Outstanding secondary school in deprived area which is among Birmingham's best
A secondary school located in one of Birmingham's most deprived areas has been named as one of the city's best following a glowing Ofsted inspection.
The E-ACT Heartlands Academy has been rated outstanding in all four key areas assessed by inspectors in a rare achievement - especially for an inner-city high school.
The academy is based in Nechells, one of the more deprived areas of the city - and that naturally brings more challenges for teachers.
READ MORE: Latest Midlands Ofsted ratings as three top schools 'outstanding' in all areas
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But Heartlands has more than risen to those challenges. In fact, the school has continually defied the odds, having been ranked among the best for years now.
Crucially, Ofsted says "disadvantaged pupils achieve as highly as their peers".
It may have been an anxious time for leaders eager to maintain that reputation as Ofsted returned for a new full inspection in March, the first in over a decade during which time things could have changed.
But they needn't have worried. The results have now been published and the school was once again graded as outstanding across the board - achieving a perfect score.
Ofsted's grading system has changed since their last visit to the Great Francis Street school.
Rather than a single one-word overall grade, the watchdog now rates secondaries in the following four areas: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management.
The school, which has over 800 pupils, was graded outstanding in all of these areas.
Ofsted said in its report: "Pupils enjoy school. They know that when they walk through the school gates they are safe and surrounded by people who want them to succeed and be happy.
"Pupils understand the school's expectations of their behaviour and meet these, as they want to play their part in the school's harmonious culture. They show respect, and often kindness, in their interactions with peers and staff."
The report continued: "The school has a clear commitment to academic excellence and equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for future success.
"This is realised through its ambitious curriculum, which is accessed successfully by all pupils. Pupils achieve strong outcomes.
"For example, impressively high numbers of pupils secure the English and mathematics qualifications they need for their future learning. Disadvantaged pupils achieve as highly as their peers."
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Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Outstanding secondary school in deprived area which is among Birmingham's best
A secondary school located in one of Birmingham's most deprived areas has been named as one of the city's best following a glowing Ofsted inspection. The E-ACT Heartlands Academy has been rated outstanding in all four key areas assessed by inspectors in a rare achievement - especially for an inner-city high school. The academy is based in Nechells, one of the more deprived areas of the city - and that naturally brings more challenges for teachers. READ MORE: Latest Midlands Ofsted ratings as three top schools 'outstanding' in all areas Get our local newsletters like Black Country News, MySolihull and MySuttonColdfield straight to your inbox But Heartlands has more than risen to those challenges. In fact, the school has continually defied the odds, having been ranked among the best for years now. Crucially, Ofsted says "disadvantaged pupils achieve as highly as their peers". It may have been an anxious time for leaders eager to maintain that reputation as Ofsted returned for a new full inspection in March, the first in over a decade during which time things could have changed. But they needn't have worried. The results have now been published and the school was once again graded as outstanding across the board - achieving a perfect score. Ofsted's grading system has changed since their last visit to the Great Francis Street school. Rather than a single one-word overall grade, the watchdog now rates secondaries in the following four areas: quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management. The school, which has over 800 pupils, was graded outstanding in all of these areas. Ofsted said in its report: "Pupils enjoy school. They know that when they walk through the school gates they are safe and surrounded by people who want them to succeed and be happy. "Pupils understand the school's expectations of their behaviour and meet these, as they want to play their part in the school's harmonious culture. They show respect, and often kindness, in their interactions with peers and staff." The report continued: "The school has a clear commitment to academic excellence and equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need for future success. "This is realised through its ambitious curriculum, which is accessed successfully by all pupils. Pupils achieve strong outcomes. "For example, impressively high numbers of pupils secure the English and mathematics qualifications they need for their future learning. Disadvantaged pupils achieve as highly as their peers."
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Archaeologists may have finally solved the mystery of Roanoke's ‘Lost Colony'
A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. A group of over 100 colonists settled on North Carolina's Roanoke Island in 1587, led by Sir Walter Raleigh. John White, the governor of the colony, returned to England for supplies in 1587. When he came back to Roanoke Island in August 1590, he found the settlement mysteriously abandoned – and all the colonists, including his daughter Eleanor Dare and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, gone. One of the only clues remaining at the site was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a palisade. It either referred to Croatoan Island, which is now called Hatteras Island, or the Croatoan Indians. The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Whether the colonists were killed by Native Americans, starved to death, or left for greener pastures has eluded historians. But new research suggests the colonists' fate may not have been tragic after all. Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings. 5 A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? Getty Images For the past decade, the British researcher has worked with the Croatoan Archaeological Society's Scott Dawson to uncover the mystery. Horton said they've uncovered proof that the colonists assimilated into Croatoan society, thanks to a trash heap. 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Horton said. The smoking gun at the site? 5 The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Hammerscale, which are tiny, flaky bits of iron that come from forging iron. Horton said it's definitive proof of iron-working on Hatteras Island, which could have only been done by English colonists. 'The key significance of hammerscale … is that it's evidence of iron-working, of forging, at that moment,' he said. 'Hammerscale is what comes off a blacksmith's forge.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Horton added, 'This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have.' Hammerscale shows that the English 'must have been working' in this Native American community, according to the expert. But what if the hammerscale came longer after the Roanoke Colony was abandoned? Horton said that's unlikely. 'We found it stratified … underneath layers that we know date to the late 16th or early 17th century,' he said. 'So we know that this dates to the period when the lost colonists would have come to Hatteras Island.' 5 The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. Getty Images 5 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, said. Youtube/IslandTimeTV 'It's a combination of both its archaeological position but also the fact that it's evidence of people actually using an English technology.' At the site, archaeologists also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, an engraved slate and a stylus, in addition to wine glasses and beads, which all paint a vivid picture of life on Hatteras Island in the 17th century. When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. 'We have one little snippet of historical evidence from the 1700s, which describes people with blue or gray eyes who could remember people who used to be able to read from books,' he said. 'Also, they said there was this ghost ship that was sent out by a man called Raleigh.' 5 When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Horton added, 'We think that they assimilated into the Native American community and their descendants, their sons, their granddaughters, their grandsons carried on living on Hatteras Island until the early 18th century.' When asked if he's officially solved the mystery, Horton said that though the archaeological evidence is definitive, the legend will probably still endure. 'Have we solved the mystery? Well, you know, it's pretty good evidence, but there's always more work to be done,' he said. Horton added, 'And people love mysteries. They hate resolving things one way or the other. So I'm sure that the mystery will continue, you know, whatever the scientific evidence says.'
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Senior Dog's Microchip Leads Shelter to Owner, But a Cruel Twist Awaits
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When a senior dog's microchip allowed rescuers to track down her owners, they assumed a happy reunion would be on the cards. That wasn't the case. According to the ASPCA, last year, approximately one in every five dogs entering a shelter or rescue in the United States was returned to its owner. The microchipping of pets plays a significant role in facilitating these happy reunions, allowing rescuers to contact any worried owners using the information contained within. However, as the story of Molly, a senior dog currently in the care of the Forgotten Dog Foundation in Santa Monica, California, shows, these reunions are not always happy ones. Gina Castillo, the foundation's Rescue Director, was first alerted by a local contact about a small, scared senior dog that had been brought into a Long Beach shelter. "She was found running around on a busy street and somebody picked her up and got her to safety and took her into the shelter," Castillo told Newsweek. Staff soon discovered Molly had a microchip containing a phone number. That's how they were able to locate her original owners. "The owners told the shelter that they gave her away eight years ago to a friend but didn't speak to that friend any longer," Castillo said. Despite some confusion over her living situation, the prospects of Molly leaving the shelter soon looked good."They told the shelter they were so excited to hear about her and that they want her back," Castillo said. Molly was found wandering the streets, but is now safe and loved at a rescue center. Molly was found wandering the streets, but is now safe and loved at a rescue center. TikTok/spicynuggetrescuewonder They were supposed to pick Molly up the next day. However, things didn't go as planned. "They didn't show up the next day, the next day after that or the day after that," Castillo said. "Then it turned into two weeks with phone calls and emails being sent to these people and then basically ghosting the shelter." Castillo doubts they ever truly intended to pick Molly. "I can't prove it but she was found in a terrible condition," she said. "Rescues out here have a database to see if anybody's looking for missing dogs. For two weeks straight, I checked, and nobody had posted anything." Castillo only understood just how bad Molly's condition was when she brought her to the Forgotten Dog Foundation. "Molly has luxating patella in her back leg which is basically when the kneecap dislocates from the knee joint," Castillo said. "She also has sight issues and early stage 2 kidney disease. For two months after she came out of the shelter, we dealt with severe ear infections. One of her ears was so bad that the bacteria she had was E. coli and staph." One veterinarian described Molly's mouth as a "complete mess." She had to have 11 teeth removed. Molly had several abscesses as well as infected gums and bone. "She also had a 3mm fistula tear repaired, which is basically a hole in the nasal cavity which is formed from infections and rot in the mouth," Castillo said. "Wherever she came from, she was left in a horrible state of neglect." All told, Molly's treatment has set the foundation back nearly $4,000 while she remains on a special renal diet that costs $100 a month. It's all been worth it, though, just to see Molly back to full health. "Molly has the best personality. She's so quiet and sweet with a little sass to her. She acclimated absolutely perfectly into my home," Castillo said. Molly won't ever be put up for adoption. She will live out the rest of her days as a "sanctuary dog" with Castillo, who specializes in looking after the foundation's senior pups. "Molly is such an easy-going dog," Castillo said. "She loves to go everywhere with me in the car. In fact, I have a little stroller for her so I can take her into stores and she has the absolute best manners!" Castillo believes more people need to take dog ownership "seriously" and understand they are in it for "the long haul." She said: "Dogs get old and like people and getting old comes with issues, medical issues which takes finances. Be prepared for that." In the meantime, she would urge anyone wanting to help to consider adopting a senior dog. "Some people say 'I couldn't do it because what if the dog only lives a few months?' I say so what? Even if it's for a few months you are giving that dog probably the best few months it ever had and the best few months it deserves!"
