TERM 3 VALUE:

Compassion

Dear Students, Parents and Carers,

I hope this message finds you well and that our students have had a positive and productive week at College.

We began the week with a range of activities marking what is often referred to as Blue Monday, but more importantly focusing on supporting the wellbeing of both our students and staff. Throughout the week, a variety of wellbeing activities were on offer, including sport and opportunities for reflection, creativity and connection. These moments matter, and they reflect our commitment to caring for the whole person. My sincere thanks go to the students and colleagues who organised, supported and took part in these activities. We also had the pleasure of welcoming the AYF Band, a choir from Kampula, Uganda into College this week. Their visit was a joyful and uplifting experience, bringing students and staff together through music and shared celebration ensured singing with both students and staff. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of community, cultural exchange and the joy that comes from shared experiences.

Looking ahead to next week, as part of our core Religious Ethics and Philosophy programme, we will be marking Holocaust Memorial Day. This is an important moment in our shared calendar, offering students the opportunity to reflect thoughtfully on the past, to honour the memory of those who suffered, and to consider our collective responsibility to stand against prejudice, hatred and injustice in all its forms. This aligns closely with our Catholic values of human dignity, compassion and solidarity.

I would also like to congratulate our Year 13 students who are now beginning to receive their UCAS offers from a wide range of universities, including Oxford. This is a significant milestone, and we know how motivating it is for students to see their hard work recognised. We are proud of the ambition, resilience and commitment they continue to show as they plan their next steps. Finally, we are very much looking forward to celebrating the Creative Arts Exhibition towards the end of January. This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase and celebrate the creativity, skill and imagination of our students, and I hope many of you will be able to engage with and enjoy their work.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the College and our community.

Kind regards

Marian Curran

Principal

As stated in an email sent to all students, parents and carers, colder and wetter weather has led to more vehicles arriving early and waiting in the student car park throughout the day particularly at lesson changeover times. This is creating health and safety risks and increasing congestion on Broomhill Road.

To support the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff, visitors and road users, we kindly remind you of the following:

Safe Drop-Off and Pick-Up

• Please do not arrive early for pick-up at any time, including lesson changeovers and the end of the day
  
• Arriving after a lesson ends allows students to walk down safely and reduces congestion
  
• If waiting briefly, stay on the left-hand side of the drop-off/pick-up area and be ready to move if required
  
• During the college day, do not use parking bays for collection as these are reserved for student parking
  
• Parking bays should be used for end-of-day (4pm) pick-up to prevent congestion on Broomhill Road and allow buses to enter site
  
• If the drop-off area is full, you may be asked to park elsewhere or arrange to collect students off-site
  

On-site Safety

• The campus speed limit is 10mph and must be followed at all times
• Staff may ask drivers waiting longer than necessary to move on- this is for safety reasons
• Student vehicles must be registered and display a valid permit (no permit = no parking)
• Visitors parking on site must report to reception immediately and sign in, including their vehicle registration

End-of-day Traffic Flow

• All vehicles exiting at the end of the day must turn right onto Broomhill Road to support safe bus departures and traffic flow

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.

🤝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.