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NOVEMBER 20TH 2015 Issue 3
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.
School and Community
Celebrating 60 Years of Celebrating 60 Years of Outstan Outstanding Learning 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.
Communications and Relationships IMPORTANT DATES & FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Often it doesn’t feel like work. We are a Catholic co
OUR RESPONSE TO THE PARIS ATTACKS privilege to see our young people flourishing, to sp
This week we have taken the opportunity to consider the ways and watch them grow in confidence. They a To develop an November effective 24th system of communications relationships is based Year 11 Retreats terrible events and that took place in Paris which in a number of every lesson great adventures and stories unfold bor School Remembrance ways. throughout thetowards week dealt the Gospel values of mutual respect, tolerance, careAssemblies and understanding allwith member and creativity. Our equally inspiring staff are dedica Service November 27th issues that arise from the attacks and pupils and staff school community. person prayed in theirforcare. They and mayforget outstanding Careers Focus Week November 23 - 27th together the victims peace as well as re brings so much more to critically the education of public our studen 6th Form Open Morning November 28th 10.00am being encouraged to think about the Individual Year 9 reports to parentsSupport and Development response. Pupils in Years 7 9 used their weekly differently so that every child can realise theirchapel gifts a & guardians December 11th lesson to explore values,that debate in to they are. DoingBritish this means we the areissues bringing Barcelona To Tripcelebrate theDecember 12th 13th more depth and to think about the ways in which the ethos of to theencourage school. unique nature of each person and their development as indi attacks represent deeper divisions in the world. As a Advent Liturgy December 15th Catholic school it is vital that, at times like this, we use There is great spirit and energy in this school. You c Curriculum School closes for Christmas December 18th 12.00 pm our eternal and unchanging Gospel values to guide our curricular activities, in the array of research projec School reopens January 4th 2016 8.45 am responses in prayer and through learning in classes. We thecontinue creativity that flows through our learning. There will pray differentiated for Paris. A National Teach To introduce all pupils to a broad, balanced, relevanttoand curriculum and t
one is left behind, no-one is left out. Visitors A National often School o
pupils with the necessary knowledge, skillsofand Christian values required a rapidly ch purpose they find in the school; in this comes fro
We held our second PSHE Super Day of the year this week. Years 7 - 10 focussed on anti-bullying whilst Year 11 and Sixth Form went through their mock interviews. The anti-bullying work offered some challenge and provided opportunities for pupils to consider this important issue and role everyone can play in stamping out bullying behaviour. Some pupils wrote letters whilst others composed and recorded raps or created art.
We welcomed Holly and Claire from More Than Minutes to the school on Wednesday to help us make our ambitious school improvement plan come to life. Throughout the day groups of staff, parents and pupils discussed a 3 5 year plan for the school and Holly and Claire captured their ideas and hopes in a huge artwork Year 11 (who, according to Mrs. Norris, that will grace the school’s Head of English, looked like entrance way. This will be our candidates for The Apprentice or improvement plan and will be extras from ‘Bugsy Malone’) each had emailed to all parents, displayed an interview with a member of the local around the school and hung on the business community. This experience railings. It contains a cryptic image was designed to build their interview of Buzz Lightyear - answers on a skills in preparation for work. postcard as to why please.
Year 11 Drama pupils visited the Lowry Theatre this week to watch the acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. The pupils recently performed extracts of the play at the Monologue and Duologue Evening and received very positive responses from the audience. They felt the same way about the professional show and have learnt a great deal about performance from attending saying: ‘Most amazing and inspiring production for us as a school. All of our students loved it - Learning gold. Thank you.’
super day: anti-bullying & mock interviews
CURIOUS INCIDENT THEATRE TRIP
school improvement comes to life!
ENTERPRISE VISIT
MP and MYP visit school
PRESENTATION EVENING
Young Enterprise pupils visited Barclays Redbrooke Hall Technology Centre on Wednesday with Mrs. Cheshire to learn more about finance and business. The pupils spent the day finding out about the systems that underpin the operations of Barclays as part of the Global Entrepreneur Week focus. Expect to see their products soon!
We welcomed two special guests to the school this Friday. Local Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Salford’s Member of Youth Parliament Laura Edwards met with pupils from across the school and representatives from the Student Council to discuss a huge range of issues and answer questions from pupils on politics. Throughout the afternoon the pupils debated and questioned with our guests on topics such as tuition fees, educational reform and mental health. A team of student journalists captured the event for the school magazine. Rebecca commented: ‘you have inspiring students with lots of ideas!’ Both guests were keen to return to continue their discussions.
Thursday saw our Annual Presentation Evening. Nearly 400 awards were given out at the event that took place at Salford University’s Maxwell Hall. On the night 800 guests watched as pupils collected certificates for Progress and Merit and received rewards for their GCSEs. It was a delight to see our first Upper Sixth students receive their BTEC Diplomas. Our guest of honour was Marilyn Comrie OBE, who spoke with passion about the importance of imagination, quoting Einstein, she exhorted the young people to prize their imaginations as this was the starting point for everything.
T HI S WEE K IN PI C T URE S  
“
Your students have the WOW factor! I was seriously impressed. Exceptional teachers! exceptional school This is such an amazing school. An amazing Presentation Evening always makes me so proud to work with talented students and
presentation evening
 
theatre trip; enterprise visit
FROM TOP: the Year 11 pupils at the Lowry Centre for Curious Incident; Young Enterprise pupils getting to grips with business at Barclays
improvement plan; mock interviews  
FROM TOP: Holly and Claire from Visual Minutes capture the discussions and the plan takes shape; pupils discussing their priorities for school improvement; Year 11s ready for mock interviews; the finished plan at the end of a long day.
RESPONDING TO PARIS; REMEMBRANCE  
RIGHT: samples of work on British values and identity from chapel lesson. LEFT: a poem of remembrance and Year 8 pupil Logan who co-ordinated and led Remembrance assemblies.
mp & MYP visit Photos from the discussion sessions with local MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Salford’s Member of the Youth Parliament of Great Britain, Laura Edwards.
creativity superhero! Exceptional artwork from the sketchbook of Year 11 student Anthony Thompson.