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Parent Questionnaire Parent Questionnaire 2024 Results Previous Results Each year we encourage feedback from our parents by asking them to complete an annual questionnaire. These questionnaires give parents the chance to suggest ways in which school can improve as well as letting us know what we are doing well, so that we can continue to provide an enriching, exciting curriculum and learning experience for our pupils. 2021 2022 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Vocations Welcome from Fr Fretch Ballesteros I was born in the Phillipines in 1989 and was raised by my mother and Father with my brothers and sisters. At the age of 16 I joined the seminary after deciding I wanted to become a priest. Later I travelled to the UK and completed my theological studies at St Mary’s College Oscott. I was ordained a deacon on 29th September 2016 and was ordained a priest at Corpus Christi Church in Stechford. In January 2023 I became the Parish Priest of Holy Family Church in Small Heath and work closely with the two schools in the parish, Holy Family School and St Bernadette’s. As a Vocationist Father, I live in a community and took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Our Founder was Father Justin Russolillo. On 20th September 1913, Justin was ordained a Priest. While kneeling before the Bishop for the ordination, he vowed to the Lord to found a religious Congregation to cultivate vocations to faith, priesthood and holiness. ​ On 15th May 2022, Pope Francis canonised 10 new saints of the Catholic church during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square including Blessed Justin Russollilo. Sister Maura Halpin A Sister of Mercy When I joined the Sisters of Mercy in London 60 years ago I had no idea what ‘JOB’ I would be doing. I could have been working in the convent or parish, as a nurse or as a teacher because our Foundress, Venerable Catherine McAuley founded our Religious Order to give education, healthcare and support to the poorest families in Dublin in mid-19th Century. It was a shock to leave rural Ireland and find myself in a very busy city. ​ Becoming a teacher was my second Vocation as being a Sister came firs t. I taught in a number of secondary schools throughout my teaching years. I was called away from teaching 30 years ago to do pastoral work within our Religious Order. This ministry took me to some countries that I would otherwise never have visited as some of our Sisters were working abroad. Now that I am ‘retired’ I feel so grateful to God for all the Blessings I have experienced. I have learned so much from saintly Sisters who are no longer with us. They were women of prayer and were totally committed to the people among whom they worked. Teaching colleagues too have inspired me and now I have time to reflect on how much the Church and society owe to all who work in education. Nowadays prayer has a special place in my day. It always was important but when I was busy I was often distracted in my prayer, always planning ahead. Now I value Mass daily and in particular I listen more attentively to the Word of God, to hear what God is saying to me each day, how much He cares for me and all his people. I hope this makes me a more compassionate and attentive Sister of Mercy when I meet people. ​ I meet people in the local Care Homes and those who are housebound when I visit with Holy Communion because these people cannot come to Church. I am privileged to feel welcome when I visit our schools, especially St Bernadette’s & Holy Family where I join them at their Masses. I support them in their joys & sorrows with my prayer and occasionally do home visits if asked by the Head Teacher. ​ Another ministry that is very special to me is support for the bereaved both in giving a listening ear and in helping them plan the funeral Masses and Services for their loved ones. This ministry sometimes reconnects me with former pupils in their time of grieving. Perhaps I could sum up my life as a religious Sister in the words ‘availability’ and ‘prayer’ and I am grateful to all who have supported me in my vocation over the past 60 years. If you would like support I can be contacted on the following email address: mhalpinrsm@hotmail.co.uk

Science At St. Bernadette’s, we are in the process of writing and developing a bespoke curriculum based on the National Curriculum. “…careful curriculum design, where new knowledge is broken down into meaningful components and introduced sequentially, can support all pupils to learn scientific concepts. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.” Research Review Series: Science. Ofsted, 2021. Science Policy 23/24 Science Curriculum Overview 23/24 Intent, Implement, Impact Science Prior Knowledge “Assessing students' prior knowledge allows an instructor to focus and adapt their teaching plan. For students, it helps them to construct connections between old and new knowledge.” Assessing Prior Knowledge, Cornell University, 2022 Each unit with a prior knowledge check – this aids both teachers and learners. A focused flashback helps pupils to retain prior knowledge on the topic and make links between old and new content. Each planning grid outlines prior knowledge in order to support teaching. Retrieval “Sufficient curriculum time must be allocated for pupils to embed what they have learned in long-term memory through extensive practice before moving on to new content.” Research Review Series: Science. Ofsted, 2021. Each lesson begins with three flashback activities: The idea is that this: Will help to transfer information into pupils’ long term memories Will act as a ‘pre-teach’ for key concepts and vocabulary Will address common misconceptions before they arise Will lead to greater understanding as we progress through a topic as effective links can be made. Vocabulary “Vocabulary plays a crucial role in science because it is at the heart of science learning and knowledge building. To discuss and build knowledge, students need to have access to the vocabulary of science.” National Science Teaching Association, 2020 ​ ​ Each unit contains: A discrete lesson on vocabulary that is taught at the start of the unit, this pre teaches new scientific words. A selection of key vocabulary showcased on classroom science display boards. Each lesson contains: Scientists “Researchers have found that the sense of belonging in science matters more than grades and background when it comes to keeping students in science majors and careers. Creating a more equitable, inclusive, and leakproof STEM pipeline requires helping more students feel like scientists.” Helping students (re)think of themselves as scientists. C&EN, 2020. Each unit has a key scientist linked to it. These scientists have been reviewed to ensure our curriculum is more diverse and relevant to our pupils. Many units also have a ‘Just Like Me’ scientist also included, helping pupils learn about people like them working in different careers within the field of science today. When learning about scientists, we will focus on: the impact that scientist had on the world whose ideas that scientist built upon the barriers some scientists faced and how they successfully overcame these to make a significant difference to the world around them which of our ‘Working Scientifically’ skills these scientists utilized. Here are examples of a few modern and diverse scientists included in our science curriculum: Environmental Awareness “Environmental education promotes critical and creative thinking skills and inspires kids to become more engaged with their communities. It helps kids understand why the environment is important and provides them with the building blocks they need to live eco-friendly and sustainable lives.” Why Environmental Education is Important for Kids. Rubicon, 2021. The golden thread of environmental awareness runs through each unit in school. Each unit has a linked environmental focus – ‘Care of God’s Creation’ (linked to Catholic Social Teaching). This makes our curriculum more relevant to issues faced today, which should engage pupils and help them to see the real-world purpose of their learning. Enquiry Types Throughout school, children are exposed to five types of enquiry: Comparative/fair testing Research Observation over time Pattern seeking Identifying, grouping and classifying Working Scientifically A set of characters have been created to represent each of the ‘Working Scientifically’ skills that the children will utilise within their investigations and enquiries. These characters are displayed in every classroom and appear in many science lessons, even when the focus is not directly linked to enquiry. Reading At St. Bernadette’s, we believe that reading is a cornerstone of each and every curriculum area. As such, opportunities to share picture books, as well as fiction and non-fiction texts, have been planned into each unit. A range of books related to each science topic have also been purchased for each classroom in order to allow children to extend their learning outside of lesson time. Reading as part of the Curriculum (sample): Wider reading material (sample): Reading Across the Curriculum Science in Nursery and Reception The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the national curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas. The skills taught across EYFS feed into national curriculum subjects and statements from Development Matters are prerequisite skills for science within the national curriculum. ​ The most relevant statements for science are taken from the following areas of learning: ​ Communication and Language Personal, Social and Emotional Development Understanding the World Science in EYFS Science Knowledge Organisers Year 1 Plants Seasonal Changes Everyday Materials Animals including humans Year 2 Living things and their Habitats Everyday Materials Animals including humans Plants Year 3 Animals including humans Rocks Forces and magnets Plants Light

Inspection Reports Ofsted Report 2023 The Archdiocese of Birmingham Education Service

RE Curriculum As a Catholic Primary School, the basic religious ethos is to be found across the whole curriculum and not just within the Religious Education timetable. The whole aim of St Bernadette’s school is the Christian growth of the children, not simply their growth in their faith, but their growing awareness of the world as a maturing Christian. RE is a core subject and covers 10% of the curriculum. The Religious Education programme incorporates the Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools (Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales). RE Policy 22/23 RE Curriculum: About Us Below are the units of work covered this academic year in the RE curriculum for each Year Band. Nursery Knowledge.pdf Reception Knowledge.pdf Y1 Knowledge.pdf Y2 Knowledge.pdf Y5 Knowledge.pdf Y3 Knowledge.pdf Y6 Knowledge.pdf Y4 Knowledge.pdf RE Curriculum: Text As a Catholic school, the RE curriculum predominantly focuses on Christianity and Catholicism. However, during our annual International Week, each Year Band explores another World Religion. During this time, children have the opportunity to visit different places of worship. Reception – Christianity Year 1 – Hinduism Year 2 – Buddhism Year 3 – Catholicism Year 4 – Sikhism Year 5 – Judaism Year 6 – Islam RE Curriculum: Text Assessment of RE ​ The RE Curriculum covers four strands: Scripture, Sacraments, Liturgical and Living as Christians. Three different units are assessed annually in each year Band, with each academic year focusing on a different strand. in line with Diocesan guidelines. Samples of work are gathered throughout the year and moderated against the diocesan end of phase expectations. RE Curriculum: Our Mission

Topic Topic Week Videos: Text St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School is a beacon of hope and a place that offers children an education rich in wonder and memorable experiences. Through our diverse and inspiring ‘topic’ curriculum our children learn to love and love to learn. At St. Bernadette’s School, we take a ‘topic’ approach when teaching. ​ History, Geography, Art and Design & Technology. Each term, every year band studies a common theme through these four foundation subjects. This enables the children to develop their key skills as well as gain a deeper understanding of the world. It is our hope that our curriculum develops children’s curiosity and fascination about the world, which will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Topic Policy 22/23 ​ Art Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. Our art and design education engages, inspires and challenges our pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. Design and Technology Design and technology is an inspiring, rigorous and practical subject. Using creativity and imagination, our pupils design and make products that solve real and relevant problems within a variety of contexts, considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values. History Our history provision helps our pupils to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It inspires our pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and helps them to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. Geography Our geography lessons equip our pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with developing a deeper understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. St Bernadette’s Topic Overview 2022-23 What do our children say about topic at St Bernadette’s School? “We got to make lots and lots of stuff. We even got to do some painting!” Parent: “Seeing our children on the trip was amazing. Their knowledge showed what good teachers they have.” “The trip was very good. We learnt lots.” “We loved working together.” ​ “Today is going to be the best day. It’s topic.” “This week felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity. We did so much that we don’t normally get a chance to do and we loved it.” Topic Topic Week Videos: Pro Gallery ​ www.googlearth.com . www.googlemaps.com www.world-geography-games.com Continents song- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6DSMZ8b3LE Ocean song- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6BE4VcYngQ ​

St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School 1/10 Parent Pay Newsletter ​ School opening hours Monday to Thursday 8.30am -3.15 pm Friday 8.30am- 2.00pm Total time 32.5 hours Pupil Absence Staff Email We are delighted to announce that St Bernadette’s School has achieved the Live Simply Award , having successfully demonstrated that we are living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the world’s poorest communities. Please visit our 'Live Simply' page to find out more!

Geography Geography Policy Geography Progression of Skills Knowledge & Skills Year 1 Autumn Year 2 Autumn Year 3 Autumn Year 4 Autumn Year 5 Autumn Year 6 Autumn Year 1 Spring Year 2 Spring Year 3 Spring Year 4 Spring Year 5 Spring Year 6 Spring Year 1 Summer Year 2 Summer Year 3 Summer Year 4 Summer Year 5 Summer

Physical Education Curriculum At St Bernadette’s we offer a range of sports both within the PE curriculum and as extra-curricular activities, for both boys and girls. These include: - Football, Basketball, Tag Rugby, Cricket, Athletics, Fitness clubs, Fundamental skills, Gymnastics, Tennis, Netball, Swimming, Rounders, Boxercise, Yoga, Dance and Archery. Our main focus at St Bernadette’s is tackling obesity; pupils are given the opportunity to attend extra-curricular clubs and competitions as well as high quality PE specialist teaching, with at least one unit of work a term having a health and fitness focus (e.g. Boot Camp Circuits and Boxercise). Hopefully, this will continuously show a visible improvement in fitness levels and working towards developing a healthier lifestyle as well as reducing obesity levels at St Bernadette’s. This year, we have been given the chance to extend our curriculum by allocating funding from the Sports Premium to purchase specialist Archery equipment. There is a lot of excitement about archery and the skills being developed by children in KS2 are commendable. Later in the year, the children will have the opportunity to use live arrows, when they visit the various archery competitions. Inclusion is an important aspect of our ethos, and this is supported throughout the teaching of PE. Staff continue to share knowledge, attend courses and INSET courses are provided to the staff in order to update our teaching of P.E. St Bernadette’s are currently a member of the Erdington and Saltley primary schools football league, East Birmingham Football Partnership and Birmingham Junior Netball League. So far this year we have also participated in numerous football, netball, hockey and basketball matches, developing the children’s confidence on and off the field of play. We are also a part of the BCSSA and through this; we will participate in a variety of sports; Netball, Badminton, Football, Rounders, Volleyball and Cricket. The children at St Bernadette’s are extremely privileged as they are also given many opportunities to take part in a selection of competitive sports offered by outside agencies such as the Birmingham Schools Games. Intent, Implement, Impact PE Progression of Skills Athletics Gymnastics Outdoor Adventurous Activities Dance Games Health & Fitness Knowledge Organisers EYFS - Learning in PE KS1 - Athletics KS1 - Invasion Games KS1 - Dance KS1 - Sending & Receiving KS1 - Fitness KS1 - Gymnastics KS1 - Target Games KS1 - Yoga KS1 - Team Building KS1 - Striking & Fielding Lower KS2 - Athletics Lower KS2 - Dance Lower KS2 - Gymnastics Lower KS2 - Cricket Lower KS2 - Hockey Lower KS2 - Netball Lower KS2 - OAA Lower KS2 - Rounders Lower KS2 - Tag Rugby Lower KS2 - Tennis Upper KS2 - Athletics Upper KS2 - Dance Upper KS2 - Cricket Upper KS2 - Hockey Upper KS2 - Netball Upper KS2 - Gymnastics Upper KS2 - OAA Upper KS2 - Rounders Upper KS2 - Tag Rugby Upper KS2 - Tennis PE Curriculum: Projects PE Curriculum: Projects PE Pupil Premium Funding What is PE Pupil Premium Funding? The government is providing additional funding of £150 million per annum for academic years 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015 to improve provision of Physical Education (PE) and Sport in Primary Schools. This funding - provided jointly by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport - will be allocated to Primary School Headteachers. This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of PE and Sport in Schools. The grant for 2013 to 2014 is paid in 2 instalments. Schools will receive the initial payment in the Autumn Term and the second payment in April 2014. 2019-2020 July Report on Primary PE & Sport Premium 2019/2020 2020-2021 July Report on Primary PE & Sport Premium 2020-2021 2021-2022 July Report on Primary PE & Sport Premium 2021/2022 PE Kit All children should have a white t- shirt and black shorts to wear for P.E. which are available from the School Uniform Outfitters or any local Supermarkets. All children should also have a pair of basic black pumps to wear when required. Children in KS2 are permitted to wear trainers for outside activities for health and safety reasons, however they are responsible for them while they are in School, so they should not be expensive ones, as School is not liable for any loss or damage. Trainers should only be worn during P.E. Lessons so children must have normal school shoes with them too. * If there is a problem with damaged school shoes, children will be required to wear their black pumps in and around School until they are replaced. During cold / bad weather children should have a basic black tracksuit in School to wear. Children in Y2 and Y5 will need a swimming kit for the term they go swimming. The pool regulations state this means proper swimming trunks / costume. For health and safety reasons long hair should also be tied up and no jewellery or watches should be worn. PE Curriculum: Image

Sisters of Mercy The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy was founded in 1831 in Dublin by Catherine McAuley, now Venerable Catherine. She worked as a carer for a Quaker couple called Mr & Mrs Callaghan. This gave her access to a bible and led to eighteen years of bible reading and this together with the example of her own father gave her a deep compassion for poor families, especially women and children in Dublin City. During her eighteen years as carer to the Callaghans she was free to share some of the household’s food with the poor of the area. ​ On the death of Mr & Mrs Callaghan Catherine received a large legacy which would amount to more than a million pounds now. Now she had the opportunity to do something really special for the poor. She had a huge house built in Baggot Street, Dublin. Some women joined her and the house was used to give shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry, medical care to the sick and education to the children. ​ Catherine was encouraged to become a religious Sister so she went for training and returned to the House of Mercy in Baggot Street on 12th December 1831. So began the Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy. Due to the great poverty in Ireland Convents sprang up in almost every town across the country because the Sisters were able to fulfil the great needs of the people and to fulfil the Gospel of Jesus -to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, cure the sick and educate the children. ​ The first Convent of Mercy Catherine founded in England was in Bermondsey, London and the second, her last Foundation, was in Handsworth, Birmingham in August 1841. Catherine spent a month in Handsworth helping the Sisters to begin their ministry and Community life there. Not long after returning to Baggot St. Dublin she died at the age of 61. She had been a Sister for only ten years and in that short time had inspired many women to follow her example. ​ The Sisters of Mercy spread across the world because the Mercy and Compassion they shared with people was so needed. They were women of prayer and practical action and so they fulfilled the command of Jesus to Love God and Neighbour. There is still a Community of Sisters in Bermondsey and in Handsworth five Sisters live in Community. Many of St. Bernadette’s Staff have experienced a Retreat Day in St. Mary’s Convent, Handsworth and have learned the history of that beautiful House. In Stechford there is a Community of two Sisters whose mission is the same as Catherine’s was back in Dublin in 1831. Of course we now have hospitals, schools and some support for the homeless. The needs have changed but the poor are still with us and always will be. So many are spiritually poor, poor in spirit. We feel called now to minister to all people through prayer and action, especially in compassion and Mercy. ​ ​ Although the number of Sisters is decreasing, we have a network of Lay Associates, people from our local parishes who love to hear the story of Venerable Catherine. They pray with the Sisters at their regular meetings and carry out the Works of Mercy in their own lives. Some of them have visited the original House in Dublin and have prayed to Mother Catherine at her grave there. Through them Mercy will live on for many years to come. There are over 20 Mercy Associates in the Stechford group and they are always ready to welcome new members.

Safeguarding Safeguarding Policy Designated Safeguarding Leads Miss A Cowings Head Teacher Mr A Carroll Deputy Head Teacher Miss E Finnegan Assistant Head Teacher Miss A Hulse SENCO If you have any concerns about the safety and/or welfare of a child or young person please contact school. Miss Cowings is the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Carroll, Miss Finnegan & Miss Hulse are the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads. You can make a referral directly to Children's services by calling the Children's Advice & Support Service (CASS) on 0121 303 1888 or via secure email; ehst@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk

St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Hob Moor Road, Yardley, Birmingham B25 8QL, TEL: 0121 783 7232 Email: applications@stberns.bham.sch.uk Headteacher: Miss Angela Cowings Teacher - KS2 Maths Subject Leader MPR/UPS + TLR 2 Required for September 2024 The Governors of St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School wish to appoint an experienced teacher to lead Maths across Key Stage 2. The job will involve working closely with the head teacher, senior leadership team, staff, parents, and governors to help strengthen and further develop the teaching, learning and pupil outcomes and engagement in maths across the school. The role is class-based and is expected to start in September 2024 (year group to be negotiated). We are looking for a Maths Leader who is: an excellent primary practitioner, committed to raising achievement for all passionate about teaching and learning of Maths and has a strong subject knowledge able to model and develop high quality teaching able to use assessment effectively to raise standards able to effectively work as part of a team committed to making a difference for our children and our community supportive of the Catholic faith. In return, we can offer: a successful and friendly team of staff dedicated leadership time children who love to learn within a broad and rich curriculum teachers, teaching assistants and governors who are passionate about teaching and learning support with your own professional development opportunities to progress and develop teaching and leadership skills within our school. We would love to invite you to visit our school to meet our happy pupils and dedicated staff. Have a look on our website or Twitter page to see a sample of what St. Bernadette’s has to offer you. www.stberns.co.uk @StBernsPrimary Visits can be arranged by contacting the school office or by emailing the email address listed. Application forms are available from the school office/website or via the eteach website. Please ensure that all applications are completed on the CES application form. The closing date for applications is 9am on 17 May 2024 St Bernadette’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check is required for all successful applicants. Successful applicant(s) will need to provide evidence of their Identity and Right to Work in the UK. An online search will be carried out as part of due diligence on all short-listed candidates. St Bernadette's Catholic School - Application Form - Teacher St Bernadettes School - Teacher - Subject leader - Job Description St Bernadtte's Catholic School - Model Recruitment Monitoring Information Form St Bernadettes School - Teacher - Subject leader - Person Specification