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We are very happy to welcome all our students to a new academic year, including our newest members in Years 7 and 12. As we embark on another year, we are excited to see all the wonderful work students produce and the opportunities they embrace. We hope to award many Q-Points to once again welcome our students to attend the Rewards Trips at the end of the year. As seen in some of the articles featured in this newsletter, students had a wonderful time on the trips they attended previously. Finally, in light of the recent news regarding issues with RAAC in some educational establishments across the country, we want to reassure you that there are no concerns for the Academy and we anticipate no disruption. Exciting Digital Upgrade: Temporary Communication OutageWe are pleased to announce a comprehensive Digital Transformation taking place in the week beginning 2nd October. This major initiative aims to upgrade all Academy networks, devices, and software to ensure a state-of-the-art learning environment for our students and staff. Usually we schedule upgrade works during holiday time, but we have selected this week to accommodate the availability of our delivery partner. The Academy remains open as usual during the Digital Transformation week, and there will be minimal impact on students. However, please be aware that most staff will not have access to phones or emails between 2nd – 6th October. We'll also be asking students to order meals in advance to support our catering team. We will share more details in due course, but wanted to give everyone plenty of notice that this is coming up. We're really excited about the future opportunities it will create. Celebrating Our Examination Results!Over the summer, it was fantastic to celebrate A-Level and GCSE Results Days. The dedication, resilience, and hard work of our students shone brightly as they received their hard-earned and well-deserved grades. 
We are delighted that many Year 11 students have returned to join our Sixth Form – this transition represents a significant milestone in their educational journey, and we look forward to supporting them as they take on new challenges and opportunities. 
We also extend our heartfelt best wishes to those students who are venturing on to other destinations, including colleges, apprenticeships, and universities. We have no doubt that they will excel in their chosen paths, equipped with the skills, knowledge, and determination nurtured at the Academy. 
Students have overcome unprecedented challenges in recent years, and we could not be prouder of their achievements. Their fortitude and perseverance have truly made them a credit to the Academy. 
Among many success stories, we celebrated Nelly and Hannah who achieved GCSE Grade 8s and 9s in eight subjects each, and Mya who achieved two A*s at A-Level. Congratulations everyone! 
Sports Day marked the finish line of the Academic Year 2022-2023.On the final Friday of the Academic year, students from all year groups showcased their sporting abilities by competing in the annual sports day. This year also marked the first year we welcomed the Academy student band who superbly entertained the crowds with live music. 
The morning session saw students competing for their teams in the field events of javelin, shot put, discus, long jump and high jump. Officiated by staff and Sixth Form helpers, the events saw some excellent performances leading to some very close competitions, as well as some very unusual techniques. 
We were thrilled to welcome the entire Q3 Academy Great Barr community to the afternoon sessions. The athletics track was buzzing with excitement as spectators cheered on their peers in the various track events. Races began with the 400 and 200 metre races, followed by the thrilling 100 metres and 80 metre hurdles. It was a fantastic day filled with sportsmanship, teamwork, and we are proud of all the students who participated and gave it their all. – Mr Hard 
Having a wild time at Sandwell ValleyNature Club took themselves down to RSPB Sandwell Valley on one of the last few days of term. Students thoroughly enjoyed themselves exploring the great outdoors. They learned about a variety of different habitats on the door step of Q3 Academy Great Barr. 
In the morning we enjoyed a walk around the meadows and the wetland, where we went into a bird hide. Here students used binoculars and telescopes to watch the impressive diversity of birds at Sandwell Valley. 
After lunch, we then had fun building dens and testing to see if they are waterproof or not – thankfully they were! We also explored both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates in the pond and wildflower meadow. 
A Wild Time at West Midlands Safari Park!On the first day of the Rewards Trips, an excited team of students and staff set forth for a Safari adventure. 
We enjoyed seeing some spectacular animals, as well as some brilliant rides in the theme park afterwards. Even the staff were persuaded to do at least one water ride! – Mr Mills 
A thrilling day at Thorpe ParkStudents enjoyed a fantastic day at Thorpe Park and all the exciting rides the theme park had to offer. It was brilliant to see students enjoying the trip after all their hard work during the year. Well done to all our students and we hope for another fantastic year ahead. – Miss L Smith 
Cadets learn to fly commercial airlinersA key component of the offering of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets is the opportunities that cadets gain to fly various aircraft. Unfortunately, due to operational issues with the aircraft throughout this year, there has been no flying. However, in July, 17 cadets had the opportunity to visit Flight Sim Midlands and were taught how to fly either a Boeing 737, 747 or Airbus A330. 
The flight simulators at FSM are state of the art and are used to train commercial airline pilots. The instructors had very high praise for our cadets and Captain Chris Rigby said that "The cadets have impressed us all". Alongside the simulator, cadets also visited Midlands Air Museum where they had a lecture on Frank Whittle and the jet engine, fulfilling part of their First Class Cadet training and had a tour of the Avro Vulcan bomber. 
This activity was subsidised for our cadets thanks to grant funding from the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association and Combined Cadet Forces Association and has been planned again for July 2024 when we hope to take up to 28 cadets again. If you are in Year 9 and interested in joining the cadets to get a chance to take part in activities like this, don't forget to sign up to the upcoming taster session. – Mr Burlace 
Construction Community ChallengeEvery year our Year 8 students compete in a competition to design their dream community, incorporating several factors with a major focus on sustainability. This year we were thrilled to welcome back Paul from SES to host and judge. 
The best entries were presented in front of the whole year group. It was a nerve racking experience for students but they rose to the challenge. 
It was a tough decision determining the best written presentation, but one group beat all their competitors by making a model. – Mrs Meredith 
Extra Curricular Clubs and ActivitiesWe have a varied range of exciting activities open to students that we encourage everyone to get involved in! The full list can be found here, these start from Monday 18th September 2023. We will share some more about this in next week's newsletter. Upcoming Events
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