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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.