ASTON MANOR ACADEMY
SUMMER NEWS HEAD TEACHER
2024
PART OF EQUITAS ACADEMIES TRUST
What an eventful year we have had! We started off the year being told that we had to close around a third of the building and had to move the whole of the sixth form to another teaching space! We had no canteen, no main hall, and lost a number of other teaching spaces. Despite this you will see what an amazing community Aston Manor Academy is as we have not let this hold us back this year. Our wonderful students have adapted to our constraints this year and have excelled in a number of areas. We have achieved the gold school games award for our participation in sports events this year, the Duke of Edinburgh Award continues to provide opportunities for our students to get into the outdoors, our school garden is now a delightful place for students to engage with nature, and we have provided students with almost 100 opportunities for educational visits. I am so proud of the hard work and dedication of students and staff of this school who make the most of their time here. It is with sadness that we say goodbye to some long-standing staff members who have impacted the students in this school greatly. Ms Latham is leaving after an incredible 34 years, Mr Brown (PE) after 23 years, and Ms Green (English) after 17 years. I would like to thank them for all that they have given to the school and wish them the very best for their future. We look forward to our school being returned to us following the completion of the RAAC works and welcoming back our sixth form on site. I wish you all a safe and relaxing summer break. Many of you may have seen the word SEND and SEND Provision advertised in Birmingham but may be unaware of what it is. Below is a short article which explains SEND. Overview of SEND Some children have difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn compared to most children of the same age. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is a term that describes the difficulties and disabilities that can affect a child’s ability to learn. Most children with special educational needs overcome these challenges eventually, but they are likely to need extra support and help during the early years and at a young age. Examples of SEND include difficulties with: 1. Speech, language, reading and writing 2. Concentration and the ability to understand things 3. Behaviour and emotions 4. Socialise and make friends 5. Physical ability
SEND Coffee Mornings AMA was pleased to host successful SEND coffee mornings this year. It was pleasing to see parents engaging and able to talk openly about their child’s SEND needs and how AMA can help their children further. Parents have also had opportunities to meet teaching assistants who support and work closely with certain pupils in classes. Alongside this, it has been a pleasure to welcome professional agencies to come in and advise parents too. Liam, from Speech & Language, and Sarah and Emma from the Communication & Autism Team, were able to advise parents and pupils with any concerns/ misconceptions/strategies and any other worries they may have. I am very grateful to all and hope that we can continue to have more meetings in the forthcoming year. If you have any concerns about your child’s SEND needs, please do not hesitate to contact us. Mrs Oubhie - SENDCo
SIXTH FORM SUCCESS “It has been an extremely busy term in the Sixth Form, with our Year 13 students accepting offers and getting ready to move onto some incredible destinations. Highlights include Zahra, who is leaving to become a trained pilot, Hassan, who is going to St. Andrews University for medicine, and Imaan, who is on her way the Royal Veterinary College to become a vet. We have had 87 applications to university which is incredible. Even more pleasing, we have had our Year
13 students mentor the Year 12s who are starting their applications, as well as form students such as Nazir, coming in and giving his experience up to his second year studying medicine at UOB. Over the next few weeks, we have some exciting and aspirational trips such as visits to Keble College at Oxford University, the UCAS Exhibition at the NEC, Aston university campus tours, and an exciting end of year trip to Alton Towers!”
MOCK INTERVIEW DAY Friday 14th June saw our Year 10 students take part in their Mock Interviews, where they were put through their paces by a range of local business leaders. The day provided an opportunity for our young people to showcase their skills and prepare for the demands of work and college selection processes beyond their time at AMA. Students rose to the challenge with enthusiasm, and the local employers were left seriously impressed. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young leaders!