19th September News from our Parish Schools

Parish School pages on our website

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

On Friday 26^th September at 9.30am we will be hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning in the school hall to raise funds for Macmillan cancer support. Any donations of cakes or biscuits would be greatly received to help us make this event a great success.

On Wednesday 1^st October we will be hosting an Open Evening from 4.30pm - 6.30pm. this is a wonderful opportunity to meet the teachers, explore the classrooms and facilities and ask any questions you may have about the school. Refreshments will be available, and we look forward to welcoming you into our school community.

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St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

Open Mornings

Wednesday, 1^st October   -  10.00-11.00am (Reception)

Wednesday, 3^rd December – 10.00-11.00am (Nursery)

Is your child is ready to start school in September 2026?  To help you decide on a school place, we would like to invite you to attend one of our open days to find out more about what we offer.

We also have a nursery and children are welcome to start the term after they turn 3 years of age. More information about the school can be found at https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com See poster at the back of church.  ALSO Our Y5/6 football team started strong with three excellent performances during the first round of the Leadgate Cup this week.  They are now through to the finals - well done St. Godric’s!

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St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

St. Thomas More are delighted to announce we are now hosting 'Forest Fridays' as part of our curriculum - a unique and powerful way of enriching the learning experience beyond the classroom.  Our 'Forest Fridays' will be led by an experienced and skilled practitioner who will seamlessly blend outdoor exploration with essential life skills.

By taking our learning beyond the classroom, our children will be encouraged to connect with nature, develop curiosity, and build resilience in a hands-on environment. Activities like building shelters, identifying plants, and working together on outdoor challenges will promote problem-solving, teamwork, and independence in new and exciting ways. Integrated alongside our regular curriculum, we envision that, 'Forest Fridays' will nurture not just academic success but confidence, creativity and a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.

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St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School

https://stleonardsdurham.bwcet.com/

Here at St. Leonard's our Holistic Curriculum, shaped by pupil and parental feedback last year, is in full swing and each week we aim to focus on a particular strand, developing our pupils' abilities outside the classroom. Our Holistic Curriculum focus next week is ‘Emotional: Resilience and the ability to face challenges and recover from difficulties’. Pupils will look at this theme in tutor time assemblies where Mrs Curry will be bringing to light Safeguarding contextual issues.  

Each of the eight strands has it’s own excellence:

Spiritual, Emotional, Moral, Cultural, Social, Physical, Mental, Academic.

12th September School News from our Primary Schools

St. Joseph’s Primary School

We would like to thank The Friends of the School community who gave their time and support to our school events last term.  We have some exciting events happening over the Autumn term and if you would like to attend our next meeting it would be fantastic to see some new people join us. The meeting will be held on Tuesday 16^th September at 1pm in school. Come and join us for a cup of tea and a chat.

We would like to give a huge shout out to Barratt Homes who have donated a generous bundle of books based on emotions and wellbeing. On Friday 19^th September it is Youth Mental Health Day  and the theme is #ShareSupport. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness about youth mental health and promoting discussions on mental well-being.  These books will be a valuable resource in each of the classroom libraries, and we would also like to remind families that the little free library in the reception area has been filled with lots of new books that anyone in our community can take home to read and share with others.

St. Godric’s Primary School

Open Mornings

Saturday, 20^th September – 10.00-11.00am (Reception and Nursery)

Wednesday, 1^st October   -  10.00-11.00am (Reception)

Wednesday, 3^rd December – 10.00-11.00am (Nursery)

Is your child is ready to start school in September 2026?  To help you decide on a school place, we would like to invite you to attend one of our open days to find out more about what we offer.

We also have a nursery and children are welcome to start the term after they turn 3 years of age. More information about the school can be found at https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com See poster at the back of church.

St. Leonard’s

St. Leonard's Year 7 Mass of Welcome: We will be celebrating all our Year 7 pupils at our annual Mass of Welcome on Thursday 23^rd  October. Mass will take place at 6pm at St. Joseph’s Church Gilesgate. All are welcome to help us celebrate what a brilliant start this year group has made.

Open Evening

Our Open Evening takes place on Thursday 2^nd October. It is open for all pupils and their families in Year 5 and 6. Doors open at 5:30pm and the evening starts at 6pm. It will be an exciting night – as it is current Year 6 who will start their journey in our brand-new school building!

18th July School News from our Primary Schools

Thank you from St. Joseph’s School

As part of our Jubilee Year Pledge, every Friday the children sold ice lollies in school to raise money for charities chosen by our Mini Vinnies. This pledge involves a long-term commitment to living out Catholic Social Teaching and building a fairer world for everyone.  The children understand that by making the Jubilee Pledge, our school community has been encouraged to be agents of change and contribute to building a more just and fairer world. 

The children have raised over £200 and some of the charities which have received donations from our school are The Cheesy Waffles Project, St. Cuthberts Care and Choose Love.  We would like to say a huge thank you to the parishioners who have made donations to support our fundraising efforts.

News from St. Godric’s School

Thank you!

As we come to the end of another academic year, we just want to take this opportunity to thank all our parishioners for their continuous support across the year including helping us celebrate St. Godric’s day Mass and in your role as parish sponsors for our Year 4 children.  We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful school and parish relationship, and we look forward to this continuing next year.

St. Godric’s School Open Days

If you or anyone you know, has a child due to start school or Nursery, we will be holding two open mornings for anyone who would like to come along and see our lovely school and Nursery. The first is Saturday 20^th September 10-11am and the second is Wednesday 1^st October 10-11am.  Please save the date and spread the word!