Congratulations to Mohsin Gandhi who has received recognition as Handsworth Grammar School’s ‘Physicist of the Year’, awarded for outstanding attainment in his studies. Prizes were provided by the Ogden Trust and were awarded by Professor Martin Freer, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, at an evening ceremony at Birmingham University. Recipients, together with their guests, enjoyed a tour, refreshments and a talk on Astrophysics during the event.
Mr Jones
On Wednesday 29th June, 29 other students and I from Year 9 went to Aston University to hear a Chemistry Lecture. During the lecture, we saw many different experiments which mainly showed the changes of states of matter and how we use energy to make electricity. I learnt many different things, such as why carbon dioxide cannot be a liquid unless it is under a lot of pressure. The most exciting experiment was the dry ice experiment. The lecturer put dry ice into a tub of water and we saw how the solid carbon dioxide sublimed and became carbon dioxide in its gaseous form which then escaped from the water. I found this fascinating to watch. The most enjoyable moment of the day was when the Lecturer was showing and explaining to us how lowering the temperature decreases the resistance of a wire. He showed us with an experiment. He put a coil of copper wire attached to a light and a power source into a bowl of liquid nitrogen. The longer it was in there, the brighter the light became. We found out that it got brighter because the resistance of the wire was lowered. It was a great day and a very interesting lecture.
Ryanvir Raulia 9H
On the 29th of June 2016 the Science Department arranged a visit for 30 pupils in Year 8 to attend the ‘Sunshine Lectures’ at Birmingham University. This was an educational visit that was both fun and enlightening. The University itself was very big and we did not have time to go and look at all of the separate sections of it. We attended 2 one hour lectures.
At about 11 am we took a coach to the University and we arrived without delay. Due to the unfortunate weather some of us got wet but nonetheless we made it on time for our first lecture. This was about ‘Bio-mechanics and Computer Science’. We explored the workings behind our everyday smart devices. We also had a chance to question how very little organisms in nature can actually do very complex things in their lifetime.
Uncovering the logic behind a device that can tell you where you are in the World and navigate you through many routes using consistent algorithms, we continued through lecture 1. Every pupil learnt how satellites are used for communication and how all of this network remains stable. The lecture was well-delivered with a chance of questions at the end. All of us ended up learning something new that had seemed quite complex at the start.
The second lecture was about the ‘Science of Hot & Cold’, with an introduction about the Physics Department at the University. There are many different subjects within Physics like quantum physics, nano-physics and so on. Many experiments using liquid nitrogen were carried out as the liquid form of nitrogen is very cold. We found out that extreme temperatures can change material properties which can be useful to scientists. This is how super-conductors like yttrium barium copper oxide were discovered. These materials are very useful as they allow charges to flow very easily, hence the name ‘super conductor’. We volunteered to answer many questions. All of us were also offered the chance to feel some liquid nitrogen on our hands. We finished off the lecture with a bubble experiment where liquid nitrogen was added into a dilute washing up liquid. The bubbles were extreme and poured out of the container.
After the lectures we headed back to school. We arrived before the bell and finished off this great trip. The very next day we studied the terms heat and temperature as part of our classwork. For people that went on the trip this lesson was indeed easy! I would like to thank the Science Department and, in particular, Mr. Hussain for arranging this exciting day out and helping us to broaden our knowledge.
Jasbinderbir Singh, 8 Galahad
The HGS Under 16 team started the group final stage well with a win over St Neots Town FC but then lost to Manchester Health Academy in their second game. As they entered their last game before the semi-finals they needed a win but sadly lost missing a vital penalty. Many congratulations to the team and Mr Conway for such a superb effort and for being the first HGS team to reach a National Sporting Final for a number of years.
Our Year 9 Cricket Team beat King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys in the Quarter Finals of the Willis Trophy (The Birmingham Cup). Ibrahim Qayyum took 5 wickets for 10 runs and Iklas Sayed scored 24 runs to guide us to victory.
HGS PTA
Join Us and Get Involved!
We are a friendly group of parents who have children at the School. Our role is to create a wider school community where parents, teachers and students can come together and organise fun fundraising events. The best way this can be achieved is to have a positive and active PTA, so that our children can benefit with the extra influx of funds.
We will always need an extra pair of hands, ideas and contacts to help with the many future projects and events that are due to take place. If you or someone you know can help with supporting events, raffle prizes, catering or anything else, which may be of use, then please contact us.
Future Events include:
If you would like to join in please contact our PTA Chairperson Neha Jolly at enquiry@handsworth.bham.sch.uk.
A number of our Year 12 students helped at the Grove Primary School “Maths Olympiad”. They assisted the Year 5 teams who had all come to Grove School for the tenth annual Maths Olympiad. Our students were very supportive of the younger pupils as they work their way through the very challenging mathematical problems which were set as part of the Olympiad.
Our students were great ambassadors for HGS and this was another example of the good work we undertake as part of our wider outreach programme.
The students who assisted were:
Simran Dhariwall, Anupreet Sohal, Ajipal Chandan, Rahul Patel, Diren Gill, Anika Areej, Rajdeep Thandi, Arjun Borhara, Arandeep Mann and Amolak Mann.
Mr Conway
We are currently holding a consultation period of 4 weeks where we are seeking views on whether or not Handsworth Grammar School should become an Academy and join the KEVI MAT.
Please click here to view the Academy Consultation Letter.
Please click here to view the Academy and MAT Consultation Document.
HGS Old Boy Corey Blackett-Taylor returned to HGS recently and very kindly presented to the School his England Under 17 team shirt as well as one of his Aston Villa shirts. He took the opportunity of catching up with some of his old teachers and spent time chatting to current students. Corey has recently signed a new 2 year professional contract with Aston Villa and has enjoyed a very successful season which has seen him play for the First team against Notts County. He also was a key part of the Aston Villa Under 21 team which won the Hong Kong Soccer 7’s tournament. This saw Corey play against 12 teams from all over the world (including the likes of West Ham and Newcastle) as well as scoring 2 goals. He has been playing for Aston Villa for 10 years now (since he was 8) and is a graduate of the Academy programme. Corey also features as a character in the FIFA 16 game on PlayStation and X Box.
