Schedule for Year

Combined Cadet Force (CCF)

CORE work in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (our CCF contingents include Royal Army and Royal Airforce). The programme’s aim, delivered by our school based Contingent Commander and School Staff Instructors, is to enable the development of personal responsibility, leadership and self-discipline.

CCF provides a disciplined focus in school so that students may develop powers of leadership, using training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self-reliance, resourcefulness, endurance, and perseverance.

Students take part in activities such as residential camps, flying, music and band practice, firearms, first aid training, aviation studies, parades, CCF based competitions plus much more.

We are delighted to be one of the 500 CCF contingents in the UK, offering young people a broad range of challenging, exciting, adventurous and educational activities.

"It is an absolute delight to be part of this project which develops confidence, leadership skills and resilience among our students."

David Cooke, Rockwood Academy Deputy Head Teacher

Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE)

The Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award is widely regarded as the world’s leading youth achievement award. The award scheme is set up to give young people exciting and character-building opportunities, as they develop into adulthood.  Students are encouraged to take part in the scheme from the age of 14. Bronze and Silver Awards are offered at Key Stage 3 and 4.

Echo Eternal

Created by CORE Education Trust, Echo Eternal is a commemorative arts, media and civic engagement project, delivered in schools for children of all ages. The project was originally inspired by British Holocaust survivors’ testimonies, recorded with Natasha Kaplinsky OBE in 2015 and 2016 on behalf of UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

For more details about Echo Eternal, please visit the dedicated website https://echoeternal.uk/

"This is such an important project that year on year connects students with the important survivor testimonies and builds their empathy."

Rebecca Bakewell, City Academy Head Teacher

“Echo Eternal is a project that helps students to understand the issues that people have faced in the past and gives us a chance to educate people not to make the same mistakes again.”

Christina, City Academy Student

Football Beyond Borders

The Football Beyond Borders programme combines social and emotional learning, in-school pastoral  and mental health support for disengaged Key Stage 3 students. This is an intensive, long-term programme, working with the same students every week for a minimum of one year.

The staff team is formed of project leads who deliver the academic tutoring, social and emotional learning and therapeutic practitioners who deliver the mental health support. The programme is designed to ensure all young people stay in school and achieve a good pass in their English and Maths GCSE.

"Football Beyond Borders has done an exceptional job building students' self-confidence and promoting positive social change through football."

Raj Mann Arena Academy Head Teacher

"I like Football Beyond Borders because it helps me to concentrate in class and also helps me with my communication skills. It teaches me how to respect each other and learning how to work as part of a team. We learn how to work together by playing football and using these skills in our lessons."

Arena Academy Year 8 Students

CORE Mathletes

CORE Mathletes is a Trust wide, challenge-based maths competition. Open to all academies. There are 2 strands to the project. The first is a termly fun and engaging maths challenge, open to all. With each competition students have the opportunity to win £20 Amazon voucher. The second is a team-based maths competition, for high achieving YR 9’s. The YR9 competition works towards a final in June, where the top 8 performing teams are invited to a live online maths competition, where one group is crowned the CORE Mathlete Champions and receives a range of prizes from vouchers and an enrichment opportunity to a championship shield.

"The Mathletes programme has been instrumental in instilling a love of mathematics in students and equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the subject."

Raj Mann, Arena Academy Head Teacher

COREus

COREus is a trust-wide vocal group, bringing together students from all four CORE academies to develop their vocal skills and abilities. Originally conceived through a partnership with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (part of Birmingham City University), the programme will continue delivery via Black Voices, until January 2025.

Working with professional voice coaches and conductors the COREus students, from Years 8-10, are taught a range of singing skill and performance techniques, to breathe, warm up and use their body to get the best sound.

COREus is offered to students across the trust, as part of a wider creative education and music engagement programme. Past projects include recording a charity Christmas single, which raised money for Shelter; a live performance on the concourse of Birmingham New Street Station to mark Holocaust Memorial Day; and taking part in “The Voice of our City” A community event celebrating the diversity and passion of young people from across Birmingham.

"This is a great opportunity for our students to connect and produce amazing pieces via creativity and performance."

Rebecca Bakewell, City Academy Head Teacher

“COREus is not only 4 schools, but also a place to thrive, be yourself, be a part of a family, get experience, and so much more. Students from Year 7-10 get an opportunity to do something g that they couldn’t before with a group of staff who not only teach, but encourage you to follow your dreams.”

Christina, City Academy Student

The Goldman Sachs REAL DEAL

The Goldman Sachs REAL DEAL is a competitive business programme, based on real enterprise issues and learning.  Working with professional business mentors, from Goldman Sachs, teams of up to 5 x Year 10 students will develop ideas and a final pitch, to solve a REAL business issue.  Students are supported, by mentors from Goldman Sachs, to develop their business solution idea, create a pitch and visual presentation for the final in June.

The programme celebrates and highlights business opportunities and potential career pathways, promoting careers amongst the student body and enables students to interact with professionals. Throughout the programme, students develop their social, emotional and professional skillset, whilst improving their resilience, through growth mindset activities.

Hippodrome Education Network

CORE is working with Birmingham Hippodrome Education Network (HEN) to deliver creative activities and engagement, across all CORE schools, every week.

CORE subscribe to the HEN Gold package, which enables each academy to choose their particular provision; from attending theatre performances to after school enrichment drama clubs, led by HEN professionals. There are also performance opportunities across the programme as part of showcases, events, foyer activities and curtain raisers. As well as youth leadership offers, including Young Producers, Careers Insights, Young Choreographers, and exclusive HEN work experience programme.

"It has been wonderful to create this partnership which has inspired our students to explore, express themselves and develop their cultural understanding of the world of performing arts."

David Cooke, Rockwood Academy Deputy Head Teacher

LTA – #RaiseMyGame

The Lawn Tennis Association partnership has offered our students access to tennis within a community that traditionally does not access tennis. Through the promotion of tennis, students have broadened their experiences socially and culturally as well as becoming physically active.

In January 2024 we launched our LTA funded partnership programme #RaiseMyGame (developed with Sport for Life International and CORE & Co. Foundation) to support 80 female students of colour to nurture and experience their skills, knowledge and love of Tennis.