ONECorpus Christi Catholic High School VOICESpring 2014 A HOLY TEAM OF READ ALL RETREAT THE YEAR ABOUT IT Pupils visit Castlerigg The PE department Pupils mark Manor. are celebrating a World Book Day. fantastic win. Giving our PUPILS YEAR 11 PUPILS ARE BmoreEING GIVEN SUPPORT TO PREPARE FOR THEIR SUMMER EXAMS ONE VOICE 1 CONTENTS WELCOME elcome to this first edition of our new school referred to our plans to improve progress and attainment as ‘well- ONE VOICE | SPRING ‘14 magazine ‘One Voice’. shaped’. We have much to celebrate as a school and A major priority this term has been to ensure that our Year 11 our termly magazine will capture some of the pupils attain the best possible GCSE results this summer. Colleagues highlights of our life as a school community. In have worked extremely hard to develop our new Year 11 Revision future editions we also hope to include articles Programme, which was launched with parents on Monday 10 March. 4 Helping Our Pupils to Achieve Success reflecting the many outstanding successes achieved by our former All pupils in Year 11 were provided with an individualised revision plan 6 Visiting Vibrant Media City Wpupils. setting out the revision work that they need to complete each day during the revision period. The response of Year 11 to our Revision Since April 2013 Corpus Christi Catholic High School has undergone Programme has been very impressive with the vast majority of pupils 8 A Refereeing Honour a period of rapid and significant change. Visitors to our school working very hard indeed to keep up with their revision work. We 9 A Lifesaving Donation frequently tell us that Corpus Christi looks and feels like a different wish all our Year 11 pupils every success in the forthcoming GCSE school. Pupils are wearing a smart new uniform, attendance has examinations. 10 The Art of Storytelling improved markedly, the proportion of good and outstanding teaching has more than doubled, progress and attainment have improved The successes that we have achieved so far as a school are very 12 Revisiting Castlerigg significantly and there has been a transformational change in pupils’ much a product of the strong and positive team approach that has behaviour both in class and around the school. characterised the work of all colleagues since our Ofsted inspection 14 Geographers Head Into the Field last year. There is no doubt that colleagues are working exceptionally We attach great importance to our life as a school community, hard to bring about improvements and that this hard work is making 16 Staying Safe Online but Corpus Christi is more than just a very strong community. At a significant difference. 17 Making a Difference the centre of our life as a school and at the heart of the positive relationships that characterise our Corpus Christi ‘way of life’ is Jesus School life, however, is not just about examination success. In this 18 Team of the Year Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. In the weeks leading up to Holy Week magazine you will see something of the great diversity of experience and the sacred three days of the Paschal Triduum, we have set aside that pupils enjoy at our school: talent competitions to raise money 20 Boosting Year 6 Maths time this term to enable our pupils to reflect on the call to conversion for charity; retreat days; author visits; educational trips; learning how and Jesus’ sacrifice in giving himself up to death on the cross. to safely put out a fire and a great deal more. I hope that you find 21 A Lesson in Fire Safety our new magazine interesting and informative. If you would like to 22 Our Lenten Journey During the final two weeks of term all pupils took part in a liturgy to arrange a visit please contact me at school. prepare for Holy Week and on the final Tuesday of term we gathered 24 A Reading Celebration together as a school community to celebrate our Holy Week Masses. Pupils in Key Stage 3 have also prayed the Stations of the Cross 26 Making Radio Waves during Lent and all pupils have had an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We owe a great debt of gratitude to all 14 what’s inside? 27 Taking to the Stage of the clergy in our feeder parishes who give so much of their time to David Hubbard supporting our work as a Catholic school. Headteacher Over the last twelve months, there has been a relentless and ambitious drive to secure improvements in all of the areas identified by Ofsted in April 2013. In November we were visited again by Mr Eric Craven, registered inspector and former HMI, whose very positive report 24 12 Corpus Christi Catholic High School, St Vincent’s Road, Editor: Sarah Johnson Preston, Photographs: Sarah Johnson PR2 8QY Tel: 01772 716912 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.ccc.lancs.sch.uk 2 ONE VOICE ONE VOICE 3 lessons to ways that they feel are appropriate for the context of the impacted positvely on their learning. Similar subject days are being subject. held for compulsory subjects, English, Maths, Science and Religious Studies. Supporting a variety of different teaching and learning Year 11 pupil, Tianna Goulbourne feels like the Options Days have styles throughout the subjects ensures that the pupils retain as much helped her to improve her work. information as possible in preparation for the summer examinations. She said: “The options days have been really useful. I’ve been able Assistant Headteacher, Mrs Botes said: “Each Options Day has been HELPING PUPILS to complete coursework and re-learn some topics that I wasn’t that really successful and the pupils have benefitted hugely. The beauty of confident with.” spending a full day on one subject, means that subjects aren’t limited to time constraints and for those subjects that are practical-based, During ‘Option A‘ day, pupils on the pupils can complete large amounts of their Child Development course were given work in the day.” an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the serious issues Year 11 pupils also took part in a study skills TO ACHIEVE of Child Protection and Safeguarding Pupils were engaged day on Wednesday, delivered by ‘Positively in different childcare settings. Corpus Mad’ an education service provider that works Christi’s own school based social worker “ to help pupils prepare for their examinations. visited the group with a colleague to lead in learning new Throughout the day pupils were engaged in a workshop session. learning new ways to study and were taught effective techniques. They filled in workbooks The active session gave the group a range ways to study and “ that focused on motivation, how to balance success of different case studies to analyse and revision, how to learn effectively and the best Increasing pupils’ subject knowledge has been the focus during a series of discuss, and then social workers evaluated were taught revision techniques, such as: the 20 words and explained how the consequences of effective test and the journey technique. Options Days and revision sessions for Year 11 pupils this term, offering their choices would work in professional settings as nursery practitioners, teachers techniques. ‘Positively Mad’ also held a session for them more ways to learn. or medical staff. parents later in the afternoon which was well received with many positive comments from Child Development teacher, Mrs parents and pupils. Thompson said: “Teaching pupils this ear 11 pupils have been preparing for the start of the summer study period with a variety of different revision events. way and giving them access to workshops, allows them to engage Year 11 pupil, Vicky McElhone enjoyed the ‘Postively Mad’ revision in the subject in a diverse way, which may not normally happen in an skills day. To launch the Revision Programme, parents and pupils were invited into school for an information evening to hear about their everyday lesson. child’s personal revision plan. The plans, which have been created by Year 11 subject teachers, have been tailored specifically to She said: “It was a really helpful day, which I was extremely interested each pupils’ needs and detail exactly what and when revision should be completed. The event saw a fantastic attendance rate of “The pupils were very appreciative of the workshop sessions and in. I think one of the most valuable things that I learnt was how to over 90%, with all parents and pupils leaving feeling positive about revision. were complimented by the social workers for asking probing and effectively use a mind map.” challenging questions about the child protection issues and of their The programme which has been launched this year follows on from successful revision study days, known as ‘Options Days’, where Year 11 work as social workers.” Fellow pupil, Luke Platt added: “I’m not looking forward to revision, pupils spent full days working to complete their coursework, refresh topics and work on exam questions. The subjects that pupils chose as but I am confident now and feel prepared for it. The Revision Y Evaluations of the Options days have been extremely positive, Programme has really helped me to get organised.” options in Year 9 were the focus during the study days, with subjects including: History, ICT, BTEC PE, Resistant Materials, Physical Education, Engineering, Graphics, Geography, Drama, Dance and Child Development all being taught. All teachers have dedicated learning strategies in with almost all Year 11 pupils agreeing that the Options Days had 4 ONE VOICE ONE VOICE 5 VISITING VIBRANT MEDIA CITY Pupils were engaged in History and Media when they spent a day in Salford, visitng the media hub of the north - Media City UK.