NEWSLETTER
March 2023
Dear Parents/Carers,
We are approaching the end of a very busy Easter term, throughout which I am again proud to say that all of our students have been working incredibly hard.
Students in years 11and 13 are approaching the final push within their journey towards public examinations in the summer term. I have been very impressed by the independence and determination of our year 11 and year 13 students and we will of course continue to support them and keep them in our prayers as they move into the examination period.
It is wonderful to see so many extracurricular and enrichment activities taking place within and across the academy, from Geography trips to PSHE sessions, and retreat days to student leadership conferences. These opportunities allow students so much extra learning and development; I am grateful to all our staff who run these activities, some of which are within this newsletter and who never fail to seek new ways to engage and support our students beyond their classroom learning.
Admissions into year 7 for 2022-23 are significantly over subscribed: in fact, we will be holding two days of appeals after half term due to the number of parents who are committed to wanting their child to be part of our St Thomas More community. Year 12 applications have also considerably risen, with over 100 applications to St Thomas More and over 300 to the Trinity. This is great news as it has allowed us to expand our curriculum offer and the courses that we run. These applications and appeals are testament to the hard work and collaborative partnership which underpins St Thomas More and makes me proud to be the Headteacher.
We continue to improve the facilities within school. There will be further investment in the ICT infrastructure over the Easter holidays and we have also resubmitted bids to the government in the hope of securing the funding that is so desperately needed for a new toilet block and upgraded toilets. Our facilities are not as good as we would like and we are very much determined to secure the funding that will support us in improving the facilities for our students. I will of course let you know the outcome when we have further information.
Finally, we have prepared thoroughly for Easter throughout Lent and we are incredibly grateful, both for your support with donations for CAFOD , as well as your support of the Family Fast day. The MAC Stations of the Cross event took place on Wednesday 22nd March and was a beautiful evening which allowed us to reflect on our mission, and come together as a community.
Following such a busy and eventful term, I would like to wish you and your families a happy and holy Easter, and look forward to welcoming our students back for the summer term.
Mr M Rayner
Headteacher
Y4 Lenten Retreat
During this Holy period of Lent, Y4 students from our MAC Primary schools were invited to join us for their Lenten Retreat morning.
Students had the opportunity to tour the grounds of St Thomas More, and had exclusive access to the Art classrooms to be able to design and decorate a Lenten Story Stone, supported by our very own art specialists – Mrs Crawford and Mrs Jones.
In addition, students took part in praying the Stations of the Cross, reflecting on the journey that Jesus took on his way to his crucifixion. This took the form of a walking tour of school.
At the end of the morning, students expressed a real desire to become members of STM in the future and are looking forward to continuing their transition journey through Year 5 and 6.
MAC Community Stations of the Cross was Led by Fr. David Newell in our school premises attended by the MAC Community members and parish community on the 22nd of March at 7pm .
Catholic Life and Mission
Student Chaplaincy Day
The Student Chaplaincy Training Day took place for the Student Leaders at the Alton Castle, Soli House, on the 17th of January 2023. A group of 15 Students accompanied by the Lay Chaplain attended the one-day Retreat. The students were involved in various activities to develop their Leadership qualities and training them in Student Chaplaincy.
Friday Lunch Mass
Every Friday Lunchtime we celebrate mass in the school Chapel. Fr. David comes to celebrate the Mass where students and staff actively participate and receive the Holy Communion.
The Mini Mac Meeting took place in the school chapel on the 23rd of March. The MAC primary schools student Leaders along with their teachers attended and discussed the need to work together as MAC and contribute to the Catholic Life in Schools.
Word for you Club
Mrs Bussell shares a Word from the scripture along with an experiment or an activity where the students participate, learn, and understand the meaning of the scripture. Students have the opportunity to reflect on the scripture and enjoy time reflecting with their peers.
Light Fever
Light Fever – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, happens on every Wednesday in the School Chapel. Students attend this adoration where there is prayer, scripture reading and a song when the Sacrament is exposed.
Reconciliation Service
On the 10th of March we had the Reconciliation service for the year 9 students about Forgiveness which was linked to the scripture story of Joseph and his brothers. Led by Fr. David Newell.
Saint's House Mass
The Form Saint’s Mass is celebrated by the students in school. This is where each year group form, from the saint name, gather together, and are actively involved in the Mass led by Father David Newell, Parish Priest of St. Gregory’s Catholic Church.
CAFOD Fundraising
Our student faith leaders carried a cake sale and car wash for staff’s car to raise funds for the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria. We also had the CAFOD Family Fast Day where students went to each form and collected money for the victims of the Earthquake.
Year 7 Creation Presentations
This half term, year 7 students have been assessed on their oracy and presentation skills in RE. All students had the opportunity to work with a group to plan, create and deliver a presentation on ‘creation’. Students had to embed a wide range of topics in their presentations, including Catholic teachings on Genesis, scientific theories and Humanist views, cosmological and teleological arguments, and stewardship.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to work together, to research and explore the topic in greater depth and to present to their class and teacher.
REgulate
To prepare students for the world of work, and to enhance their study skills in RE, the RE Department have delivered three sessions so far this academic year to target specific study skills.
These have included: summarising and paraphrasing; effective note-taking and email etiquette.
This has linked curriculum to careers and we are extremely proud of the engagement thus far!
Year 12 Core RE Projects
As part of the Core RE programme, our Year 12 students have completed the Creation and Covenant unit. Students were tasked with creating an essay plan in the form of a poster, based around the topics of Stewardship, Human Equality and Faith being the path to Happiness. Here are some fantastic examples of the students’ completed posters which they presented to the class. Year 12 worked really hard to discuss a wide range of religious teachings to demonstrate their understanding of these topics.
Honours Masterclass Inspiration
We are proud to share with you that following an honours masterclass about how to publish a book that Jakub Bilicki in year 10 has written and published a book based on his life story so far and his aspiration to become a pilot. Jakub has worked tirelessly to bring the project to life, his book is on sale on Amazon and is entitled Jakub: A Boy With a Dream to Fly. We will be hosting a book launch in our school library after Easter.
Congratulations Jakub!
Language Faculty
Michelin
All students in Year 9 were treated to an engaging masterclass delivered by representatives of Michelin tyres. During this talk, the Michelin representatives explored the importance of studying a modern foreign language and the career pathways this can open. One of the directors who was previously based in the Michelin headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, expressed how his ability to speak fluently in English, French and German had enabled him to travel all over the world with the company. A fellow representative expressed her regret at not having studied for a language qualification at GCSE and urged students to make the most of this opportunity.
Year 9 enjoyed this opportunity as it enabled them to understand the impact that acquiring a GCSE in a modern foreign language can have on their life choices. Students said that the lesson had helped not only to bring French to life for them, but to also support them in making an informed decision regarding their option choices.
World Book Day 2023
At St Thomas More, we recognise the importance of reading as the key skill to unlocking the door to educational success. Therefore, this World Book Day (7th March), we took the opportunity to celebrate reading in every department with the theme, ‘We are all Readers’. Teachers across the school created a starter activity which allowed the teacher to share their favourite book and also make recommendations for wider reading around their subject. Recommendations were varied and interesting: the R.E. Department recommended ‘Our House is On Fire’ by Jeanette Winterson; the Maths Department recommended ‘Humble Pi’ by Matt Parker; the Science department recommended ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot. Many more excellent suggestions were made and students are encouraged try something they might not have read before. Furthermore, there was a Shelfie Competition, where students were asked to guess whose book cases were photographed. Lots of students took part and the winner was Megan in Year 7.
We are looking forward to next year!
Modern Foreign Language Masterclasses
Year 11 students were invited to series of masterclasses delivered by the Language Academy at Stoke Sixth Form, focusing on how to achieve grades 7-9 in their French GCSE. This provided students with a fantastic opportunity to socialise with fellow linguists from across the city, sharing top tips for their forthcoming examinations. In addition, they were able to showcase their competent language skills, conversing in French throughout the evening. Students were extremely positive about the masterclasses and expressed that their confidence had grown as a result of the experience.
Furthermore, students studying for a GCSE in a Home Language have also been attending weekly Language Masterclasses delivered by Miss S Beasley. These sessions are deigned to develop students’ vocabulary- both written and spoken. Moreover, students have had the opportunity to collaborate with other pupils, exploring key themes- including societal issues and career pathways, solely using their home language.
Studying a language is a fundamental part of a student’s curriculum, particularly as it contributes towards their English Baccalaureate qualification. This is a prestigious set of qualifications, designed to keep students’ options open for further study and future career choices. We are extremely impressed with our students’ commitment towards studying for a GCSE in a Modern Foreign Language and the time that they are dedicated towards preparing for their examinations.
GCSE English Language and English Literature Masterclasses
All Year 11 students have been treated to a series of Masterclasses to help them prepare for their English GCSEs. Several of these sessions were delivered by two Senior AQA examiners; one of whom actually writes a section of the exam paper. Caroline Davis is an extremely experienced examiner who works with students across the country. Students undeniably found these classes extremely beneficial and left armed with a plethora of strategies to enable them to achieve the highest grades. Furthermore, Miss S Beasley, who is an examiner for English Language, delivered an online masterclass to the whole cohort, sharing top tips for success in English Language Paper One. Miss L Beasley contributed towards these masterclasses by holding a series of workshops designed to support students’ independent revision using GCSEPOD.
MANACTCO
Students were treated to an exciting production of Romeo and Juliet, the last of the MANACTCO performances of the set GCSE texts. This performance was a concise version of the play, which brought the characters and key moments in the play to life for our Year 11 students. Students benefited from the wonderful opportunity to witness a life performance of the play and hailed the benefits of this over simply reading the text, or watching various adaptations on screen. Romeo and Juliet contains many key themes that the current generation can identify with and understand such as honour, young love and the negative impact of conflict which is one of the reasons why is ranks a favourite amongst students. Despite pupils already being familiar with the events of the play, many still arched their necks and waited eagerly for key moments of the play to be acted out live in front of them as though it were the first time.
Year 7 Mapper Progress
This half term we have launched our new homework structure with Year 7. All Year 7 students are expected to complete Mapper homework (via Bedrock Learning) which is set every Blue week. So far, we are extremely proud to see how well the students have risen to the challenge. Each Blue week, students have been set 5 new vocabulary that links directly to the content of the curriculum in the following subjects: English, French, Religious Education and Maths. We have already seen fantastic progress with over 50 students making 100% progress, so far. The top students, at the end of this half term, will be rewarded and the student with the most engagement will be in for a chance to win a Kindle! We wish all of our Year 7s good luck with this competition and can’t wait to announce our first winner.
Year 10 Celebration Breakfast
Students in Year 10 were treated to a celebratory breakfast in recognition of their excellent achievement in passing the Step up to English and Entry Level Mathematics qualification at the end of Year 9. Both qualifications had a 100% pass rate and we are extremely proud of the dedication and determination displayed by our students. We completely recognise that completing an externally assessed qualification at the end of Year 9 is a fantastic achievement. This has provided students with an excellent foundation for their GCSE studies and has contributed towards the positive culture of success within our academy. Well done to all involved!
Maths Department
Within the Maths department this Spring Term we have had many amazing opportunities for students as well as brilliant results from competitions and enrichment activities.
Numeracy
Year 7-9 Students complete Numeracy Ninjas during form time to test both their numerical skill, and time management. Each year group currently has a diverse set of questions, over the 3 years, with a wide variety of numeracy skills tested and, over time, their scores should improve, allowing them to achieve higher coloured belts in their Ninja programme.
Rising Stars
Members of the Maths department have been working closely with Rising Stars students to broaden their understanding and work on exam techniques. Students in Years 7 to 10 have the opportunity in smaller groups on a Thursday morning form time working on specific skills to enhance and boost their maths progress.
Hegarty Heroes
Here are the Hegarty Heroes for each year so far this half term. Well done for continuing to exceed out of school within home learning – your efforts will pay off!
Chess
Hosted by OSSMA on the 15th Feb 2023 the second Stoke Schools Chess Tournament took place. This competition started by us at STMCA last year has come on leaps and bounds with the size growing more than two fold. 22 teams from 11 schools took part for a total of 80 students from all years, 12 of whom from STMCA.
AMSP Mathematical Thinking Sessions
Year 9 and 10 students had the amazing opportunity to work with AMSP on activating their mathematical thinking skills as well as finding out where mathematics can apply in the real world. They were also introduced to jobs that were available for them to get in the future with mathematics including accident analysis, exploring imaginary numbers and more!
Ben Sparks visit – exploring the beauty of maths
Ben Sparks is a well-known public speaker who aims to instil enjoyment and excitement around mathematics. He came in and spoke to all Y7 and Y8 and used mathematical proof disguised as ‘magic’ to show students that maths isn’t just found in a classroom, it’s everywhere! We were honoured to host Ben Sparks, and you can find more of his awesome work on YouTube under SparksMaths.
What is upcoming in the Maths Department?
Chess Events - Chess club is still happening every day at lunch time now in room 113
Revision Sessions for Y11 in Easter Holidays
Pet-Xi Interventions – Tutoring sessions for Y10
Science Department
British Science Week
“Tallest Towers” was the first competition of British Science Week. Students had a limited supply of marshmallows and raw spaghetti. Considering the shapes which make structures stable was key to success and the tallest tower was almost 70cm high!
Students had the opportunity to extract DNA from strawberries during the week. Strawberries have eight copies of each type of chromosome and so are ideal for this experiment. The long, thick fibres of DNA contain the information for the functioning of the chemistry of life.
Movie Night to celebrate British Science Week.
The students watched Wall-E. The film is set in the future where humans have abandoned the Earth because it has become covered with rubbish. Wall-E is a garbage collecting robot who has been left behind to clean up the mess.
During British Science week Year 7 and Year 8 students were invited to take part in a Chemistry challenge – “How Dense?”
Students were challenged to help a local chemical company identify their solutions that had been stored in large containers but had lost their labels. Students needed to use their knowledge of density to identify the solutions.
Congratulations to the winning team Aimee-Mai, Joe and Viktor.
Students had the opportunity to test their aerodynamic skills with Mr. Ishfaq and Mr. Ishfaq. They investigated what makes something fly and then tested out their theories!
Art & Photography Department
Stoke Schools Heritage project
Students from St Thomas More Catholic Academy were invited to create art work for the Stoke Schools Heritage project September 2022 – July 2023 to celebrate the history of Stoke-on-Trent through art and creativity.
As part of the arts in health programme at the University Hospitals of the North Midlands, invited us to become a project partner and explore the history and heritage of our healthcare sites and the links to the community. This is part of a long-term plan to reignite the arts in health programme at our local hospitals and strengthen community partnerships through a shared interest in heritage.
This project provided an opportunity for students to explore the rich heritage of Stoke through interactive workshops in partnership with local artist Alexandra Saredon of Saredon Studios and local history groups. During the workshops, pupils will find out more about the history and heritage of Stoke on Trent and respond to this by creating artworks for display in the Royal Stoke University Hospital. Pupils enriched their education and creativity as they explored the history of their local area and felt a real sense of pride at the idea of seeing their work professionally displayed. The work will be displayed through the hospitals and is aimed at providing visitors, patients, patients families, carers and staff with a calm environment
Now that the project is over, The Heritage project Team now hope to be able to invite students to celebrate their part in this project at a launch event. This work has been generously funded by local healthcare project companies as part of their environmental and social governance budgets. Students were visited by Mrs Lorraine Whitehead, Director of Estates Facilities and PFI NHS, during their final session where she talked with them about how this art work will be of benefit to all who use the hospital facilities. She said ‘It was lovely to meet you both yesterday and I just wanted to say a huge thank you for allowing me to join you for the Heritage Workshop.
"It was a fabulous morning, I really enjoyed getting to meet the students and seeing them conclude their work. They have done such an amazing job and I was so impressed with their passion and commitment and the quality of the end result. "
"Thanks again for allowing me to participate in the journey, you must be incredibly proud of all of the students and I can’t wait to see the artwork in place at UHNM and have no doubt that it will bring much joy to our patients, visitors and staff. "
British Ceramics Biennial Clay Day Wednesday 22nd February 2023
The BCB Foundations project and St Thomas More Catholic Academy hosted February Clay Day. Students, families and the local community were invited to get hands-on with clay, learn about where it comes from and what happens to it in the kiln. Then they got creative with some group clay projects.
The February Clay Day was a public pottery extravaganza that showcased STMCA’s student’s work from the last two years. There were hands-on activities where they shared their knowledge, skills and experiences about clay with other students, their families and the local community.
Activities included
- Raku Firing – This is a very special and exciting way of adding metallic and crackle glaze to ceramic ware, you will get a chance to glaze your own pot and see the expert potters from BCB fire your pot and reveal the amazing glazes.
- Group sculpture –Hands-on with a group sculpture designed by the students of St Thomas More Catholic Academy.
- Throwing pots – Throwing pottery on a wheel with help from an expert thrower.
- Processing clay – Where does clay comes from? Find out and have a go at processing your own clay.
- Clay play – Exploring what clay is like, feel the different textures in clay, then making something and experiment with clay in it’s different states.
All the equipment and materials needed were provided along with lunch, snacks and drinks throughout the day.
Technology
In Technology we have begun work on an exciting project in partnership with the V&A Museum London and Wedgewood.
This project will involve working with Technology students in years 7-10. As part of the project students are currently creating pieces of work to be exhibited in an exhibition at Wedgewood visitor centre in Barlaston, alongside other local schools.
Students have used various decorative techniques to complete work based on British Designers.
Duke of Edinburgh students have been attending after school sessions with Mrs Stace, as part of their skills section of the scheme, to learn embroidery techniques. These techniques are being used to make embroidered hoops that will also be exhibited at the Wedgewood exhibition.
History Department
Y11 History trip to London.
" On the 6th and 7th February Y11 History students visited London as part of their GCSE studies. We stayed overnight aboard HMS Belfast and took part in a Jack the Ripper walk through Whitechapel, visited London Dungeons and watched a tremendous West End production of the hit musical Cabaret. We also managed to fit in a bit of "rest and recreation" in Covent Garden!"
Lessons from Auschwitz 6th Form
"This term five A level History students have completed the "Lessons from Auschwitz" project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. The project involves 3 seminars and a one day visit to the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau complex in Poland. Despite having to arrive at Birmingham Airport by 04.30 am on Thursday 9th February for the flight to Poland, Mason, Shayan, Dylan, Ellie and Leah found the experience unforgettable. I've heard a rumour they all managed to attend school the following day!!"
Performance Faculty
This term has seen the return to football action and in particular the Y8 and Y10
School football teams who have been playing matches both home and away. The home games we
have been played on our state of the art 3G football pitch using the floodlights.
Our fantastic STM dance students were involved in the Stoke dance festival held at the Victoria hall theatre recently. The students performing were from different year groups. Our Y11 students were also selected to be the headline performance on the night. Well done to all of the girls who participated
Well done to the STM U14 and U16 badminton squads this term. There have been some impressive performances and results against some very tough opponents. The squad has been selected from the students who regularly attend the extra-curricular badminton club which is ran every Friday after school.
Well done to the U14 and U16 STM table tennis squads in there league fixtures this term. The team have been playing against different schools with 3 of the U16 squad using this as an opportunity to gain a GCSE practical grade in table tennis. Many od the squad attend the table tennis cub after school every Friday where they have been developing their skills.
Our Y7 students also got the opportunity to be involved in the city partnership games this term. Where the students got to perform in a range of activities. Well done to all who participated.
Basketball season began in January and it was great to see so many of our students representing the academy who
Have also been training at our extra-curricular basketball club each Tuesday with the Hanley Hustlers basketball coach
Noah who is pictured with our U16 squad.
There are two days of Easter basketball session that are free to attend for different year groups. Please refer to your year
Group on teams to give you more information on how to attend.
On the 8th March approximately 120 Y7 and Y8 female STM students celebrated international women’s day by participating in the ‘Let Girls Play Biggest EVER Football Session’ and our girls didn’t disappoint or let the weather affect their enthusiasm in getting involved in the football sessions led by Mr Stonier.
The U13 STM Netball team participated in the City Netball competition and the city Netball festival tonight. The girls were strong competitors in both competitions having been city champions last year.
The STM U16 Netball team participated in the city netball competition. The standard was very high and team STM managed to finding 3rd out of 6 teams in their group. This was a great achievement with several students missing due to other school commitments.
St Thomas More Catholic Academy - B/Arts – ASD Acceptance Week
Several of our students have taken part in our B/Arts Project on a Friday afternoon for the past 7 weeks. This creative workshop has been led by the amazing Martin Gooding who is the Youth Engagement Manager for B/Arts and Robyn Clark of Peachy Pictures, a local filmmaker and videographer. The project has focussed on delivering a filmmaking project with young people at our school. The project has helped to explore and express the experiences within the school system for students with autism. The aim of B/Arts has been to raise awareness and acceptance of ASD by creating work with the students that will empower them, lift confidences and promote creative wellbeing – it has also been a lot of fun! The students involved are excited that we will be showcasing their work during Autism Acceptance week next week.
Princes Trust
As part of our Prince’s Trust curriculum, students learn essential self-help skills such as planning and cooking their own meals.
On one cold and wet February morning, Mr Shufflebotham was treated to a full English breakfast cooked by our very own Y11 students! Whilst Mr Shufflebotham sat back and enjoyed his meal, our students had already developed their skills in the kitchen including food preparation and careful timing! Mr Shufflebotham said he’d had a delicious meal and has since made regular trips back into the class to ‘check on the cooking’!
Trinity Sixth Form- 'Leaders of Tomorrow' event
For the first time since 2020, sixth form students from across the three schools within the Trinity Sixth Form joined together at King's Hall in Stoke for a ‘leaders of tomorrow’ event. The conference style event consisted of inspiring talks from guest speakers, including World Champion inline skater, Jenna Downing, Director of Education at Staffordshire University, Dr Jim Pugh; inspirational author and teacher, Tracey Leese and STM'S mental health ambassador, Kellie Williams. The event was a huge success and we look forward to collaborating with St John Fisher Catholic College and St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy again, in the near future.
Lessons from Auschwitz
In February, six students from Y12 and Y13 made the educational visit to Poland to learn more about the Holocaust and the atrocities carried out at Auschwitz I and Auschwitz Birkenau during WWII. Organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, students flew from Birmingham in the early hours, completing an all-day round trip to Poland, before flying back to the UK the same evening.
A truly humbling, reflective and emotional experience which was respected impeccably by our sixth form students.
Fundraising
Over this past term, sixth form students have been passionately fundraising to support charity.
Through 'Sending Love To Syria', a bake sale on Valentine's Day raised over £300 to support CAFOD's Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal. STM's car park was taken over with for the day, by enthusiastic students washing the cars of members of staff to further raise money for CAFOD, and finally, an Easter Hamper, packed with festive goods has been raffled with all proceeds going to charity.
Careers Information and Guidance
One of the key measures that we are able to use to measure the effectiveness and impact of our careers programme is the Gatsby Benchmarks. These eight benchmarks define what world class careers provision in education looks like. They also provide a clear framework in which to organise the careers provision across the academy.
We are really proud as an academy of our progress towards meeting these benchmarks over recent years. Gatsby-Benchmark-evaluation.pdf (stmca.org.uk) However, we would love your help to reach Benchmark 6 fully, that is ‘Experiences of the work place’. Whilst many inspirational employers visit us in school to talk to pupils, we would love to have more opportunities to take pupils off site to visit and experience various places of work. Ultimately our aim is to be able to re-introduce work experience for next years Year 10 cohort, in a meaningful and valuable way.
How could you help?
ü If you are able to facilitate a visit to your place of work for a group of pupils (anything from a minibus of 16 to half a year group of 100) we would love you to get in touch. Also, if you could offer one of our pupils a potential work experience placement (Summer 2024), again we would love you to get in touch.
ü Also, if you could make any other contributions from mentoring pupils, speaking to year groups, visiting a curriculum area to talk about your career etc. please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
Please email Mrs Todd directly (etodd@stmca.org.uk)
Destinations – Post 16
In early Spring our destination data was published for our Year 11 leavers in 2020. This is always two years afterwards as it includes measures that look at the sustainability of college courses and apprenticeships. This is an indication that pupils are well informed as they have made a successful transition and remained there for at least two terms. We are pleased that we again have excellent retention rates into both education and employment. We again have the highest % of pupils in sustained employment and education across Stoke on Trent comprehensive schools and the lowest % of NEETs (pupils not in education or training).
|
School |
% staying in education or employment 2 terms on |
% staying in education 2 terms on |
% pupils not in education or employment 2 terms on |
|
St Thomas More Academy |
94 |
87 |
5 |
|
Local Authority |
90 |
83 |
9 |
This year many Year 11 pupils are again very organised with two pathways planned out, referred to by pupils as their plan A and B. These include around 100 pupils planning to attend St Thomas More Sixth Form, applications to large FE colleges and a whole variety of apprenticeships. James West, our independent advisor, will be back in school after Easter and I’d encourage any Year 11 pupil who is still not sure about their next steps to contact either Mrs Kerr / Mrs Todd via TEAMs or James directly.
Alumni visit – Year 8
We were thrilled to be visited by five past pupils who were at St Thomas More in the 1980s-90s. These included a travel consultant, entrepreneur and bio-chemist. Year 8 listened to our alumni talk about their career journey and had the opportunity to ask questions and network.
Career Ready
A real strength of our Sixth form is our Career Ready programme. Through this programme students take part in masterclasses, work place visits, have a professional mentor and apply for paid internships over the summer holidays. Thanks to Mrs Kerr, Mr Myatt and Miss Emery for leading this brilliant opportunity.
The National Enterprise Challenge is back at St Thomas More!
The National Enterprise Challenge in partnership with Air Products is the UK's largest enterprise competition and provides students aged 11-15 with a real-life business challenge set by some of Britain’s best-known companies and brands. From Monday 27th March to Wednesday 29th March we will be again welcoming the NEC back into school. On Monday Year 7 will be completing the ‘Air products’ challenge, on Tuesday Year 8 will complete the Airbus challenge and on Wednesday Year 9 the NatWest challenge. We look forward to seeing their innovative ideas and presentations and hope to have pupils from St Thomas More selected to take part in the national finals. Good luck to all.
The choir performed in the Victoria Hall on wed 22nd March in a singing project with St Margaret Ward RC Academy and St Peters Academy. This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to really show off their God-given talents.
Upcoming Events
20/04/2023 - RL House Mass
20/04/2023 - Year 8 Parents Evening
27/04/2023 - Year 9 Parents Evening
01/05/2023 - Bank Holiday Monday
02/05/2023 - STMCA Careers Event
03/05/2023 - Year 11 Family Revision
04/05/2023 - Year 9 Vocations Day
04/05/2023 - Year 10 Parents Evening
08/05/2023 - Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles III
10/05/2023 - Honours Masterclass
22/05/2023 - Half Term Awards Week
25/05/2023 - Student Council Meeting
29/05/2023 - May Half Term
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