Staff at Smestow Academy have had the first of two CPD sessions this evening in support of our pursuit of the “Attachment Aware & Trauma Informed Schools Award” led by Dr Laura Kirven.

Our session this evening has looked at brain development, case studies of young people who have suffered significant trauma, triggers and two models – the window of tolerance and the self-determination theory.

Our staff are eager to be able to support all our pupils here at Smestow Academy and tonight’s CPD will certainly help us when in the classroom and around school site.

Last night, we held our sixth form open evening in our newly refurbished sixth form area. 

There was a lovely buzz about the event, with pupils from Smestow Academy and beyond in attendance. Prospective students heard a talk from Mr Chamberlain (Headteacher) and Mrs Bryant (Assistant Headteacher & Head of 6th Form) and also had the opportunity to speak with staff delivering A-Level and Level 3 BTEC courses. We were also very proud to launch the Smestow Football Academy at the event and host a stand from the School Centred Teacher Training programme.

You can see a selection of our stalls here.

8X2 have started the half term in an impressive manner in both Tag Rugy and their Team Building lessons. Pupils have developed excellent tactical awareness and incorporated the team work skills developed through their Team Building lessons into their Tag Rugby work. Today, pupils have been challenged to showcase their leadership skills of creativity, planning, and communication to design and deliver fitness sessions to their peers using limited resources and space. Mr Craig was hugely impressed by the inclusion of wall sits, adapted agility testing, and speed bounce jumping into these circuits. Within the sessions, pupils provided precise and specific teaching points as well as excellent demonstrations to display their effective communication skills.

A class of year 5 pupils from Uplands Primary School had the brilliant opportunity to come to Smestow academy to experience what it is like to be a forensic scientist investigating a crime that was committed.  All pupils were well engaged and demonstrated excellent investigative skills to conclude who had done the crime. 

Mrs Neish and Mrs Robertson were really impressed with the teamwork and practicals skills shown by the pupils.

A big well done to all pupils who showed impeccable behaviour throughout the forensic workshop and a big thank you to staff from Uplands Primary School for supporting.

We look forward to welcoming more pupils from Uplands Primary School.  

If you are a local primary school and would like your pupils in year 5 to experience a hands-on forensic science workshop, please get in touch !

#successachievedtogether #futurescientists #STEM #⚛🔍🔬🔭

Last week, a group of Year 11 pupils went to Newhampton Arts Centre to visit a Careers Pop-Up Event ran by the WMVRP and Changemakers group at Wolverhampton City Council.  Pupils got to meet staff from West Midlands Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, West Midlands Fire Service, as well as representatives from The Army, Wolverhampton College, Connexions and Changemakers.  

As part of the session, pupils were encouraged to engage in reflective activities for their next steps, and experience how technology is impacting on our day-to-day lives – you can see our pupils on a driving simulator and virtual reality headsets.  B Al Abdullah also got interviewed by an ex BBC journalist who was reporting on the event!

A great morning was had by all with great contacts made with regards to our options after GCSEs.

#SmestowAcademy #SuccessAchievedTogether #Careers #PersonalDevelopment

International Men’s Day is celebrated each year to recognise men and boys in our community in all their diversity.

Here at Smestow Academy, we are commemorating this day by celebrating male role models within the Literacy world throughout the week. Mrs Birtwhistle, our Librarian has a fantastic display of books in our Library and pupils in school will see familiar faces promoting reading too.

We would also like to take the opportunity to recognise the importance of positive mental health in the male members of our school. 

We are continually looking at ways we can promote positive mental health and some daily strategies that we can use to self-manage.  Our staff have also had a positive message to support our pupils by talking to trusted adults around them if they are worried about their own mental health, or that of a friend.  You can watch our video below.

Here at Smestow Academy, we also promote top tips for our mental health.  They are: 

• Be Active
• Connect
• Give
• Keep Learning
• Take Notice

We have also had different examples each day this week as to how we can achieve these.

#smestowacademy #successachievedtogether #internationalmensday #lovereading #equalityandrespectforall  #itsoktonotbeok 

Staff and pupils have taken part in a variety of fundraising activities today all to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

Children in Need supports young people and their families across the UK who aren’t as fortunate as ourselves.

We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of our pupils and their fundraising today. They have donated money for activities in basketball and penalty shootouts, a samosa sale, carnival games and a pudsey photo booth!

Smestow staff have not gone unnoticed with their amazing efforts in fancy dress! Check out our photo gallery to see who you can “spot” (get the pudsey reference?!?)

Well done to everyone involved, we are so proud of you!

As part of our commitment to high quality teaching at Smestow Academy, and our recent launch to our school community of our 5 Teaching Principles on the school website, we are excited to share with you weekly updates of the wonderful work our pupils are doing. 

In Maths 9y2 were learning to construct a perpendicular bisector with Mrs Oakley. Pupils worked in polite partnership to allow for opportunities to guide and teach each other.  Pupils who grasped the work quickly aided others to correct methods and to help guide them past common misconceptions. This is an excellent example of where guided practice has allowed pupils to master the skills required to complete the task and are confident enough to then teach their peers. 

Today, pupils in all year groups have been part of LGBTQ+ assemblies delivered by the charity “Just Like Us”.  The assemblies were led by members of the charity who are also part of the LGBTQ+ community.  They shared their lived experiences and signposted pupils where to get support.  Our pupils behaved superbly well, especially given that our assemblies were led via teams.  They were attentive and showed respect to our presenters.  “Choose respect” has been a theme for our anti-bullying assemblies this week too, so the presentation from Just Like Us was an important part of our celebration of Anti-Bullying Week this week, and also ahead of Transgender Awareness Week next week.

Rainbow pins will be available at break time from Miss Gee’s room and have been created by the fashion club to show our support for LGBTQ+ at Smestow Academy.

#SmestowAcademy #SuccessAchievedTogether #Equalityandrespectforall #AntiBullyingWeek24 #JustLikeUs #ChooseRespect

On Wednesday, our YR 7 & 8 Girls football team travelled across to St Peters to take part in a football fixture and their first of the year. Some of the girls were really keen for a fixture after attending Girls Football Club before half term and had really progressed with their skills, and then some of the girls hadn’t had any experience of football before but were really excited to be involved and have an opportunity to play football. The girls started the game really well and were playing some fantastic football in the first half with lots of chances for both teams, our best chance came towards the end of the half where Shardae picked the ball up in the centre of the pitch and drove toward their goal before unleashing an unstoppable shot. The girls were ecstatic and took this lead into half time which really helped their confidence.

The girls started the second half where they left off and really coming together as a team, they did then tire towards the end with it being their first experience of football and St Peters picked up their game. However the girls did not give up and showed really resilience and togetherness to keep going for the whole of the game and were really unlucky not to add anymore goals in the second half with the St Peters goalkeeper making some great saves from Ameliah, Kyra and Layla.

At the end of the game, St Peters girls voted Daania (YR7) as player of the match. Daania volunteered to play as goalkeeper for the girls, bare in mind she had never done this before she was absolutely fantastic. Pulling off some great saves throughout the whole game and really excelling in her position.

The girls really enjoyed themselves and were together as a whole team, they are excited for the next fixture and to keep developing and progressing as footballers. Well done Girls!