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Year 10 Food Students Practical Exam

Our Year 10 Food students recently completed their mock practical exam, a challenging assessment requiring them to prepare and cook three dishes entirely from scratch within a three-hour time limit.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was focused and purposeful throughout. Students demonstrated excellent culinary knowledge, organisation and practical skills. They managed their time effectively while producing a range of high-quality dishes. It was fantastic to see the progress they have made this year reflected so clearly in their work.

A particular highlight of the exam days was the support of staff volunteers, who tasted the dishes and provided constructive feedback. Their input gave students valuable insight into their strengths, as well as clear guidance on areas for further development.

We are incredibly proud of the effort shown by all students.

 

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STEM Cyber-Fest Masterclass

On Wednesday 10th June, HGS took its Year 12 ICDL and Computer Science students to Bromsgrove School’s STEM Cyber-Fest Masterclass. The event featured an excellent lineup of guest speakers, including representatives from QinetiQ, who demonstrated how cyber analysts can trace digital evidence back to an individual; Dr Harjinder Lallie OBE, who highlighted the growing importance of digital literacy in the context of evolving cybercrime; Dr Adrian Burden, who shared thought-provoking predictions on the future trajectory of artificial intelligence; and Dr Andrew Tomlinson, who illustrated the vulnerabilities present in modern autonomous vehicles.

One of our sessions, led by QinetiQ, focused on Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). It was a particularly engaging and insightful experience, demonstrating how a single image can yield a remarkable amount of information. From one photograph, we were able to determine where and when it had been taken, as well as the type of device used to take the picture.  Elements such as architectural features, branding and embedded metadata, all contributed to building a comprehensive picture analysis. These skills were then applied in a collaborative challenge, which encouraged careful observation and analytical thinking. The session provided a strong appreciation for the importance of detail, particularly those subtle clues that are often easily overlooked.

The opportunity to engage directly with leading experts in the field of computer science, felt both inspiring and highly valuable, offering insights that are not always accessible within a typical classroom setting.

To conclude the day, we applied our newly acquired cybersecurity knowledge in a competitive forensic challenge, where we were tasked with identifying the source of a simulated cyberattack. This involved activities such as hash reversal and code breaking. We are proud to report that HGS secured first place in this competition.

Nihal Sharma and Bikramjit Singh.

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‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players’

HGS was proud to host the esteemed British actor of stage and screen, Alfred Enoch for an inspirational talk with students on the afternoon of Friday 12th June. Alfred has recently just finished a run as the eponymous lead in Henry V and is currently back in the West Midlands to rehearse for the Cherry Orchard with Sir Kenneth Branagh later this summer and we were tremendously grateful that he was able to find time to leave Stratford for the Soho Road and impart his wisdom to our students. He was able to give lessons and honest reflections from his life and career and was very keen for those attending to follow their passions in life, seize the opportunities presented to them, and enjoy whatever they do. It was fascinating to hear that he very nearly did not get his big break as Dean Thomas in Harry Potter because he was too nervous and worried to put himself out there. Similarly, Alfred made sure that all students attending knew the value of taking advantage when opportunity knocks and that there is nothing worse than having regrets and to be left wondering what if….

 

The most moving part of the talk was when Alfred eruditely spoke of the emotional connection that acting can bring and how his role in Pericles helped to bring catharsis to him and salve his grief after the death of his father. A real highlight of the session was Alfred’s spellbinding rendition of Henry V and the way that he promoted audience participation and a connection with those attending the talk. I am sure that Mr Organ was definitely the proudest member of the audience as his students could remember key scenes and themes from Henry V.

 

The students attending definitely did the school proud with the calibre of questions they asked from Giovanni Ellison’s fully comprehensive understanding of our guest speaker’s life and acting roles to interesting questions about how actors get the knack of particular accents. This yielded a rather funny moment as Alfred talked us through the sheer terror of having to do an American accent in the states and the dedication that goes into building a believable accent. Ultimately, the students took much away from the talk and had a tremendously valuable experience last Friday afternoon. Thank you to them for their interest and the high standards of questioning and engagement they showed as well as Mrs Mann, Ms Abdullahi, Mr Organ, Mrs Harvey, Mr Kafai, Mr Johnson, Miss Morgan, Miss Okon and Mrs Shaikh for attending the event.

 

Alfred – ‘break a leg’ in the Cherry Orchard from all at HGS!

 

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CBSO Rite of Spring Concert with School Orchestra

Exceptional! This is the one word that captured the atmosphere of the evening. As a young musician myself, I was in awe of witnessing such experienced individuals play music that I aspire to play.

On the evening of Wednesday 3rd June 2026, along with my fellow KEVI HGS school orchestra members, I attended a concert given by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by the brilliant Ilan Volkov. The duration of the concert was around 2 hours, yet I was thoroughly engaged throughout all of it despite there being only 5 pieces. All the pieces played were very different but in an interesting, unique way. The pieces embodied different aspects of music; some reflected tragedy and death whilst the main piece, The Rite of Spring, reflected an ethereal environment that slowly descended into chaos.

Something that especially sparked my interest was when Mrs Ward introduced me to the history of the conductor and composer Leopold Stokowski and history of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. It debuted early 1918, made by a Russian composer for the wealthy in Paris, where it also included a ballet performance on top of the music. This pushed too many boundaries for the French which resulted in riots because they thought the music was so bad. I similarly felt like rioting because of how effective the piece was at doing something out of the norm. But overall, for me, the first piece stood out the most. It contained a deeper story that revolved around death and mourning which I think connected most to the audience; reaching a part in the brain that most words could not.

I thoroughly enjoyed the night. I think perhaps what made the night so amazing is that I was able to just sit and enjoy the music, rather than worry about the correct rhythms, notes and pitches I would have to play if I was on the stage instead. It was an overall thrilling experience where I was introduced to a significantly different type of music and was enriched around the history of what music used to be like in comparison to today’s music and I would love to attend again!

Sukhmandeep Sanghera

 

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📣 We’re proud to be featured by UK School News!

Our Junior Baccalaureate at Handsworth Grammar School is inspiring Year 7 to 9 students to aim high, get involved, and embrace every aspect of school life. 🎓✨ From earning badges linked to our CARES values to celebrating outstanding achievements like Ranbir completing all five, the enthusiasm has been incredible! 🏅

A big well done to all our students and staff driving this exciting initiative forward 👏

🔗 Read the full article here.

 

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Mr King Shares Insights at French Embassy AI Roundtable

On Thursday 21 May, Mr King represented the school at the Franco-British AI Inclusion and Trust Roundtable, held at the French Residence in London. The event was organised by Aston University’s Cyber Security Innovation Research Centre in collaboration with the Franco-British Data Society, with closing remarks delivered by Her Excellency Madame Hélène Duchêne, French Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

At a time when the UK and France are working more closely together on artificial intelligence, the roundtable brought together representatives from education, universities, industry, policy, diplomacy and community organisations to discuss how AI can be used safely, fairly and responsibly.

Mr King, Head of Computing, was invited to attend and contribute to discussions about how young people, families and communities can be better supported to understand and engage confidently with new and emerging technologies.

Topics included AI trust, inclusion, safety, governance and the future of truth in an increasingly digital world.

Reflecting on the event, Mr King said:

“Students should not simply consume AI platforms; they should become informed, confident and critical participants in shaping the future of technology. Education has a vital role to play in building trust, confidence and inclusion.”

The discussions reflected many of the themes already explored through the school’s Computing curriculum, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital ethics and the wider impact of technology on society. They also highlight why understanding AI is becoming an important part of digital literacy, future careers and responsible citizenship for our students.

Click here to see the LinkedIn post from Aston University with a highlights video.

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Biology Challenge Success

Well done to all 29 students that took part in the Year 10 Biology Challenge.

All students have done brilliantly, with all achieving either a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Highly Commended certificate.

  • Gold: 11 students
  • Silver: 12 students
  • Bronze: 5 students
  • Highly Commended: 1 student

All certificates will be given out during our Rewards assembly later this year.

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Raspberry Pi Foundation Coding Success

Congratulations to over 40 of our key stage 3 computing students who were placed in the top 10% nationally in round 2 of the BEBRAS Raspberry Pi coding challenge. This is a significant accomplishment and a testament to their hard work, resilience, and growing expertise in computational thinking.

Participation in BEBRAS competitions has significantly enhanced students’ problem‑solving and logical reasoning skills, while also helping to build confidence when tackling complex programming challenges. Through the competition, students have been inspired to develop programmed solutions to real computational thinking problems, embracing creativity, precision, and perseverance when using technology.

Congratulations to all involved and a special mention to 8 William who had eight students achieving gold certification.

 

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Jazz Workshop

Over the Easter holidays, I attended the New Sounds Jazz Workshop at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for my second year in a row. Led by some of the UK’s most amazing jazz musicians, and special guest Adriano Adewale, it took place over four days, with a final ‘musical sharing’ on the last day. The course was very selective and was only open to 32 participants aged between 11 and 18. As I did piano last year, to expand my musical knowledge, I applied for drums this year to ensure I would make the most of this opportunity.

The course was very structured with us starting every day with a short warm up for half an hour, consisting of usually vocal practice but also some rhythm as well, then moving on to do a 1 ½ hour ensemble session every day before lunch. After, we would always have a jam session where the tutors would basically host a jazz concert for us for free! Then, for the first three days of the workshop, we did a ‘plenary’ session whereas a whole collective, we did something to expand our skills, such as conduction or advanced rhythm (which practically killed my hands). This would usually be followed by another ensemble session and then various types of sessions per day to finish, such as a tutor Q&A where we could ask questions about performance or working in the industry, or a whole group listening session, etc. However, the final day was structured slightly differently, with us doing another ensemble session immediately after our jam session and then our concert, where each group played a variety of jazz pieces.

In our ensembles, we learned how to play a variety of pieces. However, as the whole course was done without sheet music of any sort, this was done by ear, with us using musical intervals to learn melodies and essentially improvising our parts. For me, this would involve making my own drumbeats and essentially just going along with what the rest of the band was playing, while ensuring I would be staying on time with them. We learned ‘Take the Coltrane’, a jazz standard (basically a piece that is really well known in the world of jazz), and ‘You Ain’t Gonna Know Me ’Cos You Think You Know Me’, a piece by Louis Moholo (who was a drummer), but we also composed our own song as a group which we played in the final concert! During the ensemble sessions, I especially learnt about musical modes, which was something I wasn’t so confident on before, but now I feel like an expert in them!

On the second day, we were also joined with another special guest, Jas Kayser, who is currently the drummer for Lenny Kravitz on his tour! This was a surreal experience, as we all got to learn one of her songs during the plenary session she hosted, and had previously come to our ensemble session to give me (and the other percussionist/drummer in our group) a personal two-on-one percussion lesson which was amazing! We had a Q&A with her where she answered many of our questions about life performing as part of a concert tour and what being a performer in the music industry really entails, which was super helpful!

To end the workshop, our final musical sharing consisted of all the different groups (there were four) playing some of the pieces that they learnt. Overall, I really enjoyed this workshop, and while it meant sacrificing a bit of revision time for my GCSEs, I can certainly say that it was worth it and I will definitely apply next year. I would highly encourage that if you are also a musician and even have the slightest interest in jazz, you should definitely do this course (it’s free!) next year, as in the total timespan of 7 days (spread over two years), I feel like a master of jazz music and I believe that you could be the same!

Adam (Year 11)