Since returning from Study Leave, Year 12 Students have been exploring the different opportunities available to them in the future. The week started with students attending Work Shadowing Placements in a range of employment sectors including Education, Creative Industry, Financial Services, Health Care and Architecture.

On Thursday, the year group attended the University of Liverpool Higher Education Conference where they received information, advice and guidance on what different courses and programmes of study are offered at over 100 universities across the country. Taster lectures were offered to give students an insight into what it is like to study at University.

The week ended on Friday with the whole of Year 12 taking part in ‘An Introduction to Higher Education’ at the University of Chester during which students took part in a series of interactive workshops. Each workshop introduced our students to different aspects of life whilst studying at university; from how to live on a budget to a negotiation task led by the University’s Senior Lecture in Law.

Next week, Sixth Form tutors will deliver sessions on alternative pathways in which students will receive information about Apprenticeships, Gap Years, Studying Abroad and Volunteering Projects.

Mr D Hussin (Head of Year 12)

ONE FINAL HURDLE FOR THE BEST YEAR EVER

Students at The Catholic High School, Chester had to overcome one more challenge as they went to collect their GCSE results.  The re-surfacing work on Old Wrexham Road meant that ‘the best year ever’ had to find other routes into the Handbridge school.

The celebrations began in earnest as staff and students saw that the school had recorded the best set of GCSE results ever.  Over 77% of the year group had secured more than 5 GCSEs at C grade or above, with 61% of the year including both English and Maths in their total.  Nearly fifty students managed 10 passes at C grade or above.

Head of Year 11 Dylan Green came back from his holiday in Wales to join the students for the morning and declared the year group to be ‘an excellent vintage.  This year group has been a pleasure to work with and has set a new and higher standard for the school.  Future years will have to be measured against the year of 2011.’

‘One of the key features of this year group has been the support we have had from parents’ said headteacher John Murray. ‘Through thick and thin, the parents have been with us and with their children, encouraging and nagging in equal measure.’

Assistant Head, Ursula Ferne, joined the school at the beginning of the academic year and has worked closely with the year group. ‘The amount of extra time teachers have put in to help the students has been wonderful,’ she said, adding ‘I know the students have been really appreciative of the support they have had throughout the year.’

Some of the individual stories within the year group have been really fantastic.  As well as achieving highly, a number of students have overcome significant difficulties in producing stunning results.  One young man lost his brother after a long illness before Christmas, there are a number of students in the year group who are dyslexic, and four who are supported through the school’s Autistic Spectrum Resource Base.

Subject teachers are equally pleased with results day.  English and RE are battling for top spot with 82% and 86% of the year group gaining C grades or better.  RE also topped the A* table with 27 students securing the highest possible grade.  Among the option subjects Art, Drama, Spanish and Textiles saw 100% of entries secure A*-C passes.  The most popular option subjects for this year were PE and History.  Of 66 PE students, 39 passed with a C or better, while 40 out of 51 History students reached the same standard.

Students who did particularly well include;

Clare Allman                6A*, 3A and Distinction in ICT

Callum Boyd                7A*, 3A and Distinction in ICT

Ellie Bramham  2A*, 7A and Distinction in ICT

Grace Carson               3A*, 7A

Stefania Esposito          2A*, 5A, 3B

Natalie Evans               1A*, 5A, 3B and Distinction in ICT

Alice Gidney                 2A*, 6A, 2B

Ollie Gwyther               3A*, 6A and Distinction in ICT

Stephen Hayward         5A*, 4A, 1B

Olivia Johnston 2A*, 6A, 2B

Jamie Mills                   5A*, 4A

Katherine Nilsen           7A*, 3A

Grace Owen                 4A*, 6A

Alex Shuttleworth         8A*, 1A, 1B

Jamie Southern 8A*, 2A

Nina Ward                   3A*, 5A, 2B

Sarah Williams  3A*, 3A, 4B

FOR EDITORS

The Catholic High School, Chester has 1000 students, is a mixed comprehensive school and became a specialist Science College in 2003.

Please contact

John Murray, Headteacher

01244 981600 or 07740203522

head@chsc.cheshire.sch.uk

If you have a login to the school website you can click here to find out more.

The Chester Catholic High recently achieved the prestigious Green Flag Eco schools Award.  During the last year the whole community have worked together in all areas of school life to become a more sustainable learning environment. The school focused on major issues such as litter, saving energy, climate change and biodiversity and there was a sustained drive to make students aware and to give them an opportunity to take action and make a difference.  Students participated in litter picks, biodiversity clubs, nest box construction projects, created displays across the school, formed an eco-action committee, delivered eco theme assemblies and invited in outside speakers from environmental organistaions. The whole school got involved in the theme of ‘who is my neighbour’ throughout the year where students learnt about their local, national and international neighbours.  The support staff has also contributed by increasing healthy-eating options in the canteen, implementing whole-school recycling schemes, offering green transport incentives and aesthetically improving school grounds.  The next challenge is constantly finding ways to improve and to embed a sustainable philosophy within the students.  To celebrate and acknowldge the school's acheivement the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress paid a visit to meet the eco action team.