On Thursday 6th February, students from year 7-9 took part in our very own “Strictly Talk Gothic” to celebrate our gothic season.

After three enjoyable and exciting weeks, our boys took part in a competition where they had to deliver a speech from a well known gothic play or poem, which was then judged by a panel of staff.

The finalists were:

We had joint winners in Sami Khan from 9G and Rahim Rashid from 9H.

Well done to everyone who took part.

Mr Conway

On January 18^th 2025, 28 students from Years 8 and 9, and 3 staff, headed off to the Dolomites in Italy for 5 days on the piste.

Hashir (Year 8) writes:

Our ski trip to Folgaria was an incredible experience filled with adventure, challenges and unforgettable moments.  After an exhausting twelve-hour journey, including a one and a half hour drive to Manchester Airport, a two and a quarter hour Ryanair flight to Milan, and a further three-hour coach ride, we finally arrived at the resort on Saturday evening. The coach, although comfortable, lacked sufficient legroom, making the long journey quite tiring. Upon arrival, we were assigned rooms of two, which provided plenty of space. After settling in, we collected our ski equipment, had dinner, and prepared for the days ahead. Personally, as I eat halal, I found the vegetarian meal options were not very varied; we had been warned to expect plenty of pasta since we were in Italy!  Overall, the hotel and the resort provided everything we needed.

Each morning, we were woken at around 7 a.m. by a knock on the door from our teacher. We then got ready, carried our skis and boots to the base of the mountain, and took a gondola lift to the top, where we were greeted with stunning, snow-covered landscapes. The first day was mainly focused on getting our equipment sorted and being placed into ability groups. While the more advanced skiers set off immediately, beginners, including myself, were split into two groups to allow for better instruction. At first, we practised basic snowplough technique, skiing only short distances, which felt repetitive, but I understood it was necessary to build a strong foundation. Fortunately, after the first day, we had a designated spot at the base of the mountain to store our skis, which meant we no longer had to carry them up each morning.

From the second day onwards, we began using ski lifts (chair and drag) to reach higher slopes and worked on improving our technique. We learned how to execute snowplough turns, which allowed us to navigate slopes more effectively. As we progressed, we moved onto blue slopes, where we practised parallel turns, skiing in a controlled zigzag motion by turning across the slope before repeating the process. The resort itself was enormous, with some lifts featuring heated seats, taking us even higher – sometimes above the clouds. By the fourth day, we had advanced to red slopes and began practising on race tracks, increasing our speed and control. Day five was particularly exciting as we continued racing but also embarked on a thrilling 45-minute continuous descent from the top of the mountain to the base. This was by far one of the most memorable moments of the trip, as it tested our endurance, fitness and skills while allowing us to fully appreciate the breathtaking scenery.

In the evenings, we took part in a variety of activities, which made the trip even more enjoyable. On Monday, we travelled 20 minutes by coach to a swimming pool, where we spent around two hours having fun. Tuesday evening was a quiz night before bed, while Wednesday was pizza night – a much-needed break from our usual meals. Thursday was one of the most exciting nights, as we had a karaoke evening at a restaurant, followed by arcade games like air hockey and pool. All these locations were conveniently situated near our hotel, making them easily accessible. These activities provided a great way to unwind after a long day of skiing and added to the overall enjoyment of the trip.

On Thursday evening, we packed our bags in preparation for our departure the next morning. Friday marked our final day in Italy. After breakfast, we loaded our luggage onto the coach and set off for a three-hour drive to the airport. Before our 9 p.m. flight, we spent two hours exploring a huge shopping mall just a short walk from the airport. This gave us time to eat, shop and relax before the journey home. The flight back was smooth, but unfortunately, as it was dark, we were unable to see the views of the Alps. Upon landing at Manchester Airport, we took our coach back to school, arriving at approximately 1 a.m.

Overall, the trip was an incredible experience. From learning new skills and tackling challenging slopes to enjoying the scenic beauty and evening activities, every aspect of the journey was memorable. The combination of thrilling skiing, breathtaking views and great company made this an unforgettable adventure.

Click here to view more photos in the gallery.

On Wednesday 29th January, 60 students from Year 10 and Year 11 took part in the Intermediate Maths challenge, a national, annually held Maths competition consisting of entirely multiple-choice questions designed to encourage critical thinking amongst high achievers. The rules were simple, the paper consisted of 25 questions starting from easier questions to insanely difficult questions towards the end and we were given 1 hour to complete this. Each incorrect answer would lose you 2 marks and this was very effective in deterring students from guessing answers. The first 15 questions were worth 5 marks and the last 10 worth 6 due to their increased difficulty. A good score in the challenge would get you through to the competitions subsequent rounds which become even more difficult.

I started the paper with high hopes speeding through the first 15 questions and all was going well until I reached the dreaded second section. This is where I needed to double the thinking power put into each one of my answers as to prevent mark deductions. Surprisingly, I found many of the questions easier than I had anticipated buy a few of them unfortunately really tested my mathematical ability. Regardless, I braved through the paper with 5 minutes left to spare where I then looked over the questions I had left out. I was still unable to do them so I had no choice but to leave them unanswered instead of guessing an answer as a mark deduction would’ve diminished my chances of getting to the next round.

Overall, the paper was tricky but fun at the same time as the satisfaction of answering a question correctly was unmatched. The thought-provoking questions were a pleasant change from the usual maths we do from the GCSE syllabus.

Adnan Wais

Gothic Season is a literary festival currently taking place at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys in Birmingham, a three week celebration of all things mysterious, sinister and spooky. The Gothic genre is a perennial favourite of writers, an area of creativity and imagination which draws readers and movie goers into dark tales of the supernatural, intrigue and murder, adventures which make us unable to put a Gothic story book down, or keeps us on the edges of our seats at the cinema. During Gothic Season students are being offered a host of opportunities to discover for themselves why Gothic is so gripping, suspenseful and entertaining, through activities in lessons, in tutor time and outside of school hours.

Partnership organisations offering expertise in Gothic studies and performance, have been joining the school every week to share their knowledge and insight, including academics from The Centre for the History of the Gothic at Sheffield University, who have been leading students in interactive sessions on different aspects of Gothic literature. Two dramatisations of classic Gothic tales, A Christmas Carol and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, will be performed for our student audiences, and Gothic Film Club has offered everyone the opportunity to experience how Gothic tales have been transferred to the cinema screen in modern spellbinding retellings of the stories.

A cross –school challenge, Strictly Talk Gothic, is also currently underway, a speech competition which aims to find the student at HGS who can best deliver a Gothic speech with dramatic energy and skill. What is on offer to students is an experience centuries in the making, where they can encounter an array of characters created by some of the greatest literary imaginations of all time.

‘The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious’, wrote Albert Einstein, and these are intriguing words students are able to explore during their time at King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School for Boys, not least during these three weeks of Gothic Season.

Good luck to Tinron Chan  and Arvind Mann in Year 12 who embark on the Lessons from Auschwitz Project this week.  This will offer them the unique opportunity to learn about the history of the Holocaust through seminars, accessing artefacts, text, film, and a one-day Visit to Poland to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. They will consider the individuals whose lives were affected by the Holocaust and the relevance of the Holocaust today by:

• Taking part in two seminars, led by experts in the history of the Holocaust and Holocaust education
• Hearing directly from Holocaust survivors, who will share their personal experiences, including during a live survivor testimony and Q&A
• Participating in a one-day Visit to Poland
• Considering the relevance of this history in today’s world
• Sharing what they have learnt within their school and wider community.

We look forward to their work, and wish them the very best.

(HGS – History Department)