Magazine2014Blue River

Autumn Issue

Planting Strong Roots for the Future

College Success

Improving Young People’s

Employment Potential

Employing Young Persons

UCAS Progress

Exam Prep

Sports

Orphans in Iraq

Be a Better You Presentation

Student Spotlight: Anisha & Mariam

Staff Training Day

Inside this Issue

Parents Day Success

Against Terrorism

Don’t Lose a Life, Lose the Knife

Compliments for Success

Opening of Tyseley Centre

BM&AG Trip

Fun Learning at Small Heath

Jamaal Ahmed: Progress at Blue

River

Exam achievement analysis

Vijay: Golden River Experience

A big, warm welcome to students, parents, staff, governors and other interested parties – we invite you to roll out the red carpet for this latest edition of the Blue River magazine. In this issue, we have exciting news of everything that has been happening at Blue River Academy – our daily timetabling, examination results, extra-curricular activities and student interviews about their progress at our school.

We hope that you will enjoy reading what Blue River has to offer. As an organisation, we are always eager to improve our standards, so if you have any comments or suggestions, we would certainly like to hear from you – please email: magazine@blueriver.org.uk

Regards,Kawsar AhmedEditor

Welcome

How did they do it? (Exam achievement analysis)

In our previous report we highlighted our GCSE achievement for 2014. We are continually asked how we managed to secure such phenomenal

results bearing in mind the circumstances the students are in at the time of referral. Many of our students started with little or no preparation for GCSE’s and no clear direction for life after secondary education. Many of our students have additional barriers to learning due to their personal circumstances.

As our results show 81% of students increased at least 1 whole GCSE grade level in GCSE Maths, English and Science between the initial assessment and the exam (9 month period). All of our students received confirmation of their post 16 destination (College/apprenticeship) Blue River is committed to finding solutions to our students personal obstacles to ensure they to not dictate their future life chances. Below we would like to share with you how we did it.

What they say...Distanced Travelled

Our students come from various backgrounds and circumstances. Blue River develops an environment which increases their confidence and motivation to succeed against all the odds. This is why many of our students progress rapidly in such a short time. A.T improved massively since joining Blue River Academy. She has lived in the UK for 1 year and 2 months. When she started she knew very little English - her initial grade was a U however with the help and support from her teachers A.T achieved 5 A*- C grades including a pass English! On results day A.T said “I am very happy with my grades”.- Student A.T

With three months to go before exams, Blue River courageously made a decision to provide S.K with the challenge of GCSE’s. Blue River backed up his belief in himself and work began (additional evening lessons as well as day time) with S.K to catch up the 75% of the year he had been away for. - Teacher

Towards the end of the academic year S.K was selected as a student council leader following his big character change and his truthfulness. Rather than a trouble maker, he had become a role model for other students. S.K was achieving the impossible and staff were overjoyed to see the

dedication and commitment he was showing for his education.- Teacher

S.K has improved in becoming educationally motivated, [particulaly with regards] to good attendance and achieving results far beyond expectation.- Fred Cooper (Hunter’s Hill School)

I managed to complete the two year GCSE syllabus in less than six months. At the end of all of it, I was rewarded for my efforts which was great and made me feel proud of myself but none of this could have been achieved without Blue River and my teachers supporting me all the way.- Student M.P

“My son has improved massively since he first came to Blue River. He now listens to all the advice given to him and takes it on board...”- Parent

“I think Blue River is a source of great motivation and support for those who might need it at a crucial stage in their lives”.- Teacher

“The best thing about Blue River Academy is its willingness to make ideas a reality, support their staff’s development and push each student to realise their potential”.- Teacher In March 2014 a professional consultant was tasked with assessing our students to identify which students were capable of sitting the higher English paper. The consultant provided a targeted action plan for each individual to reach their expected grade.

“Being given the opportunity to do higher English is a blessing from Blue River, because if I work hard I can achieve a better grade.”- Student W.A

Blue River has changed my life for the better – when I came to the UK from Holland no school wanted me because they couldn’t teach me English in one year. I applied for Blue River and they managed to change me – in one year I was able to do all my favourite GCSE’s and higher, also I am planning to do six A-levels next year which is amazing.- Student

The subject I enjoyed studying the most is Maths because before I didn’t understand much but now with my teachers explaining [things] to me by their excellent teaching methods, Maths has become my favourite subject to learn here.- Student A.T

My time here has changed me, my English and Science has improved massively whilst being here.- Student I.Z

Positive Destinations

Many of our students were supported to identify and work towards their chosen career aspirations this includes: acceptance onto A Levels courses/ apprenticeships.

Have your future plans changed since joining Blue River?Yes, next year I am doing A-levels because my predicted grades are much higher than before. -Student I.D

When I started Blue River I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future – but now, following the advice of teachers I have managed to find out what I really enjoy and what I really want to do with my life.- Student

H.I ended up sitting Higher Tier GCSE examinations for Maths and Science and has been accepted by Solihull College on an Aeronautical Engineering Diploma course. - Teacher

“With the help of my teachers I got an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering”. - Student A.A

See attached Blue River positive destinations table.

Smaller Classes

Blue River prides itself on being able to offer a much higher student to teacher ratio than in mainstream schools. This enables students to receive more of a tailored service.

The biggest difference between Blue River and previous schools is that Blue River is smaller than mainstream schools and because of that they give you more attention here which I didn’t get in my previous schools. Blue River Academy is a good and exciting place to be in.- Student H.H

Positive Encouragement

Blue River understands the importance of a child-centred approach and strives to provide encouragement and support to meet each pupils’ individual needs.

Before joining Blue River Academy he had no direction no vision of what he wanted to do. His self-esteem was low and he was frustrated too as he had no school place by October 2013. He had lost hope in education all together. The teachers and staff at Blue River I found to be professional at what they do. “I was impressed by the comments teacher made at Parents Day when they told my son “You are intelligent, you can do it”. Those words straight away boosted my sons’s confidence and self-esteem. The Academy gives hope and encouragement to my son.- Parent

Supplementary Support

We are committed to ensuring all of our students are able to over come their barriers to learning and achieve to their full potential. Due to the varying circumstances that our students encounter Blue River works to find solutions to rise above the obstacles. This is why we provide one-to-one classes before and after school, in half term and holiday periods. We also offer additional GCSE subjects such as Statistics, Additional Science, Functional Skills and languages such as Arabic, Urdu etc. This enables individual students to achieve their targets and prevent their personal circumstances from dictating their life choices.

H.I also showed good ability in Science and he was naturally interested in engineering. He asked for staff to spend time with him after school searching and applying for apprenticeships.

What I like most is the good understanding between the teachers and parents. They constantly inform you of any changes and update you frequently which is essential to establishing a good relationship between parent and teacher.- Student H.I

I had one-to-one teaching (after school and in the holidays) which is impossible to find elsewhere, also the timetable here is adjusted to suit the students here which is tremendous and benefits student’s long term. Monthly progress interviews also help you to stay focussed and achieve your targets directing you towards your future.- Student

Be a Better You Presentation

As part of our personal development programme here at Blue River, we invited the organization ‘Star’s Delight’ in to conduct a motivational and inspirational session for our young students.

‘Star’s Delight’, which started in 2007, is a charity organization that works with young people with the aim of engaging and developing them in making the correct decisions on issues that concern them such as academia, career decisions and relationships.

The CEO of the organization spoke on the topic, ‘NOW’ where emphasis was laid on the fact that nothing was impossible to achieve. Students were encouraged to put in as much effort as possible into their academic studies and future aspirations from NOW. The speaker encouraged the students to work very hard NOW, and put in the very best into whatever they did in order to be people of influence and role models to others. The speaker also highlighted the importance of having a positive attitude and character which is a very important factor in not just getting to the top but staying at the top.

The speaker then elaborated on examples of people in the society who had achieved great feats – heroes like Ben Carson, Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan and Nelson Mandela – it was emphasised how hard these individuals had worked, putting their best into everything they did, which ultimately had a huge impact in their success.

At the end of the session, students were able to participate in a question and answer session as well as receiving hand-outs detailing the ‘NOW’ development programme, to take home.

We would like to thank ‘Star’s Delight’ for taking the time to work with us – the feedback we received from students following this event proved that it was a complete success in preparing them for life after Blue River. We are hoping to mount a second exhibition in the coming academic year and hope ‘Stars Delight’ will return to give talks and workshops to even more of our pupils in the near future – fantastic!

At Blue River we believe that young people should be offered every opportunity to achieve

success. Deciding which post 16 courses to pursue and choosing the best training available

can be a daunting task for many young people – that is why Blue River Academy has become

a member of UCAS Progress, the ‘search and apply’ system that allows students to search for

courses and apprenticeships online.

It is available to young people between the ages of 13 and 19 years old and allows students to set

up an UCAS online profile – where they are able to record their own personal statement, list their

qualifications and references, as well as apply for any courses and apprenticeships they desire.

Students are able to track offers they receive from colleges and apprentice providers – it also

allows Blue River staff the opportunity to work with students to ensure that they leave the

organisation with a positive post 16 destination.

One member of the Blue River Admin team noted “We‘ve had parents ask us for help with their

child’s application to college and this website is exactly the sort of thing they need”.

UCAS Progress

Exam Prep

Friday 20th March 2014 marked another milestone on the road to the GCSE and Functional

Skills summer exams – this date marked the deadline for the exam entries submission by our

examination officer Olu.

Both the tutors and the students were looking forward to it and getting well prepared for the

forthcoming exams in June and July.

On a different note GCSE student Shahid Khattack was appointed class prefect for 2013 /

2014 – he became the voice of the Blue River boys on a variety of issues, both personal and

academic. We are certain that this can only develop further his leadership and people skills.

Most importantly this appointment will add an extra link between our tutors and students –

congratulations, Shahid!

B Sports

Orphans in Iraq

zi

As Mother Teresa said “It’s not how much we

receive but how much love we put into giving.”

In keeping with the spirit of giving, the teachers

at the Blue River Academy students raised a total

of £70.00 for the Orphans in Iraq charity – the

money will go into supporting orphans in the

country of Iraq. We are all proud of the love and

dedication the students and staff showed.

Fun at the Ackers

As part of their extra-curricular activities, some of the Blue River students were fortunate enough to take part in adventurous activities at the local Ackers Adventure park on Golden Hillock Road.

Activities included zip lining, kayaking, canoeing and orienteering. Students had lots of fun and had an Ackers instructor throughout for safety and guidance.

Students tackled the activities with great enthusiasm and creativity which no doubt will be reflected in their Blue River academic achievements. Well done to all concerned!

Team Blue River

Blue River Boys (A team) vs. Camp Hill AcademyBlue River Boys (B team) vs. Pathway to Success.On March 19th 2014 the Blue River Boys football A team took on Camp Hill Academy in an energetic and exciting game of football – the B team meanwhile, faced a daunting game with Pathway to Success.

Both teams played well and worked hard but sadly it was a tough day for our teams – the A team lost 5 – 4 whilst the B team got thrashed 13 – 0.

In the end both teams showed great sportsmanship and we knew they could only come back better – this proved to be the case when Blue River’s Abdul Emdad and Pupil Placement’s Leon Johnson were added to the B team and the team was able to rise again beating Blue River’s A team in a friendly 17 goals to 9.

n

When I moved here from West Yorkshire, I missed out on a lot of my education – I moved house and it was really hard to adjust but I got lots of help from my teachers. Blue River made a real difference – my attitude has changed – my communication skills and my confidence have all improved and I got all the support I needed.

I had a real problem in Maths but Blue River gave me all the help I needed to improve my English and Maths and now I’m doing really well. The Maths tutor (Miss Khatija) taught me very well and gave me clear information – she explained each question clearly to me. I now feel confident in my Mathematics skills and am proud about it.

I applied to college and have been successful in getting a place at South City College Birmingham to study BTEC Level 1 Health and Social Care.

I have always been a quiet person and I have never been particularly good in education, however when I came to Blue River, it taught me a lot about the value of education especially Maths. If I had never come here I believe things would have become very difficult in my life – I would have not been good in my Maths and English – I would never have got a place at college and there would have been no prospect of my getting a job in the future.

In ‘Student Spotlight’ we highlight Blue River students who have become our shining stars – these are students who have captured our attention through their dedication to studies, overcoming challenges, and their overall achievements. We are proud of all of our students and so pleased to highlight those who have worked especially hard!

Student Spotlight: Anisha Akhtar

Student Spotlight: Mariam Mahamoud

“ “- Mariam

Before I arrived at Blue River, I was lazy and never took my studies seriously – also I never had much confidence. I always found that my old school was really disorganised so when I came to Blue River I had to start afresh and fit everything I was meant to learn last year (Year 10) into learning everything this year (Year 11).

In reality, I would be lying if I said it was easy because it was very hard and I struggled a lot but with the support of Blue River staff, I’m happy to say that I’ve completed my studies within the timescale whilst not putting too much pressure on my personal life.

I have become a person who takes responsibility for my own work. Since this was my last year in secondary school, I had to work extra hard and concentrate a lot of my time in my studies. I never took my studies seriously before and always thought I had the time to do things later – Blue River

made me realise that if I didn’t do things now, I would never achieve anything in my life. Gradually as I attended the school I became more aware of how much my studies meant to me and how education would affect my life in the future. I took the advice of the Blue River staff and worked hard and continued this effort throughout the year. My confidence increased with the help of my teachers by doing presentations, and interacting with different people. All in all, the positive changes I made may not be big, but to me it’s always the small things that matter.

Blue River helped me improve my self-confidence which has had a massive impact on my life – before I would shy away from people I did not know, but now I am able to ask people questions when I need something.

Blue River helped me improve my confidence which had a massive impact on my life.

The ‘Prevent’ action plan for Birmingham,

is part of the government’s strategy

against the spread of extremism, whether

it be religious or sectarian in the UK. PC

Salma Jabeen paid Blue River Academy

a visit and conducted a small seminar

where the Blue River staff attended to

listen keenly and learn about extremism

and counter-terrorism. Attendees left

feeling more enlightened on topics

such as, what terrorism is, how it arises

and how people start on the road to

becoming extremists – staff and students

also explored issues around extremist

ideology. All who attended learned new

things and remain thankful for the visit by

PC Jabeen in maintaining our close links

with West Midlands Police force.

Against Terrorism

The new Birmingham Library is a wonderful work of architecture – beautifully designed and

full of books to read in a quiet and lovely environment for students willing to learn – students

such as the ones we have at Blue River Academy. Our students visited the library to explore

all the new features and had a good time perusing and reading through the many books

they have. The library was opened by Malala Yousefzai – a great inspiration to our girls and

a reminder of a woman’s right to education. In the words of Malala Yousefzai to express the

importance of education “I believe that a gun has no power at all, because a gun can only

kill. A pen can give life, a pen can save a life.”

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

I believe that a gun has no power at all, because

a gun can only kill. A pen can give life, a pen can

save a life.

“

“

- Malala Yousefzai

DON’T LOSE A LIFE-LOSE THE KNIFE

people said that they carry knives for protection however this could never be considered a valid reason since carrying a knife encourages it to be used,.

This government initiative has been established in youth centres and schools in order to educate students about the dangers of carrying a knife and the lessons learned from other people’s mistakes on how to prevent a knife crime.

Written by Asiya, Juwariya and Mariam (Students).

We invited the police into Blue River to present a seminar on ‘youth and

knife crime’ for our GCSE citizenship course.

One thing that surprised us the most from the seminar was the fact that knives are the number one murder weapon used to commit crime – more than any other offensive weapon.

Three people visited us – there were two police officers and a victim’s mother – their touching stories taught us that every single choice made whether small or large has its consequence. Knife crimes can result in pain and misery not only to the victim but to families too as it can affect their lives in so many different ways.

The mother that came in had suffered losing a child by knife crime and shared her experience with us which helped us to understand the true pain that lies in the hearts of knife crime victims.We found out that more than 1,000 citizens are killed in a month nationally due to knife crime. The punishment for carrying a knife is usually going to prison and getting a criminal record.We were shocked at the fact that most

Opening of Tyseley Centre

At Blue River we help our young students keep a sharp focus on their future and encourage

them to seize the opportunities they are offered to gain helpful qualifications and build their

self confidence. Following this principle our staff managed to change a group of student’s

perception of their future, and successfully transferred them from the Prep (Functional

Skills programme) onto our GCSE programme – an achievement that came after continuous

mentoring, hard work and commitment from our staff.

One delighted parent was quoted as saying “I very much appreciate everything what is

happening at Blue River – especially all the encouragement and support my son is receiving.

I am happy with the staff that have worked hard to put up with him last year, and changed

his attitude towards everything positive this year.

Compliments for Success

B

A new centre at Tyseley Prep (preparation for GCSE’s) was opened in mid February of 2014.

The new centre offers, such as Functional Skills and Professional Development &

Employability units, which can be used to apply for apprenticeships, and thus fulfil the

future aspirations of students who wish to take that career route. The centre has already

been successful in offering students learning opportunities that are different from the

traditional classroom based learning environment that most young people are used to.

There is a saying that ‘success is always hard to

measure’ but here at Blue River, seven young

Academy students did themselves proud by being

offered the rare opportunity to study at Joseph

Chamberlain College next year.

Joseph Chamberlain is a highly regarded sixth

form college whose tutors have a vested interest

in student’s future and work to help them excel

in their goals. The college offers many different

courses, enough for new students to explore and

find their passion making their learning more

likely to succeed.

Not everyone that applies to study at Joseph

Chamberlain College gets a place due to the fact

that it is a relatively small college with a rigorous

selection process.

Our boys will be studying a variety of subjects

including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, ICT,

Business Studies, Psychology and Economics.

We hope they are as proud of themselves as we

are of them - Congratulations boys!

Blue River is always looking to nurture the growth

of young people’s professional talents by acting as

a platform that aims to give them the confidence

to achieve their career goals. We welcome and

provide work experience to graduates in the

18 – 24 age bracket and assist in finding work

placements / apprenticeships to young people,

offering them valuable experience and skills that

will benefit their professional and personal lives.

This is a statement made by one of our staff

members:

College Success Employing Young Persons

‘Addressing Ofsted Recommendations’ is a road show dedicated to helping schools and partners in helping

Birmingham’s young people actively participate in education and training opportunities. A number of

our Blue River students attended and participated in the event and were able to take advantage of the

opportunities on display. Event highlights included counselling, how to assess support and advice we give

to pupils, who we can work with to support young people in making the right choices, how to prepare

them for jobs, benefits of apprenticeships, and how we can ensure pupils are exposed to the world of work

and a full range of career opportunities.

All in all it was a beneficial conference and both staff and students benefitted from the advice and

resources that were available.

Improving Young People’s Employment Potential

“I initially started as a volunteer for 9 weeks, and then made a transition to being employed. The transition gave me more confidence in my own ability. I understand now that I have more responsibility as an employee for my actions and therefore put extra effort into all my tasks. I am very grateful for the opportunity Blue River has given me and how it has developed me as an individual.”

“

“

- Blue River Staff

Mr Muhammed AbdullahHeadteacher

Karen GardinerSenior Manager/

Designated Senior Person

Kashif MayLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

Sadaf AliLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

Ade OdulojuLead Tutor/Subject Tutor/

DSP

KwesiFocus Tutor/Subject Tutor

KhatijhaFocus Tutor

VijayFocus Tutor

EthanFocus Tutor

PervaizSubject Tutor

AnisahSubject Tutor

SelinaSubject Tutor

MuslimaAdmin Assistant

UsmanAdmin Assistant

EricHead of Administration

KawsarDevelopment/Marketing

OluDevelopment Officer/

Exam Officer

EmdadTeaching Mentor

What a lovely day we had welcoming parents to our December Parent’s Day. We are always happy when parents drop in to see us and learn about their children’s progress which is exactly what they did. The teachers happily shared news of what the students had been up to and handed the parents their children’s end of term report. One parent even remarked on the positive change noted on her child by saying: “My son has had difficulty in the past, but after only one week at Blue River, he’s a changed boy”.

Congratulations to all involved!

Parents Day Success

It’s always good to have all the members of staff coming together to bring new and different ideas to make Blue River a better place and we saw a lot of this happen on staff training day. Our development manager Olu delivered a two day presentation and everyone contributed to developing the vision of Blue River Academy.

We set some long and short term company objectives and goals. We hope to bring all the great ideas to life eventually – they will help Blue River to achieve its aims and provide an even better service for the years to come.

Staff Away Day

Q: How has Jamal improved since being at Blue River?

Tony: Jamal was referred to Blue River because he

was struggling to cope in mainstream education –

his problems centred around an inability to control

his behaviour in the classroom, which meant that

he disrupted the learning of others, never fulfilled

his own potential and had difficulty forming

positive relationships with teachers. In fairness

he knew this was the case and came to the

conclusion himself that he needed a fresh start in

a different environment.

Since coming to Blue River there have been

considerable changes in his behaviour – he now

behaves in a much more responsible manner, is

well focussed on his studies and often displays the

qualities of a positive role model for others. Most

importantly I would say that he is much happier

within himself. He is also aware of the concern

that he has caused his family and is doing his best

to show them that he has positive qualities and

can still achieve despite his past problems. When

you motivate a child you can change family life for

the better in so many ways.

Q: How has Blue River achieved this?

Tony: Blue River has provided the kind of learning

environment in which young people like Jamal can

flourish. The groups are smaller, with more one

to one attention and a cohesiveness that means

all students are more focussed. The relationships

between students and teachers and mentors are

close and they have demonstrated to Jamal that

they are prepared to go that extra mile for him. He

has the awareness to understand this and wants

to do well for them. As with all young people

no longer in mainstream Jamal has been faced

with an opportunity to demonstrate what his true

abilities are and he has taken it.

Q: What do you think of Blue River and their past students?

Tony: Over the past four or five years I have

referred a number of students to Blue River with

PROGRESS AT BLUE RIVERtONY MAGUIRE ON Jamal Ahmed:

a variety of different problems ranging from poor

attendance to extremely disruptive behaviour –

these referrals have included statemented students.

In every case I have noted an improvement in their

diagnosed behaviour conditions and a successful

progression into a post 16 programme of their

choice. This is not to say that they have ended up

as perfect human beings but there has definitely

been measurable improvements giving these young

people a better chance of fitting into the adult

world and becoming more responsible citizens.

Q: What are your feelings about the work of Blue River?

Tony: Obviously, given what I have said already, I

find Blue River an excellent opportunity for some

of the young people with whom I work. Their

communication with me about individual students

is excellent and their willingness to adopt a team

approach where expertise and resources can be

pooled to help a young person in difficulty is

refreshing. They also push students to fulfil their

potential but in a user friendly way which the

young people they work with require. Their work

with families is also positive but unobtrusive.

The best thing that I can say about Blue River

is that it is relentless in its pursuit of all round

improvement and achievement in the lives of its

cohort of young people.

Q: Tell me about your experience at Blue River and your plans for the future.

Jamal: My experience in Blue River has been

excellent I have learnt what the value of education

in my life is, I also, made a dramatic improvement

in the most important subjects such as Maths,

English, Science which will support my future

career as well, as my common life also Blue River

made me more disciplined which will help my

boxing career in terms of controlling my anger.

My experience in Blue River has been excellent I have learnt what the value of education in my life is.

-Jamal Ahmed

“

“

*Tony Maguire from 3D education referred Jamal to Blue River.

After I graduated, I decided to take a gap

year to look for new varied experiences

in education before studying to become a

teacher. Warwick University advertised an

internship opportunity at Blue River which I

quickly responded to since it was just what I

was looking for.

I started work at Blue River as a Focus Tutor

in January of this year. Although it has

already been six months, I can honestly

say I’ve had the most amazing and apt

experience of teaching I could have ever

imagined. It seems like my experience

has been tailored to exactly what I as an

individual needed.

I got to learn how to manage behaviour

through observing the other more

experienced focus tutors. The lead tutor at

Bosnia house had regular meetings with me

about developing my teaching technique

and with his advice I would certainly

not be so well prepared for professional

teaching. The manager of Blue River staff

constantly reminded me of the importance

of (togetherness) teamwork in the work place

and what it can achieve. My mentor opened

my eyes to the personal side of education –

every student walks a different path before

they enter the classroom.

I have grown in my own professional

capacity because of the respect shown to me

be the administrative side at Blue River. My

ambitions have been to become a teacher of

both Mathematics and Physics and I am so

thankful for the opportunity to try to teach

both of these in my time here. Lastly, I have

found it a pleasure working with a head

teacher so passionate about ideas about how

to develop young students. “Small minds

discuss people – average minds discuss

events – great minds discuss ideas” (Eleanor

Roosevelt).

I am humbled to have been given the chance

to put my ideas into practice in and out of

the classroom.

I consider myself privileged to have had

these cumulative experiences at Blue River

because they have prepared and inspired

me for the real challenge of education. I am

now holding an offer for a PGCE in Physics

with Maths from UWE Bristol University to

start in September 2014. I owe a huge thanks

to all the staff and students for making it a

golden river of experience and I recommend

it to anyone wanting a stepping stone to

success in teaching.

By Vijay Chhaya

Vijay Chhaya: golden River Experience

“I’ve had the most apt experience of teaching I could have ever imagined”.

*Vijay Chhaya was a focus tutor at Blue River Academy.

pppp

“I would feel confident in recommending this school

to another parent.” -Parent

“Blue River Academy helped me get the qualifications I needed to reach my career goals.”

-Student

“I have become more

independent since joining

the school.” -Student

“Blue River has helped my

daughter to improve her

English & has helped to

raise her confidence”.

-Parent

“My experience in school

has been exciting due to

the amount of knowledge

I’ve acquired.”-Student

“We are very happy

with the education our

son received at Blue

River.” -Parent

“My son has changed for the better since joining Blue River.” -Parent

“They are an open hearted organisation paving the path to success for their students”.

-Staff

“The corporation and the hardwork staff put in at Blue River are great. Also, the revision classes in the holidays were extra helpful for my brother”.

-Student Sister

“The best thing about Blue River

is the staff co-operate well with

parents and are very understanding

of their circumstances. The staff

do well to break things down for the

students and get to a level where

they can understand each other”.-Parent

What people say

about Blue River

“It has been very good as I

have learnt a lot but it has still

been fun and I have enjoyed it

very much”.

-Student

“The teachers at Blue River

helped me get my GCSE’s.

I made new friends and

Blue River made me more

confident”.-Student

“Being given the opportunity to do higher English is a blessing from Blue River, because if I work hard I can achieve a better grade. I would like to thank all of the hard work from the Blue River staff, the English teachers and especially Karen because I came to her asking her for a chance and she said she’d try to do something for me. I am aiming for a C because it will help me at A-Level where I plan to study Biology, Chemistry, Psychology and Dutch.”

-Student

Sudoku Puzzles

Difficulty rating: Easy Difficulty rating: Moderate Difficulty rating: Challenging

AMAZING - APPEAR - BUG - CAT - CHIMPANZEE

- COMMAND - COW - CREATE - CUD - DOG

- DONNA - EAGLE - FREEDOM - GIGANTIC -

GINGERBREAD - GIRAFFE - GRANT - HEN -

HIPPO - HORSE - HUES -IMAGINE - KANGAROO - LAMB - LAND - LEOPARD

- LION - OSTRICH - RAT - ROOSTER - SAND -

SHEPHERD - SLITHER - SNAKE - SNUGGLE -

TIGER - TOPSY - TOUCAN - TURKEY - TURVY - ZEBRA.

Wordsearch

Address: 36 Medley Road, Greet, Birmingham, B11 2NE

Website: www.blueriver.org.uk Email: info@blueriver.org.uk Twitter : @BlueRiverOrg

Newsletter Content: Blue River Academy Newsletter Design: Kawsar Ahmed design@blueriver.org.uk

Tel: 0121 766 7981