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Exam Season

The exam season has begun and all pupils have been given a copy of the Year 11 collapsed timetable showing the exams and exam preparation sessions.

All pupils should use the following exam tips to help them prepare for their exams:

Pupils need to be in school at 8.30am at the latest, the canteen is open from 8am.
A free breakfast on exam days will be available from 8.30am.
Breakfast exam preparation sessions begin at 8.45am.
Morning exams begin at 9.30am.
Afternoon exams begin at 1.30pm.
After the breakfast exam preparation session pupils need to make sure they go to the toilet.
Make sure pupils know their seat number for each exam.
Before the exam line up in the canteen in the correct row their seat is in.
Remove everything from their pockets and put it in their bag – all they need are two black pens, a pencil, ruler and a calculator.
Make sure their mobile phone is turned off and inside their bag.
Enter the exam hall in silence, place their bag at the side of the hall and take their seat.
Take a deep breath, relax and do your best!

We wish all of our pupils the very best of luck!

General - 05/09/2024

Embarking on a journey beyond borders can be a transformative experience for students, offering them a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in different cultures, languages, and traditions. Recently, a group of 35 adventurous pupils from across Matrix Academy Trust had the incredible opportunity to explore the city of Stockholm, Sweden through the Turing Scheme. This government-funded scheme enables pupils to experience other cultures.

Our first activity was a visit to the Paradox Musuem, which offers an engaging exploration of optical illusions. Visitors are invited to pose for some great pictures as part of these illusions, before walking to the Avicii Experience, where our pupils enjoyed DJing alongside the groundbreaking DJ and producer, experiencing his music in a unique and immersive setting.

Later that afternoon, our students had the opportunity to visit Gamla Stan, Stockholm's charming Old Town, exploring landmarks such as the Royal Armouries. They also delved into the world of Nobel laureates at the Nobel Prize Museum, learning about the importance of science, literature, and peace in shaping our world.

On our second day, we visited the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. As you step into the museum, you're greeted by the Vasa ship, a preserved warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged centuries later. Our pupils also enjoyed exploring Lego versions of the world's most famous shipwrecks.

Following this, our students had the pleasure of exploring the iconic music of Sweden. At the ABBA museum, they were immersed in ABBA's iconic costumes and memorabilia, exploring interactive exhibits and singing and dancing along to timeless hits.

On day three, we paid a visit to the Tekniska Museum of science, technology, and innovation. Here the pupils enjoyed interactive exhibits, followed by lunch at Max Burgers – Sweden's (significantly better) answer to McDonalds.

In the afternoon, we took a scenic boat tour around Stockholm's archipelago, where we got to see the city's iconic landmarks from a unique perspective. And in the afternoon, the competitive natures of staff and pupils kicked in with an outdoor escape room adventure around the historic town. Divided into teams, pupils navigated their teams and their teacher through the narrow cobblestone streets, solving clues and unravelling mysteries, where only one of our groups solved the clues to find the final code!

On day four, our pupils had the opportunity to visit Töjnaskolan, a Swedish school located in the suburbs of Stockholm. Stepping into the classrooms of Töjnaskolan, our pupils were struck by the differences between British and Swedish educational systems. Aside from being instant celebrities, they noticed smaller class sizes, a longer lunchtime and no school uniform. The visit sparked discussions between both sets of pupils about the different educational models, encouraging our students to reflect on their own learning experiences and cultural perspectives.

On day 5 was a visit to Skansen, the world's first open-air museum, showcasing Swedish life from centuries past to the present day. Our students were delighted to explore the native animals of Sweden, with the highlight of the visit being the opportunity to hand-feed some of the friendly birds that call Skansen home.

On our final day, our pupils experienced an adrenaline rush at Skypark Vaxholm, an exhilarating outdoor adventure park. They navigated treetop obstacle courses, zip-lined across forests, and conquered thrilling challenges, pushing their limits and building confidence.

As our pupils bid farewell to Stockholm and boarded their flight back to London Heathrow, they carried with them memories that will last a lifetime. The trip embodied Matrix Academy Trust’s ethos of Education without Exception. Through experiences like the Stockholm trip, we empower our students to open their minds to endless possibilities and shape them into compassionate, informed global citizens.

Uncategorized - 05/08/2024

Pi Day

In March, pupils across Matrix were invited to enter a Maths competition to celebrate Pi Day. Pupils were asked to use their imagination to bring Pi to life and to illustrate a real life example of Pi. We received entries from Smestow Academy, Etone College and Turves Green Boys School. M Harris from Smestow was our overall winner and has received a £30 Amazon voucher. C Bettison from Etone College and E Keegan from Turves Green Boys' School received a £10 Amazon voucher for runner up prizes.

Huge congratulations to all three pupils!

General - 05/03/2024

Sparx Maths Badges

This week, during progress assemblies, pupils in year 7 to 10 were awarded Sparx maths badges. A Sparx maths badge is awarded to a pupil who achieves at least 2 levels within 1 school term. This means that they have gained over 20,000 XP on Sparx maths. Pupils who achieve this have shown a huge commitment to, not only completing their weekly homework but, completing additional targeted tasks and independent learning. Pupils have dedicated time to improving their mathematics on a regular basis and their teachers have seen noticeable improvements in their mathematics both in class and in their assessments.

General - 05/03/2024

Smestow Community Week

This week we have been raising money for our house and 6th form charities. Not only did we have a football tournament earlier in the week, but today we have had a samosa sale and the chance to "soak a teacher!" at breaktime.
Our Heads of Houses are the best and have put themselves in the stocks to raise money for all our good causes!

General - 05/03/2024

UK Junior Maths Challenge

On Thursday 25^th April pupils in 7X1, 8X1 and 8X2 took part in the UK Junior Maths Challenge. Pupils were presented with 25 challenging mathematical problems to encourage problem solving and reasoning skills. Pupils only had 60 minutes to complete the task and they needed to apply their knowledge of the maths curriculum to interesting and unusual problems. We look forward to receiving the results in a few weeks.

General - 04/30/2024

STEM Day

Year 9 had another opportunity to take part in a STEM Day project, pupils showed fantastic team skills by planning and designing a HS2 tunnel bridge. It was a great day where pupils had the opportunity to show their creativity and leadership skills. Well done to all pupils who got involved and a big congratulations to the winning team (F. Mohammadzai, S Singh, M Michalak, O. Olawale Lawal)

Also a big thank you to Andy Bruno from small peice trust for hosting the stem day and to smestow staff for getting involved !

General - 04/30/2024

Uniform Swap Shop

The cost of school uniform can be daunting and is yet another financial pressure on many parents. The Uniform Swap Shop is open to everyone and there’s a great range of uniforms available. While it is great if parents can bring some uniform to donate themselves, they really don’t have to bring anything at all.

Drop into St Columba’s in Castlecroft Road in Finchfield (WV3 8BZ) every Sunday afternoon during the holidays between 12 and 2.30pm or every Friday during the school term 3.15 until 6pm.

General - 04/29/2024

Graiseley House Assembly - Star Performers

J Flora (7G1) and D Rana (9G1) welcomed Graiseley students to their house assembly in style this week! The two boys showcased their talents with an energising and cultural performance that they performed at the Matrix Pupil Awards Ceremony last week. This showcased the rich diversity and talent we have here at Smestow Academy.

General - 04/29/2024

Revise and Reflect at Smestow Academy

Last week, pupils in years 11-13 had an assembly which focused on positive mental health during the exam season.

We talked about the importance of revision but how it is as equally important to reflect on whether or not we are practicing self-care at what can be a stressful time.

At Smestow Academy we are encouraging the use of our acronym to “reflect” and our poster is displayed around school for all pupils as a reminder of the importance of positive mental health.