Welcome to our end of term newsletter for the Easter term. Below are letters from Mrs Jackson, and also our Chair of Governors, Mrs Daniels.
As well as a round of of all the fantastic things that have been happening in school this term. Have a lovely Easter break, and we will see you all on April!
Dear Parents and Carers
As the term draws to a close, it is important to look back and reflect on our many successes and achievements here at St Benedict’s over the last few months. There is much to be proud of as always.
I would like to begin by reflecting on the strength of community here at St Benedict’s. This term has seen some difficult personal challenges for some of our students and staff. In addition, there have been difficulties in terms of the weather, industrial action and some aspects of our school building. But as ever, the St Benedict’s community pulls together and supports each other.
This sense of community shows itself clearly in our year group charities. All year, the students have organised and supported a range of events and opportunities to help people less fortunate than ourselves. This allows our students to demonstrate one of our core virtues, humility.
St Benedict’s also has a long and established history of sporting and academic success, and this term has been no different. We have success in many sports including football, netball, rugby, swimming and athletics. Our students continue to represent us at school, county, and national level.
The academic progress of our students is at the centre of everything we do. Preparation for success in adulthood is one of our key drivers. I have been particularly impressed this term with Year 11 and Year 13 students and how most are dedicating themselves to their studies. They demonstrate daily another key virtue, diligence.
I want to look to the future by mentioning another of our virtues. We encourage our students to develop stewardship – looking after their environment. This term, a group of Year 12 students have taken part in a global responsibility project. As a result, we are reviewing our use of plastic bottles in school. We currently sell around 100,000 single use plastic bottles a year. We have installed refill stations and we are now selling water in alternative packaging. Our dream is to phase out our plastic bottles by September! Watch this space!
Finally, we are approaching Holy Week and break up for Easter on Friday. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very peaceful and Holy Easter.
God bless
Emma Jackson
Head Teacher
Approaching the Easter Break provides an opportunity to reflect on the events and achievements of the past term.
With Christ at the Centre of everything we do here at St Benedict’s, it has been great for us as a governing body to hear not only how the school is continuing to drive excellence across a broad and exciting curriculum, but also how it is enabling a wide range of opportunities for pupils to delight in virtue, shining a light on examples where pupils have lived the school virtues; diligence, forgiveness, humility, stewardship and truthfulness, and providing opportunities for young people to shine in their strengths in areas such as sports, music, the arts, entrepreneurial skills, civic pride and engagement and much more.
This term has also seen challenge times for our St Benedict’s family and I have been humbled to see how the whole school community have shown love and support to each other in our times of need.
On behalf of all the governing body here at St Benedict’s we thank all the staff and pupils for their hard work and dedication in preparing our young people for the world ahead.
