Summer Issue2014BLUE RIVER magazine

What people say

“My experience at Blue River Academy was excellent and I enjoyed it, I would recommend this school to other people.”

Student

“The Academy gives hope and encouragement to my son.”

Parent

“We encouraged them to succeed in their GCSE’s and assess their future plans to have better lives.”

Staff

“My time here was good and Blue River made me more confident.”

Student

“Blue River helped me improve in my

education.”Student

“Blue River is amazing!”

Student

“Blue River has given me loads of support to help me achieve my future plans.”

Student

“It’s always uplifting to see any student has integrated well and in Abdulkadir’s case, he seems to have progressed just how we would wish him to.”

Referral Agency

“Blue River is GREAT.”Student

Contents

Welcome to the Blue River summer newsletter 2014. This issue is packed to the brim with news of our students’ academic and extra-curricular success during their time here at Blue River.

We’ve got interviews with students, parents, staff and most importantly the Blue River organisation as a whole recognising the wonderful contributions made in impacting the lives of young people. It’s a new look publication, but with the same message - Blue River is here to make a positive difference in the lives of our young people. So sit back and enjoy - and don’t forget, if you have any comments or suggestions we would like to hear from you - please email us at magazine@blueriver.org.uk

Regards, Kawsar Ahmed Editor

Teaching students how to improve

Quotes Board

Student spotlight: Rambo to Romeo

Who’s who Blue River a Place for Positive Change

Safeguarding – Child Protection

Student spotlight: Blue River - Putting students first

Pupils experience at Blue River

Alton Towers

WelcomeBlue River Academy - High Expectations, High Achievement & Learning for Life!

Distance Travelled by Blue River students

What makes a business successful?Student spotlight:The sky’s the limitStudent spotlight:Engaging young minds

Student spotlight: Drive your dreamsStudent spotlight: Reaching for the stars

Student spolight: Change for life

Who’s WhoMr Muhammed Abdullah

Headteacher

Karen GardinerSenior Manager/

Designated Senior Person

Kashif MayLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

Sadaf AliLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

Ade OdulojuLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

KwesiFocus Tutor/Subject Tutor

KhatijhaFocus Tutor

VijayFocus Tutor

EthanFocus Tutor

PervaizSubject Tutor

AnisahSubject Tutor

SelinaSubject Tutor

MuslimaAdmin Assistant

UsmanAdmin Assistant

EricHead of Administration

KawsarDesign/Marketing

OluDevelopment Officer/

Exam Officer

EmdadTeaching Mentor

the Distance Travelled by blue river students

Surname Firstname Initial English

Predicted English

Initial Maths

Predicted Maths

Initial Science

Predicted Science

Abdalle Hassan U C U B D BAbdi Abdirahman G C F B B BAbdi Warsame G C U B F BAbdu Kaltun U Pass U PassAbdulkadir Mohammed F C E A B AAhmed Lieban E C E C F CAhmed Moneib D Pass E PassAkhtar Anisha F Pass F PassAlissawi Abdulkadir U D U C G CAman Sheikh U Pass U PassAshkir Abdiwali U E U D U DBare Juweyria E C F C E CBegum Syeda E C F CDhobah Ikram E C F C D CElmi Abdirahim E B A A D A*Elmi Liban U Pass F PassEnow Mohamed F C F C G DGuled Ahmed G C U C E CGulzar Husnain U Pass U PassGure Sumaya G C F C G CHaile Saedali D D U C E DHaji Hussain G C E C U DHyder Samatalis G C F C E CIqbal Hassan G C F C D CKhattak Shahid E C U C U CMahamoud Mariam F B E B D BMiah Tariq F Pass E PassMohamed Abdirahman F C F C U DMohamed Fadima U C U D E CMohammed Aishah F C F C U DMuhamed Jusuf E C U C E COmar Abdihafid C B D A* B A*Parveen Maaria G B F C U CPirushi Meska F C E C E CSaid Asiyo F C F D E CStefan Petru E Pass E PassSultana Ayesha U Pass G PassTussadiq Arooj U Pass F B E CZaman Mohammed E Pass F PassZerfa Ibrahim U C E B D B

This year the Focus Tutors at Blue River Academy introduced a new incentive

scheme to improve behaviour of the students sitting their GCSE’s.

The idea behind it came from wanting:a) to enforce positive behaviour and school rules in such a way that students would be motivated towards better standards of behaviour, b) to find a new way of rewarding those students that were constantly well behaved, and c) at the same time to provide a new initiative to engage those students who had not always experienced much success as learners.

How does it work?

Students were given an initial 100 point mark at the beginning of each month – the system consisted of students being allocated or deducted points based on meeting the criteria in place for both positive and negative behaviour.

These points were then totalled together at the end of the month and the student who had shown the biggest improvement from the start of the month to the end of the month would be rewarded with a prize (equivalent of £50 in value).

Not only that, but all students who increased their score tally above 100 points would be able to spend points on lower valued prizes.

Was it Successful?

The scheme proved to be a huge success in the months that it was trialled, with all students wanting to be involved and to gain points wherever possible.

A small presentation was even held where Blue River staff presented the rewards to prize winners in front of all the other students.

What happens if a student continued to lose points?

Teaching Students how to Improve

One small change can produce big results

LEFT: Ibrahim Zerfa receiving his award.

The Focus Tutors devised a scheme whereby they were able to use the loss of points for disruptive / inappropriate behaviour to their advantage and make cut-off points the trigger as to when certain actions were needed in order to tackle such disruptive behaviour.

There were a small minority of students who continued to misbehave and therefore lose points despite the added incentives – the number of point totals, for example, could reflect when to arrange mentoring sessions with individuals, parent meetings or meetings with providers.

What is the future for the scheme?

It is part of the Blue River ethos to improve students in readiness for the next stage of life – this scheme reflects that and provides a vital empowerment to students to take control of their direction in life.

This scheme was not developed with behaviour management as the only goal of in mind, but also as a means of inspiring, encouraging and teaching students the rewards for their hard work.

It was developed in such a way that all staff members and students were able to use and understand it easily, and also as an aid for parents to know how they children were doing in school.

By Ethan Samuels and Vijay Chhaya.

ABOVE: Focus tutors Ethan and Vijay.

Not everyone gets off on their best foot first but in the case of Shahid, he had taken several missteps which had lead him astray before things changed. After being removed from a high school for repeated incidents of aggression, Shahid was referred to two other provisions but he did not last long at these facilities. They catered to SEN students statemented for special needs and with behavioural difficulties, however Shahid’s real needs were not met. His Educational Psychologist suggested “…a setting that distances him from the social context that is fuelling his poor behavioural choices”. Hunters Hill, who were Shahid’s referral agency found these facilities ‘unsuitable’ after they failed to cope with Shahid’s confrontational misdemeanours by “providing a distinct lack of positive role models. This meant there were ‘significant and increasing concerns about Shahid’s functioning in the community’.

Rambo to Romeo

“He got thrown out because he threatened the owner......he was like a little gang leader at that time, and he admitted it. They then transferred him to Blue River”.

Tony Maguire, 3D Education

In the beginning there was aggression...

The result of the disruption to Shahid’s education meant that his academic ability, at the age of 15, in English and Maths were equivalent to that of an 11 year old. In spite of this he walked through our doors in February 2013 and began to find his feet. Although he would initially display confrontational behaviour to some staff, this would be the first provision not to remove him immediately. However his focus was still on his social standing and his studies. He was placed into our centre for functional skills and foundation learning, qualifications less rigorous than GCSE.

Through our doors…

In the beginning, Shahid was attending Blue River on a trial basis while his school was trying to finding him a place in another (alternative) provision. However Shahid’s mum was so impressed with the difference Blue River made to her son in a few weeks she wanted him to stay. She had also noticed Shahid’s academic ability and behaviour improve.

A glimmer of hope…

“From our first meeting I realised that Shahid was a young man of principles and he deserved a chance.”

Abdul Emdad, Blue River Teaching Mentor

“Giving Shahid the chance was a very good decision as we knew Blue River Academy was the right place to make a difference in Shahid’s life.”

-Abdul Emdad, Mentor

Blue River and Shahid’s parents put in a lot of hard work in mentoring and by being patient made a difference in his life. Basically the role models recommended by the doctor in his special needs report were around him at Blue River which made a real difference whether it was teachers, assisting teachers, mentor or other members of staff. During his time at Blue River Shahid did not get the usual negative reaction which he was used to but he rather found staff at Blue River forgiving, patient and most important of all the staff did not reject him and this was what made him realise we were really here to make a difference to his life.

The challenge of GCSE’s…

With 3 months to go before exams, Blue River courageously made a decision to provide Shahid with the challenge of GCSE’s. Blue River backed up his belief in himself and work began with Shahid to catch up the 75% of the year he had been away for. Shahid was now a determined student and his teachers more than matched this enthusiasm for work with extra care and attention. This was a recipe for something great to happen. With a tendency to lack focus Shahid found himself trying to climb up a steep wall blocking him from academic success. The staff persevered to usher him from hopelessness to hopefulness. His lessons took place predominantly after school but his teachers added Shahid to their timetable fitting him in 2 or 3 hours sessions.

With teachers working tirelessly to praise Shahid for the steady progress he was making, Shahid’s will to succeed was being strengthened every day. Even when he didn’t have lessons Shahid found solace in the Blue River one-to-one mentoring sessions. Before we knew it, 2 months had passed. Shahid had not only caught up on the majority of the work but was even ahead of the class in English.

“I began teaching Shahid in March 2014, with only three months left to com-plete the English GCSE. He had missed five months of the syllabus and began studying for a qualification that students normally have a full academic year to prepare for. Despite this, he wished to complete his English, Maths and Sci-ence GCSEs in this very short space of time.

He showed a remarkable aptitude for learning and picked up on ideas quickly. Although, there were difficult moments where Shahid did struggle to concentrate or where he wanted to give up, most of the struggle came from a lack of self-esteem and confidence. His fear that he would not achieve a good grade was quickly overturned when he began to understand the topics more clearly. As well as topic knowledge, it was evident he was in need of praise and encouragement when he accomplished something well. As his confidence increased his aspirations rose from merely wanting to achieve a ‘C’ to a ‘B’ especially when he realized he had done better than expected on his coursework.

I believe with the right support and encouragement Shahid can easily fulfil his potential. I am very impressed with the courage he has demonstrated in at-tempting his GCSEs in such a short space of time. I wish him well for his exam results and hope he has done well.”

Selina Khan, English Tutor

From Rambo to Romeo…

“SK has become a different person in a few weeks since joining BRA he comes home early, he does not hang out on the streets, when he goes out he tells me before he goes, offers to buy me things from the shop and returns within the time he gives, he makes me tea at home and his whole attitude has become better”

Shahid’s Mother

Help was at hand…

On one occasion Shahid was late from break and after I went to investigate and I saw Shahid opening up a can of cat food for a local stray. Shahid has really developed into a mature young adult and definitely deserves a Blue River badge of honour.

“I have seen Shahid go from an immature, violent and nonchalant individual who was easily influenced by peers, to someone who has his mind set on where he wants to be and what he needs to get there”.

Ethan Samuels, Focus Tutor

His mother was very grateful to hear Shahid’s progress and said,

“Blue River was the best choice for my son as the school managed to elevate his misbehaviour and offer him support to develop his behaviour if he was elsewhere he would not have coped well”

Shahid’s Mother

Shahid has gained a place at Solihull College to study for a Level 2 Motor Vehicles Diploma. We hope this will lead to a job at Jaguar Land Rover, his dream job.

Shahid has come a long way and it’s clear he has become a new person.

Quiet compassion…

…a bright future.

Towards the end of his academic year SK was selected as a student council leader following his big change and his truthfulness. By now rather than a trouble maker he had become a role model for other students. Shahid was achieving the impossible and staff were overjoyed to see the dedication and commitment he was showing for his education.

A man of responsibility…

How has Shahid Khattack improved since being at Blue River Academy?Shahid has improved in becoming educationally motivated, particular reference [SIC] to good attendance and achieving results far beyond expectation.

How has Blue River Academy helped in Shahid Khattack’s improvements?Shahid had a difficult start, with a period of absence; a re-integration meeting took place with positive outcomes resulting in Shahid’s attendance and attitude greatly improving.

How do you feel about the work Blue River Academy does?Blue River has excellent potential and operates in a calm and meaningful way in order to best engage the young person’s [SIC] they endeavour to provide education for, using a child centred approach in order to gain positive results through regular attendance, nurturing and setting achievable targets in a happy atmosphere.

What is the best thing you can say about Blue River Academy?Communication has been excellent, always positive, polite and professional, again putting the young person’s needs always paramount when overcoming difficult situations.

“Well done Blue River and keep up the good work!”

FRED COOPER - Hunter’s Hill Academy

A new person...

That is the question our Functional Skills girls took to Morrisons supermarket on their very own organised trip. They had lots of fun learning what went on in the supermarket. They proceeded to display initiative by putting together

a wonderful PowerPoint presentation of the trip with a summary of all the helpful information they had acquired and pictures of themselves at the supermarket smiling. According to the girls, to be successful you need courage, a good sense of humour and money. The girls continue to state that location, products, special offers and customer service are key factors in driving a business to success. Well done, girls!

What makes a business successful?

a

Are the re any teache rs who have pa rt i cu l a r l y supported o r i n sp i red you th i s yea r ?

Fo r the yea r that I have rema ined i n B l ue R ive r Academy, I have been i n sp i red by so many teache rs such a s Vi j ay, my s t at i s t i c s teache r, who i n sp i red me to l e a rn Phys i c s and Maths a l s o (my Human i t i e s teache r ) , S e l i na , who he l ped me w ith Eng l i s h GCSE , E than ( Focu s Tu to r ) and Emdad (Teach ing mento r ) .

I f you cou ld s ay 3 th i ng s abou t the benef i t s o f be i ng at B l ue R ive r what wou ld they be?

I had one - to -one teach ing wh i ch i s impos s i b l e t o f i nd e l s ewhere , a l s o the t ime tab l e he re i s ad ju s ted to su i t t he s tuden t s he re wh i ch i s t remendous and benef i t s s tuden t ’ s l ong te rm . Month ly p rogre s s i n te rv i ews a l s o he l p you to s t ay focu s s ed and a ch i eve your t a rge t s t o d i re c t you towards your fu tu re .

Have your fu tu re p l an s changed s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ?

My fu tu re p l an s haven ’ t changed s i n ce I c ame he re bu t I have i n fa c t been supported towards mak ing my fu tu re a rea l i ty by Dr Ade ( the Lead Tu to r ) , who ha s i n sp i red and gu ided me towards the med i ca l c a ree r he h imse l f ha s expe r i enced i n med i c i ne .

How has B l ue R ive r he l ped you to a ch i eve your fu tu re p l an s ?

When I s t a rted my l e s son s w ith my teache r, I improved

When I started my lessons with my teacher, I improved magnificently as I got continual help for my coursework. I believe that without it I would have failed and I have also learnt exam techniques increasing my grades from D/E to A/A*.

“

“

-Abdirahim Elmi

The sky’s the limit

N

O

magn i f i c en t l y a s I go t con t i nua l he l p fo r my coursework – I be l i eve that w i thou t i t I wou ld have fa i l ed and I have a l s o l e a rn t exam te chn ique s i n c rea s i ng my g rade s f rom D/E to A/A* . When I s t a rted my l e s son s w ith my teache r, I cou ld s ee s i gn i f i c an t improvement immed iate l y – w ith gu idance f rom Dr Ade , I have unders tood c l ea r l y what cha l l enge s I fa ce and have been adv i s ed on the be s t op t i on s to t ake to reach my goa l s – i t ha s been the be s t , c l e a r and mos t unders tandab l e adv i c e I have re ce i ved on my med i ca l c a ree r.

How have you changed a s a pe rson s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ? What a rea s have you improved i n ?

Exc l ud ing my fu tu re gu idance , I have been supported on my educat i on a s I w i l l l e ave he re w ith much needed qua l i f i c at i on s and a l so S i r Vi j ay ( Focu s Tu to r ) he l ped me i n improv ing my punc tua l i ty and adv i s ed me , abou t wh i ch I s t i l l work on t i l l t oday.

De s c r i be your expe r i ence at the s choo l .

S i n ce my en t ry to B l ue R ive r, I have a ch i eved and improved i n many a rea s – f rom educat i ona l t o soc i a l and I ’m l eav ing he re w ith a c l ea r and amb it i ou s hea rt thanks to the support f rom my favour i te teache rs : S i r Vi j ay, S i r E than , Madam Se l i na , S i r Emdad and Dr Ade and a l l t he o the r teache r and s t a ff . I ’m thankfu l t o a l l t he s t a ff and I w i l l remember them fo reve r.

Are the re any teache rs who have pa rt i cu l a r l y supported o r i n sp i red you th i s yea r ?

A l l t he teache rs at B l ue R ive r have g i ven me support and i n sp i red me g reat l y – they ’ve a l l b een g reat bu t Ms . Gard ine r (Karen ) ha s made me s ee th i ng s i n a d i ff e ren t way. She ha s p repared u s fo r rea l l i f e and a lways to l d u s t o a im fo r the s t a rs .

I f you cou ld s ay 3 th i ng s abou t the benef i t s o f be i ng at B l ue R ive r what wou ld they be?

I ’ d s ay B l ue R ive r p repare s you fo r rea l l i f e – they unders tand your s i t uat i on and t ry to work w ith you and they made me rea l i s e what I rea l l y wanted f rom l i f e .

I ’ ve been t augh t rea l l i f e sk i l l s and I have the ab i l i ty t o do j u s t abou t any th ing I s e t my m ind to and to reach fo r h i ghe r goa l s . B lue R ive r ha s shown and g i ven u s d i ff e ren t op t i on s and good

*Turn over page for part two of Maaria interview

Engaging young minds

Maaria ParveenI comple t ed the two year GCSE sy l labus in l e s s than s ix months.

“ “

-Maaria

ca ree r cho i c e s .

Have your fu tu re p l an s changed s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ?

Yes – I ’ ve been t augh t I have the ab i l i ty t o do j u s t abou t any th ing I s e t my m ind to and reach fo r h i ghe r goa l s .

How has B l ue R ive r he l ped you to a ch i eve your fu tu re p l an s ?

B lue R ive r ha s shown and g i ven u s d i ff e ren t op t i on s and good ca ree r cho i c e s .

How have you changed a s a pe rson s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ? My att i t ude and approach to l e a rn i ng ha s changed .

De s c r i be your expe r i ence at the s choo l .

I t ha s been qu i te a hec t i c expe r i ence bu t the teache rs gave me a huge amount o f support – I managed to comp l e te the two yea r GCSE sy l l abu s i n l e s s t han s i x month s . A t the end o f a l l o f i t , I was rewarded fo r my e ffo rt s wh i ch was g reat and made me f ee l p roud o f myse l f bu t none o f th i s cou ld have been a ch i eved w ithou t B l ue R ive r and my teache rs support i ng me a l l t he way.

Quotes Board

“Since joining Blue River my future plans have changed as I now think about my education”.

Student

“My experience of coming to Blue River has been great and the academy has made me a better person. I am more confident when doing things. Blue River this year has been excellent.”

Student

“My experience with Blue River has changed for the better making my life easier”.

Student

“My time at Blue River has been an amazing experience.”

Student

“Blue River has given me loads of support to help me achieve my future plans”.

Student

“In Blue River, there have been ups and downs but with the support of Blue River Staff, we got there in the end it has been a great experience”.

Student

“My time here was good and Blue River made me more confident”.

Student

“The positive change that I have seen is in the confidence of the majority of the students - they are much more comfortable speaking in front of people.”

Staff

“I learnt a lot, my behaviour has improved and my relationship with teachers went from bad to good.”

Student

“Blue River helped me improve in my education”.

Student

“Positive changes I have witnessed are that the pupils are better behaved, attendance has greatly improved and students are quite motivated to succeed in their GCSE exams”.

Staff

“My experience here has been good because it has been high point as it has made me want more from life. It has made me learn the importance of GCSE’s”.

Student

Does Blue River really help to change student’s

lives? The answer to such a question is a

resounding ‘Yes’ and parents are first to admit the

positive changes they see happening within their

children.

Here are some encouraging words from the

student’s guardians which serve to prove that Blue

River is on track in delivering positive milestones

and impacting students in a positive manner: “My

son has improved massively since he first came

to Blue River. He now listens to all the advice

given to him and takes it on board...Blue River

staff co-operate well with Parents and are very

understanding. The staff do well to break things

down for the student and get to a level where they

can understand each other”.

In an interview with parents of a different student,

the question “how has your child improved as

a result of studying at Blue River?” was asked

and the parents responded and said that their

son had been reading more books since being at

Blue River and that his behaviour had improved.

Parents even added that more homework should

be assigned to students to help them.

Regarding our commitment to having a positive

impact on student behaviour and continuing

efforts to change students for the better, parents/

guardians have commented: “There have been ups

and downs, but overall it has been good”. One

parent continued to say that although it had not

been easy, she continued to be grateful for all the

support and cooperation she had received from

Blue River.

What Staff have to say about Blue River

When members of the Blue River staff were

interviewed they had the following to say about

the organisation and their experience:

“I think Blue River is a source of great motivation

and support for those who might need it at a

crucial stage in their lives. They are an open

hearted organisation paving the path to success

for their students - the best thing about Blue River

Academy is its willingness to make ideas a reality,

support their staff’s development and push each

student to realise their potential.

We believe in Young People.

A new student who only recently began to study

with us pursuing his dreams and goals was asked

how he felt about the opportunity to sit for his

higher English paper and he said: “Being given the

opportunity to do higher English is a blessing from

Blue River, because if I work hard I can achieve a

better grade.” He thanked all Blue River staff for

their hard work and continued to say that he is

aiming for a C because it will help him at A-Level

where he plans to study Biology, Chemistry,

Psychology and Dutch.

We believe in our students and we believe our new

student will make it successfully.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

As part of the Blue River curriculum ranging

from the arts to history and culture from

around the world, Blue River students visited

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and took

advantage of their educational and entertaining

events and activities.

Blue River a Place for Positive Change

Are the re any teache rs who have pa rt i cu l a r l y supported o r i n sp i red you th i s yea r ? I have been i n sp i red by so many teache rs th rough the yea r such a s S i r E than ( Focu s Tu to r ) who cons tan t l y supported me and he l ped me . S i r Emdad (Teach ing Mento r ) one o f my favour i te teache rs – h i s teach ing l e s son s a re ou t s t and ing and amaz ing , he i s a ded i cated teache r. F i na l l y Karen (Lead Tu to r ) t he be s t teache r I have eve r met – she ha s done so many th i ng s and she pu t me i n h i ghe r Eng l i s h , f o r wh i ch I ’m rea l l y g rate fu l .

I f you cou ld s ay 3 th i ng s abou t the benef i t s o f be i ng at B l ue R ive r what wou ld they be?That wou ld be the exce l l en t cho i c e o f GCSE ’ s t hat can l e ad you to A - l eve l s ; a l s o the support i ng teache rs – a l l o f them a re he l p fu l and i n te l l i g en t . S choo l a c t i v i t i e s a re fun and you ge t t o t ake pa rt i n spo rt and l e a rn – the s t a ff o f B l ue R ive r i s s o good they a re ready to he l p you .

Have your fu tu re p l an s changed s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ?Yes , nex t yea r I am do ing A - l eve l s because my p red i c ted g rade s a re much h i ghe r than be fo re – AS -P sycho logy, AS -B i o l ogy, AS -Chem i s t ry, AS -Dutch and AS -Bus i ne s s S tud i e s . With my h i ghe r g rade s , I want to s tudy P sycho logy

Blue River – Putting students firstand B i o l ogy i n Un ive rs i ty.

How has B l ue R ive r he l ped you to a ch i eve your fu tu re p l an s ?B lue R ive r ha s changed my l i f e fo r the be tte r – when I c ame to the UK f rom Ho l l and no s choo l wanted me because they cou ldn ’ t teach me Eng l i s h i n one yea r. I app l i ed fo r B l ue R ive r and they managed to change me – i n one yea r I was ab l e t o do a l l my favour i te GCSE ’ s and h i ghe r, a l s o I am p l ann ing to do s i x A - l eve l s nex t yea r wh i ch i s amaz ing .

How have you changed a s a pe rson s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ? What a rea s have you improved i n ?Every th i ng ha s improved e spec i a l l y my manners – I have improved my who l e l i f e s ty l e and now I know how fa r I c an go i n l i f e . I have a l s o improved my teamwork sk i l l s , educat i on and I en joy be i ng i n B l ue R ive r eve ry day – I have a l s o 1 00% attendance .

De s c r i be your expe r i ence at the s choo l . I made many f r i ends andforged s t rong bonds w ith eve ry teache r. Th i s ha s been an amaz ing , ou t s t and ing and i n te re s t i ng beau t i fu l yea r. I t was d i ff i cu l t and somet imes th i ng s happened ove r the yea r, bu t w i th the s t a ff I was ab l e t o a ch i eve and came ve ry fa r. F i na l l y I w i l l m i s s B l ue R ive r – a l l o f the expe r i ence and educat i on that I go t i s due to the e ffo rt s o f the s t a ff at B l ue R ive r. I w i l l n eve r fo rge t B l ue R ive r and I w i sh B l ue R ive r an amaz ing fu tu re .

Th i s has been an amaz ing,

outs tand ing and inte r e s t ing, beaut i fu l

year.

“

“

-Warsame

Safeguarding - Child Protection

Our pupil’s wellbeing is our number one priority as we continue to help them achieve success in their future. We have mentors and teachers who take the time to ask the students ‘how are you?’ because we believe that, when a young person feels secure and is emotionally stress free then progress is seen and they come out of their shells to shine academically.

Child abuse, bullying and stress are a few examples of things that may cause young people to be unable to grow positively. To ensure that all staff understood how best to help the students deal with such issues when they arise we held a staff training meeting on 6th June. The main topic was Child protection but we discussed many topics on how best to help our students making them feel safe enough to approach our staff and discuss any distress. We further learned how to best deal with any sensitive information that a student may entrust to a staff member.

Our staff loved coming together to learn new ways to help our students who may be going through abusive relationships or simply may just be looking for advice.

The turnout was really impressive and we had staff from all our centres. After a day of reviewing our very own Safe-guarding (Child protection) Policy and taking an online course that ended with every staff member passing with flying colours everyone had a smile on their faces. Listening to the crowd of teachers walking out together there was talk on how informative the meeting was and Blue River academy can be proud of having had such a very fruitful meeting.

RIGHT: Blue River staff doing a safeguarding course.

Our pupils’ wellbeing is our number one priority as we continue to help them achieve success in their future.

BIO: I was born in Pakistan. I have lived in the UK for 1 year and 2 months. I enjoy reading books and socialising with friends in my spare time.

The first school I went to in the UK is Blue River Academy. I had a good school experience - the teachers helped me a lot with my English especially Mrs Sadaf, she translated English to me from Urdu which helped a lot. I enjoy the teachers in Blue River because they give you support for learning English and give you their full attention.

The subject I enjoyed studying the most is Maths because before I didn’t understand much but now with the help of my teachers explaining to me by their excellent teaching methods, Maths has become my favourite subject to learn here.

My future plan once I leave Blue River is to retake my GCSE English so I can do A Levels at Cadbury College. My career goal is to become a doctor.

Blue River has supported me to achieve good grades and are very helpful.

“I feel that Arooj has done brilliantly this year. I can see the difference Blue River has made to her confidence and ability. She is very happy and I have absolutely no complaints with the school. I have only praise for this school.

-Arooj’s Uncle

AROOJ TUSSADIQ “Blue River made me more confident, and teachers helped me a lot”.

-Ibrahim

BIO: I was born in Finland. But I am originally from Algeria. I’m fifteen years old. In my spare time I enjoy reading and football.

Before I came to Blue River I was in Algeria I was there for two years, while I was there I went to primary and secondary school. In Blue River there is more structure here than opposed to at home and I enjoy that. For instance at home I study freely and study subjects I want to learn and at Blue River Academy I learn more.

The subject I enjoy studying the most here would be Maths because I’m good at it.My future plans once I finish my studies are to become involved in business or trading. My first choice is to go to Joseph Chamberlain College so I can study a business management course.

Blue River is a good school, it helped me get better grades with Maths and English. My parents heard about Blue River and enrolled me here shortly after.

My time here has changed me, my English and Science has improved massively whilst being here. Three words to describe Blue River Academy are amazing, good and helpful.

IBRAHIM ZERFA

Pupils’ Experience at Blue River

Explain how Blue River has supported you to improve.

I was born in Somalia – I’ve lived in the UK for twelve years – I have many hobbies such as football and going to the mosque. I’d been to many schools before I arrived at Blue River – the difference here is that I enjoy that Blue River teaches the entire main (curriculum) subjects here eg: GCSE Maths, English and Science with some addition of Functional skills and languages etc. The subject I enjoy the most here would be Maths – only because I find it easier than other subjects.

The biggest difference between Blue River and previous schools is that Blue River is smaller than mainstream schools and because of that they give you more attention here which I didn’t get in my previous schools. Blue River Academy is a good and exciting place to be in.

How has Blue River helped you to achieve your future plans?

After Blue River I want to go to college, I want to study BTEC Business in Cadbury College. Career wise, I want to open up my own business in housing when I’m older.

Describe your experience at the school.

Blue River is a very good school – I like Blue River because it is very friendly and I like the environment because it makes me feel comfortable and it makes me fit into society – Blue River taught me things that I didn’t learn in my previous school – also I like the teachers because they are very helpful.

HUSSEIN HAJI

Are there any teachers who have particularly supported or inspired you this year?

All the teachers have helped me in their own ways with my studies and my manners.

If you could say 3 things about the benefits of being at Blue River what would they be?

a) Prepared me for future life.b) Helped me get through my examsc) Helped me find and apply for colleges.

Have your future plans changed since joining Blue River?

I have always wanted to become a nurse and still want to.

How has Blue River helped you to achieve your future plans?

They have helped me get through my exams so I can get into college, which will help me go to nursing at university

How have you changed as a person since joining Blue River?

I have become more independent.

Describe your experience at the school.

It has been inspiring and I have made more friends. My new life has also changed in various ways which are good.

SUMAYA GURESmall steps - Giant leaps

Shy, respectful and hardworking – it’s been an amazing transformation in fortunes for Abdulkadir since joining Blue River. In his own words, “My behaviour improved (a lot) since joining Blue River…I’ve made friends who are going to last for a long time…I liked

that the teachers try their best to teach us and make us succeed for the future...with the help of my teachers I got an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering”.

As part of Blue River’s commitment to ensuring that every student leaves us with a positive destination, we invite students and their parents in to discuss their future. His mother booked an initial appointment with us and during the meeting she had a number of things to say – firstly she remarked how much happier Abdulkadir seemed to be since joining Blue River Academy - he enjoyed the teaching and had made many new friends. As regards to his future, she further mentioned that her son was a very hands on person and would be ideally suited to a apprenticeship in manual work (eg: car mechanics, plumbing or electronics) rather than pursuing higher education.

Blue River searched various providers and found a local reputable provider who was offering the specific apprenticeship Abdulkadir was interested in – an initial visit was made to the provider for a taster session and to find out exactly what training was on offer – during the taster session Abdulkadir and other students were given a hands on session of the type of work they would be engaged in if they were to take up the offer of an apprenticeship.

Students were supplied with correct overalls and footwear for safety purposes and to give them a feel of the experience they would eventually face, The staff at the organisation were very professional and they managed to capture the attention of our students by allowing them to take apart a car engine and then put it back together – Abdulkadir made up his mind to join this particular provider and will be starting the apprenticeship in September 2014 a garage will also give him the opportunity to work with them once his training is complete.

David Alison (Pupil Placements) had this to say:

“It’s always uplifting to see any student has integrated well and in Abdulkadir’s case, he seems to have progressed just how we would wish him to”.

“It’s always uplifting to see any student has integrated well and in Abdulkadir’s case, he seems to have progressed just how we would wish him to”.

-David Alison Pupil Placements

ABDULKADIR ALISSAWI

Drive your dreams

What I liked about Blue River Academy was it catered for exactly what my son wanted. Concentrating on year 10 and year 11 only was ideal as my son previously was at a very small school - it did not have a mix of children of different background which is very important in our society. In September 2013 he had no place at any school, Blue River Academy saved my son from getting upset about not being at a school with the 2014 exams looming. He made new friends at the Academy and enjoys his days there.

Before joining Blue River Academy he had no direction nor vision of what he wanted to do. His self-esteem was low and he was frustrated too as he had no school place by October 2013. He had lost hope in education all together. The teachers and staff at Blue River I found to be professional at what they do. “I was impressed by the comments teacher made at Parents Day when they told my son “You are intelligent, you can do it”. Those words straight away boosted my sons’s confidence and self-esteem. The Academy gives hope and encouragement to my son.

This has paved the way for my son’s future. He is looking forward to either continuing in education or maybe getting some kind of apprenticeship. Whatever he chooses to do, he and I thank Blue River Academy for their encouragement, support and understanding.

I wish the teachers and office staff of Blue River to be here for many years to come.

Abdulkadir’s Mother

When Hassan Iqbal first arrived at Blue River, he was one of the very few who was instantly comfortable with the new surroundings. He immediately formed a bond with classmates but unfortunately that proved to be problematic as his early friendship with two other peers in the class soon become quite a combination – individually the boys were ordinary students, but, together they were a deadly trio.

However, despite early difficulties, one thing stood out – that was Hassan’s pleasure in completing maths work. Staff would purposely move Hassan away from others in the class and give him higher tier Maths work to attempt – to be honest, a lot of the time this higher tier work was very difficult for him and this did cause frustration, but all that was needed was some further instructions and Hassan’s brain would do the rest. Hassan also showed good ability in Science and he was naturally interested in engineering. He asked for staff to spend time with him after school searching and applying for apprenticeships. This was one of those fulfilling moments in the life of Blue River, as the supervising member of staff wasn’t aware that the ‘deadly trio’ would be staying after school by choice! The group stayed at the school until 5:30pm applying for apprenticeships – although this time wasn’t plain sailing, it was, by all accounts, very entertaining as the boys were very loud and were constantly having banter with each other. They also started cleaning the room which was surprising – although it did involve throwing things into the bin from one side of the room to the other.

A major issue that arose from Hassan’s close association with his peers was the evident lack of progression in class work – unfortunately his two classmates had to be removed from the GCSE programme due to poor and disruptive behaviour. After their departure, there was a definite change in Hassan’s behaviour, Hassan became aware of his future and what he needed to achieve in order get there. Hassan managed to maintain his focus but by no means was he an angel in class – he was actually very mischievous but was always pushed by the Blue River Staff to concentrate on his career goals. Hassan ended up sitting Higher Tier GCSE examinations for Maths and Science and has been accepted by Solihull College on an Aeronautical Engineering Diploma course.

Shazana Kausar (Hassan’s mother) had this to say:

“What I like most is the good understanding between the teachers and parents. They constantly inform you of any changes and update you frequently which is essential to establishing a good relationship between parent and teacher. Hassan got better, also the interaction with others somehow gave him clarity on what he wants to do the near future.At first he did not open up to others but now, I am assuming, he has found other boys and they seem to understand each other. I wouldn’t change anything he seems to be doing great now”.

Reaching for the starsp

I II

After a hard year at work, we deserved a well-earned break so

Blue River kindly booked us tickets to the famous Alton Towers resort. Here’s what some of the students had to say about their experiences on the 19th June 2014.

The Rides: Sonic spinball – ‘It sent us in a spinning frenzy, taking us round and round - ‘pure madness’ (Maria)

Oblivion-‘This ride goes like a train high up in the air then suddenly drops like a waterfall making your heart stop for a split second.’ (Sumaya)

Ripsaw-‘It was fun and I loved the bit where it went up and then back down it was mad!’ (Anisha)

Thirteen – ‘ We went in a dark house

filled with creepy stuff which was awesome so yeah I had a blast!’ (Kaltun)

The Smiler – ‘it was better than other rides because I didn’t have to wait in a long queue it was also scary and I love scary rides!’ (Fadima)

So how did the teachers find it? Let’s hear from some of them:

‘It was a brilliant experience going on the ride with my lovely students. Their behaviour was really good, they followed all instructions and we had some awesome memories.’ (Sadaf Ali)

‘The overall experience was very good as all the students were very well behaved and so we managed to get through most rides.’ (Muslima Choudhury)

Chan

ge fo

r Life

My year at B lue R ive r Academy has been a ro l l e r coas t e r r i d e of emot ions, t ear s, laughte r and p l enty of othe r exc i t ing th ings. One th ing I am def in i t e ly go ing to mis s about B lue R ive r i s the way teache r s support us and he lp us in d i ff i cu l t s i tuat ions.

-Ikram Dhobah

Are the re any teache rs who have pa rt i cu l a r l y supported o r i n sp i red you th i s yea r ?

One o f the teache rs that he l ped me the mos t i s Ms Gard ine r – she wou ld a lways he l p me s t ay ou t o f t roub l e and neve r l e t u s ( s tuden t s ) down ; a l s o M i s s Sadaf who was ou r fo rm teache r – she ha s de f i n i te l y he l ped me ach i eve what I needed to a ch i eve at B l ue R ive r.

I f you cou ld s ay 3 th i ng s abou t the benef i t s o f be i ng at B l ue R ive r what wou ld they be?

Teache rs at B l ue R ive r he l ped me change i n to a be tte r pe rson fo r the p re sen t and fu tu re .

Have your fu tu re p l an s changed s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ?

Yes , when I s t a rted B l ue R ive r I d i dn ’ t know what I wanted to do i n the fu tu re – bu t now, fo l l ow ing the adv i c e o f teache rs I have managed to f i nd ou t what I rea l l y en joy and what I rea l l y want to do w ith my l i f e .

How has B l ue R ive r he l ped you to a ch i eve your fu tu re p l an s ?

B lue R ive r ha s he l ped me f i nd ou t what i t i s t hat I rea l l y l i k e and the co r re c t path to t ake to a ch i eve what I want .

How have you changed a s a pe rson s i n ce j o i n i ng B l ue R ive r ?

When I was s t a rt i ng B l ue R ive r I had a p rob l em w ith ange r management – I d i dn ’ t know how to con t ro l my ange r and u se to ge t i n to a l o t o f conf ron tat i on s w i th f e l l ow s tuden t s and s t a ff – bu t now w ith the he l p o f my teache rs I ’ ve changed fo r the be tte r.

De s c r i be your expe r i ence at the s choo l .

My yea r at B l ue R ive r Academy ha s been a ro l l e r coa s te r r i de o f emot i on s , tea rs , l augh te r and p l en ty o f o the r exc i t i ng th i ng s . One th i ng I am def i n i te l y go i ng to m i s s abou t B l ue R ive r i s t he way teache rs support u s and he l p u s i n d i ff i cu l t s i t uat i on s .

“

“

Are you interested in improving education for all children?

Are you willing to support and challenge the school to continually strive for improvement and excellence?

Do you have the time to commit up to 20 hours each academic term?

Community Governor Vacancies

Blue River Academy is an independent school in Sparkbrook working with pupils aged 14 – 16 who are out of mainstream education. We support them to gain GCSEs and other accredited qualifications and progress into further and higher education. The role of the governing body is to:

If so, consider applying for a Community

Governor Role at Blue River Academy

Contact development@blueriver.org.uk or 0121 766 7981 for more information.

No specific experience or expertise is required as training will be provided.

- Set the values, aims and objectives for the school- Agree the policy framework for achieving those aims and objectives- Set targets and monitor progress towards targets- Challenge and support the school by monitoring, reviewing and evaluating performance

- Ensure accountability- Holding the principal to account for the performance of the school- Ensuring parents and pupils are involved, consulted and informed as appropriate- Making available information to the community

Address: 36 Medley Road, Greet, Birmingham, B11 2NE

Website: www.blueriver.org.uk Email: info@blueriver.org.uk Twitter : @BlueRiverOrg

Newsletter Content: Blue River Academy Newsletter Design: Kawsar Ahmed design@blueriver.org.uk

Tel: 0121 766 7981