TERM 4 VALUE:

Forgiveness

Dear Students, Parents and Carers,

It has been a real joy this week to see the arrival of Spring. Our campus always seems to come alive in the sunshine - brighter, warmer, and full of energy. Even our resident duck family has been making the most of it, much to the delight of students and staff alike. It is a lovely reminder of the sense of community and shared space we are so proud of here at St Brendan’s.

Last week, our Raising and Giving Week was a resounding success. Together, our college community raised £1,000 for our nominated charity, Bristol After Stroke. This is a wonderful achievement and truly brings to life our commitment to service, compassion, and social responsibility. It was inspiring to see students and staff come together with such generosity, creativity and purpose - a clear reflection of our values in action.

We also held our student hustings this week, and I was incredibly impressed by the quality of presentations. Our students spoke with confidence, integrity and passion, articulating their ideas for how they would represent and strengthen the voice of the student body. It is always encouraging to see such thoughtful and courageous leadership emerging from within our community.

This week, we also hosted our Careers Fair, organised by our brilliant Careers Team. We welcomed universities and employers from across the South West, providing students with valuable opportunities to explore their next steps. This builds on the strong employer engagement work already taking place across the College, ensuring that our students are well-informed, ambitious and prepared for their futures.

A special well done to all students collecting their BTEC results this week. These results represent not only academic achievement, but also sustained commitment, resilience and hard work over time. We are very proud of everything you have accomplished and the determination you have shown.

Many of you may also be aware of recent cases of meningitis reported nationally. We want to ensure that our community feels informed and supported. Please see the information included in this newsletter for guidance on symptoms and what you and your families can do. Our College Nurse is available to provide advice, reassurance and practical support to any student who may have questions or concerns. She will be offering drop-in sessions in College over the coming days, where students can speak with her directly, talk through any symptoms they may be unsure about, and receive guidance on next steps if needed. She can also support students in accessing appropriate healthcare services where necessary.

A reminder that students finish at end of day on Wednesday 1 April, as Thursday 2 April is a staff INSET day.

Thank you, as ever, for your continued support. It is a privilege to be part of such a vibrant, caring and aspirational community.

Finally, I would like to wish our students and families a happy Eid Mubarak.

Kind regards

Marian Curran

Principal

Students are reminded that all stairwells are not areas in which they can sit and/or socialise. This is due to the Health and Safety issues associated with doing so. Recently, and owing to a serious injury caused by misuse of a stairwell, we have had to close down some access routes in C & E block to be strictly emergency access only.

We ask all students to continue to respect this and also to be reassured we are looking to find additional spaces for socialising and coming together as well as encouraging students to make use of existing spaces such as the cafés and sports hall area (open for sports and wellbeing activities and time together at published times).

In order to enhance site security/safety at the college, we will be locking the secondary entrance/exit gates by the new sports pavilion in the times between college coach drop offs & pick-ups ( 09:45 -14:45)

This will allow our security personnel to concentrate on one single point of entry to site that is within line of sight from their position at the barrier.

However, this will mean that for staff/students entering/leaving site between 09:45 – 14:45 the main entrance gates at the end of the drive will be the only access/exit option.

As the weather gets colder and wetter, we’re all spending more time indoors. Let’s keep our college a clean, welcoming place for everyone. Here’s what we expect:

✅Pens belong on paper, not on walls, desks, or chairs 🖊️

✅Toilet paper= toilet use only. Not stuffed back in the holders, not on walls, not anywhere else 🧻

✅Bins are for rubbish-keep floors and tables clear 🗑️

✅Treat furniture and equipment like you’d want it treated at home 🛋️

✅Respect each other’s space- no mess, no stress 🫧

✅Toilet cubicles must only be used by one person at a time. The ONLY exception to this being during lockdown where more than one person may reasonably need to use a cubicle to hide🚽

🤝Why? Because a clean, safe, and welcoming environment benefits everyone. It’s about pride in our college and respect for each other.

Bottom line: If you wouldn’t do it in your own home, don’t do it here. Let’s keep our spaces looking good and ready for everyone to enjoy. 💪

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.