Dear Parent/Guardian
We are fast approaching the end of a busy and productive term and I expect that like me, you are very much looking forward to the Christmas festivities and some quality time to rest and recharge.
Firstly, please be aware that the college closes to all students for the Christmas holiday on Friday 20th December at 3.15pm. For those of you with older children, you will recognise that this is a break from the tradition of a midday finish that will afford a whole day of learning and the comfort of a full bus service at the end of the day. Attendance on this day, like all college days, is mandatory and will be recorded. Secondly, please note that all students return to college on Tuesday 07th January at the usual time of 8.30am for a prompt start at 8.45am.
Given the extensive break from learning in college, we have been very careful in our end of term planning to ensure that we achieve a balance that allows students to enjoy the festive time of year without compromising our core purpose of learning and the climate of the college. We have also ensured that we afford all students the opportunity to reflect, pray and give thanks during the Advent period.
On Wednesday 18th December the canteen will be selling a full Christmas lunch for those that wish to have one.
On Thursday 19th December our year group Christmas Masses will commence with each year group being afforded a mass during one lesson on that day. At all other times during the day, students will experience their full timetable of scheduled lessons.
On Friday 20th December all year groups will have their Reward Assembly, with Year 7 having their annual Christmas Disco. On the final day of term, Friday 20th December, students will be encouraged to wear a Christmas Jumper in exchange for an item of tinned or dried food for Oldham Food Bank, or a donation of £1 that will be donated to Oldham Food Bank. I am sure you will agree that this is a very worthy cause that our local community will benefit from during such difficult times. Should students not wish to wear a Christmas jumper, we would politely remind all of the need to wear full uniform, including jumper and blazer.
Please can I ask for your continued support in maintaining our high expectations and standards as the term draws to a close. We expect all students to arrive punctually to college every day, wearing their full uniform with pride and ask that items such as jewellery and acrylic nails are not seen in college either before the Christmas holiday or upon our return in the new year.
This support is crucial to us as we strive to our very best for the young people in our care. Whilst is may be seen as a trivial matter, it sets the tone for learning and the importance of the work we do and the talent each young person holds. This year, you will have hopefully seen the drive on the completion of homework and the recording of inadequate work in lessons, alongside the celebration of those students who demonstrate consistency or improvement in these areas. Our results in the Summer have reinforced our position in the town placing us in the top third of highest performing schools in Oldham in almost all measures.
We rightly celebrate the achievements of students, cognisant that we equally have a duty to support their broader development and health. Our new Personal Development curriculum has received positive feedback from students and external parties who have quality assured the learning. Staff at Newman are the hardest working group in education, they accept their mission goes beyond just academic qualifications and they are proud and committed to happy, healthy and fulfilling lives for all we serve.
Our progression towards joining Emmaus Academy Trust continues, with an indicative date to join this fabulous Catholic trust in February 2025. The building has shown improvements and we now have resources to mitigate any unplanned disruption with state of the art modular classrooms. This is further evidence of the improvement in education, provision and support that all who attend Newman are exposed to.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for their continued support and engagement. It has been a hugely productive term, and we are seeing the benefits of this both in terms of academic work and student engagement. None of this would be possible without your support.
On behalf of the governors, staff, and students at the college, I wish everyone a happy and Holy Christmas. God Bless.
Yours sincerely,
Mr G R Potts MBE DL
Headteacher
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