Published November 4, 2024
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
I hope this letter finds you well and that you have enjoyed a restful and positive Autumn Half-term break. I hope your children are looking forward to the second half of the Autumn Term at St Joseph’s. Our children have many opportunities ahead of them this term, keeping busy and aspiring to better themselves. I know that before we know it, the Christmas holiday will be upon us.
New Timings of the Day
The School Day has been slightly adjusted: Morning Form-time has been extended to 20 minutes, while Afternoon Form-time has been decreased to 10 minutes. This change will enable pupils to receive a longer pastoral check-in with their tutor each morning. Necessary information can be easily disseminated, ready-to-learn checks can take place to ensure everyone has the correct equipment, and assemblies will now occur at the start of the day. An enhanced early lunch/brunch menu is now available for pupils at the morning break, alongside the usual before-school breakfast provision and lunch offering.
Uniform and Equipment Expectations
The School continues to raise its standards regarding uniform, and our pupils are wearing their uniform with greater pride. I would like to ask parents for their continued support regarding uniform expectations. Key areas to note are: Blazers are to be always worn, not carried as an accessory (except at lunch/break if deemed appropriate or during specific lessons). Hoodies are not to be worn around the school site, and please ensure that your child has an appropriate coat as we approach colder weather. Jewellery is not to be worn at any time, unless for religious reasons. Nose studs and lip piercings are not allowed, alongside hoop earrings. Nail length must be short and of natural colour. For further clarification, please view page 18 of the School’s Behaviour Policy or click here.
Regarding your child’s pencil case, please ensure they have the correct equipment for lessons, including: Two blue/black pens, a purple and a red biro for improvements and peer marking respectively, pencils, pencil sharpener, rubber, ruler (15cm or 30cm), compass, protractor, and scientific calculator (the Mathematics Department will advise on the specific Casio model). We will be publishing our official Equipment List this term, with the expectation that every pupil will always have these basics. Please note that the School will continue to support pupils if equipment problems arise, so no learning time is lost.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities and Year 11 WIN Sessions
It is wonderful to see many of our pupils engaging with the extra-curricular provision, and I strongly encourage everyone to get involved. Educational research highlights that pupils actively participating in clubs and hobbies achieve better results in their examinations. If our children are involved in additional activities, are busy, and feel they belong, it will help them develop resilience, character skills, and support their studies as an antidote to the academic challenges in the classroom. The WIN Sessions are being launched for Year 11 to support the work occurring in lesson time, helping pupils achieve their best grades in the Summer GCSE Examinations.
ClassCharts
It is encouraging to see that many parents have signed into ClassCharts. This new communication portal is essential and will become the main avenue for school information. Over this term, we will be phasing out School Comms and Satchel One, with both becoming obsolete at the end of the term.
Parent Survey, Working Parties, and School Development
I am in the process of writing the School’s new three-year development plan and will be asking for parental views on the School, its strengths, and areas needing improvement. A survey will be published shortly, and I would appreciate as many responses as possible. Alongside this, we will be setting up the following four working groups: Academic, Pastoral, Extra-Curricular, and Marketing/Communication. If you wish to join them, please email headmaster@sjcs.org.uk.
Site Update
The School is pleased to announce that the School’s facilities management and cleaning have now been outsourced to Gen One. They have already completed many projects around the School, including the new canopy installation and kitchen refurbishment. We are confident that this partnership will support St Joseph’s site development and enable continued improvement, ensuring your children have the best possible learning environment.
If you have any further questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the Leadership Team and I wish you all a successful Autumn Term.
With kindest regards,
Matthew Higgins
Headmaster
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