Thank You To The Siobhan Dowd Trust

15th July 2025Mrs D Curtis

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. 

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.

 

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Achievement

11th July 2025Mrs D Curtis
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”.

 

Big Bang Event Huge Success

20th June 2025Mrs D Curtis
On Wednesday 18th June, 90 Year 8 students attended the ‘Big Bang Fair STEM event’ along with staff from Computer Science, Maths and DT; Mr Morris, Mr Langford, Mrs Rahman, Miss Underhill, Mrs Smith and Mrs Geal, at the NEC in Birmingham.
As part of the event, students were able to explore various stalls run by companies offering key information and hands-on activities, such as engaging with animals over at the Zoolab UK stand! Becoming a  BBC reporter for 5 minutes, exploring hydraulics with Rolls Royce, flying drones and engaging with robots, building circuits to explore electronics, even having an eye test and ear exam over at Specsavers, learning about budgeting and finance with help from Nationwide Building Society, and even taking part in the ‘pit stop challenge’ changing tyres on racing cars and trying to get a space on the leaderboard with Alpine.
Students got involved and explored the potential benefits of STEM careers, along with displaying excellent conduct and behaviour. We hope that they can take away something from this experience, and we can not wait to visit next year!
More photos – Click Here

A Taste of France: Immersive French Breakfast Experience! ☕

24th March 2025Rowan Ridley

Today, our Y9, Y10, and Y11 pupils embarked on a truly immersive French breakfast experience with Miss. Blanchette and Mr. White and what a fantastic morning it was!

From the moment they arrived, students were transported into a fully French-speaking environment. They confidently ordered drinks and breakfast items entirely in French, practised essential restaurant vocabulary, and even tackled realistic role-play scenarios just like in a GCSE exam.

The highlight? Enjoying a delicious French breakfast! Some adventurous pupils even embraced the French tradition of dunking their croissants and pain au chocolat into steaming bowls of hot chocolate—dĂ©licieux!

To celebrate their achievements, every pupil received a certificate, marking their success in expanding their language skills and cultural knowledge. A huge bravo to all who took part—you made us proud!

St Edmund’s Students Contribute to Woodland Trust Project at Little Kinvaston School

24th March 2025Rowan Ridley

On Thursday, March 13th, students from St Edmund’s took part in a meaningful environmental initiative, joining a Woodland Trust Project to plant 300 tree saplings at Little Kinvaston School. This project is part of a larger effort to expand native woodlands and create tree-rich habitats that will benefit nature, the climate, and local communities. 

Little Kinvaston School, an independent alternative provision school in South Staffordshire, opened in September 2024. It provides support for young people facing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health challenges or those at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream education. It is a developing ‘Forest’ School and also houses a number of rescue animals. 

By participating in this project, St Edmund’s students not only contributed to a greener future but also had the opportunity to engage in a hands-on, impactful experience that supports both environmental sustainability and the well-being of their peers.

 Celebrating National Careers Week at St Edmund’s

4th March 2025Mrs D Curtis

British Science Week takes place between 7th – 16th March 2025.  This will be a ten-day celebration of science, maths, technology and engineering.

This week St Edmund’s is proud to bring science careers combined with National Careers Week. A host of employers all linked to the St Edmund’s community have shared their career stories in an attempt to inspire and motivate our students into a future linked with Science.

 

A huge thank you to those who have shared their journey.

 

Reaching out to Primary Schools in the Jubilee Year

27th January 2025Michael Mckearney

 

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Today we were thrilled to welcome the year 5 class, along with their teacher, Mrs Wilcox, to St Edmund’s chapel to celebrate their own Liturgy of the Word.

Last week Rev had gone to St Teresa’s and spent a lovely morning singing, praying and explaining the liturgy to the year 5 class. They spent a week working hard on their liturgy and today we saw the wonderful fruits of that hard work. Their liturgy was beautifully prayerful, and joyful and provided an opportunity to reflect on the Jubilee Year and what it means to be a “Pilgrim of Hope” in our schools and communities.

Thank you to Mrs Wilcox, the staff and especially year 5 for bringing their gifts and talents to the Lord in and through this liturgy.

Year 7 Rewards Assembly Celebrates Student Success

17th December 2024Rowan Ridley

On Tuesday, 17th December, St Edmund’s held the Year 7 Rewards Assembly to celebrate the incredible achievements of the cohort in their first academic year. The event was filled with certificates, prizes, and raffles, recognizing the hard work, dedication, and positive efforts of our Year 7 students.

A huge congratulations to all the pupils and the Year 7 team for their continued commitment and success—keep up the fantastic work!

Mr. Selvey
Head of Lower School

Christmas Mass Times Across Wolverhampton

17th December 2024Michael Mckearney

As well as all the lovely celebrations of this festive season, let’s not forget the actual reason why we are celebrating Christmas – the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

All churches across the city will be holding special services for Christmas, but, if you are a Catholic, you can attend mass at your parish church. Please follow the link to access the times of Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

God bless you all with peace and joy this Christmas. Rev

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RRwNm_hwymbuch9bCTu3NIpySSNBY1VrtJ9aKYb-gPo/edit?tab=t.0

Year 13 Students Explore Careers in Film and TV at BAFTA Headquarters

9th December 2024Rowan Ridley

On Friday 29th November Year 13 students, including members of the A Level Film Studies group, had the unique opportunity to attend an inspiring careers event at the prestigious BAFTA headquarters. The event offered an exclusive glimpse into the inner workings of the film and television industry, featuring insights from professionals behind popular productions and a rising star on the big screen.

The day kicked off with an engaging careers talk led by key members of the Horrible Histories production team. Among the speakers were the talented costume and set designers who shared their experiences and the creative processes that bring the beloved show to life. Their presentation provided invaluable advice on building a career in the entertainment industry, highlighting both traditional and alternative pathways.

Adding a touch of stardom, the event also included an acting spotlight session featuring Bilal Hasna, a rising talent in the industry. Bilal, currently starring in cinemas in the film Layla, shared his journey to success and teased his upcoming roles in highly anticipated projects such as Black Mirror and Slow Horses. His candid insights into the challenges and rewards of acting offered students a closer look at the demands of life on screen.

The event underscored the diverse opportunities available in film and TV, inspiring attendees to consider careers both in front of and behind the camera. From creative design roles to performance, the speakers highlighted how passion and persistence can open doors, even through non-traditional routes.

The visit was a fantastic experience for the students, sparking ideas and aspirations for their future in the world of media and entertainment.