We celebrate the diversity of our school community; aim for better mutual understanding as we learn from each other’s stories; and pledge to stamp out any form of racism in our school and to strive for inclusion and equity in our world.

Numerous inquisitive conversations can ensue as we share our pride in our own distinctive stories – conversations that are sometimes avoided through fear of causing offence.

One of the best outcomes of our discussions around race this year and next should undoubtedly be a greater willingness to talk openly and to understand and respect differences rather than an erstwhile orthodoxy of ‘not seeing difference’. Put more positively, however:

“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness.” (Ola Joseph)

 In becoming a more culturally competent person, one must have the ability to think, feel, and act in ways that acknowledge, respect, and build on ethnic, socio-cultural, and linguistic diversity. As a school, I believe that it is our duty to embrace diversity, model positive interactions, and address the difficult questions.

In this way, we should treat each other with kindness, compassion and understanding. We should remember that race and Religion and/or belief are two of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. We need to act positively and directly at all times to uphold our values, ethos and multi-cultural identity. The responsibility for this lies with us all.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke)

Stay well and safe.

Be kind to yourself and each other.

Best wishes,

Dr Bird

All England School Championships

Manchester Friday 9^th July to Sunday 11^th July 2021

Jamie Callaghan (9N) has been selected to represent the West Midland County Schools’ AA at the All England Track & Field Championships in Manchester on Sunday 11^th July. This is a wonderful achievement and we wish Jamie all the best.

We previously learnt about the nitrogen cycle/water chemistry and the filter. We now thought it was a good idea to start consider which fish we would like to stock in our tank, as well as learning how to test the water chemistry.

Pupils came with ideas prepared as to which fish they would like to keep. Their decisions were not just based on the colours/aesthetics of the fish, but also: how many of each type ought to be kept together to allow them to show their more natural behaviours, whether they are suitable with our water conditions, how aggressive/submissive they may be, how big they are/how much waste/bioload they produce and whether they prevent us from keeping other species/compatibility.

Pupils had some great ideas; Indian glass fish, rasboras, rams, tetras and plecos to name a few! Pupils also talked about how they would like to breed a pair of rams. This would definitely be an exciting project for the club and it is something we are collectively considering. We would however firstly need to stock our dither fish. Pupils decided on Cardinal tetras and Harlequin rasboras. They wanted two shoals of smaller fish and perhaps some bigger fish at a later date.

We also carried out water tests to check our ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels, as well as our water pH. Results indicated that we were ready for fish, we had no ammonia, nitrite or nitrate in the tank. We would however have to be careful not to add too many fish in one go, which could cause a spike in ammonia and nitrite. We discussed how adding too many fish in one go would not allow the time for enough bacteria assemblage in our filter.

Week 9 & 10

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Easter

Week 3

Week 2

Week 1

Introduction

Welcome to our 2021 Open Evening! We find ourselves in unprecedented times and as a result of the pandemic we are holding a virtual Summer Open Evening over the course of this week.

Founded in 1862 King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School is the oldest Grammar School in Birmingham and enjoys a fine tradition of excellence and achievement. We are very much in and of our community being proud of our ethos, culture and traditions. We are part of the King Edward VI Foundation and our admissions at 11+ are managed by the Grammar Schools in Birmingham. We are creative, innovative and forward thinking as well as being conscious of our historical roots.

We aim to make a real and significant difference to the lives of each and every student we educate regardless of background. Every student has a vast array of clubs and societies that they can choose to join whatever their interest as well as being a member of a House with all the competition and friendly rivalry that brings. The extensive opportunities available are created by a school that has acknowledged excellence in a range of areas but which is able to balance the academic, pastoral and extracurricular needs of the community with that of the individuals that form its student body. We are fortunate to have  a talented and motivated staff who are able to nurture the best from each and every student.

Our students enjoy coming to school and they make excellent academic progress and reach high standards. Our GCSE and A Level results are testament to this with our sixth formers going on to study at the best universities such as Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Warwick and Cambridge. We develop habits of resilience, questioning, thinking and collaboration. This enables our students to know what to do when they don’t know what to do. They are a force for good and use their knowledge to make informed decisions. We see this through the charity work that goes on at every level in the school and through the work of the School Council and volunteering programmes that run on a weekly basis.

In our most recent Ofsted inspection we were graded as Outstanding in every category. We do not rest on our laurels and constantly look to improve how we do things both in and out of the classroom. However at the heart of all we do is our community – people. Both students and staff. We are a genuinely happy school with students and staff working together in harmony. We have fun here and we often laugh together. We are not pretentious or arrogant. We recognise that choosing the right school is a difficult decision so please do look at what we offer here at HGS. When we are able to we will welcome you in person.

With my best wishes.

Stay safe.

Dr Simon Bird

Please click here for more details.

Watch our video below: