards uncover make us all at Star Academies extremely proud and it serves as a humbling reminder of why we all continue to strive to be the very best we can be.”

The winners will be revealed at a high-profile awards ceremony in March 2022.

Leading lights join Star Institute’s senior team

Melanie Renowden has been appointed as Executive Director: Star Institute. Melanie has worked in education for 25 years specialising in teacher development. Starting out as a civil servant which gave her a “brilliant apprenticeship”, she discovered a career that she loves. Previously at the Teaching Schools Council, Melanie brings with her a wealth of experience from her work with a number of high profile organisations, including as interim chief executive at Ambition Institute.

“Working in an area where you really believe in the purpose is a privilege. Teachers and leaders do amongst the most important jobs in society, so supporting them to be the best is extremely rewarding”, Melanie explained. “I’ve observed Star Academies’ work since the start and they have pulled off what so many others have tried to do and been less successful. They have improved education in communities that have been left behind and forgotten - it’s really remarkable!” “It’s fantastic to join the executive team at Star Academies. Star Institute has got big ambitions for the development of school staff, in Star Academies and beyond, and I’m looking forward to taking the very best professional development and making it accessible to all. It’s important that our practice constantly evolves as we embed what we know works in continuing professional development (CPD), and that we draw on the trust’s schools and staff to ensure the Star DNA is reflected in our offer.” Reuben Moore will also be joining Star Institute in February from Teach First where he has worked for 11 years and is currently Executive Director for Programme Development. An experienced teacher educator and school leader, Reuben will join Star Institute’s senior leadership team as SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) Director and Trust Lead for Teacher Development. Commenting on his appointment, Melanie said: “I’m thrilled that Reuben will be joining Star Institute. He’s deeply knowledgeable about teacher training and one of the architects of Teach First’s success. The new role enables him to get closer to schools and trainees, which is something he’s very much looking forward to. We want to give new teachers the very best start in the profession through our outstanding training programme, and help them to flourish throughout their careers. With Reuben onboard, I’m confident we can achieve this.”

FESTIVE WINTER GIFT PROGRAMME

Spreading festive hope in our communities

Our annual Festive Winter Gift Programme, a major trust-wide charitable drive, is spreading hope and happiness across the Star family this winter. All 30 Star schools are playing their part to help the most vulnerable people in their communities. Through community engagement, fundraising and volunteering, the project will reach out to thousands of people of all ages this winter who are unwell, elderly or living in care, and those experiencing homelessness, loneliness or food poverty.

To help spread kindness, schools have created gifts and hampers which are being delivered to local care homes, hospitals, local charities and community support groups. Pupils are also hard at work collecting donations of food and clothing for local charities and designing cards, writing letters and recording video messages for residents of local care homes and those spending time in hospital this winter. Some schools are hosting online events to spread a little festive cheer by connecting with vulnerable or isolated members of their community, whilst others have visited local care homes to perform songs outside so that residents can watch from the safety and warmth of their own homes. Through a number of charity events held in school, Eden Boys School, Bolton has raised enough money to enable the school to donate more than 600 meals for the homeless and 600 gifts for local charities - one meal and one gift from every pupil in the school. Alongside the gifts, pupils have also written messages of hope to the recipients. Laisterdyke Leadership Academy has been spreading joy to local care home residents. Pupils performed carols outside the care home and delivered hampers to residents. Pupils and staff at The Olive School, Preston have donated hats, gloves and scarves, as well as essential food and toiletry packs, to a local homeless charity. Since the start of the academic year, schools have been running Star Family Hubs to help tackle food poverty and provide support to their local communities. In early December, the generosity of staff, pupils and families warmed the hearts of stricken communities and fed thousands of people during a special, week-long Food For All campaign. Throughout the week, schools focussed their philanthropic endeavours on cooking and distributing thousands of freshly-prepared hot meals and food parcels. An army of volunteers, including pupils, alumni, staff and parents, worked tirelessly to distribute the food to the homes of vulnerable families, and to care homes, hospitals, charities and foodbanks.

Eden Boy’s School, Birmingham were busy in the kitchen during Food for All week, cooking up an incredible 2,000 hot meals. The fresh meals were distributed to the most vulnerable people in the local community. Elsewhere in Birmingham, staff and pupils from Starbank School kindly donated their time to volunteer in a local soup kitchen, serving food to homeless people. The school community at The Olive School, Blackburn has focussed its efforts on supporting local families in food poverty. Staff, parents and pupils have redoubled their efforts to ensure the local foodbank is well stocked over the winter period, with each class donating specific items that are most in demand. Sir Mufti Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said: “We pride ourselves on making a positive difference to society. As well as benefitting vulnerable people in our communities, many of whom suffer from loneliness, our pupils will also gain from their involvement in the Festive Winter Gift Programme by experiencing first-hand the positive impact of helping those less fortunate. As well as linking to each of our STAR values - Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect - the initiative brings our schools’ leadership specialism to the fore as pupils get involved in planning and participating in a range of charitable and volunteering opportunities. This programme is one of our largest charity campaigns of the year and I’m so proud of the extraordinary lengths our pupils and staff have gone to in support of their local communities.”

Follow our Twitter account @StarAcademies to read updates about all of the heartwarming activities taking place across the country as part of this year’s Festive Winter Gift Programme.

STAR SCHOOLS RAISE THOUSANDS FOR CANCER CHARITY

Macmillan Cancer Support held its annual Coffee Morning fundraiser at the end of September, where people all over the UK host coffee mornings and cake sales big and small.

As ever, Star schools couldn’t wait to do their bit, donning aprons, baking culinary masterpieces and tucking into treats to help raise more than ten thousand pounds for the national cancer charity, by hosting their own fundraising events. Starbank School in Birmingham designated the day as a non-uniform day as well as hosting a gigantic bake sale boasting tables and tables packed with tasty home baked treats. The incredible efforts of staff, pupils and their families resulted in the school raising a phenomenal £3,000 for Macmillan.

Principal, Gaetano Ferrante said: “This was our first charity event of the school year, and it was a huge success thanks to the brilliant contributions of our whole community. We saw some phenomenal individual efforts from pupils and year groups. Year 7 pupils raised an incredible £800 of the £3,000 total, which was testament to the hard work and good will of everyone in the school community.” The Olive School, Small Heath held a series of Macmillan themed activities alongside a traditional cake sale. Together, they resulted in a total donation of £2,380, in part thanks to Mr Chowdhury, Mrs Duggins and Mrs Jabber colouring their hair green to pull in extra funds. Eden Girls’ School, Slough smashed its £1,000 fundraising target by boosting its cake sale with a special tuck shop, which proved to be extremely popular with pupils and staff alike!

At Eden Girls’ School, Coventry, pupils could have mistaken the fundraiser for another Roald Dahl Day celebration. Lashings of cakes, oodles of chocolate and heaps of sweet treats adorned the school hall, transforming it for the day into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Their wonderful creations raised more than £300 for the cancer charity. Eden Boys’ School, Bolton exceeded all expectations by raising a whopping £2,260. This year, staff and pupils branched out by creating not just cakes, but a feast including over 400 freshly-cooked samosas, hundreds of cookies and a selection of chocolates and sweets.

At The Valley Leadership Academy, Principal Mr O’Brien and Assistant Principal Mr Laher went head to head in a banana bread bake-off. Due to their poor performance and almost inedible bakes Miss Vali was crowned the banana bread champion. The cake sale, which was held in the school’s new arts theatre, included spectacular Willy Wonka and Harry Potter themed showstopper cakes. Elsewhere, pupils took part in sporting contests to raise funds for Macmillan whilst burning off the calories consumed at the cake sale. Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East held a football tournament and penalty shoot-out competitions and pupils at TIGHS took part in a charity netball match.

In November, one of the most solemn days in the trust’s calendar was marked with respect and reflective thoughts as every school remembered the fallen heroes of the two world wars.

Two minutes silence fell across all schools at 11am on 11 November on Armistice Day, the exact moment fighting stopped in 1918 marking the end of World War I. At Highfield Leadership Academy, the Year 10 RAF cadets and school prefects delivered the school’s Act of Remembrance. Pupils from several schools participated in local and national events to pay their respects to the fallen. Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham attended a remembrance service at the city’s cathedral and pupils from Eden Boys’ School, Preston visited the cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday to observe the commemorations.

Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham East sold poppies to raise money for the Royal British Legion and created a large poppy display at school. Pupils representing Bay Leadership Academy led a remembrance service at a local church, where each pupil created a cross in remembrance of a soldier from the local community. The crosses were placed in the ground and Mr Larder played The Last Post on the bugle, which is sounded at commemorative services and military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest. During the autumn term, pupils at Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest have been taking part in the Remember Together project to uncover forgotten family histories of Black and Asian service in the Second World War. The school marked Armistice Day with a visit from Major Naveed Muhammad MBE, chairman of the Armed Forces Muslim Association, who gave a poignant speech to pupils . You can read more about the Remember Together project on page 23. The youngest members of the Star family also paid their respects through a series of remembrance activities, including making wreaths, poppies and displays and designing poppy-themed t-shirts. Pupils at Barkerend Primary Leadership Academy performed a remembrance day concert for residents of Shakespeare Court care home, with each year group performing a different song of remembrance.

Commemorating Rabi ul Awwal in our faith schools

Rabi ul Awwal is the third month of the Islamic calendar occurring after the months of Muharram and Safar. The literal meaning of Rabi ul Awwal is ‘the first spring’ but, because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar calendar, Rabi ul Awwal began in autumn this year on 7 October 2021.

Historically, the three major events commemorated during the blessed month of Rabi ul Awwal are the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – the final messenger to whom the Qur’aan was revealed – the Hijrah (migration) of the Prophet (pbuh) from Makkah to Madinah, and the death of Prophet (pbuh) on 12th Rabi ul Awwal in the 11th year of Islam (11 AH, 632 AD).

Our faith schools marked Rabi ul Awwal by dedicating time and creativity to activities where they learned about the life and generosity of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The month is considered to be a month of reflection and a time for Muslims to renew their love for the Prophet (pbuh). Many Muslims take time to remember significant events that have taken place, to reflect on them and use them as inspiration to develop positive character traits. Pupils took time to reflect on their own actions as individuals and towards the wider community and considered how they can take inspiration from the life of the Prophet (pbuh). Pupils engaged in prayer by sending blessings and peace to the Prophet (pbuh), listened to and performed commemorative songs and showered their peers, teachers and families with random acts of kindness to show their appreciation for others. Pupils learnt about the Prophet’s (pbuh) life by studying and tasting foods recommended by the Prophet (pbuh), such as honey, dates, olives and figs. The importance of physical and mental wellbeing was also on the agenda, with pupils participating in a range of sports performed by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – including running, archery and swimming.

Raising pounds for Pudsey

Star schools once again came together with enormous energy and creativity to raise funds for BBC Children in Need.

The national charity event, which helps change the lives of children and young people across the UK, has become an important day in the school calendar.

Spotty tops, pyjamas and a sea of yellow outfits brightened up school classrooms, canteens and corridors for the day. Eden Boys’ School, Bolton set up a tasty tuck shop and had a non-uniform day, which collectively raised £1,100. Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham held an ‘Eden Market’ in aid of Pudsey. Each form was tasked with running a stall to raise money for the children’s charity, culminating in a donation of more than £1,200. Pudsey was coupled with pizza in Manchester, as pupils from Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Manchester raised more than £1,500 by selling slices of pizza, having a cake sale and a raffle. Pudsey also made an appearance at the school, popping into assembly and visiting pupils in their classes to thank them for their fundraising efforts. Boys at Eden Boys’ Leadership Academy, Manchester channelled their inner MasterChefs to organise a ‘Scranchester’ food event. The culinary celebration saw the hall adorned with baked delights from onion bhajis to Bakewell tarts. The school’s Year 10 charity leaders created Pudsey-inspired sweet cones, which proved to be a bestseller. Rainbow Primary Leadership Academy raised an impressive £560. Staff and pupils supplemented a traditional cake sale with fun competitions, including ‘guess the name of the teddy’ and ‘how many sweets in the jar’.

Teachers were in the firing line at The Olive School, Bolton to help raise more than £1,300. Pupils lined up to make a donation to ‘pie the teacher’. Throughout the school, pupils and staff also donned wacky hair styles and Pudsey ears for the day. Inspired by Joe Wicks’ 24-hour workout for Children in Need in 2020, exercise was the order of the day at The Olive School, Preston. As well as taking part in a live workout with Joe Wicks, pupils also raised money by taking part in a penalty shootout challenge.