Ascension of the Lord
This Thursday we celebrated the Ascension of the Lord, a significant feast in the Church that reminds us of Christ’s mission and our calling to continue His work. IT was lovely to welcome the Parish into the School and know that education is strongest when the parish and school work together. As a Catholic school, this moment strengthens our commitment to nurture faith, inspire hope, and guide our young people to serve others with purpose and compassion.
Congratulations to Year 11 on a strong and focused first week of GCSE examinations. The school has been calm, purposeful, and filled with determination, with students working hard and benefiting from the outstanding support of their teachers.
Well done also to Year 10 for their English speaking assessments this week. Your resilience and commitment have been excellent, with very positive feedback reported.
St Joseph’s continues to build momentum and is truly a school on a mission, growing in faith, aspiration, and success.
Summer Term
MAY
- 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 18 MAY
- Lunch time: Yr10 Duke of Edinburgh Training Sessions, PE WIN Session
- Brilliant Club continues with 7 G+T pupils from Yr10
- Revision Session: P5 – English
- GCSEs:
- AM: Chemistry
- PM: No Exam
TUESDAY 19 MAY
- Reading Intervention – Yr7
- Assembly
- 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)
- Revision Session: P3 – Computer Science, P5 – French
- GCSEs:
- AM: English Lit
- PM: Computer Science Paper 2
WEDNESDAY 20 MAY
- Assembly
- Reading Intervention – Yr9
- History Revision – Weds Lunchtime
- Lunch: Chaplaincy Team Rm25, Raquet Sports (Hall), Environmental and Gardening Club, Lunch- Room 8. All years welcome!
- Super 8s Athletics – 12:30- 4
- After School – Rounders club
- Revision Session: P3 – RE, P5 – English
- GCSEs:
- AM: French
- PM: RE
THURSDAY 21 MAY
- Paris Trip Departs! Bon Voyage!
- Assembly
- Pentecost Liturgy P5 (See OBL email)
- Reading Intervention – Yr10
- 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
- Revision Session: P5 – PE
- GCSEs:
- AM: English Language Paper 1
- PM: No Exam
FRIDAY 22 MAY
- Assembly
- Year 11 – P3 Downtime with Form Tutors, leave at 1pm
- KS4 debate club
- Revision Session: None
- GCSEs:
- AM: PE
- PM: No Exam
For our current programme of weekly co-curricular clubs, click the button below to go to our Co-curricular page.
Year 11 – Exams Continue
We’re very pleased with how our Year 11 pupils have risen to the challenge of their final GCSE exams and are very pleased that they have a positive outlook when coming out of the exams! We continue to wish all Year 11 pupils the very best of luck.
Key reminders: Exam Timings
- AM exams: 9:00am start (canteen open from 8:00am, staff available for support)
- PM exams: 1:00pm start
Key reminders: “11th hour” revision:
- AM exams – Period 5 the day before
- PM exams – Period 3 on the day
- Lunch: always Period 4
Next Friday will be Year 11’s final formal day with us and we will mark this with some downtime for them with their form tutors and some ice cream! They will be then beginning their flexi-leave from 1pm. After Half Term Year will only attend school for exams and revision sessions.
There are revision clinics during the May Half Term Break – if you would like to book your child onto these sessions, please click this link: May Half Term Revision Clinics – Fill in form
| Day | Am 9.30 – 12.00 | PM 12-30 – 3.30 |
| Monday 25th May | N/A | N/A |
| Tuesday 26th May | History PSH PE RSN | N/A |
| Wednesday 27th May | Geography (9.30 – 12.00) Maths Foundation MHI | N/A |
| Thursday 28th May | Maths Higher MHe & NMo Maths Foundation MHI | N/A |
| Friday 29 May | Science KOG | RE RRO ( 12.20 – 2.30) |
Year 10 – English Speaking & Mock Exams
Well done to all of Year 10 for your speaking assessments this week – there were some fabulous, varied and interesting topics being addressed! Your English teachers are very happy to have been treated to such a range of topics!
Mocks run Tuesday 16th June – Friday 26th June in the hall.
Revision support is available via the KS4 Revision page use the KS4 revision tab, resources including booklets, timetables and parent guidance videos. Revision guides available for purchase via School Gateway.
KS3 End of Year Assessments (Years 7–9)
After half term:
- Week 1: Normal timetable with revision lessons
- Week 2: Collapsed timetable for assessments
Timetables and revision resources are available on ClassCharts and the school website (KS3 revision tab on the resources page: https://www.sjcs.org.uk/resources/).
Good luck to all pupils!
In this week’s Careers Newsletter…
This week’s Careers Newsletter focuses on building confidence in maths and numeracy skills, highlighting the importance of maths in everyday life, future careers and higher education pathways. Students can explore National Numeracy Day resources, interactive revision games, real-world maths activities, podcasts and lectures from Oxford Mathematicians, alongside careers that require strong numeracy skills or a maths degree.
The newsletter also features opportunities including a live AI and technology assembly, Higher and Degree Apprenticeship vacancies, creative industry apprenticeship webinars, and legal advice support for young people. Employer and university spotlights this week include Forvis Mazars and SOAS University of London, while the Job of the Week showcases the role of a Drone Pilot.
Supporting Children to Speak Up and Stay Safe
As part of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding and the wellbeing of all our children, we would like to highlight the importance of helping young people feel confident to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
We regularly talk to pupils about recognising what is safe, unsafe, or makes them feel uncomfortable, and, crucially, about knowing that they can and should report any concerns. This includes anything they may identify as wrong, worrying, or potentially harmful, whether it happens in person, online, or within their community.
Children can sometimes feel unsure about whether something is “serious enough” to report, or they may worry about getting themselves or others into trouble. We reassure them that:
- Their safety and wellbeing always come first
- They will be listened to and taken seriously
- It is always the right thing to speak to a trusted adult
We encourage you to continue these conversations at home. Talking openly with your child helps build their confidence to recognise concerns and to seek help when needed.
You may find the following resource helpful for guidance on how to support these discussions:
Fearless (Crimestoppers) – Parents/Guardians Page
https://crimestoppers-uk.org/fearless/parents-guardians
This site offers practical advice on how to talk to your child about reporting concerns, including anonymously if they feel unable to speak directly to an adult.
If your child ever shares a concern with you that relates to their safety or the safety of others, please do not hesitate to contact us so we can support you appropriately at safeguarding@sjcs.org.uk
Thank you for your continued support in helping us create a safe and open environment where every child feels able to speak up.
