Saint Cecilia’s Sports Awards

On Tuesday 11th July, we welcomed Lauren Steadman, MBE as a guest speaker to our annual Sports Awards evening. She told tales of the challenges she faced when becoming a sportswoman and how she managed to overcome these with dedication, fortitude and a great sense of humour. Lauren was an inspiration to all present. Pupils, students and parents were treated to a trampolining display from our A Level PE students Beth D and Melody C which was incredible!

Well done to all the award winners! Onwards and upwards in 2024!

Saint Cecilia’s Ball Boys and Ball Girls

Well done to all our Ball Boys and Ball Girls for their performance at the Wimbledon Championships. Congratulations to them all but especially Jacob R, Jade H and Robin E who were selected to perform their ball boy duties during both ladies’ and men's singles finals.

Click here to see an amazing clip from BBC Sport of Sammy H in Year 10 showing off his excellent volleying skills on court during the invitation mixed doubles.

 Pictured is our final squad (Back row: Jacob R, Robin E, Sonny S, Sammy H, Robert K, middle row: Elizabeth H, Jade H, Matthew H, Rueben B, Spencer E, front row: Ana V, Joel L, Gael F-N, Felix S). 

Young Enterprise Employability Masterclass

Year 10 received an employability masterclass from national charity, Young Enterprise. They learnt what skills are needed to be successful in the workplace, and how to identify their strengths. They were given the opportunity to begin to think about their CV and there was even time to practise some interview skills. Each pupil received a booklet from the workshop to support their post-16 applications. 

University of Liverpool Trip

Last week, we ran our regular trip to the University of Liverpool for Year 11 Freshers. Seventy of those who have applied for a place in our Sixth Form were up at the crack of dawn to catch the train from Euston. Once en-suite rooms were allocated in Crown Place halls of residence, pupils took part in a treasure hunt around the city centre. There were some tired legs when we settled down for dinner in Pizza Express before we returned to our halls via the docks and Matthew Street, where the famous Cavern Club is located.

The next morning, we were provided with an amazing breakfast followed by talks on Higher Education and student life, and a campus tour, before catching the train home. Pupils very much appreciated the opportunity to sample university life first hand.

Concert Band Ends the Year on a High Note

Huge congratulations to Mr James Robinson and our wonderful Concert Band who were absolutely superb and impressed the crowds at The Wimbledon Championships on Quarter Finals day on Wednesday 10th July. They remained focused and performed for two hours, drawing a huge crowd of tennis fans with a set of over twenty incredible songs (see below). Thankfully it was a dry day!

Shrek The Musical, Jr

 A big thanks to all the pupils, students and staff involved in our sold out production of ‘Shrek The Musical Jr’. It was a fantastic performance and we are very proud of our talented musicians, singers, actors, painters and back stage crew. Here are some photos of the cast in action. If you were lucky enough to see it, I hope you enjoyed it!

Head Boy and Head Girl Announcement

I am also delighted to announce that after presentations to their peers, a vote and an interview, Grace E and Jonas B have been appointed as Head Girl and Head Boy for next year. We are confident they will make a great team and lead by example as their exemplary predecessors, Jacob R and Samara C, have done. We thank them both for their leadership and support and wish them all the best of luck at university and beyond.

Citizens UK Debate at Westminster Hall

On Monday 1st July, a small group of student leaders and teachers attended the Citizens UK debate at the Central Westminster Hall. Key speakers included Deputy Labour Leader, Angela Rayner, Conservative MP for Richmond Park, Sara Gezdari and Liberal Democrats representative, Lord Richard Newby.

Citizens UK (a community organisation that creates change for people in the UK) will be working with Saint Cecilia’s to further ‘Courageous Advocacy’ with our pupils and student leaders so that they not only engage with school-focused concerns but also with wider local and national concerns including housing and homelessness, climate justice, citizenship and the refugee crisis, mental health support in schools, and proper wages and work conditions.