Dear Parents/Carers, 

Welcome to the September edition of Heart News. The new term has started so well, with students settling into school routines and great study habits.  

This month we had our Open Evening for prospective students in Year 6 who are interested in choosing Sacred Heart as their secondary school for 2025. It was a wonderful and very busy evening which would not have run so smoothly without our student volunteers – and there were over 140 girls who stayed after school to support this event! Our Junior Choir and soloist Celia Ruane were all in fine voice and wowed their audience of Year 6 students and their families with their performances. So many parents commented on how wonderful their student guides were during the evening. Thank you to all staff and students involved in making our first big school event of this new academic year such a success. 

Study Club 

Study Club has started again this week and is already being well attended by students from all Year groups, showing how committed to their studies our girls are and that they want to complete any work they have been set.  

Study Club is a voluntary after school club where students of all ages can come and work on homework or catch-up studies with the help of teachers in our Library area from 3.30 – 4.30pm every night. It is particularly useful to those students doing GCSE courses as it provides them with another opportunity to revisit the work done in class. Study Club has at least 3 teachers each evening. There are different subject specialists available each night, but the staff are there to offer general support to all students with homework/tasks across all subject areas. The club has PC and printing facilities. The Study Club timetable is available on our website. 

Extra-Curricular Offer at Sacred Heart 

Just to remind you that we have a huge extra-curricular offer here.  My auditorium assembly this month focused on this and gave a clear message encouraging all students to attend at least one club, either at lunchtime or after school, which will broaden their horizons and allow them to meet and make new friends.  

Please follow the link to our Extra Curricular Booklet for Autumn 2024: 

https://www.sacredheart-high.org/_files/ugd/872c7b_8e41d608ce06435eb7d9864718090cf5.pdf 

School Website 

Our website is updated regularly and has a wealth of information for both students and parents. Please spend some time looking at the website, especially the ‘Parents’ and ‘Students’ tabs as many of the questions raised in the most recent parental survey can be easily answered by visiting the website. www.sacredheart-high.org 

Personal Development 

We also have a Personal Development blog that is updated regularly with news, events, school trips, sport and success stories. It is a great way to find out what is happening both in and out of school.  

Thank you for all your support so far this term. 

Mrs Howell   

Headteacher 

At Sacred Heart Catholic High School, we value student and parent voice. The ideas and opinions of our students, parents and carers help shape our school. Every year we conduct a student survey and also regularly survey parents on issues such as: pastoral care (including bullying, prejudice and safeguarding); our Sacred Heart Ethos and culture; teaching and learning; and CIAG (Careers and ‘next steps’).

104 of our GCSE Geography students went to the Lake District this month to collect data. They carried out an investigation about the characteristics of a river meander and an investigation into the impact of tourism in Keswick.

Huge congratulations to three of our brilliantly talented students who performed The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the Holloway Garden Theatre in July.

We are proud to welcome sixteen Year 12 students onto our established Peer Supporter Programme, aimed at building positive relationships with Year 7 students. Peer Supporters are there to guide, listen and support Year 7 students through their first year at Sacred Heart, helping them overcome any issues they may encounter.

On Wednesday 25th September, 45 students from Year 12 attended an afternoon workshop on applying to Oxford, making a competitive application and the importance of super-curricular engagement.

On Thursday 26th September the A-Level Drama students attended Northern Stage to watch Mike Leigh’s 1970’s classic comedy ‘Abigail’s Party’ directed by Jack Bradfield, the winner of Peter Hall’s Director Award 2023.

A group of Year 11 GCSE students took part in a rock-climbing session this month as part of their practical assessment. This showcased not only their physical abilities but also their strong teamwork and support for each other.

Twelve of our Year 8 Goals Ambassadors participated in our biannual Heart Fest celebrations this month. This special event brings together all five Sacred Heart schools within the English Network to celebrate our achievements in living out the Sacred Heart Goals.

This month sees the start of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Goals

Students have been actively participating in their Tutor Groups this month to become the Goals Ambassador representative for this academic year.

The last weekend of September saw the last 2 groups of Year 11 students take on their Bronze DofE assessed expedition.

Thursday 26th of September is European Day of Languages.

We are very proud to announce that the fantastic take up of the National Citizen Service opportunity by Sacred Heart's Y11 has been recognised by the organisation.

Career of the week for Monday, 9th September focuses on General Practice.

Each form must nominate a Sports Captain for the year.

Sacred Heart's science based STEM club - the Sacred Heart STEM Society, will be starting on Thursday 26th September.

Goals ambassadors help the rest of their Tutor Group and the school community live out the 5 Sacred Heart Goals.

All students in Years 9 to Year 13 have received details of a careers event looking at NHS opportunities.

All after school clubs will begin the week beginning 9th September, apart from Cricket (Thursdays) which will begin on 19th September. 

Unifrog have published a new list of webinars for students and their families this half term.

The first meeting of the School Council will be held in En1 at breaktime on Monday 9th September.

We have always been very proud of our Alumnae here at Sacred Heart. We were made aware by the Society of the Sacred Heart that four ex-students from UK Sacred Heart Schools had become MPs in the recent State Opening of Parliament.