Blog

Tickets are on sale now!

We’re really excited to share that auditions have now finished and our performers have been confirmed for this year’s Summer Concert!

Join us on Thursday 9th July at 6:00pm (doors open at 5:45pm) for what promises to be a fantastic evening of music and performances. Tickets are on sale now for £4 and can be purchased via Ticketsource: https://tinyurl.com/mr2mr78t The concert is expected to finish at approximately 8:00pm.

We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate the hard work and talent of our students!

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Sixth Form Super-Curricular Offer

Our Sixth Form team have been working hard to develop an enhanced offer for our students as they prepare for university applications, particularly for the most competitive courses and institutions.

We place a strong emphasis on super-curricular engagement – activities that extend learning beyond the specification and encourage students to deepen subject knowledge, think independently, and develop genuine academic curiosity. Through carefully curated opportunities including wider reading, academic talks, research, digital resources and visits, students build confidence, resilience and a stronger love of learning.

To support this, our staff have created subject-specific super-curricular materials across all Sixth Form courses. These are now available under ‘Super-Curricular’ in the Sixth Form section of our school website: https://tinyurl.com/nhnp2ht5

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Year 10 students take on Premier League nutrition challenge!

Our Year 10 students have recently taken part in an exciting and inspiring project in collaboration with professional chef Zena Weeks from Cooking for Champions.

Zana, Natalie and Harry brought a wealth of industry expertise to the project. Zena works with Premier League and England footballers including Aston Villa player Morgan Rogers and Newcastle United player Jacob Ramsey, alongside other elite athletes, providing tailored nutrition to support training, recovery, performance, and long-term wellbeing.

The project aimed to bring nutrition to life through a real-world challenge. Students were tasked with planning and preparing dishes for a Premier League footballer, focusing on meals that would support performance and recovery around matchday. As part of the brief, students created a Shakshuka pre-match breakfast and a banana and chocolate cake for post-match recovery.

We are incredibly grateful to local employer Tara Group, who kindly secured funding through The Noel Sweeney Foundation. This charitable trust was established to support communities across the Midlands and continues the legacy of founder Noel Sweeney, with a strong focus on supporting grassroots projects and young people.

Our thanks also go to Burntwood Be a Friend, who supported the initiative by helping source ingredients in partnership with our local Aldi, Lidl and ASDA stores.

To make the experience even more memorable, Zena arranged a special good luck video message from professional footballer Jacob Ramsey, which was shared with students ahead of the challenge – take a look below!

This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when schools, local businesses, charities, and community groups come together. We are incredibly proud of our students – and deeply thankful to every organisation involved for helping us create such a meaningful and memorable experience.

Bitesize Bulletin – w/c 1st June

Take a look at this week’s Bitesize Bulletin for key notices and important updates for the week ahead!

Exams taking place week commencing 1st June.

We hope our Year 11 and 13 students had a restful break and feel ready to tackle the next set of exams this week. Keep going – you’ve got this!

A reminder that our safeguarding page has been updated with support resources for students andparents/carers throughout the exam season: https://tinyurl.com/yfhc5nrs

GCSE Maths Exam Masterclasses – Important Information

Ahead of the maths examinations on 3rd June and 10th June, masterclass sessions will be available for all students to support their preparation. These sessions will take place on the afternoons of Tuesday 2nd June and Tuesday 9th June.

Higher Tier students should attend their usual maths classroom at 1:30pm, while Foundation Tier students should attend their classroom at 2:00pm. We strongly encourage all students to take part, as data shows that performance in the second and third papers can dip when students are no longer attending regular lessons. These sessions provide an important opportunity to maintain progress and build confidence.

A reminder that Maths pre-exam briefings will still take place at 8:30am in maths classrooms on the morning of each exam.

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Sports Leaders shine at primary golf festival

This week, 15 of our fantastic Sports Leaders represented the school at the Majesticks Little Sticks Primary Golf Festival at Alexandra Stadium.

Having completed training earlier this month, they confidently led a range of activities for over 230 primary school pupils. We were so proud to see how kind, patient and encouraging they were – making sure every child felt included, supported and able to enjoy the day.

It was also a memorable experience meeting LIV Golf professional Sam Horsfield, where our students asked thoughtful questions and came away inspired (and with signed hats and a polo for the school too!).

A brilliant example of our values in action – well done to all involved.

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Sixth Form Leavers’ Assembly: Class of 2026

Today we held our Sixth Form Leaver’s Assembly, to celebrate our incredible Year 13 pupils and look back on their time with us in Sixth Form before preparing for their next steps.

Staff members nominated pupils for subject-specific awards, recognising exceptional effort and achievement. Additional awards were presented by our Senior Leadership Team, celebrating the many contributions and successes of this remarkable cohort.

Mr R. Giles, Head of Sixth Form, shared:

“It’s been a real pleasure working with this group over the past couple of years. They’ve approached Sixth Form with a great attitude and today was a wonderful opportunity to recognise everything they’ve achieved. We wish them all the best for what comes next and hope they keep in touch.“

We are extremely proud of our Year 13 pupils and look forward to seeing all they go on to achieve. Congratulations to our award recipients and to the entire cohort for their hard work and commitment.

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Y10 students complete Forensic Experience Day

This week, a group of our Y10 students had the fantastic opportunity to attend a Forensic Experience Day at the University of Staffordshire. The visit provided valuable insight into what it would be like to study Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science at university.

Students took part in a range of engaging taster sessions, including exploring specialised crime scene suites and laboratory facilities. They examined a simulated crime scene in the immersive suite and learned more about digital forensics and forensic analysis techniques.

It was a brilliant opportunity for our students to explore potential career pathways and gain hands-on experience in this exciting field.

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration

Careers in Action for Year 7!

This week, a small group of Year 7 students visited Carse & Waterman Productions Ltd in Stoke-on-Trent as part of their careers mentoring programme.

Carse & Waterman is a UK-based creative animation and video production company, specialising in animation, VFX, TV production, advertising, and interactive media. Their impressive portfolio includes work on Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, ‘There’s Something About Movies’ and more.

During the visit, students met with Company Director, Daniel Waterman, who shared valuable insights into the industry and pathways into a wide range of creative careers.

The group enjoyed a tour of the studio and had the opportunity to meet members of the production team, asking questions and gaining first-hand experience of working in the creative sector.

A fantastic and inspiring experience for all involved – well done to our Year 7 students for representing the school so well!

#RespecttheCTAWay #Community #Tenacity #Aspiration