The Basildon Academies

VOICETHINK LOGISTICS WORKSHOP

Led by Logistics Manager Dean Woodroof, who has over 19 years’ experience in managerial roles in the Industry (including Area Operations Manager for Royal Mail), the aim of the day was to showcase the career opportunities available within Logistics.

Dean fired up everyone’s imagination with activities and discussions, including a Q&A session and sparked off conversations around the different roles within the industry and ways they could find out more through Internships, workplace visits and mentoring. Grace.G found this very enlightening: “Dean explained many of the different career types you can choose. What was also interesting is that we learned that you can be spotted from anywhere and have a big opportunity for being recognised for your hard work.”

Dean also gave the students a glimpse into the future of the industry, talking about issues such as minimising environmental impact, the drive to reduce costs and how driverless trucks may well be a reality… And maybe sooner than we think!

The workshop finished on a futuristic note, when the students were able to step into the world of Logistics courtesy of virtual reality headsets to explore different areas of working in the industry for themselves, including roles as Transport Planners, Depot Supervisors, Delivery Drivers and Forklift Operators. Keira.E found the VR session really engaging: “The technology took on board all of my senses and it seemed as though I was really moving. It was a great experience and I would love to do it again.”

So at the end of the day, did students feel the workshop had opened up new possibilities for them? A potential future recruit Toby.L, said: “Before the workshop I didn’t even know what a career in Logistics entailed. Now I understand more about it.”Joella.N agrees: “I enjoyed the experience and am even considering a career in Logistics.”

When you think of your future career, how many people consider the world of Logistics? A group of our Year 10 students recently participated in a ‘Think Logistics’ workshop which gave them a whole new take on the matter.

The students then embarked on a fun challenge; working in small groups their brief was to design and build a vessel that could successfully transport cargo, taking into consideration the costs of their start-up materials. The aim was to deliver a number of items successfully and make a profit. Any team going over their allotted time faced a penalty which would eat into their profits.

Each team engaged with the challenge and competed to their utmost ability. Alsi .M, whose team were victorious, said: “The activity was really fun, our group worked well because of our team work and using our brains. It was interesting to learn what logistics is all about.” Angel.B agreed: “The challenge we were set was really enjoyable, and it gave me a good understanding of product costs and how items are distributed.”

The students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the day; Dean felt the workshop had gone very well, in no small part because of the enthusiasm of the students, and said: “today has been an absolute pleasure, all of the students were totally engaged and asked lots of questions. I was really impressed with their general understanding of the jobs throughout the industry. They were a real credit to the school and I’d love to come back.”

Jashelle.M, Maria.M & Joella.N

Christian.D, Dean Woodroof, Harley.O & Theo.O

February 2020

Louie.T, Brandon.P & Faizan.H

Amadououry.J, Gael.L-R, Osman.G & Dominykas.M

Gary Smith

MESSAGE FROMHEADTEACHER

JACK PETCHEY SPEAK OUT WORKSHOPOn Tuesday 28th January, 27 of our Year 10 students participated in public speaking with a facilitator from The Speakers’ Trust. It was a whole day workshop where the students took part in a variety of activities focussing on the development of self-confidence and honing their speaking skills.

“I found it interesting how Ore showed us to be more confident when speaking to a group of people. It was challenging for me personally as I have never done anything like this before, but when I did my speech at the end I felt very proud of myself.” Grace.G

Samuel.O

Safeguarding our students is at the forefront of everything we do. Parents and carers can access information via the following link www.escb.co.uk which offers guidance and signposts to resources on various safeguarding issues. Please contact our safeguarding officers if you have any concerns about your own child or another student at the Academies.

SAFEGUARDING

www.basildonacademies.org.uk/safeguarding

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

I was so proud of our students who threw themselves enthusiastically into the challenge of mastering a skill the majority of us are terrified of.

“This activity was a helpful way in which I gained new skills and understood the benefits of public speaking, Ore was an inspirational mentor who helped everyone open up and gain more confidence.” Maria.M

Half Term:17th - 21st February 2020

Year 13 AP2 Assessments:Week commencing 2nd March 2020

The students presented a diverse range of speeches, making it difficult to select just two. Congratulations to Mason.S and Maria.M for being selected as our finalists. One of these talented students will become our school’s representative at the Regional Final in May; the other will be our reserve.

“For me, the Jack Petchey workshop was an enriching experience and boosted my confidence drastically. I would highly recommend it to anyone.” Mason.S

I would like to thank all students who actively took part and made the most of a wonderful opportunity.

Ms Trounson

BOYS CHOSEN TO REPRESENT BASILDON DISTRICT

“It was an honour to be selected to play for the Basildon District Schools Team and also represent The Basildon Academies. I hope one day to fulfil my ambition and become a professional footballer.” Kyanou.S

Congratulations to; George.R - Year 7, Albert.G - Year 8 and Kyanou.S - Year 9

Maria.M Joella.N Samuel.T

For the first time in the history of the Academies, students from years 7, 8 & 9 have all been selected to play for The Basildon District Schools Football Teams.

Year 11 & 13 Parents Evening: 26th February 20204.00pm - 6.30pm

“The workshop was a beautiful way to enhance my confidence and inspire to speak out.” Dhruvika.P

Another packed edition of The BA Voice! This month we highlight many of the practical extra-curricular opportunities offered at The Academies.

We have students accounts of the 'Think Logistics' and 'Jack Petchey Speak Out' workshops, along with Bikeability training, Cambridge University sports experiences and Music Industry Day.

A special congratulations toGeorge.R, Albert.G and Kyanou.S for being selected to represent The Basildon District Schools Football Teams. Well Done!

Year 10 Work Experience:9th - 20th March 2020

BLUE LIGHT YOUTH CONFERENCE A group of our Year 9 and 10 students were thrilled to be given the chance to attend this year’s Blue Light Youth Conference,event at the Hamptons in Great Baddow. The Conference was hosted by Roger Hirst the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and the Young Essex Assembly. Throughout the day our students joined with others from across the county to meet representatives from Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Services, and the East of England

‘Staying Safe in the Digital Age’ was lead by the Essex Police Serious Crime Directorate, and used an interactive session to show students how vulnerable their personal data could be, and how to be smarter online. “The policeman demonstrated that who we think we are talking to online may not always be that person”, Leigh.M from Year 9 explains: “and this helped me understand how to be more aware and careful.”

Michelle.A, Millie.P & Esther Shawe from the East of England Ambulance Service

The students had the opportunity to chat in person to Mr Hirst on a wide range of community safety issues as well as being able to explore in depth some of the current hot topics that really interest them. Whilst it was a chance for students to learn more about these issues, a major aim of the event was for the emergency services to be able to hear from young people in Essex about what they thought too!

First of all, there was an invitation to participate in three ‘Trio of Truth’ interactive workshops on Hate Crime, Human Trafficking and Staying Safe in the Digital Age. Students benefited from the input of ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ who lead the Hate Crime workshop, and explained to students what they could do to recognise and challenge Hate Crime in our society. Tyreese.L from Year 10 was really impressed: “The Hate Crime workshop was really interesting. We learned a lot about how many different types of hate crimes there are & how the law can protect victims who report them.”

The Human Trafficking session, presented by the Justice & Care department, raised questions about how to spot trafficking, and what services might exploit people in this way.

Next up were ‘Snap Chats’ sessions, a chance for students to quiz members of the emergency services and their partner agencies in a quick-fire, round-robin style. Michelle.A from Year 9 explains: “It was a good chance to ask questions to members of the emergency services and find out what their job roles involve. In return, by speaking to us they get to understand how they can help the younger generation.”

Finally, and for many the undisputed stars of the show, the students welcomed Police Dogs Rex, retired Police Dog Baloo and new boy on the block Bruce the puppy with their Dog Handler PC Ashcroft. PC Ashcroft spoke about the varied duties of Police Dogs and how they can detect things that humans cannot which, amazingly, includes being able to detect hard drives and USB devices!

YEAR 11 INSPIRED BY ‘INNER WINNER’ WORKSHOPSOn Friday 24th January, a number of our Year 11 students attended the ‘Inner Winner’ Workshops following the collection of their Mock Examination Results. The purpose of the event was to motivate and challenge students to have a positive mindset - an important message at such a crucial stage of the Year 11 Learning Journey!

Students looked at the qualities needed to be an Inner Winner - how their internal mindset can support us in achieving our goals and ambitions. James Sherwood, from Made Training, successfully provided an insight into how the way in which we feel about something will impact how we act. How we act ultimately determines our outcomes so how we view challenges positively is key!

Students personalised this by coming up with their own mantras and power gestures to help with entering challenges in a positive mindset and supported each other in sharing their ideas.

The session really provided students with the confidence to think positively about their future and how to achieve it.

“James taught me to always be prepared for everything in life and give my full energy for every door that is opened for me. I now know that I need to think positively to get a positive outcome. Overall the session was very inspiring and motivational and I will be using all of the techniques and advice James has taught me.” Luis.G - Year 11

PC Ashcroft & Retired Police Dog Rex

James Sherwood, Associate Trainer, Made Training

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY OFFERS A SPORTING CHANCE FOR STUDENTS

STUDENTS COMPLETE BIKEABILITY TRAINING

The ‘Inspire to Aspire’ programme continues to engage and encourage our students, and this time it was a group of Year 10 & 11 Sports Leaders who had the opportunity to spend a motivational day at St John’s College, Cambridge University. The visit, sponsored by the national charity ‘Sport Inspired’, was devised to inspire young people to follow their dreams and believe Cambridge University is a possibility for them.

Last term the same group of students were invited to form a guard of honour at the start of the Women’s Oxford vs Cambridge University Varsity Rugby Match at Twickenham. This time, they had a fantastic opportunity to play and be mentored by some of the players from the men and women’s teams from that Varsity event.

Students also received a tour of the University, spoke to current students and attended a presentation on university life which they found positively eye-opening. Oliver.J from Year 11 explained: “Speaking to students who study there was a great opportunity to understand what university is like. I think if I had not gone on that trip I would not have considered applying to university. I now aspire to study at Cambridge and join their rugby team!” Jamie.B in Year 10 also enjoyed the guided tour which was: “a great opportunity to discover what university life is like”, and Ellie.H from Year 10 commented: “The tour around Cambridge uni was excellent!”

A group of Year 7 students have successfully taken part in the ‘Bikeability’ national cycle training programme.

The students were enthusiastic about the day, especially the time spent on the rugby pitch with mentors from the University: “The trip to Cambridge and being able to play rugby with members of the Varsity team was a once in a lifetime experience. “I was really inspired”, said Fenita.R in Year 10. Toby.A, also in Year 10, adds: “the rugby players were the kindest and funniest people.”

When it comes to answering the question of whether the visit achieved its aim, to inspire students to consider applying to universities they might not have considered, Grace.G from Year 10 felt that the ‘Inspire to Aspire’ programme has given the students valuable insight about university life, and the range of backgrounds that students come from: “It was interesting to discover that when students apply they want to know you as a person and not just know about your qualifications. People from all over the world can join this university which means anyone can be accepted for ‘just being you’.”

The Bikeability course aims to develop riders’ skills and confidence to enable them to ride in diverse environments; including complex, often busy roads and junctions, sometimes with speed limits above 30 mph.

Split over two days, the first part of the course involved our students being shown how to carry out safety and maintenance checks on their bikes. The second day saw the group take to the roads to practice safe and responsible cycling under the guidance and supervision of the professional Bikeability instructors.

All students who participated were awarded the official Bikeability Level 3 Certificate for successfully passing the course.

"The course was extremely interesting and fun. As well as learning to cycle in busy traffic, we learnt how to check our bikes so that they are safe to go on the road." James.S

MUSIC INDUSTRY DAY STRIKES THE RIGHT NOTE The Music Enrichment programme was taken to a new level recently, when students from the Lower and Upper Academies welcomed professional guests from the music industry, Sam Robson & Erin May.

The guests led a series of workshops including the study of key features within song writing (which included some top tips from the guest musicians), and group work on writing lyrics and building chord progression. A performance workshop where the students performed their compositions to each other via a professional back line and P.A. was followed by a live performance by Erin May and an inspirational talk on the music industry from Sam Robson.

Jessie.O and Charlie.N from Year 9 found the day really motivational: “Today we were inspired to create music no matter what comes into our path”, and Elizabeth.A from Year 8 also agreed it had been an incentive to look at music differently, adding, “the workshop has inspired me to try and play the musical instruments I have and to practice singing more so I can get better. It also made me think about a career in music.”

For the students, what really hit the high note was the leadership of the workshops by Sam and Erin; Samuel.E from Year 10 explained; “The workshop leaders helped us to achieve the goals we wanted to achieve in the workshop and supported us when it came to performing live to the class.” Year 10 student Catia.H echoed the sentiment saying the duo were “really nice and helpful to work with”.

Lower AcademyTimberlog Close, Basildon, Essex SS14 1UX

Tel: 01268 552 536

Upper AcademyWickford Avenue, Basildon, Essex SS13 3HL

Tel: 01268 552 536www.basildonacademies.org.uk

REAL RESULTS FROM MOCK INTERVIEW EVENTPreparing to enter the world of work for the first time can feel like stepping into the unknown, so when Year 11 and Sixth Form students had the chance to experience interviews with business leaders and local employers, they were excited by the opportunity.

Run by Essex Work Skills, whose purpose is to provide young people with the skills and qualities required to succeed in the world of work, the aim of the day was to guide students through the whole process of applying for their first jobs. Every student received support in order to complete their CVs ahead of the mock interviews, which gave them the chance to identify and present their own skills and qualities in the best way.

Following on from this, the students were then interviewed by a range of experts including business owners, employers, voluntary groups and business leaders from across the county. With interviews lasting half an hour each, the students gained the unique opportunity of interaction with independent industry professionals who were real leaders in their fields, and had the chance to talk about their own hopes and plans for the future.

At the end of their interviews, each student received immediate feedback and had the chance to ask questions. They also received a booklet with invaluable tips, useful tricks and inspirational quotes to get them started on the path to applying for jobs in the future and hopefully give them the edge! Kamila.A from Year 11 found this very useful: “They helped give me the tools I need in a real interview and to prepare for the world of work.”

Other students thoroughly agreed on how helpful the event had been; Jazmin.A in Year 12 said: “I would recommend people attend mock interviews as they explain the process of how to apply for jobs and improve your CV”, and Anthonia.F, also in Year 12 agreed: “It taught me lots of things about applying for jobs that I didn’t know.”

STUDENTS RECOGNISED FOR ASSESSMENT POINT PROGRESSCongratulations to Amaan.M, Grace.G & Samuel.E who have been rewarded for their achievement in the latest set of History AP's. Amaan achieved the most improved raw score in his class. Samuel achieved the highest raw score in his class and Grace achieved both the highest raw score and the most improved score in her class. The high achievers chose a History revision guide as their reward to help them further their study & stretch their learning.

COURTNEY EXCELS IN REGIONAL CROSS COUNTRY Well done to Year 8 student Courtney.E for recently competing in the Essex County Schools Cross Country Championships, held at Writtle University College, Chelmsford.

Courtney finished 4th out of 8 members of the Basildon District team, a remarkable achievement from the youngest entrant in this category.

Speaking after the 2.1 mile run, Courtney commented; “I found the event really competitive but also really good fun. I was proud of myself because I competed well against runners older than me. My family and PE teacher Mr Quaintance were there to support me, which I really appreciated.”

“It is important to reward progress and achievement at every stage of the learning journey and to encourage students through positivity. Well done to these three for whom the hard work is paying off and still with 18 months to go until the real exams. Well done & keep up the exceptional work!” Miss Z.Thomas

“I am glad that my hard work and determination has payed off and that I have been recognised by the school. I am now even more motivated to keep working hard and achieve even better grades.” Samuel.E - Year 10