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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

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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

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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

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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

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09/11/23

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

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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

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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

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20/10/23

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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29/09/23

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

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Burnt Mill first in Essex to commit to Army course

Burnt Mill first in Essex to commit to Army course

Posted: 30th October 2019

Attention!
One way of getting the attention of teenagers is to put them in front of an Army Regular.

Students at Burnt Mill Academy are opting for a unique course as an alternative to the traditional GCSEs.

A bespoke cadet course has been created for the school as it becomes the first in Essex to commit to it as a core option for students.

The course is now an option for students in Year 9 and above to select and includes Army training in –

  • basic first aid
  • field craft
  • drill
  • weapons

At the end of the one-year course, students achieve a BTEC Level 1. If they choose to take it for a second year, they will receive advanced training and a BTEC Level 2. After a third year, students can go into a senior role in the Army and train younger peers with an ILM Level 3 Award in leadership and management.

PE teachers Kerry Davies and Jamie Daly are now trained by the Army to deliver the course over 360 minutes each week.

School staff instructor John McFarlane, ex Army Regular, has joined Burnt Mill to support the course.

He said: “The students are coming on great. What is most improved is their attitudes. They are really positive, keen to learn and are putting in the effort.

“Each week, we appoint a duty student who has worked the hardest the week before. They are really keen to get that and are gaining confidence in speaking and giving commands in front of their peers. They are the fundamentals of leadership; they do not realise it, but they are starting to pick them up.

“Everybody is looking at this school now because of the commitment they have given to the cadets. What they are offering is so detailed; the course is unique to Burnt Mill. It is the only school in Essex giving this much time to the course.”

Students spend the day wearing their Army uniform and are looking forward to a calendar of events, including camping, visiting a shooting range and parading in front of parents.

A number of students with special educational needs and disabilities and those who need support with behaviour and emotional issues have opted to take the course.

Miss Davies, head of cadets, said: “We are seeing great feedback from teachers. The course has already helped one student with autism to grow in confidence. His mum has been emailing us regularly to say he seems really keen and is enjoying the course and that his behaviour has improved.

“We are seeing all students try really hard. They are arriving for lessons early, having ironed their own uniforms, and are ready to go. Seeing them improve week by week has been amazing; we did not expect to see that happen so quickly.

“It is something really good for the students who prefer practical lessons. We have got some really academic students taking cadets, as well. It is teaching them all life skills, while still getting a BTEC qualification which will help them to get into sixth form or college.”

Conrad, Year 9, was getting detentions every day when he was in Year 7.

He said: “The minute I heard about the cadets, I changed a lot. My dad said I wouldn’t be able to hack it because of my bad behaviour, so I wanted to prove him wrong. It teaches you discipline.

“I realise now it was a waste of time getting those detentions. I finish my homework on time now and spend more time with my family. I did not used to want to go home as I was always in trouble.

“I have been given an award by my form tutor as the most improved student. My mum was so proud, she started crying.”

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