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ALUMNIThe CTC is a happy and vibrant community which for over twenty-seven years has been helpingequip students with the confidence and skills to succeed in adulthood and play a positive rolein society. We are an innovative, outward looking school responding to the changing needs ofour students in order to help them enjoy their learning and achieve their potential.Ben AshbyNicole CallowYears spent at the academy2002-2009Years spent at the academy2002-2009Course undertaken in post-16BTEC EngineeringCourse undertaken in post-16International BaccalaureateI am now a senior recruitment consultant.In post-16 I completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma in whichI studied higher maths, biology and geography and standard German,English and psychology. I am now a mathematics teacher at the CTC andam the Key Stage 3 Maths Coordinator.During my years at CTC there were so manyhighlights that I could write a book, from my Year7 trip where I ended up being covered head to toein mud to saying goodbye and singing with myclassmates at prom, I had a lot of unforgettableexperiences.One experience that I will always take with me wascanoeing through the south of France, making ashelter for the night under the stars with my friendsand continuing to canoe the next day. The CTC gaveme the opportunity to go on this trip but also haveimmense fun on other activity days, such as takingpart in Red Nose Day and project week.The CTC helped me gain confidence, respect others,achieve targets and make some of the best friends Icould have, including my girlfriend of six years. Withthe skills I learnt I was able to succeed in an industrywhere you have to achieve targets, communicate,influence senior directors and work as a team to earnas much money as possible.My tip for anyone at the CTC would be to use everyday to its fullest and don’t leave anything behind asit goes too quickly. There are many times where youmight think something is not right for you but untilyou do it, you won’t know. You won’t know whatexperiences and skills you will gain that will in futurelife get you that promotion, afford that car or buythat house.6InsideOut Dec 2016There are several highlights that I think of when I look back at my time as astudent at the CTC. These include the amazing, inspiring and hard-workingteachers and the extra-curricular activities that the academy have to offersuch as the productions and the school trips. A school trip that particularlystands out is the trip in Year 7 which was a fun and amazing experiencedesigned to enable students to meet new people and make incrediblefriends. I also enjoyed taking part in the dance productions as they reallyhelped me to come out of my shell and my comfort zone and they helpedme to gain confidence. Without the dance teacher, Miss Norris, havingfaith and belief in my ability, I don’t know whether I would have had theconfidence to dance in front of an audience.The members of staff that work at the CTC want the best for all studentsand are willing to go above and beyond. Without these caring andinspiring individuals, I do not believe I would have accomplished all thatI have today. I truly have the CTC and the staff to thank for giving me thetools and the confidence to go to university, with a scholarship which Igained because of my results on the IB which paid for my tuition fees. Atuniversity I managed to gain a first class degree in maths along with theaward for the best overall student in the department and an award fromthe institute of maths. I went on to achieve a masters in education. This hasthen enabled me to become a maths teacher and inspire others the sameway my teachers inspired me.In terms of tips for students, I would encourage you to make the mostof your time here at CTC. Take every opportunity that the academy hasto offer, whether that be playing a musical instrument, taking part inproductions, going on trips, joining student voice as you will rememberyour time at the CTC your whole life. You do not want to be in the positionwhere you look back andthink I wish I would havetried that or I wish I wouldhave worked harder. TheCTC have staff who will doeverything they possiblycan to help you achieveanything that you want,you just have to work withthem and you will go far.

Daniel PughYears spent at the academy2006-2013Course undertaken in post-16BTEC Sport and Exercise ScienceHello, my name is Daniel and I am an ex-student of the CTC and I have just recentlystarted working back here assisting Lee Fletcher in his busy schedule. I started in Year7 and I really enjoyed a handful of lessons such as science, PE and Uniformed Services.Eventually, after going through my GCSE exams, I had to make a decision as to what doI want to do with my future.I knew sport was a great option as the teachers were friendly and supportive and eventhough football in the rain may be horrible for some, I always enjoyed the chance toparticipate in any sport I could try. BTEC required a lot of time management, dedicationand focus to boosting my score from passes to distinctions. The BTEC isn’t just aboutgetting the work done but it is also about making the most of the time with theother students in the class. The school offered certain courses from what it does now.Working with Lee I have learnt there are courses I wish I could have taken advantage of,as expanding your knowledge and experience is key to the future.On top of One World Trade Centre.After life at the CTC, I went on to study a Joint Honours SportsCoaching and Sport Psychology degree at the University ofDerby, Buxton (it was very cold all year round). I found theworkload manageable only through the skills I had learnt at theCTC especially completing 6 modules (3000-5000 words) and adissertation all in one year (10000 words). Even though mostof my time was in front of books or a laptop, I still managed touse information and references from my years doing the BTEC. Ieventually passed with a 2:2. During my last year, I applied in thewinter to go and work at a summer camp in America and wassigned up by February by a camp and my summer was settled.There are multiple companies to sign up with and whoeveryou choose they help massively with permits and insurance.I worked in rural Pennsylvania and travelled on my days offfrom camp to New York, Philadelphia, Seaside heights, a ghosttown, Scranton and six flags in New Jersey (which has the tallestrollercoaster in the world). Again, the experiences I had at the CTC andUniversity helped me massively to grow more confident in my deliveryskills and I will never forget the friends I made at the CTC, University andat camp. If I have any advice to the students now it would be to enjoyyourself and take a break once in a while as you will want to make thetime last - as I did.Good luck in the future: just believe in yourself and you will do great.The Rocky Statue and Rocky Steps, Philadelphia.Time Square, Manhatton.InsideOut Dec 20167

Man-kind initiative: students raise funds to support “Man-kind”The CTC actively supports students in volunteering and raising funds for worthy charities. When Paige Carter approached the academy to seeif she could raise funds for a charity, we naturally supported her. Here, Paige Carter discusses the charity and the progress she has made withher Year 10 friend, Candy Kong.The man-kind initiative is a charity for men in abusive relationships. Paige and I are both 14-year-olds who have chosen to help raise moneyfor the Man-kind Initiative charity because we realised when we’re on the subject of abuse and violence, it is thought that targets of abuse aretypically just female, making the male population an unlikely and forgotten victim.Males are rarely ever on the topic of abuse unless they are pigeonholed into the villainous category. With this in mind, it is understandablethat men might find it harder to talk about any issues they may have when facing abuse because society considers them wimps. This hasbecome a subject we want people to be aware of so that we can encourage individuals to help men who are suffering from abuse. Wehave recently found out that many charities that help men in abusive relationships are being forced to shut down due to lack of funding bydonors. Right now, we are volunteering to raise as much money as we can by selling hot drinks and snacks in the pavilion’s canteen and clubroom, which the academy has kindly offered us to use. We have set our targets high and we want to raise as much money as possible to makea difference.Over these past few weeks, I have developed many skills such as learning how to handle a business, interacting with people, my maths skillsand much more.According to Candy, “As well as life skills, all the hours we’ve spent onthis charity goes to completing our Lions’ Young Leaders in Service.This is where we record our hours and try and aim for 50 hours toget a silver award or 100 hours for a gold award. This award wouldlook amazing on our CV when applying for a job or university andcan potentially make you stand out from other people giving youmore of a chance than others. Working on this charity has made merealise that helping others and raising money for them can be sucha great thing to do. It brings joy to my heart knowing we’ve made adifference to someone’s life.”“It has made me realise how hard it can be handling your ownbusiness but can also have its good results at the end of the day. Ithas definitely been a fun and new experience for us to take part inand we would most definitely do it again.”Please speak to Paige or Candy if you would like to learn more aboutthe charity and support them.Chess ClubEach Thursday after school, some of the students of this academy participate ina chess club, which is run by Steve Charlton from 3:15 until 4:30. This gives thestudents at the academy the opportunity to experience and learn how to play chess.Here, Matthew Davis (9 Callow) describes what has happened:“Chess is a strategic game that can sharpen the mindand teach it to look out for every possibility and everyoutcome!”John Charlton, 9 Bartlam, came up with the idea last year and it has expanded fromthere into a club with around 15-20 people attending each week. John said, “Chesscan improve anyone’s cognitive thinking if they have the willpower to learn it.”Dominic Francis, Year 9, a student who attends chess club, said that he thoroughlyenjoys coming to chess club and it is fun learning from his mistakes.There are a variety of people who come here, the competitors, the learners, andthose who just want to have fun. We recommend that you give it a try!Christopher Haile, a Year 7 student, said, “After my first day at chess club I wantedto learn everything about the game. It makes you think about all the pieces on theboard.”You will get the opportunity to meet new people, play challenging opponents andaspire to be the best ever! As well as this, in the coming years, there may be somecompetitions between schools so it will be a great chance to show what you canbring to the board.Locked in chess combat.8InsideOut Dec 2016

Clothes Show Live 2016Every year the CTC takes Art & Design andTextiles students from Years 9-11 and Post-16to the Clothes Show Live at Birmingham’s veryown NEC Arena to allow them to experience thefashion industry first hand with all it has to offer.The CTC encourages external and interactivelearning and the Clothes Show is the perfectplace for this as students will witness a liveprofessional show followed by visiting a vastnumber of stalls and stations in which variouscompanies show off their products and can tellstudents what it is like to work in the industry.Students left the show not only having hada brilliant day filled with excitement but alsofeeling more knowledgeable about the industrythey potentially want to have a career in. Thestudents were very excited to visit the clothesshow live this year on the 2nd of December,particularly as it will be the last year that wehold the show locally.This show is very student friendly as manycolleges and universities take part in the showand present their own student work to inspire young people to work in the industry or study at their establishment. Our students had theopportunity to look through many exciting portfolios and feel inspired to achieve the same thing. Students could not only have fun, but alsogain an insight into the world of fashion and all that comes with it, which allowed them to gain creative and innovative ideas when completingtheir work back at the CTC.The services of the employees at the NEC could not be more helpful as one of the students, Alicia Miller, unfortunately lost her ticket, but NECstaff didn’t let her day be ruined as she was given a free VIP ticket as a replacement and even better had a front row seat for the fashion show.The students thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and found it to be a fantastic educational trip.Art & Design teacher Miss Saveker said, “It was unique experience for the students and it showed how the fashion industry is still popular.” Thestudents were equally effusive in their praise. According to Alicia, “It was a good experience and really helpful. I enjoyed it a lot”.Meanwhile Nimra felt, “It was extremely interesting. I want to be working in the fashion industry so it was a very positive experience for me.”Post-16s enjoy chess as part of their CAS programme.Students learn chess under the watchful eyes of volunteer parentcoach, Mr Charlton.InsideOut Dec 20169

ID Card UpdateFocus on MathsThe IC has been asked to remind all students of the importance ofwearing your ID Cards throughout the day.Maths teacher Mrs Barker speaks to Inside Out and highlightsopportunities and tips to improve progress in maths.Since everyone was issued with a free ID card, lanyard and holderin September, we have allowed students to collect any ID Cardsitems that they are missing for free again. Once every student hasreceived their second ID card, lanyard and holder for free (onlywhen required) they will be asked to pay for any further items.For students who need support in understanding maths there is awebsite called sumo and www.mathswatch.com but the studentshave to talk to their teachers to login.There’s also maths puzzle day.Prices are below:ID Card 4.00Lanyard 1.00Holder 0.40Students will be issued with their required items when they needthem and letters will be sent home to parents asking for payment.Payment can be made in the Information Centre with cash or onparent pay.A further reminder that these items are part of the uniform/equipment check carried out by tutors each morning and there willbe consequences for those students who do not have the correctuniform/equipment.Thank you,IC TeamYou can attend Booster sessions. It’s on Tuesday for Year 11 and 10,Thursday for Year 7 and 9 and Friday for post 16 students.The new GCSE for maths has a lot of problem solving questions init. This means you have to be able to apply the knowledge you haveof different methods and topics to any question you may be asked.You need to be resilient as you may need to try lots of different ideasbefore you find the correct one. Practice is good, so ensure you do asmany questions as possible, both in lessons and at home.What you can do to help is complete your homework tasks, bringyour equipment, ensure your books and notes are well presentedso that they are really effective support in your revision. Completepractice papers in the lead up the mock exam thoughtfully. You canorder a revision guide and/or exam practice book from the IC.To get a 5 you need to know simultaneous equations, tree diagramswithout replacement, trigonometry, sampling, congruency,compound interest, ARC length and sector areas and volumes ofcones, spheres and pyramids.To get an 8/9 you need to know surds, quadratic sequences,completing the square, 3D trigonometry, vectors, perpendicularlines, composite functions and direct and inverse proportion.Ensure you have the correct equipment for all of your lessons, mocksand exams; you need black pens, pencils, ruler, rubber, protractor, apair of compasses and a scientific calculator.You have to be independent, hardworking, practice, problem solver,understand the syllabus, organised equipment and books, ask forhelp, resilient, meet deadlines and complete homework and attendbooster sessions.NSPCCNUMBER DAY"NSPCC’S NUMBER DAY IS A FANTASTICOPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO MAKEA DIFFERENCE IN OTHER CHILDREN’S LIVESTHROUGH NUMERACY. IT HELPS MAKE OURMATHS FUN, RELEVANT AND MEANINGFUL."FRIDAY 3RD FEBRUARY 2017CELEBRATE MATHS ACROSS ALL YOURSUBJECTS AND RAISE MONEY AT THESAME TIME BY CELEBRATING NUMBER DAY10InsideOut Dec 2016

CTC Lunchtime ClubsSince the start of this half-term, the academy has introduced a series of lunchtime clubs open to all KS3 students.There are clubs available every day of the week. Clubs include a quiet reading, word searches and crosswords club which runs everyday of the week, a board games group where students have a range of popular board games to choose from and paper folding wherestudents can have a go at making origami animals and the optimum paper airplane. We are also running chess club on a Wednesdaywhich is proving very popular.The clubs do not require any signing up - students just need to turn up and sign the register!Phoebe Wood has attended the clubs regularly since the start. Here is what she had to say about why she enjoys them, “I love to go to thelunch time clubs as there are so many to choose from. My favourite is quiet reading, crosswords and word searches. It is just a place to getout of the canteen and relax. You also get a right way stamp for going. I do not just go for the stamp, it is another place to hang out withyour friends and make new friends. It is too good to be true.”Zain Arthur attends chess club: “I chose to come to chess club because it is fun and it tests my knowledge, strategy and coordinationskills. I have learnt that the aim is to protect the king and not the queen using the perfect strategy.”Clubs start at 1:30pm and run until 1:55pm. All Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 students are welcome.If you have any other ideas for a club that you would like to see run during lunch please see or email Miss Walker.Day Club RoomMondayQuiet reading/crosswords and word searchesD201TuesdayQuiet reading/crosswords and word searchesD201Board games D113Wednesday Scrabble and chess D118Creative writing D118Quiet reading/crosswords and word searchesD113ThursdayQuiet reading/crosswords and word searchesD201Board games D117Paper folding - origami and paper aeroplanesD117FridayQuiet reading/crosswords and word searchesD201Board games D117InsideOut Dec 201611

Outdoor Education and Adventure Centre Update2016 has been a significant year for the OEAC with primary schools becoming regular users of the site thanks to training packages that haveequipped primary school staff with the skills to lead sessions themselves.The Heritage Lottery Fund is the latest funder to back the OEAC, following in the step of Alcoa, The Armed Forces Community Covenant andBirmingham Airport. Here we highlight some of the activities undertaken this year. Next year we will be expanding the centre and look forwardto updating you though InsideOut next year.Archery has been a popular activity in the OEAC Tuesday enrichment.A CTC student successfully traverses the climbing wall.Mr Jones leads archery in every breaktime on Tuesdays. Here,John Turrall helps improve performance.CTC students enjoy caving in the Tuesday after school enrichment.Outdoor Education and Adventure EnrichmentEvery break time and after school Tuesday.12InsideOut Dec 2016

Local Primary School enjoys World War I experience in our ArthurVickers VC trenchWe are very pleased to announce that we have secured a Heritage Lottery Grant that alongside CTC Kingshurst Academy funding, will enable aclass of 30 students at local primary schools to visit our authentic Arthur Vickers VC trench for a day and experience what life was like in WorldWar One.The primary aim of the day is that we raise awareness in our schools and their local community of the sacrifice made during the “Great War”. Tosecure the Heritage Lottery Funding, all schools taking part have agreed to commit to helping raise awareness of the sacrifices made. This couldbe through a display within the school that is widely visible, an assembly, newsletter article or any other method that they feel will broadenawareness. We are also getting feedback on the impact of the day which we can add to our Arthur Vickers VC website that is being developed.This impact evidence will be shared with the National Heritage Lottery.We are determined to ensure the project is sustainable and that the Arthur Vickers VC trench continues to support the education of Solihullstudents and the wider community. By providing examples of publicity, impact evidence, lesson plans and outcomes, we hope that participatingschools will be able to share best practice and ensure the educational value of the Arthur Vickers VC trench is maximised, now and in the future.The activity is also validated by the Children’s University, so one hour of additional learning in their own time based on the day can be added tostudent passports.On the 7th and 8th December we welcomed Windy Arbor Primary School who despite the cold weather had a fantastic educational experience.Here is some of the feedback from the students and staff:“A fantastic experience for the children and youcan see that they really enjoyed themselves inall of the activities. They were able to use theirprior knowledge from their history lessons andcoming here has given them the opportunity tobring World War One to life. It was good to getthem to see the trenches at first hand as well asmany other interesting artefacts. Definitely anexperience to remember.““It has been one of the best experiences the Year 6students have ever had. It was amazing to get themto see what life was like in the trenches and gettingthem involved in all the activities was worth the time.It is very interesting to see how much was made withinthe Birmingham area and to see how much supporthelped to win the war. I can’t wait to co

CTC Kingshurst Academy's Official Termly Magazine ISSUE 44 Follow us on: ctckingshurstacademy @ctcka Dec 2016 Senior Citizens' Christmas Party 2016 The party, now in its 13th year, took place on Friday 2nd December 2016. This year, we accommodated our second highest audience of one hundred and seventy two senior citizens.