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MARCH 11TH 2016 Issue 12
Our Aim
In accordance with our Mission Statement the School’s aim
Faith and Worship
60
To help us to grow spiritually as followers of Christ and as members of a C community: to make prayer, worship and liturgy central to school life.
Celebrating Years of Celebrating 60 Years of60Outstan Outstanding Learning
School and Community
1955 - 2015
To encourage and develop relationships between home, parish, school and the wider com in order to prepare our pupils to become responsible, I love comingcaring to workcitizens. here each day.
Often it doesn’t feel like work.activities We are and a Catholic co are involved in leading lunchtime getting to privilege to see ourwhich young know younger pupils will people no doubtflourishing, provide the to sp waysofand watch them grow in primary confidence. They basis strong relationships as the pupils come a communications and relationships which is based every lesson great and stories unfold bor to St. Ambrose in the adventures future.
Communications and Relationships IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS Year 9 Enterprise Event
March 14th
School Closes for Easter
March 18th
Pupils return
April 5th
To develop an effective system of Easter Liturgy March 14th/15th Gospel values of mutual respect, tolerance, care and understanding towards all member and creativity. Our equally inspiring staff are dedica school community. Year 10 Parents' Evening March 16th Itperson is precisely the sort of the leadership, and faithre in their care. They may getservice outstanding Individual Support and Development
inbrings actionso that we encourage in our pupils. of our studen much more to the education
differently so that every child can realise their gifts a Curriculum they are.Evening Doing this means that we are bringing to Thank you to all parents and guardians who gave up ethos of to theencourage school. To celebrate the unique nature of each person their development as indi theirand time to attend the three events last Wednesday Year 10 Take the Lead evening: the Year 9 options evening, the Year 7 & 8 A large group of wonderful Year 10 pupils have been There is great spirit and energy in the thisYear school. You c assessment information evening and 10 focus Curriculum giving of their time each week at some of the primary curricular activities, in the arrayYour of research projec on English and Maths new GCSE. attendance and schools with which we work. Currently they are heading the creativity that flows through our learning. There comments were very appreciated. out each Tuesday lunchtimealltopupils St. Edmund’s, St. A National Teach To introduce to a broad, balanced, and differentiated curriculum and t onerelevant is left behind, no-one is left out. Visitors A National often School o Charles’ and Christ the King. When they are there they pupils with the necessary knowledge, skillsofand Christian values required a rapidly ch purpose they find in the school; in this comes fro
On Monday, March 7th we welcomed four guests to the school: two Ofsted inspectors and two serving local headteachers. They spent the day along with staff from St. Ambrose visiting lessons, speaking with pupils, parents and staff and looking closely at the way we do things. At the same time virtually all teaching staff observed one another teaching as way of finding and sharing good practice. We have also spent several months surveying pupils, staff and parents, holding many consultation meetings and have recently issued a parental questionnaire. All of this data and information is being brought together to allow us to assess the effectiveness of our school over time. Once it has been fully collated we will issue a summary report. The School Review day was, overall, very positive, with our guests having considerable praise for many aspects of school life.
SCHOOL REVIEW
I AM CREATIVE Students from Year 10 and our 6th form have been working in the iMedia class with teacher Mr. Cammann to put together a marketing and communications strategy for Coutts Bank to engage with younger users. Last week the teams presented to marketing specialist Libby who had come all the way from London for the day. She was really impressed the the quality of ideas and the confidence and sophistication of the presentations. Parabongo Challenge Our Design Engineer Construct! Year 11 students heard this week that they were the national Runners Up in the so-called Parabongo Challenge, narrowly beaten to the trophy by another school from the north west. Their work was praised for its originality, skill and precision.
This week we welcomed a unique initiative from the Diocese of Salford. The Mercy Bus is a double-decker that travels around the northwest offering the Sacrament of Forgiveness. On board when they came to us were six priests who, through the course of the day, heard over 500 confessions both in the bus and even al fresco! The commitment from the young people to the Sacrament was deeply moving and shows the depth of faith in our school. Thanks to Miss Singleton of the RE department for co-ordinating the visit.
SALFORD DIOCESE MERCY BUS Our Year 7 team were crowned Salford Champions this week, beating St. Patrick’s. Congratulations to them and their manager and coach, Miss Hyland. NETBALL SUCCESS FOR Y7
BBC SCHOOL REPORT The work of the past few weeks paid off in full on Wednesday and Thursday. The BBC School Report team (the only one making their mark in Salford) spent a day in central Manchester gathering stories and interviewing the public. They then edited and refined furiously all day on Thursday before the publication deadline. With stories about coding, the EU referendum and much more besides the standard of journalism was astonishing and we’re sure that the BBC will have spotted a few budding journalists. PSHE SUPER DAY We enjoyed a fantastic PSHE Super Day at which we looked at literacy, enterprise and mental health. Students took part in the Plimsoll Challenge, setting up small teams to design and market a trainer design. They also enjoyed fantastic discussion groups on mental health and wellbeing.
CHARLOTTE RAMSDEN VISITS On Friday Salford’s Director of Children’s Services visited us to look around the school and talk to staff. She went into some classes and was particularly impressed by the pupils who were finalising their Speaking for Ourselves British Values work and the Y9 pupils who are collaborating with a Digital Textile Designer from Manchester University. SALFORD BOOK AWARDS As many of you will be aware already we are in the process of setting up a library in school, so it is all the more important that books and book illustrators are something we celebrate. A small group of pupils were guests at the Salford Book Awards, accompanied by Mr. Lewis. They heard a number of authors speak, including Lucy Hawking, science author and daughter of Stephen Hawking. MATHS TRIPS TO LONDON What a fantastic time we had in London last week. A large group of pupils accompanied by Maths staff and led by Mrs Ashton visited the capital to participate in a challenge, learn about the application of the subject and take part in a Maths-based adventure around central London. They also got to enjoy a theatre performance and had the thrill of a night away from home. A wonderful experience!
 
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK
the year 7 netball team salford champions; pupils on the netball trip to see Thunder vs surrey storm.
 
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK the mercy bus visits; team parabongo celebrating their success
 
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK
the bbc school report team at work in school and in central manchester at rise
 
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK the i am creative teams presenting to coutts; year 7 in one the workshops for world book day
 
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK pupils in london for the maths trip. Above they are at the british museum; below they are pondering the diameter of the london eye.
OUR SCHOOL THIS WEEK a week of assemblies on homophobia was led by pupils such as those in 10 m who challenged prejudice and stereotype; year 9 working with schools on british values