Eight weeks?! 

I don’t think I’ve come across an eight week Term 1 before during my teaching career, but it feels more like eight months since we all returned to school, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, way back in September. I am full of admiration for our Sixth Form students who have continued to come in, day after day, and show total commitment and dedication to their subjects across this long and challenging term. A well-earned rest awaits them. 

It’s easy to forget that this has been Year 12’s first term as part of our Sixth Form - they already seem like part of the furniture. They have proven themselves to be a wonderful addition to our community. As a cohort they are warm, bright and focused on having a positive impact on our school. No students exemplify this more than our brand new Deputy Head Students, Oscar Pearson, Eve Osborn and Theeban Mahesan. We look forward to seeing all the brilliant things they will achieve in the role. 

We have crammed an awful lot into these eight weeks. Going back to the start, we had our now annual study skills and team-building day, with internal and external providers emphasising the importance of independent practice, wider reading and organisation, as well as some rigorous team activities courtesy of the Army.

We have had a wealth of other external providers drop in to provide pathways advice and enriching opportunities: the University of Bath delivered as session on student finance, local institutions the Bristol Robins and Academy of Gymnastics outlined their own unique offerings; Exeter University introduced students to one of the UK’s finest academic institution; and Project Trust popped in to speak our young people about incredible, globetrotting Gap Year opportunities. We also continued our long-term collaboration with the University of Bristol via their Access to Bristol scheme - massive congratulations to the students who were successful in their application and will be spending time across Autumn and Spring getting a taste of higher education. 

A special well done also goes out to our early applicants - those students who apply for Oxford, Cambridge, Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science. The early UCAS deadline comes around quickly, but the standard of applications we sent away this year was strong and we’re optimistic of interviews and offers to follow. 

One of the most important days of our calendar awaits in the first week of Term 2: Sixth Form Open Evening on November 7th. Thanks in advance to the staff and students who make this evening tick, and for all the Year 11 families who have already signed up. Booking for this event is essential, as we are likely to reach capacity, so secure your place at this link. We look forward to seeing you. 

Wishing you a restful, calm, and spooky half term break.

Mr Davies, Head of Sixth Form

When I was first offered the opportunity to spend three weeks of my summer at the University of Cambridge taking part in ISSOS’s summer programme I was thrilled and extremely excited, however I was also nervous and apprehensive about spending so long away from home with people I had never met. I had doubts and worries but pushed myself to attend it and I have never been so glad. ISSOS offered me the summer of a lifetime with endless opportunities to meet new people, try new things, step out of my comfort zone and build my character. I wouldn't change my ISSOS experience for the world. 

When I first arrived my nerves were obvious. I was greeted by such lovely counsellors who assured me that the nerves were normal and I was not alone in this. Already I felt so much more comfortable.  Meeting my group of girls and counsellors who were going to be my family for the next 3 weeks gave me hope that I had nothing to be worried about. I started to feel silly for being so anxious upon my arrival, however when I got to know everyone and spoke out about it I was indeed not alone in my feelings. We all bonded so quickly and strongly. ISSOS gave us all the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures and lives and how we all differ from one another. The range of sports events and day trips we all had together brought us so close, but not just these, even during our downtime we grew so much closer with each other. Spending time in each other's rooms, playing games in the garden, sitting in the kitchen together before lights out. Even the small things helped us grow as a group. We started off as strangers and finished being life long friends who live in every corner of the world.

It wasn't just my friends that made the summer such an amazing experience for me. The teachers, who were experts in their subjects, were incredible people. My journalism teacher Emily was an inspiration to me in this subject. She made me exceedingly comfortable to ask as many questions as I needed, helped me in each area I needed help in and made it possible for me to excel and learn more about this subject. On top of all of this she was also an amazing person. My theatre teacher Amy was no different. Her bubbly and joyful personality made our classes so much fun. She helped us all grow in confidence and pushed us out of our comfort zones. Each group had a counsellor who looked after us outside of our academics and electives. I had the pleasure of having Laila as mine. She was the most incredible person I interacted with. She made our group feel so special and cared for. She was always there when we needed her and never let any one of us pass up an opportunity. Head counsellors Donald and Helen deserve a massive thankyou for making the three weeks so enjoyable for all of us. They really were a great team and made sure each and every one of us had the best time. All the counsellors were amazing and made me feel extremely comfortable the entire time I was there. I want to say thank you to the entire ISSOS team for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime with unforgettable memories. I wouldn't change a thing about it and couldn't have asked to share it with better people. Thank you ISSOS. 

Maddy Thomas, Year 13 student

Time has flown since the start of this academic year, especially as it represents my first year as Assistant Headteacher at St Katherine's and my first year with the privilege of overseeing our exceptional House Championship. 

We have primarily focused on attendance to school this term. We place a great deal of importance on students making the most of every learning opportunity available to them and being in school as much as they possibly can. The House Competition is won and lost on the ethos competitions and I have been delighted to see that this first ethos competition has been very closely fought with each Head of House giving students weekly updates in assembly about their performance.

All four houses were neck and neck on their overall attendance but it was Stephenson who gained the top sport over the first 8 weeks of this academic year. 

We have a renewed focus on reading at school. We know it is the single most important thing that students can do to ensure their success. Therefore, the House Championship competition is heavily loaded with competitions that promote reading for everyone - the Accelerated Reader Competition, the reading log competition for Years 7-9, and the Bucket List reading competition for Year 10 will weave throughout this academic year. We have also held many other smaller competitions this term, including Fun Fix Friday quizzes and a basketball shooting competition, plus the outstanding 'European Day of Languages Bake Off' which saw some incredible bakes brought in by students for judgment. 

We're off to a great start and the early results show that Stephenson are leading with Turing in hot pursuit. Yousafzai take third spot with Pankhurst in fourth. There is still huge gains to be made over the year so watch this space!

Mrs Humphries, Assistant Headteacher

There is always a sense of anticipation as we start a new academic year and this year was no different. Will the new year 7's settle in well? How will the year 10's manage the step up to GCSE? How will the year 11's cope with the increased pressure? How well are we going to do in the House Championship this year? How will our new tutors settle in? And the end of term one is the perfect time to sit back and reflect on this.

I'm delighted to report that the new year 7 cohort has settled in extremely well under the careful tutelage of Mr. Jones. They thoroughly deserved to win the tutor group of the term prize for their efforts this year. Their victory was hard fought though and they were pushed close by the year 8's and year 9's who also had an excellent start to the year. The majority of our year 10's are enjoying the start of their GCSE's reporting that being in different classes and studying new subjects is something they are enjoying and many of them were rightly pleased with their progress report that came out at the end of term. Our year 11's similarly are settled and focussed on completing their courses and revising for their forthcoming mock exams.

In terms of the House Championship we find ourselves in fourth place having finished bottom in the two major Ethos competitions. It was very very close in both the Attendance Competition and the 'Good Start' competition and we have to accept that we just came up short and will need to work hard next term to make up this ground.  

We are looking forward to the challenge next year brings and also the half term break

Mr Murdoch, Head of Pankhurst House

A new year began as we welcomed our new year seven cohort, as well as welcoming new Stephenson tutors in Miss Smart, Miss Bryant, Miss Allen and Mr Dawes. Welcome to the team!

Huge thanks go out to the house leaders Izzy Healy-Heart, Joel Kambu and Fin Kelly. They have continued their exceptional work leading the Stephenson students by example. Their help in assemblies, representation at house council meetings and modeling of uniforms has helped to show our younger students how to be a Stephenson Superstar. Thanks gang!

The journey to retaining the house championship for a fourth year in a row began with the tutor noticeboard competition. Unusually, we came in third place. Motivated by this slow start, Stephenson teams performed well in the Black History Month canteen quiz and shoot the hoop competition, taking the silver medal in both. Our English faculty ties shone through when our year sevens won the Roald Dahl library competition. Well done year 7!

A highlight of the first term is always the European Day of Languages Bake Off contest. This year was a Stephenson success story with Alfie Elwell (7S2) taking second place and Matthew Thomas (7S2) coming in third. A special recognition award was bestowed on Charlie Stokes (7S1) for his extraordinary and delicious creation.

As an English teacher, I am always excited to see my house on top of the reading competitions and term one was a clean sweep. We came top in the reading log competition for years seven and eight. We also won out in the year 9 bucket list review contest. 

Special mention to Plum Marris in 8S who quizzed six (6) books on the first day back after the summer break. The fact that one of these was Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace meant that Plum became a reading millionaire on the first day of term. This is an incredible feat that has never been done before and I cannot believe will ever be done again (except maybe by Plum).

The ethos contest this term was all based around attendance. While we cannot help the occasional bout of illness or the odd injury, the resilience that is required to maintain good attendance does not go unnoticed here at St Katherine’s. Stephenson has won the ethos contest for the first term and I am really grateful for everyone’s hard work and effort.

I am deeply proud to be leading this group of students through their time at this school and I know that together we can achieve great things because through adversity comes progress.

Mr Court, Head of Stephenson House 

At Turing House, the values of unity, determination, and community spirit are key to success, both in the classroom and on the field. Just as athletes give their all in a relentless game, so too does Team Turing as we begin the school year. This analogy captures the energy, focus, and dedication required from every student, teacher, and member of our house and school community.

We extend a warm welcome to our newest members from 7T1 and 7T2. Transitioning into a new school environment can be daunting, but these students have not only adapted—they’ve thrived. Their positive approach to lessons and strong sense of unity set a promising tone for their academic journey.

It’s equally uplifting to witness our older students embody empathy and support, remembering their own challenges in Year 7. Many have taken the initiative to mentor and guide the newcomers, displaying both maturity and the tight-knit community spirit that defines St Katherine’s.

We are also excited to welcome four new Turing Tutors: Miss Ellison (7T1), Mrs Holmes (7T2), Mr Jones (8T), and Mr Payne (9T1). Their dedication to both Turing House and the well-being of our students has been exceptional, and we feel fortunate to have them. The pastoral team’s efforts are continuously bolstered by the leadership shown by our students. With great pride, I introduce our outstanding Turing Leadership Team, listed below…

House Leaders: Liam and Cerys

Deputy House Leaders: Manon and Lucas
11T1: Naimah and Bella

11T2: Lola and Malek

10T: Ohemaa, Kelisa, Emily, Eli

9T1: Olivia and Billy

9T2: Sid and Walter

8T: Reece and Baptiste

7T1: Carys and Charlier

7T2: Isla and Harrison B

Once again, the members of Turing House have risen to the challenges set before them, and I take immense pride in celebrating their achievements in this newsletter. Each success is a reflection of the core values and motto that define our house:

Turing Values: Determination, Acceptance, Unity

Turing Motto: “The strength of the team is each individual member, the strength of each member is the team”

A special mention goes to seven remarkable students who have truly excelled. Among them, Otto Penn stands out as a leader, setting a high standard for his peers. His achievements, both academically and in extracurricular activities, are a testament to his relentless effort and determination.

Top praise earners in each Turing tutor group:

7T1: Freddie Trenchard - 238 praises

7T2: Elliott Sims -  227 praises 

8T: Azumi Lucas - 217 praises

9T1: Otto Penn - 307 praises

9T2: Walter Rogers - 257 praises

10T : Emily James- 210 praises

11T1: Naimah Dolla - 176 praise 

11T2: Isobel Charlewood- 186 praises

Triumphant Termly Turings

The Triumphant Termly Turing's award honours students who truly embody the values of Turing House. This recognition is not only a powerful motivator but also helps foster a positive and supportive environment within our house. Many of these students have undergone an inspiring journey of growth since last year, transforming their approach to learning and making valuable contributions to their tutor groups and the house as a whole.

Celebrating these individuals highlights their hard work and dedication while also providing a shining example for their peers to follow.

Congratulations to the seven Triumphant Turings for their outstanding achievements. Recognising their efforts reinforces the idea that positive behaviour has a ripple effect, inspiring the entire Turing community.

• 7T1: Freddie Trenchard - For your consistent hard-work and motivation, for supporting Turing as our Yr 7 captain's assistant but mostly for always being so polite and helpful - this has been noticed by many of your teachers!
• 7T2: Elliott Sims - For throwing yourself fully into St Kaths life - getting involved in extra curricular sport. Also trying your best at all things and being kind and polite!
• 8T: Sofia Mueller - Sofia consistently puts her best foot forward. She is kind, helps others and works really hard in lessons. She takes part in school clubs and house competitions and is making the most of what St Katherine's has to offer!
• 9T1: Billy Watson - For being a role model to the tutor group! Well done for making a great start to Year 9, and for your passion and commitment to your music!
• 9T2: Walter Rogers - For being a fantastic role model to the rest of the tutor group: kind, hard working and conscientious.
• 10T: Emily James - For making a brilliant start to your GCSE studies. Well done for being mature, responsible and always doing your best!
• 11T1: Naimah Dolla - For leading and collaborating on a range of extra curricular activities this term whilst remaining a hard working student who is committed to their GCSE revision.
• 11T2: Sam Mwangi - For leading the BHM football match and maintaining academic excellence going above and beyond the in classroom expectations

House Championships:

Finally, I would like to turn my attention to the on-going House Competition. Turing House has enjoyed some success in the Inter House Competition over recent years. However, last year saw Turing finish in second place for a third year running. This year, the 2024/25 House Championship will see the blue ribbon of Turing House tied to the prestigious House Cup!

Turing House has seen some notable successes in various areas of the House Competition, particularly in the reading challenges: Accelerated Reader, Reading Logs, and the Bucket List. A special shout-out goes to 9T1 and 9T2 for finishing first in the Reading Log competition, and to 7T1, 7T2, and 8T for securing second place—fantastic work all around! I’d also like to recognize Freddie Kingdon for stepping up and leading the way in the Bucket List Challenge. His efforts have no doubt helped secure Turing House's first-place finish in this competition!

In the FunFixFriday and themed house competitions, we’ve once again found ourselves neck-and-neck with Stephenson, frequently alternating between first and second place. A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the European Day of Languages Baking Competition. There were some incredible entries, but it was our very own Isla Speed from 7T1 who took the crown as the European Baking Champion! Well done, Isla—your dedication truly shows that you are "True Blue"!

With Term 2 packed with even more house competitions, I encourage every Turing student to get involved. Remember, we are one house, and only by working together can we achieve greatness. Every contribution, no matter how small, plays a vital role in shaping our success.

Enjoy your break, and come back ready to tackle new challenges with fresh energy and determination to reach your goals!

Mrs Price, Head of Turing House

I am so excited to be writing this as the new Head of Yousafzai house, and what a term it has been. 8 weeks of getting to know all of the fantastic students Yousafzai house has to offer. We have welcomed the new year 7 cohort, who have had a marvellous start at St Katherine’s, along with a new tutor joining our house team - welcome to Miss Taylor (10Y2). 

7Y have been a standout highlight for me, contributing to the house ethos competitions and achieving an outstanding amount of praise points collectively. The journey from primary to secondary can be challenging and daunting, yet all of 7Y have shown real resilience and aspiration in their new setting so far, paving the way for other tutor groups in the house and setting excellent examples. 7Y have spent most of this term treasuring the coveted elephant trophy for winning tutor group of the week numerous times. It has become a part of the furniture in their tutor base. Our in-house competition this term was for the best attendance and behaviour, with the winning tutor group winning baked treats of their choice. 7Y heard about this on the first day, and haven’t dropped the ball since. Their determination and persistence in pursuit of a tasty treat has been great to see. I hope they enjoyed their chocolate brownies as a celebration on their final day of term. I know Miss Venn did! We will continue this tradition each term, with a new focus in Term 2 and a fresh slate. It is anyone’s for the taking and I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out on top.

The older years have also stepped up, showing our values of aspiration, friendship and determination in their lessons, around school and through supporting their house in many ways this term. We have a new Yousafzai Leadership Team, who I am very excited to work with this year, and who have already been supporting each week in assemblies and collaborating with tutor reps to look at suggestions for developing aspects of St Katherine’s. 

Our house leaders for this year are Archie Vine and Yuvraj Singh, who I am certain will be excellent leaders, role models and inspirations for their peers. Their hard work, dedication and commitment to being the best version of themselves is clear to see. Gavin Clapson and Laurie Gisborne are our deputy house leaders, who have provided excellent support and leadership so far this term. I am very much looking forward to seeing what they can do throughout the remainder of this academic year. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming every student into our house assemblies this term and celebrating all of their contributions to Yousafzai house. It has made me immensely proud to recognise our Marvellous Malala’s each week, who have been nominated by their tutors for outstanding effort, aspiration and friendship. It is wonderful to hear so many examples from teachers, of Yousafzai students supporting each other through difficult days, checking in with each other and building resilience as they embrace new situations and experiences in school. 

Last year, Yousafzai house came 4th in the house championship, which is a statistic that myself and the house leaders are determined to change this year. We have had a mixed start to term 1 and are currently sitting in third position. One of our biggest achievements this term was winning the notice board competition. Each tutor group has personalised their tutor noticeboard - big shout out to 11Y who have created a masterpiece, with huge amounts of time and effort from Amelia O’Reilly! It is a brilliant way to showcase our identities, not only individually but as a collective house. We have had a good turn out to Fun Fix Friday competitions over the last few weeks, with Yousafzai students doing particularly well in the general knowledge quiz. These contributions to Fun Fix Friday not only help our house win points for the ethos competitions, but also give students the opportunity to meet other people within the house and across the school. I want as many people as possible to contribute to Fun Fix Friday’s in term 2 to keep allowing these opportunities to happen.

Moving forward, there are some areas for improvement. We have come third in the ethos competition of punctuality. This is a real shame as these competitions are awarded the highest number of points. All our Yousafzai students should be striving to be the best they can be, which includes being on time to all lessons and engaging with the lesson. The ethos competition for next term is focused on behaviour. Please do have conversations with your children about the importance of being the best they can be - and also winning the house competition. As parents of Yousafzai students - you too are in Yousafzai House, and the conversations around holding our students to the highest expectations can have a huge impact on their attitudes. 

As we enter term 2, we need to ensure that our attendance and behaviour is the best it can be - not only as these link to our future house competitions, but also because we want every child to be as successful as possible, and to treasure every opportunity they have within their education. Our Year 7-9 students need to ensure they are completing their reading logs and quizzing their books, and all students need to enter as many competitions as possible so that we can win as many points as possible! Year 7, 8 and 9 have come joint 3rd with Pankhurst for their reading logs this term. We need to push this next term and start closing on Turing and Stephenson! 

I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Yousafzai house this term, and that wouldn’t be possible without every single student that makes up and shapes our house culture. They contribute in so many ways not only to the house, but also the wider school community. A big thank you to all parents and carers of Yousafzai students for your continued support and welcoming me into this role. 

Have a lovely half term and let’s come back fighting in Term 2!

Miss Robinson, Head of Yousafzai House

• 04 November: INSET day
• 05 November: Students in school for Term2
• 06 November: Reading at St Katherine's event, 1530-1630 
• 07 November: Sixth Form Open Evening - register here
• 08 November: 7P Sugar Loaf trip
• 13 November: Year 9 Future Brunels, WECA activity day
• 13 November: Year 9 Progress Evening
• 14 November: Careers Fair, 16.30-19.00 - register here
• 15 November: 7S2 Sugar Loaf trip
• 20 & 21 November: Year 8 trip to We The Curious
• 22 November: 7T1 Sugar Loaf trip
• 27 November: Year 8 Future Brunels, WECA activity day
• 27 November: GCSE and A Level Art trip to Royal West of England
  Academy/Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
• 27 November: Year 8 Progress Evening
• 28 November: Coffee with the Headteacher, 1500-1630 
• 03 December: Year 13 trip to We The Curious
• 05 December: Year 13 trip Tate Britain and National Gallery, London
• 10 December: Year 10 Warner Brother studio tour
• 11 December: Christmas Carols, School Canteen, 1800-1900 
• 19 December: Christmas lunch
• 20 December: End of term 2. - Early finish buses leave 12.30pm
• 06 January: INSET day
• 07 January: Students in school for Term 3

There isn’t enough space here to showcase the huge variety of student experiences and achievements this term. Keep up to date by visiting the ‘News and Events’ section on the school website, check the school Facebook page or follow us on Twitter (@stkathsschool)