It is always a pleasure to invite partner organisations into our school, and they were represented in force at our ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) awareness event this week.
Thank you to our colleagues at YPAS, CAMHS, Liverpool City Council, MYA and others for supporting our students and their families.
Year 13 Drama students have taken their final bow on the St. Julie's stage as they performed for the A Level Examiner this week.
Although this is their final performance at St Julie's, a number of students are currently auditioning for prestigious Drama Schools and hope to continue their studies next year.
Students in Year 7 Textiles have produced some fantastic work developing slogan based tote bags from recycled materials.
The bags creatively promote environmental awareness and all of the students crafted the bags themselves on sewing machines. Well done to them all on the some great work!
These thriving plants were planted by the gardening club. Each Friday the members of the gardening club has been busy preparing the garden for planting.
The sweetpeas have been doing well and are nearly ready to be planted in the Peace Garden. The gardeners have been sorting seeds, preparing the beds and weeding. The growth inspired Lilly Jai to write a poem about the sweet peas.
Public Health at Liverpool City Council have commissioned a survey about school nursing services and are looking for young people aged 11-19 to participate, for which they will pay a fee. This from them:
“We’re reaching out to help find young people aged 11-19 who might like to take part in a paid research project that is happening during April. The researchers are looking for people to do a confidential interview for an hour (telephone or videocall), and anyone who takes part will be given £50. The project is about the local School Nursing services, understanding the needs of young people and experiences of the services available. This research will be used understand how the services could be developed.
The interviews are being undertaken by an independent organisation called Define, who have been commissioned to understand young peoples’ needs, wants and ideas for developing the School Nursing services. Their job is only to listen to opinions and make recommendations for services based on this and they do not share details of anyone who takes part.
For anyone under the age of 16 we would need written consent from a parent or legal guardian to take part. If you are under 16 we would need to explain the project to your parent/guardian and get their permission by responding to an email.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child under 16 who you think would be interested, we’ll explain the project to you and get your permission before speaking to your child.
If you are interested in finding out more, please email LCCresearch@define.org.uk with your preferred contact number (for under 16s you must provide a parent number/name) or call Define on 0208 346 7171 and ask to speak to Julie Taylor about the Liverpool Young People project. If you contact them there is no obligation to take part but they will explain more and you can decide if you would like to.”
Fundraising continued this week to help support two Y11 students who are joining the Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes.
A Tombola was held at breaktime with lots of prizes to be won including Easter eggs, a bluetooth speaker and beauty items. In total the tombola raised £97.90!
Thanks to everyone who supported the event.
This week marks our CSE Awareness Week and we have been working to raise awareness of the issue of Child Exploitation.
PC Patterson has been delivering assemblies to all students throughout the week which help signpost some of the recognition signs and how students can seek help.
These assemblies are followed up with a PSHE lesson to reinforce the key messages and develop further understanding. PC Patterson also offered a drop in session to all students.
During their assembly all students were given a badge to help show their solidarity and support for the campaign!
As we enter the home run for the Summer public exam season, students in Year 11 have benefitted from the expert advice of Steve Carney, a lead examiner for AQA English.
Students across the whole Year Group participated in an exam workshop with Steve in which he discussed approaches to non-fiction writing and how to generate original ideas under the pressure of exam conditions. His no-nonsense delivery helped to impart valuable practical advice but also instilled a sense of reassurance in the candidates and they enter final preparations for their final English exams.
Sixth Form students were pleased to welcome Mariama Djaura from Liverpool John Moores University who helped cast some light on student finances.
Mariama's presentation started from the basic level and really helped the students gain a working understand of how funding works and how they will need to balance the books during University Study.
St Julie’s Catholic High School, in partnership with Liverpool School Improvement, would like to invite you to a performance and marketplace event introducing ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), recognising the signs, and exploring the long-term effects ACEs can have on a young person.
With a three-year strategy launched to transform the way Liverpool City Council responds to violence against women and girls, St Julie’s have pledged to support the campaign by creating a free and informative performance tackling domestic violence.
Headlining the event will be the presentation of ‘Flowers’, a Now Festival winning performance, which shows students standing up, speaking out and vowing not to become another woman ‘silenced by flowers'.
There will also be a marketplace with representatives of organisations supporting young people in Merseyside.
This is a free event, but tickets must be purchased via ParentPay.
Venue: St Julie's High School
Time: 5pm -6pm
Date: 21/3/24
Price: FREE
We have some fantastic news to round off British Science Week 2024 which relates to a group of Year 12 students who recently applied for a scholarship application to participate in a BioGrad training programme.
BioGrad provides students with immersive laboratory and clinical training courses at their state of the art facilities in Liverpool. The aim of their scholarship programmes is to provide students with work experience, an opportunity to ‘test drive’ their chosen career and guidance towards university interviews.
It is a highly competitive application process for which students are required to select the appropriate programme from those offered and write a personal statement to outline what they hope to gain from the course; how the opportunity will support them with their plans Post 18 and their future academic and career goals. The final part of the application is comprised of a supporting statement and reference from the school.
We are delighted that Amy, Filpa, Jana, Grace, Tullula and Ella were all successful with their applications as they have received full or partial scholarships for the programmes they applied for. Each programme covers a range of topics and techniques within the exciting field of medicine, biomedical science and emergency medicine. Sessions are led by highly skilled and experienced lecturers to help students develop their understanding of emergency medicine and explore the plethora of opportunities available within the world of medicine and biomedical sciences. The courses will equip students with many transferable skills suitable for future medical studies or laboratory work.
This will be a wonderful experience for the students and we’d like to thank BioGrad for their support and for providing us with this opportunity. We’d also like to thank the students for the dedication and commitment they’ve shown to their studies so far in Year 12; and to Mr Magor for his support during the application process. We are immensely proud of the students and would like to wish them the very best of luck as they embark on this exciting next stage of their learning journey.
An Inspector called for students in Year 8 when the talented players of MANACTCO staged an adaptation of ‘An Inspector Calls’, J. B. Priestley’s celebrated morality play.
The students found the performance hugely helpful in their understanding of the plot and characterisation within the piece and this prove very useful in their ongoing studies.
We welcomed Father Simon Gore and Lauren from Animate Youth Ministries in to school to speak to all of Year 8 about the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through a game of 'Who wants to be a millionaire?' Lauren demonstrated to students how difficult it can be to make choices and deciding who to listen to. By receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation, it can help guide us as we navigate our way through life and growing up. Registration for Confirmation is still open to baptised Catholics in Year 8 and above until Friday 15th March via www.liverpoolcalled.co.uk.
If you miss the deadline, contact your local parish.
Our theatre transformed into a spooky place this week as Year 11 students saw one of their exam texts brought into life in a gripping and atmospheric small cast adaptation of ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ performed by the Quantum Theatre Group.
The performance helped students to gain new insights and perspectives into the text and will provide valuable knowledge for further study and the final examination!
Students in Year 11 Drama were facing some pressure last week as they performed their final pieces for the AQA Examiner.
The performers rose to the challenge brilliantly and their hard work in preparation meant that the performances were full of energy, pathos and comedy – though not all at the same time!
Congratulations to the students for a set of performances that impressed the examiner, and thank you to the Performing Arts department for their hard work.
The 13th March is Young Carers Action Day and this year's theme is 'Fair Futures for Young Carers'. Its aim is to highlight the need for young carers' voices to be heard in order that those around them can better understand the support they need. In school, our Young Carers Champions are Miss Machin and Mrs Jones. If you or someone you know is a Young Carer, find out about some of the support The Carer's Trust can provide here.
The Carers Trust is committed to providing opportunities for young and adult carers under 25 years to achieve and develop their future aspirations and goals through their Young Carers Futures programme. The Young Carers Futures hub page can be found here.
We acknowledge that Young Carers often do not think of themselves as carers and it is important that they are recognised and get the appropriate support. Barnado's Action With Young Carers works with young carers and young adult carers who are caring for an ill or disabled adult. Some illnesses and disabilities can be seen, others cannot. Barnado's can be contacted on 0151 228 4455 and further details can be found in this leaflet.
After the long awaited letters of school place allocation went through doors at the start of the month we were thrilled to send out invitations to the families of our newest students to attend a welcome event.
This was the first time that students in our incoming Year 7 have met each other as a Year Group and it is always a highlight of our school year.
During the event parents and carers were led to the Sports Hall for a presentation from Mrs McCourt, Mrs Rooney and Student President Sophie, whilst our students gathered in the Chapel to learn some new songs, performed for parents via video link!
Thank you to everybody who came to join us.
The TravelSafe Partnership operates a text reporting line for anyone who sees or experiences unwanted attention or sexual harassment while travelling by bus.
Passengers can report it discreetly and safely to the TravelSafe Partnership by texting SAFER to 65007, providing details of the incident including the date, time, location and route number, if it’s known.
Using their extensive CCTV system on buses and at bus stations, control room staff will then be able to monitor the behaviour, identify where sexual harassment and violence is taking place, and work with the police to bring perpetrators to justice.
This text message service was specifically requested by young people, who said they felt this would be the method they would feel most comfortable using to report behaviour which made them feel unsafe.
Liverpool Mental Health Support Team and YPAS are hosting a virtual coffee morning on Wednesday the 13th of March from 9:30-11:00.
The event is hosted on Zoom and you can scan the code above to book a place.
Congratulations to Freya in Year 10 who took gold this weekend at her first competition at junior (15-17) level!
Freya has been attending national squad training on a regular basis and is really enjoying the additional work.
Her preparation paid off as she competed for the first time at junior level in the 'Ultimate Spring Championship' - a silver level British Taekwondo event held at Barnsley Metrodome in Yorkshire.
Freya found the higher age group a new challenge battled through a very tough semi-final and final to leave the competition with a gold medal. Congratulations Freya!
It was a pleasure to welcome former student and qualified nurse Jemma Riley back into St. Julie's to share her experiences with students.
Jemma was kind enough to visit, as she has in previous years, to talk about her journey into nursing and the challenges and rewards it has brought her. She was able to share insights into routes into nursing and gave inspiration to the listening students.
On International Women's Day students heard from inspiring local Fashion Designer Kirsty Doyle.
Kirsty led an assembly with Year 9 students where she spoke about her professional journey and her 'KD Club' educational project working with young people across the City.
Later in the day Kirsty ran workshops introducing a competition being run in conjunction with the Grand National that will see winner's designs being produced by professionals in Kirsty's design studio before being displayed in Liverpool One!
Today we welcomed former Human Rights Lawyer, and aspiring Judge, Claudine Roberts who shared her personal experience with students.
Claudine is a published author, who spoke with conviction about violence against women and girls. She spoke very candidly about how her faith shapes her work, and how it supported her in dealing with incidents of great personal trauma.
After her assembly, Claudine led a Q&A session with potential law students in which she was able to draw on her extensive legal experience.
All of the students working with Claudine found her presentations engaging and we're very grateful to her for making the time to visit us.
Congratulations to our stars of the week in English this week!
In Year 7:
Stevie - For writing an excellent poem called 'The Swing'
Janet - For pushing herself every lesson.
Alexandra - For great contribution to English lessons
Annie - For always giving excellent contributions in our Jane Eyre discussions.
Ciara - great verbal and written engagement surrounding Jane Eyre.
In Year 8:
Grace - for great presentation and excellent work produced in English.
Ava - for being focused & trying her best.
In Year 9:
Bobbie J - for heart felt responses.
Imogen - for writing an engaging article.
In Year 10:
Aneesa - for dedication to learning in English Language.
Charlotte - for fantastic Blood Brothers essay
Meg - for engagement with Blood Brothers
In Year 11:
Lucie - for engagement with Macbeth
Scarlett - for engaging with non-fiction writing
Eva - for dedication to learning in literature.
Ola - for consistent improvement in English
And in Sixth Form:
Bethany - excellent response to assessment
Layla - taking on roles in ‘A Doll’s House’
Charlotte - engagement with NEA
Sophie - effort in Mock Lit exam
We'd like to offer a huge well done to our year 8 Netball team who have qualified for the County Finals in Netball.
Only two Liverpool schools qualified with St Julie's being one of them. The players work incredibly hard week after week in training and of that dedication is paying off!
Today we welcomed Sarah as one of our National Careers Week presenters.
She met with a group of Year 11 and 12 students to share with them information and guidance relating to dental nurse apprenticeships and dentistry.
Students learned about the different routes into this exciting and varied career; learned more about the nature of apprenticeships and even got to learn the names of some of the equipment and tools they could be using.
Sarah's presentation gave a real insight to the varied training opportunities within the role and we'd like to thank her for giving up her time to speak to us today.
A group of prospective law applicants from Sixth Form attended a presentation delivered by Laura Keane from In House Legal Solutions.
The presentation included different pathways to the legal profession and outlined the different areas of law that students could choose to specialise in.
Students were given top tips for applying for law, obtaining work experience and our presenters were able to respond to questions the students had. Students were able to learn about a 'day in the life of' and would like to thank Laura and In House Legal Solutions for their time and insight today.
Well done to our Year 8 students who embarked on a sport leadership course with LSSP. The course offers fantastic transferable skills that are useful throughout life.
Session one was all about team building and teamwork. They will have another three sessions before they are awarded their leadership qualification.
This week included International Women's Day and we were joined by a team of female staff and officers from Merseyside Police to help celebrate it.
The nine strong team of women represented a wide variety of roles and ranks from across the service, and they led special assemblies for students in Years 9 and 10 celebrating the progress made on gender representation within Merseyside Police but equally recognising that there is still work to be done.
Each of the women present spoke about their journey within the Police and the rewards it has brought them, personally and professionally.
We'd like to thank all of the staff who made time to join us today, as well as our students for their excellent behaviour which was commented on by our visitors, many of whom were visiting St. Julie's for the first time.
It's World Book Day, and at St Julie's we celebrated with lots of events, the most popular of which was our book and cake sale!
Powered by staff donations, students were able to enjoy a tasty cake while snapping up a bargain book, with all books priced at a flat rate of just 50p!
Thank you to the English Department and our hard working team of Sixth Form stall managers who together raised over £70 for the Read for Good charity that puts books in the hands of those in most need.
This week Year 11 benefited from an assembly led by Holly Jackson from Kooth who spoke about the management of stress, with a particular focus on exam stress.
Kooth is an online wellbeing service for young people. It is free to access and has an app that can be downloaded. It is a recognised safe website and can be used anonymously to access support.
This week our Year 7 and 8 football team contested round 3 of the Merseyside County Schools Football Cup against a team from Rainhill High School.
The match was tight between the two sides, but St Julie's powered on during the second half to take the victory 5-7 over Rainhill with 4 goals coming from Libby Y8, 1 from Imogen Y8 and the last from Jessie Y7. Captain Amelia (GK) showed excellent leadership from in the goal ensuring her teammates were aware of the tactics and keeping a tight side to play the forwards offside.
St Julie's progress into round 4 and will face the winner from Calderstones/St Hilda's.
Well done to all players:
Jessie, Luella, Maisie, Scarlett, Annabelle, Freya, Imogen, Amelia (C), Grace, Ella, Paige and Libby.
This week to celebrate National Careers Week, Year 9, 10 and 13 enjoyed a talk and workshop with Vivi Norris, a local midwife from The Liverpool Women's Hospital.
It was fascinating to hear about the variety within the role, and the skills and qualities required for the job! Students particularly enjoyed seeing and having a turn at using the equipment midwives use, from antenatal to postnatal care.
We're very grateful to Vivi for taking the time from her busy schedule to come and share her knowledge and expertise.
Students in Year 8 have been demonstrating their screen-printing skills this week.
They successfully recreated cell like structures to produce patterns ready to embroider on. The outcomes are beautifully vibrant and the link between art and scientific exploration was clearly reinforced in this work too!
This week, we welcomed Fr Colin Fealey from Christ the King Parish in to school to celebrate Mass for Year 7 students in P band.
Based on our readings, Fr Colin preached about how we are all part of a faith community that needs to work together, accepting and supporting each other.
Eleven students from across the forms led us in our readings and the gifts were offered by two members of 7N.
Fr Colin was impressed at how respectful Y7 were and it was a lovely celebration for everyone!
Students in Q band will have their celebration of Mass on 12th March with Fr Stephen from Our lady of the Assumption.
As part of our National Careers Week activities Year 9 students welcomed Julia Michalczyk and Sarah Sharples from MSB Solicitors into their assembly today who shed some light on the legal profession.
Our speakers began by explaining the huge scope of the legal profession, and how our students will all need to use legal services at some point in their livesand spoke about the many roles involved across the sector.
We then heard some personal experiences and insights, with valuable information about access routes into Law.
Thank you to our visitors for taking the time to share their knowledge - our students found the presentation very informative.
Last week a group of Year 10 students visited Jaguar Land Rover in Halewood to gain an insight to the engineering industry as part of the company’s International Women's Day Conference.
St Julie’s students were invited to this inaugural event which is exclusive to JLR Partner Schools and it was an exciting opportunity for students to meet the inspiring women who are integral to JLR.
Students had the opportunity to listen to two different panels of employees in the industry talking about their experience followed by a Q&A session which took place to each panel, allowing students to gain further insight. Students also participated in mini taster sessions of what happens withing the Halewood factory and were given keyrings made by the 3D printer onsite and also competed in challenges against other students to fit engineering parts as fast as they could.
The Conference showcased the inspiring women that make up JLR and shone a light on how the engineering industry is for everyone, not just for the few. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity for our students and we’d like to thank JLR, Miss Gawley and Miss Murphy for arranging this.
For National Careers Work we were proud to welcome Theatre Nurse and former student Amelia Jones into school to speak to students.
Amelia started her visit sharing her experiences with students from Year 8 in their assembly, including a candid account of some of the struggles she faced and the swings in her desired career. As well as some of the specifics of her role in Alder Hey Hospital's surgical theatres, Amelia shared some valuable insights that were applicable to all students in their journey into the working world.
Following her assembly, Amelia joined a Year 10 class where she was able to take more time to share her experiences with a smaller group who found her advice both valuable and encouraging.
Thank you to Amelia for taking the time to come back and visit us.
Last week our students that represent Merseyside School Girls for the U13 and U14 teams both got through to the English Schools Final!
This is a colossal achievement and we wish both teams the very best of luck with their respective finals.
Players from St. Julie's include Imogen, Libby, Faith and Amelia on the U13 team, and Faye, Yasmin and Katie on the U14 team. Good luck!
On Friday our Year 7 football team triumphed in the Merseyside Schoolsl Football Cup at the Simpson Ground.
Our Y7 team were victorious and won the tournament without losing a single football match during the competition. Player of the tournament goes to Ave-Rose for her unstoppable rocket of a header that gave St Julie's the lead against Calderstones.
Well done to our Y7 champions:
Ava-Rose, Heidi, Jessie, Luella, Scarlett, Maisie, Sharnie, Freya, Annabelle and Maisie (GK).
St. Julie's Catholic High School