Congratulations to Charlie Beech who completed the 30 mile ‘Ride for Joe’ on Sunday 13th July.
This fundraising event was in memory of Joe Guy who passed away following an accident on his bike.
All funds raised went to West Midlands Air Ambulance.
St Edmund’s Catholic Academy library readers were delighted to be offered a fantastic opportunity, by the Siobhan Dowd Trust, to go on a bookspree at a local bookstore and choose books for reading for pleasure.
The grant was provided to encourage pupils to develop a love of buying books from book sellers and the joy of browsing. Mrs Sarah Smith, Librarian at St Edmund’s said, “Pupils were delighted to be able to select and purchase reading material for their enjoyment.
St Edmund’s has a wonderful reading community which was highlighted in our recent Ofsted. We are thrilled to be selected from so many applicants.Â
The Siobhan Dowd Trust works to give young people the opportunity to read and enjoy literature. It is the money earned through royalties and foreign sales of Siobhan’s books that allows the trust to support deserving projects.
The Siobhan Dowd Trust Exists To Fund Any Person Or Groups That:
- Take stories to children and young people without stories;
- Bring the joy of reading and books to children and young people deprived of access to books and of the opportunity to read;
- Fund and support disadvantaged young readers where there is no funding or support. In accordance with Siobhan’s wishes, our funding process is very open, flexible, and we hope, simple.
Incredible news for St Edmund’s Catholic Academy! 
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Our Year 9 students received a special letter from Buckingham Palace, personally thanking them for their thoughtful message to the King about environmental concerns!
His Majesty was “immensely touched” by their proactive research and eco-friendly plastic alternative ideas. Let’s celebrate our students’ dedication to protecting our natural world!
#StEdmundsAcademy #EnvironmentalAction #RoyalRecognition #ProudSchool.
Jessica, a Year 10 student at St Edmund’s, completed her work experience placement at Wightwick Hall School 7th – 11th July. She had the opportunity to support students with complex needs and built wonderful relationships with both the students and the staff.
The placement was so succesful, Jessica received a glowing reference from the class teacher highligting her commitment, reliability, creativity and initiative.
This placement demonstrated how important work experience can be to students and the successes they can bring. Jessica clearly had the opportunity to develop what it would be like to be employed and has shown that working with SEND complex needs students will be a career path to consider beyond St Edmund’s.
Well done Jessica. You truly embraced the work experience opportunity and demonstrated how vaulable they can be.
Thank you to Wightwick Hall School for giving Jessica the opportunity.
Nine determined Sixth Form students recently embarked on a memorable four-day Practice Expedition as part of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, exploring the breathtaking landscapes of the Peak District.
Setting off bright and early at 6:30 am, the group arrived in the picturesque village of Monyash just after 8:30 am. Without delay, the students divided into two teams, shouldered their fully loaded rucksacks, and set off on their pre-planned routes through the hills—carrying everything they would need for the days ahead.
Day 1 saw strong navigation and excellent teamwork as both groups made steady progress through the rugged terrain. Upon reaching their campsite, they prepared a variety of evening meals before settling into their tents, ready for the challenges to come.
Day 2 brought soaring temperatures of up to 30°C, but the students showed outstanding resilience and determination. They returned to camp on time, cooked dinner, and took a well-earned rest in preparation for another demanding day.
On Day 3, the two groups combined to form a single, cohesive team. With roles and responsibilities shared naturally among them, they tackled the iconic Mam Tor climb—rewarded with panoramic views and a strong sense of achievement. The evening was filled with laughter, games, campfires, and toasted marshmallows—until the midges arrived!
Day 4 began with classic Peak District drizzle, but spirits remained high. The group packed up efficiently and completed their final hike, which included a steep ascent of Jacob’s Ladder. By 3:00 pm, they had reached their finish point—tired but immensely proud.
Over the course of the expedition, the students covered more than 60 km on foot, climbed over 600m in elevation, and spent an incredible 32 hours hiking. Their performance was a true testament to their teamwork, perseverance, and adventurous spirit.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Hobday and Mrs Beech for their guidance and support throughout the journey—making this incredible experience possible.
The team is now fully prepared for their assessed expedition on Monday 7th July. Best of luck—we’re all cheering you on!
The Duke of Edinburgh programme is a life changing experience for 14-24 year olds. Those taking part get the chance to develop essential skills for life and work whilst having fun, engaging in new experiences and making new friends. When successfully completed the programme leads to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
We are delighted that some of our students completed and passed their gold expedition section this week. They have climbed over 800m, travelled between 15 -18km per day and all while carrying heavy rucksacks. They have seen all sorts of weather conditions and survived the plague of midges!!!
Mr Deeming, expedition leader said, “I can’t express how unbelievably proud I am of of all the students who have taken part this week and what they have accomplished. I believe this is the first group of students to achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at St Edmunds. They have all been so amazing”.
Year 12 chemistry students had the opportunity to carry out the synthesis of aspirin in the School of Pharmacy laboratory at University of Wolverhampton this week, as one of their A level practicals.
They worked really well all day (the synthesis and analysis takes at least five hours), learning new techniques, developing their practical and analytical skills and their understanding of organic chemistry. They gained insight to what it might be like working in university and professional level scientific facilities. As a result of their efforts, they produced a good yield and high purity of aspirin and really enjoyed the day.
Year 10 students have been on work experience this week. This opportunity provides valuable exposure to the world of work in a professional environment and gives students the chance to explore different career paths and develop essential skills.
Work experience gives students the chance to find our about strengths, values, motivations, interests and how to take responsibility for their own actions which developes a sense of independence. During the week students will develop soft skills, such as team working and problem solving. They will meet new people and build networks of contacts.
This has been a successful work experience week for the students. We would like to thank all of our placement providers who have supported our students over this week. Without you this would not be possible.
Frank – NVP Football Development
Bradly – VHT Healthcare Training
Tizzy – City of Wolverhampton College
Livvy – Arena Theatre, University of Wolverhampton
Erin – St Michael’s Catholic Primary Academy Nursery
Noah – Zoom
Arthur – BlackRook Academy
Sixty of our Year 10 students participated in Emerging Technologies in the Workplace. The
workshop, run by Technocamps Scotland, explored the impact of ever-changing technologies on careers, from mechanisation in the Industrial Revolution, to today’s AI, and what may lie beyond.
“Today’s students will work in industries which don’t yet exist”, explained Dr Lee Clift, from the
Department of Computing and Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde, “by
understanding past changes, we can empower students to choose career pathways which are flexible enough to embrace the ever-changing business landscape.”
Even jobs which still exist are subject to massive technological change, and students were quick to point out how, even during their lifetimes, apps have changed how we do almost everything we do.
The event even raised some eyebrows amongst staff! “I remember visiting my parents’ work and seeing the typing pool”, exclaimed Mr Langford.
St Edmunds’ Careers Team would like to express their thanks to Dr Clift and the University of
Strathclyde for running this engaging and insightful event.
Incredible news!
Our Year 9 students took on plastic pollution, writing heartfelt letters to leaders like King Charles and Sir David Attenborough.
Their efforts paid off! We’re thrilled to share that they’ve received inspiring replies from @BluePeterOfficial and even from the Head of the Royal Household on behalf of Prince William.
It just goes to show, young voices truly can create change!
#EnvironmentalAction #StudentPower #FutureLeaders #PrinceWilliam #BluePeter
