Proud moment for King Edward VI Handsworth Grammar School, which has been declared the top performing grammar school for A Level progress in Birmingham and Walsall. Outstanding results, exceptional progress and a community that lifts every student. Read the full feature: https://ukschoolnews.com/blog/2026/02/16/king-edward-vi-handsworth-grammar-school-declared-the-best-in-a-level-progress-results/

Year 7 CBSO Symphony Hall Trip 11^th February 2026

Despite the rainy conditions our entire cohort of year 7 students enjoyed a fantastic morning out to see the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra play in Birmingham Symphony Hall.  Year 7 has been studying all about the modern orchestra this half term, including instrument families, instruments, and the important role of the conductor in this musical ensemble. The concert was an intergalactic travel through space introducing us to the instruments and the sound they could make.  We started off with John William’s famous theme from Star Wars and the journey continued with excepts from Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony, music from Plants vs. Zombies, Dr. Who, E.T., and others.  The final piece was the finale from Stravinsky’s The Firebird and it literally raised the roof of the hall.  It was a fantastic introduction to the orchestra and we hope that students will take advantage of a world class orchestra and concert hall in their home city in the future!

Mrs Ward

We arrived at New Street Station at around 8:15 am to take the train down to London Euston, arriving about 10 am. We walked the 1.5 miles to the Opera House in Covent Garden. We were one of several schools there that day who came to enjoy matinée performance of Pucinni’s Turandot.

Set in Peking, China, the opera describes the tale of an unnamed Prince (later we learn his name is Calaf) who desires to win the hand of Turandot in marriage. To do this, he is required to correctly answer three riddles. Failing to guess correctly leads to death! The opera includes the very famous song Nessun Dorma. Those of a certain age will remember it was used by the BBC during the 1990 World Cup. The whole performance was amazing; fabulous singing, amazing dancing and incredible sets.

Following the performance, we walked down to the river for some pictures then went to the Seven Dials Market for food where some of us ordered the biggest pizza I’ve seen!

This trip was only possible because of a grant we were awarded which covered most of the cost of the day (including travel). The individual price for a ticket in our seats for an evening performance was £322.00 so we were thankful to receive this grant.

A huge ‘thank you to Mrs Ward’ who applied for and the grant and arranged the trip.

On Thursday 9 January, 30 Year 9 Computer Science students visited the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) as part of a CyberFirst enrichment visit. The experience gave us valuable insight into cyber security and artificial intelligence, and into the future digital careers pathways available in these rapidly developing fields. It helped us understand how the skills we learn in Computer Science can lead to real-world opportunities.

During the visit, we learned how cyber security protects systems, data, and people, while artificial intelligence is used to analyse information, automate processes, and solve complex problems. An interactive AI Kahoot quiz encouraged us to apply our knowledge and think critically about how these technologies are shaping society and the workplace.

We took part in a range of hands-on workshops. In an AI ethics discussion, we considered the responsibilities involved in designing and using intelligent systems. We also participated in an AI prompt-engineering challenge, exploring how humans and AI can work together effectively. In another session, we became Digital Detectives, using data analysis and open-source intelligence to investigate digital clues and understand how cyber professionals identify and respond to threats.

One of the highlights of the day was programming Sphero robots using block coding, which demonstrated how logical thinking and precision underpin both AI development and cyber security.

Overall, the visit was informative and inspiring, and it helped us see how studying Computer Science can lead to exciting opportunities in cyber security, artificial intelligence, and the wider technology sector.