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Handsworth graMMar sCHOOL The BRIDGE July 2015 Issue 19 Whitemoor Lakes Trip See pages 14 and 15 Music Department 2015See page 32 Grand Opening of the New Sixth Form CentreSee page 9 Welcome from the Headmaster I cannot believe that it is time for me to be sat at my desk writing my welcome piece to the second edition of the relaunched Bridge Magazine This academic year has literally own by no bad thing when as Headmaster you have a name like Bird Yet again and as with our termly Newsletters this edition of The Bridge is packed with wonderful articles features reports and stories of success achievement and enjoyment. For example I recently visited Year 7 at Whitemoor Lakes and every student and member of staff I spoke with was full of enthusiasm happiness and clearly having a wonderful time. This is what HGS is about and it made me very proud and happy to be the Head of such a great institution. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Elaine Brown Mr Adam Kilcullen Gurdeep Mall Pip Turner as well as Rebecca England and Gus MacDonald at Ammac Design for all their expertise and support. Haec Olim Meminisse Iuvabit. Mr Simon Bird Headmaster THE BRIDGE 2 View From the Bridge Hello and welcome to readers new and old. The Bridge has been the school magazine of HGS since 1913 and there have been many editions over the last 100 years. Inside this edition there are articles reecting the many changes that have gone on over the last year we have a complete Sixth Form building now not just a plan and there are more plans afoot There is a whole range of articles celebrating the many achievements of the pupils and the staff of HGS and we hope that youll agree that it is an accurate snapshot of our school Thank you to everyone who helped with and contributed to this years Bridge. My particular thanks go to Pip and Gurdeep for their humour creativity and expertise but mostly for being shiny little stars in the rmament Enjoy Ms Brown Hello and welcome to readers new and old. The Bridge has been the school magazine of HGS since 1913 and there have been many editions over the last 100 years. Inside this edition there are articles reecting the many changes that have gone on over the last year we have a complete Sixth Form building now not just a plan and there are more plans afoot There is a whole range of articles celebrating the many achievements of the pupils and the staff of HGS and we hope that youll agree that it is an accurate snapshot of our school Prizegiving Our annual Prizegiving was a special occasion and we welcomed Mr roy Fackrell Bed Hons Chairman of the Charity governors as our Principal guest. He spoke about the opportunities a school like ours affords its students and encouraged them to get involved in all that we have on offer such as the relaunched House system. He was pleased to note the progress made at Handsworth grammar school over recent years and encouraged parents to get involved in our Fundraising Campaign for the new sixth Form Centre. He made the point that every gift however large or small goes a long way to supporting the school. it was a lovely event and we enjoyed meeting so many families as we celebrated the success of our school community. Prizegiving Our annual Prizegiving was a special occasion and we welcomed Mr roy Fackrell Bed Hons Chairman of the Charity governors as our Principal guest. He spoke about the opportunities a school like ours affords its students and encouraged them to get involved in all that we have on offer such as the relaunched House system. He was pleased to note the progress made at Handsworth grammar school over recent years and encouraged parents to get involved in our Fundraising Campaign for the new sixth Form Centre. He made the point that every gift however large or small goes a long way to supporting the school. it was a lovely event and we enjoyed meeting so many families as we celebrated the success of our school community. 3 Prizegiving and awards OLd BOY aPPOinTed OBe Ken Morris received the OBE in the recently published Queens Birthday Honours List. Mr Morris is the Headteacher of Hamstead Hall School and received his award for services to education and community cohesion in Birmingham. Congratulations on a wonderful achievement. Prizegiving and awards 4 Kumar anil University of Leicester Psychology La Binh Quang University of nottingham Chemical engineering Lail Jade University of Manchester Psychology Lal arjan Birmingham City University Computer science Langi rohan aston University Chemical engineering Mahmood aisha newman University College Primary education QTs Mahmood sameer Coventry University Biomedical science Matharu sukhdip Kaur University of Bradford Optometry Mujtaba syed University of Birmingham Mathematical economics and statistics Mushtaq shamila aston University Pharmacy Mustafa Mariyam asia University of Birmingham History Mustafa rubayeth Birmingham City University Law narotra navdip University of nottingham Mechanical engineering nasir Tanassar University of sheffield Law nawaz Mariah Coventry University Law nyaumwe Munyarari Catherine Kings College London geography nyemitei- addo Yuri University of Manchester Pharmacy Otomewo ella University of salford english and drama Pacura Jaskirat singh aston University Law Parmar Mayur University of Leeds Psychology Patel Liam Kiritkumar University of wolverhampton Forensic science Patel Prikesh University of Manchester Chemical engineering Patel sonal Kirankumar University of Birmingham Psychology Powell Benjamin Cliff College Theology randhawa Haran singh Plymouth University dental surgery rattu dylan Kamal anglia ruskin University Ophthalmic dispensing raza arfan University of Birmingham Civil engineering sahota Jasdeep singh aston University Chemical engineering sampla rojan Queen Mary University of London Physics sapa vinay de Montford University Biomedical science saul akshay Kumar London school of economics actuarial science shah syed ibraheem Hussain aston University Business and Management shah Umaefarva University of Leicester Management studies shergill Kamaldip de Montford University Computing. singh gurdit de Montford University architecture singh Parmjit University of Birmingham Mathematics singh suthi Omraj de Montford University Pharmacy 4 years suleman Umar University of Manchester engineering with an integrated Foundation Year suthi vijay University of Birmingham Mathematics syed Yousuf abdurrahman Middlesex University Biomedical engineering Talib Celina aston University Politics with international relations Tasnim zarin University of Birmingham Mathematics Tiwana vivkar University of Birmingham Policy Politics and economics with Year abroad Uddin Mohammed Fahim University of Birmingham Chemical engineering industrial experience 5 years vig Harshita Queen Mary University of London economics and Finance virdi Kiran Kaur University of edinburgh Oral Health sciences Younis Umar Coventry University aerospace systems engineering Yousaf zishan University of Birmingham Mathematics Foundation Year ahir anchal aston University Optometry ahmad ejaz University of wolverhampton Pharmacy ahmed gulfraz University of warwick Mathematics ahmed Haidar aston University Health Care science audiology ahmed ruman University of Birmingham economics akhtar shehryaar University of wolverhampton accounting and Finance ali ayesha University of Birmingham Mathematical economics and statistics amin Moheen aberystwyth University Human geography english Literature aqsar ishmael University of Birmingham Chemical engineering arshad sanah Birmingham City University accountancy Bains Jay nottingham Trent University environmental Conservation and Countryside Management Bansal Bapinder singh University of warwick Mathematics Beckford- daley Taja Keele University english Begum sharmin aston University Pharmacy Bryan Hena University of Kent english american Literature and Creative writing Bulman Carissa University of Birmingham english Literature and Philosophy Campbell sharaye nottingham Trent University architecture Cockett Honor University of Birmingham Policy Politics and economics dass rebecca aston University Politics with international relations debray rohon London south Bank University Chemical engineering dhaliwal amandeep singh de Montford University engineering Foundation electronic Mechanical and Mechatronic dhillon arrandeep singh University of Birmingham Mathematics ebanks- Falconer Curtis Brunel University english with Creative writing Fetwi Tirhas Keele University Criminology and Psychology ganger Hakesh newcastle University dentistry gill sukhraj singh Coventry University Psychology gulfizah zara aston University Optometry gulfraz Haroon Coventry University Business and Finance Harris Jack Bath spa University HistoryMusic Hasan syeda wasia University of wolverhampton Biomedical science Hill Jonathan ryan de Montford University Pharmaceutical Cosmetic science Hussain nabeel aston University engineering and applied science Foundation Hussain saquib University of warwick accounting and Finance Jhita gurpreet aston University Mathematics Jones aaron Joseph Keele University english Kalirai aman aston University economics and Management Kalon Jasdeep de Montford University Pharmacy Karra Olivia University of nottingham Mathematics Khaliq saara Birmingham City University sociology with Psychology Khan afshaa University of Birmingham Law Khan alisha aston University engineering and applied science Foundation Khan nazem University of warwick Mathematics Operational research statistics and economics Khan ravail de Montford University accounting and Finance Ba Hons Leavers desTinaTiOns 5 Prizegiving and awards PIP FOR THE ARTS Throughout the country engineering mathematical and scientific subjects are increasingly being pushed. The government never seems to stop encouraging our students to be choosing these subjects throwing more and more incentives at them every day. However our countrys leaders and inuencers have forgotten about the arts. about music about art about literature about media and about creativity and imagination. it seems that the current system paves a way for academic young students to easily perform well but it increases the gap for artistic students. art is one of the vital points of modern society. The majority of entertainment we use would not be possible without art. The games we play the books we read the films we watch the music we listen to all of these are created by artists. There is an increasingly worrying trend of young people forgetting about these things. whilst Mathematics and science may be important art should not be forgotten. Music has never been so popular. More and more people are engaging with music every day artists selling out stadium after stadium. Music is an art through the medium of sound. You express yourself by creating or listening to music quite often the music you listen to seems to sometimes separate you from other people spreading a message not only lyrically but musically. The chord progressions the cadences the harmonies all mean something all provide a texture an ambience an aesthetic which you can relate to or hold on to. Music provides lessons and meanings giving us valuable insight into other humans it feels extremely personal to the creators. However music cannot be mentioned without mentioning its artwork. This artwork usually goes hand in hand with the music especially on concept albums or albums created with the sole purpose of being art. Many musicians stay with the same artist for all of their albums. whereas music itself is only audible art provides visual stimulation. Colours matched with other colours discordant or harmonious provide us with a feeling or an image of what the artist is trying to purvey. art can be someones very essence brushed onto canvas. and yet something that both music and art take inspiration from is literature. Literature is a written work the magazine youre currently reading is a piece of literature. Literature goes back further than music and is in fact coupled with art the first words we find are cave drawings both artwork and literature in one. Literature gives an artist the chance to express themselves using language as their device. Literature has been used throughout history to subtly guide and teach our society whether that be through poetry word of mouth novellas or grand tomes. However art doesnt just have to be one of these three. Modern forms of art very much combine all of these films Tv shows videos online video games. all of these examples can be art if the author or audience chooses it to be so. each one teaches a message through their medium voluntarily or not. art teaches our society rules. art provides us morals and rules to abide by. it provides a way to leave a message to the rest of society that transcends time and that transcends our current problems. where maths and science are furthering our development into technological advancements art furthers our morals our fundamental understanding of human beings. art is defined in The Oxford dictionary as The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. art is one of the greatest ways of turning our thoughts and feelings our very inner beings into something physical. This is an impassioned plea for you to not discount the arts as something to put on the side but to take them up and further them. Pip Turner DONTE FOR MATHS AND SCIENCE The exponential increase in the importance of subjects involving scientific and mathematical principles has become increasingly evident as our society becomes ever more dependent on advancing technology. with job prospects which require scientific and mathematical skills such as problem solving skills and analytical skills becoming more demanding the importance of these academic subjects is obvious. without these subjects there would be no Computer scientist to programme the software on new gadgets that we rely on so much. There would be no iPhone no internet no games no computers and much more things that we depend on wouldnt exist. without these subjects there would be no Chemists and Biologists to use experimental data to approach various problems. There would be no antiseptics no pain killers or medicine. although many things created through Mathematics and science are taken for granted it should be clear to you that these academic subjects were and will always be vital in the progression of our modern society. Furthermore subjects involving Mathematics and sciences lead to occupations that have a major inuence on our daily lifestyles. From the doctors who save lives on a daily basis the engineers that provide us with new processes that make a given job more efficient the actuaries that provide assessments to minimize the risk of financial deficits when various events occur the research analysts who extract and distill information to develop detailed reports on a subject matter based on statistics and other collected data to the Physicians who continue to delve into the unknown world of subatomic particles and the celestial bodies light years away from earth. The development of critical thinkers is vital in this day and age. This is why i believe subjects involving Maths and science are so important. These subject areas encourage students to delve into unknown territories and make sense of complex problems using the theorems and axioms. Upon delving into these unknown territories Mathematicians and scientists are able to push their understanding of their fields and develop further theorems that bring theoretical axioms into the real world. efforts and skills such as these which have been developed through Maths and science fortify the fact that Maths and science are very crucial subjects for academic students. with the many gaps and unexplained phenomena within these fields the need for both theoretical and practical thinkers provides infinite room for the way we think and the way we approach certain problems to be changed. The Maths and science community are just patiently waiting for another drastic progression of these fields catalysed by intuitive young minds from our generation. without Maths and science we wouldnt have been able to make the initial progressions that have been made for example understanding our own planet and its interaction with the sun the various forces which can be felt yet not seen and the once unreachable points in space. in addition the use of Mathematics has even stretched as far as communications. it has become a universal language that has created bonds between communities that are completely different to each other allowing cooperation between different cultures where spoken language fails. This has led to a whole interconnected network where new theories and ideas can be shared with other creative minds to accelerate the development of the fields of science and Mathematics. To conclude Mathematics and science are subjects that are made clear to students from a young age leading to the great development of creative problem-solving and analytical minds that help shape our future. For this reason i believe that Maths and science are vital in our modern society. Donte Nembhard Art vs Science Pip Turner and develop further theorems that bring theoretical axioms into the real world. efforts and skills such as these which have been developed through Maths and science fortify the fact that Maths and science both theoretical and practical thinkers provides infinite room for the way we think and the way we approach certain problems to be changed. Name Dont Nembhard Subject Chemical Engineering College Churchill College Cambridge Entry Grades A Physics A Maths A Chemistry Entrance Exam Engineering Aptitude Test On Monday 13th October 2014 i finally submitted my UCas application and began to brace myself for the response. Later that day i received a link to a website containing Physics and Maths questions for the potential interviews and exams from the admissions Officer at Churchill College Cambridge. waiting on the responses was not as nerve racking as i had expected as the admissions Officer sent multiple emails containing advice and tips while adding an emoticon now and again which i found quite amusing. On wednesday 12th november 2014 i received an invitation to interview for Chemical engineering at Churchill College. The excitement upon receiving this invitation gave me the motivation to practise as many questions as possible and prepare thoroughly for the day. On Friday 5th december 2014 i headed to Churchill College by car. The two hour journey was not as relaxing as i wanted it to be as the doubts rushed through my head the closer i got to the university. Upon arrival i was guided towards the reception desk where i waited on the first of my two interviews. during this time i got to speak to a student at the university and was able to learn a lot about Churchill College and its informal atmosphere. Both interviews had a structure where the interviewers would give me challenging questions and i would work through them responding to help provided in the process. My first interview was about electricity which was my weakness. The interview began with a joke by one of the two interviewers which alleviated my nerves. during the first interview there were questions that i found very difficult but the interviewers werent there to patronise but to provide help too and with their guidance the difficult questions were quite approachable. My second interview was based on Maths and Chemistry where i was able to show my extensive knowledge of the Chemical engineering profession. after my second interview i was given an engineering aptitude Test based on Physics and Mathematics. The Mathematics section was quite enjoyable and i was able to answer most of the questions by taking a logical approach. Then the physics section began. it consisted of a page of information with questions embedded into it. This was the most difficult part of the day. Overall my experience at Cambridge University was one to remember and with the receipt of a conditional offer i am greatly motivated to exceed the offer that i have been given. For those who are contemplating whether to apply or not i recommend that you apply as you will only get one chance to experience it for yourself. Some important things t 6 Prizegiving and awards For centuries Oxford and Cambridge have been and continue to be seen as the reserves of rich privately educated students whose wealthy parents have passed through private education and Oxbridge meaning that these students have always felt a sense of inalienable entitlement to the university places of their choosing. Fortunately things have begun to change and Oxford and Cambridge have both taken greater responsibility for widening access and attracting a more diverse intake. as a result of this there are a number of programmes designed to attract non-traditional candidates. indeed many students at Hgs stand a good chance of being selected for interviews because on top of intelligence and academic success most students meet the positive discrimination criteria of being ethnic minorities coming from low and middle income families and being state educated. despite these positive developments the old stereotypes persist and it can still be incredibly intimidating to apply because whilst one may have an impeccable academic profile there can still be a fear of not being the Oxbridge type. Therefore weve decided to put together a students guide to the application process because whilst theres a wealth of online information it is often impersonal and confusing. PERSONAL STATEMENT whilst its true that you should somewhat tailor your application to Oxbridge you must also keep in mind that the same personal statement will be seen by your other universities so try and strike a balance and dont spend a paragraph talking about your undying love for the Oxbridge system Oxbridge receive thousands of applications each year meaning that you have to show yourself to be worthy of the place. when writing you must consider what makes you better than your competitors and to show this you must demonstrate a raw passion for your subject outside of school through books youve read activities with which youve been involved and issues within that subject that particularly interest you. Because Oxbridge is so academically intense they care less about unrelated extra-curricular activities and more about interest in and experience of the subject. CHOOSING A COLLEGE For many students ourselves included the Oxbridge Collegiate system is entirely bafing and it can be quite difficult to make a choice so weve put together a list of some things that youd like to consider when making a college choice A Guide to Oxbridge Applications s to consider Name Gurdeep MallSubject Law with French LawCollege New College OxfordEntry Grades AAAEntrance Exam LNAT must be sat by the 20th October My parents had always wanted me to go to Oxford but i had always thought of it as a wholly unrealistic and unattainable aim. However following my gCse grades i began to seriously consider applying to Oxford. near the beginning of Year 12 whilst doing some research into what i wanted to do after sixth Form i came across the UniQ summer school a completely free week-long programme held by the University of Oxford to give students a taste of the life of an Oxford student. The application process to UniQ was not too dissimilar from the UCas process because it required a Personal statement gCse grades in the place of as grades and an academic reference from a subject tutor. as such it is a useful experience to go through because it forms a solid a basis for the actual UCas process which takes place just a few months later. Fortunately i was successful in this application and i got to spend a week during the summer Holidays at exeter College where i attended lectures tutorials and social events whilst ascertaining that Law was in fact what i wished to study. i also received a great deal of help and guidance with my UCas application including advice on how to write a Personal statement and on how to maximise my LnaT performance. Following the UniQ summer school and my reasonable exam results a in a-Level French and three as and a B at as i decided to apply. i submitted my UCas application on the 13th October 2014 and amongst my 5 university choices was an application to Mansfield College Oxford. On the 14th October 2014 i sat the LnaT entrance exam which was required by three of my university choices. This exam does not require any legal knowledge but is simply an exam of comprehension tested by 42 questions based on a number of texts and literacy tested by the candidates response to an essay question. There are many books and tutors which claim to guarantee LnaT success however these are largely a waste of money and the best way to practise is by reading academic texts on subjects with which you are not familiar and then explaining them to somebody else. For the essay question you should be up to date with important contemporary issues and practise writing a short but powerful argument on them. On the 25th november 2014 i received a letter from Mansfield College informing me that my application had been successful but i was going to be interviewed at new College rather than Mansfield. whilst this should have been a happy occasion it resulted in a great deal of nervousness because i realised how big a deal it all was. as such i threw myself into preparing for the interviews i reread all the books that i had mentioned on my Personal statement i practised speaking about myself and my subject by anticipating the sorts of questions that they could ask me and scheduled a number of mock interviews with my subject tutors. However the biggest mistake i made was reading forums on the student room in which students scrutinised every aspect of the interview process ranging from dress codes to the correct way to shake the interviewers hand On the 9th december i got on a train from new street station to Oxford and anticipated an emotionally draining week in Oxford. Upon arrival all of the candidates were gathered into a room with the four tutors who would be interviewing us. we were told that this was a competition between thirty people for a finite number of places for my course there were six applicants for one place. Terrifying My first interview took place on the day that i arrived i was shown to a room by one of the many friendly student helpers and there was an envelope on the table with my name on it. The piece of paper next to the envelope instructed me to read through the six page booklet which contained a piece of law and different situations in which it was applied. when the preparation time was over i knocked on the door and walked into a bookshelf-lined room with a roaring fire. The tutor asked me about my understanding of the passage and proceeded to apply the law to a series of increasingly confusing scenarios until i could no longer formulate a coherent argument at which point the interview was brought to an abrupt close. The structure of the second interview was much the same but the subject matter was completely different and it went on until i could no longer answer the questions. The third interview was entirely in French and involved discussing my passion for French the books that i had read and why i would like to study in France. after my interviews were done on wednesday i had to stay in Oxford until Friday in case any other interviews were scheduled. i spent this time exploring Oxford with the good friends that i had made during the UniQ summer school and getting to know my fellow interviewees who came from all walks of life and from all over the country. it was a completely unique experience being in a room with people at both extremes of the social scale but who had a deep academic passion in common. On the 8th of december the day that the decision was due to arrive i sat cross-legged in front of my front door waiting for the postman to arrive. about twenty minutes after i had taken my place the letter fell through the door. when i opened it and read the Congratulations it felt like years of hard work had paid off and it was the best motivator for the religious studies mock that i sat later that day 7 Prizegiving and awards Whether that college does your course If that college provides accommodation for the entirety of your course Living costs rent bills and other relevant costs The facilities of that college libraries societies gyms etc. The PrivateState school ratio INTERVIEWS There are some incredibly ridiculous and baseless rumours surrounding Oxbridge interviews including quirky professors impossible questions and secret dress codes. in reality interviews are merely intellectual conversations designed to test students aptitude for learning and to see whether the rigorous Oxbridge system of tutorials Oxford and seminars Cambridge can be handled. You should also ignore any student room forums that advise wearing three piece suits and brogues the tutors are dressed in smart-casual wear and dressing as you are comfortable is perfectly acceptable By Gurdeep Mall and Dont Nembhard Kings College London Scholarship Last years Head girl Catherine Munyarari was awarded a prestigious desmond Tutu scholarship to Kings College London. The scholarships which are named after one of the Universitys most famous alumni are dedicated to the advancement of knowledge learning and understanding in the service of society. Catherine had to submit an essay her curriculum vitae as well as examples of her community work in the application process. Only a handful of such awards are made by Kings each year and it is to her immense credit that Catherine was successful in her application. Congratulations England Call Up shoaib Farooque has been called up to the england Under 15 Cricket squad by the eCB england and wales Cricket Board. He will be training with the eCB squad this winter with a view to playing various england fixtures in the summer. shoaib has been playing County Cricket for staffordshire for the past 2 years and all his hard work has paid off with the call to join the england squad. well done Prizegiving and awards 8 Hgs receives 5 star rating in its recent real schools guide the Birmingham Mail awarded Handsworth grammar school the top score of 5 stars. This is based upon attainment Teaching attendance and Outcomes data and makes us one of the top 8 schools in the city as well as one of the top performing schools nationally. This is a great achievement and is something the whole school community can be proud of Year 12 PHYsiCisT OF THe Year Congratulations to Manraj dhanda who has received an award for his progress and attainment so far during his studies in a level Physics. The awards sponsored by the Ogden Trust are presented to the most promising Physicists in Birmingham and solihull schools. in addition to the presentations the Celebration evening involved a tour of Birmingham University Physics department a lecture about astrophysics some demonstrations and speaking to research students about their work. Mr Jones Microsoft Kodu Kup Finals we were delighted that the following students Max Henry ibrahim Hussain robert Frater Team seemakhawk were shortlisted for last years national Microsoft Kodu Kup finals for their design and development of the game Kodu eruption. The dragons den style finals took place at Microsoft HQ in reading. stuart Ball from Microsoft said Congratulations on making it to the 12 finalists. To give you a sense of the scale of your achievement 380000 students have been using Kodu in the UK this year. The quality of the 160 games that were entered was outstanding and your games were voted the best by our judging panel. But making the game was just the start. well done to those who took part. NACE Membership Handsworth grammar school is pleased to be re-awarded its naCe membership for showing consistent commitment to provision for more able and talented pupils in school. naCe is the national association for able Children in education. SSAT Educational Outcomes Award Handsworth grammar school has been nominated to receive an Outstanding Progress award at the specialist schools and academies Trust educational Outcomes awards 2014. This is as a result of Handsworth grammar school being in the top 20 nationally for Key stage 4 value-added scores. The ssaT have identified Handsworth grammar school by using their educational outcomes database which is a unique tool for comparison and collaboration that brings together the latest department for education performance and contextual data and Ofsted gradings on every school in the country. it is testament to the hard work and effort of our Teachers and students as well as the continued progress and improvement over the last few years. Congratulations 9 siXTH FOrM BUiLding PrOgraMMe On Wednesday May 20th the new Sixth Form Centre was ofcially opened by Lord Digby Jones the former Director General of the CBI Confederation of British Industry. The event was very well attended by governors guests parents old boys and supporters of the project many of whom had actually contributed nancially to the building of the project. Also present were representatives of some of the numerous contractors who had designed and built such a fabulous facility. Headteacher Mr Bird introduced the event and spoke about Handsworth Grammar School being a vehicle for social mobility and cited the case of one former pupil whose father had been a cooper a barrel maker and whose mother was a cleaner. This particular child had done extremely well at HGS many years ago and had actually won a scholarship to Oxford University from HGS. He had gone on to have an extremely successful career despite very humble beginnings. Lord Jones spoke about his own humble origins and how he had risen through education to win a naval scholarship had had a successful career in the law and then became a high prole director of the CBI and consequently a cross bench peer sitting in the Lords. He also praised all of those who had contributed to the project and in a very entertaining speech wished the school well for the future. Lord Jones was presented with a framed painting as a memento of the occasion. The painting was by former HGS pupil Reuben Colley now a successful artist with his own gallery on Colmore Row Birmingham. This presentation was made by our Head Boy Leopold Johnson and Mr Tim Ison the art gallery director. There is now a plaque in the Sixth Form Centre which will be a permanent reminder of this occasion. Mr Conway grand Opening of the New Sixth Form CentreNew Sixth Form Centre On Wednesday May 20th the new Sixth Form cross bench peer sitting in the Lords. He also the case of one former pupil whose father had been a cooper a barrel maker and whose mother was a cleaner. This particular child had done extremely well at HGS many years ago and had actually won a scholarship to Oxford University from HGS. He had gone on to have an extremely successful humble origins and how he had risen scholarship had had a successful career in the law and then became a high prole director of the CBI and consequently a this occasion. Mr Conway 9 cross bench peer sitting in the Lords. He also praised all of those who had contributed to the project and in a very entertaining speech painting as a memento of the occasion. The painting was by former HGS pupil Reuben Colley now a successful artist with his own gallery on Colmore Row Birmingham. This presentation was made by our Head Boy Leopold Johnson and Mr Tim Ison the art cross bench peer sitting in the Lords. He also in the last issue of The Bridge there was an empty framework of a building next to our school. i am pleased to report that this empty framework has now evolved into a sixth form centre. available for students to use earlier this year the sixth form centre was officially opened on May 21st by Lord digby. as a student who has had the opportunity to be using it for a few months it has been really great for sixth formers to have their own space. we are no longer tormented by rogue year elevens and no longer have a five minute walk to get out of the building. To have access to such new and state of the art facilities has been a real treat and has proved an excellent way to increase my revision and work load. it was just a shame that Ms Miles wasnt here to wear a hat and cut the ribbon Pip Turner The sixth Form Centre has undoubtedly been a highly anticipated and greatly appreciated addition to Handsworth grammar school and has added to the eclectic mix of architectural styles that make our school so unique we as sixth form students have benefited to quite a great extent from the sixth Form Centre as it has offered a learning space suited to our needs and this has nurtured our learning experience at an incredibly important time giving us the facilities needed to study for our a Levels as well as a place to interact with our friends and teachers. at the same time however its seamless integration with the main body of the school means that were still an integral part of the amazing Hgs community to which weve grown accustomed never too far away from the help of teachers. in my opinion the addition of the sixth Form Centre symbolises the ethos of the school we are grounded in history but constantly looking to the future to develop and improve in order to equip students with the skills needed for our competitive age. My only regret is that we couldnt have enjoyed it for longer Gurdeep Mall The new sixth Form Centre is an amazing addition to our already outstanding school and one that we have waited a long time for but finally received like a gift to treasure in our last year here in Hgs. it gives students a place to sit and work in peace in our study periods and other free time and allows us to have something we can call ours in which we are able to work and have fun. This new area is a big step up from the old sixth form area and is a great addition to our school. Aniel Sunder The convenience of having an independent facility to work in is immeasurable. it teams together a neat blend of a calm working environment and an inviting study area a very helpful option to have at such a critical academic juncture. Ammandev Bajwa The new sixth Form Centre has definitely had a positive impact upon the sixth form students. The students have a great atmosphere in which they can optimise their learning via the easily accessible facilities the sixth form centre offers. it is a great addition to the school as it gives sixth form students a mature working place so that they can concentrate on their exams. Martin Nguyen Moving into the new sixth Form Centre was like moving into a new house. it is amazing how much the new building has increased the productivity of all the sixth formers. The quiet working atmosphere really gives the place a uni feel. all of us collaboratively work to preserve the 1.6 million pound facility by treating it as we would our own homes we wouldnt put our feet on the tables in our houses so we dont here. Overall this has been a great addition to the school to better facilitate its ambassadors. James Callum The new sixth Form Centre is a great asset to facilitate our learning. it provides a mature environment in which students can work and a sense of independence. Hadiqa Sheikh siXTH FOrM BUiLding PrOgraMMe The new sixth Form Centre has definitely 10 Throughout this year 33 year 12 students split into 3 teams have been taking part in the Community Apprentice programme. The programme is a competition between 47 teams from 20 schools across Birmingham to see who can make the biggest difference to a local issue of their choice. The teams chose three current issues that they were passionate about. Team A.G.E was determined to tackle the problem of isolation and loneliness among the elderly in Handsworth. They visited a local care home and organised a coffee morning at Handsworth Library. Their aim was to encourage and inspire lower years in the school to continue their project. Team A.G.E. was also successful in pitching for 300 to fund their project at the Community Carousel event at Villa Park in December. Team Choice decided to tackle the sensitive issue of child abuse. They contacted both the NSPCC and Childline to learn more about their issue. Using this information they delivered assemblies to over 500 students at the school as well as conducting a poster and wristband campaign throughout the entire school. Team Choice have also been successful in making it through to the semi-nals of the competition and are in with a chance of making it to the top 4 teams on Community Apprentice. Finally The Unheard Voice wanted to make a difference to homelessness in Birmingham. They visited the drop-in centre at SIFA Fireside a homeless charity based in the city centre and were inspired to raise money for it. The team were able to raise 500 pounds for SIFA through a non-uniform day and samosa sale. Part of the Community Apprentice programme provides the teams with support from Team Coaches at Birmingham Business to help the students develop the ability to articulate their skills something which will stand them in good stead for UCAS applications and moving onwards into their careers. The teams were partnered with Interserve PLC the international construction and support service company. The coaches at Interserve gave the teams support throughout their projects paying particular attention to problem-solving and communication skills. The students will receive an Envision certicate for graduating from the programme but will also receive a competency reference from one of their team coaches at Interserve. This is a personalised reference that explains which skills the students have developed throughout their project and will be a useful tool to help students with University and Job applications. The students will also receive a v50 certicate from VInspired to recognise the 50 hours of volunteering the students will have completed as part of Community Apprentice and their projects. The determination and drive of the students throughout the year has been outstanding and the desire of the students to encourage other students to continue their projects is testament to that. Each of the teams has been nominated for an award at the Community Apprentice Awards to recognise their development and achievement. All in all this year has been a roaring success for the students who have made a signicant impact on their community and developed hugely along the way. Uwais Ali a member of Team A.G.E It has been great knowing I have made a difference to peoples lives in the community Zain Mushtaq a member of The Unheard Voice It was inspiring for me and eye opening. The money we raised will make a real difference. Envision Spring term charity Fundraising Success We raised 850 for Birmingham Childrens Hospital. We raised 400 for Cancer Research UK. We raised 400 for the British Heart Foundation. We raised 1745 for Red Nose Day. Winter term charity Fundraising Success Year 7 raised 1200 through the annual sponsored walk. Year 13 raised 250 for Macmillan Cancer Support. We raised over 1000 for Birmingham Childrens Hospital. We raised 780 for Riding for the Disabled. We raised 1750.49 for Children in Need. We raised 1434 for the Red Cross International work with Children. PLC the international coaches at Interserve particular attention to The students will receive an Envision certicate for graduating from the programme but will also Spring term charity 11 Big hearted In February HGS was in the grip of serious Lurrve epidemic. In both the sixth form centre and the staff room mysterious walls of lurrrve appeared. Hearts were made to stick up each heart containing a message to a special someone. In the sixth form centre these included hearts to Marx a Double Decker and of course various students. The staff lled their wall with similar sincerity inscribing messages to Gove SIMS and Nothing. All the money raised from selling hearts 67.00 was very appropriately given to Alfreds charity The British Heart Foundation CHARITY careers. The teams were partnered with Interserve money we raised will make a real difference. Big hearted In February HGS was in the grip of serious Lurrve epidemic. In both the sixth form centre and the staff room mysterious walls of lurrrve appeared. Hearts were made to stick up each heart containing a message to a special someone. In the sixth form centre these included hearts to Marx a Double Decker and of course various students. The staff lled their wall with similar sincerity inscribing messages to Gove SIMS and Nothing. All the money raised from selling hearts 67.00 was very appropriately given to Alfreds charity The British Heart Foundation TriPs and visiTs 12 On Friday 27th March 2015 we arrived at school ready for our skiing trip to zell am see austria. Many pupils going on the trip had mixed emotions we were excited but also a little nervous. at around 2pm the coach arrived and after putting our luggage onto the coach and finding a seat we began our journey. The journey was long and tiring but finally we arrived at the port of dover and boarded the ferry. we had great fun exploring it in small groups everyone seemed to particularly enjoy the duty free shop Upon arrival at Calais France we set off again for the long drive through France to austria. everyone was drained but surprisingly everybody seemed to cope extremely well and settled down to sleep some managing ten hours. in the morning we stopped at a service station where we were able to have some breakfast clean our teeth and have a wash. By this time excitement levels were rising as we were approaching austria. when we approached our resort everyone could not help but admire the amazing views of the snowy mountains in front of our eyes. Finally we arrived at the hotel and all gave a huge sigh of relief as we were glad to get sight of our new home for the week. after being shown to our rooms and unpacking we had dinner in the hotel at 6.30 p.m. we then had to go to get our skis and boots fitted ready for the next day of skiing. it was usual to have activities in the evening but on the first night we were all just too tired so we played pool table tennis and table football in the games room and had an early night. we all slept really well. Our first days skiing dawned. we woke up at around 7.00 am eagerly put on our ski gear and had breakfast. every day we had to be on the coach by 8.30 so that we were ready to begin skiing on the mountain at 9.30. Mr Jones and Mr Bird warned us to take care of our lift passes and eHiC cards. each day we had to go up in the gondola lift to meet our ski instructors and then begin our skiing for the day. Time just ew by when we were skiing and before you knew it it was time for lunch. after lunch we then had the whole afternoon skiing around all the different slopes until 2.30. skiing was such brilliant fun with plenty of laughter and falls. everyone has tales to tell about their fabulous runs spectacular falls and amazing jumps each evening after dinner we joined in with the other school group in the hotel for a Moose Ceremony in which an award was given to the person who had done the silliest thing that day. On one day it surprised no one that the candidate for the Moose award was Mr Jones. That day after completing a punishing black run he and Mr Bird were on an easy empty blue run. However Mr Jones fell and then blamed Mr Bird for going out of sight. Less than 100 meters further on Mr Jones fell again this time he claimed that his goggles had fogged up and he couldnt see a thing we believe you Mr Jones every evening back at the hotel there was an organised activity between 7.30 and 9.00. One night it was austrian bowling another night it was swimming. in my opinion the best activities were Pizza night and exploring the town of zell am see. Our last day dawned. we were all very sad to go home. Leaving zell am see on the Friday at about 6.00 p.m. we had to face the long journey home which again was tiring. However time passed quickly and we had fun talking about the memories we had created and the new friendships forged over the last week. Hopefully we will never forget these. we have to thank both of our teachers Mr Bird and Mr Jones who came with us as it wouldnt have been possible without them. we are all excited for next years trip. Hopefully more people will come along Ashutosh Borikar 7N EASTER 2015 each evening after dinner we joined in with the Ceremony in which an award was given to the On one day it surprised no one that the candidate Our last day dawned. we were all very sad Ski Course to Austria MaTHs aT draYTOn ManOr during the May enrichment day our year 9s had a fun filled day at drayton Manor Theme Park. we were lucky enough to have gone on one of the warmest days of May. as well as experiencing the action packed high velocity attractions at the theme park students were encouraged to think about how the Mathematics we learn about in the classroom plays out in this setting. This covered a range of topics from Mechanics of roller coasters real life graphing of motion and the probability involved in some of the games. 25 8 930 From the 24th to the 27th of October a party from Handsworth Grammar School ventured off to Ypres Belgium. However our experience of Belgium was far from just tasting chocolate and indulging in wafes. The trips focus was to learn more about the historical aftermath of World War One. we visited several memorials. One memorial in particular worth mentioning is the Menin gate a world famous memorial which remembers soldiers who fought in the First world war. we were told by our excellent tour guide that there were over 50000 names inscribed on the walls of soldiers whose bodies were not found or who were buried in unnamed graves a fascinating however disturbing number. every day since 1927 one soldier is remembered with the playing of the Last Post and we were privileged to experience this on our second night in Ypres. Our hotel was quite literally across the street from the Menin gate. we visited several well known cemeteries such as Langemark Cemetery which contains the bodies of dead german soldiers. Ploegsteert Memorial Tyne Cot Cemetery and dozinghem Cemetery were three cemeteries we visited to commemorate the lives of and lay down wreaths for Handsworth grammar students who fought and died during the war. we felt extremely privileged and grateful to be a part of the school and could not help but feel a degree of sympathy and gratitude towards these Old Boys. not only did we remember the pupils of our school but also the men and women who died and still die in war and in particular their families. There was a great deal that i learnt about the more practical aspects that soldiers had to endure during this historic war. For instance i had never appreciated before that during trench warfare soldiers would often have to fight in treacherous and diseased conditions. This was incredibly disturbing to learn. Boys our age and only a few years older than us were asked to fight for their country and leave everything else behind. nevertheless it wasnt all hard work and gloom apart from learning about the harrowing effects of war we were also able to unwind and enjoy our free time to pursue more leisurely activities. For instance we were able to show our competitive side when playing 10-pin bowling where we were annihilated by Mr Mohsin who did not hide his elation. we were also able to try the local food at different restaurants shop around and try local delicacies. On the last day we were given a free day in Bruges which was a chance to look around a beautiful medieval town and an opportunity to spend our remaining money. To sum up our experience this trip really made our group as a whole appreciate the long lasting and damaging effects of war. we were taken aback by the countless lives that were sacrificed during the First world war and a lasting and deep impression was made when we consider that pupils from our own school died for the sake of our countrys interests. i would definitely consider going on the next trip abroad and i hope this report has inuenced you to do the same. Joel Braich 13 TriPs and visiTs Belgium Trip visiting the First World War Battleelds and Cemeteries Handsworth graMMar sCHOOL SKI COURSE EASTER 2016 Further information and letters are available from Mr Jones Mr Bird or Mrs Linley in Reprographics. 80255 8 988 938380 83025 14 TriPs and visiTs Phil Mortera 7N On the 3rd of May 2015 we arrived in school leaving our bags and luggage in d1 s2 or s4. everyone was very enthusiastic as they kept on chatting about what it might be like at the residential centre. at around 900 our form tutor Mr shield led us to s4 where we waited patiently for the bus to arrive. after what seemed like an age the coaches arrived at the school gates. excitedly we grabbed our luggage and rushed through the door while the teachers told us to slow down or Behave yourselves when you are there. after we had put our luggage on the coach and settled down in our seats we began our journey to whitemoor Lakes. as soon as we arrived we were all jumpy and eager to get off the bus. One by one Miss abraham dismissed us off the bus to get our luggage and go into the Main Hall. The main lobby we passed through was bigger than i expected it to be and there were two table tennis tables a snooker table and an air hockey table it also contained the main reception where you could go if you had any queries. we sat down on the oor in the Main Hall and settled ourselves down for a warm welcome from the instructors. after a tour around the centre and a few brief safety rules we were finally shown to our dorms. some people had five bedroom dorms and some had four bedroom dorms. each dormitory had a toilet and shelves to store our clothes towels and personal belongings. we began to unpack our things and make our own beds. The instructors told us that the first one to make the bed got that bed and i was the first to finish after thirty minutes of settling down into our rooms we headed to the dining hall to eat our packed lunches. Bustling with joy we were ready to start There were nine activities in the residential trip raft building canoeing fencing archery camp fire high ropes rock climbing abseiling and zip line. in raft building we made a simple raft and the objective was to go on to the lake and not sink However as we left shore someone and he will remain anonymous shook the raft and we all fell off leaving us with wet clothes to dry as well as getting wet in raft building canoeing was no different we had to do forfeits every time we scored points in a game. The more points that the team scored the harder the forfeits were. One of them was to run into the lake resulting in more wet clothes although the students participated in the activities Mr shield didnt do any of the activities complaining that the helmets wouldnt fit him and even with encouragement we still couldnt persuade Mr shield to join us in our group. during our free time in the afternoon we either played pool in the lobby or hung about in our dorms. at ten o clock we had to settle ourselves into bed although before we went to sleep there were scary ghost stories and i even heard rumours of a party On the last night of our stay the instructors and Mr Mohsin kindly put on a football tournament. we nelson lost that tournament but came quite close to winning the whole thing. On the last day of our stay we had a whole group tournament of games. There was also a rewards ceremony where the best the enthusiastic and the most determined were given credit and a certificate. after the awards ceremony we packed our luggage said our goodbyes and expressed our thanks and set off back to school. in my own opinion the whitemoor Lakes trip was absolutely fantastic and id like to thank all the staff Mr Mohsin and all the teachers that made this trip possible. whitemoor Lakes Tripwhitemoor Lakes Trip thirty minutes of settling down into our rooms we headed to the dining hall to eat our packed There were nine activities in the residential trip fire high ropes rock climbing abseiling and zip the objective was to go on to the lake and not sink However as we left shore someone and all fell off leaving us with wet clothes to dry as well as getting wet in raft building canoeing was 15 TriPs and visiTs Samuel Grego 7A when we arrived at whitemoor Lakes we got shown around the centre. it was huge so it took us up to lunch when we had amazing fish and chips that everybody loved despite having to wait ages for it. we had spent a few minutes making our beds before lunch so we wouldnt have to do it later. everyone went back to their dorms to get ready for the next activities. we had canoeing so we had to put on clothes we didnt mind getting wet. we practised on the canoes and then played a game. The instructors would throw a ball and we would have to row to it and pick it up to get the points but there was a catch we had to do a forfeit for the points. The points went up by five each time and the forfeits were harder the higher the points. The forfeits ended up being so intense that the only option was to run into the water as a forfeit. My lodge got rewarded with cake after the long day wed had plus it was veer and dominiks birthday so more cake The next day we had 5 activities instead of just 1. we started with abseiling and zip wire which everyone said was fun. i discovered my fear of heights Problem solving was simple enough. we had to try and get our whole group to balance on a massive see-saw for 8 seconds. The solution was to lean to the side that was going up. we also had to get everyone onto a small platform through a spiders web dont ask and to get across a wall with poles and ropes. next we had fencing and it took us a long time to get all the kit on. we had to wear helmets padding special jackets and a glove on your strong hand. every time george our instructor shouted en garde we would get into the en garde position and shout it back. it was really fun. Mr. Mohsin organised a small five-a-side football tournament for us. it was really tiring all we had left was the campfire. The campfire was one of the best parts of the trip. we sang funny songs played silly games and drew our moon for the moon club yet again dont ask. at lights out we got a little surprise someone had set off the fire alarm. we rushed out to the assembly point at 1030 with pyjamas and bare feet. The final day was sad. we started with raft building which ended up with our whole raft falling apart and us all falling off. everyone in our group had an agreement that if one person was late for the raft building we could throw them in the lake. Hassan came out twice as drenched as we were. we had archery but nothing of note happened. The last activity was the hardest most treacherous one of them all team games. we played the craziest games and had lots of fun. Overall whitemoor Lakes is the best trip ive had in yr7 so far Mr. Mohsin organised a small five-a-side football tournament for us. it was really tiring all we 15 The next day we had 5 activities instead of just 1. we started with abseiling and zip wire which everyone said was fun. i discovered my fear of heights Problem solving was simple enough. we had to try and get our whole group to balance on a massive see-saw for 8 seconds. The solution was to lean to the side that was going up. we also had to get everyone onto a small platform through a spiders web dont ask and to get across a wall with poles and ropes. next we had fencing and it took us a long time to get all the kit on. we had to best trip ive had in yr7 so far a long time to get all the kit on. we had to wear helmets padding special jackets and our instructor would get into shout it back. it was really fun. a long time to get all the kit on. we had to wear helmets padding special jackets and 16 TriPs and visiTs ICT at Cadbury World On the morning of the 11th december 2014 30 students from Ks3 were lucky enough to get a chance to go to Cadbury world for an educational visit to see how iCT was used to make the chocolate we all love. soon after 900am we departed for Cadbury world where upon arrival we visited the Bournville experience and learnt that both george and richard Cadbury were the founders of Bournville village. we discovered how the Bournville village was first created and even attempted creating and designing our own Cadbury packaging. we also saw a gigantic chocolate Christmas tree although it wasnt made of actual chocolate From the Bournville experience we then made our way to the worlds biggest Cadbury store to make some essential purchases including a selection of unique handmade chocolates. The store also contained chocolate that was exclusive and not for sale in other retail outlets. we then got to the main part of our trip which was the iCT educational lecture about how Cadbury use iCT to produce their famous chocolate. Firstly our lecturer informed us about Cadburys success their progression in the confectionery world and their current owners. we also found out that they were recently bought by Mondelez europe who are owned by Kraft who are a big distributor of confectionery. The use of iCT was extensive especially CadCaM software which is used to make the moulds and also to see how the new chocolate might look. adobe Photoshop was used to design the Cadbury ow wrap which can stretch out to over a mile long and only lasts for 45 minutes in the manufacturing process Our lecturer also explained how other types of software were utilised including Outlook for emails and a technology called rFid radio Frequency identification which uses intelligent bar codes to track items. The quality control process was very impressive and we were informed that if a chocolate bar happened to fall from the production line onto the oor it would immediately be classed as unfit for human consumption and fed to pigs instead. This is because they have a similar digestive system to humans we then experienced the Cadbury world 4d cinema complete with motion seating and a 3d ride on the Crunchie rollercoaster. after lunch we made our way into the Cadbury exhibition and were given lots of free chocolate. The exhibition informed us of the history of chocolate production and we had a demonstration on how chocolate can be produced without the use of machines and technology. Finally we had a tour of the Cadbury factory which was an enjoyable and informative way to end our trip to Cadbury world. Jude Folorunso 8 Nelson. Year 13 English Literature trip to London Tis Pity the play that we are studying as part of the a2 english Literature syllabus is not often performed so you can imagine our surprise and excitement when we learned of our trip to The globe in London to see it Tis Pity is a Jacobean tragedy centred around the forbidden love of annabella and giovanni essentially romeo and Juliet with sex drugs and rock and roll. Bizarrely for a play written in the 17th Century exploring rather abstract themes Tis Pity managed to remain relatable to us one of the most striking ways in which it appealed to the audience was through its use of northern and southern accents to denote social class. The sam wanamaker Playhouse was therefore an ideal venue for such an intimate play the audience were so close to the play that they were part of the action the singers mingled amongst audience the banditti ran around us and one of the characters died so close to an audience member that the prospect of her expensive looking clothes becoming stained with synthetic blood was rather evident from her horrified expression The globes use of candle light and music simply added to the ambiance of the play the snuffing of the candles and the music worked effectively to create the simultaneously tense and hilarious death scene of Bergetto John Fords Boris Johnson. Theatre is a uniquely tangible art formallowing the audience to experience the characters and events in a profoundly intimate way. Unlike the edited and polished Hollywood films to which weve grown so accustomed theatre is an entirely human art form with mistakes and quirks that heighten the sense of realism and make the characters relatable from Hippolita forgetting her line to soranzos blood pack making an almighty spurting noise we were also fortunate enough to have the chance to see Blood swept Lands and seas of red an installation at the Tower of London by the artist Paul Cummins with 888246 poppies one for each dead British or Colonial soldier. The installation is an incredibly moving one as it allows us to make some redeemable sense of the sheer waste of life that occurs in wars and those who were in the remembrance assembly wouldve heard Mr Moodys voice heavy with sorrow as he read... it was Connor Mcgraths quoting of aldous Huxley in the remembrance assembly that perfectly summarised the spirit of the installation and remembrance That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history. Undoubtedly though the highlight of the trip was Mr Lawrences unique taste in music Gurdeep Mall 17 TriPs and visiTs in april a group of Y9 History students visited Birmingham University to take part in History Quest. This event aims to give students an introduction to History and archaeology at university for those studying it at gCse. we began with a lecture from an archaeology professor on the relevance of History to the world around us and how important it is to us in our lives today to understand how people in the past have lived thought and behaved. we then took part in a workshop that got us thinking about how to analyse a group of objects that had been excavated at an archaeological site. we were asked to draw a picture of the people who made up the family who used these things based on the objects that were found. some things were quite old-fashioned and hard to identify but others were easy to allocate to a person. sometimes it was easy to jump to conclusions and so we had to be careful not to assume that a washing up liquid bottle meant that a woman was part of the family Our teacher then asked us to consider if we had everything we needed in order to know all about the family. This led onto a discussion about what type of objects survive in the ground over time and which rot away making it hard to get a complete picture of life in the past. Often archaeologists have to cross reference what they have found in one site with finds from another location or like we did make assumptions about what the objects were probably used for and who might have used them. after a campus tour we did well in the quiz at the end of the day with one of our teams coming second Mrs Hartt and Y9. in april a group of Y9 History Year 10 geography Fieldwork On Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd June Year 10 geographers braced the windy weather on the shropshire Hills to carry out their geography Fieldwork which accounts for 25 of their gCse. after several postponements due to terrible weather Mr Birds and Ms whartons groups walked up Carding Mill valley onto the Long Mynd Plateau where they learnt about the heathland ecosystem which accounts for one third of the land of the British isles. Pupils appreciated the sense of the remoteness and scenic views from these hills before heading down the valley to collect data towards their controlled assessment. velocity width and depth of the channel and load size and shape were recorded at four sites with pupils getting their hands wet and dirty as they got stuck in despite the windy wet cold weather there were no moans or groans pupils were well prepared and got on with it working very effectively as teams. it was only fair that we visited the national Trust tea shop on our way back down to the minibuses so pupils could get an ice cream. we didnt let the weather ruin our day out well done to all our Year 10 geographers we hope their hard work pays off with some impressive controlled assessment results. Mr Bird those studying it at gCse. we began bottle meant that a woman was part of History Quest at the University of Birmingham 18 Cherry Orchard Visit 2015 On Monday 1st June 2015 Hgss science department was proud to welcome the entire Year 4 cohort from Cherry Orchard Primary school. The visit was one of a series of outreach events with local primary schools throughout the academic year putting Handsworth grammar school at the heart of our local community. The visit was organised by Mr Mohsin Head of Year 7 in conjunction with Ms abraham and Ms Mitchell assistant Head teacher Cherry Orchard with the simple aim of giving the pupils of Cherry Orchard a small indication of what to expect in secondary school science. The visit began with some basic health and safety instructions how to behave in a lab goggles hair tied back tie tucked in and most importantly for the pupils to know how to use a Bunsen Burner. The visit proceeded with Burning Magnesium determining which type of crisp had the most energy without eating them and finding out exactly how loud a jelly baby can actually scream while its being eaten. specially trained members of 8 nelson and 8 Henry were on hand to aid the Year 4 pupils throughout the session. The underlying theme was releasing energy energy in chemical reactions in food in alcohols and in the fuels we burn. The culmination of which was to set Miss Parkes on fire naturally under controlled laboratory conditions and with a strict risk assessment. The day proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for staff and pupils alike and we look forward to continuing the partnership over the coming years. TriPs and visiTs The german spelling Bee The german spelling Bee Competition has been a great journey accompanied by shivers lots of fun and competitiveness. at first just passing the first stage was a big hurdle but as i expected the competition got tougher and tougher. Thinking positively was the way forward and success was in front of me However this success could not have been achieved without a guide and in this case my guide was Miss Fiess. However i wont forget everyone else who guided and supported me and helped me to achieve this successThank you Jasbinderbir Singh 7 Galahad 18 However i wont forget everyone else who guided and supported me and helped me to achieve this successThank you Jasbinderbir Singh 7 Galahad Cherry Orchard Visit 2015Cherry Orchard Visit 2015Cherry Orchard Visit 2015 On Monday 1st June 2015 Hgss science department was proud to welcome the entire Year 4 cohort from Cherry Orchard Primary school. The visit was one of a series of outreach events with local primary schools throughout the academic year putting Handsworth grammar school at the heart of our local community. The visit was organised by Mr Mohsin Head of Year 7 in conjunction with Ms abraham and Ms Mitchell assistant Head teacher Cherry Orchard with the simple aim of giving the pupils of Cherry Orchard a small indication of what to expect in secondary school science. The visit began with some basic health and safety instructions how to behave in a lab goggles hair tied back tie tucked in and most importantly for the pupils to know how to use 19 My Oxford Summer School Experience Gurdeep Mall when i arrived at Oxford Train station dragging my suit case behind me i had absolutely no idea of what i could possibly expect from the week to come in fact i even had a brief moment of panic where i thought that i had made a huge mistake as i approached the growing crowd of equally nervous looking sixth Formers wearing Oxford University Lanyards my trepidation subsided the diversity of the group made me realise that the week to come would be an incredible experience and our walk to exeter College started a week-long accent based debate on the pronunciation of different words The Oxford University summer school was undoubtedly an incredibly demanding week as it included an intensive educational programme daily social activities and even a field trip to allow us to appreciate the true experience of an Oxford student. i had chosen to study the Law course and since i do not currently pursue any formal studies in the subject it was an unrivalled opportunity to ascertain whether or not i wanted to study Law with French at university for four years. The legal academic programme was enriching we attended daily lectures on rather complicated concepts of the law and we were expected to have a sufficient understanding of the cases discussed to be able to write an essay and participate in a one-to-four tutorial with a world leading professor the following morning. since our social activities meant that we returned to the college at 11pm we would stay up until quite late in order to prepare what was needed for the tutorials the atmosphere created by such dedicated and passionate students working into the night to meet deadlines was merely a taster of what awaits all prospective university students The most memorable part of the academic programme was the moot we were given the case assigned sides and expected to prepare speeches and arguments for a moot which took place in a mock court room we were all so nervous about doing something which we had never done before however our preparation and work meant that the moots were exciting and quite passionate. in addition to this the links that Oxford University had were used in order to allow us to consider our possible career options we were taken to LinkLaters one of the magic circle law firms in central London where we were able to explore the different areas of law that graduates could pursue. we also had a formal dinner with prominent Oxford Law alumni who had all had very different careers linked to law though most of us were confused by the cutlery presented to us and were preoccupied by trying to use the correct utensils for the correct course The social Programme was equally enjoyable and allowed us to experience everything that Oxford had to offer there was a fancy dress night during which we had to choose a costume themed on one of the letters from UniQ the name of the summer school certain costumes were ingenious and we were repeatedly stopped and photographed by amused tourists who could not understand why somebody would willingly humiliate themselves publicly in such a way For me the most enjoyable social activity was a hilarious improv comedy show called Hickory dickory Murder by the dead secrets which included them acting out an audience members suggestion of YOLO. all in all the summer school was absolutely amazing and whilst it hasnt made me confident of getting a place at Oxford it has given me the confidence to apply and think that i am deserving of a place. i would advise all of the Year 12s to do some research into the UniQ summer school and The sutton Trust for some truly amazing and free opportunities to see whether the courses they wish to study are truly for them. TriPs and visiTs 20 Year 7 Annual Sponsored Walk 2014 sPOrTs Friday 3rd October saw all of Year 7 participating in the annual sponsored walk around Handsworth Park. The weather was very kind and the rain held off This year was slightly different in that each Form was representing their House. 7 nelson certainly made an impact and a lot of fun was had by all. The boys entered into the spirit of it all and collected in their sponsorship money. nOw education kindly donated prizes which were awarded at a special assembly for the student in each House who raised the most money. Birmingham Football Champions The Year 7 Football team took part in a 5 a side tournament held at sutton College. 17 schools fielded teams in total from across Birmingham. Hgs won their group with ease and did not lose a game. in the semi-final Hgs played edmond Campion and won 1 0. The final was against arthur Terry and the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Hgs finally won the shoot-out 2 1. The result being that Hgs are Year 7 Birmingham 5 a side Champions Congratulations to the team as well as the coach Mr Lawrence Francisek Czech ryan Mann raul Bhatti Uzaif Hashmi ashraf Khan gurkirut Jagpal Huzaifah akhtar and easah rashid. 20 Birmingham Football Champions The Year 7 Football team took part in a 5 a side tournament held at sutton College. 17 schools fielded teams in total from across Birmingham. Hgs won their group with ease and did not lose a game. in the semi-final Hgs played edmond Campion and won 1 0. The final was against arthur Terry and the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Hgs finally won the shoot-out 2 1. The result being that Hgs are Year 7 Birmingham 5 a side Champions Congratulations to the 21 sPOrTs Sport Leaders in the Community Our gCse Pe group helped to officiate at the Handsworth association of schools Primary athletics meeting held recently at alexandria stadium. Our students worked in pairs setting up and running the 4 long jump and 4 foam javelin throwing areas for all of the 10 Primary schools taking part. The day was a great success and our students were complimented by the Primary staff as well as the event Organiser who asked if we would help with future events. BriTisH aTHLeTiCs CHaMPiOnsHiPs Last summer Jordan ricketts participated in the Under 13 Mixed relay team for Birchfield Harriers. They came fourth out of eight teams taking part on the day a great achievement. Jordan also acted as a Kit Carrier and results runner over the weekend which enabled him to work with and meet many famous athletes like Tiffany Porter Martyn rooney adam gemili Paula radcliffe darren Campbell and Colin Jackson. Jordan also took part in the Regional Sports Hall West Midlands Final and takes up the story On sunday 8th March i competed in the regional sports Hall west Midlands Final. i managed to get into the 4Lap final and came 5th. i then came 2nd in my vertical Jump and finally 1st with my 4x2Lap relay Team. i left the regionals with a silver medal for the vertical Jump and a gold medal for the relay. On saturday 14th March i competed in the Birmingham sports Hall Final and won two gold medals. i won my first gold medal in 4Lap and had the best time for the season in Birmingham at 50.3seconds. My second gold medal was won with my 4x2Lap relay team as we won every race in the season. Finishing the indoor season i won 3 gold Medals and 1 silver medal. BriTisH aTHLeTiCsBriTisH aTHLeTiCsBriTisH aTHLeTiCs by the Primary staff as well as the event Organiser who asked help with events. Aston Cup The Year 11 and Year 10 teams have won their respective aston Cup tournaments and both teams now proceed to their super Cup tournament which will be held at Bodymoor Heath. This is fantastic news and we wish both teams the best of luck. The Year 8 team are currently top of the aston League and we hope for future success. The Year 7 team were recently defeated in a 4-3 close fought game to take second place. On saturday 14th March i competed in the and 1 silver medal. Aston CupAston CupAston Cup 22 sPOrTssPOrTs 23 sPOrTs i have been a proud member of the Handsworth grammar school Old Boys swimming club for many years and a dedicated member of the water polo section. i have learnt a huge amount from my time in the water polo club and although my studies have prevented me from playing regularly this year i have had a great deal of enjoyment and fun from playing and training every Friday evening at Handsworth Leisure Centre under the direction of Phil swann and richard. id like to say a public thank you to those gentlemen. we have had a particularly strong year 7 this last year with the boys excelling in a number of team sports. The football team were the aston league champions and also runners up in the aston Cup final. They had a number of outstanding players particularly Franciszek Czech the goalkeeper who plays for the district team in his own age group and also plays in the age group above him. Francis hopes to follow in a long line of Polish goalkeepers playing in the premier league. The year 7 cricket team also won the aston indoor Cricket league and went on to play at edgbaston in the county final. They were also the winners of the warwickshire super 8s competition a new competition designed to ensure more school cricket is played. indeed our indoor cricket teams in years 78 and 9 all reached the warwickshire indoor Cricket Finals at edgbaston. also in football our year 9 team won the aston Cup and League and once again our year 11s won the aston Cup and League. we also continued to field a number of teams in competitive sport in table tennis badminton and basketball where the year 10 team reached the play off stages of the Year 11 competition despite being a year younger than their opposition. OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS Raj Lawrence played for Moseley and greater Birmingham at rugby union Kai Ho is an outstanding gymnast and a member of the earls club in Halesowen. He is part of a regional training squad which trains each month at the national sports Centre in Lilleshall. Josef Fieven is a nationally ranked cyclist both indoors on the velodrome and also outside on the road. Rajveer Mahal is the national Under 16s Mixed Martial arts champion. Kirpal Johal became the national Karate champion in his age group Shoaib Farooque was selected to play cricket for the english Cricket board in effect the england schools team. He is an outstanding batsman and also plays for dartmouth CC and hopes to follow his hero Moeen ali into the england team one day. Adan George follows a long line of footballers at Hgs and is part of the west Bromwich albion academy as well as playing for the school team. Jordan Ricketts is part of the Birchfield Harriers and is an outstanding sprinter and 60m hurdler.we have high hopes for him in the future. Shuja Mehmood who last year was with aston villa as a footballer has unfortunately now been released by villa. However he has continued to represent the west Midlands and has had trials at a number of other clubs. Corey Blacket Taylor who left Hgs two years ago has now established himself in the Under 21 squad at aston villa played for the england Under 17s and we look forward to him progressing at villa Park. Leopold Johnson Another successful year for the school in a full range of sports INDOOR CRICKET The Year 7 8 and 9 indoor Cricket teams have all won their aston League tournaments and as a result will be taking part in the Finals day at edgbaston County Cricket Club. This is a great achievement and we wish them luck. FOOTBALL HONOURS shuja Mehmood in 10H is playing for the district team in the english schools Fa cup. He recently travelled to Chester playing in the national cup and scored a goal in the first half which ensured a victory for aston erdington saltley and sutton. adan george in 8a has been promoted to play for west Bromwich albion academy team. Congratulations TABLE TENNIS SUCCESS Hassan nawaz 10H represented aston villa Football Club Premier4sport in the Midlands Table Tennis Championships in nottingham. His team came 3rd overall. a fantastic achievement. The schools sporting achievements over the last year 24 arT HandswOrTH arT 25 POeTrY and sTOries 26 Old Boys World War One Commemoration Mr Bob Curry and Mr Philip swann from the Old Boys society recently travelled to France to visit the somme battlefields. Poppies were placed on the graves of 7 Old Boys in 4 different cemeteries. a wreath was laid at the Theipval Memorial for 11 Old Boys who fell but where no remains have been traced. it was a very moving and poignant occasion in what was an extremely significant year of remembrance and commemoration of world war One. War One Commemoration Mr Bob Curry and Mr Philip swann from the Old Boys society recently travelled to France to visit the somme battlefields. Poppies were placed on the graves of 7 Old Boys in 4 different cemeteries. a wreath was laid at the Theipval Memorial for 11 Old Boys who fell but where no remains have been traced. it was a very moving and poignant occasion in what was an extremely significant year of remembrance and commemoration of world war One. Old Boys WorldOld Boys World War One Commemoration Old Boys World English Department LOOKing griM Once upon a time far far away in the glorious land of Handsworth grammar school a number of student Knights embarked upon a quest to win the Young writers mini saga competition entitled grim Tales. Thousands of entries were received throughout the land of the United Kingdom but only a select number of entries would be published. work was selected for publication based on students imagination perception and creative use of language. The school was therefore delighted that 33 shining Knights entries were chosen for publication this not only highlighted their creativity command and air in the battlefield of writing but also showed what could be achieved when the supreme Masters of Learning the english department nurtured the Knights abilities to use their sharp double edged sword the pen The King of Handsworth grammar school His Majesty Mr Bird and the rest of the inhabitants would like to congratulate all the young Knights who participated in the competition particularly those Knights who had their work published. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword Mr Dubay as it turns out the horizon actually stretches quite a bit further than the walls of Hgs. if someone had told me when i was there that i would use my a-Levels to first do a degree in archeology to then go on and do an internship with a sailing company in africa i would have backed slowly away from the crazy person. But here i am three and half years out of sixth form and having to use my History english Literature and Biology a-Levels to teach ex-pat kids and my dT a-Level to repair a boat and all part of the same job. wonderfully just picking subjects you enjoy isnt an altogether insane career path instead it has led in a roundabout way and with the help of friends to doing a job i love. Joe Turner Class of 2011 new HOrizOns 27 POeTrY and sTOries Connor McGrath in august 1914 H.g. wells wrote a little-read piece in a London newspaper commenting upon the declaration of war signed only a month or so beforehand. From this wells began work on one of his first contemporary pieces and entitled the work The war to end war. in 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference woodrow wilson the Us President paraphrased wells to the world press. The phrase although according to wells it did get into common circulation for the duration of the war would be lodged into the history books as the bywords of the great war. walking through the corridors of the school gazing into classrooms and looking with raw admiration at the academic Honours displayed in Big school Hall i find it ever more moving that my time here is drawing to a close. The history of the school shown in all of its grandeur and splendour in the stained glass windows and dark oak panels that cover the victorian walls of the Hall is nowhere more sombre than the two brass plaques that hang either side of the famed window from where our house names originate. These are records of the sacrifice of the 152 Handsworthian Old Boys from both world wars names that will forever be remembered within the walls of the school and beyond. as you will know 2014 marked the centenary of the outbreak of the great war a war that would undoubtedly change the future of warfare irreversibly and also one that took its toll on the Old Boys of the school. 85 Handsworth Old Boys who walked these corridors just like myself would fall in the great war of 1914 to 1918. i feel as i write only months away from becoming an official Handsworth Old Boy i feel ever closer to these names no men these men although barely out of boyhood who gave their all for freedom and civilisation. Looking through the roll call of the lost i notice in their forces records their addresses and recognise the names of roads that i walk past day in day out. To think of the history of these houses and roads but more of the pupils and later soldiers seamen and airmen that spent their days at the school brings a lump to the throat. These boys would have walked around these corridors sat in this school hall and studied in these very classrooms over 100 years ago today. The history of the school is steeped in tradition that lives on into the 21st century there is not a moment when i do not walk into my Politics classroom and spare a thought for the Boys who read Latin in the same four walls. and perhaps once every so often but especially at times like this how many of them went on to serve suffer and sacrifice on battlefields from the somme to Passchendaele and gallipoli to the atlantic. There is no way to escape the history of the walls of the school i often wish that the bricks could speak The stories they could tell would bring laughter nostalgia and almost certainly a few tears to the eye. H.g. wells was wrong though. wilson and all those who dared to dream that the phrase was true would see war the most natural human state remain as a part of their lives until the end. sadly through the last 100 years only one thing has been proved right. The more things change the more they stay the same. these men although barely out of boyhood who gave their all for freedom and civilisation. Looking forces records their addresses and recognise the names of roads that i walk past day in day out. To think of the history of these houses and roads but more of the pupils and later soldiers seamen and airmen that spent their days at the school brings a these very classrooms over 100 years ago today. Passchendaele and gallipoli to the atlantic. There is no way to escape the history of the walls of the 100 years of the Great War. 27 POeTrY and sTOries 28 Letters to my younger self my younger Dear Younger Gurdeep i am writing to you from a time in your life when dreaded Maths lessonsare no longer a part of life. i know how much you dread maths butdespite your scepticism youll get an a at gCse though youll never learnhow to calculate change in shops. i wouldnt worry about that thoughphones will always have calculators. First and foremost stop panicking and worrying about every single thingyou dont yet know what stress is and the things that you do worryabout are so inconsequential Losing a homework sheet isnt the end ofthe world just go and watch some Tv or something trust me by thetime you get to sixth form Tv will become a myth and youll be lucky tocatch 10 minutes every day. also switch over to 116 BBC 4 is absolutelyfascinating as is radio 4. i know you spend hours reading wikipediaarticles in the aim of learning new things but a lot of the entries are aload of rubbish also please stop worrying about fitting in and being normal theresno such thing as normal as you grow up youll realise that life is allabout people muddling through and doing what they think is right.The majority of people will follow the crowd because they have nofaith in their own ways. so dress how you want do what you wantand be who you want to be youll find a group of amazing friendswhore just as weird as you and will accept you for you are. Like me you have absolutely no faith in your abilities and iknow how difficult your lack of confidence can be but youwork hard and are committed to your education so you wontfail as badly as you think i also need you to start taking Frenchmuch more seriously because itll be an incredibly importantpart of your future also something is about to happen that will completelychange the trajectory of your life and change how you seeeverything. Just know that you will get through it and youwill emerge as a much stronger person every cloudet al. Though i wont tell you exactly whats going to happen because ignorance is bliss. Yours Gurdeep Mall Ps your handwriting is atrocious please work on it. the world just go and watch some Tv or something trust me by thetime you get to sixth form Tv will become a myth and youll be lucky tocatch 10 minutes every day. also switch over to 116 BBC 4 is absolutelyfascinating as is radio 4. i know you spend hours reading wikipediaarticles in the aim of learning new things but a lot of the entries are aload of rubbish also please stop worrying about fitting in and being normal theresno such thing as normal as you grow up youll realise that life is allabout people muddling through and doing what they think is right.The majority of people will follow the crowd because they have nofaith in their own ways. so dress how you want do what you wantand be who you want to be youll find a group of amazing friendswhore just as weird as you and will accept you for you are. Like me you have absolutely no faith in your abilities and iknow how difficult your lack of confidence can be but youwork hard and are committed to your education so you wontfail as badly as you think i also need you to start taking Frenchmuch more seriously because itll be an incredibly importantpart of your future also something is about to happen that will completelychange the trajectory of your life and change how you seeeverything. Just know that you will get through it and youwill emerge as a much stronger person every cloudet al. Though i wont tell you exactly whats going to happen because ignorance is bliss. Yours Gurdeep Mall Ps your handwriting is atrocious please work on it. Dear 16-year-old me what advice would i provide you looking back to 1985 it was the time of Madonna Bruce springsteen U2 and george Michael in the Music charts Parka coats and power suits were in fashion and films by John Hughes with stars like demi Moore were box office hits. not a huge amount has changed really My first piece of advice would have to be try not to break your arm twice and get knocked out playing rugby. However if you do be sure to get a brace as the gaps in your teeth will not fix themselves Perhaps focus more on your Cricket especially your batting. secondly enjoy living abroad more as you will always have your close school friends even 30 years later. Travel is a wonderful opportunity and really does broaden an individuals horizons. Make the most of it at all times. Thirdly even though you all live a long distance from each other stay in close contact with your family and friends. it can be all too easy to lose contact and a concerted effort should be made to keep in regular touch. Life will only get more hectic as you get older so get into good habits now. Family and friends are paramount to a happy and full life dont miss out in either department. Finally seize every opportunity life throws at you push yourself to your limits aim high but avoid arrogance and conceit. Be good to people at all times and have compassion for fellow human beings. The next 30 years will y by technology will develop at an increasingly fast pace and beyond all recognition mobile phones are a good example. society will adapt and most things be it shopping communications food travel or entertainment will be instantly accessible to all. in short life will be a rush and time will be at a premium so ensure you have time to think reect and put people first. Be a force for good and enjoy yourself in doing so. Mr Simon Bird Headmaster POeTrY and sTOries 29 in the last issue of the Bridge i wrote about Dear Esther an atmospheric interactive environment billed as both an art project and a story. while Dear Esther provoked a generally positive reaction from critics it was often criticised for its lack of interactivity and the linear nature of it. However Dear Esther inspired many other developers to explore the genre of the walking simulator games that mixed non interactivity with a narrative or simply exploration of an environment. This has caused many examples Proteus Ether One and Kentucky Route Zero. Yet there has been one example that sky rocketed above the rest The Fullbright Companys Gone Home. Gone Homes premise is simple you are a student who has just finished their gap year and youve come home to an empty house. seemingly your only objective is to work out where your family have disappeared to. Gone Homes two selling points are its narrative and its interactivity. You are able to interact with the majority of objects within the house whether that be placing a tape into a cassette player or rotating an object to read it. The Fullbright Company have done an excellent job of really creating an immersive convincing environment with each room you unlock and explore feeling real and atmospheric. Gone Home first sets you down on your homes porch in a typically gothic setting set at night time during a thunderstorm Gone Home constantly puts you on edge. every time you enter a dark room the first thing youll do is try find the light switch the creaking moaning of the house and the thunder combine to create a looming sense of fear. Gone Homes narrative is what keeps you going throughout the entirety of it. set in the nineties Gone Home brings you into its world with mixtapes of nineties bands and video tapes of the X-Files litter the oors. You find snippets of diaries telephone messages and scribbled notes your sister has left her little stories and parts of her life creating an intrigue and leading to a climactic ending. However you will only get as much story out of it as you choose to. exploring the house thoroughly will lead to discovering sub plots and humorous jokes. Youll find out more about your dads writing career and your uncles strange background along with strange household objects such as a Christmas duck. These objects make Gone Homes house feel lived in. as you ick through various nineties classics recorded on video tapes open a closet to find weathered board games stacked high see posters and ticket stubs for various nineties bands youll really become immersed within the lives of the family. This is where Gone Home really excels the objects and clues that litter its landscape compel you to interact with them to pick them up and inspect them and in doing so learn more about the story Gone Home tells. Gone Home is a triumph of interactive story- telling. it knows just how to keep you going drip feeding you information. it combines the atmosphere of films the interactivity and freedom of games and the literature of novels to create a truly unique experience that has only been hinted at before in games. The reason i have been so vague about the story is that the joy of Gone Home is figuring it out for yourself. The story is engaging believable and a joy to discover. The fact that you never meet the characters was initially due to budget constraints but it works in Gone Homes favour giving it the immersion of a novel. Gone Home is a masterpiece a first person story that truly works like nothing else in games or even literature. gOne HOMe Unoriginal darkness falls across the land a maidens scream is heard. There is a killer on loose and he The story teller starts. no no no says the listener This is too clichd. i would like a more original opening i want a good scare not a thought of that was familiar very well Once upon a ti The teller tries again. donteventry. The listener interrupts. i dont want a fairy tale. He was getting agitated. This was the third time this month he was unsatisfied. alright ok. Jonathon was a young man around 21 years old he prided himself on his intellect. However something would happen that would change his life. it all startedThe teller explained slowly. The listener gave him an unsatisfied stare. Fine On October 23rd 1929 an austrian science complex had lost all of its resources and its deadliest failure a crazy killer who told stories to his victims was loose in the facility. Hmm ok good opening. it could use more build up though i Umm oh. Youre smiling at me is that a said the listener. news Broadcast 17th July 1934. Yet another of the storyteller murders has raised. we are still amazed at the speed of the killer as he killed five in the past three days authorities will give us any information as it arises. Pfft what was that Overused ending. states the listener. why are you so UnOriginaL is it really that hard wow. Ok what do you want asks the storyteller angrily. something like this Unoriginality it is not a nice thing is it well i have a tale to tell you. it was a simple night in summer of 1946 and explains the listener. Fine then says the teller. He was That was a very original story i loved it said the listener to this story. 30 POeTrY and sTOries BesT aPPs REVISION HELPER FOREST STAY FOCUSED Android Free iPhone - 0.79 Forest Stay Focused is an app that aims to help you revise. its premise is simple you tell the app how long you want to study for and you plant a tree. whilst the tree is growing which is for as long as you study if you go onto another app you havent authorised your tree dies. The clever thing is that forest grows a forest of trees every day the amount of study youve done or havent done immortalised on your screen. Forest Stay Focused also gives you different types of trees to unlock through coins you gain whilst your trees grow. This app is simple intuitive and beautiful. it can even be applied to other parts of your life if you feel as if you are using your smartphone too much. This is an essential app for smart phone addicts. App description Forest is an app helping you stay away from your smartphone and stay focused on your work. whenever you want to concentrate you can plant a seed in Forest. in the next 30 minutes this small seed will gradually grow into a big tree. However if you cannot resist the temptation and leave this app to check Facebook or play a game your little cute tree will wither away. every day you will own a forest filled with trees or some withered twigs and every tree represents 30-MinUTes that you have been working hard. TIMETABLE Android MY STUDY LIFE FREE iPhone CLASS TIMETABLE FREE We must stress that these apps are here to work alongside your school planner and not instead of your planner. a timetable app is another essential download for students. For Android users the best timetable to go with is My Study Life. My Study Life provides an easy to use interface giving you an easy way to input your school timetable homework and exams. This app is a great motivator and helps to remind you of upcoming homework and exams. App description My Study Life is a cross- platform planner for students teachers and lecturers designed to make your study life easier to manage. My study Life allows you to store your classes homework and exams in the cloud making it available on any device wherever you are. Unlike a paper planner or school diary My Study Life integrates all areas of your academic life - see homework due and overdue for classes classes which conict with your exams and even add revision tasks for a specific exam - all in a free easy to use application. Far from your standard calendar My Study Life is optimized to work for your school life right from the start with support for week and day rotation schedules. add your classes and view them in a beautiful instantly identifiable familiar week view. For ios users the best timetable to go for is Class Timetable. This app is similar to My Study Life yet arguably more elegant. it provides a colourful user interface with easy to understand views for your timetable exams and homework. App description Class Timetable is the perfect companion for school college or university. Keep track of classes and add events to your weeks schedule with ease. NOTES Android Free GOOGLE KEEP ios Free NOTES Both Platforms Free EVERNOTE an easily forgettable but one of the most useful apps to have is a note taking app. notes help you to quickly note down something a teacher has said something you need to add to a homework and a multitude of other things. One of the best note taking apps across both platforms is Evernote. Evernote allows you to take notes on the y giving you a multitude of options to choose from such as creating notebooks scanning in your handwritten notes and collect web articles notes and photos together. App description Youre on the path to something big Evernote is where you do the work to achieve it. write notes of all types from short lists to lengthy research and access them on any device. Collect web articles handwritten notes and photos to keep all the details in one place. Find your work quickly with Evernotes powerful search. However Evernote can come across as too bloated. For a more minimalistic approach both stock apps for android and ios are very good. googles own Google Keep. Google Keep provides a simplistic and easy to read and use interface giving you easy ways to add notes and checklists. it also comes with integration with OK google which is a huge plus. apples simple Notes app is another example of a clean and easy to use app giving you an easy way to take notes. 31 BesT aPPs REVISION HELP DUOLINGO Both Platforms Free WOLFRAM ALPHA Android 1.86 ios 2.29 The final two apps we are recommending to you are great additions to your current revision resources. For language students Duolingo is a great resource to use. it provides a fun way to learn multiple languages using games and a fun user interface to keep you interested and is 100 free. App Description Learn spanish French german Portuguese italian dutch irish danish swedish and english. Totally fun and 100 free. WolframAlpha is the best app for maths students. WolframAlpha is better than a scientific calculator. it provides an easy way to quickly solve maths problems a perfect way to check your answers and get help for advanced questions. WolframAlpha is so good that apples personal assistant siri uses it for its database. For android users WolframAlpha regularly goes for free on the amazon app store so keep an eye out App Description remember the star Trek computer its finally happening-- with WolframAlpha. Building on 25 years of development led by stephen wolfram WolframAlpha has rapidly become the worlds definitive source for instant expert knowledge and computation. Singing inBirmingham Cathedral Choir For decades there has been a tradition of staff and students from Hgs being involved in the musical life of Birmingham Cathedral. One of my predecessors John Pryor who was Head of Music at Hgs from 1978 to 2000 was assistant organist at Birmingham Cathedral. in more recent times robert Frater 10a and Karl Frater 10H were choristers at Birmingham Cathedral. i interviewed them to discover more about their experience. Q When and how did you join the Cathedral Choir A we joined when we were 8 years old. The music teacher at our primary school west House suzanna Palmer had contacts with the choir. The choirmaster Marcus Huxley invited us to attend the cathedral for an audition. we were both accepted. Q Did you have a probationary period How long was this for and what were the responsibilities A For about a year our parents wanted us to attend for only 3 days per week. Monday and wednesday after school and sunday service morning or evening. after this time we attended fully and added Friday after school to our week. Our duties then were to attend rehearsals prior to each service. Q After this period what were your responsibilities as a treble A after the probationary period we attended late shift which meant an extended rehearsal when we went through solo material and more challenging music with a small group of the choir. we then became Badge Boys which meant that we had extra responsibilities such as delivering solos and helping younger boys keep up with the music. The hours were from 4.457.00 during the week but 7.30 on Fridays and on sundays from 9.4512.30. each session included a rehearsal for one hour. On Mondays there was no service and the whole time was devoted to rehearsing and a theory class. Q Robert you were a Head Chorister what does this mean Maintain discipline in the choir especially with the younger children do the register for the choir boys. extra duties within special service such as lighting the easter candle doing a reading in Christmas eve service Ceremonial duty when new choristers join the choir and are given their surplice. Q Was it hard to balance your school and singing commitments A at first it was quite easy but as we added more days and joined late shift it became a bigger part of our life. we had to become more organized very quickly in order to keep up with the demands of school. Q Where else did you sing A each year the choir was invited to take part in services in other churches. For example we sang on about four occasions in durham Cathedral at ely Cathedral and various churches across Birmingham. Q What are some of your most memorable musical moments A singing in durham and ely Cathedral solo performances during services concerts in which we sang the Messiah Faure requiem Ceremony of Carols and performing with the Birmingham royal Ballet sinfonia. Q Do you miss it A Yes both the social and the music side of things. we enjoyed having a group of friends outside of school as well as gaining additional musical knowledge. Q What do you do with your music now and what are your plans for the future A Playing piano guitar and clarinet and taking part in the associated activities in school such as concerts being part of the Birmingham woodwind Training Orchestra as well as the orchestra at school and being part of guitar and piano band are what have replaced attending choir. Plans for future will be doing a level music and possibly pursuing a career associated with music. 31 Maintain discipline in the choir especially with the younger children do the register for the choir boys. extra duties within special service such as lighting the easter reading in Christmas a level music and possibly pursuing a career associated with music. MUsiC Mr. M. Ward MUsiC 32 as another busy year draws to a close it is time to reect on the important musical occasions of 20142015. with 100 students at Hgs studying an instrument we were fortunate to hear many of them perform at the first big event of the year our Winter Concert when we returned to Ladywood arc. The venue is perfect for our school concert with good acoustics lighting and plenty of stage space. This year we heard from all of the keyboard woodwind guitar ensembles as well as the school orchestra and year 7 choir. in total there were more than 80 performers showcasing their talents. ricky Masih performed Chopins raindrop Prelude and other solos from both robert and Karl Frater raj Lawrence and Martin nguyen were warmly received. in the early part of the spring term we took 40 boys from year 7 to see and hear the City of Birmingham symphony Orchestra present a short programme introducing the orchestra and different styles of music. we enjoyed music as diverse as Prokofievs Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet many of you will recognize it as the theme to The Apprentice to Pharrell williams Happy. at the beginning of May the some of the finest musicians competed for the title of Young Musician of the Year 2015. eight performers battled for glory including Camara Talburt on drum kit raj Lawrence on soprano saxophone and Karl and robert Frater both playing classical guitar. after almost 30 minutes of the judges announced that Raj Lawrence was the winner and Balkaar Bhopal named as Most Promising Young Musician 2015. Last year i reported on the musical successes of Alpesh Chauhan an old-boy of the school. He is now assistant Conductor at the City of Birmingham symphony Orchesra. He is conducting the CBsO in June when we will be taking 20 of our music students to hear one of the worlds finest orchestras conducted by one of our former pupils. Further information about him can be found at alpeshchauhan.co.uk if you have not been able to attend any concert so far this year we have one remaining our Summer Concert which will take place on Thursday 9th July 6pm at Handsworth grammar school. Finally it is never too late to study an instrument with our staff at Hgs. if you are interested please speak to any of the music staff. Martin Ward Head of Music as another busy year draws to a close it is time 32 Birmingham symphony Orchestra present a short programme introducing the orchestra and different styles of music. we enjoyed music as diverse as Prokofievs Montagues and Capulets from it as the theme to williams at the beginning of May the some of the finest musicians competed for the title of Music Department 2015 Young Musician of the Year 2015. eightYoung Musician of the Year 2015 Music Department 2015Music Department 2015 as another busy year draws to a close it is time to reect on the important musical occasions of 20142015. with 100 students at Hgs studying an instrument we were fortunate to hear many of them perform at the first big event of the year our to Ladywood arc. The venue is perfect for our school concert with good acoustics lighting and plenty of stage space. This year we heard from all of the keyboard woodwind guitar ensembles as well as the school orchestra and year 7 choir. as another busy year draws to a close it is time Bhagatvir and subhaan dhol winter concert Balkaar Bhopal raj Lawrence CBsO Concert Massed Choir winter Concert senior guitar ensemblewinter Concert woodwind ensemble winter Concert whole cast winter Concert winTer COnCerT 2014-2015 Music exam results Congratulations to all the boys below who have sat and passed music exams this academic year. aadam varsani grade 1 Merit Piano Camara Talburt grade 1 distinction Piano syed rizvi grade 1 Merit Piano Brandon Masih grade 2 Merit Piano Phil Mortera grade 2 Pass C. guitar aslan Chaudary grade 2 Merit C. guitar Kishan gill grade 2 Pass C. guitar ikhlas sayed grade 2 Pass C. guitar Bobby randhawa grade 3 Pass C. guitar sankavan suanthan grade 3 Pass C. guitar amaan Khaliq grade 3 Pass C. guitar Balkaar Bhopal grade 3 distinction Piano raj Lawrence grade 5 Pass s. sax Karl Frater grade 5 Merit C. guitar robert Frater grade 5 Merit C. guitar Brandon Masih grade 5 Merit C. guitar rajeev Badhan grade 5 Pass C. guitar Krishan Lawrence grade 8 Pass C. guitar OLD BOY ALPESH CHAUHAN IS NEW CBSO ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR The City of Birmingham symphony Orchestra CBsO continues to build its reputation for discovering and developing young conductors as it today announces that its first Conducting Fellow alpesh Chauhan has taken up the role of assistant Conductor with the orchestra. The role builds on alpeshs year-long period as the orchestras first Conducting Fellow. alpesh 24 was announced as the CBsOs first Conducting Fellow in december 2013. The Fellowship was designed to enable aspiring young conductors to bridge the gap between full-time study and the classical music profession as well as offering unprecedented access to some of the best conductors artists and musicians in the world. during the fellowship alpesh has accompanied the CBsO on two tours and taken rehearsals with the CBsO and CBsO Youth Orchestra. He has also conducted elsewhere including at netherlands symphony Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. in the role of assistant Conductor alpesh will attend CBsO rehearsals and assist conductors including Music director andris nelsons. He will also take rehearsals with the CBsO Youth Orchestra this autumn and conduct a concert in his own right the summer showcase next June 25 2015. The role will finish with the current concert season in July 2015. speaking about the role Birmingham-born alpesh said This means a huge deal to me. i have had a great year as Conducting Fellow and learned so much i am sure this will continue in this graduated role. 33 OLD BOY ALPESH CHAUHAN IS NEW CBSO ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR The City of Birmingham symphony Orchestra CBsO continues to build its reputation for discovering and developing young conductors as it today announces that its first Conducting Fellow alpesh Chauhan has taken up the role of assistant Conductor with the orchestra. The role builds on alpeshs year-long period as the orchestras first Conducting Fellow. alpesh 24 was announced as the CBsOs first Conducting Fellow in december 2013. The Fellowship was designed to enable aspiring young conductors to bridge the gap between full-time study and the classical music profession as well as offering unprecedented access to some of the best conductors artists and musicians in the world. during the fellowship alpesh has accompanied the CBsO on two tours and taken rehearsals with the CBsO and CBsO Youth Orchestra. He has also conducted elsewhere including at netherlands symphony Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. senior Keyboard ensemble winter Concert 34 CLUBs and sOCieTies Bridge TrUsT CriCKeT CLUB The Cricket Club has had two very good years. On the back of winning the league and gaining promotion in 2013 the 1st X1 had another successful season under Mandeep sehmi with the team finishing mid table. several new members joined the team and two of them in particular made a big impression. ambries Husain and amir singh both bowled excellently throughout the season but dan viles ended the season with the best bowling figures taking 640 away at Olton. simon Cross was once again the leading batsman averaging over 40. This is a remarkable achievement as he is also the clubs longest serving player having joined in 1989. Pavandeep sehmi scored the only century 108 not out away at solihull. The 2nd X1 team did even better. They too won their League in 2013 and after promotion proceeded to win their new league in 2014 under the captaincy of waqas Bahti. in fact they remain unbeaten since mid-2013. Both teams will be looking to progress the club forward in 2015. we are anxious to increase membership. so cricketers if you would like to join the club please email Usman Choudhry 1st team captain at tonyseekersagents.com Sixth Form Students in Mock Election Battle The new sixth form centre was the venue for much political debate recently in the lead up to the May 7th general election. The sixth form students held their own mock election with five candidates representing the five main political parties. Candidates were asked to prepare short political speeches to highlight to the electorate why they should vote for their particular party in the mock election. at a packed caf area in the sixth form centre the hustings took place and the candidates presented to their fellow students before receiving questions about their partys manifestoes. This was all done in good humour and was a very good experience both for the candidates and their political teams who had researched and prepared for the election debates. One candidate who represented a party said that she had had no interest in politics before this mock election but decided to find out about her adopted party. she now knew much more about the strengths and weaknesses of its policies. well done to all of the candidates who stood for election and the votes cast can be seen below Mock general election result on May 7th 2015 in the sixth form centre. 128 votes cast abdi ige Conservative Party 31 emdadul ali Labour Party 30 Tanya Tom UKiP 23 gurdeep Mall green Party 20 zishan Haider Liberal democrats 14 spoilt papers 10 34 The Cricket Club has had two very good years. On the back of winning the league and gaining promotion in 2013 the 1st X1 had another successful season under Mandeep sehmi with the team finishing mid table. several new members joined the team and two of them in particular made a big impression. ambries Husain and amir singh both bowled excellently throughout the season but dan viles ended the season with the best bowling figures taking 640 away at Olton. simon Cross was once again the leading batsman averaging over 40. This is a remarkable achievement as he is also the clubs longest serving player having joined in 1989. Pavandeep sehmi scored the only century 108 not out away at solihull. The 2nd X1 team did even better. They too won their League in 2013 and after promotion proceeded to win their new league in 2014 under the captaincy of waqas Bahti. in fact they remain unbeaten since mid-2013. Both teams will be looking to progress the club forward in 2015. we are anxious to increase membership. so cricketers if you would like to join the club please email Usman Choudhry 1st team captain at tonyseekersagents.com Bridge Trust swimming Club The swimming Club has its main session at the Leisure Centre in Holly road every Friday night at 7.00pm and also on Tuesdays at 6.30pm. we welcome anyone from the school who wishes to learn to swim or take part in our principal activity water polo. siblings from the age of 5 years upward as well as friends and relations are also welcome. every year one of our members visits the school to invite Year 7 to join the Club and to encourage older pupils we always have a Junior Capt. who attends the school in 2015 it is nitin gohel who has taken over from Leopold Johnson. we run water polo teams for U14 U16 and U18 age groups and play in League competitions at adult level too. 2014 was our most successful season with the a Team first in its league and runners up in the cup the B Team coming second in its league and the U16 Team placed third. 35 REPORT SEASON 2014-15 The Football Club is probably the most well known of the societys four sporting sections and certainly one to which a lot of Hgs pupils gravitate after having left school. The Club currently runs four separate teams all playing in adult leagues under the auspices of the Birmingham and district aFa. The Club always undertakes pre season training and friendlies at our ground in romilly avenue. The current season was no exception and with a large skilful squad we had high hopes that success throughout the teams would occur. sadly all four teams sustained significant injury problems to key players and with a number of postponements due to bad weather it was almost impossible to keep settled sides. Having to use many additional players we found it difficult to use cohesive tactics. The 1st Team managed to reach the Quarter Final of the senior Cup losing to sparkhill in the last minute by a single goal a story often repeated in the League leaving the team fighting relegation. The 2nd Team started really well and were top of the League at the halfway point of the season but with the lack of a consistent side a mid-table position is inevitable. Many players turn out for both the 3rd Team and the over 35 vets Team. wearing their 3rd Team hats the second half of the season has been excellent with really great performances leading to their current positive position. every year our vets enter the season with high hopes and had early successes being top of the League by Christmas. sadly reigning champions shirley snatched a victory which prevented us from moving forward to the knock out stage leaving us to plan another assault on the title next season. we are actively looking for new members from Hgs for the 201516 season. if you are interested in joining contact Mr Conway who will pass on your details to the appropriate Team Manager. Year 7 Science Clubwhen we first signed up for the science Club we did not really know what to expect who was to run the club and what we would be doing we then found out that a Mr Chester Lewis a final year Physics undergraduate from Birmingham University would be leading the sessions. we were quite happy because we thought that he might not be as strict as our science teachers are we have carried out a lot of activities in our sessions including Making telescopes we had a variety of equipment for making our telescope including a 1 metre rule and lenses of different focal lengths. Our aim was to position the lenses on the metre rule to produce magnified images of objects and then read a code at the far end of the laboratory using our telescopes. Forces in pairs we were given an egg and some other supplies including a sponge string and pipe cleaner. we had to secure the egg as much as possible so when we dropped it it would not crack. My pair and another group won the weekly prize of a can of coke and a chocolate bar. Solar power we each had an electric lamp and a solar cell. we started off by testing how much voltage the cell produced when close to the lamp and then at different distances until it was 70cm away. we then investigated how the voltage output would change when we filtered the light using different coloured filters. we also enjoyed sessions on space pressure and wind turbines. in conclusion i think that science Club was an amazing extra-curricular activity because of the work and effort put in by Mr Lewis Mr Mohsin and Mr Jones and of course the pupils that went to the Club Yashryan Singh Mahi 7W Our aim was to position the lenses on the metre and then at different distances until it was 70cm CLUBs and sOCieTies Bridge Trust Football Club we had high hopes that success throughout the teams would occur. sadly all four teams sustained significant injury problems to key players and with a number of postponements due to bad weather it was almost impossible to keep settled sides. Having to use many additional players we found it difficult to use cohesive tactics. The 1st Team managed to reach the Quarter Final of the senior Cup losing to sparkhill in the last minute by a single goal a story often repeated in the League leaving the team fighting relegation. The 2nd Team started really well and were top of the League at the halfway point of the season but with the lack of a consistent side a mid-table position is inevitable. 36 NELSON HOUSE nelson house have done quite well across the board this year both on and off the sports fields. There are many highlights to date however here are a few that stand a bit longer in the memory than others 11 nelson and 9 nelsons domination during inter House Football down at goals brought two of the early successes to House nelson. The enrichment days across the year have also great source of success pride and most importantly House Points for House nelson whether it be 7 nelson and 8 nelsons persuasive arguments for and against Uniform during the House debates or ibrahim Kahlil impressing in the Year 9 spelling Bee. its not all been about the successes sometimes the highlights have been just seeing the pupils trying their utmost to do their house proud. One such incident was during Mr nichols inter Form Football where 8 nelson demonstrated great resilience battling to a well-earned 2nd place overall. Just to prove we are more than just about sporting prowess the nelson boys went onto win three out of the five inter House Quizzes with ibraheem Yusuf and Caleb Brown 10 nelson Max Jeavons and shoaib raja 9 nelson Jude Folorunso and edward wu 8 nelson all winning their respective inter House Quizzes. it could have been even better if raphael d-Yates and Oliver r-dalton 11 nelson hadnt been pipped right at the last moment in their quiz. ALFRED HOUSE well House alfred it is early days at time of writing we are only beating House Henry. More participation fewer behavioural points keep up getting achievement points and more ideas for house activities should help us move up the table. Thank you to 7 alfred and Ms Brown for coming up with keepy-up competition we raised 40 for our charity the British Heart Foundation. Likewise thank you to all those in House alfred who helped me with the chocolate rafe we raised 70 for Comic relief 2015. some notable victories so far this year included 8 alfred in the spelling competition 9a in debating and suraj singh 10a who beat some impressive competition to collect 1st place in the Key stage 4 photography competition. well done to our quiz participants amman ali salmane nasri nayan dey Jawad Habib gurlin dhillon Jubaer ahmed Bhavik naik aadam varsani syed gilliani Qasim Mushtaq. WILLIAM HOUSE william House has seen a number of encouraging performances in the recent House activities. There were notable winners in the year 7 chess competition and year 7 were the winners of the indoor Football competition in the sports hall. 8w came second in the House Quiz Bilal Khalid and raqis Mahmood. They were also placed third in the House chess Uthman syed and had the overall winner for Key stage 3 in the Photography competition Jordan ricketts. 9w were worthy winners in the Basketball competition an outdoor penalty competition Mohammed Chowdhury and also a second place performance in the table tennis. Both 10w and 11w performed well in the football competitions with 11w coming second in both the indoor and outdoor competitions. The overall winner for the spelling competition in year 11 was from house william Khizar Hussain and also the winners for the inter-house quiz Khizar Hussain and rajdeep Thandi. The sixth form and the staff have also had an impact on the House system with the overall winners of the Photography competition coming from house william syed Hasan and Mr Kilkullen GALAHAD HOUSE after several years without a house system 2014-15 saw the reintroduction of a competitive five house system and this was greeted with genuine enthusiasm from students both old and current. as house leader of galahad house i have been keen to promote enjoyment participation irrespective of placing competitive spirit and a sense of camaraderie with other galahad forms and indeed forms from other houses. at the time of writing galahad house currently sit 2nd out of the five houses and during the course of the year we have achieved some notable successes as follows Yr 9 Badminton doubles champions Mohammed aziz and Balkaar Bhopal Yr 9 Chess champions Mohammed Khanoie and Hasan raziq Yr 11 5-a-side indoor football champions Uzair akhtar Hamza akbar amario Chander Hanif Khan Mohammed Yusuf Mohammed akhtar Yr 7 Basketball champions led by amar rupra who plays at a very high standard for City of Birmingham U12s and U13s Yr 7 Jasbinder singh won not only the internal Hgs german spelling Bee competition but then went on to CLUBs and sOCieTies House System Back Up and Running at HGS ALFRED HOUSE are only beating House Henry. Likewise thank you to all those in House alfred who helped me with the chocolate rafe we raised 70 for Comic relief greeted with genuine enthusiasm from students both old and current. as house leader of galahad house i have been keen to promote enjoyment participation irrespective of placing competitive spirit and a sense of camaraderie with other galahad forms and indeed forms from other houses. at the time of writing galahad house currently sit 2nd out of the five houses and during the course of the year we have achieved some notable successes as follows Yr 9 Badminton doubles champions Mohammed aziz and Balkaar Bhopal Yr 9 Chess champions Mohammed Khanoie and Hasan had the overall winner for Key stage worthy winners in the Basketball competition an outdoor GALAHAD HOUSE of writing galahad house currently sit 2nd out of the five NELSON HOUSE the year have also great source of success pride and most importantly House Points for House nelson whether it WILLIAM HOUSE william House has seen a number of encouraging performances in the recent House activities. There were notable winners in the year 7 chess competition and year 7 were the winners of the indoor Football competition in the sports hall. 8w came second in the House Quiz Bilal Khalid and raqis Mahmood. They were also placed third in the House chess Uthman syed and had the overall winner for Key stage 3 in the Photography competition Jordan ricketts. 9w were worthy winners in the Basketball competition an outdoor after a hiatus of a number of years the school re-launched the inter-house competition in september 2014 to a very excited school population. a traditional part of many British grammar schools our house system had not been part of Hgs for a number of years and many in the school believed that it would bring much fun enjoyment and healthy competition to the pupils and staff. indeed that has turned out to be the case with many pupils and staff getting involved in the inter-house competitions over the year and the school seeing many notable performances both in the field of sport and other non-sporting activities. There have been some tremendous competitions and exciting contests throughout the year as many pupils from all years have got involved in the various house competitions. Up to easter 2015 43 different inter- house events had taken place in school this year including debating basketball table tennis badminton football photography chess spelling cross country keepy upy and an inter-house quiz. even more events were planned for the summer and all of these competitions earned house points for each of our five houses alfred galahad Henry nelson and william. in addition to this every achievement point earned by a pupil for good work or good behaviour was also added to the total. But of course every behaviour point for poor behaviour was taken away from that houses overall total. This was a real incentive for pupils to do well with their academic work as every achievement point was added to their house total. The house names were taken from the stained glass window which is situated in the main school hall Big school and is an original feature from when the school began in 1852. Pupils at Hgs are allocated to a house when they join the school and the house also represents the name of their tutor group in school. we look forward to an overall House competition winner which will be presented at the end of the school year to the house with the most points. This trophy will be engraved with the name of the winning house and the house competition will become a feature of our school activities for many years to come. win the regional spelling bee competition and will now compete in the national final at Cambridge University Yr 7 spelling champion Musa ibraheem Yr 8 Joint spelling champion shofi Mohammed Yr9 spelling champion eesa ejaz Yr 10 spelling champion Harry virk Yr 10 volleyball champions Malone Mukwende Bilal saleem zain waqar Harry virk sufyaan irfan Hamaad Khan-afridi in addition to these house events galahad also had students in all year groups who made a significant positive contribution to the house through siMs which recognises academic excellence good behaviour and extra curricular activities amongst other things. Our two most notable successes on siMs in each year group were 7g shivum Kanda 195 Jasbinderbir singh 194 8g shofi Mohammed 193 eshwar sond 188 9g Balkaar Bhopal 151 neroshan Pahirathan 100 10g Malone Mukwende 138 amarpal narotra 122 11g Josef Feiven 123 daniel ahmed 67 well done to everyone who has tried to make a positive difference come on you gs HENRY HOUSE Henry House have had a difficult start to the new House system and currently lie 5th. we have had successes in Year 7 Badminton with reece ashley Pavanjeet niaz Hanzblith and Marjan providing a winning team and also the Year 9 Badminton team won. The Year 7 quiz was won by Henry-Mikhal Lakhay and raul Bhatti being the brains. Our final piece of success was the 5-a-side football on Mondays after school. The Year 8 9 and 10 teams all being victorious. we have struggled to get merit points on the board and this has probably been the main reason we are 5th. However the only way is up for next year Bridge TrUsT sOCieTY The Bridge Trust society is the primary route for former pupils of Hgs to stay in contact with their friends and peers. Our age range is wide and offers those who will leave the school in 2015 the chance to meet and share experiences with their predecessors who attended the school up to 70 years previously. Our main social event every year is a dinner. we were joined by Leopold Johnson and rima Legah who told us about the sporting and academic achievements of the school last year. The society has always had a strong sporting tradition with sections for football cricket swimming and golf. Our sports ground in romilly avenue is very near to the schools ground and is home to both Football and Cricket Clubs. The swimming Club is based at Handsworth Leisure Centre and golf is played at various courses around the Birmingham area. The ground is our main social centre too with a Clubhouse and bar used by all our members. a big development programme is currently underway with the building of a new pavilion and hopefully the creation of an extra football pitch and upgrading the cricket square as we widen our role to become a community sports club hosting teams from all sectors of the local area. all at the school are welcome to join from year 7 for swimming a little older for the other sports. For all leaving Hgs in 2015 we offer one years free membership and to help those going on to University this is extended to the whole period of your degree course. we always have a meeting for leavers in the library before the end of term to explain more about us please come. Bridge Trust Golf Society 2014 The Golf Societys aim is to run four golf days and to hold a couple of social events at the Clubhouse. However we managed only two active days during the season as poor weather and other conicting events worked against us. We were at West Midlands GC in April and Patshull Park GC in June. Both events were great fun and while the quality of the golf was not high competition was erce. We are already planning the 2015 season and are anticipating a much fuller programme. The Golf Society is not only open to old boys but we would welcome current HGS pupils and teachers who are interested in getting involved in the great sporting traditions of the Bridge Trust. The focus is on a fun environment for golfers of all abilities to play some nice courses and enjoy loads of banter. Competition is there for those that want it but it is not the main focus of what we are trying to achieve. those that want it but it is not the main focus of what we are trying to achieve. Bridge TrUsT sOCieTY The Bridge Trust society is the primary route for former pupils of Hgs to stay in contact with their friends and peers. Our age range Bridge TrUsT sOCieTY The Bridge Trust society is the primary route for former pupils of Hgs to stay in contact with their friends and peers. Our age range The ground is our main social centre too with a Clubhouse and bar Bridge TrUsT sOCieTY The ground is our main social centre too with a Clubhouse and bartoo with a Clubhouse and bar used by all our members. The ground is our main social centre too with a Clubhouse and bar 37 CLUBs and sOCieTies win the regional spelling bee competition and will now compete in the national final at Cambridge HENRY HOUSE ashley Pavanjeet niaz 9 Badminton team won. won by Henry-Mikhal Lakhay and raul Bhatti being 38 Bridge Trust Society dinner sPeeCH i joined this school in the sixth form last year. i could not have envisaged the things i would achieve and experience at our school. with a week left of summer and a decision to make about which school i would be attending the following wednesday my future was hanging in the balance i received a call from Mr Conway and he told me that there was a place available for me at the school and something told me i must take it. during my time at Handsworth grammar i have grown as an individual both emotionally and academically. From year 711 i attended sutton girls so there was a huge difference between the two as i suddenly found myself in a school full of boys i was overwhelmed by the support given to me by both peers and staff that assisted my transition. seeing as i found myself a part of the school community i quickly decided i would try my best to give back to school and try to make a difference. in the summer of year 12 i applied for the role of senior prefect. Throughout year 12 i witnessed the actions of the previous team which inspired me to continue their goodwill and hard work. after a nerve wracking interview with five senior staff members i was appointed deputy Head girl and i was overjoyed as i was finally given the opportunity to make a difference in a school that has given me so much. since then i have tried to achieve this through organising charity events helping out at open days and events such as Prize giving. its safe to say its been an eventful and prosperous year at Handsworth grammar school. The school has significantly advanced in the past few years and has grown in both prestige and size. Our new sixth form centre is a clear indication of the ambition and potential of Handsworth grammar. it offers a new element to the sixth form as it prepares students for the next stage in our academic career. The 1.6 million building offers the sixth Form students our own bespoke area and has been greatly appreciated. i would like to take this opportunity on behalf of all the students to thank Mr Bird Ms Mcgoldrick and the governors for providing us with a fantastic sixth form centre. Hgs celebrated another consecutive year of improved exam results. in the gCse examinations nearly 40 of all entries were at a and a grade which is 1 up on 2013. nearly 75 of all entries were at a to B grade which is up 2. 93 of all entries were at a to C grade which maintains our position from last year. a large number of a level students met the requirements of the top russell group institutions such as Kings College warwick and Leeds. 29 of students achieved an a or a grade which is up by 5 on 2013 and 58 of results were a to B grades which is also up by 5 on 2013. The overall pass rate was 98. This tremendous improvement is testament to the hard work and commitment of both staff and students which has maintained our positive move forwards with regards to progress and development. select students have been awarded prestigious scholarships at top universities. Our congratulations go to Moheen amin who has been selected for a merit award in Human geography and english Literature in the recent entrance scholarship competition at aberystwyth University. Our previous head girl Catherine Munyarari has been awarded the desmond Tutu scholarship to Kings College London. Only a handful of such awards are made by Kings each year and it is to her immense credit that Catherine has been successful in her application. we have also seen increased success in university offers for year 13 including an offer from Oxford for our deputy Head Boy gurdeep Mall and an offer from Cambridge for House Captain donte nembhard. in its recent real schools guide the Birmingham Mail awarded us the top score of five stars. This is based on attainment Teaching attendance and Outcomes data and makes us one of the top 8 schools in the city as well as one of the top performing schools nationally. This is a great achievement and is something the whole school community can be proud of. in addition to this we have been recognised by the specialist schools and academies Trust for being in the top 20 nationally for Key stage 4 value added scores. we have also met the criteria for Leading edge Membership which is a national network for high performing schools. There has been a number of both exhilarating and educational visits throughout the previous year. Two of our students brought out their inner historian as they were selected to visit auschwitz in Poland. They gained a brief insight into the history of the Holocaust had a lesson on pre-war Jewish life in europe as well as hearing the moving testimony of susan Pollock a Hungarian Jew who survived the horrors of both auschwitz and Bergan Belsen. it was an important reminder for all of us that we must not forget those who suffered great injustice in the Holocaust. in October a group of pupils ventured to Belgium for far more than just tasting chocolate and indulging in wafes The trips focus was the historical aftermath of world war One and there was an opportunity to lay down wreathes and pay their respects. This cause is very close to the heart of Hgs as we remember our gallant Old Boys who fought for our country. whilst those in Belgium paid their respects here at school we held a remembrance assembly. This event was particularly poignant as we paid close attention to significance of the centenary of the start of the First world war. Lest we forget. The Hgs annual ski Course has been a regular feature of the school calendar and last december a lucky few journeyed to the italian alps to experience skiing in a beautiful ski resort. Here at Handsworth grammar we take pride in the fact we venture far and wide providing excellent opportunities for all our students. The a Level geography trip to snowdonia was a brilliant experience and an opportunity to study first hand key elements of the a Level course. in september our year 11s visited Birmingham University to take part in the science Big Quiz. They came 2nd and received a glass trophy for their achievements. in January the Physics department enjoyed success as 12 students from year 9 went to the Physics Big quiz at the University of Birmingham. Out of the 94 competing teams our highest placed team finished 5th.This is the a tremendous achievement. as well as venturing far and wide we also work within school and the local community to raise money for various charities. Through the envision programme nearly 4000 was raised by three groups in our sixth form for local charities. Out of the 10 schools that participated Handsworth grammar school raised the largest amount of money. Year 7 raised 1200 through the annual sponsored walk Over 7000 was raised in just one term for various charities. in december over 90 musicians from Handsworth grammar performed to a packed and delighted audience at Ladywood arC. we enjoyed the talents of the choir saxophone quintet guest clarinet keyboard ensembles and dhol group. The evening was completed by a rousing finale which paid tribute to some of Birminghams other talented musicians from years gone by. it was fantastic to see students from year 713 taking part and being so well supported by parents friends family staff and governors. as part of our prestigious and valued tradition we have re-instated the House system which was a significant part of school life in the early years. These houses were designed to enhance a sense of pride into the school as well as develop school culture and values. The houses are alfred galahad Henry nelson and william and they encourage healthy competition in fun activities for pupils and staff. They add enjoyment and memorable experiences right at the heart of our enrichment programme. This system adds increased incentive for pupils to strive for success in everything they do. CLUBs and sOCieTies whilst those in Belgium paid their respects here at school we held a remembrance assembly. This event I could not have envisaged the things I would achieve and experience at our school. inTerviews Being asked to write about my time at Handsworth grammar school has made me recollect my experiences on a more conscious level than i have done before. Obviously i have memories from my school days some are better than others but i hadnt thought about my school experience as a whole. what did i gain from my time at Handsworth an education of course and in my opinion a very good one but i was surprised at how many of my recollections were not about my education. Things like the friends and allies which you make along the way the sports the hobbies the social life these are all memories which will stay with you through life. There is always a strong Handsworth comradery when i meet another old boy. i still feel a sense of pride that i am Handsworth stock. i always tried hard at school i think that my competitive nature wouldnt let me settle for average grades and i was equally as competitive on the playing fields but in the second year of a-levels when i was accepted to do an art foundation course at Bourneville art College my motivation for my other a-levels dropped and i decided to focus on my art. as a result of this i failed two a-levels but i gained a distinction in art. i was fortunate enough to have been taught art by James Byrne a fantastic artist who was then a teacher at the school. His knowledge and understanding of fine art together with his support and guidance introduced me to the language of fine art and whilst there is always more to learn this was the start of my journey to becoming an artist. i still paint with his advice in mind today. whether i had been successful or not my goal was to be able to sustain a life through my art i was very willing to live in a frugal manner and i was prepared to make sacrifices these have both been necessary qualities along the way but i could genuinely never see myself doing anything else. i enjoy every new challenge with each painting and motivation has never been a problem and here lies the secret. no matter what field you want to work in make sure that you enjoy it you will spend far too long doing it to not enjoy it and then make sure that you do it properly really know your subject constantly question yourself and what it is that you do and be truthful to yourself about it lying is just counter-productive all round. Like i said most of my memories from Handsworth were not about my education and actually not about art but your time at school are your informative years and from what i can recall all of my experiences were preparing me for this kind of ethic and it stands you in very good stead for life. Reuben Colley Being asked to write about my time at Handsworth grammar school has made me memories from my school days some are better than others but i hadnt thought about my school experience as a whole. what did i gain from my time at Handsworth an education of course and in my opinion a very good one but i was surprised at how many of my recollections were not about my education. Things like the friends and allies which you make along the way the sports the hobbies the social life these are all memories which will stay with you through life. There is always a strong Handsworth comradery when i meet another old boy. i still feel a sense of pride that i am Handsworth stock. Handsworth grammar school has made me recollect my experiences on a more conscious level than i have done before. Obviously i have memories from my school days some are better Handsworth Grammar School the Informative Years 39 40 The Bridge caught up with the new School Business Manager Gareth Morgan... Welcome to the school What were your rst impressions of HGS Friendly and welcoming. People went out of their way to make me feel welcome. What big plans do you have for HGS in the future To bring the support and teaching staff closer together so we can understand each others roles and work together to provide the best education we can for the students. Having come from an academy which had a lot of its own green space im very keen to try to enhance the provision of external P.e. facilities on site and to improve the aesthetics by introducing more green spaces for staff and students. What were you doing before you came to work in schools i was a Logistics Officer for the royal navy for 12 years and was lucky enough to work in various locations around the world including Hong Kong Oman afghanistan and the seychelles. Most recently i worked in djibouti a small country north of somalia where i was working in support of a european Union anti-piracy mission. This involved being responsible for providing logistics support for six e.U. warships and the movement of detained pirates to Kenya and the seychelles. The best place you have lived and worked apart from HGS Hong Kong because it was a completely different cultural experience. LeOPOLd JOHnsOn Head BOY There has been no greater honour in my life to date than being appointed Head Boy of Handsworth grammar school. during my 7 years here i have noticed that the sixth form students are not only the ambassadors for the school but also the biggest role models for the younger pupils. This was the case back when i joined the school and will be the same in the future also. Being sixth formers you will now have to be more independent in your learning and have a good work ethic. This is only achievable by a focused mind-set as well as a burning desire to succeed building on what youve done at gCse in order to get the best out of your sixth form experience and hopefully get you into the University of your choice come the end of a2s. My encouragement to you would be to get the most out of your Handsworth grammar school experience the school has a lot to offer alongside academia sports and music facilities being an example and even those who would like to help the school voluntarily on open days. Make the most of this to ensure you have a well-rounded Handsworth grammar school experience. i wish you all the best on your studies here and hope youll enjoy it even half as much as i have. HawwaH isHaQ Head girL it is a great honour to have been selected to represent such a talented assembly of students. The friendly staff and students have been the perfect environment for me to excel in my studies here. although finding it quite intimidating coming from an all-girls school into a male dominated environment i settled in straight away and quickly volunteered for events such as Open day and sports relief. i can honestly say i would never return to my previous school as my time here has been thoroughly enjoyed. The support provided for students here is impeccable the staff go beyond their role to ensure students are happy and secure in everything they do. This is crucial when applying for University and completing personal statements. The staff provide opportunities for the students to gain experience in order to develop further skills which are vital for their future. as a young woman i would highly encourage all prospective female students to not feel intimated by their male candidates but be determined to reach their full potential and ourish within the school. i am very passionate about Handsworth grammar school and i believe that here every external student is just as capable as an internal student in being able to achieve the future they want. i believe alongside my strong team of prefects we can continue the schools greatness and take it to new heights especially with the new state- of-the-art sixth Form Centre. wiLLiaM BOnner CHair OF sCHOOL COUnCiL i have been a student at Handsworth grammar school since Year 7 and so i am fully aware of the positive change that has occurred in all aspects of the school over the past few years and as Head of the school Council i hope to continue this progression with the help of all fellow students. i believe that student input is key in determining success on both a personal and communal level. i fully encourage all students to take full advantage of the opportunity to succeed at Handsworth grammar school and show full commitment to their studies as it quite literally defines your future. i am also a firm believer in the view that education is not the only thing that matters and therefore believe that extra curricular activities also play a large role in future successes so i fully recommend you at least take the time to see what activities the school has to offer. i was a Logistics Officer for the royal navy for 12 years and was lucky enough to work in various locations around the world including Hong Kong Oman afghanistan and the seychelles. Most recently i worked in djibouti a small country north of somalia where i was working in support of a european Union anti-piracy mission. This involved being inTerviews gUrdeeP MaLL dePUTY Head BOY i have been at Handsworth grammar school since 2008 and i consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had access to such a high quality of education which has not only helped me to achieve academic success but which has also helped me to develop my character. i am immensely proud to be part of the illustrious history of the oldest grammar school in Birmingham and i find that despite the fact that numerous changes have transformed the school into a modern educational institution the values of hard work self-discipline and ambition which are at the heart of the school have remained unchanged for 150 years and i have no doubt that they will continue define the school for the next 150 years and beyond as deputy Head Boy i will continue the proud tradition of prefects and act in such a way so as to set a good example to other students this is a role which cannot and will not be taken lightly by me and i will use the power which has so kindly been given to me to help and inspire other students to achieve their potential. i have always been actively involved in the school community i have previously been a Councillor and Librarian i have recently set up a debate club and i am the editor of the Bridge Magazine another proud tradition which can be traced back to 1913 and offers a unique insight into school life. sixth Form is a unique time in a students life as it marks the transition to having increased responsibility towards ones own education and life as such self-discipline self-motivation and hard work are all necessary if one wishes to succeed. i would advise all students to adopt a good attitude towards their studies from the outset there simply isnt any time to waste within the next two years and retakes arent a magic remedy for laziness whilst it may seem like a clich an education is truly the key to a successful life and i wish you all the best 41 inTerviews gUrdeeP MaLLgUrdeeP MaLL dePUTY Head BOYdePUTY Head BOY gUrdeeP MaLLgUrdeeP MaLLriMa LegaH dePUTY Head girL at such an important stage in life this school really is a wonderful place to be with its goodwill community spirit and diverse range of talents and personalities. Handsworth grammar school excels in the opportunities available to students in every way and the excellent teaching staff also support and motivate their students to excel. Teachers support has been invaluable to me especially during a Levels which are an exciting but can be a demanding and difficult time. Throughout my time in year 12 at Handsworth grammar school i looked up to the senior prefect team with both determination and aspiration to achieve what they did in their roles. The Head girl and deputy Head girl in particular inspired me to apply for those roles in order to set an example to all prospective students as they did and encourage them to maximise their potential and work their hardest in order to achieve success and happiness. i am extremely proud and grateful to be part of this prestigious institution and will work to fulfil the role of deputy Head girl to the best of my ability. i believe the key to succeeding is not only to work hard but to take pride and enjoy what you are doing so enjoy. SENIORPREFECT TEAM MeeT THe THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED WITHIN THE CAERPHILLY NEWS Ex-Royal Navy commander from Caerphilly honoured for work in Afghanistan Published in News on Tuesday January 1st 2013 a former royal navy lieutenant commander from Caerphilly has been honoured by the Us army for his work training afghanistans police force and saving the lives of soldiers and children. gareth Morgan 45 who is also a former police officer spent six months travelling the war-torn country helping to train its own edgling police force. Mr Morgan received the Us armys Bronze star Medal and a letter of dedication from the Us President after noticing a check-point that coalition forces were due to take had been booby-trapped with a landmine. His actions saved the lives of innocent children playing nearby and the lives of Us soldiers. Mr Morgan who now lives in nottingham with his wife nikki and baby son Henry led a mentoring team of Us coalition and afghan personnel between March and september 2009. His Bronze star Medal was awarded to him by Us army lieutenant general william Caldwell recently at a ceremony at the Us embassy in London. He was praised for his exceptionally meritorious service his focus and determination and his quick thinking and keen survival skills. a summary of his service reads gareth played a significant role in making the area safe without the assistance of qualified explosive ordnance teams. His personal safety took second place to the needs of the afghan community ensuring the safety of children playing in the nearby village. inTerviews Thank you I would like to thank all staff and students for their kind words and wishes on the birth of baby Jacob. We are both doing very well and looking forward to visiting everyone at HGS soon. Clare Hartill Interview with Mr Lawrence Mr Lawrence came to the school as a student teacher 9 years ago and is leaving this summer to teach at the school where he was a pupil. The Bridge managed to catch up with him and ask him a few questions . . . 9 years is a long time what has changed in that time well we have a sports hall now so that is good. we also win more things than we used to Biggest achievement Last years Year 11 won the aston Cup and the aston League and reached the semi- finals of the Birmingham cup. This has now been equalled by the current Year 10 Your biggest sporting achievements when i was at school i was in all the school teams and was a county swimmer and county cricket player. i am best at cricket and it is also my favourite sport. i have a signed photograph of my favourite player Brian Lara. Any disappointing moments when i was in the County Cricket Final i was out for 2 id been getting a hundred in all the matches up to that point Who do you support aston villa not good timing to ask that after the recent F.a. Cup defeat My favourite villa match was when i saw them in the UeFa cup playing inter Milan in 94. i was right behind the goal and it was a great match Most prized sporting possession i collect sporting memorabilia so have a few things but my most prized possession is a football shirt signed by Pele. i bought my wife an engagement ring and she bought me the shirt Tell us a joke why couldnt the car play football Because it only had one boot Your biggest sporting achievements Ms Aboutorabi Interview Whatre your earliest childhood memories i remember being incredibly sporty as a child i was always fully occupied doing sports clubs and activities especially handball and swimming i never had a spare moment What was your university experience like My university experience was very much a dpaysement i studied Languages and Comparative Literature at university which included French english and russian literature with russian literature being something i particularly enjoyed. in terms of the atmosphere though it was incredibly competitive fellow students refusing to share notes and help each other. Though i did thoroughly enjoy the experience and it could be quite fun Which countries have you lived in and do you have a least or most favourite ive lived in Croatia iran France nigeria and the UK. i dont have a least favourite country because contrary to what media wants you to think there are lovely and not-so-lovely people everywhere though id emphasize the lovely My favourite place was nigeria because it was unlike anything else that i had ever experienced. it was in africa that i learnt what real poverty was some people had nothing absolutely nothing to their names and struggled to stay alive on a daily basis. How did you come to teach at HGS Once upon a time i arrived at Hgs to do my teaching practice and was offered a job by the lovely Head teacher Mr Cavendish. Whats your favourite memory of HGS There are far too many to talk about Though the one that stands out was when i had the opportunity and the privilege to teach visually impaired students at gCse and as level French. Their hard work determination and success was a humbling experience. Favourite colleague without a doubt Ms Thomas was my favourite colleague i worked alongside her for 23 years which is longer than most marriages last these days. we worked closely together through thick and thin having no more than half a day of disagreement all things considered i have been very lucky What has been the greatest change during your time here ive seen many changes in my time here with incredible improvements in buildings equipment facilities and learning styles. Though the nature of the students doesnt change at all with those who work hard and set themselves high targets going to the best universities. If you could go back to university would you change what you studied not at all i loved my time at university and would do nothing at all to change the course that i studied though if i had the opportunity i would have studied a few more languages. Do you have any mottos by which you live when i am particularly angry with the politics of education my cynical motto is plus a change plus cest la mme chose because it seems as if change is being implemented for the sake of change. To my students i will always say aim high because the thorny road to success is part of fun too even if you dont succeed you will know that you have tried voila Thank you I would like to thank all staff and students for their kind words and wishes on the birth of baby Jacob. We are both doing very well and looking forward to visiting everyone at HGS soon. 42 Maths Department Minus 1 Why did you choose to be a maths teacher its something im good at and the marking seemed easier than most subjects Why did you learn to re eat My husband kept buying me birthday presents like going up in a hot air balloon or gliding but im scared of heights so i asked to fire eat instead. What will you miss most about HGS apart from the Bridge magazine ill miss making a difference in all honesty. i came here as a supply teacher for two weeks and i stayed for a year on supply. im the only teacher that 250 students signed a petition for to say that i should get the job One of the year 12s at the time amardeep singh created the petition and went round all of my classes. each kid signed it and added a reason why they wanted me to get the job. i was stunned. i will miss the support from staff and students. What will you do with your time i live on a boat so we will be cruising and exploring the 2000 miles of englands canals. Favourite maths joke Boys Time x Money Time is money. Boys Money x Money Boys Money2 Money is the root of all evil Boys evil x evil Boys evil. the 2000 miles of englands canals. Money is the root of all evil MaTHs JOKes fx walks into a bar. The Barman says sorry we dont cater for functions. What Statistics did Jesus use at the feeding of the ve thousand Poisson distribution What did the 0 say to the 8 nice belt. Who invented fractions Henry 18. Did you hear the joke about the Statistician Probably. There are only 10 types of people in the world Those who understand binary and those who dont. Why did the obtuse angle go to the beach Because it was over 90 degrees Why did the chicken cross the Mbius strip To get to the same side. sCienCe JOKes 2 Atoms walking down the road one says to the other Oh no i think ive lost my electron are you sure Yes im positive What sound does a subatomic duck make a Quark Why cant atheists solve exponential equations Because they dont believe in higher powers. You should never believe what an atom says they make up everything. What do you think of the new restaurant on the moon The foods nice but theres no atmosphere COnCLUsiOn sHeLFies Can you guess who they belong to Can you guess who they belong to Mr P Jones Ms C Hartill Mr G Dhillow Mr S Bird Ms B Gerrard Ms E Brown Mr M Mohsin Mr N Duck Ms P To Ms S Vaughan Mr D Bird Did you hear the joke about the Statistician 43 Handsworth Grammar school Grove Lane Birmingham West Midlands B21 9ET Tel 0121 554 2794 Fax 0121 551 5575 Email enquiryhandsworth.bham.sch.uk www.handsworth.bham.sch.uk Designed and printed by Ammac Design Ltd 02476 412949 www.ammacdesign.com