Update for parents and carers: Friday 21^st July 2023 – Monday 7^th November 2023

After a 3 year break due to the pandemic, it was wonderful to restore our ‘Celebration Evening’ on Thursday 13^th July. We were humbled to welcome Penny O’Donnell as our key note speaker. With thanks to parents and families for supporting this very special event and turning up in large numbers. We are delighted that 156 pupils received awards during the evening in recognition of their personal development and academic progress.

A huge well-done to the following pupils who achieved ‘Special Awards’:

Dua Shahzad: Winner of the ‘Waseem Mulfahi Award’ for outstanding sporting endeavour

Mohammed Aayan: Winner of the ‘St Teresa of Calcutta Award’ for outstanding contribution to charity

Sancha Reid: Winner of the ‘St Cecilia Music Award’

Julia Bec: Winner of the ‘Mary Boyce Award’ for resilience and determination

Carson Byrne: Winner of the ‘Zellah Bennett Award’ for the pursuit of academic excellence in Science

Pranav Sharma: Winner of the ‘Nadia Drakes Award’ for fortitude

Adhin Benny: Winner of the ‘Alina Rashid Award’ for determination

R’Kye Johnson: Winner of the ‘Wajahat Khan Award’ for leadership

Lina Aouattah: Winner of the ‘St George of England Award’ for reading

Well-done to all of our 2023 award winners!

Thank you and farewell!

A huge thank you to Monica McNicholas (Lunchtime Supervisor) and Steve Lawrence (Caretaker) who have retired from Holy Trinity after serving our community for a combined total of 51 years! Both Monica and Steve were recognised for their outstanding and dedicated commitment to Catholic Education having received a special certificate and recognition from our Diocesan Education Trustees. A very proud moment and richly deserved! We wish Monica and Steve every blessing for a very happy retirement!

Holy Trinity Catholic School is incredibly proud to announce:

Following an external audit of our school’s Careers provision, we have been recognised as having achieved 7 out of 8 ‘Gatsby Benchmarks’ at 100%. This is a wonderful achievement! One example of our thriving provision in this area this year, was when we welcomed the Prince’s Trust into school to work with Year 11 pupils. The Prince’s Trust team mentored pupils in relation to future careers, aspiration and motivation to succeed. This led onto a very successful world of work visit to Solicitors Regulation Authority in Birmingham City Centre, where pupils learned about careers in Human Resource Management, Project Management, Forensics and Data Science.

We are extremely confident that we will achieve the final ‘Gatsby Benchmark’ at 100% during the next academic year. When this is achieved, we are aiming to be acknowledged by the Department of Education (DFE), as a centre of excellence in Careers Education.

Next academic year, we are also aiming to achieve ‘GOLD’ in the Unicef Rights Respecting Schools Award. Having achieved ‘silver’ 12 months ago, we now feel confident that we can move to the next level and to achieve this extra recognition for being a school that respects the rights of all young people. Holy Trinity is proud of its work to speak out against all forms of discrimination and to promote equality.

Finally, we are delighted to have strengthened our ‘silver’ award in the ‘PE Games Mark’. We are again confident that our provision is progressing towards the illustrious ‘GOLD’ mark and will be looking to achieve this over the course of the next academic year. We are delighted to have organised and hosted a Birmingham ‘Primary School Games’ which was very well attended by Primary Schools across the city. In addition, we have warmly welcomed a number of primary schools during the course of the academic year to use our sports facilities. All of this forms part of our ongoing outreach and community engagement work, which promotes positive health and wellbeing in all young people. A huge well-done to our pupil ‘Sports Leaders’ who facilitate a number of activities on site in support of visiting primary schools.

Next year promises to be a year of excellence on many fronts!

As this term reaches its conclusion, we offer a prayer of thanks for the many things that we have accomplished together during this academic year:

Dear God,

As we come to the end of this year, we thank you for your faithfulness and provision. We are grateful for the lessons we have learned, the challenges we have overcome, and the blessings that you have bestowed upon us. We pray that you will guide us in the coming year and help us to continue to grow in knowledge, faith, and character. May your love and grace be with us always.  In your holy name we pray,

Amen.

Our School Mission Statement:

Holy Trinity Catholic School serves the local community; Christ is at the centre of our school and our greatest example. Our school is a place where uniqueness and diversity is celebrated and respected because we know and believe that we are united as children of God and created in His image. Through acts of love and learning, we grow in knowledge and spirituality, we are inspired to become successful citizens and are understanding, compassionate and loving to all of humanity.

Safeguarding reminder from Mrs Daw (Deputy Headteacher):

As school closes for the summer break, we remind parents and carers of the continued importance of monitoring the digital and social media usage of their children. This includes both the internet and social media usage as well as online gaming. Whilst there are many advantages to the internet, there are many clear dangers with social media and the unregulated use of a number of apps and gaming websites which are in existence and are not safe for young people, leaving children at risk of communicating with strangers, being exploited and or groomed online. To support our parents and carers, on our school website, are several resources, which can help with understanding how to keep your children safe in this digital age (http://holytrc.com/esafety/). School will also once again run parental workshops in the new academic year, so please look out for the texts, which will share the finalised arrangements in September.

Social media has also recently been identified as a key factor influencing the wellbeing of young people. This has been widely documented in the national media recently. On the school website can be found a number of resources for parents /carers and children sharing simple guidance about how to improve and manage wellbeing. (See Wellbeing area on the website- http://holytrc.com/parents/exam-anxiety/. It is often during the summer when routine of school is no longer in place that many children struggle. A reminder to our parents and carers of the KOOTH Wellbeing support tool (pupils have details about this). Forward Thinking Birmingham also operate some drop in Hubs where support can be accessed. Please click on the link or search FTB Birmingham Pause: https://forwardthinkingbirmingham.nhs.uk/pause/We remind parents of the importance of general safety during the hot summer months. It is at this time of year when there are increased incidents linked to water safety and we would urge all parents and carers to be alert to water safety messages. Again further information can be found on the following websites: Rospa, https://www.rospa.com/leisure-water-safety/water/advice/water-safety-code and the Royal Life Saving Society  https://www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/water-safety-information.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our parents and carers for their commitment to partnership, ensuring that our school remains a ‘safe’ community where excellence is nurtured. As a school we identify safeguarding as a ‘golden thread’,  we never underestimate the power of our work with parents and our link partners in the NHS (via our school nurse J Bonner) and our link police officer (PC A Ahmed and PC A Abley) as well as the many additional agencies with whom we work closely. A special mention must go to our pupils, who are core contributors and co-partners in our ongoing work to make our school the best can be. Our Student Voice reps, our Charity Committee leads, our Prefects, our Pupil Health and Wellbeing leads, our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and our newly appointed Young Mental Health Leads, all deserve a very special mention for their daily contributions to making our school a place of ambition, safety, and compassion where we are all respected as equal and where we ‘Learn to love and Love to learn’.

Inclusion update from Mrs Sian (Assistant Headteacher):

At Holy Trinity Catholic School, we are celebrating our first full year in the brand new Drexel Centre, which has been a ‘lighthouse’ to many of our students. We would like to reflect on all the people who have supported our students throughout our first year. We would firstly like to thank all of our parents who have attended all the appointments made with all the services that help and support our students. A special thanks to Fabienne Perron from Heartlands Hospital for her outstanding support given to our hearing-impaired students. Fabienne offers workshops, staff training and individual appointments, which ensures our students are fully supported. Jo Bonner our wonderful school nurse, supports parents and students in many varied ways. This work is greatly appreciated during what is a very busy time for all NHS staff. A special mention to Mrs Teager who manages our Family Learning provision and all the parents who attend this very popular group. We would also like to thank Mrs McDonagh for running the lunch time ‘Comfy Club’ which is a very well attended fun club for pupils.

A slight adjustment to school day timings from September 2023:

Post-pandemic, the Department for Education (DFE), outlined an expectation for all schools to have a minimum of 32.5 hours contact time with pupils per week in place by September 2023. At Holy Trinity, we were only just under this recommendation, meaning that a subtle adjustment was required, not a big structural change. We have consulted extensively with all stakeholders about how best to add this additional 10 minutes to each school day. A huge thank you to the hundreds of parents and households who provided feedback regarding a series of proposed models and added additional comments. It was very clear from the feedback that any additional time added to the end of the school day would be highly problematic for lots of reasons, including the already strained situation with traffic and congestion in the local vicinity that we manage to just about avoid with a 3.00pm closure. With this in mind, stakeholder feedback voted unanimously in favour of Model A, with school now starting for pupils at 8.30. This will allow for a slight extension to tutor time provision which supports hugely in the personal development of pupils. In addition, we are provided with more options to boost our already highly successful reading programme in school. This change will begin when pupils return to school in September.

Teacher Strike Action:

As you are aware, members of the National Education Union (NEU), in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, have carried out a sustained period of strike action this calendar year. This action has been called with the intention to secure better pay and working conditions for teaching staff and increase staff funding allocation for schools. Thank you for your patience and understanding during what is a very difficult time in education. We hope that further strike action in the autumn can be avoided through a final agreement being reached between Government and Unions.

Year 11 update:

I hope Year 11 pupils are enjoying their extended and well deserved summer breaks and helping out families around the house and garden! We have enjoyed a number of wonderful events over these last weeks including our Prom at Edgbaston Cricket Ground. I can’t miss the opportunity to gloat a ‘little’ bit about the annual charity leaver’s football match between staff and Year 11 pupils! The final result was decided on a penalty shoot-out with staff narrowly prevailing as a result of a winning penalty by yours truly, Mr Crehan!!! A keenly contested and well-spirited match unfortunately had to have only one winner. Well-done to all of the Year 11 pupils who were involved. In addition, a huge well-done to a large number of Year 11 pupils who returned to school for a week of Work Experience. Your help and support at a busy time of the year was greatly appreciated and I hope youngsters involved gained a valuable insight into the hard work carried out by schools to best support pupil education.  We look forward to seeing pupils and parents on ‘GCSE Results Day’ on Thursday 24^th August (from 9.00am).

Curriculum Update: Mrs Henvey

Thank you to all of our parents and carers for your support during our first year of ‘Guided Option Pathways’ in Year 9. This system has meant that we have been able to give more pupils than ever their choices of Option subjects and also ensure that pupils are on the courses best suited to them, their talents and their goals. We offer 17 different subjects at GCSE in addition to Maths, English, Science, RE and PSD and are delighted to include Design Engineering in our curriculum for the first time. Also, our numbers studying a language and/or Humanities subject are the highest we’ve ever had. We very much look forward to reinstating a high quality enrichment and extra-curricular provision in Drama for KS3 pupils from September. As a school we endeavour to offer a breath of exciting curriculum opportunities which lead our pupils to successful higher education and beyond.

Following heavy disruption and frustration due to the pandemic, we are very pleased to have fully restored our vibrant, extra-curricular and enrichment provision during this academic year. Pupils in all year groups have enjoyed a wide range of different opportunities both inside and outside of school, to enhance their learning and personal development. Holy Trinity is fully committed to the following concept: ‘Every child, every opportunity’. Next year’s calendar is starting to look very busy with some highlights including a Year 11 trip to the Houses of Parliament, a Year 7 and Year 8 Spiritual Retreat, the introduction of ‘Young Scholar’s program at KS3 and increased music, vocal and instrumental tuition for pupils in all year groups! Our active ‘Pupil Voice Committee’ and ‘Environmental Team’ are very keen to instigate further projects in support of Holy Trinity being a greener and more ‘climate friendly’ school. As a school, we are very open to suggestions of other opportunities that would support in the personal development of our young people.

All of our pupils deserve access to a full, exciting and balanced curriculum and we really do believe that they are getting this at Holy Trinity.  Thank you for your support and encouragement.

A reminder: School Dinner Prices from September 2023:

Despite huge financial pressures brought by the pandemic and the subsequent ‘cost of living’ crisis, school has remained steadfast in its commitment to keep prices as low as possible to support for families. Main school meal prices at Holy Trinity have remained at £2.50 throughout this period compared to costs being recommended upwards to £2.80. We have reached a consensus to raise prices, but remain committed to keeping them as low as possible. With this in mind, main school meals at Holy Trinity will increase to £2.65 from September 2023. This increased cost will ensure that youngsters receive a range of healthy and nutritional options, at a price that is still considerably lower than recommended.

A reminder of our High Standards and Expectations:

*Recent changes / amendments added in bold font.

• Pupils are reminded of our ‘no hands’ policy which is in place to protect the safety of all.
• Pupils must have a blazer, tie and shirts to be tucked in at all times.
• Pupils must wear plain black footwear without any coloured logos/laces.
• Pupils will no longer be permitted to arrive to school in their PE Kits, they will have access to our new Sports Hall facilities for changing.
• Pupils must have a planner/day planner and at least an appropriate pencil case containing essential items such as:
• black/blue pen
• green pen
• pencil
• ruler
• rubber
• Punctuality to form time and lessons must be excellent.
• PE kit must be in line with our Uniform policy, there should be no branding on kits as they must be plain.
• Hoodies are not permitted to be worn, all coats/jackets must be worn on top of blazers.
• Jackets/coats must be plain with no large branding, denim jackets and gilets are not permitted to be worn in School.
• One small set of plain metal stud earrings are acceptable for all pupils but all other piercings and jewellery must be removed. (This follows consultation with Pupil Voice Team. This changed to be reviewed in December 2023).
• Hairstyles should be practical, clean and safe. Tramlines, or patterns shaved into hair or eyebrows is not permitted. Extreme hair colours are not permitted.
• During the winter, it is essential that your child wears a suitable waterproof coat for school. As stated, Hoodies are not permitted and should not be worn in place of a suitable outdoor coat. Balaclavas, ski masks, snoods and comparable items of clothing are not permitted. Items will be confiscated if they are seen in school.
• Students must be highly organised ensuring homework and other tasks are completed on time when set by their teachers.
• In line with our annual practice, this existing Uniform Policy, is to be reviewed with school stakeholders during the summer term in anticipation of next Academic Year. Please access the full school uniform policy from the front page of this website.
• At Holy Trinity, we are committed to maintaining high standards and are open to changes that may support your child’s positive progress in school.

Attendance and Punctuality Update from Ms Hodson (Assistant Headteacher, Personal Development):

Attendance

Pupils have made an excellent effort to improve their attendance and punctuality to school on the run up to the summer holidays. We continue to thank our parents and carers for their support in getting children to school on time, each and every day.

A huge congratulations to Year 7 who have been the best attending year group for this academic year. Another well- deserved applause for Year 9 who have been hot on their heels and have made great strides to improving their attendance this year. Year 10 had a fantastic run with attendance during the mock exams weeks and achieved the best weekly figure of the year with 95.4%. Well done!

Mrs Mallet’s attendance focus group will be rewarded this week for their efforts and improved attendance. 29 out of 38 pupils have improved their attendance, which is excellent.

Going for Gold! The following pupils must be commended for their outstanding attendance. They are on track for achieving gold, if they can keep it up for one more week. Good luck!

• Mubaraq Yusuf
• Eman Khan
• Tadiwanashe Marange
• Haroordeep Singh
• Kingson Lam
• Chancelle Mupene
• Sebastian Obeng
• Hephizibah Disu
• Denise-Petronela Budau
• Shahd Ahmed
• Musa Sesay
• Jordan Sallah-Brown
• Aaron Shibu
• David Oke
• Babaraniseoluwa Oke

Our final attendance draw for the academic year will take place on Friday 21^st July. All must attend a full week if they are to be in with a chance to win a £10 voucher. There will be 10 vouchers up for grabs!

Recognition, praise and reward: 177 pupils will be attending the Drayton Manor trip on Thursday 20^th July, as a reward for excellent attendance and behaviour!

Our message to all pupils is that they must attend school to achieve and succeed! We are very much looking forward to a strong start when we return to school in September. All pupils should aim for at least 96% attendance if they are to have the best chance of making excellent progress. Thank you

‘My Child At School’

We invite you to regularly log into ‘My Child at School’ to monitor how your child is getting on at school. You will find out whether your child is completing homework, receiving any consequences or being awarded positive behavior points. Pupil timetables, the school calendar and attendance records are also available. Please visit www.mychildatschool.com. The school ID is 11389. The school does not have access to your password information. You can request a new invitation code from home or if you have added an email address to the account you can click ‘forgotten login details’ and follow instructions that will email you the details.

Parent Association Update:

On behalf of our Parents Association, a huge thank you to all parents for supporting in a number of charity events including our local community ‘Food Bank’ during this academic year. Please look out for text messages with dates for meetings to take place in the autumn term of the next academic year.

A regular reminder regarding car parking:

In a regular reminder, it is important to remember, that driving and parking near our Oakley Road Entrance Point, continues to be highly problematic at ‘drop off’ and ‘collection’ times. This is something that we continue to work on with local residents to improve. I am delighted that our Year 11 Senior Prefect Team, devised a strategy to see what we can do as a community to help with this situation. As a result of this work, we have placed cones on the entrance point at Oakley Road which is marked ‘keep clear’ to support with health and safety and a better experience for all parents. Feedback has informed us that this strategy continues to make a positive difference! Ensuring that all pupils enter and exit the school building safely, is our number one priority. I ask that parents continue to be patient and understanding of this situation as we all endeavour to support one another as best as possible. Thank you.

Ofsted Inspection Update:

We can expect to go through this process as a community, in due course. Parents will be informed immediately via text and later through letter, when we receive confirmation of an Ofsted visit. We will do what we always ask of our children, which is to give ‘our very best’. We are confident that the process will indicate hugely positive improvements that the school has made since its previous inspection in December 2017. Amongst many improvements, has been the fact that Year 11 pupils have achieved a positive Progress 8 score and comfortably above national averages, for 4 consecutive years. As parents, you will be invited to complete a ‘Parental Questionnaire’ as part of the inspection process, similar to what you complete in school during every Progress / Information Evenings. We welcome the opportunity for parents to have their view and will inform you immediately about how you access the questionnaire. I will keep you informed of all inspection developments throughout this year. A recent external ‘School Improvement’ review alongside an additional external review of ‘Safeguarding’, evaluated our school as having many strengths and highlighted a number of areas that we should celebrate as ‘best practice’. Although very happy with these evaluations, we appreciate that we are not perfect and our ‘school culture’ requires for us to continually strive to be better and to improve.

Some key dates for up and coming events:

The continued strong partnership between school and home, is at the foundation of the successes that we continue to celebrate. If for whatever reason you have any issues or concerns, please contact your child’s Form Tutor / Head of Year in the first instance. If at any point you require further support in resolving a particular situation, please escalate your concerns to a member of the Senior Leadership Team. As Headteacher, I always welcome dialogue with parents informally on the school gate, through a conversation on the telephone, an email dialogue or more formally in a request to meet with me in person. Please contact school reception if you wish to speak with me. If at any point you are not satisfied with our school’s response, there are further channels available to parents in order to raise concerns.  Please contact school reception if you require any additional information and clarity regarding the processes for raising formal complaints.

‘At Holy Trinity, we want all pupil to be able to leave with a world of opportunities at their feet; for them to reach their fullest of potentials; to believe in themselves, and to achieve their wildest dreams’.

Thank you for your continued support.

Paper copies of this document are available from reception upon request.

Best wishes for a wonderful summer break!

Mr Crehan

Headteacher: Holy Trinity Catholic School

Thursday 20^th July 2023

Please click here to view this update as a PDF.