Sowing the seeds of potential

~ Birches Head Academy – first school to approach Coronation Meadows initiative ~

Birches Head Academy in Stoke-On-Trent is working with its school gardening club called ‘Grow It Group’ and the Coronation Meadows initiative to help rejuvenate the school grounds. The initiative is part of a project founded by Prince Charles to help increase wild flower population in the UK. The first batches of seeds at the Birches Head Academy were planted on November 14, 2013.   

Habitats classed as meadows have fallen by 97% since the 1930’s, but Birches Head member of staff Jo-Anne Lawton is eager to help out not just her school, but the wider environment as well. Taking advantage of an unused plot of land on the school grounds, Mrs Lawton hopes to use seeds from the first batch of plants and flowers to cultivate the meadow further and inspire other schools to do the same.

This environmentally friendly activity helps primarily urban students gain a fresh insight into wild fauna and flora that living in the city of Stoke-on-Trent might not normally provide.

Birches Head Academy’s first point of contact was Prince Charles’ abode, Highgrove House. It was then referred to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, and because Birches Head Academy was the first school to enquire, they were invited to the established Rod Wood Coronation Meadow to collect seeds free of charge.

The ‘Grow it’ group, comprised of students, their families and Birches Head Academy staff, travelled to Rod Wood to observe how a meadow is maintained using traditional farming methods, and to learn more about flowers and plants.

They were given two types of seeds; common flowers and a batch of wildflower seeds from Rod Wood.

The school then held a planting ceremony by filling balloons with wildflower seeds and, while holding them to the ground, bursting the balloons to randomly spread the seeds.

Birches Head Academy hopes this initiative will go beyond just an improvement to the aesthetic of the school. They would like to encourage other schools to follow their lead, while also teaching their students about environmental responsibility.

The ‘Grow It Group’ has gone from strength to strength. “Our weekly gardening group continues to flourish with students, staff, community organisations, parents and grandparents all joining in,” explained Mrs Lawton. “We’re very pleased to see some of our students who have rarely been exposed to the countryside environment, taking such care and interest in cultivating their small plots of land around the school.”

Founded in 2012, the Grow It group grows its own produce on an assigned plot of school land. Vegetables produced by the group have been used in the school cafeteria.

Birches Head Academy also hopes that with the introduction of new wild plants on the school grounds will lead to more wildlife. In turn this will lead to increased group activity and interest from students, families and staff. The assigned plot is next to the school's poly tunnel, used to house plants and flowers.

Back of the net for Birches Head girls

~ Birches Head Academy wins girls seven-a-side football tournament ~

A team of girls from Stoke-on-Trent high school Birches Head Academy have won an under 16 girls football tournament. The interschool competition, which consisted of three secondary schools, took place at the end of January at Ormiston’s Sir Stanley Matthews Academy. 

The tournament was on the receiving end of pouring rain and freezing winds. Despite this, the Birches Head Academy team got off to a great start beating the host’s line-up two - nil, with goals from Katie Palmer-Bull assisted by Becky Johnson.

The second and final match against Biddulph High School proved a little more difficult for the Birches Head girls, whose team consists of a variety of year groups. But with strong defensive displays from Nicole Harrison, Amber Parry and Emillie Corden, Birches Head Academy came out as one – nil winners and as a result, won the entire tournament.

“Winning the tournament was a brilliant, well deserved achievement for the Birches Head girl’s football team,” commented Tracey Matthias, schools sports coordinator of Birches Head Academy. “Antonia Dean did an excellent job as goalkeeper, giving the girls confidence throughout. Jordan Brocklehurst also did a fantastic job refereeing the competition. He turned up to spectate and then volunteered to help out. The girls worked really hard and were definitely worthy winners.”

“It’s great to see the team’s hard work and practice is paying off,” commented Karen Healey, head teacher of Birches Head Academy. “The tournament had some pretty tough contenders and the weather wasn’t on their side either. The girls accepted the challenge and took the title graciously,” she concluded.

The Under 16 Girls Football Tournament was part of a regular seven-a-side Stoke Schools competition.

Stoke students roll with the punches

Birches Head Academy teams up with local police for Boxing Awards 

Students at Birches Head Academy have begun a six week boxing programme to increase levels of discipline in the classroom. Boxing Awards began at the end of 2013 and is a new initiative introduced to the school in partnership with Staffordshire police.

Boxing Awards started its Staffordshire journey in Cannock. After its success in the area; Staffordshire Police suggested the six week programme to other schools in the county. The project is a fully backed scheme open to schools all over the UK.

The scheme allows students to learn about boxing, self defence and discipline in a safe, non competitive environment, with every participant that completes the course receiving a diploma.

Male and female students at Birches Head participated in the Boxing Awards scheme in the school’s drama hall at the beginning of the 2013 autumn term and the project will continue on an ongoing basis.

Nicola Humphries, Safety Schools Officer and Samantha Lacey, Behavior Support Worker at Birches Head Academy worked with Andy Whitehall from Birches Head’s local policing team to coordinate the project aimed at year seven, eight and nine students.

“The students were very fond of the scheme and the staff really reaped the benefits of the activity,” commented Katie Dixon, Vice Principal of Student Services at Birches Head Academy. “We had some really strong contenders this year and we’re already forward planning for next year’s effort. We want to train another member of staff here so that we have more flexibility and so that we can deliver the programme on an annual basis.

“Birches Head students Tyler Forrest, Amy Austin, Lewis Rawlingson, Adrian Attwood, Leah Dunkley and Tia Dunkley all took part in the scheme. The project has enabled us to tie in fitness, fun and discipline in a really simple and effective way. Boxing Awards is something that students and staff both look forward to seeing in their timetables,” explained Dixon.

“Birches Head Academy appreciates that not all young adults choose to take conventional career routes. It’s important to lead these students in the right direction. The boxing course teaches skills directly linked to behavior in the classroom and it’s been an extremely positive scheme,” commented Karen Healey, Birches Head Academy’s head teacher.

Thinking about becoming a teacher?

~ Schools Direct initiative trains Stoke teachers using local expertise ~

The Trust for Innovative Learning and Training (TILT), an educational co-operative that unites schools and colleges based in Stoke-on-Trent, has locally introduced the Schools Direct programme. 

The Government scheme offers a unique training route to obtain qualified teacher status (QTS). Along with other TILT members, Birches Head Academy will play an active part in the teacher training, sharing the school’s knowledge and expertise with the trainees.

Applications for TILT’s Schools Direct scheme, starting in September 2014, opened on November 21, 2013. The process is currently administered by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). Applications for a Schools Direct place within TILT can be made on the Department of Education website.

The novelty of the Schools Direct scheme comes from the fact that, for the first time, schools can partner up and use their expertise and experience to train outstanding teachers for their community.

The Schools Direct programme uses existing knowledge from local schools in order to develop the teaching skills of candidates who wish to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS).

To be eligible, candidates must have a UK undergraduate degree or a recognised equivalent qualification, a GCSE grade C or above in English and Maths, and a GCSE grade C or above in science, in the case of candidates wanting to teach primary or key stage 2/3 (ages 7-14).

“Each student has different needs and aspirations; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for education. Offering each and every pupil the type of support and encouragement they need is one of the main challenges teachers face,” explains Karen Healey, head teacher at Birches Head Academy.

“The Schools Direct initiative brings a change to traditional teacher training. It allows local schools to bring their expertise together and train outstanding teachers for the local community.

“The initiative particularly benefits co-operative trusts like the TILT, because each member brings unique skills to the mix. For example, the Abbey Hill Special School and Performing Arts College provides specialised insight on training for inclusion. The ultimate purpose of the Schools Direct programme is to give a new generation of teachers the tools, knowledge and personal skills to respond to the complex needs of their pupils.”

TILT is a Stoke-on-Trent co-operative of schools, who actively work together for their community, and are committed to offering the highest educational standards to their pupils. TILT offers staff, trainees and associated teachers the ability to access training and support programs with Chester University, the strategic partner of the group, and other continual professional development providers.

Currently, the Trust for Innovative Learning and Training (TILT) consists of the following primary and infant schools: Abbey Hulton Primary School, Carmountside Primary Academy, Etruscan Primary School, Forest Park Primary School, Grove Junior School, Hamilton Infant School, Northwood Broom Community School, St Marks CofE Primary School and Waterside Primary School.

Abbey Hill Special School and Performing Arts College is also a member, along with the secondary and post 16 providers Birches Head Academy and Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College. The higher education provider is the University of Chester.

The news – brought to you by local teens

~ Birches Head students launch hyperlocal media website ~

Birches Head Academy in Stoke-On-Trent is working with students and staff from Staffordshire University’s journalism school to set up an online hyperlocal media outlet for the their community. The online platform called ‘BirchesheadLive’ will be hosted by Staffordshire University’s StaffsLive website and will feature news pieces written and edited by the students themselves.

Hyperlocal media covers events and topics which are of interest to an extremely small geographical area, such as a borough or a neighbourhood. These news stories wouldn’t necessarily be covered by larger media outlets, but could be relevant to local residents. The outlets also emphasize reader input and interaction more than mainstream media.

This progressive extracurricular project gives students interested in pursuing a career in journalism or media the chance to get hands on experience and set up their own news website.

For the first time, the students will look beyond school grounds for stories, including the whole of the Birches Head community, and wider area, and will cover articles about newsworthy topics in the area.

The student team behind the project is the Birches Head Academy Reporters. The group currently consists of seven students who write articles for the school website and produce broadcasts on Ice Radio - the academy’s own station. In September, the students visited the Staffordshire University Newsroom at the Stoke Campus. They were given a tour of the state of the art facilities and had a training session on how to write, edit and publish stories for the Bircheshead Live platform, which is expected to launch in the next few weeks.

“The project is an amazing opportunity for our students to gain useful knowledge of how local media outlets work,” explains Rob Smith, Birches Head Academy extended services manager. “It allows our students to get creative in a field that some of them will one day work in. It’s also a way of building on what they have already learned by writing for the school website and producing broadcasts for the school radio. It’s challenging them to learn more about modern journalism.”

 “The Staffs Live website is an established source of news for the whole of the county,” adds Jamie Summerfield, community managing editor of Staffs Live. “We’re setting up a number of smaller sites under the Staffs Live umbrella to really tap in to what’s going on in local communities. Working in partnership with local communities is essential and we’re delighted to be working with young reporters from Birches Head Academy.”

The Birches Head Academy News Team members are Lewis Cropper, Chelsea Still, Corey Forrest, Kayleigh Rasdell, Ryan Carter, Rebecca Harrison and Jamie Evans.

Further collaboration between Birches Head Academy and Staffordshire University is planned while this new initiative is developed.

Birches Head Academy grows it like no other

~ Gardening brings students, staff and community together ~

As finalists in Morrisons Young Gardener of the Year Awards, Birches Head Academy in Stoke-On-Trent has won 10,000 vouchers to spend on gardening resources. The school’s gardening programme has been immensely successful and the produce is now being used to supply the school kitchen.

Half of the child population in the UK currently has access to Morrisons ‘Let’s Grow’ scheme, with 26,500 schools currently registered.

The popularity of the programme has taken the nation by storm and Birches Head Academy is no exception. The school’s own Grow It group was set up just over a year ago by Sarah Wright, Director of CPD (Continual Professional Development). Members have been meeting on a biweekly basis and exploring the benefits of growing their own fruit and vegetables.

Using the gardening equipment provided by the Morrisons scheme, the Grow It group has worked alongside the school’s Personalised Learning Centre to cultivate a small plot of land on school grounds. The produce is given to its members and often used to supply the school cafeteria. The scheme is encouraging Birches Head Academy students to learn more about the advantages of a healthy diet and the importance of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of food production and consumption.


The Grow It group at Birches Head Academy is an inclusive organisation, consisting of students, parents, grandparents, staff and community members who meet every Wednesday and Thursday to learn about gardening. They are always welcoming towards new members and are currently looking to extend their reach.

To show its support, the local community has donated funds and equipment to the Grow It community. The group is currently collecting vouchers which will be used to purchase more seeds and gardening equipment.

“We started from scratch, but thanks to everyone pulling together, we’ve achieved quite a lot in a very short time,” says Wright. “The Grow It group teaches pupils how to grow their own flowers, vegetables and fruit, while having fun in the process.”

The community has been constantly increasing in numbers since it was set up and its popularity has convinced the school to make more facilities available to the students. “I am impressed to hear,” says local MP Rob Flello, “that the school is using extracurricular activities to promote academic achievement”.

This academic year, the Grow It group will also plant flowers in meadows around the school with seeds they harvested from the Coronation Meadow in Basford, Staffordshire.

One World, One City, One Birches Head

Earlier this summer, year seven, eight and nine students from Birches Head Academy took part in its annual Out and About Week. Starting on July 8, the school participated in a number of activities across Europe. Students who took part, christened the week of activities One World, One City, One Birches Head. 

During Out and About Week the timetable is suspended and the students take part in various cultural activities. The school was divided into its house teams; air, fire and water and the students cooperated with each other to develop their extra-curricular skills.

As part of the project young people from Birches Head visited Paris, Belgium and Liverpool. Other trips included Waterworld, West Midlands Safari Park, Tamworth Snowdome, Bolton Gates Riding School and Rudyard Lake.

To mark the end of the week, teachers, parents and partners of the school were invited to attend a Caribbean carnival organised by the students in partnership with Stoke Caribbean Centre.

The students also made costumes and masks for an All Around the World Parade. Patricia Ball, who deals with inclusion support at Birches Head Academy, introduced students to Caribbean dance routines.

Fourteen year old Ryan Minton and twelve year old Aphena Thompson showcased their newly developed Caribbean dance skills to the audience at the carnival.

“All the staff at Birches Head worked as hard as possible with the pupils to make the week memorable,” commented Karen Healey, head teacher at Birches Head Academy. “The objective of Out and About Week is to give the students the opportunity to experience things they wouldn’t usually have the opportunity to do.

“Last year’s theme was the Olympics, so this year we had to match its success. We chose to embrace a cultural theme,” explained Healey. “We invited in year six students from local schools to take part in the week and taught them, along with our own students, to cook Italian, Hungarian and Thai food.

“We believe that there are certain aspects of a child’s learning that must be developed through creative and physical activities, Out and About Week helps to achieve this,” concluded Healey.