Newsletter
July 2023
Dear Parents/Carers,
It is wonderful to be ending the year with a mass of thanksgiving at St Gregory’s. This is a chance to be thankful for all that we have achieved during this busy year. We should reflect on what has been a tremendously successful year or our school community. Students and staff have worked incredibly hard and should be very proud of all that has been achieved as a school and as individuals this year.
St Thomas More has seen more success again this year: from a very successful Ofsted inspection to an excellent Catholic Schools Inspection. This external validation supports what we know bout our school. Both staff and students were thrilled with the outcomes and how they demonstrate both the quality of education alongside the Catholic ethos and holistic success of our learners.
The Catholic School Inspection reported, ‘Students and staff demonstrate a deep sense of belonging to this welcoming community. They feel valued and cherished; they appreciate all the academy offers them.’ The Catholic School Inspection concluded that ‘The quality of care shown to all members of the community is outstanding." I am proud of the progress we have made and look forward to building on this further next year.
Enrichment and sporting success are thriving through the school community as demonstrated in this newsletter. "Pupil’s relish involvement in the school’s wider curriculum." The success we have had a huge range of fields from debating to chess to enterprise challenges to sport to music is testament to the hard work and commitment of both student and staff.
We continue to keep students in year 11 and 13 in our prayers as they travel towards results days and their next destinations. We look forward to seeing them on results days and celebrating their success and next steps. I an looking forward to welcoming many year 11 students into our sixth form for next year.
At the end of term we will say goodbye to a number of staff who have made a significant contribution to the life of the school over the years: Mrs Lovatt, Mr Walker, Mrs Oakes, Miss Rathbone, Mrs Davies and Miss Griffin. We thank them for all they have given to our community and wish them well in the future.
I would also like to thank all of our staff for their hard work and commitment to the vocation of working within our school. I am very grateful for their professionalism, dedication and determination.
Over the summer there will be significant work to the school. The Connect the Classroom initiative will provide over £250k of upgrade to our ICT and Wi-Fi infrastructure, despite failing with a CIF bid for toilet improvements we will be building additional toilet facilities.
It has been wonderful to see students thrive at the summer concert, sports day and of course meet the new Year 7 students in the last couple of weeks. I am sure they will enjoy the summer school and we look forward to welcoming them fully into our community in September. We are particularly looking forward to welcoming them in September. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable summer break and hope students come back in September ready to “Aspire to be More” be in all they do.
Mr M Rayner
Headteacher
Success at St Thomas More Catholic Academy
Chess Champions
On the 28th June 2023, 4 of our Y8 students competed in the Stoke Chess Championship hosted by the Co-operative Academy and secured the trophy for the under 13’s group winning every single round!
These 4 boys have done the school incredibly proud. We certainly look forward to seeing what they can do next year jumping up to the very competitive under 16s group.
Final scores are below:
Under 13
St. Thomas More Catholic Academy - 10 (Champions)
Woodhouse A - 7
Woodhouse B & Blythe Bridge - 5
Coop Academy - 3
Kidsgrove Secondary School - 0
SASCAL Success
In July, students from St Thomas More competed against the other schools in Stoke-on-Trent, for the highly sought after Youth Speaks Awards.
We are incredibly proud to announce that we won first place in the SASCAL finals. Jesse, Maysoon and Hareer delivered an incredible speech in their debate which challenged the stereotypes connected to the iconic Barbie franchise. All members of the team were a credit to our academy and we are very happy to hold the SASCAL shield until next year’s competition.
Organisers Charles Freeman wrote, 'Many congratulations on your team's victory last night at the Youth Speaks competition. It was well deserved with the team delivering a well thought out speech linked to some humorous content. It really was most
professional. '
National Enterprise Challenge
Over 40,000 students competed in the National Careers Challenge and our year 7 and 8 teams were invited to attend the Grand Final at the ICC in Birmingham.
After performing brilliantly in a rigorous ‘Dragon’s Den’ style selection process all morning, our year 8 team made it through to the final four teams and were selected to present their business idea on the main stage at the ICC, in front of an audience of over 1000, and a prestigious judging panel of business experts from NatWest, Airbus, Thorpe Park and AQA.
Entertainment at this fabulous event found our pupils performing alongside: TIK TOK magician: Ben Hanlin; Britain’s Got Talent Finalist: Abi Carter Simpson, and the international winners from Shanghai.
Our Year 8 Finalists were awarded goody bags and Certificates after placing a close second Congratulations to Team Leader, Hareer, Filip, Naseer, Akeela and Joanne, on a stunning achievement, and a fabulous experience.
Culture Day 2023
On Monday 10th July, St Thomas More Catholic Academy held its first culture day. Students from all year groups participated by holding a stall to represent and teach their peers about their cultural heritage and identity. Years ranging from 7-13 helped put on the event hosting stalls for Poland, the Philippines, Senegal, Bangladesh and even Stoke-on-Trent.
Through culture day we wanted to help others embrace and celebrate diversity within our school community sharing traditional fashion, language, art and games. The day itself was an idea put together by the school council and was suggested by Naishe, a year 9 student, who is of African descent and hoped that with a day like this students can learn about one another and grow closer.
During the day itself a fashion show was held to not only bring an atmosphere but also to showcase cultural attire. students not holding a stall spent the day in lesson (apart from when viewing the stalls), in these lessons starter tasks comprised of cultural work. Each year group had a period of time spent in the auditorium to go around and spend time at each stall learning about others backgrounds.
Through culture day we hope that students will use their new found knowledge of others' identities in order to create a kind and creative environment that nurtures growth and inclusivity. Alongside what the academy has already established, we also believe it is a step to differentiate our school and what we teach our students.
That is why we are excited to share that the school will be hosting culture day again next year on Monday 15th July 2024.
Written by Maysoon C.
Celebration Event
On Thursday 22nd June, the fantastic achievements of over 250 students were proudly celebrated at The Kings Hall in Stoke, in recognition of their accomplishments and successes this academic year. This included the Honours Programme, Scholars, Universify and Rising Star. We are incredibly proud of them, and look forward to celebrating the achievements of even more students next year.
The evening started with a performance from the school choir, who sang a number of songs and wowed the audience with their fantastic vocals.
This year we presented the prestigious St Thomas More Awards to students and below shows some of the highlights from the evening.
Duke of Edinburgh Award
14 students attended a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition locally at Stanley Head Outdoor Education Centre on 7th - 8th July. All students showed true determination, confidence and resilience to not only complete each day's walk but also, the activities in the evening as well as cook their own meals on the Friday evening. This was to ensure they completed the 20 conditions such as 6 hours of activity each day, being self-sufficient for the expedition and following the countryside code. The weather for the most part was fantastic but, we did have a couple of periods of rain on Saturday which didn't put the students off completing the walk.
All students enjoyed learning more about their focus areas throughout the two days - the wildlife and fauna. The students presented what they learnt to each other before returning back to school on Saturday.
Religious Education
Year 7 - RE in the World
Year 7 students are currently studying ‘RE in the World’ which explores the purpose and importance of studying RE in our multi-faith society. Students have the opportunity to discuss the value of RE and to explore how religion shapes much of our society, from Christian laws, festivals and traditions in the UK, to how modern artists are expressing their faith through music. Year 7 are developing their transferrable skills of being able to discuss, analyse, evaluate and explain, whilst we look at both the benefits and challenges of religion, such as religion which we see in the news. Year 7 will be presenting on their study of RE in the World at the end of the half term, which will further support them in developing their speaking and listening skills.
Year 8 RE – City Central Mosque Visit
All year 8 students were invited to visit City Central Mosque, Hanley, in preparation for their end of year exams. The students were guided through the 5 Pillars of Islam by the Imam and were able to ask questions about the Islamic faith; this helped to enhance their understanding of Islam as a world faith, as well as understanding the beliefs, teachings and practices of Muslims in our local community. Students were able to explore the prayer rooms and look at the key features of the mosque. The students were a credit to the school in how they conducted themselves and we look forward to running the trip again next year.
Year 9 RE – Creativity in Judaism
•As part of their study of Judaism, year 9 were given the opportunity to design their own Sukkot’s and Seder plates, as well as having the opportunity to taste traditional Jewish food – honey and apple! Students had to show their understanding of the beliefs and teachings about the different festivals through their designs, for example making sure that the roof of their Sukkot was open so that you can see the stars. Students engaged brilliantly with the tasks and enjoyed having the opportunity to creatively express their learning.
Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics – Manchester Metropolitan University – Philosophy Experience Day
•On Monday 3rd July all year 12 Religious Studies students had the opportunity to attend a Philosophy University Experience Day at Manchester Metropolitan University(MMU). Students will had the opportunity to attend lectures in the Philosophy Department where the lectures will focus on an introduction to critical social epistemology (epistemic injustice, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter). Students will also enjoyed a tour of the campus and discuss what studying at higher education is like with University staff and students. The visit was intended to compliment academic learning as students practice justifying beliefs and opinions and explore Philosopher in greater detail.
Maths at St Thomas More Catholic Academy
Within the Maths department this summer term we have had many amazing opportunities for students as well as hard work and dedication towards our summer GCSE Examinations. We wish all Y11s and Y13s the best of luck for their summer results.
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. Y10 take part in a more bespoke set of questions that link to real life Maths made by Mr Moore.
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 group for the entire year! Well done for continuing to exceed out of school within home learning – amazing work!
English
Bedrock Learning
Bedrock vocabulary
Over the past 12 months we have once again been celebrating all the amazing achievements in Bedrock Vocabulary. For outstanding progress made some of our students have been receiving a golden token to use in our book vending machine here in the library at St Thomas More Catholic Academy.
This has been a huge success with our pupils in years 7 & 8 who can choose a book to take home and be very proud of. We hope that this will continue to inspire our students to carry on with their love of reading some amazing books.
Bedrock Improvement since Sept 22 to June 23
Leader board: Average improvement
Year 7
Hasnain J 7Y1 480%
Hira K 7Y2 352%
Nikolas G 7Y4 256%
Daisy P 7Y3 211%
Ethan S 7X4 207%
Juveria M I 7Y1 153%
Huey McD 7X3 145%
Gabriel O 7Y1 120%
Jess C 7Y4 106%
Daniel M 7X3 98%
Year 8
Musa A 8Y1 520%
Samuel P 8Y2 399%
Waqas H 8X1 335%
Santijago L 8Y4 214%
Fahad J 8X3 204%
Cameron D 8Y1 199%
Hira S 8X1 165%
Mustaqim M 8Y3 161%
Ellie H 8X1 160%
Hermela G 8X4 149%
Book Launch - Jakub
On May 18th, a special evening was held at our school library to celebrate a wonderful achievement of one of our students. A book launch was held for our student Jakub Bilicki in Year 10. The book titled ‘Jakub: The boy with a dream to fly’ is a book that Jakub wrote based on his life story so far and his dream to become a pilot when he is older. Through his tireless efforts for the writing and publishing the book, he achieved something great, something that few people will ever achieve.
During the book launch many staff, students and parents attended to support Jakub. The evening started off with a Welcome from Miss S Beasley, our Head of Languages Faculty. Afterwards, we had Mrs Leese speak as the keynote speaker on the topic of books being our legacies and in Jakub’s case a story that will live on forever, immortalised in print. Moreover, Jakub is an inspiring student that many people can look up to. Once all the speaking was complete everyone got up to celebrate the achievement with music playing in the background...
Jakub’s book is available for purchase on Amazon for £7.99.
English Speaking Board
All students in Year 7 have successfully achieved their English Speaking Board qualification. Moreover, 5 students were awarded a Distinction and a further 66 achieved a Merit or Merit Plus.
The English Speaking Board is an internationally recognised qualification which focuses on developing students' oracy and English language skills to ensure that they can achieve their aspirations. As part of this programme, students delivered a speech to an external assessor, recited a poem and read an extract from a novel of their choice.
We are extremely proud of these fantastic results and the ambition demonstrated by Year 7 throughout the assessment process.
Well done to all involved!
Year 7 First Give
Selected groups of Year 7 students have taken part in the First Give project this year as part of their English lessons.
First Give is a project that encourages young people to tackle social issues in our society by raising funds and awareness of charities offering support with these issues.
The students spent several weeks researching their chosen charities and creating a social action to promote them. As part of the final, they had to present their work to a panel of external judges who selected a winning charity to receive £1000. Animal Lifeline was the winning charity.
The judges commented on how articulate the students were and the high level of content in their presentations. Well done to all the students and the winners.
Poetry Live
A group of Year 10 and 11 students had the fantastic opportunity to attend the prestigious Poetry Live! event in Nottingham in which they were inspired by poetry readings offered by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy and John Agard. In addition to presenting absorbing readings of their poems, poets were joined by Imitiaz Darker and Grace Nichols to respond to students’ questions, exploring connections across their poetry and their literary influences. These poets are explored as part of the English Literature GCSE course and therefore this was an invaluable experience for students.
This event not only included powerful poetry performances, but also provided students with an opportunity to work closely with AQA Chief Examiners, exploring the English Literature GCSE examination requirements.
Guten Tag!
From September 2023 we have an exciting new development taking place in the MFL department – the introduction of German to our curriculum!
German is a hugely important European language for business, trade, science and industry. This fact is being recognised by an increased number of employers who see the benefits of German speaking staff in the workplace.
The exciting introduction of German at St Thomas More will help to raise the profile of languages and contribute towards our goal of increasing uptake in EBACC subjects, thus broadening opportunities for our students.
This term, all year 9 pupils have had the opportunity to experience a German taster session where they have been introduced to the German language and phonics, as well as cultural aspects such as music, food and celebrities. Pupils responded to this positively and we are very much looking forward to teach the subject in year 9 and year 10 next year.
Book Club
This year, the Young Adult Fiction book club was launched with Year 10 students. Mrs Smith organised a weekly meeting where books were discussed and many biscuits were eaten! Students shared their own reading choices and made recommendations to each other. In addition, the book club read ‘Long Way Down’ by Jason Reynolds and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee and we discussed what we loved and loathed about these books. Book club members also played the role of reading ambassadors as they helped select texts for the MORE Reading form programme next academic year. Book club will continue next year with a new set of texts ready to be enjoyed!
English Campus Visit
On the 3rd July, Year 10 students were invited to participate in a range of lectures delivered by Staffordshire University. The day consisted of a variety of workshops including ‘Bringing Shakespeare to Life’ and a CSI Reading. This enrichment opportunity was funded through Higher Horizons and was a great opportunity for our students; provided an insight into reading English Literature at university.
GCSE English Language and English Literature Masterclasses
All Year 10 students have been treated to a series of English Masterclasses delivered by 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 a masterclass to the whole cohort, sharing top tips for success in English Language Paper One.
Science
Fab in the Lab
Throughout the year, students from Year 5 at our MAC Primary Schools have taken part in fortnightly online science sessions delivered by the Science department at St Thomas More. It has been a fabulous opportunity for our MAC Primary Schools to take part in the same sessions and to see (virtually) practical science in the labs at St Thomas More as well as taking part in practical activities in the classroom.
This half term, we have welcomed Year 5 students from all of our MAC primary schools to St Thomas More and they completed an investigation to find the best indigestion tablet.
Sabotage at The County Bake Off!
Year 12 Chemistry students have taken part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Schools' Analyst Competition this term. Teams of three worked together, competing against their peers at other regional schools in the national competition to find out who is sabotaging entries at The County Bake Off.
The challenge offered students the chance to apply their chemistry knowledge in a fun and rewarding way, with students needing to work together to solve the challenges, and answer tough questions.
We await the results of the competition to see whether any of our teams have been successful in making it into a second round against the other winning teams in our region for the chance to be crowned champions.
Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad
The Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad is a unique opportunity for students to push themselves further and excel in the Chemistry field. The Olympiad is the leading chemistry competition for secondary students across the British Isles. Budding chemists develop critical problem-solving skills, learn to think more creatively and get a chance to test their knowledge in new, real-world situations as they compete to represent the UK at the prestigious International Chemistry Olympiad.
There were 11,838 entries across the UK and two of our students from Year 13 took part.
Leila Totton achieved a bronze award, putting her in the top 72.1% of entrants while Kacper Moszczynski achieved a silver award putting him in the top 32.6% in the country. We are incredibly proud of the achievements of both students in one of the toughest Chemistry challenges.
Honours Workshop
The Science Honours Workshop this term involved the dissection of a shark. Dogfish sharks are small, bottom-dwelling sharks that live along the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines. They are able to travel long distances and their habitat ranges from the dark depths of 1000m to shallower waters. These saltwater fish are sometimes called rock eels and they are almost exclusively scavengers that prowl around the seabed. The students really enjoyed the opportunity to dissect these species however they were less keen on the smell!
Word for You Club
This term we have investigated God’s creation, such as magnetism, electricity, plants and even bubbles with activities including making a needle-compass, making a lemon-battery, growing marigolds and making bouncing-bubbles. The sessions include a bible trivia quiz and wise words from the bible.
Art Department
The theme of celebrating Catholic faith has been part of our curriculum for all of year 9 this year. Students have produced work inspired by Cubism as an inspiration for their own work.
This beautiful image created by our very talented artist, Naishe Mugwira 9JB, hangs proudly in Mr Rayner’s office. There are more examples in the board room and office corridor.
Praying hands
by Karolina, Alyssa, Emilia, 9TC.
This beautiful pencil crayon piece is currently being enlarged to 1m 20cm x 90cm and will be ready for display very soon.
Celebrating Catholic Life- Murals
A group of Year 9 Art Students were identified and split into 4 groups to work in the Art Department on a rota, to produce 4 large murals celebrating the catholic faith in the style of American Award winning artist Jen Norton. They have attending on a rolling rota, once a week for the past 2 weeks, completing afternoon sessions that continue after school to 4pm. We hope to have all 4 murals completed by the end of the summer term to display in prominent areas around the school!
Mrs Jones emailed Jen Norton to discuss the project with her and she is delighted that our students have been inspired by her work, and is very keen to see the outcome of their hard work. She creates stunning paintings inspired by her catholic faith, some of which more able year 9 students are currently replicating.
Geography
Over ninety year 11 geographers ventured out to the North Wales coastline for their second of two fieldworks as part of the GCSE course. We were blessed with the weather with not a cloud in the sky and Rhyl was baked with the spring sun. The students were absolutely amazing and were fully engaged in the collection of data in readiness for their Paper 3 exam. During the day we had students measuring coastal defences (groynes) and their effectiveness, investigating wave types and Long Shore drift, questioning the public and categorising land use along the primary waterfront. As well as all the hectic schedule students had time to explore Rhyl, play football on the beach and enjoy an ice cream.
Design and Technology
Year 10 have enjoyed a visit to the V&A Museum in London. During the visit they had opportunity to look at the work of Designers both National and International as inspiration for their own GCSE coursework.
The trip was a huge success students were able to draw, photograph and collect imagery that will be hugely beneficial to their own creative work.
Sixth Form
Steps2Medicine
This year we have had seven students complete the Steps2Medicine programme. This is a unique opportunity for year 12 students to prepare for making a medical school application. The programme consists of 5 interactions over the year and includes sessions such as:
- A day learning about the role of the Doctor
- An opportunity to take part in a lab-based session
- Complete a clinical placement day in a GP practice around Staffordshire
- A chance to complete a poster assessment
- Interview and MMI preparation
All of the students who participated within the programme have commented on what an invaluable and insightful experience they have had.
Sixth Form End of Year Awards
Here at St Thomas More, we are incredibly lucky to have a Sixth Form as part of our school community where the students work continuously to support those around them. Our newly appointed student president, Anna, has encompassed our school motto of "Aspire to be More" in the work which she has done throughout the Academy. Anna has participated in Arts on Angels, delivered an Honours Masterclass for students within the honours programme and organised several fundraising events for CAFOD. Thank you for all of your hard work Anna!
Further to Anna's success, the Sixth Form end of year awards saw Adeline receive the trophy for Sustained Effort and Progress in Sixth Form and Rahbot receive the prize for Catholic Life. Congratulations to Adeline and Rahbot, who have also both gone on to become Vice Presidents for the student body for the next academic year.
David Campbell Soccer: Portugal Trip
Our David Campbell Soccer students spent a week in Vilamoura, Portugal at a football training camp. The aspiring footballers had the opportunity to play against UK national youth players, as well as Portuguese professional and semi-professional sporting stars. At the Brown's Sport Resort, students were able to take full advantage of the state-of-the-art sports facilities where in the past teams such as the England National Rugby side and Club Football sides such as Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and Hibernian FC have trained. Y12, Alfie Brown, was particularly excited to meet Sporting Lisbon striker, Paulinho, as seen in the image.
Sixth Form Success
Y12 student Nura has successfully secured three exciting opportunities for this coming summer. Through the Social Mobility Foundation, Nura will be spending a week long placement at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, to help strengthen her aspirations of becoming a doctor. Furthermore, Nura is attending summer camp residentials at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge through UNIQ and The Sutton Trust programmes. We look forward to hearing how Nura gets on with these fantastic opportunities.
Y13 Leavers Meal
On Thursday 6th July, our Year 23 students came together for their leavers' event where they were able to reflect on their time at St Thomas More Catholic Academy and celebrate with their teachers. The event was held at The Quarter@Potbank and was an opportunity for students to be together as a year group for the last time. The students have worked incredibly hard throughout their time at Sixth Form and we would like to wish them every success in the summer.
Careers
5th July - Taster Day for year 10s at Reaseheath College.
Reaseheath taster day was the perfect opportunity for our aspiring Vetinary Nurses, Maitre Patissiers and Animal Management Experts to experience what it’s like to be a college student. They had the chance to attend classes, meet staff and students, and learn more about the courses offered.
Year 10 students explored the campus, participated in interactive workshops and activities, including baking and icing cakes, equine care and observing a vet in action at the stables, and got a feel for the student living.
Career Ready Internships
Our year 12 Career Ready student's opportunities to engage in paid work placements, up to 4 weeks long, as part of our post-16 careers programme. These structured meaningful work placements given young people the opportunity to develop vital career skills and employers the chance to attract diverse, local talent. We have secured placements with KMF Engineering, AMB Insurance services, Johnson’s Tiles, Alice Charity, Haywood's, Port Vale FC, Eurostar Global Electronics, Caudwell Children’s Charity, Stoke on Trent City Council and Fiskars.
Yr 11 Careers Advice over summer
For any year 11s who would like support beyond Unifrog: our Career Platform accessible to all students using their school email. Careers will be in school On A Level Results day and GCSE results day, and if you would like any help please email:
And find all guidance and information at the National Careers Service.
Performance Faculty
U16 Football
The U16 STM school football team played their last ever game representing the academy. Well done to all of the Y11 students who have represented the academy over the last 5 years. It has been a pleasure working with you.
Tennis
Tennis season started and it was great for the STM Y8 and Y10 boys teams to play their first league matches in the Staffordshire schools tennis leagues. Well done to all who participated!
The STM Y8 and Y10 boys tennis teams played in competitive tennis matches against different schools in the Staffordshire schools tennis leagues. Well done boys!
Athletics
The STM squad watched and supported those students in action at the city schools athletics championships. It was brilliant to see so many STM students who finished in the top 3 and qualifying for the county championships. Well done to all who participated.
Jonathan 300m Finals
Huge congratulations to Y9 STM student Jonathan Hodson, who represented Staffordshire in the Mason Trophy competing in the 300m event. He finished 2nd meaning he is the 2nd fastest Y9 300m athlete in the midlands! Amazing performance. STM are proud of you.
County Champion
County champion!! Well done to our Y10 STM student Kelvanoth Effah for winning the 100m final at the county athletics championships, where he represented the city of Stoke-on-Trent.
Performing Arts
It was great to see the dance club dancing their socks off with flips and cartwheels and a staggering lift at the year 5 taster day .
Lily wowed the year ’s with her confident hip hop style of dance to ‘Telephone’ by Lady Gaga and Year 10 Performing Arts put on an excellent display of physical theatre influenced by Frantic Assembly .
Mental Health
As a school we continue to work closely with the Mental Health Support Team to offer a whole school approach to wellbeing and mental health support. This term we have been able to offer small group drawing and talking interventions looking at emotional literacy and a bespoke exam stress and strategies programme for our Year 11 students who felt that they needed a little extra support in the run up to the exams. This was very well received and gave students the skills to approach their exams with confidence.
We are aware of lengthy waiting lists for services across the city and have looked to upskill staff to deliver some interventions in school. Mrs Williams has trained to deliver Wellbeing Workshops which run over 4 weeks looking at wellbeing, stress, helpful thinking and self-image to name a few topics.
A group of year 10 boys were the first to complete a Progressive Masculinity course. The two day course provided an opportunity to reflect on effective communication, anger management looking at de-escalation and self-regulation, attitudes towards education and masculinity in the digital world.
This week we are celebrating the appointment of our Sixth Form Mental Health Ambassadors. We are incredibly proud of the young people who have worked hard on a six week course with training from the NHS to qualify as ambassadors. The young people are now able to offer support to others in the school and will make a difference to the lives of those around them, empowering them to make a change. We look forward to supporting them on their journey and seeing the difference that they can make for others around the Academy. Through regular supervision and ongoing training opportunities the ambassadors will be equipped to support others but this will also be an excellent addition to their CV as they pursue next steps.
We continue to work towards the Wellbeing Award and are keen to hear any suggestions and feedback. Should you have any feedback please contact Kwilliams@stmca.org.uk.
Young Carers
We currently have 36 Young Carers at St Thomas More, and the group is set to grow yet further, with more year 6 children who are registered as Young Carers joining us in September.
St Thomas More provide a Young Carers Gift shop for our members, to help them provide Christmas gifts for their siblings and parents. We also encourage our Young Carers to access the gift shop for mother's day and father's day gifts each year. The gifts are donated items received from our staff and local community. Any additional donations are welcomed (such as toiletry gift packs, perfume, scented candles, picture frames, gift vouchers, small decorations / fancy goods, small toys / novelty items for young siblings, etc). All items must be new / in original packaging. Please contact the school office if you feel you can help. Any donations will be greatly received.
It was National Carers week on week commencing 5th June. Nationally, on Thursday 8th June, the country celebrated the work of Young Carers. St Thomas More was no exception. We held a 'ticket only' celebration pizza party, where the students had a slightly extended lunchtime, and they bought along an invited guest / friend also. It was a chance to 'chill out' and get some recognition for the additional roles they may have in their families / homes. We are extremely proud of these young people!
North Staffordshire Carers can provide additional support for children / families of Young Carers, including youth groups and forums for Young Carers, and also provide some activities during school holidays. The school has links with this organisation and can signpost parents / students as necessary.
Finally, we are aware that some young people may in fact be Young Carers but are not registered as such. If you feel that your child may be a Young Carer, please check out the link below:
https://www.carersfirst.com/copy-of-young-carers-1
If you still feel that you have a young person who may be a Young Carer, please contact school and we can arrange for an assessment to take place (we will complete the necessary paperwork on your behalf).
Mrs Staton is the Young Carers ambassador for St Thomas More, or contact your child's student support officer for their year group for more information.
Hygiene Bank
St Thomas More is registered with The Hygiene Bank (a people-powered charity), which provides hygiene products for disadvantaged families, such as soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, tooth brushes, deodorant, ladies sanitary products, mens shaving products, washing powder / laundry pods, fabric conditioner, toilet rolls - the list is endless. Our items are delivered by Tesco.
The cost of such items is increasing during this 'cost of living crisis', so we are seeing an increasing number of families accessing the support.
If you feel that your family needs some support, please contact your child's student support officer for their year group, who will advise you further.
September 2023
We hope everyone has a safe and happy summer holidays.
Some Key Dates for September:
Monday 4th September: INSET Day
Tuesday 5th September: INSET Day
Wednesday 6th September: All students return
Prospective Parents Open Evening
During the evening of Thursday 21st September, we will be hosting our annual Prospective Parents Open Evening. This is for students and their families, starting at St Thomas More Catholic Academy in September 2024.
This is an opportunity for families to come and meet the staff at St Thomas More Catholic Academy, explore our facilities and to meet current students in our community.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school on 01782 882900 or email office@stmca.org.uk
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