During Term 3 the Careers team at St Katherine's has been busy organising lots of events and opportunities for students from across the school.

Year 9:

Portishead employer Chorus delivered an assembly to Year 9 to explain all about jobs in IT security.  Students learned all about IT career pathways, what hackers do for and the earning potential for those working in IT.

SGS college gave a talk during National Apprenticeship Week to explain to Year 9 students what an Apprenticeship is, how to get one and the career paths an apprenticeship can lead to.

Local artist Sanni Pyhanniska came into school to run a workshop with Year 9 art students. As well as learning about block printing they also heard about what a career as an artist is really like and what artistic pathways might be open to them.

Year 11:

Ask Apprenticeships ran a session for any Year 11 students keen to find out more about how to secure an apprenticeship, how to sign up to the government apprenticeship website and how to start searching and applying for opportunities.  

Sixth Form:

Students gained insights into Further and Higher Education opportunities from Weston College and Coventry University. The students heard all about university options that are close to home as well as exploring their options with Coventry University.

Law firm Michelmores came into school to run workshops with Year 12 students called 'Application Master Class.' They helped all the students to produce high quality applications that can be used for UCAS or when seeking employment. 

Lots more to come in Term 4!

Miss Gardiner, Careers Leader

Last year, in collaboration with the SS Great Britain Trust, St Katherine's launched the Future Brunels Programme. Each year, the 50 most tenacious and dedicated science students in year 7 take part in an all-day STEM workshop involving working together on an exciting engineering challenge. Last year’s challenge involved building a functioning aqueduct. Based on the students’ engagement and drive in this task, each year the SS Great Britain team selects 3 ‘Future Brunels’ for the programme. 

As Future Brunels, they will represent the Faculty of Science across a range of fascinating events, workshops and competitions, nationally. The Future Brunels of 2022/2023 have enjoyed all-expenses paid trips to the SS Great Britain ship, Knowle West Media Centre and the University of West England’s photography laboratories. Furthermore, in school, they enjoy representing the programme and leading assemblies.  

In March, the Faculty of Science is looking forward to launching the programme for the Year 7 cohort. If your child is interested, we will be asking for a letter of application before Friday 1st March 2024. The letter should be addressed to Mr Sugden and be no longer than one side of A4 paper. The letter should outline why they are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and how they would represent themselves and the Faculty of Science well. The year 8 Future Brunels are really looking forward to telling the Year 7s about the application process and their experience of the enriching programme in an assembly after half term. The first selection workshop will take place on the 21st March 2024. 

Please do contact me if you have any questions until then please get in touch with me directly. There will also be a letter sent to you soon also. 

Mr Sugden, Teacher of Science

Look, I know why you’re reading this. I know you’ve been so anxious to hear the news that you could barely finish your Christmas dinner. I’ve had hundreds of emails and people banging on my door demanding to know: Mr Davies! Who won the Annual St Katherine’s Sixth Form Christmas Decorations Competition?

I’ll put you out of your misery. Special commendations go to previous champions 6HAS for their joyous Christmas Down Under (pictured) and 6GAB for their Christmas at the Movies spectacular, but this year’s prize had to go to Mr Hodgson and his tutor group’s utterly insane yet completely heartwarming A Traditional Welsh Christmas. They played to their audience and I’m not ashamed to say I shed a tear or two. Nadolig Llawen! Plans for next year are already afoot…

Term 3, as ever, has been one of the most intense periods of the year over in the Sixth Form block. Mocks and external vocational exams have dominated recent weeks for Year 13, and those who put the hours in have been rewarded with impressive outcomes. The summer exams will be here before we know it, so the hard work really does start here. 

The penultimate week of term also saw one of the most important dates in the Sixth Form calendar: the UCAS deadline for university applications. A huge well done to students for getting organised and getting these vital applications away, and we’re pleased to say that only one student (you know who you are) gave us a deadline day panic. A special thank you to the Sixth Form tutor team for their tireless work supporting students and writing references. 

This was a term of opportunity, and a term where students were rewarded for being bold and taking chances. Selected students continue to engage with the Access to Bristol programme with weekly visits to the University of Bristol, and a group of Year 12 students were successful in applying for the HE+ programme - a collaboration with the University of Cambridge - and spent a day working alongside students from a range of Bristol post-16 providers at St Bede’s. We also launched the ISSOS summer school, an incredible programme which draws students from across the world to Cambridge and St Andrews, and which we are lucky enough to be able to award one St Katherine’s student a free scholarship to attend - announcement coming soon. And we also have exciting trips to Ashton Gate for the Universities and Apprenticeships Fair and UWE coming up in Term 4, as well as a visit from the Admissions Officer at Trinity College Cambridge. 

One student grasped their opportunities with both hands this term: a massive well done to Ellie Baker, who following a written application and two rounds of interviews, will be heading to Wisconsin, USA, for the World Affairs Seminar this June. Ellie is proof that by being curious and brave, you can achieve extraordinary, life-changing things. 

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to say farewell to a huge part of the growth and development of the Sixth Form over recent years, Helen Papworth, who is moving on to new opportunities. Helen has transformed the Sixth Form in so many ways and played a vital part in the success of countless students. We will miss her very much. 

Don’t forget to book your appointments for Parents’/Carers’ Evening on February 28th. I’ll see you then.

Mr Davies, Head of Sixth Form

The House Championship this term has focussed on one of the most important parts of what it means to be a student at St. Katherine's School. It is a cornerstone of our school value that students are accountable and that their contributions to our school and the wider community are valued and recognised. That is why all staff at school regularly award praise points to students not only for their work in class, but also for their acts of kindness and co-curricular activities. We aim to recognise the good work our children do in all aspects of life at school. 

This term, the ethos competition once again is decided by the house that has the most positives and the numbers are truly impressive. Since we returned in January, almost 60,000 praise points have been awarded to students and many receive several each day. Some students have received hundreds already this year and these recognitions are intended to motivate and acknowledge the little things that matter. Each week in assembly the Heads of House keep their students informed of who is leading the way and which cohort is the tutor group of the week. In the dark January days, it helps to keep focussed on the positives. 

Congratulations to Turing House who achieved a positive negative ratio of 90% earning more than 15,000 praises so far in 2024. They too shone in the inter-house basketball where Year 11 joined forces with the Sixth Form to compete for their house. The atmosphere in the sports hall was electric and many of the spectators confused the Turing team with the Harlem Globe Trotters such was their flair. 

Pankhurst House deserve a special mention as they finished second in the ethos competition. It seems that they are having a better second half to the year and have moved into third place overall in the House Championship.

Stephenson House finished third in the ethos competition with Yousafzai in fourth. These results make the House Championship a much closer affair at the end of this term and set us up for an exciting finale. Stephenson maintained their lead overall but this was reduced to just 17 points. Turing are hot on their heels but perhaps Pankhurst are the ones to watch?

Mrs Crocker, Assistant Headteacher

After starting this term in the depths of winter it is good to see the days starting to get longer even if it is still relatively cold and wet! In terms of the House Championship it has been pleasing to see Pankhurst rise to the heady heights of third place after finishing second in the praise/negative proportion. We earned a stunning 15,200 praise points over the course of the term to finish ahead of Yousafzai and Stephenson.

It's worth acknowledging the top ten praise earners for last term and they are: Monty Winfield (163), Lily Ackerman-Rice (150), Emma Matthews (143), Henry Marsh (142), Lennie Lloyd (139), Zac Evans (138), Melissa Cardoso (138), Max Forristal (137), Ria Scanlan (136) and Bess Greenacre (133).

It's going to be really close this year with all houses still in with a chance of first place, although Turing with their sporting ability are slight favourites. This was seen in the recent basketball competition between year 11/12/13 students in which Turing were comfortable winners with Pankhurst consistent in fourth place.

Some of the highlights of the term for me were assemblies where we had some guest speakers that prompted real reflection for the students and staff in the House. The assembly for Holocaust memorial week was led by our Sixth Form students who did a superb job in getting us to think about the 'fragility of freedom' in an assembly that encouraged us to learn the lessons of the past. The assembly that was lead by Mr Sugden on the history of the LGBTQI+  movement was also thought provoking, as we looked at the distance we have come as a society in being inclusive and reflected on the work we still had to do. It was sobering to realise that this assembly, that celebrated and acknowledged our diversity, would not have been allowed to go ahead when I first started teaching, due to a law called 'section 28' which prohibited anything that could be seen as 'promoting homosexuality'. I'm glad we are living in more enlightened times. 

I'm looking forward to the half term and the opportunities this brings to pause and regather before going again next term. 

Mr Murdoch, Head of Pankhurst House

With the winter solstice six weeks behind us the days begin to get longer and we look towards a brighter, more successful, second half of the academic year.

As an English teacher it filled me with pride that we were able to begin the year with 7S, 8S1, 8S2 and 9S all leading the school in the reading log contests. It was wonderful to welcome Ms Wild (Lead on Reading) into our second assembly of the year to present us with the trophy. A special well done to all of our reading millionaires (students who have read more than a million words this year) who accepted the award on behalf of Stephenson House.

While we led the way in completion of reading logs, we have not been so successful when it comes to our reviews of ‘bucket list’ books in The Hate U Give and Animal Farm respectively. We are also currently running a close second in the contest for the most books completed and quizzed in year 7 and year 8. Keep reading Team Stephenson!

The ethos contest for this term has been regarding behaviour. Specifically, the house with the most favourable behaviour ratio of praises to sanctions. In spite of receiving the second fewest sanctions, I am sorry to say our ability to garner praise has caught up with us. We finished this contest third out of the four houses. However, we remain very good at never finishing last and this stands us in good stead to be near the top come the summer.

We have had tremendous guest speakers in assemblies this term including former Stephenson student (and big brother to current 9S student Vesper) Dexter Peate. Dexter came in with two of his Sixth Form peers to discuss the Fragility of Freedom and the legacy of Holocaust Memorial Day. We have also had assemblies from Team Pride marking the start of LGBTQ+ History Month. In addition to these we have discussed the coming year as a year of change and possibility. With 4 billion voting in elections around the world in 2024, it was wonderful to see Stephenson students reflecting on their place in the global community. This is especially relevant given some of the conflict, turbulence and upheaval of 2023 which has affected our society locally, nationally and internationally.

Thinking ahead, it was great to see so many friends, families and carers at Year 9 options evening. An opportunity to celebrate past successes and look to create paths to those in the future. This is, for many students, the biggest individual decision they have had to make. It was great to hear some of the mature, thoughtful and interesting questions they had for our dedicated faculty teams. I look forward to seeing how they realise their potential in Years 10 and 11.

It was wonderful to watch the winter sport contest and see Stephenson students, past and present, compete in the basketball and badminton contests. This was open to Year 11, as well as the sixth form. A huge thank you goes out to Tyler Kingscott, Riley O’Brien, Jack Palmer-Given, Reuben Peacock, Chloe Phillips, Ezekiel Pinkey and Lauren Weeks. Also, Abdi Yusuf, Reece Lowry, Louie Elliott, Marwan Culusow and Aidan Api. All of these Year 11 students took time away from their busy revision schedules to make themselves available and we appreciate it.

A special thanks, as ever, to my house leaders; Oliver Hecker and Abdi Yusuf. They are always ready and willing to help with assemblies, speak to younger students and be a sounding board for my ideas. It is under their guidance and following their example that the students of Stephenson House have kept us at the top of the hose championship as we go into the February half term. 

A massive congratulations to every student in our house for their diligence, resilience and engagement in everything we have tried to do this term.

Enjoy a restful and productive week off,

Mr Court, Head of Stephenson House 

Term 3 has been a whirlwind of activity for our St Katherine's School community, and I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated Turing Tutor Team. Your unwavering commitment and hard work in supporting Turing students do not go unnoticed. Your efforts are instrumental in shaping the educational journey of our students, and we are incredibly fortunate to have such a devoted team.

I also extend my appreciation to our esteemed Turing House Leaders, Roary Gallagher, Evie Roberts, and George Wilkinson, for their continued support and inspiration. Your leadership plays a vital role in fostering a positive and inclusive environment within Turing House, enriching the experiences of our students.

I am delighted to share an outstanding achievement from this term: 70 students have achieved a remarkable 100% behaviour ratio. This accomplishment is a testament to their determination and commitment to upholding our core values. Their exemplary conduct and dedication to their learning journey serve as an inspiration to us all.

This leads me nicely onto this term’s House Ethos Competition, Behaviour Ratio. Exciting news abounds as Turing House emerges as the frontrunner in this competition! This achievement underscores our continuous growth and progress as a house. "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." Our ethos resonates as Turing House garners 200 points for achieving the highest ratio, demonstrating our collective excellence.

Furthermore, I am thrilled to recognise the Tremendous Weekly Turing students who have demonstrated one or more of the core values of Turing House - Unity, Acceptance, and Determination. Their outstanding attitude and behaviour throughout the term serve as exemplary models for their peers at St Katherine's. Congratulations to all the students mentioned below; your efforts have not gone unnoticed

• 7T: Blossom Griffiths, Raia Hunt, Harley Magnum and Fenton Burbridge.
• 8T1: Ralphy James, Ralphy James, Layla Kendall, Laila Hinchcliffe-Gunn, Leo Richardson and Lucas Farley.
• 8T2: Devon Davies, Nathan Pitt, Leo Botta, Noami Rundle, Michal Spurrell and Oscar Warren
• 9T: Eleana Antonio, Maddie Passco, Faria Azim, Hafsa Maxamuud, Lucas Marcovitch and Ohemma Gyimah- Sarpong.
• 10T1: Gethin Vaughan, Malaika Farrukh-Batool, Leyton Jarrett, Jay-Jay Lincoln, Marcus Perry, and Leo Baldwin.
• 10T2: Hassan Maxamuud, Jack Atkinson, Sam Nmai, Luke James, Joe Cook and Manon Herzof.
• 11T: Fern Clarke, Grace Baker, Eve Osborn, Ruby Tucker-Lukaszewski and Sofia Hawkesby.

In addition to my previous Tremendous Weekly Turing acknowledgments, I am thrilled to celebrate the achievements of our Magnificent Termly Turing students. These exceptional individuals have consistently exemplified one or more of the core values of Turing House— Unity, Acceptance, and Determination - throughout the entirety of Term 3. Their unwavering commitment to these values sets a high standard for all students at St Katherine's, and I am immensely proud to recognize their outstanding contributions. 

• 7T: Agnes Yeung - A hardworking individual who never fails to try her best no matter what challenge is presented to her. Agnes has almost hit 500 positive points and will no doubt get many more.
• 8T1: Caitlin Marshall - Caitlin brings a positive attitude when she arrives at school. She has a 100% behaviour ratio this term which is a result of her hard work in lessons. Well done!
• 8T2: Jacob Huey - Jacob always tries his best in every lesson. Shows respect to teachers always and has a 100% behaviour ratio this term!
• 9T: Sam Oakman - Sam is intelligent, articulate, humorous and is a genuinely lovely young man who puts all of his qualities to great use in the school community. Sam has earned more praises than anyone else in 9T this term and he deserves every single one of them!
• 10T1: Darius Ionescu - Darius has shown great resilience and dedication to his GCSE subjects this year. His maturity and kindness has been recognised across St Katherine's this term.
• 10T2: Manon Herzog - Consistently, Manon exhibits a steadfast commitment to her academic pursuits and showcases unwavering dedication to enriching the school community through her leadership skills, whether during school hours or in her personal time.
• 11T: Eve Osborn and Sofia Hawkesby - Both students have reflected on their mock exam results at the start of this term and have worked conscientiously in lessons to ensure that they have put themselves in the best position ahead of the next set of mocks. They've demonstrated resilience and determination in abundance in term. Well done!

Once again, congratulations to all the Magnificent Termly Turing students. Your remarkable accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, and I encourage you to continue striving for greatness in all your endeavours.

The top students in each Turing Tutor Group with the most “Praise Points” are listed below. It gives me so much pride and satisfaction to share these students and their achievements with you.

• 7T: Sam Atkinson - 145
• 8T1: Jaihan Singarda - 197
• 8T2: Walter Rogers - 170
• 9T: Sam Oakman - 157
• 10T1: Darius Ionescu - 113
• 10T2: Jackson Burbridge - 113
• 11T: Ruby Tucker-Lukaszewski - 73

Looking ahead, the next challenge in the Ethos Competition revolves around "punctuality." While Turing House slipped to fourth place in this aspect during Term 1, we are determined to reclaim our position of prominence. The goal for the upcoming term is to replicate the success achieved in the behaviour ratio. It's imperative for students to seize control and take ownership of their actions, striving to excel in punctuality, organisation, respect, and hard work. By focusing on these fundamental aspects, we can further elevate the standing of Turing House and solidify our reputation as leaders in all endeavours.

While it might have seemed relatively quiet on the sporting front, the competitive spirit never waned. In particular, our Year 11, 12, and 13 students demonstrated exceptional teamwork and prowess in both badminton and basketball competitions. The collaboration between the different year groups exemplified the unity and camaraderie that define Turing House.

In the basketball competition, Turing House stood out as the only house with a full roster of players throughout the entire tournament. This commitment and dedication were evident in our stellar performance, with each member of the team contributing fairly and evenly. Special recognition goes to Hector, Teagan, Trysten, Tom Stancliffe, Maddy, and George W for their unwavering dedication and teamwork. Hector and Tom, as well as Teagan and Maddy, showcased remarkable synergy as they formed formidable partnerships. 

The basketball competition was fiercely competitive, featuring some closely contested games that kept us on the edge of our seats. However, the strength and leadership of our Year 13 students, Kanye Christie and Trysten Nmai, proved to be pivotal. Their exemplary skill and strategic guidance propelled Turing House to triumph once again! Despite the challenges posed by our opponents Turing’s unwavering determination and composure inspired the entire team to rise to the occasion and secure victory. Their leadership serves as a shining example of the spirit and resilience that define Turing House. Congratulations to Kanye, Trysten and the entire basketball team for their remarkable achievement!

As we celebrate this triumph, let us remember the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and dedication that continue to define Turing House. Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding efforts, and let's carry this momentum into the next term!

Please savour the upcoming break, allowing yourself the opportunity to reflect, recharge, and rejuvenate. Use this time wisely to prepare for a positive, dynamic, and productive return to school for Term 4. Enjoy your well-deserved rest, and we look forward to seeing you refreshed and ready to tackle new challenges ahead. 

Mrs Price, Head of Turing House

This term has gone by so quickly - I can’t believe we’re half way through the academic year already! 

We had a great start to the term with Ms Wild coming into assembly to present Yousafzai House with two reading trophies for Term 2. A big thank you and well done to Year 9 who won the bucket list trophy. A shout out to Sam Gurr who did a brilliant review and Fin Hacker who had done lots too! A big thank you and well done also to the Year 7 and Year 8 students who won the accelerated quizzing trophy, this is a huge improvement so well done. Please continue to encourage your child to read and quiz their book Whilst it is great for the house, it is also so important for their academic progress. 

The main ethos competition this term has been behaviour and unfortunately we have not achieved our normal high standards. Whilst we had lots more praise points than we have previously, we also had many more negatives which has left us in last place. Our Year 11 and Sixth Former students did a cracking job in the basketball and badminton competitions, coming second. Shout out to James Wamulo who got the basket of the competition in my opinion! We have finished this term in fourth position and so lots to focus on and change for next term. It would be amazing if we could possibly finish the year in first place! 

In assemblies we have been considering pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones and the importance of this in terms of our own personal growth and development. We have discussed the need to develop our resilience so we can thrive when we leave St Katherine’s. I’d like to see each student doing something each day that pushes them outside their comfort zone. 

Year 9 have been having lots of talks and time to consider their subjects for next year and to begin the options choosing process. This is a vital time for them to consider their future and what they want to do and how they can get there. I have been impressed with so many of the students in the way they have approached this with such maturity. 

A massive shout out to the house leaders Theeban and Mae who are doing an amazing job in being house leaders and being so on it and organised! They also presented me with a book with a message from each student in the house, wishing me well for my wedding. It was so so kind and thoughtful and I was so touched. It was just another reminder of how amazing the students in Yousafzai House are and that we are the best house, regardless of any house championship! 

Thank you as always to all parents and carers who support our Yousafzai students in treasuring their education and ensuring that they are becoming the best version of themselves. 

I hope you all have a wonderful break. 

Miss Andrews, Head of Yousafzai House

• 19 February: Students in school for Term 4
• 20 February: Year 7 Trailblazers bandcamp, Trinity Academy
• 21 February: Sixth Form Business Studies trip to Cadbury World
• 28 February: Year 12 UK University and Apprenticeship Search Fair, Ashton Gate
• 28 February: Year 12 & Year 13 Virtual Progress Evening
• 29 February: Coffee with the Headteacher, 15.00-16.30
• 13 March: Year 11 Drama students trip to the Woman In Black, Theatre Royal Bath
• 20 March: Year 12 visit to UWE
• 25-28 March: Year 7 Bikeability
• 26 March: Trust concert
• 28 March: End of Term 4
• 15 April: Students in school for Term 5

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)