The New Academic Year

From the very first day in September the year 13s focus will be on careers, progression, and destinations. The students will be guided in identifying future goals and will work on major outward-facing projects with industry partners that will give them a real credit on their CV. Our objective is to ensure that every student identifies their next steps early on and that their second year of study is personalised to ensure they can achieve their goals.

The first day back is Monday 12^th September at 9am.

Students should arrive at the academy on time and prepared for the year ahead, with correct uniform, appropriate equipment, and a digital device to work on. Further details can be found in the academy life section of our website.

During the first week (induction) we will provide students with their personalised timetables. Students will also apply for placements and roles in our major forthcoming projects and have a chance to speak to a range of industry professionals about the best possible routes into the world of work. They will also explore university options and apprenticeships.

End of Year Progress Reports

By the time you read this, students and parents should have received their end of year progress reports, which detail achievement to date and our latest predictions, and include some detailed comments from teachers. Some students will have been set tasks to complete over the summer, which are summarised in these reports, so please do read them carefully.

Overall, we are extremely happy with our students’ progress this year, with 80% of students achieving the very highest grade possible across their first-year BTEC modules, we are very much on track to realise some truly exceptional outcomes next year.

Speaking of outcomes, I would like to take this opportunity to wish good luck to those students who sat their GCSE resit Maths and English exams this summer and will receive their results on 25^th August.

Commonwealth Games

We are extremely proud of our students’ involvement in the Commonwealth Games and Cultural Festival this summer. Next week our Acting and Writing students will be performing at the Athletes’ Welcome Ceremonies, which have been put together by the Acting & Writing pathway and Creative Production students in collaboration with the professional performance company LYNNEBEC. In addition, our Technical Broadcast students have just finished cutting together two legacy films for the Commonwealth Connections Programme and the British Council, which capture the fantastic cultural and sporting activities that have taken place around the world in the lead up to the games. We will share these videos as soon as we are permitted to do so. Huge achievements all round.

BOA Summer Shows Season

This week saw the end of an incredibly intense season of shows and events at the BOA CDPA campus and at the Old Rep Theatre. Our Technical Production students and production managers from the Creative Production pathway have worked long hours to support a total of 9 shows and events over the past four weeks, all of which have been a huge success. Particular recognition must be given to these young people who have worked resiliently and independently to deliver consistently outstanding productions.

Resilience and Brilliance Awards

This week we hosted our first ever annual Resilience and Brilliance day which included morning masterclasses and concluded with a televised awards ceremony. We took the time to reflect upon the greatest achievements of the year and acknowledge excellence in all aspects of academy life.

The Principal’s Award went to Adam Morgan, with commendations to Lydia Smith, Nadine Bedward and Matt Burford. All exceptional students, who are fantastic ambassadors for the academy and are on track to achieve great things.

Pathway special recognition awards went to Lewis Hooper (Technical Broadcast), Corror Harrison (Acting and Writing), Georgia King (Technical Production) and Mollie Isham (Creative Production).

Overall, a fabulous occasion and a great end to the year.

On the Horizon

We are very excited to announce that we have lined up some brilliant major projects and placements for next academic year. We will be working with Threewise Entertainment to make a commercial feature-film, with a significant industry budget and input from professional production companies and distribution channels. Students will have opportunities to work on writing the script, work in the art department, hair, makeup, star in the performance, record EPK material, perform technical and production roles, and compile the final edit. A very exciting opportunity indeed. In addition, we are producing and crewing the major Xmas production, Beauty and Beast at the Old Rep Theatre in December, touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and crewing for the Royal Ballet. We also have work placements arranged with the Hippodrome, PRG, the BBC, Sound Technology, The Old Rep, and the RSC, which all year 13 students will be rotated into over the duration of the year.

Keeping Safe over the Summer

As we break up for the summer, many of our students will be looking forward to spending more free time online or socialising out in the community with their friends.

We want our young people to spend time outdoors with friends and enjoy their summer break, but we need to keep them safe.

As a reminder, the best way to keep our students safe is for parents to know who their children are spending time with and what their plans are when they leave home. Parents, please also be sure that your children know how to reach you.

Things to do over the Summer

From sporting activities to arts programs, to employment opportunities, there are so many programs available to help keep young people engaged during the weekend and throughout the summer. I encourage you to visit the Library of Birmingham which offers a free service BFI Mediatheque that gives access to an astonishing film and TV archive, the IKON gallery is another popular Birmingham spot with free entry and a rather lovely café, offering excellent workshops, and Midlands Arts Centre are also offering a variety of workshops.

Don’t forget to check out the career opportunities on our website by clicking onto Academy Life-Industry Opportunities.

Contact with the academy during the summer holidays

If you have any concerns about the safety or welfare of a student at the academy please contact Michelle Sorensen, Assistant Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Email: michelle.sorensen@boa-stageandscreen.co.uk

Phone: 07852216660

You can also contact Birmingham Children’s Services on 0121 303 1888

Other general enquiries should be directed to info@boa-stageandscreen

Thank you very much for on-going support, and have a great summer!

Your truly

Michael Painter

Principal