Our Lady's RC High School Winter Magazine

Dear all,

This term has been full of learning, enriching experiences and celebrating success. The return to formal examinations this summer was a nervous moment for our outgoing Year 11 children, but we could not have been more pleased with the results. Many children achieved beyond expectations and collectively produced the best GCSE results in North Manchester, again.

The current year groups in school have also started the year well, showing dedication to their studies, attending the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available to them, and supporting a range of school events. The ban on electronics was a difficult decision, but I think it might be one of the best changes in policy we have made. The ubiquitous presence of electronics in daily life is an unstoppable tide in the main, but to see the impact it has made to the daily experiences of the students in school has been uplifting. Instead of checking their phones, watches etc at lunch time, children are playing chess, reading, skipping, and many other activities that I believe are far more enriching. My only regret is that we did not do it sooner.

Rewards have been a focus this term, and rather than using material rewards we have tried to expose students to more enriching experiences. There was a tree top trek which involved high wire climbing in trees, snowboarding lessons at the Chill Factore, ten-pin bowling and a day out to a trampoline park. The feedback from the children was overwhelmingly positive and there are photographs and more details in this edition.

I am pleased to say we are now in the new building and enjoying the facilities it has an offer. As you are aware it has been a long, and at times frustrating, journey to reach this point, but now we have the extra facilities it certainly feels worth it. I look forward to showing parents around during the parents’ evenings throughout the course of this academic year.

Editor’s Welcome Message

This time of year, we work collectively to support the most vulnerable in our community. We will be welcoming the St Clare’s Over 60’s Social Club in to school for a festive party which the children will prepare the food for and serve to our guests. We will be collecting grocery donations to make up food parcels for our local foodbanks and raising funds to support a local hospital.

As the term draws to a close, I want to thank you all for your support and wish you the very best for the Christmas break.

It has certainly been an extremely busy Autumn term at Our Lady’s with so much going on both in school each day and out of school with some spectacular extra-curricular activities such as Duke of Edinburgh, PGL, Lakeland Adventure Waterpark and the annual residential trip to Langdale, as well as the exciting opening of our brand new building! We hope you enjoy reading all about it and we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

God Bless L. Ormsby Headteacher

Dear parents, carers and friends,

Once again, I am delighted to introduce our latest version of the Vision magazine, which contains some of the activities, opportunities and achievements that our students have been involved with this term.

Clarke Telecom Visit

A group of aspiring STEM students had the opportunity to visit Clarke Telecom recently.

Not only did they learn about the business, tour the offices and learn about the contributions Clarke Telecom make to the Green Economy, they got to meet and listen to various staff members careers stories.

A young man starting his career as a graduate, Josh Fiteni, spoke about his role as a Town Planner, what he now does, and how he got there.

Mark Hansbro, the company’s HR Learning and Development Lead, spoke about the social values of the company, enabling reflection on why and what would be important to individuals, when choosing a company to work for.

Nigel Newton, Clarke’s Managing Director and founder of the company, back in 2002, told students about his own personal journey. Starting as a plumbing apprentice, he challenged himself and grasped all education and opportunities available, becoming a Quantity Surveyor and then “jumping” to open his own business. He gladly gave our students some great tips to move on successfully. His company employ just short of 400 staff and have a sales revenue of £51m annually!

Oldham College representatives joined our group during the morning. Students were introduced to T Levels, as well as other pathways, highlighting how they can move, post Our Lady’s, towards their professional goal.

A huge thank you to Clarke Telecom for their kind and generous donation to school which will help purchase uniforms for families in need.

Black History Month

Every October we recognise Black History Month and put the spotlight on black excellence across our curriculum. This is a whole school initiative and all staff and students are involved. This year we invited Magdalen Bartlett from Afrocats into school to deliver talks to all years about her charity and create a partnership with Our Lady’s that will continue well into the new year.

Afrocats is a small local organisation that provides a warm, friendly, safe space for refugees, asylum seekers and diverse young people in Greater Manchester. We are delighted they have chosen to partner with us.

For the rest of this article we hand over to the students to tell us all about Afrocats and what has been going on in school to celebrate BHM.

Nuria, Miracle and Patricia in Year 8 – take it away…!

The pupils within Our Lady’s had an opportunity to engage with an influential figure in our local community, the founder of the charity AfroCats. Magdalen, delivered an effective message towards our pupils. The founder of AfroCats shared her upbringing and introduction to a new environment, migrating from Barbados, to stay in the UK, her story carefully detailing the passions and interests she had that played a contribution to the success of her charity. From her degree specialising in creative arts, to her actions consisting of voluntary work, Our Lady’s students were able to understand a perspective that wouldn’t necessarily be

considered, in the curriculum or modern-day society.

Additional to this, elected members of the Diversity Team were able to have a conversation with the optimistic individual, surrounding controversial topics view pointing on racial issues. As someone present to this meeting, I was able to shift my approaches

to everyday struggles and enjoyed hearing about ‘actions not words’ being placed into practise.

Our Lady’s RC High school has partnered with this organization not only for Black History Month, but for the rest of the school year to influence inclusion within the curriculum.

You can follow them on Instagram @afrocats.mcr or Facebook by searching ‘Afrocats Manchester’

The theme: “Action not Words”, displays the physical commitments that need to be made to uplift, educate and spread awareness on discrimination.

A good example of this motto being placed into practise is the representation the school environment has displayed to educate others. Around the school, there are leaflets, providing information on black activists that originate from Manchester. Daily competitions are hosted, to find the answers to certain questions, that promote the recognition of these Mancunian Black activists.

Something that needs to be praised is the fact that this Black History Month, we have steered away from focusing on the oppression and tribulations of black people, and instead replaced it with recognising black excellence and grace.

Nuria

When Magdalen came into our school, the energy was electric! From start to finish, the entire talk was engaging - we learned a lot about her story and building up Afrocats.

Throughout Our Lady’s Black History Month, we see daily questions relating to famous black activists and learn more about black Saints. On Our Lady’s Open Evening, we saw the delights of many different cultural cuisines as well as the: ‘Habanero Chicken with Jollof Rice’.

Miracle Magdalen’s backstory and her charity were truly amazing to listen to and her assembly did have a big impact on those who don’t normally speak up or enjoy publicly speaking.

Her assembly was very effective and her story inspired others to consider the struggles other people go through. Magdalen has become a very influential figure to the entirety of the school, she is truly an inspiration to everyone she meets.

Magdalen, who founded the charity Afro Cats that focuses on those who are vulnerable to our community, came into Our Lady’s and spoke to every year group separately, about her charity, what she does, and how her charity focuses on people with BAME - black, Asian and minority ethnic- backgrounds. She also came and had lunch with a few members of the diversity team and shared her experiences with us. Both Miss Taylor and Magdalen sat with all 5 of us and we discussed how to improve our school community, what the diversity team is doing to make everyone feel comfortable and feel safe. How racism is handled and also about facing challenges as a POC -person of colour and overcoming those challenges.

At Our Lady’s each form in every year group appealed for a way to raise money for Magdalen’s charity, only one form was chosen from each year group to raise that money. The school have picked up on what didn’t go well and what didn’t really have an effect from last year’s BHM celebration and have made a change, staff have put up posters of black icons and black people who have made a change in history and in the modern day world, they also had ethnic foods in the canteen for people to try so people could be able to appreciate other people’s cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Staff are also doing BHM quizzes to educate people

and we also get taught about black history in all our subjects.

The successful year 10 and 11 forms chose to hold a catwalk pageant event celebrating black culture and key stage 3 forms made and sold bracelets around school. The fundraising activities were huge successes and the money raised was donated to AfroCats who will ensure it helps families involved with the charity have a great Christmas. The students who raised the most money enjoyed a winning lunch at La Buka restaurant in Moston, supporting a fantastic local blackowned business.

Patricia

Duke of Edinburgh Award Winners!

Here at Our Lady’s we have been running the Duke of Edinburgh Award successfully for ten years. This prestigious award is recognised across the whole country for developing the skills and attitudes young people need to become more rounded, confident adults, developing and learning important life skills such as leadership, teamwork, self-confidence, responsibility, problem solving and communication all of which are recognised by and attract colleges and universities.

At Our Lady’s all groups are entered at the Bronze Award level, and this term a group of 23 year 10 students successfully completed their award in the beautiful Lake District at lake Windermere. Over the weekend, the weather was not kind, but the group showed great determination and resilience as they battled with the elements walking, climbing and camping on the high moors of Windermere. The students’ limits were pushed further the following day, whereby they had to paddle in canoes the entire width of the lake and back demonstrating incredible team work, leadership and perseverance, stepping

out of their comfort zones and battling the everchanging conditions of the lake.

The group were an absolute credit to Our Lady’s which was recognised by all the Duke of Edinburgh assessors along the way, praising the students for their efforts, positive attitudes and grit which they showed during the expedition. Alongside the expedition the group have dedicated their time to develop their leadership skills, volunteering their time to support and help others inside and outside the Our Lady’s community as well as developing

new skills, academically and practically to enhance personal growth.

We are hoping to continue this success with a new cohort of students starting the Bronze DofE journey next year offering more places to the current year 9 with the opportunity to complete the Bronze Award in 2023. Information regarding DofE will be available in upcoming assemblies and letters home. Congratulations year 10 we are all very proud of you, well done!

DUKE

DUKE

Results Day Celebrations!

In the last week of the summer holidays staff and students met on Thursday morning to receive their 2022 GCSE results. These were the first set of examination results in two years so there was much anticipation from everyone involved. As the first students began to arrive and results were shared the atmosphere in school was one of relief, happiness and excitement. The class of 2022 had achieved a fantastic set of results and were now free to celebrate their success and confirm their future plans with colleges.

Some students arrived with their friends, a few came alone and others brought their family. Many of the teaching staff came in, including Miss Winter who left at Christmas but had been the cohort’s Head of Year from 2017, she was delighted with the results. As was Miss Brophy who supported the students throughout their exams knows how hard they all worked.

Mr Ormsby was very happy for the students who had been a credit to the Our Lady’s throughout their five years at school, contributing much to the culture of excellence that is at the heart of all we do.

Congratulations to the class of 22 and good luck in your future endeavours

Langdale, we love you!

A little later than usual, our year 7s made their way north to the picturesque Lake District to enjoy a week of fun-filled activities. The week was certainly wetter than usual but the spirits of the students there were not dampened. The students split up into two groups to attend over the course of the week and were led by their Head of Year, Mr. Edge. Mr Edge has shared his story of a week to remember at Langdale!

moments of the trip were seeing students, who were once full of trepidation, overcome their apprehension and embrace new activities triumphantly.

The hostel and the event organisers were full of praise for the politeness, bravery, and good spirit of the students. Several instructors told me that a couple of the groups were the best they had ever had. This high praise for the students was not unwarranted. They were a dream throughout the trip and incredible ambassadors for Our Lady’s High School. They filled me and every teacher in attendance with pride and were a credit to their parents and carers.

The students were certainly excited in the build-up to Langdale and the venue and activities did not disappoint. The base for this week of adventure was a beautiful Victorian mansion accompanied by the beautiful backdrop, that is, the Lake District. The accommodation catered for all 186 students over the week and did a sterling job. Many students spent the mornings raving about their breakfast which set them up perfectly for the long day ahead.

The activities included gorge walking, archery, a visit to a quarry, team-building exercises, and scenic walks. Students put their fears aside and plunged into rivers and the dark. Some of the most rewarding

The evenings were full of fun and consistent questions about when the tuck shop would open. The evening activities consisted of a talent show, games, quizzes, and movie night. The talent show illustrated just how many dances and songs I had never heard of and was a splendid advertisement for TikTok. The students also got to endure my and another teacher’s rap. Needless to say, we did not finish in the top 3 of the competition.

As each trip ended, the students continued to show their brilliant character and left the dorms as they were found. The hostel even remarked that they had never had all beds stripped and in the washing on before 8 am.

I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone for their efforts in making this trip happen. A trip that may have been the first trip away for some students due to Covid restrictions. Thank you to all parents and carers for entrusting your children to us for the week and for your diligent form filling which enabled us to run the week so smoothly.

I’ll leave you with a poem that one of the students wrote while at Langdale.

Mr Edge, Head of Year 7

“Langdale is a great place, Somewhere where you can face your fears, Somewhere you make new friends, Find new hobbies, Learn how to do new things, Let’s be grateful for this place, Be comfortable in this open space.”

Open Evening

It was a wet autumnal evening but that didn’t deter over 150 families coming to visit Our Lady’s for a warm welcome at our annual open evening. Prefects and pastoral staff lined the foyer to welcome visitors and guide them on tours of the site. Each academic department and all support staff had put on a unique experience for our guests. The Religious Studies department had different activities to showcase what their subject is all about including philosophy and world religions Father Nicholas guided children to spend some time in quiet prayer and reflection whilst discussing matters of faith. Our lovely Chaplains and SVP members were also on hand to explain all the ways that they facilitate the Catholic ethos throughout our school, and make it truly distinctive.

The Maths department had quizzes and puzzles for visitors as well as the opportunity to drive and park a robot that had been built by year 9 students. English had a Hogwarts and Harry Potter themed room as well as a crime scene whodunit space with clues to uncover and mysteries to solve. The History department offered the opportunity for a selfie with not one but two Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. The department also has a vast array of artefacts ranging from Victorian bed warmers to Roman lamps. The Languages team had put on a warm welcome and in a variety of different languages; Bienvenue, Willkommen, Bienvenidas, Benvenuta!

The Expressive and Performing Arts department did what they do best and performed for our visitors, displays of music, photography and drama and art which showed off their innumerable talents.

Downstairs in the Technology department year 11 students baked and decorated cakes to share with our visitors, any treats that weren’t enjoyed on the night were sold in a charity bake sale the following day with all profits going to Macmillan. In Computer Science there were two activities for budding coders and programmers to enjoy. Business Studies created a brilliant activity to test brand loyalty with a guess the logo and a taste the difference game challenge with famous brand versus own brand versions of popular foods, the results were very interesting.

Over in sports hall, PE staff showed our visitors all the facilities we have including our dance studio and 3G pitches, they had set up lots of mini challenges that everyone could join in with including

Crazy catch, basketball shots and speed bounces. The Science department as always put on wonderful display of all of the practical and experimental ways Our Lady’s students learn, there were Bunsen burners, acid / alkali reaction testing, dissecting a real heart, circuits to build and the flame test. The pupils also had some fab science demos of methane bubbles and the Van der Graff generator, they all created a lot of wows.

The Headteacher gave a presentation in the hall and everyone left via the canteen which was serving up ‘tastes of the world’ including dishes from India, Poland, Nigeria, France and Italy as well as hand battered British fish and chips. Everyone commented on how delicious the food was. The whole event was a real success with lots of positive feedback on the night and many year 7 applications received afterwards. Thank you to all who attended.

An Action-Packed Residential for Year 10!

On the last day of September, over one hundred Year 10 students headed off to Boreatton Activity Park in Shrewsbury for a weekend of adventure. Head of Year, Mr Mottershead planned a weekend with a variety of activities for all students and staff to take part in and enjoy.

The aim of this trip was to give students the opportunity to explore the outdoors and participate in activities they might not normally get to enjoy. It was to help team cohesion and bring the students together to build new friendships and strengthen existing ones. It was also an opportunity to take a break from school work so they can return refocussed on their upcoming GCSE studies.

The students got to experience activities including kayaking, climbing, shooting and archery and many more. They boldly plunged into lakes and had fun being in nature. They were able to work on their team building skills in every activity and improve their communication skills whilst their mobile phones were locked away in their bedrooms.

The students were excellent, they enthusiastically joined in with all activities and behaved brilliantly, representing Our Lady’s exceptionally well. We received lots of positive feedback from the PGL staff who led the groups, they commented on how the students were a credit to our school, which made Mr Mottershead extremely proud of his year group. It was a pleasure to see members of the Year 10 cohort grow in confidence and show great character, courage and commitment the whole weekend. A massive thank you to all involved in making this weekend adventure possible.

Next Steps for our Year 11

Year 11 and their parents were recently supported by some visiting local colleges as they begin the process of choosing a college. We are privileged to have an abundance of supporting colleges who offer a myriad of courses for post 16 learners and they joined us for a careers fair in school.

Guest feedback was fabulous, including the following comments:

“A great year of pupils. Very well prepared, polite, happy and motivated”

“Lovely students, all were polite, smart and a pleasure to engage with”

“Each of the students were very focused on their futures and what they wanted to do”

“The students were amazing and have clearly put lots of thought into their futures”

Following on from our Careers Fair the year 11 students were joined by 24 college representatives, and guests from Government services (Department of Work and Pensions and the NHS), Business and Industry, to help practice interviewing techniques. Students had prepared some amazing personal statements and CVs in readiness for the event.

“What a credit to the school your students are! If they interview like that in the future they will go far! Keep pushing, you can do it!”

“A very impressive set of students. Really inspiring talking to students about their different goals. Clearly students have thought deeply about how to achieve their goals, whether that’s being a lawyer, doctor etc and are putting plans into place to make this a reality…Students were very confident, well presented and well-rounded individuals”.

These much needed life skills have been developed and honed with our contributors support, guests have been invaluable in the process, and we very much appreciate the time given to us, at Our Lady’s!

Students are now moving forward, in applying for their “next step” to colleges and training providers, interview techniques being tested to the full in early Spring when colleges begin to interview for places.

Field Trip to the Wild Fylde Coast

On a wet and windy October day, 65 GCSE Geography students went to the Fylde coast to complete the first half of their fieldwork studies. They travelled two hours north of Manchester, to the towns of Cleveleys and Fleetwood, that are on the coastline of the Irish Sea. The students braved the elements to research whether or not the hard engineering strategies on the Fylde coastline were successful or not.

The coastline to the north of Blackpool has benefitted from a £68 million scheme that aims to protect the houses, businesses and industries of the area. The students’ goal was to assess if the local people were supportive of the scheme and to see if it is working or

Debate Mate!

not! After visiting two sites successfully and collecting valuable data we headed back to Our Lady’s. Not before stopping at a local restaurant for lunch and to warm up!

This term, a group of students from years 7 to 9 attended the Debate Mate launch at the University of Manchester. They watched a live debate all about the voting age being lowered to 16 years of age. The students were also invited to give reasons for and against this motion.

The students are excited to use these skills in school during regular debates at Debate Mate meetings with Mrs Robson. Davina said, “It was very inspiring, the debaters had lots of confidence and hopefully after being in debate mate I will I will gain the same confidence and skills”.

Lakeland Waterpark Adventures!

Over the weekend 23rd-25th September, Miss Watkins, Mr Bell and Miss Smith accompanied by 27 intrepid explorers from year 9 headed on their waterpark residential. The three day long trip was an outdoor extravaganza based at Coniston in the Lake District and was the opportunity for students and staff alike to challenge themselves and push themselves out of their comfort zone in front of a beautiful backdrop of rolling hills and stunning waterfalls.

confidence and pride of the pupils grew, as did the beams on their faces. Harry Su and John Lugares particularly impressed the Coniston staff through their determination to overcome their fear of heights and Oskar Ziaja took it all in his stride being the first to throw himself into activities.

The final activity, the Ghyll scramble, was the most physically demanding and required pupils to climb up waterfalls against the crushing flow of water!

The journey up to Coniston was windy but scenic and the group were pleased to be met with flat terrain and a mere jump into the beautiful 13th century house where they called home for the weekend, compared to the Snowdon-esque climb they had endured on their Langdale residential!

The first evening was mainly organisational with pupils sorting themselves into their dorms, enjoying some dinner and deciding which of the four groups would take on the washing up first. After, genuinely, no grumbles regarding the chores list, the group headed outside for a game of hide and seek in the dark. The teachers were crowned winners on night 1 and night 2, only being found by one group respectively and the pupils learnt the value of

looking behind walls, where the teachers had been hiding in plain sight the whole time.

The Saturday and Sunday saw the group splitting into three sub teams to take on one of three activities on a rotation; a canoe tour, a tree top high ropes course or a Ghyll scramble. The canoeing session was met with beautiful sunshine but a harsh wind led to some aching arms. Fear not however, it was nothing a quick swim in Coniston Lake and some jumping from rock formations couldn’t cure and led to new experiences, laughter and some close misses. Maia Ramos impressed through holding her breath under the freezing cold water for the longest. The treetops rope course challenged pupils to jump off 35m poles with nothing but their classmates to protect them and as the

The students absolutely excelled and we saw beautiful moments of teamwork and kindness as stronger members of the group threw their hands down to help pull other pupils up some of the more challenging stretches, most notably Prosper Obidi, Josh Scoynes and Danielle Adora.

The Sunday afternoon saw smiles all round as pupils received their certificates of achievement. Miss Watkins was caught shedding a tear or two at how proud she was of her old year group and hopes firmly that those who found a natural talent, Cindy Nwanonobi, or even just caught the outdoor bug, Akim Abubakar, continue to explore this moving forward.

A Trip Around the World at OLHS

On Friday 30th September, Our Lady’s celebrated Languages Day. This was an opportunity for the entire community to celebrate the broad and diverse linguistic and cultural diversity that makes Our Lady’s such a unique and dynamic place to learn and work. Miss Watkins started off proceedings, delivering assemblies to all year groups on the importance of language learning. She shocked pupils with worldwide statistics relating to languages but it was the realisation that 60% of the Our Lady’s community have an awareness of another language, with 70 languages present amongst us, that really won over the hearts and minds of pupils.

On the Friday itself, pupils had the opportunity to take part in one of two competitions. The first was a languages themed bake off competition, which saw beautiful cakes adorned with language, flags and even a very impressive attempt at an Eiffel Tower! Miss Roe and Mr Menga were blown away and crowned Lily Agnew and Celestyn Mbagwu joint winners for their efforts.

During the afternoon, Miss Watkins was accompanied by pupils from around the

school who were given a table in the hall and were challenged with representing their culture, country, language or religion of choice in a way that felt appropriate to them. In total 18 different stalls were entered with pupils choosing to represent; Poland, Islam, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Congo, Spain, France, Sweden, Pakistan, Portugal, India, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Philippines, Equitorial Guinea and Ukraine. Staff and pupils had the opportunity to move around

the stalls and learn about the different places on display from the experts themselves and were delighted with the sights, smells, tastes and information that was presented.

Whilst all pupils did a wonderful job, judges crowned Nigeria the winning team with Poland in a close second and the Philippines and India sharing third place. A wonderful day had by all!

Staff Profile: Mr Freer

Mr Freer joined Our Lady’s at the start of September as the Lead Teacher of the humanities faculty. Let’s find out a bit more about him…

What is your role at Our Ladys? Lead Teacher of Humanities

Where did you work before you started here?

I worked at a school in Halifax, West Yorkshire as a Curriculum Leader for Geography and History.

What were your first impressions of Our Lady’s?

I was impressed with the pride that the students took in showing off their school and the displays for Black History Month. Also, how welcoming staff and students have been to me into their school community.

What is your favourite thing about being a teacher?

What I love about being a Humanities teacher is that both Geography and History help us to understand the world outside our window. It is an honour to teach subjects that allow students to discover new ways of thinking, better explain and understand the natural and social worlds, think about alternative futures and what we could do to influence them. This leads to my favourite aspect of my job where students start to engage and debate current issues of significance.

What does a typical day for Mr Freer look like?

I’m woken up by my daughter before the birds are up (she wakes them!) and it’s all go from then. I’m the cook of the house so I will be making breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the day. I try and sneak in a bike ride up a hill or two. I go to Heaton Park or into town with my family. The only non-negotiable in my day is that I have to read for at least 45 mins before bed.

Where in the world would you most like to visit?

I would love to visit the Himalayas in Nepal to see the mountains, glaciers and rivers in that unique area of the world.

What are your hobbies outside of school?

I am a keen reader and I like to get outside as much as I can in my spare time. I played rugby growing up and I am a keen cyclist and also enjoying following it aswell. I like to watch the NFL and I support the Seattle Seahawks.

Favourite film or TV show?

The Big Short

Favourite song?

My Hero - Foo Fighters

Favourite food?

Thai Food!

What is your greatest achievement to date?

Winning the under 7s singing competition at Blackpool Tower in 1998. Downhill from there.

Who would you most like to meet and why?

I would love to meet Tony Blair or Gordon Brown. I would like to talk to them about their burning conviction to improve people’s lives, to fight for equality and promote social justice. Best bit of advice for students at Our Lady’s?

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

We always love to hear how former students are getting on and it is always a delight when they get in touch to update us on their progress. Peace Olanrewaju left Our Lady’s in 2016 and now volunteers locally for the youth branch of the Equal Education Chances project. The 8.7% CLUB are a group of young leaders in different sectors that are passionate about diversity, inclusion and youth empowerment. We caught up with Peace for an catch up and to learn more…

1. What has been your career journey since leaving school?

Studying GCSE Psychology opened many opportunities for me to discover my passions and interests both within education and outside of education.

One of the best choices I made when going to college was to choose A-level courses I had a great interest in. Firstly, I researched some of the possible degree courses I would like to do at university, (Psychology, Sociology, Counselling Psychology, Psychotherapy) this provided a guideline as to which courses would guarantee my acceptance when applying. It is so important to choose courses you are passionate about because college/ sixth form involves a lot of independent learning, the more you enjoy your course the easier it is to study independently and enjoy your college experience.

I studied A-level Sociology because I was interested in social policies and social systems. I also studied A-level Health and Social Care because it offered units that explored disability, prejudice, and mental health. Lastly, A-level Psychology offered modules and theories that explored the human mind in its complex state – super cool.

Whilst at university, I got involved in many student ambassador schemes working for Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester as part of their widening participation ambassador. This was fulfilling as I had the opportunity to mentor students from widening participation backgrounds to follow their passions in higher education and encourage them to get involved in projects that support their cultural identity. In 2021, I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a

2:1 Upper in BSc Education and Psychology. Upon finishing my undergraduate degree, I completed an MSc Psychology postgraduate degree at the University of Central Lancashire, I am due to graduate with Merit in the Winter of 2022. I am now in the process of applying for the next stage of education to be a fully accredited Educational Psychologist.

2. What do you do now?

Since completing my MSc, I am working as an Access & Widening Participation Administrator for the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). UCFB is a world-first in higher education, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and online degrees dedicated to the football and sports industry. My role requires designing and developing student support schemes/ scholarships that enable applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in higher education by ensuring they are supported financially, emotionally and academically.

I am also the Labour Youth Leader for Blackley, in which I campaign for better youth programs and safe spaces for young people to get involved in. I am optimistic that in the near future, there will be youth projects happening every day all around Manchester.

Currently, I am working on an educational project with a local charity Equal Education Chances. 8% CLUB is a project for young people by young people. We are campaigning for broadening inclusive programs and schemes, designing diverse educational resources, transforming curriculum, and redefining cultural identity in education. We work with local charities and schools to deliver informative skills workshops and we design inclusive and diverse educational resources that can be used in classrooms. Check out our project @ eightpercentclub

3. What are your personal or professional hopes, aspirations or goals for the future?

My goal for the future is to transform the education system through inclusive practices and diversity projects. Education is a place where memories start, dreams begin, and identity grows. It is so important that we champion a more inclusive practice in the classroom to ensure students gain the best educational experience. Let’s bridge the gap in academic attainment by adopting inclusive practices.

4. What is your favourite memory from your time at school?

My favourite memory must be the whole of Year 9 at Our Lady’s. Year 9 is a time when you get to enjoy the structures of school, develop the friendships you formed in the last 3 years and explore your personal and professional identity. If I could pick one memory, it would be Year 11 English lessons with Ms Taj. Although we had GCSEs coming up, it felt like a space of peace during a scary season, we found a way to lean on each other and praise one another’s success wholeheartedly. This is a memory I wish all students can experience in school.

5. Is there anything you would like to change from your time at school?

Honestly, I wish I could sing or act so I could have been in the school productions (LOL). I still can’t do either now, but we’ll leave that to the artistically talented people.

6. Have any values or messages served you well from your time at Our Lady’s?

The living mission statement, ‘To Know, Love and Serve God’, resonated with me as I believe God can show up in many ways. As God’s plan for our life is to live in harmony and peace, I believe that every act of kindness, charity project or workforce is a form of serving God. This living mission statement provides an understanding that everyone has their purpose and journey, and it is vital we use our qualities to serve and better the lives of others. I pray we see a rival in our land and all around the world, right now we need each other more than ever.

Ethos Coins Cashed In!

Throughout this term, all students have had the opportunity to earn ‘Ethos Coins’ during the school day. Ethos Coins are awarded to different students every day by members of staff who see both excellent behaviour and achievement in class, as well as being shining examples of the true Our Lady’s Catholic ethos all around school.

The 15 students with the most coins for each year group have enjoyed some fantastic reward trips to some very exciting destinations! Our year 7 group had lots of fun bouncing around at Flip Out! trampoline park, the year 8 went bowling and played on all the arcade games, year 9 had a snowboarding lesson at Chill Factore, year 10 got their minds working to get out of an escape room and year 11 enjoyed an afternoon swinging in the treetops!

During the second half term, students were rewarded with a trip to see a Robin Hood pantomime, a Gamebox Immersive experience, a trip to see a very special immersive cinema version of the Grinch and students hit the Chill Factore slopes for lots more snowboarding!

Our Lady’s Chaplaincy steps into the new academic year!

To start off our new academic year, the school invited new year 7 pupils and their parents/guardians to a year group mass to begin their transition from primary school into their new community - Our Lady’s. We were overwhelmed with the number of parents who joined us to celebrate their child’s new journey to high school.

So far this year, the GIFT Chaplains have been super busy!

Through their voluntary leadership, they have participated in class masses multiple times per week, along with guidance from Fr. Nicholas. As well as this, they have had multiple opportunities to start new spiritual journeys and have most certainly been working hard starting their ‘Faith in Action’ awards! This will allow them to gain recognition from the Diocese for their amazing contribution to the religious life of our school.

Our GIFT Chaplains are also currently aiding Mrs Burke in her charity work with the ‘Young at Heart’, putting their creativity to good use through the production of Christmas cards and gift tags. The theme of the artistic work is centered around the religious aspect and true meaning of Christmas, enabling them to spread the word of God to the local community.

Marian Stations of the Cross

Through participating in this mass, our new group of year 7’s started on their Our Lady’s journey with a blessing from Fr. Nicholas and Fr. Joel for a successful and happy future at their new secondary school.

What have the GIFT Chaplains of Our Lady’s been up to so far?

The new school year brought along a new cohort of GIFT Chaplains! The GIFT Chaplaincy team has grown in number across all year groups in school, enabling Our Lady’s to grow in faith together, by delivering the word of God in many ways.

Some of our GIFT Chaplaincy team have been able to embark on the opportunity to become a Caritas Ambassador - an opportunity which gives special recognition to pupils who have consistently shown key qualities and leading on team meetings and suggesting and putting into practice new ideas that spread the word of God amongst our school. Caritas permits pupils to develop religious spirituality as well as key skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation and management.

During October in Religious Studies, our KS3 classes were given the opportunity to pray the Marian Stations of the Cross. These are unique as they focus on how Mary felt during Jesus’ crucifixion. All students were able to spend time reflecting on the Mother of Jesus and her role in supporting Jesus throughout the most difficult time in his life.

New Build Update

This term saw the opening of our brand new building! Home to a ‘bistro-style’ second dining room, spacious new SEND and MFL departments, as well as an impressive chapel and library, both students and staff have all been so excited to finally use these amazing facilities which have added so much to life at Our Lady’s.

The environment has been at the forefront of the project, with the whole building using locally sourced, sustainable and recycled products as much as possible. The green wall is home to a huge range of plants which will grow and develop year on year to create a fantastic living wall feature, solar panels

on the roof of the building ensure renewable energy is used to its full extent, and air source heat pumps mean the building is completely free from using gas as an energy source! Find

We wish you a Merry Christmas