HEADS OF YEAR

Year 7 – Mr N. Brown

Year 7 is where your St Joseph’s journey begins, and what a journey it will be! It all starts with transition days where you will get to know your tutors, new teachers and your way around the school building including the really important places like your tutor room, the canteen and reception.
 
You will have the opportunity to take roles such as Form Captain and Sports Captain and will undoubtedly receive hundreds of House Points, as well as Achievement Points which go towards special rewards trips at the end of the school year!
 
You will study subjects that you are familiar with and some that are new and exciting. There will also be sports clubs, art competitions and reading programmes to name but a few.
 
Most importantly, you will become a member of the St Joseph’s community – where we always do our best and mind our manners and where we always look after each other!

Year 8 – Mrs C. Blake

Year 8 is an exciting year as you will have found your place in the St Joseph’s community. This is the year where you can try new experiences and find your passion before choosing your option choices In KS4.  We have a dedicated careers team who introduce the world of work and careers which coincides with our PSHE Lessons. We also have additional 1-1 Career sessions with our PP and SEN Pupils. We start discussing careers early to ensure the pupils understand the purpose of education and make the most of all the experiences St Joseph's has to offer.
 
My vision is to educate the whole child holistically and to ensure they are prepared for life beyond the school gates. Opportunities at St Joseph's include extracurricular clubs, school trips such as the Kintbury Retreat and trips abroad such as the ski and the French trip. We also have a variety of sporting competitions, awards assemblies and charity events such as The Big Sleep, Wear it Pink and The Shoebox Appeal. This links strongly to our values as a school as we believe in giving back to the community through service and compassion for others in the community.

Through the continuation of our ethos, in Year 8 we have the opportunity to volunteer to help settle in the new Year 7s. This is through the “Buddy” System and House Events. From House competitions throughout the year and House Parties. This is hosted afterschool where they play team building games with their tutor group. The Year 8s help run the event to allow the Year 7s to get to know the people in their house whether it be Margaret, Francis, Vincent or Teresa. 
 
We are a team that shows great pride in all that we put our minds to which upholds our mantra of “do your best and mind your manners!”

Year 9 – Miss J. Snook

My vision as Director of Learning for Years is to effectively support pupils as they begin their GCSE journey and maintain this through to year 11, fostering an air of maturity as they do so.
 
I truly believe that helping pupils with this tricky step into a more independent way of learning requires a great deal of support, both pastorally and academically, as we help to manage pupils through the start of their option choices; as well as new aspects such as coursework and essay writing.
 
In Year 9 we also support the pupils in developing their teamwork, communication and leadership skills. This can range from peer mentoring either as a mentor or a mentee with a year 10 or 11 pupil, to taking part in House Competitions, as well as any extra-curricular activities that we encourage pupils to take part in.
 
We hope that by the time pupils finish Year 9, they have been holistically prepared to begin their GCSE studies and achieve their best results.

Year 10 - Miss C. Moss

As the Head of Year 10, my vision for this academic year revolves around effectively supporting our students as they navigate their GCSE journey and fostering a mature and empowered approach as they enter Year 11.

In Year 10, our focus is on the development of teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Students actively engage and are involved in peer mentoring, leadership roles, House Competitions, and explore various extracurricular activities to enhance their personal growth.

Understanding the increasing importance of careers and further education, our Year 10 students actively participate in our Work Experience programme, seamlessly integrated with our comprehensive Careers Education programme and supported by our dedicated Careers Lead, Miss Gale.

By the end of Year 10, our vision is for students to be holistically prepared to enter Year 11, equipped with the confidence and competence needed for the final steps of their educational journey. We strive to create an environment where academic excellence, personal growth, and a strong sense of community are at the forefront of our students' experiences.

Together, let's make this academic year a positive and empowering experience, focusing on growth, learning, and making the most of the opportunities on offer.

Year 11 - Miss C. Moss

Year 11 is arguably the most vital year of our pupils’ school life. We strive to place a level of importance on pupils’ academic progress whilst supporting them with life after Saint Joseph’s.
 
Our year group are highly valued members of the Saint Joseph’s community and participate actively in whole school life. They act as role models in our school, initiatives such as being a prefect or mentoring, aid not only the younger pupils but give our Year 11s the opportunity to develop leadership skills.
 
We strongly value our pupils’ thoughts and perspectives and actively engage with them, in order to give ownership to their own studies and outcomes. We have high expectations of our pupils, teamed with an outstanding level of pastoral support from our tutor team. We aim to foster positivity within our team and nurture their aspirations for the future.