Some Year 7 students had an exciting opportunity this week to visit the Houses of Parliament. The trip gave students a firsthand insight into the centre of British democracy, creating an educational and memorable experience for everyone involved.

During the visit, students participated in an interactive workshop and enjoyed a tour of the House of Commons, helping to bring their learning to life.

A fantastic time was had by all.

A special thank you to Mr Boland, Head of Year 7, for providing students with this wonderful opportunity.

In May of this year, students from across the Archdiocese of Birmingham joined staff and volunteers from Father Hudson’s Caritas to present the money they raised for the charity’s Good Shepherd Appeal.

The annual appeal sees children in around 200 Catholic schools raise funds to support the charity’s work. They hold sponsored events, bake sales, odd shoe days or simply collect coins. At the end of the appeal, the charity, supported by schools and parishes, holds Good Shepherd Masses across the Archdiocese. The Masses enable the schools to come together as one to worship and present their donations. It also offers an opportunity for Father Hudson’s Caritas to thank the schools for continuing to support the century-old appeal. This year, 11 of our lower school chaplaincy team, Miss Shipley and Rev, made the short journey to the beautiful church of St Mary, the Mount in Walsall, where Mass was celebrated by Bishop Timothy Menezes. In his homily, Bishop Tim encouraged all present to see themselves as “good shepherds” in so many areas of our lives.

As usual, St Ed’s students represented the academy, their families, and themselves absolutely wonderfully by their participation in the Mass. Thank you all for making it a beautifully prayerful morning.

If you would like to find out more about the work of Father Hudson’s Caritas click on the link below.

https://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk/

A moving Blessing of Hands Mass has taken place at St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham, in preparation for next week’s Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Yesterday, Sunday 17 May, hundreds of people attended the Diocesan Mother Church to have their hands blessed for whatever ministry they may be involved in.

Various groups were represented and will be joining children and young adults from our schools, parishes and youth groups, to serve in Lourdes during the half-term holiday.

The annual Diocesan Pilgrimage runs from Monday 25 to Saturday 30 May, under the leadership of His Grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley and Bishops David Evans, Timothy Menezes and Richard Walker.

Around 600 pilgrims are set to travel on the Diocesan Pilgrimage. St Edmund’s will once again be part of this beautiful pilgrimage with four of our year 12 students and three staff making the journey to work with the assisted pilgrims. Please pray for us as we make the journey to the south of France and for the work we will be involved in while there. And we will pray for you!

Over the May half-term, a group of sixth-form students will embark on a moving and memorable pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. This spiritual journey will provide students with a unique opportunity not only to serve others, but also to spend time in personal reflection, prayer, and peace.

Throughout the year, students have been fundraising to help cover the costs of the trip, and were delighted to receive generous financial support from the Catenians. This organisation offers funding to support young Catholics involved in projects around the world that assist communities less fortunate than our own.

In July, students and staff will also take part in an immersive expedition to Tanzania, where they will work closely with local communities to improve the infrastructure of rural villages and make a positive impact on the surrounding environment. The Catenians also kindly provided funding to support students participating in this expedition.

David Johnson and Obuks Ejohwomu visited St Edmund’s to present the students with cheques on behalf of the Catenians.

Photo (left to right)

Obuks Ejohwomu, Munachi Akubueze, Imogen Buzzing, Noah Letheren & David Johnson

Our year 8 & 9 Unified Cricket team met for the Wolverhampton City Schools Unified Cricket Tournament and came out 1st place winners! Not just winners, but undefeated along the way!

The students demonstrated strong cricket knowledge and displayed excellent skills throughout the tournament.

Massive congratulations on behalf of the PE team and the whole school.

Team Members:

1. Yuvraaj 
2. Caylan 
3. Maro 
4. Finn 
5. Adammas 
6. Mohamed 
7. Freddie 
8. Harsh 
9. Rory 
10. Jevaunghny Harris

Staff and students from St Edmund’s Catholic Academy took part in the 5K Pretty Muddy Race for Life Event on 9th May, to raise funds and awareness for cancer research.

The event was even more important as the team were running in honour of our incredible Head of Sixth Form, Hardi Toor, who is bravely battling breast cancer. Hardi’s strength, positivity and spirit inspire us every single day.

Every splash, slip and step brought the team closer to making a difference in the fight against cancer. The Team raised an amazing £2,128 and would like to extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated and to those who cheered from the sidelines.

Team Members:

Ella Underhill – Assistant Head of Sixth Form
Andre Lethern – Vice Principal
Jo Buckle – Assistant Principal
Holly Rowland – Teacher of Geography
Amanda Alsop – Teacher of Science
Jess Wilcox – Sixth Form Academic Mentor
Autumn Burns-Pearce – Sixth Form Student
Sophie Wilde – Sixth Form Student

Six students from St Edmund’s qualified for the U16 national floor and vault finals, held on Sunday at Fenton Manor Sports Centre in Stoke. The competition featured an exceptionally high standard, with gymnasts travelling from across the UK and Ireland to take part in this prestigious end-of-season event.

All of our gymnasts delivered excellent performances, completing both their floor routines and vaults cleanly. Their hard work and dedication were evident, as they improved on their regional scores and secured an impressive 7th place nationally.

Congratulations to all involved on this outstanding achievement!