St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

Welcomefrom
Edward Walker
Headteacher

At St Bernadette’s we pride ourselves on being a vibrant faith community and an ambitious learning community, where everyone is valued and has a part to play. Strong, caring relationships, high expectations and making the most of every opportunity are key features of our school.

We are committed to every child achieving their potential and becoming a confident life-long learner. Our students achieve well. In our school students also grow and develop through the love and teachings of Christ, becoming responsible citizens able to make a positive contribution in society.

Our vision therefore is to provide a successful community of faith and learning that is based on Gospel Values, places the child at the centre and prepares all children to achieve academic and personal excellence.

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Faith life

At St Bernadette we are proud to be a community of Faith & Learning. As a Catholic school we acknowledge how important it is for our pupils to recognise God's loving presence in their daily lives. Our faith is at the centre of all our work at St Bernadette; everyday starts with prayers during staff briefing, assemblies and registration for pupils led by the form tutors and pupils. We cherish our Catholic belief and identity and at the same time seek to ensure that all pupils have an understanding of the diverse religious cultures in Britain today.

We are a caring community; we provide strong pastoral support and our lay chaplain is a presence with whom pupils and staff can talk. At St Bernadette we take Jesus' call to love our neighbours seriously and we regard works of charity as an essential part of Catholic education. In response to this we support local, national and international charities.

OurCurriculum

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  Maths

  Maths

  During the Maths GCSE curriculum, we continue to develop the problem solving skills which pupils will have encountered throughout Key Stage 3.

  In addition to continuing to foster links between maths and real life situations; we also emphasise and highlight careers in which the skills learnt in maths would be central. 

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  English

  English

  English is both a knowledge and skills-based subject. This means that pupils continue to improve their skills in production of written and spoken English, their ability to receive what they read or hear and their ability to write with technical accuracy.

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  Science

  Science

  The overarching aim in the pursuit of scientific competency is to prepare students to be active citizens in the wider world in terms of critical engagement with their environment.

  Our intent is for all students to develop a curiosity and a scientific understanding of the world around them and the ability to think critically about information presented to them.

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  Religious Education

  Religious Education

  The aim of the teaching in Religious Education is to encourage all of our pupils to think about different beliefs in God, challenging questions such as the meaning and purpose of life, and to consider issues of right and wrong.

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  History

  History

  In Edexcel GCSE History you will study Weimar and Nazi Germany, Crime and Punishment in Britain, American West and Elizabethan England.

  If you are interested in how the Modern World has been formed and influenced by past events, if you have an inquisitive mind and can connect ideas together, then you will enjoy this course. This course involves looking at a wide variety of sources from photos, videos and written documents and using them to build up a picture of the past.

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  Geography

  Geography

  We want our students to have a strong sense of time and place, to feel they belong to wider world community, to understand how their local actions can have global consequences. We want them to feel empowered to make positive choices in their lives to help protect and enhance God’s creation, in relation to both nature and culture. We want them to be able to make changes within their communities by understanding the mechanisms of democracy, to become positive citizens with viewpoints that are empathic, tolerant and reflective. We want the students to be able to learn from past mistakes and consider independently a positive future for themselves and the global community. 

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  Modern Foreign Languages

  Modern Foreign Languages

  The Key Stage Four Languages curriculum has been planned to ensure that students are well prepared to meet the demands of the GCSE examination and to continue to study languages later in life if they wish to do so.

  There are opportunities to experience the culture of the country first hand through visits abroad, visiting theatre groups, visits to the local sixth form for cultural enrichment days or to local restaurants.

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  Computing

  Computing

  OCR Computer Science equips students with the required practical and theoretical knowledge that would underpin a career in computer science. The skills of logical thinking, decomposition and algorithmic thinking are applicable to everyday life and will enable students to fulfil their wider personal life journeys. The course covers a wide range of computer science knowledge from the ethics of computers to the understanding of how data is transferred around a network.

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  Information & Computer Technology

  Creative iMedia

  Creative iMedia embeds an expectation of excellence across students’ learning by inspiring students in the development of vocational creative media skills, and providing learners with essential knowledge and transferable skills and tools to improve their learning in other subjects.

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  Business

  Business

  The OCR Cambridge National in Enterprise and Marketing equips students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in either further study or work. The range of taught content is applicable to real business and provides a knowledge base for students to continue in to A-Level, undertake apprenticeships or even start their own business.  

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  Physical Eduaction

  Sports Studies

  Sport is a key theme in education. The need for people to lead healthy and active rather than sedentary lifestyles is increasingly prominent, and this is reflected in the schools curriculum, where physical education and sport remains core. This qualifications seek to build upon this provision.

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  Health & Social Care

  Health & Social Care

  Health and Social Care provides students with the opportunity to acquire key knowledge whilst applying their learning to work related contexts, and to gain the skills they need for further study and employment.

  This is achieved through a course structure that allows students to build on and embed their knowledge and to grow in confidence when putting their learning into practice.  

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  Catering

  Hospitality & Catering

  The Vocational Award in Hospitality and Catering has been designed to support pupils in schools who want to learn about this vocational sector and the potential it can offer them for their careers or further study.

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  Art

  Art

  In Art, we acknowledge and celebrate our distinctive place in the curriculum, providing pupils with a creative outlet to express themselves. We are proud to be a practical subject and emphasise the development and mastery of practical skills in our lessons and curriculum. 

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  Product Design

  Product Design

  Design and Technology looks to enable a new generation of pupils that can use creativity and imagination to problem solve for a more sustainable future. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.

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  Textiles

  Textiles

  Design and Technology looks to enable a new generation of pupils that can use creativity and imagination to problem solve for a more sustainable future. Pupils learn how to take risks, becoming resourceful, innovative, enterprising and capable citizens. Through the evaluation of past and present design and technology, they develop a critical understanding of its impact on daily life and the wider world.

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  Music

  Music

  The BTEC Level 2 Music Award has been chosen for the students at St Bernadette Secondary School as it equips them with the knowledge and skills to be successful in either further study or work. The range of taught content is applicable to the Music Industry and provides a knowledge base for students to continue on to A-Level, undertake apprenticeships or a Level 3 qualification. 

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  Drama

  Drama

  Drama at St Bernadette's is a creative and ambitious choice for students. The emphasis is on practical work, especially building confidence in performance. We are also preparing students to complete the AQA GCSE in Drama.

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Our Facebook

Photos from St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School's post Last week, as part of our Careers Week, students had the incredible opportunity to attend a Women in Army Engineering presentation! This session highlighted the diverse career paths available for women in engineering within the Army, breaking stereotypes and inspiring the next generation to explore exciting opportunities in STEM and defense.
Empowering young minds, challenging norms, and showcasing real-world engineering careers—this is why events like these are so important! #CareersWeek #WomenInEngineering #STEM #FutureLeaders" 7 Likes

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

Posted: Yesterday

Photos from St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School's post Public Speaking Competition
We are delighted to once again participate in the Catenians Annual Public Speaking Competition, where students will compete against other Catholic schools in the diocese.
Before half-term, we held our in-school auditions, during which around ten students from Years 10 and 11 delivered speeches on a range of thought-provoking topics, including:
Honesty is said to be the best policy, but is this true for a politician?
Is it more effective to try to reduce climate change or to adapt to it?
Should the UK recruit medical staff from poorer countries?
Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote?
Fake news: are you serious?
Each pupil delivered an outstanding and highly impressive speech, demonstrating exceptional independence in their research, planning, preparation, and delivery. The panel of staff judges was immensely proud of their efforts.
With such a high standard of speeches, selecting just two representatives was an incredibly difficult task. However, huge congratulations go to Madeleine (Year 10) and Jesse (Year 10), who will represent our school at the regional competition. 3 Likes

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

Posted: Yesterday

Photos from St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School's post Need Someone to Talk To? The School Nurse is Here to Help!
We’re pleased to remind you that our school nurse is available every Monday during lunch to chat with any student who might need support. Whether it’s a health concern, feeling stressed, or just needing someone to listen, the school nurse is here to provide confidential advice and guidance.
No matter how big or small the issue, you’re not alone—pop by and say hello! 😊
We’re pleased to remind you that our school nurse is available every Monday during lunch to chat with any student who might need support. Whether it’s a health concern, feeling of stress, or just needing someone to listen, the school nurse is here to provide confidential advice and guidance. 1 Likes

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

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St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

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St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

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St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

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CARRERS WEEK
As part of our Career Week, on Wednesday, we went to the Bristol Zoo Project to learn about the different career opportunities in a zoo and in animal care. This workshop was an interesting and useful experience where we could see the animals up close, learn about them and the people who work with them at the zoo, and gain confidence in taking the next step toward carving our own careers.
The visit was part of Bristol WORKS, an initiative by Bristol City Council that aims to make quality work and apprenticeships available to every young person.
We met people with different jobs in the zoo—some who had careers in animal care and others who worked in finance, landscaping, or conservation. Some of these people didn’t know what they wanted to do when they were at school and tried different things before finding their current job. This gave confidence to some students who struggle in or don’t enjoy school, prefer practical work over studying, or are unsure about their future careers.
Written by Grayce
The visit was part of Bristol WORKS, an initiative by Bristol City Council that aims to make quality work and apprenticeships available to every young person. enjoyed the experience and learned at least one new thing. 1 Likes

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

Posted: 5 days ago

Photos from St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School's post Ash Wednesday
This Wednesday marked the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday services. This proved a prayerful and meaningful start to our lenten journey.
Young Volunteer Group
Our young volunteers gathered with other pupils from St Joseph's Catholic School Swindon, St Bede's Catholic College Bristol and St Gregory's Catholic Bath for a day, learning about the Catholic charity Missio in Bath. Do look out for how our Young Volunteers will be putting this knowledge into action.
Our young volunteers gathered with other pupils from St Joseph's Catholic School Swindon, St Bede's Catholic College Bristol and St Gregory's Catholic Bath for a day learning about the Catholic charity Missio in Bath. Look out for how our young volunteers will put this knowledge into action. 5 Likes

St Bernadette Catholic Secondary School

Posted: 5 days ago

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