Students from Great Barr School worked alongside students from North Birmingham Academy, selected as they had shown a great deal of community spirit and keen interest in the work of social media.  Students took part in the project in conjunction with Aston Villa FC and Connecting Communities Team, via the website ’socialbreakfast‘.  This governmental website was created to give young people ‘a voice’ on issues that concern them at a local level, which filters through to government at a national level. 

The students received excellent training and were given the tools to attack the areas of local concern, generated through discourse which they could then use to begin their own campaigns.   Students were supported by Ashram Housing Association, who linked pupils to their school’s own community cohesion strategies, with each pupil represented their local community through the Connecting Communities Team, of Ian, Emily, Victoria and Zoe.  Each of whom are nationally recognized for the work they do around the community cohesion objectives.

Students received in-depth training on the use of social media technologies to influence decision making and learnt skills in interview techniques, before finally having the opportunity to interview local decision makers in their area.  The students had by this stage become ‘expert’ at getting the best out of the interview and a great deal of confidence was built by such experiences.  The students – ALL thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this project and have established links to governmental bodies and highly influencial decision makers.

The success of the project, will be evaluted on the success of the campaign generating sufficient media attention as to make changes in the locality.  Students will remain in contact with the Connecting Communities Team and in the short term conduct local based studies, on what is necessary to improve the quality of services for local residents, particularly in the Erdington and Great Barr areas of the city.

On Wednesday 3rd March, pupils went to meet Sir Alec Jeffreys, a British geneticist who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and profiling.   These techniques are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve paternity and immigration disputes.  During the lecture Sir Alec explained when he had his ‘Eureka moment’ in the laboratory and how it took a while to appreciate the full extent of his DNA discovery.  Sir Alec told pupils to consider taking Biology or Chemistry at degree level as those who wanted to be future SOCOs stood a much better chance, than if they chose to study forensic science. 

Following extended time for questions and answers, Sir Alec was pushed to give even more of his time to debate with some very keen students who found the lecture and information fascinating!  It was apparent that meeting someone of Sir Alec Jeffrey’s expertise, truly made for one of the best opportunities for knowledge.  Mrs Davies told pupils that, ”it is very rare to meet someone with the same scientific stature as Sir Alec Jeffreys and yet who remains so humble in his knowledge, having created something that can be used for good across the world, now and for future generations to come.”

Great Barr Secondary and Priestley Smith Schools have been making the most of the wonderful opportunities for sharing knowledge and experiences.  Pupils from KS3 and KS4 have been to Great Barr Secondary School to experience, themed Science days and the most recent Community Science Day, whereby both GB and PS pupils as buddies, supported five local primary schools in the development and understanding in Science. 

For both schools involved in this partnership, the pupils have gained on many levels.  Including making many new friends and gaining an insight into different ways of learning.  GB School pupils have most recently been to carry out Visual Impairment Training at Priestley Smith School and were made very welcome again, by all the staff and pupils there.  GB pupils, were guided in how people with partial or no sight carry out their day-to-day tasks and were given expert support during the course.  A big thank you to Joe for all the Braille certificates, and to everyone who took part, as all the pupils had a fantastic time together sharing in the new found appreciation of each others skills. 

On Friday 12th March we went to ThinkTank, Millenium Point to the ‘How Science Works’ Event.  We heard from experts in Science who came to take part in the activities, to support National Science and Engineering Week.   The Y8 and Y9 students and teacher Mrs Davies, joined many other local secondary schools and the wider scientific community.  The pupils were provided with practical, relevant and engaging science workshops run by “real scientists” and shown the purpose of KS3 science and how it can open career pathways in science.    Students took part in 4 of the workshops during the day, with many hands-on experiments and discussion time as pupils became engaged in the topics being introduced.

Workshops for 2010 included the BBC, NHS diagnostics, wind turbine design, N-power, zoo captive breeding programmes, Severn-Trent water treatment, WM Police Forensics, Rollercoaster design, hydrogen fuel research, park rangers, sensors and data capture and many others.  Each workshop was designed to illustrate how the principles and concepts from Key Stage 3 Science relate to real life science.

On Friday 19th March we are holding our first Community Science Day.  Guest presenters including The Big Bug Man and Science in a Suitcase, who will delight our visitors including several local primary schools, Priestley Smith School, parents and many others, who we are welcoming and hoping to inspire with ‘fun’ science activities. 

Having worked with the STEM providers before, we are anticipating much laughter, many new ways to understand the world around us and learn how  science can be used to improve our daily lives.   For all those who come to either our day or evening shows, there will be the time to get hands on practical experience, which all compliment the current Science curriculum.  Children and adults alike will be encouraged to look for the unusual, formulate ideas, engage in conversation as previous great scientists and develop their scientific knowledge.

“We hope this day will bring as many community members together to share this wonderful experience.” Helen Davies, Community Coordinator.

There are over a hundred pupils at Great Barr School, in KS3 and KS4, who are undertaking the challenges set to attain their STEM Leadership Qualfication.  They have and will be working with many STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) experts and supported by STEM Point based at ThinkTank, Millenium Point on of our many external partners.    STEM qualification, gives many of our pupils the opportunity to gain an additional accredited award, which will really enhance their school CVs and support their movements into both further and higher education. 

Through STEM Point and Kike, who is coordinator at ThinkTank, we can access many STEM Ambassadors, who the Community Ambassadors have been modelled upon.  All of the current Community Ambassadors and many other pupils will be working throught their awards, which they will gain in Y11, through many fun and stimutaing experiences.

Currently every wednesday, in the SMLC, pupils doing this award can gain time to support work on the STEM portfolios and enhance their in-school learning experiences.  Next April 2010, we will be having our second STEM Day and also a Community Science Day in March, which will bring as many of our community partners in, to embrass the schools Science and Mathematics specialisms.  STEM subjects are ever necessary as the job markets change and to keep us in touch and hopefully ahead of the global competition in these areas.

The pupils have been hard at work again on the new garden area.  Working with BTCV, as they clear the ground and make up the raised beds next to Dudley Hall.  Community Ambassador pupils, who designed the Garden alongside Alison and Mrs Davies have worked with the fantastic volunteers from BTCV, filling the greenhouse with many seedlings, which we have now started to plant out, into the wonderful raised beds and seeing their designs come to life. 

We have had a few disasters so far, including carrots which did not grow according to plan and the mint we planted out, took over a larger area of one of the beds, so the smaller seeds did not flourish.  Natural selection in action!

We really enjoy working with the plants we are growing and along with being activie at breatimes, in the Gardening Club run by Mrs Davies and Mrs Miller, we can take home the fruits and vegetables we have been growing.  In the future we aim to grow many things which we can sell on or use in, for example Food Technology classes.  As an allotment runs, all of the raised beds have new owners, who alongside many pupils, will benefit from grwoing their own fruit and vegetables.

We are going to be working a lot with pupils from Priestly Smith School and the pupils will be able to work together in this communal space.    As a final and really exciting new phase of ‘growing on’ younger Community Ambassador pupils, will be working with Y12 enrichment students Chris Walker and Rachael Titmus and Enid from the local allotments, on our own new plot at the Aldridge road Allotments.

On Monday 30th November, we were shown our new plot by Enid and Chris and Mrs Davies are the school trustees of our plot.  Mr Woodley and Mr S Price at school are definately as keen as the pupils to get out and work with the soil and grow many types of plants.  This is reaching into the heart of our local community as we will be working with many people on site,, who have a wealth of expertise to share with us all in this area.

On Wednesday 28 th October 2009,  we came together on a Building Brigdeges Programme at the Science and Maths Learning Centre, with Mrs davies to have some new experiences on a Space master class with Mr Ojha and Dr Muller.  As part of project we worked with pupils from King Edawards VIand Arthur Terry Schools.  We made lots of new friends who we found had similar skills to us. Pupils worked on practicals including, with an air rocket laucher and learnt about preasure and forces exerted an objects entering space atmoshere.  People have stated “I thought that it was really fun and a good experience and I will always come and do it again.”  Dr Muller and Mrs Davies, Mr Tedd and Mr Singh came with us over the follwoing two days as we went from school out to both the Space Centre and Airkix in Milton Keynes.

By Jonathan Y9

On Monday 13th July we visited the Lichfield an Hatherton Canals restoration site, so that we could add to the habitat piles built for invertebrates, which had already been started by members of the canals trust.  The habitat piles, which are made of dead wood make an excellent place for invertebrates to live and for other animals to use as a source of food.  This helps to support the biodiversity of the site, with decaying wood in the UK home to almost 1800 invertebrate species. 

 Adding a pile of leaf litter can attract even more creatures, such hibernating toads or hedgehogs.  Logs in contact with the soil will remain damp underneath which is vital for many invertebrates such as woodlice.   We worked in teams to produce new habitat piles and found many sticks, twigs and branches as well as tree protectors, which were stacked together and secured to the ground. 

It is important to look after the wildlife at the site and where there is direct competition for land, it is good to protect areas so that biodiversity can flourish and also to protect nature, so we can enjoy the calm countryside experience.  We enjoyed the visit with Mr Williams and Mrs Davies as it was doing something worthwhile for the environment.