We are pleased to congratulate our Year 11 pupils and the PE Department on the successful moderation of the GCSE PE course. This achievement reflects the commitment, professionalism and high standards shown by both staff and pupils.
We also celebrate the success of our Year 11 BTEC Creative Media pupils and extend our sincere thanks to Mr Ford for his dedication and guidance in supporting pupils to achieve so well.
The Kintbury residential trip for Years 7 and 8 was another resounding success. Pupils represented the school superbly, and we thank Mr Blaho and Miss Gale for providing such a valuable and memorable experience.
GCSE and end of year assessments have now been carefully planned. These important milestones help us identify progress and ensure each child receives the support needed to fulfil their potential.
As we journey through Eastertide, we are reminded of renewed hope, growth and new life following the Resurrection. This season encourages perseverance and confidence as we move forward together:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10
May this message inspire our pupils to approach their next steps with faith, purpose and hope.
Enjoy the long weekend.
Summer Term
MAY
- Tuesday 5 May –
- Governors Open Week
- 4th Carousel change for Enrichment Groups
- Wednesday 6 May – Year 10 Creative Media NEA (All day)
- Thursday 7 May – Theatre Trip – Matilda
- Friday 8 May – Year 11 GCSE Exams Commence
- Monday 11 May – Chaplaincy Assembly / Liturgy – Ascension & Pentecost
- Wednesday 13 May – Pupil Parliament Meeting
- Thursday 14 May – Mass – Ascension of the Lord (9.30 am – all welcome)
- Saturday 16 May – Mini-Marathon for local primary schools
- Monday 18 May – Maths & Physics Week begins
- Thursday 21 May – Paris Trip (returns on 23 May)
- Friday 22nd May –
- Half-Term begins at 3.30 pm
- Year 11 Flexi-Leave begins
In School Next Week
MONDAY 4 MAY – School Closed – Bank Holiday
TUESDAY 5 MAY
- Reading Intervention – Yr7
- Assembly – Yr9&10 VE Day – HOY
- Lunch: Athletics (field), SolidWorks Club Rm30, History Club, KS3 Games (Maths Club) Room 14
- School nurse drop-ins
- After School: Tennis (courts), HW Club (Rm28)
- Catholic Life & Mission Governors Meeting (Tues)
WEDNESDAY 6 MAY
- Assembly – Yr7&8 VE Day – HOY
- Reading Intervention – Yr9
- Year 10 BTEC Creative Media
- History Revision – Weds Lunchtime
- Lunch: Chaplaincy Team Rm25, Raquet Sports (Hall), Environmental and Gardening Club, Lunch- Room 8. All years welcome!
- After School – Rounders club
THURSDAY 7 MAY
- Reading Intervention – Yr10
- Assembly – Yr9&10 End of Year Exams – RRO
- Lunch: Vocal Ensemble (Choir) Rm27, Inclusivity Alliance Rm23
- After School: Technicians Club. More information has gone to tutors. Sign up is on Thursday lunchtime in Room 21. Cricket Club (Hall), Warhammer/Painting/Modelling club
- Lunch: Room 21 will be open if any students have their own embroidery/cross stitch/crochet/knitting project that they want to bring along
- History WIN
- Theatre Trip – Matilda
- Chaplaincy Team to St Osmund’s
FRIDAY 8 MAY
- KS4 debate club
- Year 10 Trip to Hollywood Bowl (Westquay)
- 1st GCSEs in the Hall (Sociology AM, Drama PM)
For our current programme of weekly co-curricular clubs, click the button below to go to our Co-curricular page.
Dear Parents and Carers,
I would like to share an update on the work of our school chaplaincy and the activities our chaplains have been involved in recently.
Following this week’s visit to St. Osmund’s, our chaplaincy team met last Tuesday and we shared updates and agreed that, going forward, we will meet regularly during tutor time on Thursday and Friday mornings. These sessions will allow us to prepare for upcoming liturgies and Masses, including writing bidding prayers, organising readers, and practising readings—particularly as we begin preparing for the Ascension Mass in May. We dropped off our donations to the Food Bank on Friday morning and we would like to thank you for your kind donations.
At St. Osmund’s, we met as chaplains from both schools and talked about Pentecost celebrations. We will be sharing our plans and learning from their ideas as well, with the hope of inviting St. Osmund’s pupils to join us for a shared Pentecost celebration in May. We have also secured a drone to capture a photograph of our gathering on the school fields as we will celebrate the liturgy together. I will share further updates as we move closer to Pentecost itself; the birthday of the Church.
As the weather improves and the summer term progresses, many students understandably enjoy spending more time outside, whether with friends or taking part in activities such as Tuesday lunchtime rugby. This is wonderful to see. However, I would still warmly encourage our chaplains to continue coming to see me regularly so that we can stay connected, share updates, and ensure they do not miss out on the many opportunities within the chaplaincy programme.
We are also looking forward with great anticipation to the development of our new chapel. Once completed, it will provide not only a beautiful place for prayer and worship but also a welcoming space around it where we hope to gather outdoors on the grass for meetings and reflections, particularly during the warmer months.
Our recent second retreat to Kintbury (St Casian’s Centre) was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to reflect, pray, and spend time together outside the classroom. The day began with a warm welcome when we arrived, followed by some games that helped everyone relax and feel included.
Pupils then spent time in the prayer room where we shared morning prayers together. One of the highlights of the day was the outdoor activity course, similar to a “Go Ape” style challenge but closer to the ground. It encouraged teamwork, confidence and plenty of laughter.
Later in the day, pupils took part in a creative activity making “God’s Eyes” using yarn and sticks, before sharing lunch together and ending the retreat with our sending-off prayers.
One pupil described the retreat as “an amazing opportunity to meet new people and strengthen bonds.”
When pupils were asked about what went well. This is what they said:
- Pupils felt the day was inclusive and that no one was left out.
- The activities, especially making God’s Eyes and the outdoor course, were enjoyable.
- Volunteers were very friendly and supportive.
- The retreat centre was a great setting for the day.
When pupils were asked about what could be improved, they suggested:
- feeling the day could be improved with slightly less congestion or waiting during activities and staying longer at the retreat place
Overall, the retreat was a meaningful and enjoyable experience, giving pupils time to build friendships, reflect on their faith, and enjoy being together as a community.
Finally, I would like to thank all parents for your continued support and for encouraging your sons and daughters to take part in the chaplaincy. Their enthusiasm and commitment have been wonderful to see. From next week, we will be meeting on Tuesdays at lunchtime as well as Thursday and Friday mornings during tutor time, when tutors will kindly send chaplains to the chapel so we can continue preparing for Pentecost, upcoming Masses, and other liturgies this summer term. We will also share some sweets and cakes together as part of these gatherings.
Thank you once again for your ongoing support of our chaplaincy community.
With every blessing,
School Chaplain
Year 11 – GCSE Exams Underway
The GCSE examination season has now begun in earnest for Year 11, with pupils completing Art examinations last week, alongside PE moderation this week, Modern Foreign Languages speaking exams, and the final component for Creative Media. Pupils have approached these assessments with focus and maturity, and staff have been impressed by their calm and positive attitude.
From next Friday, the main exam season in the sports hall begins, marking a significant milestone for the year group. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all Year 11 pupils the very best of luck as they enter this important phase of their academic journey.
During the Exam Window
Throughout the exam period, and up until half term, pupils will be expected to attend their normal timetabled lessons, unless they have:
- a scheduled examination, or
- a planned revision or intervention session.
Clear guidance outlining expectations and arrangements during the exam window will be shared with pupils next week, ensuring everyone feels confident and prepared for the weeks ahead.
We continue to be proud of the resilience, determination and sensible approach shown by Year 11, and we remain committed to supporting them fully throughout the examination period. Their assembly this week focused on resilience and their inner strength to keep going!
Gifted & Talented Provision
We have continued our focus on Gifted and Talented provision this week, with learning walks taking place across a wide range of curriculum areas and year groups. We are very pleased with the highquality provisions currently in place and the thoughtful stretch and challenge evident in classrooms. Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing best practise across staff, ensuring this strong provision is consistently embedded across the school.
End of Year Assessments Yr7-9 – Important Information
All year groups have taken part in assemblies this week explaining the process of End of Year Assessments at St Joseph’s. Assemblies focused on:
- understanding the assessment structure,
- what effective revision looks like (active, not passive), and
- how pupils can prepare confidently and purposefully.
End of Year Assessments for Years 7–9 will take place in the second week back after half term, week commencing Monday 8th June. During this time, the timetable will be collapsed, and pupils will follow a dedicated assessment timetable. These timetables will also be shared with parents, enabling you to support your child’s revision and preparation at home.
The first week back after half term will be a revision week, where pupils will follow their normal timetable but take part in structured revision sessions with their teachers during lessons.
To support pupils further, we will be publishing a revision booklet for each year group. These will include:
- a blank revision timetable, and
- subjectspecific guidance outlining what pupils should prioritise in their revision.
Revision booklets will be available via ClassCharts, Microsoft Teams, and the school website.
We are confident that these arrangements will help pupils feel well supported, prepared and confident as they approach their assessments.
Year 10 Mock Exams
Year 10 mock examinations will take place once the Year 11 final GCSE examinations are completed. These mocks will run for one and a half weeks, before pupils begin their work experience placements.
The mock exam period will run from Tuesday 16th June to Friday 26th June.
A letter detailing arrangements, along with a copy of the mock examination timetable, was distributed to families at the Year 10 Parents’ Evening this week. These mocks are an important opportunity for pupils to experience exam conditions and prepare thoroughly for the demands of Year 11. These documents will also be shared with Year 10 parents through the normal channels of communication.y in place. We also used the time to have thoughtful conversations with pupils about their learning and progress. The outcomes of these walks and conversations will help to shape the future direction of our G&T provision as we continue to refine and strengthen this area.
In this week’s Careers Newsletter…
This careers newsletter highlights a range of STEM-focused opportunities, including virtual university experiences, residential programmes, and interactive sessions with universities and employers.
The featured “Job of the Week” is a Fire Safety Engineer, a role that involves protecting people and buildings by designing fire safety systems and carrying out risk assessments.
It also explains that there is a significant shortage of STEM skills in the UK, with many engineering and technology employers struggling to recruit, making this a strong area for future careers.
The newsletter encourages students to use career tools such as UCAS Hub, Springpod, Unibuddy, and Forage to explore options, connect with others, and gain useful experience.
Finally, it promotes additional opportunities like RAF virtual work experience, Young Enterprise programmes, and careers in areas such as logistics and nuclear to help students build skills and explore different pathways.
As a school community, we continue to prioritise supporting our young people to navigate the online world safely and confidently. This includes helping them develop healthy habits around screen time, understand appropriate boundaries, and recognise potential risks and dangers online. Through open conversations, consistent guidance, and partnership with families, we aim to equip students with the skills they need to make safe, respectful, and responsible choices when using digital platforms, both now and in the future.
As a follow up from last week’s report on Generative AI and Deepfakes – Please read the report from The White Hatter
Please also see links to support for parents below: and remember you can always get in touch with the safeguarding team via safeguarding@sjcs.org.uk
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
