Secondary School Admissions for 2026

23rd October 2025Mrs D Curtis

The deadline to apply for places for students starting Secondary School in 2026 is Friday 31st October 2025. Parents/guardians should submit applications via their local authority’s admissions portal before this date.

Important:
If your application is for a Catholic child, please ensure you submit the required information in the academy’s Supporting Information Form. Failure to provide this information could affect your child’s chance of securing a place at the academy. The deadline for returning the form is also 31st October. However, due to the half-term break, we will accept forms submitted by Tuesday, 4th November as ‘on time.’

For detailed information on the admissions process, please visit our website:
https://www.stedmundscloud.co.uk/admissions/

Caterlink Certificate of Excellence

23rd October 2025Mrs D Curtis

This is fantastic news! Congratulations to the Caterlink Catering Team on receiving the Certificate of Excellence!

Achieving a 100% score in Allergen Management in an unannounced audit by Navitas Safety is a truly impressive accomplishment. It speaks volumes about their dedication, professionalism, and hard work in ensuring the safety and well-being of all the students and staff they feed daily.

They absolutely should feel incredibly proud of this well-deserved recognition!

Celebrating Another Year of Tech-Fuelled Success!

21st October 2025Mrs D Curtis

Following the incredible success of our event last year, the second TechJam at St Edmund’s proved to be an even bigger hit! It was an unforgettable day where our students showcased their brilliance and passion for technology, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Our students fully immersed themselves in a series of high-energy, hands-on challenges designed to foster essential 21st-century skills. Every activity was a practical lesson in collaboration, creativity, and vital teamwork skills, and our students absolutely rose to the occasion!

The day was packed with innovation and excitement, featuring the return of our most popular challenges:

3D Construction Challenge: Students used 3D pens to tackle creative architectural problems, building resilient towers and structures that put their design and engineering skills to the ultimate test.

Gran Turismo Team Racing: This adrenaline-fueled challenge required perfect communication, as teams navigated the racetrack without being able to see it – they relied entirely on verbal instructions from their partners to secure victory.

Virtual Reality Detonation Challenge: Teams employed critical thinking, teamwork, and precise logic to successfully complete complex explosive detonation challenges under a high-pressure scenario.

Seeing our students push the limits of their technical knowledge and soft skills was truly rewarding.

A huge thank you once again to our fantastic partners, LearnPlay, for delivering such a creative, educational, and unforgettable experience. We are already looking forward to making TechJam an even greater annual tradition next year!

 

Playing Computer Games in Lesson

17th October 2025Mrs D Curtis

Ordinarily, playing computer games during lessons is strictly banned, but today we made an exception for our Year 10 IT students. We set up four unique stations in the lab to provide a fun, hands-on look at how different display technologies work. Here’s a brief look at the hardware we’re exploring and the key concepts they illustrate:

RGB LED Etch-A-Sketch: We see how emissive displays work: the light source is the pixel. This setup offers high brightness and is energy efficient, making it popular for large-scale outdoor screens and domestic TVs.

OLED Space Invaders: perfect contrast and fast response time are perfect for games, and their thin and light profile makes them ideal for our smart watches and other portable devices.

LCD Dinosaur Cactus Jump: an LCD does not emit its own light. It uses a separate backlight to shine through a layer of liquid crystals. Commonly used in calculators and TVs.

ePaper Adventure Game: used in Kindle eBooks, ePaper looks just like real paper and only uses power when refreshing, but does its low response time mean it’s unsuitable for gaming?

By interacting with these devices, students are gaining a practical understanding of key concepts like emissive vs. transmissive/reflective, response time, contrast ratio, and the trade-offs between cost, efficiency, and image quality. This knowledge is vital when considering the best hardware for a given task, whether it’s building a gaming rig, selecting a smartphone, or designing digital signage! And they may even achieve a high score!

Staff Wellness: Finding Calm with Mindfulness and Sound

16th October 2025Mrs D Curtis

To mark World Mental Health Day 2025, our school recently hosted a wonderful wellness session for staff, focusing on relaxation and self-care.

We were thrilled to have Pav and Simran Mahey, from ‘True Path Living’ lead a session on mindfulness and sound baths. The goal was to help our dedicated staff manage stress and promote better mental health.

Staff who attended had a deeply relaxing experience. Pav and Simran guided them through mindfulness exercises, followed by a soothing sound bath using instruments like singing bowls. The resonant sounds helped everyone to quiet their minds and feel a true sense of peace.

The feedback was fantastic, with staff describing the session as “incredibly relaxing” and a “wonderful way to reset.”

A big thank you to Pav and Simran for their generous time and support. This event highlights our commitment to looking after the well-being of our entire school community.

 

Music Industry workshop with artist and producer Conor ‘Seppy’ Merrison

16th October 2025Mrs D Curtis
On Wednesday, 15th October, our Y10, Y11 and Y13 Music students took part in workshops with Sheffield-based music producer and artist Conor ‘Seppy’ Merrison, where they learnt more about the UK’s thriving music industry and the many careers available within it. Conor shared his wealth of knowledge and experience with the students, who all left feeling motivated and inspired.
Thank you, Conor!

 St Edmunds Shines Bright for Hello Yellow on World Mental Health Day 2025 

16th October 2025Mrs D Curtis
 
Our school community truly lit up in a vibrant display of support and solidarity as we celebrated Hello Yellow on World Mental Health Day 2025.
It was an incredible day dedicated to raising awareness, fostering open conversations and fundraising for mental health initiatives.  Our fantastic Sixth Form students embraced the spirit of the day by swapping their uniforms for an array of brilliant yellow outfits.
One of the highlights of the day was our very special ‘Yellow Tuckshop’.  Packed with yellow-themed treats, it was a huge hit with all the students, knowing that every penny spent was going towards a fantastic cause.
Adding an extra splash of colour and fun was the Yellow Heart Face Painting. Students (and even some teachers) proudly sported bright yellow hearts on their cheeks, a simple yet powerful symbol of compassion and support for mental health.
Our dedicated team of Mental Health Champions played a vital role, making themselves available throughout the day, offering an informal, friendly space for peers to chat, share, or simply connect.
Thank you to everyone who participated, contributed and wore yellow. Your efforts have not only raised money but, more importantly, have helped to shine a bright light on the importance of mental health, encouraging empathy and understanding within our wonderful school community. Let’s keep these important conversations going all year round!

Music Mark Recognition

13th October 2025Mrs D Curtis
Good news! We’ve been recognised again as a Music Mark school for 2025-26. This is thanks to a nomination from Wolverhampton Music Service, and means that we have pledged to:
  • Advocate for the importance of music education in the curriculum and creative life of our school
  • Provide an equitable, diverse and inclusive music education for every young person
  • Welcome opportunities to broaden our musical horizons by working with providers in our community and beyond

 

Record Breaking Open Evening Attendance

3rd October 2025Mrs D Curtis

Our Open Evening yesterday was a resounding success, proving more popular than ever with a record-breaking attendance of over 950 visitors from surrounding towns and villages.

We want to thank every parent, carer, and student who attended for creating such a vibrant and lively atmosphere. It was fantastic for our staff and students to see the enthusiasm and excitement of the Year 5 and 6 students.

With a capacity audience, Principal Mrs. Hazeldine provided a genuine insight into the school, and the feedback afterward was overwhelmingly positive.

We must also commend our own students who were truly amazing! They were enthusiastic and passionate representatives, eager to showcase their subject areas and guide families around our beautiful academy.

We are receiving compliments from parents/carers who attended yesterday.  One parent said, “The students who guided us were exceptionally polite and well-informed; the interactive sessions were unlike anything we had experienced on other school visits; the teachers were welcoming, and it was evident that they were deeply committed to their students. The catering staff were also delightful. Our overall impression upon leaving was of a school where everyone felt a sense of personal investment and pride. My daughter mentioned, this is the place for me.”

St Edmund’s looks forward to welcoming the new year 7 students in September 2026.

For more information about our admissions policy, please click here: