00:00So we're here for our school feature at St. Peaches Collegiate Academy in Wolverhampton
00:04and we're with, introduce yourself. Rod Walker, Assistant Principal, Personal Development.
00:09How long have you been here then, Rod? I've been here over 20 years now.
00:12So you know the place well then? I know the place very well. And all the students and a lot of the parents.
00:18So we meet you at this unorthodox entrance. There's a bit of building work going on at the minute, isn't there?
00:23We've got an amazing new build that's obviously just happening on our site just behind me here.
00:29So we'll be moving in there in January. So a really exciting opportunity for all our students that attend
00:36and the students will be coming here in the future.
00:38Now I'm disappointed because I've had to come at this time in the morning
00:41but I found out there's an ice cream van popping along later, isn't there? What's all that about?
00:45Yeah, at half past 11 today we've got an ice cream van coming in
00:49and that's to reward all our students who have not got any behaviour points this year.
00:55Fantastic. It's a shame I'm missing that one.
00:58It's a shame you're missing out. It's going to be lovely.
00:59So tell us a little bit about your school. How many pupils do you have here roughly?
01:02We've got about 1,400 pupils.
01:05Big school then?
01:06Big school, yeah.
01:07And what's your USP? What's your ethos here? What's special about your school?
01:12I think the special thing is that we are obviously a Christian school.
01:15We've got a strong ethos in the school and that we obviously are following our key ideas of service, respect and aspiration.
01:23And any particular kind of sections that you're particularly, I know everything's amazing, but sports or maths or the arts or is it a bit of, you know, is it everything's on a pile?
01:35Very, very good academic results. But yeah, our personal development is, you know, very, very strong here.
01:41Students go all over the country on extracurricular activities and visits and obviously beyond our borders and obviously into international trips as well.
01:52Yeah, we were having a little chat off camera. How many trips did you say it was that had been roughly?
01:56They've done just under around about 250 activities have gone off site this year.
02:02And of that, I think there's all bar 10 students have been off site to actually partake in a sort of activity off our school site.
02:12So massive opportunities.
02:13Massive opportunities, yeah. And there's loads of extracurricular, massive sports here.
02:17Music is, you know, phenomenal here. But all drama productions, it'd be amazing.
02:24You know, if you ever want to come and see a drama production, come here.
02:27It's absolutely amazing what the drama department do as well.
02:31Great. So before we look forward to having a tour around your school, sir.
02:33So how are you doing, guys? You OK?
02:35So we're here in your amazing theatre space. Kind of cool that you've got such a good space, yeah?
02:40Yeah.
02:41So have you seen some plays in here over the years?
02:43Yeah.
02:44What plays can you remember seeing?
02:46Matilda.
02:46Matilda, um, Chicago.
02:48Chicago?
02:49I saw the Addams Family.
02:51Addams Family. Very cool.
02:53And any budding acting skills? You know, anyone desiring to be an actor out of you guys when you grow up?
03:01Not really.
03:02No? Just happy to sit and watch?
03:04Yeah.
03:05No worries. What's your favourite lessons here, guys? Any particular things that you enjoy?
03:11I like art.
03:12Art. Yeah, cool.
03:14I like DT.
03:14DT, yeah. So that's making stuff with wood and metal and that, yeah. So maybe a young engineer budding then.
03:21Maybe, yeah.
03:22Go on, mate.
03:23I like peer.
03:24So gents, there's quite a bit of building work, as we spoke about earlier. What exactly is being built behind us? I mean, it's huge.
03:30So this is our new building. About 80% of our school building will be moving from the existing buildings into here. So we'll have our DT workshops, our science labs, the majority of our classrooms, our new dining room will be in there. And this is opening up in the first week of January 2026.
03:49That's huge. So this is the biggest thing that's happened since the school opened, I guess, in terms of structures, yeah?
03:55Oh, it's massive. In terms of building work, absolutely. So when the school moved here in 1965, this is the site where it was.
04:02Yeah.
04:03And it was added to piecemeal over time. But in terms of significant build, this is a huge project, not just for ourselves, but for the Department for Education as well.
04:11So this isn't about increasing numbers at the school. This is just about giving a better experience to the pupils that you have, the intake.
04:17Yeah, absolutely. So at the school, we have about 1,350 students. So it's not about us taking more students. It's about to give the best opportunities to the students that we have, the very best facilities in state-of-the-art classrooms, workshops and labs.
04:31And what sort of an investment money? Why is it being put into the school with this project?
04:35This is roughly about £35 million investment from the Department of Education.
04:41Wow. Well, I guess that's kind of a seal of approval that they believe in what you're doing if they're spending that sort of money.
04:47Absolutely, yeah. We see it as a ringing endorsement from the Department of Education. They want to invest in our school, in our children and also in the city of Wolverhampton as well. So it's really exciting.
04:55This is going to be an amazing opportunity for our students here to be able to access these new facilities.
05:00It's really going to be able to push them to their next level.
05:04Fantastic.
05:05So we're with a few students and we've got Faith here at the front. Faith, any particular things you like about school?
05:11Like lessons in school. It's really engaging and it's like the practicals are fun.
05:18Yeah, science, isn't it, you like, yeah? So budding scientist.
05:22And girls, what about yourselves? Anything particularly standing out to you that you've enjoyed?
05:25I like the fact that I can feel confident in my faith and my walk with Christ.
05:30I heard something about a Christian union. What was that?
05:34So it's basically just a club after school where we can get together and share our testimonies and learn more about God.
05:40Fantastic. And go on, young lady.
05:42The opportunities we get for sports at our school are really good and we've even managed to get a girls football team together who have done really well this season.
05:49You into your football then?
05:50Yeah.
05:50So who's your, are you a Wolves fan?
05:53Yeah.
05:53Ah, that's good then. We'll keep this in then. We'll keep the edit.
05:57And Tammy at the back, what about yourself?
05:59Tammy, sorry.
05:59Yeah, I love all of the reading trips and opportunities.
06:04Cool. And were you part of an event that I heard that came up? Young?
06:07The Wolverhampton Young Ulfers Award, yeah.
06:10So you're a proper bookworm, are you?
06:12Yeah.
06:13What's a particular favourite book of yours that you've been reading of late then?
