FAITH IN YOU
LOVE IN LEARNING
HOPE IN BETTER
this week in our school . . .
Volume 5 Issue 20 February 7th, 2020
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ST AMBROSE BARLOW RC HIGH SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM
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Head’s start .
Mr. Davis, Headteacher, reflects on the week. Mr. Davis, Headteacher, reflects on the week. Without doubt one the highlights of the week is about time of yearofthat I meet with was theItMass for this St. Bernadette Lourdes each Head of Department to review the House. We were delighted to welcome back summer’s exam results. This involves Father Mark Paver from St. Luke’s parish to plenty of useful celebrate Mass. It has and beenthought-provoking great to see each discussion, but it is usually talking about house celebrated throughout the year in this, it numbers and letters. Behind this data is a strong feature of our developing liturgical are stories: how pupils did, how they felt, what calendar.
they liked and what they achieved. We always focus on how things be to Father Mark returned two days latercan to talk improved as well as celebrating what went Year 8 groups about the life of a priest and the well. As a Catholic school, exam results idea of vocations. As ever the pupils were well are justwith onea way of of expressing the unique, Godprepared range interesting and given talents and skills of each challenging questions for our guest. pupil. It is important to look beyond the data so I am delighted more ofheaded my job to involves This weekend thethat Art much Department being in classes, walking around the London with a group of Year 11s to gather school and talking to pupils, staff. more pictures for their folios.students An earlyand start did not dampen their spirits or their motivation to If ever youfor aretheir feeling at all despondent get great images developing folios. In or fatigued I reckon a quick tour of the school a relatively short space of time they covered would quickly raise your spirits. Let to mefit huge swathes of the capital and managed show you what I mean. Today (Thursday, in a visit to Tate Modern as well. Huge thanks September 29th) for dropped to the staff for organising theinstance, trip and Igiving up into Year 10 GCSE Music. There, I was a chunk of their weekends.
delighted to listen to performances of HoldofBack We alsoBeethoven’s learned thisNinth weekSymphony, of the success the River and When the Saints Go Marching former pupil Lauren Cunningham. Since In. I also got to sit with Daniel and Chester leaving us aged 16 she has enjoyed a glittering as they demonstrated their prodigious career in the construction industry and her DJing talents. lunch, I supervised work has taken Next, her allduring over the world. She has the canteen and made a point of watching also gained valuable and unique experience ofthe interactions that take place daily. space Pupils and leadership and management in a short staff holding doors open for one another, of time. This week she was one of three young thanks,the littleQuest moments of personal people offering to be awarded Technician appreciation and gratitude. Of scholarship from the Institute of Civil course, things don’tvery always go of well in a school, but it Engineers. We’re proud Lauren’s is lovely to witness a voluntary achievements which began when she apology studied from a Year 9 to one of the lunch time staff, or Design Engineer Construct with us.
see one pupil help another who is unsure where to we go for In a similar vein alsoclass. were delighted to see The Ideas Foundation celebrating former pupil In Sixth as Form, I enjoyed a lengthy Ellie Stephens an Ideas Maker. Ellie is chat with Aidan who explained both the currently an apprentice at McCann theory of differentiation and its potential commercial Manchester, one of the world’s top advertising application. In English they were agencies. Meanwhile Manchester City studying theWork play and Blood Brothers talking with Council’s Skills team and are featuring humour and excitement about superstitions; another former pupil, Lucy, who was an IT in Year 7 RE they were dissecting ourup new Apprentice at UKFast and has already risen mission statement and exploring the the ranks to be a manager of a technical team.
personal meanings within it. School is a busy, bustling, humming place.
I get to Maths to find all of Year 9 embroiled in a task that is so challenging and exciting want to stay and havesuch a goformer myself. It is that veryIpowerful to celebrate Outside it’s: “Sir, have you seen my pupils as part of Apprenticeship Week. tie? One of Can you open my bottle?ofWhat did you the most enlivening features the one-to-one think of last night’s game? with What time is it, meetings I have been holding Year pupils Sir?” and, at least once a day, “Oh my over the past few weeks is the way that many days!” It with can be noisy and at times and in a of them talk passion excitement community this size we can’t expect about following an apprenticeship route.
everyone to get on with each other all the time. But it is our community, and a lively, lovely, positive one at that.
Many of our year 11 pupils talk with passion and enthusiasm Perhaps the single highlight of my about week, if I had to pick, would be the conversation I had thewith apprenticeship route the Mrs. Fay who is leading
development of our new library. I am a enthusiast and have been ever since Alsolibrary this week we marked LGBT History I was little. The furthest reach of my month with a series of assemblies led by Miss memory back to an moments spent in ourof Daniels who is provided excellent overview local library entranced by its colour the challenges and discrimination facedand by bright of possibilities. On Twitter in the past, members the LGBT community #RememberingMyLibrary reveals the hold the changes that have occurred in very recent that such an institution has: ‘A library card history and, most importantly, the was a freewe pass to wonderment, and responsibility all have to ensure awords culture the ability to roam the world’ observes one inside school and out that is accepting, loving whilst another quotes the wrought iron and user, that celebrates diversity.
gates of Stalybridge library, ‘Read, Mark, Inwardly Others talkthat of ThisLearn week and we were alsoDigest.’ delighted to learn the escape that a library represented or of Year 11 pupil Samuel Bryan has been chosen the refuge it offered from an unkind world. to represent Greater Manchester in the English School Cross Country Championships in Mrs. Fay spent last Saturday peacefully March.
stacking the shelves and we are inching closer to approaches opening. What meforward was her As half-term we thrilled can look comment that several boys, some of whom to a week of celebrating the achievements of affect a dislike of reading, were electrified pupils in every house with the launch of our by of a library in their newpresence Super Student Award. Thisschool: will be ‘You mean I can borrow this and, like, readlast it, presented in assemblies throughout the Miss?’ was the breathless utterance of week of half-term and recognises the very one pupil. Our library at the of the many pupils who get itisright inheart the Ambrose school: a space for being open to and Way day in and day out.
sharing ideas and experiences. It is openand its shelves serve as a reminder Godplan Bless,
that there should be no barrier to anyone Benusing Davisits volumes or seeking knowledge, solace, entertainment or information. I can’t Headteacher wait to see it come to life in the weeks Twitter: @BenDavis1972 ahead thanks to Mrs. Fay and her band of helpers. Front cover image: the pupil leadership team running Parents’ Evening.
Ben Davis, Headteacher Twitter: @BenDavis1972 2
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HOUSe News St. Bernadette of Lourdes st. benedict of nursia
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st. oscar romero st. michael the archangel st. francis of assisi St. teresa of calcutta House points and house news pages
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Mr Stephenson St.Bernadette Bernadette of Lourdes St. of Lourdes Form tutor Mr. Pemberton writes:
Hello from 2BL! This week in form we have looked at the pupils achievements. So far this year they have collectively earned 841 achievement points which is amazing! That figure shows that so often pupils are going above and beyond expectations and being role models to others. As their form tutor I am really proud of every achievement they have earned, whether it be due to academic excellence or simply following the Ambrose Way.
The top five achievers in form are Ines Costa, Calum Hayden, Allanjames Gregory, Libby Brown and Fionn Devlin. Well done!
This week the theme of assembly was LGBT awareness, which highlighted the importance of not being prejudiced or discriminatory.
Everyone in 2BL has worked incredibly hard this term however with just over a week to go I think many of us are ready for the half term break… which will be well deserved! I look forward to spending time with the pupils in my form every morning and look forward to their future achievements! Mrs Sidebottom St teresa St. Teresaofof calcutta Calcutta Form tutor Mr. Murray writes: 5T has made a great start to the new-year, with 43 achievement points this week alone. This week we
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have been lucky to welcome Odd Arts, who are a performing arts group and did a workshop with our Year 9 Pupils. The workshop is based around Mental Health, Self-Harm and Anxiety. Pupils responded enthusiastically about the performance and said it was both interesting and informative. Pupils have been working on The Ambrose Way each week reflecting on the virtues and expectations we have of one another. Pupils have been working this week’s theme of Curious and Active. We challenged the pupils to write an article, poem or song exploring how we might be more curious and active in school. We have had some great ideas and look forward to reviewing pupil’s efforts on the 14th of February. This has been a fun-filled week with three of our year ten pupils embarking on the UKMT maths challenge on Thursday 6th February and Year Eleven pupils were involved in our careers programme which provides support and guidance to ensure each pupil embarks on the best possible journey after their secondary education. Finally we wish 5T’s pupils involved in the year eight rugby team continued success in the local school rugby competitions- well done! St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us Mrs. Robb St. Benedict of Nursia st. benedict of nursia Form tutor Mr. Davies writes: It's a pleasure to report on the work and achievements of St Benedict 2 (2BN). We have a fantastic group of young people who go about their school lives doing the right thing and modelling our school values. A huge number of achievement points have been awarded over the year to date and it's great to see this for a range of events: 3
sporting success, chaplaincy involvement, oracy and academic excellence as well as day to day engagement   in lessons and with classwork and homework. Both Ciaran and Corey in Year 7 bring to the form good humour and a willingness to participate - what a way they have come since the daunting days of early September when St Ambrose Barlow was such a new experience to them. The form as a whole enjoy Mr Lee's weekly form quiz (with awesome prizes) and more recently they have been reflecting on important news stories such as the EU Withdrawal Bill (Brexit) and the achievement of boys in Modern Foreign Languages. Our prayers have gone out to the communities of east Africa and the locust crisis as well as the spread of coronavirus across China and elsewhere. On a celebratory note, we were delighted to learn that Mia had been awarded the Bronze Faith in Action award by Bishop John, along with many other Year 7 pupils. This is the first stage of her journey to the Sacrament of Confirmation.
St Michael is the Arch angel who protects us and helps us to blossom. A group of pupils selected the following quote which will be a theme of form next week to embrace the achievements of the half term: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.� Mrs. McGowan
Mr. Merriman St oscar Oscarromero Romero st. It's been a busy half term with lots of special moments. This week has been Mental Health Awareness Week. Our Y9 students have been involved in a workshop with Odd Arts, looking at how to have those difficult conversations with one another about Mental Health. Well done to everyone involved. You made me incredibly proud. Lots of people have been getting involved in extracurricular clubs. Y11s have had some positive and constructive conversations in preparation for their examinations in a few months. Joe Davis and Georgina Kenney celebrated their hard work in Hot Chocolate Friday with Mr Davis. Keep working hard to get those extra achievements points. Who will be in the lead for brownies this half term? As we enter our final week before the holidays, think about what you have achieved and celebrate this with your friends, family and teachers. You have worked incredibly hard. Well done. We also welcome back Mrs Prady after her maternity leave. Share your achievements with her. I know she's looking forward to seeing you all. Miss Jackson
st. theHouse archangel St michael Michaels news This week in form and assemblies we have been looking at who we are.We have looked at the way we treat others and ourselves. Speaking to the pupils in the house we have looked at different definitions as a house of what this could mean to us.
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Around the school This week
Clockwise from top left: Fr. Paver speaking to Year 8; Year 7 hard at work on their designs; Year 11 visiting Tate Modern at the weekend.
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Around the school This week
Clockwise from top left: Year 11 Finley in London doing his research; former pupil Laure Cunningham; former pupil Ellie Stephens
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Around the school This week
Yet another Hot Chocolate Friday
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calendar what’s on
Advance Notice
Pupils return Monday, February 24th, 8:35am
Year 8 Curriculum Dropin Evening, 5:00pm
TUE 11  
WED 12
THU 13
FRI 14
School closes for Half-term, 3.05pm
SAT 15
MON 10
COMING UP THIS WEEK week beginning 10.02.20 week a
attendance We aim for 100% attendance for all of our students and have set 96% as satisfactory attendance for this year. Attendance is monitored period-by-period and statistics are published each week. Excellent attendance guarantees excellent learning. Attendance by year (w/b January 20th). Attendance and its impact on learning
Year 7 Year 8 year 9 year 10 year 11 School
95.6% 94.6% 93.0% 92.8% 93.4% 93.9%
10 days absence means 95% attendance 19 days absence means 90% attendance 29 days absence means 85% attendance 38 days absence means 80% attendance 47 days absence means 75% attendance Please note: If your child is off school you need to contact student services the same day on 0161 921 1589/1551. If the school has not been contacted within five days, the absences will automatically be unauthorised. Ten unauthorised marks may lead to a fixed penalty notice being served. 8
TWEET OF THE WEek Janine Appleton @Appleton1Janine
Thank you so much for giving your students such a wonderful experience. What could be better than spending a day in London talking art with the brilliant Miss Weest and wonderful Miss Ball? I am green with envy. Thank you again.
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Parishes in our Catchment Area Holy Trinity, Worsley (formerly Christ the King; St. Edmund’s) Sunday Mass Times • 9:00am at Christ the King • 11:00am at St. Edmund’s Our Lady of Hope, Salford (formerly St. Luke’s; SS. Peter & Paul, Pendleton) Sunday Mass Times • 6:30pm (Sat vigil) at St. Luke’s • 9:30am at St. Luke’s • 8:00am at SS. Peter & Paul • 11:00am at SS. Peter & Paul St. Ambrose Barlow, Swinton & Pendlebury (formerly St. Mark’s, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, St. Charles Borromeo) Sunday Mass Times • 9:30am at St. Mark’s • 11:15am at St. Charles • 4:00pm at St. Mark’s
FAITH IN YOU
LOVE IN LEARNING
HOPE IN BETTER
ST AMBROSE BARLOW RC HIGH SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM www.stambrosebarlowswinton.org 37 Ash Drive Swinton Salford M27 9QP 0161 921 1570 @SABSalford Headteacher: Ben Davis 10
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