0:00:02 > 0:00:05BELL RINGS
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Meet Year Seven.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Awesome!
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Pa-choo!
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's the most important year of school so far.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14You're not here to have a laugh and a good time.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15You're here to learn.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16LAUGHTER
0:00:16 > 0:00:18With so many changes...
0:00:18 > 0:00:20new friends...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Es, have you got a cloth?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22..and new teachers...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24You are a Greenwood boy.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28..it's an exciting world to discover.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Wow!
0:00:29 > 0:00:32It can be fun, but sometimes it can be tough.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36There are different challenges for everybody.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38We're in Year Seven, we're acting like three-year-olds.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41We've rigged another secondary school with loads of cameras...
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Is this what you see when you look through a camera?
0:00:44 > 0:00:45Cos this is awesome.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48..so you can find out exactly what happens.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50You're on report by my request.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53I'm Trev.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Ha-ha ha-ha! I used to go to school here,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58but now I'm one of the teachers.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Last question, cos you're going to run out of time.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Welcome to Our School.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07- I need a wee! - BELL RINGS
0:01:09 > 0:01:13This time on Our School, we're looking back at the past...
0:01:13 > 0:01:15This is your grandad's school now.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17This is where he would have met your great-nan.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19..and forward to the future.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Ah, that's what I'm talking about.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23LAUGHTER
0:01:23 > 0:01:27No, they haven't invented a time machine in Design and Technology.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Not yet, anyway.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31We'll be checking in with Spencer...
0:01:31 > 0:01:32This is scary.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34..and Charlie.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36HE BURPS Charlie!
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Yes, you, Charlie.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42They'll be delving deep into their family history...
0:01:42 > 0:01:45It was interesting, learning about what my great-grandad did.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46..to see what shaped them...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48You got a lot of the cheekiness in you,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and that's what your grandad had.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53..and what part it may play in their future.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Really good. Like, I want to work here now.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We'll also be meeting Dominique,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01who has a big decision to make about her future...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03This is the main library at the college, OK?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05So, if you was to come and study sport,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08this is one of the areas that you might want to come and study.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10..if she's to achieve her huge ambition.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I would like to be, hopefully, at the Olympics.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Have you ever really thought about where you live?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Every town has a story to tell.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Castle Vale, home to our school, has quite a few.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31OK, hands up who knew its old name meant "woody woods"?
0:02:31 > 0:02:32What?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34No-one?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Nearby is a place called Pimple Hill.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38Ooh!
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Didn't know that, did you?
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Or, that the area was once a sewage farm.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45OK, that stinks.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Don't worry, they got rid of it.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Well, actually, Castle Vale does have
0:02:53 > 0:02:55one huge historical claim to fame.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57ZOOM!
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Back in the 1940s,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02it's where many of the legendary Spitfire planes were built -
0:03:02 > 0:03:06an iconic fighter plane which helped us to victory in World War II.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11It just goes to show, major historical events
0:03:11 > 0:03:13could have taken place right on your doorstep.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16ZOOM!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And one way for Year Seven to find out...
0:03:22 > 0:03:26..is in period five - History with Mr Saunders.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30This here, the whole history will take on the form of
0:03:30 > 0:03:33a local history project.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36A local history of Castle Vale.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Who is excited about this?
0:03:37 > 0:03:40- Sounds great! - Come on, let's go for it!
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Let's take up the challenge.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Well, they seem keen to learn about the past,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46but would they have liked to live in it?
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I think the worst thing about living in the past would be, like,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55without, like, no phone.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59There would be no Wi-Fi and the doctors weren't that good.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I have to have Internet for my iPod.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04The worst thing would be, like, no Xbox.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07What do you mean?
0:04:07 > 0:04:08We had video games.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11What's so funny?
0:04:15 > 0:04:16And great music.
0:04:17 > 0:04:24MUSIC: Everybody by Backstreet Boys
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Can I Google it?
0:04:30 > 0:04:31In the past, you have these long shoes
0:04:31 > 0:04:33that, like, curl there, don't you?
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Like, do you know them pointy ones, that go pointy,
0:04:36 > 0:04:37that you have for, like, a wedding?
0:04:37 > 0:04:39I'd hate to wear them, cos, like, you had no choice.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43It was either them or, like, some really, like, weird trail.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Stop laughing! You're making me laugh.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The fashion was horrendous as well. Like, no.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51What do you mean?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53We had some great looks back in the day.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Check this dude out.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59OK, back to you, Mr Saunders.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02What's the next step in the local history project?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04What you need is a team name.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09So, organise a name for yourself, please.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Mixed Illusions.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Mate, that is sick.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Sir, can we call ourselves anything we want?
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Yeah, if it's...- Mixed Illusions?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Can we call ourselves Mixed Illusions?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Probably, yes.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- Yes!- You can, but I would like that we can link to history
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and the local area.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30Spitfire.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Oh, very good!- Spitfire, yeah? - Really good.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Spitfire Illusions?- No.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Spencer's keen to start researching and, this being secondary school,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45he must use his initiative to get out and about to discover the facts.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- Sir?- Yes?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49My nan, I'm going to ask her to help me with this,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52cos my nan's lived in the Vale,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56like, late 1950s and early 1960s, so...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- Absolutely fantastic. - And she still lives on here now,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02so it'll be good to ask her for good information.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Fantastic, that's what we need.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Better hurry up then, Spencer, as you've got just a few weeks
0:06:07 > 0:06:11to research your family history and present it to the rest of the class.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Spencer's keen on history, but he's a little out of tune
0:06:16 > 0:06:17with his famous composers.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Beethoven is, like, the most famous musician of all time.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Yeah, he's a dog, he's a dog.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23He's not a dog.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24- He is a dog.- Beethoven's a dog.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But before he was a dog, he was a famous composer.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30So, he was a musician, then he turned into a dog?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32How does that work out?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Very funny, Spencer.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Smooth dog!
0:06:35 > 0:06:39I'd probably describe myself as, like...funny.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Ha-ha-ha-ha!
0:06:41 > 0:06:43'And, like, jolly, in a way, because...'
0:06:43 > 0:06:46there won't be a day in school
0:06:46 > 0:06:48where I'll come to school moody
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and not laugh, or make at least one person laugh.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And when he's not delivering a punchline,
0:06:54 > 0:06:55he's delivering a punch.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I like training on the punchbag and I like sparring.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Even outside of school,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05history and tradition play a big part in Spencer's life,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09as he follows in the footsteps of his boxing grandad.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11My grandad wanted me to get into it
0:07:11 > 0:07:15because he didn't want me to get picked on in school.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Spencer's family have lived in this area for generations.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21I live with my mum, my dad,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24my brother Jake, Alfie,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28my sister Ruby and my sister Daisy and my sister Poppy,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30so there's eight of us in our family.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33See, what... Don't fight.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37It's actually good, because you get more Christmas presents...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Like, money for your birthday.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Spencer loves spending time with his family,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46and with his grandparents living just around the corner
0:07:46 > 0:07:48it means he can spend lots of time there too.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50I'm really close to them.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54I think that is because, like, I just get along with them so well.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- See you later. - See you.- Watch how you go.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59All right.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So, with lots of family ties to the local area going back many years,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06there should be a hoard of history right on his doorstep.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10I reckon it's going to be quite interesting,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12because, like, my mum used to live on Castle Vale...
0:08:14 > 0:08:17..all of my parents, like my grandparents and family,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19they're all from Castle Vale.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Spencer's clearly looking forward to looking back in time.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31But some of Year Seven have a bit of trouble concentrating
0:08:31 > 0:08:33on the here and now.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Take Charlie.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Boom boom ba-da boom boom ba doom boom.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Charlie can sometimes get a little distracted at school.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45# I'm on the edge. #
0:08:45 > 0:08:47I am cheeky.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50If you turn up and you're not being sensible Year Sevens...
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Naughty.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54Behave like a...
0:08:55 > 0:08:58..little child sometimes. Act like a three-year-old.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Can I throw it?- Ahh!
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Boom!
0:09:06 > 0:09:08For Charlie, family means a lot.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Hello!
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Good day?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- No detentions today, then? - No!- Good.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19What kind of a lad is Charlie?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Oh. I think as soon as he was born and I looked straight at him,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I thought, "Yeah, he's definitely a cheeky Charlie."
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Charlie's family are also from the area,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and his mum knows just how much things have changed.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34What was it like back then, and then now?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36It was a lot stricter back then.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39You wouldn't get away with half the stuff you get away with now.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Like?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43In fact, kids your age probably would have been
0:09:43 > 0:09:45frightened of their teachers.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Because they was worried of the consequences.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Things have changed a lot.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53A lot.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Mum's hoping the history project will show Charlie
0:09:56 > 0:09:59he has more opportunities than his parents and grandparents.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03I want you to go to school, get an education, get a good job,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05have a nice home to live in.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Have a nice family. - Have a nice family.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Get a good career behind you. Have some money in your bank,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13so you don't have to struggle.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And that's what being...
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Going to school is the most important thing about it.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20- I want what's best for you.- Mmm.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24You see, Charlie, discovering the past
0:10:24 > 0:10:27could make a big difference to your future.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It's after school, and Spencer is keen to find out more
0:10:38 > 0:10:40about his family history and Castle Vale.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Cos you've both lived on the estate for quite a while,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I was thinking, would you be able to help me with it?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Yeah, course we will.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Having lived in the area all their lives, who better to interview
0:10:51 > 0:10:55than his grandmother and great-grandmother.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58When we came to live on this estate,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02the place was all mud and potholes around.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04It wasn't finished as a whole.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Castle Vale wasn't finished as a whole when we moved on it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09So, we were one of the first people on Castle Vale.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11On Castle Vale, yeah.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13You must have been lucky then, that you actually got a good house.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Yeah, yeah, we was, yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Learning all about his family history
0:11:18 > 0:11:22is making Spencer appreciate life is so much easier today.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24There was cars built then, weren't they?
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Oh, yeah, cars were built then! Yeah!
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Oh, yeah, we had cars.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30I'm not that old!
0:11:31 > 0:11:36But if there weren't always houses on Castle Vale, what was there?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I can tell you exactly what Castle Vale used to be...
0:11:40 > 0:11:42..because I did a project on it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46So, before becoming a housing estate,
0:11:46 > 0:11:52Castle Vale was first used as an airfield in both World Wars.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53When we first moved here,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55the old air hangars was still there, wasn't it?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That's right, the hangars were still there.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And didn't Dad used to work there?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02- What, in the hangars?- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- I think he did, yeah. - He did, didn't he?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07So, it turns out Spencer's great-grandad
0:12:07 > 0:12:11used to work at the airfield from which all those famous Spitfires
0:12:11 > 0:12:12took to the skies.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17It's time like this when old family photos can reveal so much more.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20That's me and your grandad when we got married.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22We got married at Birmingham Register Office.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24It's, like, so mad and different.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26That was before we moved here.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27Is that a pie on your head?
0:12:27 > 0:12:29A pie?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Looking back at past family photos
0:12:31 > 0:12:34is a great way to see what your parents and grandparents did.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37BELL RINGS
0:12:37 > 0:12:39But it can also start you thinking
0:12:39 > 0:12:42about what you want to do in the future.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46In ten years' time I wish to work with animals.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48In ten years' time, yeah, I want to be a fireman.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I want to be a midwife, because it's...
0:12:51 > 0:12:52I just like...
0:12:52 > 0:12:55I like looking after people, basically.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59I'll be 22 and I'll be probably a famous footballer.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I want to work in a school, for some reason.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09I don't really know what I'm going to be doing in ten years' time.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11And I'll be, like...
0:13:11 > 0:13:1217.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15You're seven?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Are you seven now?
0:13:18 > 0:13:19No.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21You said that you'd be 17 in ten years' time.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22Oh! Um...
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I'll be, like, 21.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Probably, like, a binman, cos you get good money for that, you know.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35And what about you, Dominique?
0:13:35 > 0:13:40Hopefully in ten years' time I want to be at sports college
0:13:40 > 0:13:42or, hopefully, at the Olympics.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45That's the attitude, Dominique!
0:13:45 > 0:13:46Go for gold.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I would describe myself - sporty, competitive.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56I would like to be the next Jessica Ennis,
0:13:56 > 0:13:59because she's one of the fastest girls in Great Britain.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Like many of Year Seven, Dominique's got big dreams,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08but finding time for study and sport isn't easy.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14At home, I live with my mum,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17my three sisters and my little nephew
0:14:17 > 0:14:18and my uncle.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Dominique's mum has a condition that often leaves her
0:14:23 > 0:14:26unable to keep up with the daily running of the house.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32It's pretty hard, living at home with my mum,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37cos of her illness, and I don't really get to play out that often.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41I have to do some stuff for my mum, like washing up
0:14:41 > 0:14:43and cleaning the floor
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and watching the kids.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Whee, I'm a birdie! Whee!
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Although life at home can be busy,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Dominique always has time for her best mate, Courtney.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58We're really close friends and she's always there for me
0:14:58 > 0:15:00and, like, she always helps me
0:15:00 > 0:15:03if I'm ever stuck or lost with anything.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07And she's one of my really close friends.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10All her hard work helping Mum
0:15:10 > 0:15:13leaves little spare time to herself.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16But when Dominique's not with Mum, or hanging out with Courtney,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19all she can think of is getting out on the sports field.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22When I'm out doing sports, I feel like...
0:15:22 > 0:15:23I'm free.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Sports college is Dominique's goal after school,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31and she's heading in the right direction,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33having just been made sports prefect.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34I want to set up the warm up then,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37so we're going to get the kids over from Chivenor.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Becoming sports prefect is a big step towards achieving her goal
0:15:40 > 0:15:42of having a sporting career.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Yeah, so shall I tell them to get into equal lines
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- and then ask them, like, why do we need to warm up?- Yeah.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52She may have just started secondary school,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56but she's already thinking about where to study next when she leaves.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00So Mr Davis has arranged for Dominique and Courtney
0:16:00 > 0:16:03to visit a local college.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04But it's no ordinary college,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07it's fully equipped with the latest sports facilities
0:16:07 > 0:16:10and all you need to know about sport.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So, this is the main library at the college, OK?
0:16:12 > 0:16:13So, if you was to come and study sport,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16this is one of the areas that you might want to come and study.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18You could do a theory and a practical.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20So your practical element could be the football.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I know that you girls are interested in your football.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25What kind of jobs can you get from that course?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Coaching's one of our main areas that we get into.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Teaching's another area that, again,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31if you wanted to get into the teaching aspect, that you could do.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Some of us go onto the physio route,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35so, again, we've got a massage parlour as well,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- so we'll look at that later on. - You got any ideas, girls,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40which sort of route you'd like to go at the moment? Coaching-wise?
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- I'm not sure.- PE teacher?- Not sure. You don't want to be a PE teacher!
0:16:44 > 0:16:46OK, then, girls.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47Oh, my God!
0:16:47 > 0:16:49What do you think?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's really nice and big.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- It's a bit more modern than Greenwood, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So, we've got four badminton courts.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58We've got our small basketball courts as well.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01We've got hockey, we've got handball, bench ball.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04So, there's a number of different sports that you could take.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10OK, then, girls. So that's the sports hall,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13that's the fitness suite, this is the college. Are you impressed?
0:17:13 > 0:17:14- Yeah.- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And it's interesting.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17Is it what you were expecting?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- No.- I thought it would...
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Like, it's better than what I expected.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Excellent news, brilliant.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Like, when I was walking around, I was looking at everything
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and I just could feel that I wanted to come here.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I knew that it would be a good experience for me, but it just...
0:17:34 > 0:17:36This is the first time I've been to the college,
0:17:36 > 0:17:41and I think I've made my decision and want to come to this one.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Already knowing what she wants to study
0:17:44 > 0:17:47should give Dominique a real chance of achieving her goal.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53So, as well as learning the usual subjects, like Maths and English,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56school can also be a great way to follow your passion.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- Hi.- How's it going? You OK? Nice to see you.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01'Today, some of Year Seven's budding artists
0:18:01 > 0:18:04'are getting out to meet local street artist Mo,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08'and see how he's turned his passion into a career.'
0:18:09 > 0:18:11That's the clock tower from the pub.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14That's the mosque you can see from down the road.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16There's a chimney. Oh, there's a chimney round the corner there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Again, you know, it's just to kind of capture the area a little bit.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23'He's showing them some of the wall creations he's been asked to paint,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26'turning the streets on which he grew up into a brighter place.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:29So, what I have done here is Islamic pattern over there
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and a kind of very Irish, Celtic pattern.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37For the 2012 Olympics, Mo painted one of his proudest achievements -
0:18:37 > 0:18:40a massive mural on the side of an old swimming pool.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44The reason for this wall was... Do you remember when
0:18:44 > 0:18:47the Olympic torch was going through all the different areas?
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Well, it came past this building and it brought all different types...
0:18:51 > 0:18:55There was, like, 1,000 people in this park at seven in the morning.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Seeing Mo's striking artwork around the area
0:18:58 > 0:19:02has inspired our amateur artists to design their own murals.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04So, go on, talk to me about what you're doing.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09- Um, I'm doing some quotes around "hope"...- Yeah.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12..and then I'm going to do the Islamic pattern around it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14"If one person's thirsty, the whole world's thirsty."
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Yeah. Write it down.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Put that on the side of a massive building.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21But you design it on paper and say, "There's my mural."
0:19:21 > 0:19:22'We know you've got potential, guys.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25'We've already seen what you've created on the Our School wall.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Oh, yeah, the CCTV camera. Now, what you could do...
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's the weekend, and Charlie's asked his grandad Colin
0:19:32 > 0:19:34for some help with his history project.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39He's, like, a really fun grandad to have.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41A really fun person to be with.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43To help bring history to life,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Charlie's grandad has arranged a visit
0:19:46 > 0:19:49to where Charlie's great-grandad Albert used to work.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54I'm surprised. I thought all this would have been demolished.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Wow, it's massive, isn't it?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Could you imagine yourself working in a place like this...
0:20:01 > 0:20:02as it was then?
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- No?- No.- No.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Wouldn't like to get your hands dirty, huh?
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Cos your great-nan wouldn't let him in the house
0:20:09 > 0:20:11he was that filthy.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Next, they're going even further back in time.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19This is your grandad's school now.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21This is where he would have met your great-nan.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23It's nice.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26And if it weren't for them two, I wouldn't be here today.
0:20:26 > 0:20:27Yeah.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- And if I wasn't here today... - Yeah.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31..you wouldn't be here today.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So, how did that go again?
0:20:33 > 0:20:35If my great-grandad never met my great-nan,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37my gran won't be there.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And if my gran won't be there,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41my mum won't be, and if my mum won't be there,
0:20:41 > 0:20:42then I won't be there.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44What were the teachers like?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46The teachers were very, very strict.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It was to the headmaster's office and it was the cane.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Sometimes on the backside and sometimes on the hand.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Ooh, nasty.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57What do you think, Charlie?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59If I walked into school in the old days,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I wouldn't bother getting in trouble,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03cos I don't want the backhand with the cane.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05What did grandad look like?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Ah, I've got a little surprise for you.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I've got a couple of photos.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11Is that him?
0:21:11 > 0:21:15That's my dad and that's your great-grandad.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20When I seen him in the photos, he looked a good person.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24He's got a little bit of you in him.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- I don't know.- No? I do.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29I think he's got your ears.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36So, Charlie's learnt a lot about his family, and it's got him thinking.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Would I be grandad's favourite?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42There's every chance you would have been his favourite.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44What's made you ask that?
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Cos I reckon I've got a lot of him in me.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Do you? You've got a lot of the cheekiness in you,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51and that's what your grandad had.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I felt a bit sad, cos I didn't really get to meet him,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I didn't know what he sounded like when he spoke,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I don't know what he used to react like.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Do you think you've got to know your great-grandad a bit better?
0:22:03 > 0:22:04- Yeah.- Eh?
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's been nice sharing all these special memories I've had,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and it's brought a lot of them back.
0:22:09 > 0:22:10And I love you.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12Love you too.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14There's a good lad.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And you remember everything you learnt today.
0:22:17 > 0:22:18- I will.- Eh?
0:22:18 > 0:22:19- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Spencer's out and about for his history project too.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33His great-grandad worked at the local car factory,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35which has a very special history.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39During World War II, it was used to make
0:22:39 > 0:22:42over 11,000 Spitfire fighter planes.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46So, who does great-grandad's job now?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Not who, it's what -
0:22:49 > 0:22:51robots.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59To gather more information for his school project,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Spencer's got some questions for the factory's manager.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Do the men paint it, the car?
0:23:05 > 0:23:06The men paint the car.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09We have a mixture of men painting the car with spray guns,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11also robots as well.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Look, do you see the robot now?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15He's finished working on that, so he's going to pick it up now
0:23:15 > 0:23:16and move it on.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I liked seeing the process of the cars,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24from starting off from a piece of metal,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27to building up to, like,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29a very expensive car.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33And it's not just the way they built them that's changed...
0:23:33 > 0:23:35the cars look a bit different too.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I want that grey one.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38You want that grey one, do you?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Think that one's mine.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Something tells me Spencer likes it here.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48So, what do you think of our factory so far?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Really good. Like, I want to work here now.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I did feel inspired about going to the factory,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57because I would like to get an apprenticeship there.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03From what I saw, it looks like a very good first job to start off on.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Oh, yeah.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08That sounds like an ambition that would make great-grandad proud.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12VROOM-VROOM!
0:24:12 > 0:24:13And Spencer's getting the chance
0:24:13 > 0:24:16to do something not many 11-year-olds do.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24How about that? How's that, then?
0:24:24 > 0:24:25Oh, sick!
0:24:25 > 0:24:28This car will do 186mph.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Oh, that's what I'm talking about.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Like Spencer's family, this factory has been around for generations.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Perhaps Spencer will follow in his great-grandad's footsteps
0:24:40 > 0:24:42to become a part of its future.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Oh, no.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47That's if he ever gets out of that car.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48All right, see you later. Bye.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53BELL RINGS
0:24:53 > 0:24:55In fact, there's so many things
0:24:55 > 0:24:57that Year Seven have got to look forward to
0:24:57 > 0:24:59about being grown-ups.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00When I'm a grown-up,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I'm looking forward to being able to go out with your friends
0:25:03 > 0:25:06to clubbing and parties and things.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09I'm loving looking forward to getting my own flat
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and being able to decorate it the way I want
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and going out with my friends and stuff.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17When I grow up, the thing I'm looking forward to doing
0:25:17 > 0:25:20is getting a nice car and getting a nice house.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I would love to have my own family.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Getting my own big dog, so then I can walk it
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and people will be scared of it and then nobody will touch me.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It's going to be a guard dog and it's going to bark
0:25:30 > 0:25:31when someone comes into the house
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and then it's going to lick them if they're good.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35But if it's a robber, it's going to bite him
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and the robber will run away.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41It would be really good to have,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43like, your own house or flat or apartment
0:25:43 > 0:25:45so you can have unlimited sleepovers.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51BELL RINGS
0:25:54 > 0:25:57The class have been out and about using their initiative
0:25:57 > 0:26:01to research the local area and how their families lived.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Now it's time to present their findings.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08And with Charlie having already told a great story about his family...
0:26:08 > 0:26:09APPLAUSE
0:26:09 > 0:26:12..Spencer is now impressing Mr Saunders and the class
0:26:12 > 0:26:13with what he has discovered.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16What we done outside of school, what involves the project,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18we went out to our families
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and have been learning what it was like in Castle Vale.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24We now know where the Spitfires were made, where the runway was.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Some interesting facts about Castle Vale -
0:26:27 > 0:26:30did you know that between each tower block there was a little park
0:26:30 > 0:26:33that included a slide, swing and a seesaw?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And Tim Tolkien built the Spitfire Island
0:26:36 > 0:26:38to remember the Spitfires in the war
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and the people that unfortunately passed.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43When the estate was in the process of being built,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45there was very few houses and lots of flats,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and my nan and grandad lived in one of the first houses
0:26:48 > 0:26:50ever built on the Castle Vale.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I had a visit to Jaguar Land factory
0:26:53 > 0:26:56and I saw that my great-grandad used to...
0:26:56 > 0:26:59What he used to do nearly half a century ago.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Thank you very much. Can you give him a round of applause?
0:27:01 > 0:27:03APPLAUSE Well done, Spencer.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07You've proved that finding out about your own family's history
0:27:07 > 0:27:08is really rewarding.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10And just like Year Seven,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12it can be an exciting voyage of discovery.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Next time, Year Seven are learning the rules of phones...
0:27:21 > 0:27:22Give me your phone, Donell.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24..and social media in the classroom.
0:27:24 > 0:27:25It is a very bad thing to do
0:27:25 > 0:27:28to be taking pictures of people without their permission.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32And Leo reveals to everyone what makes him different.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34What is it like to experience autism?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36None of my friends used to understand me,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38none of my teachers, no-one.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Aw.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Ah, mate, this is sick.
0:27:43 > 0:27:44Would the car go
0:27:44 > 0:27:45if I put my foot on the pedal?
0:27:45 > 0:27:47No.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Would the engine just, like, rev?
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Loads of room, then.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Got two cup-holders.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53I love this car, man.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56How much would this car go for?
0:27:56 > 0:27:57Around about £97,000.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01If I had the money, I would so get this.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03Can I move the gear stick?
0:28:05 > 0:28:06Did I do something wrong?