Published January 27, 2023
Dear parent/carer,
Industrial Action: Wednesday 1st February
After careful consideration of the information currently available to us and a risk assessment of health and safety and safeguarding factors, we have made the decision that St Joseph’s Catholic School will be closed to Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 students on Wednesday 1st February. School will be open to the following students:
- Year 11 students
- Vulnerable Students as defined by the DFE.
- Students whose parents are employed on the day of the strike in the emergency response services or critical care service.
If you believe your child is vulnerable or you are a parent/carer who works for the emergency services or within the critical care service, you are asked to click on this link to book a place in school.
If your child is attending school due to being in one of the above categories, a range of cold food and snacks will be available to be purchased from the canteen at both break and lunch, alternatively students can bring their own packed lunches. Due to teachers striking, they will not be in a position to lead remote learning sessions, therefore, students at home will be provided with work to complete and this will be accessible from the school website via the links below:
Whilst we are aware the strike action taken is not against the school, we are very sorry for the disruption this will cause you.
Year 10 Careers
Over half of the Year group attending a careers fair on Tuesday jointly hosted by Salisbury 6th Form College and Wiltshire College – it gave the pupils plenty of food for thought for their next steps when they have completed their GCSEs. They had the opportunity to talk with colleges, local employers and also careers advisers.
Also on Tuesday, 10 Year 10 GCSE drama pupils had a fantastic time at Salisbury Playhouse partaking in a variety of performing arts and theatre workshops led by Wiltshire Creative. The workshops consisted of costume and set design, light and sound and acting workshops. A fabulous time was had by all, and the pupils did the school proud!
Year 11 Exams
The mock exams officially came to an end today with the art exam. I must say, we are delighted with how the year group has embraced this set of mock exams. There has been an evident determination from the pupils and the conversations I have been having with many Year 11s have been overwhelmingly positive. The vast majority feel that these mocks have gone much better than their first set of mocks in September. The conversations with teachers who have been busily marking away also confirm this to be the case too! Well done to Year 11!
We will be sending home results sheets to parents prior to the February half term so that you can see your child’s target grade, September mock grade and January mock grade too.
Belgium Battlefields Trip: February Half Term
A reminder that there will be an information evening next Tuesday evening from 6pm at the school.
The Big Sleep
This year, we will once again be supporting Alabare’s Big Sleep at Salisbury Cathedral. The date for this year’s event is Friday 10th March and early indications from around school suggest that this could be another bumper participation from St Joseph’s!
To take part, your child needs to be 14 years old or older from March 10th. This means that all of Year 10 and 11 are eligible to take part and some pupils in Year 9. Form tutors are currently gauging interest from their tutees.
Youth Adventure Trust: The Virtual Resilience Challenge
Get outside as a family this February half term and take on 25km, 65km, 100km or 200km to support vulnerable young people. Sign up for FREE and win a medal when you raise over £25! Please see the flyer below for more information (click on the image to see the full-size flyer).
Coming Up Next Week
- Assemblies on Truth led by Directors of Learning
- Tuesday: Table Tennis tournament & HW club after school, Battlefields Trip Information evening (6pm)
- Wednesday: Industrial Action
- Thursday: HW club before and after school
- Friday: House Comp – tag rugby, Year 11 Food Tech pupils completing their 3rd practical cook for their NEA (good luck!)
Achievement Points Race
- 1st place: Margaret House, 21,790 points
- 2nd place: Vincent House, 20,309 points
- 3rd place: Teresa House, 17,804 points
- 4th place: Francis House, 16,616 points
Have a lovely weekend!
Mr Rooney