Once again this year kind students from The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College have shown their generous nature by creating gift boxes which will be sent to disadvantaged youngsters many miles away.

Year 7 students from the school’s four Houses, Apollo, Fortune, Garrick and Phoenix, brought in items such as toys, toiletries, school equipment and other goodies for the boxes which will be sent to disadvantaged children across the globe.

In total seventy filled boxes were collected by a representative from Samaritan’s Purse the organisation behind Operation Christmas Child an initiative which has sent millions of boxes to children is 130 countries since beginning back in 1990. 

Year 7 Transition Leader, Alison Bearpark, said “It was been wonderful to see our students taking part in this project by bringing in items which made up these shoe boxes. I am really impressed, and pleased, that we managed to create 70 boxes which will make a difference to 70 disadvantaged children.”

Alison Davies, Headteacher, said “This is the first in a number of charitable activities we have organised during the Christmas period and I am really proud of our new year 7 students for the way they’ve taken to this project. I am also grateful to all the parents, and the staff, who have supported this initiative, helping to make it a success.” 

More information Operation Christmas Child can be found here

The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College’s PE department have recently expanded the sports available to their student by adding a popular European sport onto the curriculum.

In May 2019, Dan Payne the school’s faculty leader for PE visited Spain through the Erasmus project, which allows schools to collaborate with European partners, during the visit Mr Payne was introduced to handball and after returning from the visit the sport was added to the school’s curriculum. Since then the school have forged links with Coventry Sharks, a local handball club, and have played a part in setting up a youth team which encourages players from across the district to take up the sport.

Handball is a team sport, that is particularly popular in Germany, France, Spain, and the Nordic countries, in which two teams of seven players pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team.

To help ensure the new sport is successful PE teachers from The Avon Valley School have received expert advice through CPD sessions ran by Boris Bailleul and Miłosz Pospiech who both play and coach at Coventry Sharks.

Students at the school have also received expert coaching in lessons from Caroline Theill who plays competitive handball in Denmark for AGF Haandball, a club who are based in Aarhus and compete in the Danish women's 1st Division.

In addition, the school’s first ever handball kit, designed and made by Webb Ellis who are based on St Matthew’s Street, Rugby, was recently received and unveiled and is now used for the school’s handball fixtures.

PE faculty leader, Dan Payne, said “Seeing how popular handball is in Spanish schools inspired me to introduce the sport at The Avon Valley School, since doing so the uptake has been excellent and the students have enjoyed learning a new sport. We’re also very excited to be working closely with Coventry Sharks who are working with us to set up a youth team which I’m hoping some of our students will be a part of.

Alison Davies, Headteacher, said “This is a great example of how working in collaboration with other schools can benefit out students. The PE department have done a great job introducing handball to the curriculum and to our students and I am grateful to everyone who has offered their support to our school.”

Students and staff from The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College came together on Friday 8th November for the school’s annual remembrance assembly.

During two special assemblies, students watched, listened and reflected as their peers performed moving pieces of drama, music and dance to honour the memory of those who have given their lives for freedom. Once again this year the assembly’s special guest was Terry Aspland, a veteran who served with the 4^th Royal Tank Regiment, and has previously been the standard bearer for the Newbold–on-Avon branch of the Royal British Legion.

In addition, as part of the remembrance activities the school’s students also spent time learning about the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who honour the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuing they will never be forgotten. The students also learnt about the grave of the Unknown Warrior who is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Alison Davies, Headteacher, said “Our remembrance assemblies are a long standing tradition that we are very proud to continue. It is very important for that our students have opportunity to reflect on the sacrifice made by so many so we are able to live freely. Our students’ performances were excellent and all involved should be very proud of themselves.

A group of students from The Avon Valley School and Performing Arts College have recently learnt vital lifesaving skills as part of their ‘Health and Social Care’ course.

The training was delivered to over forty Year 10 students, who study Health and Social Care, by Rugby’s Community First Responders, who work in partnership with the West Midlands Ambulance Service. During the training the students learnt how to operate a defibrillator, place a casualty in the recovery position and how to perform CPR.

One of the volunteers who gave his time to train the school students was ex-AVS student Jake Walker who is now a trainee paramedic working with West Midlands Ambulance Service. Jake was joined by Linda from Rugby Community First Responders who are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service to a nationally recognised level to provide lifesaving treatment to people in the local community.

Community First Responders attend, in their own time and without pay, emergency 999 calls in both urban and rural areas. CFR schemes are financially self-supporting and although the Ambulance Service will provide all necessary support, training and consumables, CFRs must raise funds for their uniform, equipment and vehicles.

Assistant Headteacher, Laura Bindley, who teaches health and social care, said, “It is really important that our students get hands on experience which they can relate to the course. It was a pleasure to see the students so focused on learning these lifesaving skills”. 

Alison Davies, Headteacher, said “It was a pleasure to welcome Jake back to the school; it is always nice to see former students doing well and making progress in their career, and I am glad Jake and Linda were able to share their lifesaving knowledge with our year 10 students.”

According to the British Heart Foundation website there are, across the UK, over 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of hospital every year, but the survival rate is less than 1 in 10.

We look forward to welcoming prospective students and their families to our Open Evening which will take place on Thursday 19 September, 6.30pm - 8.30pm.

During the evening their will be opportunity to hear from the headteacher, tour the school and meet our wonderful students and staff.

If any of our guests have access requirements please contact us before the event so we can make arrangements to ensure you enjoy visiting us. 

If you know someone with a child in Year 6 we'd be grateful if you could let them know about this event. 

In order to support our Year 11 students with their revision and exam preparations we have re-launched our ‘GCSE Revision Schedule’ for the new academic year. Previously, many of our students have regularly engaged with, and have benefited from, the sessions offered by each subject area. Often regular attendance at the sessions is the key to success.

Where possible please support and encourage your child to engage with revision activities both at school and at home. If you have any queries, please contact your child’s subject teacher or Achievement Leader. 

To download the schedule click here