King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy

🍩 To celebrate on Friday, Mrs Stanley challenged her Year 10 pupils to create doughnuts using a muffin recipe! Pupils put their baking skills to the test, demonstrating creativity, problem-solving and plenty of enthusiasm along the way. Well done, Year 10! 👏🧑‍🍳👨‍🍳

📝 Year 10 pupils have been focusing on improving their writing by carefully modifying their verbs and nouns to create greater impact. Pupils worked hard and remained fully focused throughout the lesson, demonstrating excellent commitment as they prepare for their upcoming mock exams. Well done, Year 10! 🌟

🎉 Congratulations to Ms Dhanjan, our Staff Champion of the Week! Recognised for her positivity, kindness and unwavering support, she is always there with a smile and a helping hand. Her constant presence and dedication to pupils make a real difference every day. A truly deserving winner and a fantastic example of at its best! 👏🌟

🌍 This morning, pupils took part in virtual assemblies for , recorded by our fantastic Pupil Leadership Team. The assemblies encouraged pupils to think about the importance of protecting our planet, making sustainable choices and understanding how small actions can make a big difference. Thank you to our pupil leaders for helping to raise awareness of this important global issue! 🌱♻️

🎨 Careers Spotlight 🎨
Today’s career focus: HEALTH PLAY SPECIALIST

Health Play Specialists support children and young people in hospitals and healthcare settings through the power of play. They use activities, games and creative techniques to help children understand medical procedures, reduce anxiety and cope with being in hospital.

Working closely with doctors, nurses and families, Health Play Specialists help make healthcare experiences less frightening and more positive for young patients.

This career is perfect for someone who:
🧸 Enjoys working with children and young people
❤️ Is caring, patient and empathetic
🎨 Loves being creative and using play to support others
💬 Has excellent communication skills
🧠 Is interested in health, wellbeing and child development

Did you know? Health Play Specialists often use dolls, role play and interactive activities to help children understand treatments and feel more confident about their care.

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🌱 After exploring last week’s Job of the Week, Environmental Scientist, pupils in 10-ZEP decided our school needed more green energy! Their solution? A form Yukka tree! 🌿😁 It’s great to see pupils engaging with environmental issues and coming up with creative ideas inspired by their learning!

🏆 Housepoint Leaderboard Update! Congratulations to Barber House, who remain in the lead with an impressive 81,960 housepoints! 👏 A special shout-out also goes to Damian P (10-MAL), who earned the most housepoints last week with 51 – a fantastic achievement! 🌟 Keep up the hard work and positive contributions!

To mark , Year 7 are exploring a range of powerful letters and speeches focused on environmental issues 🌍 From Greta Thunberg’s climate change speeches and William Shatner’s open letter about captive whales, to Greenpeace’s campaign on palm oil and Stephen Fry’s challenge to the use of real bear fur in the King’s Guards’ hats, pupils will be analysing how writers use language to inspire change and protect our planet 🌱📚

On , we're reminded that kindness extends beyond our school community and into the world around us 🌍💚 Every small action – whether it's reducing waste, recycling, conserving energy or caring for green spaces – can make a positive difference. Let's continue to be kind to our planet and help create a more sustainable future for generations to come!

After some brilliant presentations, congratulations go to Greenholm Primary School, whose team impressed the judges and were crowned the winners of the challenge! 🏆Special praise also goes to Year 10 mentor Kyron S (10-MAL), whose leadership and support helped his team shine throughout the day! Well done to everyone involved! 👏