One very talented student from King’s Oak Academy in Kingswood spent the day at the Future Lionesses Goalkeeper Training Day.

Year 8 student Ruby Tucker was excited to attend St George’s Park Training Ground in Staffordshire to train alongside the England team goalkeepers.

Ahead of the next fixtures in their UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign, the England women’s senior team hosted the country’s next generation of female goalkeepers. More than 100 girls from all over the country were invited to participate.

As well as watching the squad train, the girls were given a taste of what it’s like to be a Lioness as they took part in their own training sessions on the same pitches used by the England teams.

The aspiring goalkeepers also had the chance to speak with their idols, as they were joined by the four senior Lioness goalkeepers – Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating and Ellie Roebuck – for a meet and greet and Q&A session.

The girls were invited to St George’s Park all attend Future Lioness Goalkeeping Centres, which were established by The FA to improve the goalkeeping talent pathway and to ensure the next generation of number ones have everything they need to feel supported on their journey in the game.

Ruby said: “I really enjoyed the event as I got to watch the Lionesses train at St Georges. It was an amazing experience to watch Mary Earps and Ellie train and the other keepers. It was great to train with their coaches too and I learnt so much. I also got to see St Georges facilities and had a Q&A session with the Lionesses. We all also got the new England kit too. It was a great day!”

Katherine Ogden, Principal of King’s Oak Academy, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Ruby as she develops her exceptional football skills at a national level. Ruby is a brilliant student and member of the King’s Oak Academy community, and we are really looking forward to seeing how Ruby continues to progress and display her sporting talents over the coming years.”

‘The Seven Saints of St Pauls’ mural project highlights the role of black Bristolians fighting for equality. ITV West Country News, in one of their broadcasts featured Barbara Dettering. Barbara worked as a teacher in the city and spent most of her life influencing young children to overcome prejudices and strive to achieve their dreams.

Luke Wilson-Reid, a teacher at Summerhill Academy, was interviewed for this piece and talked about why black role models are important for his pupils.

Forget the Pound or the Euro – one school in Fishponds has issued its very own currency.

Pupils at Frome Vale Academy (FVA) can now spend Penguin Pounds – school money designed by Year 5 teacher Ross Fossard and featuring the academy mascot.

Penguin Pounds are the brainchild of the entrepreneurial Principal of Frome Vale Jan Saunders, and are designed to help prepare pupils for life beyond school.

Pupils can earn Penguin Pounds by carrying out jobs they can apply for, including first aid monitors, lunch trolley monitors, play buddies and recyclers. Initially they need to earn Frome Vale citizen cards for good behaviours and carrying out their jobs. When they have 10 Frome Vale citizen cards, they can convert them to one Penguin Pound.

They can spend their pounds on goods in a prize box from Principal’s office that include toys, rubbers, funky pencils, and Frome Vale citizen pens, plus they can buy cakes or sweets when they are on sale. If they save up their pounds, ten can be exchanged for a Frome Vale hoodie.

All this might sound like great fun but there is a serious side to this initiative. It’s all about becoming a Frome Vale citizen, holding down a job, earning a salary, and realising if you don’t work you don’t get paid. It also supports pupils to take responsibility for their money, and to look after it.

School leaders hope this will make them better citizens when they enter the wider world, by teaching them life skills that will stay with them and to prepare them for what lies ahead.

Principal Jan Saunders said: “This is a natural step in the development of Frome Vale Citizen and how we develop children as both citizens at FVA and in the wider community. It is key to our main curriculum aims of developing self-agency.”

An academy in Fishponds has been celebrating Black History Month throughout October. Bristol Metropolitan Academy has delivered a range of educational and inspiring activities for the whole school to get involved in.

The Renewal Gospel Choir launched Black History Month by delivering powerful workshops for students. This concluded with staff, parents and carers being invited to join students and take part in a community performance to commemorate Windrush. The music theme continued, with a spectacular set played by DJ Lady Sanchez at lunchtime.

As part of Black History Month, a portrait photobooth was set up to honour World Afro Day. Students from a range of cultural backgrounds took selfies together to express pride in their identity and take a unified stance against afro hair discrimination.

Visitors from Zamble, a London-based African dance and drumming school, staged a workshop. They worked with nearly 100 of Bristol Met students over the course of the day.

Throughout Black History Month learning activities focused on the 60^th Anniversary of the Bristol Bus Boycott and the 2023 Black History Month UK theme of ‘Saluting our sisters’. Past and present influencers of social change and pioneering female trailblazers were highlighted for their fundamental contributions to British society and positive impact in the world today.

To close Black History Month, a non-school uniform day, was organised by students where they were encouraged to wear something red to raise money for the Sickle Cell Society. Nearly £700 was raised for the cause.

John Price, Associate Assistant Principal, and Natasha Williams, Assistant Principal, organised these events with colleagues at the school. They said: “Celebrating Black History Month marks the start of our commitment to creating an authentic culture of belonging throughout our school community, all year round.

“Everyone’s history is valuable and of equal importance. Learning about the richness of your past helps you connect with your present and shape a positive future. That’s what we want for all our students.”