TERM 5 VALUE:

Dignity

Dear Students, Parents and Carers,

It is hard to believe that for many of our Year 13 students, there are now only two weeks left at college before you finish lessons and have full time study leave from half term. We know that for many of you, including students on applied and GCSE courses, your external examinations have also begin this week, and we recognise just how hard you are working in preparing for these alongside balancing college life, work commitments, and everything else that comes with this important stage of the year.

Over the last few weeks, we have been celebrating, across our social media channels, the incredible talents and achievements of our students. It has been wonderful to showcase just some of the amazing things our students accomplish both inside and outside of college. From students being selected for the England Gymnastics squad, to winning the Association of Colleges Regional Darts Championships, to raising awareness and promoting inclusion through wheelchair basketball - the list truly goes on. It is a reminder of what a talented, diverse, and inspiring community we are privileged to be part of at St Brendan’s. This week, these celebrations culminated in our annual Culture Week, where students took part in a variety of workshops and activities throughout the week. These ranged from dance workshops and celebrating foods from around the world, to cultural crafts and, of course, the centrepiece of the week, Friday’s Culture Parade, where we celebrate the cultural dress and heritage of the many cultures represented within our college community.

St Brendan’s is a college where inclusivity and difference are not only respected, but celebrated. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and Culture Week has once again shown the pride our students have in both themselves and each other. So, to all of our students preparing for exams over the coming weeks, remember this: you are more than just your grades. Each and every one of you contributes something unique and valuable to our college community, and we are incredibly proud of all that you achieve both academically and personally.

Finally, just a reminder that next week we will be running a range of events to mark and promote mental health week. Activities will be led by our Welfare and Wellbeing teams with contributions from the SU and teams around the college, demonstrating practical tips and guidance to support mental health. We also look forward to celebrating St Brendan’s Day, led by our Chaplaincy team next Friday. This is always an important moment in the college calendar, giving us the opportunity not only to come together as a community, but also to reflect on the values and spirit of St Brendan himself. St Brendan is known as the patron saint of journeys and voyages, which is reflected in our college emblem of the ship. It is a powerful symbol of the journeys our students take during their time with us - journeys of learning, personal growth, discovery and ambition. As many of our Year 13 students prepare to leave us and begin their next chapter, it feels especially fitting to celebrate the courage, missionary zeal and sense of purpose that St Brendan’s represents. The celebrations of the day will include free ice creams for students & staff over the lunch break as we mark this special day together as a college community.

Kind regards

Marian Curran

Principal

With the welcome return of the sunshine and warmer weather, we would like to take this opportunity to remind students and families of the college’s expectations regarding smoking and vaping.

We strongly encourage all students to reflect on smoking or vaping as a habit and to consider their health and wellbeing. However, we also want to be absolutely clear about what is and is not permitted on site:

• Smoking is only permitted in the designated smoking area near the security gate.
• Vaping is permitted up the drive only, up to the zebra crossing leading to the main college site.
• Vaping or smoking is not permitted anywhere else on site or in any college buildings.

Any student found smoking or vaping outside of these agreed areas will receive an immediate two‑day suspension, in line with college behaviour expectations.

Thank you for supporting us in maintaining a safe, respectful and healthy environment for everyone.

The College takes the safety of students and staff very seriously. Students should not invite friends who do not attend St Brendan’s onto the site and must wear their student lanyard and ID at all times on campus. (Students should obtain a temporary student lanyard from the main reception if they do not have their ID card with them.) Our campus personal patrol the site and can be approached if any student is concerned about their own safety or the safety of others.

St Brendan's is a cashless campus so please make sure you have a card and/or contactless payment on your phone.

If you need to purchase print credit you can do this on the College “Store” which you can access on our website or by using this link St Brendan's Sixth Form College Store

When prompted to login, click on the “Sign in with Microsoft” option, where you can use your College email and password. Your print credit account will automatically update after payment has been approved.

A reminder to all students, parents and carers to please turn right only, when exiting the College between 15:50 – 16:20 at the end of the College day.