<![CDATA[Balcarras School News Feed - Latest News]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk%2Fnews%2F%3Fpid%3D3%26amp%3Bnid%3D1 Juniper Education Content Management System (CMS) Version: 4.5 (junipereducation.org) Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:17:32 GMT Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:17:32 GMT <![CDATA[ Summer Exam Schedule ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1437 Click here to see the summer examinations timetable.

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:56:15 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1437 <![CDATA[ House Match Results ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1458 It's been a busy week for House Sports this week. The results are on the website. Well done to everyone who took part.

Badminton House Matches

Year 7

1st Graveney

2nd- Selvey

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 8& 9

1st Selvey

2nd- Graveney

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 10 & 11

1st Selvey

2nd- Foley

3rd – Ottewell

4th-Graveney  

Netball House Matches

Year 7

1st - Selvey 

2nd- Ottewell

3rd – Graveney

4th- Foley

Year 8& 9

1st -Selvey

2nd- Graveney

3rd – Ottewell

4th- Foley

Year 10 & 11

1st- Selvey

2nd- Ottewell

3rd – Foley

4th-Graveney  

Football House Matches

Year 7

1st- Graveney

2nd Ottewell 

3rd Foley 

4th Selvey 

Year 8& 9

1st- Graveney

2nd Ottewell 

3rd Foley 

4th Selvey 

Year 10 & 11

1st- Foley

2nd Graveney

3rd Selvey

4th Ottewell

]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:17:32 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1458 <![CDATA[ Update from the Head - 27th March ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1457 I can’t tell you what a great feeling it is to reach Easter! Its been a lovely week—our birthday celebrations have begun and are detailed below. I’d like to thank the parent community for your generosity in supporting our fundraising efforts. I would also like to thank the PTFA who helped with this week’s events and made a very generous donation to the school. To date we have raised £38,890 which leaves us agonisingly close to our target. But there are some monies which haven’t yet been added and when they are I think we might have exceeded the target. More about the celebrations later in the update…

Staff Leavers

This Easter we say goodbye to two members of staff. Miss Kate Ball has taught drama here for the past 18 months and also co-directed our school production before Christmas. Mrs Elaine Shonbeck has worked in the Finance Office for over 10 years more latterly looking after the finances of our teaching school and maths hubs. We thank them both and wish them well for the future.

Gloucestershire Research School SEND Conference at Balcarras

On Monday Balcarras hosted the Gloucestershire Research School’s conference on Special Educational Needs. We have a great relationship with the Research School which is based at the Gloucestershire Learning Alliance. The focus on SEND is timely because the government are proposing all sorts of change in this area.

Prefect Assembly

In 1961 at his inauguration President Kennedy said: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” Well at Balcarras on Tuesday the torch was passed from one leadership group to another. The Year 11 House Captains were present to hand out prefect badges to their counterparts in Year 10 who now assume leadership of the student body in the lower school. I would like to congratulate those pupils who were appointed to House Prefect and Prefect positions and Senior Prefect positions.

Concert at the Town Hall

On Tuesday lunchtime our A level musicians gave a concert at the Cheltenham Town Hall. I wasn’t able to go but apparently it was excellent.

Young Carers Event with CKJS

To round off the term, our Balcarras Young Carers group invited the Young Carers from Charlton Kings Junior School to come into school for biscuit decorating and Easter Egg hunting. It was a really successful event, masterminded by our group members to let the younger students know that there will be some additional support for them when they eventually join Balcarras. Everyone left for home with plenty of treats!

]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:12:02 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1457 <![CDATA[ 40th anniversary winners ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1456 Thank you to all the pupils who contributed to the “Bake off”. It was so wonderful to see them all on display at the Tea Party. Here are just a selection of all the amazing themed cakes.

Thank you to the judges! We are delighted to announce the winners are:

Ellen - KS3

Alice  - KS4

Here they are with Mrs Saunders after winning. Huge thank you to Mrs Saunders and Mrs Ford. Thanks to all the pupils who came today to buy a piece of cake for 50p and raised over £60!

Here are some of the amazing cakes!

And some photos from the tea party!

]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 14:42:09 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1456 <![CDATA[ Wednesday lunchtime update ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1455 We have raised £6,190 already today thanks to everyone who have already donated!

Check out our donor wall https://balcarras.hubbub.net/donor-wall/

A reminder that tickets are available for the concert tonight (7pm) on Scopay.

It will also be possible to pay on the door. Please do come along and support.

We shall be cutting our birthday cake tonight which has been lovingly crafted by Mrs Saunders. Thank you Mrs Saunders!

]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:28:39 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1455 <![CDATA[ 40 celebrations ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1453 A whole school photo for the 40th anniversary

]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:05:16 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1453 <![CDATA[ Tree Planting ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1452 Pupils plant trees on school Field

]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:07:57 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1452 <![CDATA[ Year 7 Careers Fair ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1451 On Thursday 19 March, we held our very first Year 7 Careers Fair as part of our Personal Development programme. We invited parents of Year 7 and 8 pupils to host stalls and share their career journeys.

]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:28:06 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1451 <![CDATA[ Pupils win Robot Perfomance award ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1450 Lets go to Lego prize, Year 7 to 9 win Gloucester league robotics event

]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:01:21 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1450 <![CDATA[ Update from the Head - 20th March 2026 ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1449 Another week flies by. There is a real intensity and pace about these short terms—in one way I like it because it means it’s not long before the next break—in another I don’t because I sometimes struggle to know what day it is! Today is Friday and I’m pleased about that.

I spent Monday breaktime with the Year 9 pupils who designed our 40th Anniversary logo. I congratulated them all and we spent time chatting over cookies and juice/tea. They are a lovely bunch of pupils and I enjoyed catching up with them. Mrs Swanepoel joined us as well.

STEM Week

From Monday 9th to Friday 13th March, we celebrated British Science/STEM week at Balcarras. There were lunchtime talks from a range of professions and topics, competitions and themed activities in lessons for some year groups. All Year 7 science classes enjoyed a science lesson delivered by our very own Year 12 STEM ambassadors. Our ambassadors threw themselves in to the task with their meticulous planning, careful practice, assessment of risk and delivering the lessons with enthusiasm. The lessons were brilliant and enjoyed by everyone involved. My thanks to Mrs McRitchie for her superb organisation.

Young Enterprise Final

On Tuesday both of our Year 12 YE Teams competed in the Gloucestershire YE Finals at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Both Balcarras teams (Grounded and CuppaByCalm) performed exceptionally well throughout the competition. After submitting detailed company reports, each team presented and pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges.

Team CuppaByCalm impressed the judges with their strong brand and strategy, proudly winning the Marketing Award.

Team Grounded achieved outstanding success, securing the prestigious title of Best Overall Company. They now go onto the Regional Final held in Taunton in May.

See article here:

https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1447

Balcarras has now won the Gloucestershire YE Competition for 11 of the last 14 years. We really are the Real Madrid of YE!

Lessons from Auschwitz

On Tuesday 6 Balcarras Year 12 pupils visited Auschwitz as part of the Lessons From Auschwitz project. They flew early morning from Birmingham Airport and travelled to Auschwitz in Poland. The visit is part of a wider project that the pupils are involved in to further understand the horrors of the Holocaust.

Governor Visitation Day

On Tuesday the Balcarras Governors spent the whole afternoon in the school before their usual Full Governing Board Meeting at 5pm. After a quick catch up and coffee with me we headed to the canteen for lunch. It was useful for the governors to observe how the canteen operates at lunch. Afterwards we popped into lunchtime clubs and spent some time walking the site. During period 5 the governors spent time in science and Modern Foreign Languages. At 4 o’clock we had a session looking at how the school is coping with the cuts being imposed by government. It was a very useful session. Here is a nice photo of the governors standing in front of the beautiful blossom trees outside of the Individual Learning Department.

]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:18:12 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1449 <![CDATA[ Zac's 44 Legacy Match ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1448 There will be a Memorial Rugby Match in memory of Zac Summers-Cameron on Saturday 4th April at Old Pats. 

The day will feature a memorial rugby match kicking off at 2:30pm, alongside live music, two bars open throughout the day, a variety of food options, and activities for children, making it a great day out for all ages. We’ll also be welcoming special guests, as well as hosting auctions and raffles with some fantastic prizes to be won.

*All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Maggie’s Charity, chosen by Zac’s family as a charity that means a great deal to them.

For further information and how to buy tickets, click here.

]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:17:49 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1448 <![CDATA[ Young Enterprise team win Final ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1447 Balcarras Year 12 pupils are successful at YE finals this week

]]> Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:12:42 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1447 <![CDATA[ Activities Week breaking news....Matilda tickets now available ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1446 ACTIVITIES WEEK 2026...Please can I ask that you complete the forms over the weekend would be great, but definitely by midweek next week. 

PLEASE NOTE: We have secured some tickets for MATILDA THE MUSICAL IN BIRMINGHAM WITH SHOPPING....NOW LIVE ON OUR SYSTEM. 

This includes A FREE ICE CREAM...

Mrs Massey

ljm@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

]]> Wed, 18 Mar 2026 13:38:52 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1446 <![CDATA[ Computer donations ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1445 The Schools Eco group received a commendation from the local charity ITSA

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:16:22 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1445 <![CDATA[ 6th form dress up day ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1444 Last Friday was 6th Form dress up day

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:57:46 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1444 <![CDATA[ Author visit for Year 9 ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1443 Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:25:22 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1443 <![CDATA[ Language Leaders Trip ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1442 Year 8's share languages with CKJS

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:04:24 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1442 <![CDATA[ Latest update from the Head - 13th March ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1441 It’s a very special day today—Buddy the Dog is three years old! Here is a nice photo of him in his birthday outfit. Doesn’t he look handsome?

There have been plenty of other outfits displayed in the school today as we enjoyed our annual Sixth Form Dress Up Day. It’s great fun and I am always struck by the creativity on display. My thanks to Mr Leatherbarrow and his team for organising it. The photo below shows the sixth form gathering for their annual photo. Zeus (Mr Leatherbarrow) is in the foreground. 

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:24:31 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1441 <![CDATA[ 40th Anniversary Celebrations Update ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1440 1 day to go, we are delighted to share some of the fundraising we have planned for our 40th anniversary celebrations!!!

Our donor wall is already looking fantastic and we are so grateful to those that have made a donation!

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/donor-wall/

Anyone who would like to make an advance donation to one of our amazing causes, the link is here:

https://balcarras.hubbub.net/coming-soon/

Wednesday 25th March

The Big Tea Party featuring “Balcarras Bake off”

We would like pupils to get involved in the great Balcarras Bake off for The Big Tea Party held on Weds 25th March. We would like you to bake a cake to celebrate 40 years of Balcarras. You could make a celebration cake for Balcarras’ 40th Birthday or you could go retro and make a cake themed on the 1980s or 1990s.

The cakes will need to be brought to the food rooms on the morning of Weds 25th March. They will then be judged and a winner announced. The cakes will then form a contribution to the Big Tea Party, and any extras will be sold to pupils on Thursday, with the proceeds going to Balcarras 40th year celebrations funded projects.

If you would like to take part – please pop along and see Mrs Saunders or Mrs Ford in food rooms. We need to know who is baking as we need to know how many cakes we can expect.

Your cake needs to be labelled with ingredients and well presented. Due to allergens – no nuts please – your cake could be vegetarian, vegan or gluten free. No nuts please.

40th Anniversary Concert

Tickets are on sale now on scopay! £15 per adult and £7 per child, available to purchase on scopay in the usual way. The concert will start at 7pm with an interval at 8pm with a bar and bbq (for an additional cost on the evening) for 45 minutes with the second half starting at 8.45 pm. We hope as many people as possible will be able to come along – pupils, friends, alumni, family, everyone is welcome. There will be a range of great performers!

Thursday 26th March

Own clothes day

Own clothes day in school for all pupils, pupils can come to school with a donation on scopay in the usual way.

Round the World Ping Pong Competition – 1.50 pm - £1 entry

Back to the 80s School Dinner!

Minced beef and onion pie and mash, sausage and mash and chocolate concrete with pink custard!

Payable as usual via canteen cards. No need to pre-book!

Join the Balcarras 40th‑Anniversary 7‑a‑Side Football Tournament!

On Thursday 26th March from 4pm, Balcarras will be hosting a mixed‑gender, mixed‑ability 7‑a‑side tournament, open to the whole school community. Whether you’re a seasoned striker, a casual kick‑about player, or someone who just wants to enjoy the atmosphere, we’d love you to be part of it.

Spectators free! There will be a pay bar during the tournament.

Coming soon….Pupil for a day…..Lunch with the Headteacher……

We will be running a small raffle, if you can donate a small prize we would be very grateful, please email fundraising@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

If you have any questions or queries about the fundraising please email fundraising@balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

All proceeds to every event will go to our fundraising campaign.

 

]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:26:57 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1440 <![CDATA[ Cotswold Wildlife park ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1439 Year 9 visited the Cotswold Wildlife park as part of the schools curriculum day

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:21:50 GMT https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1439 <![CDATA[ Geographers make a big splash ]]> https://www.balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=1438 Year 10 Geography students visited a river as part of the fieldwork for their GCSE

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026