Hide Search Bar

Twitter Wall

@BurntMillAcadclose
Twitter Image

29/11/23

It was fantastic to welcome back so many former Burnt Millers from across the decades for our reunion. We hope you all enjoyed one last look around the school ahead of the rebuild. pic.twitter.com/hRii7BUpea

16/11/23

Thank you to all the students, parents and staff who have contributed to the Shoebox appeal 🎁The team have been in to collect the boxes, and we're very proud of our BMA community 🙌🗞️ You can read more about the project on https://t.co/cX3Ha2yEqA pic.twitter.com/ituhpARuqT

15/11/23

‼️ Our Big Burnt Miller Reunion event is now fully booked ‼️We can't wait to see you all again 😃📨 If you have any photos, videos or memories you'd like to share, please email them to alumnibma.org.uk pic.twitter.com/EHC7J92DnN

Twitter Image

15/11/23

🍽️ As part of last week's National School Meals Week events, our student leadership team presented our catering staff with a poem. 🙌 Thank you to our catering team for all your hard work through National School Meals Week and every week! 😃 pic.twitter.com/pWUpvsHawT

Twitter Image

13/11/23

Our school came together on Friday for a moving Remembrance event. Students and our headteacher laid wreaths. Cadets from our Combined Cadet Force led the parade. pic.twitter.com/fWEUBwJeZ1

Twitter Image

13/11/23

🪖 We're proud to participate in the / project 🎖️ We'll be hosting a digital collection day at Burnt Mill Academy on Wednesday, 13th December, from 4-7 pm and can't wait to see all your artefacts, objects and stories. pic.twitter.com/hBVbJRqzvc

Twitter Image

09/11/23

🍽️ National School Meals Week was an opportunity for students and staff to 'try something new' at 🧆🥙 pic.twitter.com/69zuFx3dja

Twitter Image

03/11/23

THE BIG BURNT MILLER REUNIONSat 25th NovALL FORMER STUDENTS WELCOMEONE LAST CHANCE TO VISIT THE OLD BUILDINGSAHEAD OF THE SCHOOL REBUILDTOUR OF THE SCHOOL, ALUMNI SHOWCASE, MOREBook online https://t.co/wc9AqqHPvOSend photos videos memories to alumnibma.org.uk pic.twitter.com/Xx4yu2uTq5

Twitter Image

01/11/23

🎃🦇 Our Year 7 Halloween Party was a real Scream!! 💀🧙‍♀️🧛 We had a fangtastic time 👻 pic.twitter.com/rnQrPMI6Lw

24/10/23

🤝 It's been great welcoming so many prospective Burnt Millers and their families to our school 🗓️ We hope you found the open event and tours helpful and would like to remind you the deadline for Sep 2024 intake applications is 31st Oct👉 Apply here: https://t.co/mibi3JZLhw pic.twitter.com/tCf3hxy4cg

Twitter Image

20/10/23

We're supporting and showing Racism The Red Card! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/mULS58Kyyx

Twitter Image

17/10/23

🧱 Great work from our lunchtime club!🤖🚛 Year 7 and 8 students have built a fully functioning Optimus Prime. Transforming lives through play and collaboration.#LEGO pic.twitter.com/5AyioTsMIf

Twitter Image

16/10/23

🎨 Year 10 had a fantastic time at the Henry Moore studios 📸✏️ The students engaged attentively with the tour guides and applied themselves well to the photography and drawing activities. 😄💬 "We are really proud of them all." pic.twitter.com/s0JqLSjxiD

Twitter Image

12/10/23

Students have been taking part in Black History Month assemblies. As part of the awareness campaign, students are making pledges, which will be displayed in school.#blackhistorymonth2023 pic.twitter.com/7uULULLWof

Twitter Image

11/10/23

🤝 Year 11 students had the opportunity to practice their interview skills with experienced interviewers from Harlow and London.😃 Although students were nervous initially, they were delighted with their interviews and took advantage of the opportunity. pic.twitter.com/rPFwP0m00n

Twitter Image

11/10/23

A fantastic Day with YR11 students doing Mock interviews as part of Thank You Mr Cook for the invite and for looking after us. I was totally impressed by the richness in conversation with the students, they are a credit to the school. Well done 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/fXEfpW9R0J

Twitter Image

08/10/23

📚 Students in Year 11 are studying the Step-Up to English entry-level English course. The current topic is Heroism.🏛️ We visited to deepen our understanding of heroism and link local heroism to the class text "War Horse." 😃 It was an all-round fantastic trip! pic.twitter.com/wvn5kcLVUF

Twitter Image

06/10/23

😃 Year 11 students participated in a ‘Talk about the Future’ workshop.💬 It was terrific to see students begin to understand that they have developed a range of skills throughout the years and how they can use this to thrive once they leave Burnt Mill. pic.twitter.com/tiOTSEDxJR

Twitter Image

06/10/23

👍 Year 9 students had a great time at the Stretch and Challenge conference at St Edmunds College.👮🧑‍🔬 ⭐️ Our students contributed extremely positively and made some outstanding contributions during the day's group discussion and debate sessions. pic.twitter.com/ltljEjtmfF

Twitter Image

29/09/23

🐒🐘🦎 We’ve had a fantastic day at with Year 7 pic.twitter.com/KrDEnoJRkp

BMAT Logoclose

Outstanding Education

Supporting primary and secondary schools across Essex and North & East London, BMAT is a growing multi-academy trust with a singular vision: schools, teachers and pupils freed to succeed.

Visit BMAT

Latest News

Previous Next Back to News
Former teacher takes virtual trip to Harlow

Former teacher takes virtual trip to Harlow

Posted: 19th July 2019

A former Harlow teacher battling a rare disease in Canada is taking a virtual trip down memory lane.

Michael Koutis was a supply teacher in the town in 2005. He returned to his home in Canada with the dream of visiting Harlow again one day to see how things had changed.

Before he could take that trip, he was struck down with rare degenerative disease Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) – he and his brother are among just 150 cases in the world.

He now lives in a nursing home due to his vocal and facial tics, extreme fidgeting, biting down on his tongue, inability to walk or feed himself.

Mr Koutis said: “At age 36, I was a normal, healthy, happy guy. I had a rewarding career as a teacher, was happily married and looking forward to a bright future. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I began to make unfamiliar and strange sounds with my throat. This was the beginning of my journey.

“Five years on, I was finally diagnosed with the extremely rare degenerative disorder NA.

“Life expectancy is ten to 20 years from onset, which may sound generous, but I am eight years in and feeling very much aware of time. My goal is to bring awareness to a disease of which so little is known. It is isolating and lonely for me and my brother.”

In an effort to take Harlow back to Mr Koutis in Canada, students at Burnt Mill Academy have collected photos and written letters to give him a flavour of the town today.

Cristin Casey, BMAT director of performing arts who worked with Mr Koutis in Harlow, said: “Mike gets in touch with me occasionally to ask how things are in Harlow. He misses Harlow and teaching here. His goal was always to come back.

“When I heard he was getting more poorly, I decided to take Harlow to him.

“Students are learning empathy and the importance of community by getting involved. It is also giving them some pride in their town. They have put their heart and soul into it and responded maturely to a difficult story.”

Year 7 Rebecca Fumera said: “I wanted to make him feel nice; I felt sad for him. I think he will be very happy to receive our work. I feel happy to have been able to help.”

Previous Next Back to News
School website by Cleverbox