Parish schools 6/16

Parish News and Announcements

14th November News from our Parish Schools

Nov 14, 2025

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

On Wednesday 19^th November the children in Year 3 and 4 will be attending Mass in church at 10am. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

On Wednesday 19^th November and Thursday 20^th November Parent Consultations will be happening in school. Appointments are bookable via ARBOR.

On Friday 21^st November it will be a Non-uniform day and we will be grateful for any donations of festive sweets and chocolates for our upcoming Christmas Fayre.

St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

This week in school, we celebrated Anti-Bullying Week with the theme “Power for Good”, encouraging all children to use their words and actions to support one another and stand up against unkindness.

We also gathered to observe Remembrance Day on Tuesday with a moment of silence, honouring those who gave their lives in service.

There's still time to buy tickets for our lovely wreath making event on Friday 21^st November. We had a beautiful creative evening when we held it last year and we're looking forward to the same again. To book, click on the link below:

https://buytickets.at/friendsofstgodrics/1910588

Thank you for your continued support

Friends of St Godric's

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

Every Friday, our pupils swap the classroom for the great outdoors, exploring nature and learning through hands-on activities in our beautiful woodland area. From building dens and spotting wildlife to creative crafts and team challenges, Forest Friday is all about fresh air, fun, and fostering a love for the environment. They must come prepared for muddy boots and big smiles – it’s an adventure every child will remember!

St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School

https://stleonardsdurham.bwcet.com/

We are delighted that 3 of our Year 12 students will be travelling as young helpers with HCPT Group 213 this Easter. As part of their preparation for pilgrimage, the girls will work with the group to prepare resources, get to know the children in their care as well as raise funds.

We hope next year to really expand the places available to Sixth Formers to experience the HCPT Pilgrimage to Lourdes, as it is such a deep and life-changing experience.

If you would like to help donate to their efforts and help them get to Lourdes, please find their Go Fund Me page below.

https://gofund.me/e1200e470

Photos and videos from our Lantern Procession

Nov 8, 2025

A fabulous turn out for our lantern procession this evening. You can view photos and videos from the event below. A huge thank you to everyone who made this evening possible.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/11cb5b_732b33502000443aa257bd0583c8409d/480p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/11cb5b_2d1bafdb0f5d4c8fb6193c140891387a/480p/mp4/file.mp4

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/11cb5b_0d63fefd4b354c64acaf59ab0e1df350/480p/mp4/file.mp4

7th November News from our Parish Schools

Nov 7, 2025

Parish School pages on our website

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

https://stjosephsgilesgate.bwcet.com/

On Monday 10^th November we will be celebrating the start of Anti- Bullying week in school.

Odd Sock Day is an annual event that marks the start of Anti - Bullying week and the children can wear mismatched odd socks to celebrate individuality and to promote kindness.

On Wednesday 12^th November the children in Year 5 and 6 will be attending Mass in church at 10am. All families and friends are welcome to attend.

On Friday 14^th November it is a non uniform day and a donation of a bottle for our Christmas Fayre would be greatly received. We thank you always for the generosity and support we receive to help support the events we have in school.

St Godric's Catholic Primary School

https://stgodricsdurham.bwcet.com/

This week the children took part in Other Faiths Week as part of our Come and See Religious Education curriculum. The focus was on Judaism and the children explored how Jewish people show their faith in God through worship, family life and celebrations.

Next week, we will be celebrating Anti-bullying Week. This will start with Odd Socks day on Monday, when children and staff are invited to wear odd socks to celebrate what makes us unique. The theme for the week is ‘Power for good’ - we are all reminded to use our power for good; to speak out support others and make respectful, powerful choices.

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

https://stthomasmorebelmont.bwcet.com/

Some of our oldest children enjoyed making some lanterns, for the Parish of the Durham Martyrs, in school this week. The lanterns will be used in a procession from St. Leonard's to St. Godric's Church on Saturday 8^th November and then will be displayed during Durham's Lumière Festival.

In school next week, all our classes are looking forward to performing a dance in order to raise some pennies for the Children in Need Charity. This will take place on Friday 14^th November. We hope our families can join us - to cheer us on!

St Leonard's Catholic Secondary School

https://stleonardsdurham.bwcet.com/

It is a pleasure to share with you the outcome of our recent Catholic School Inspection. It is a credit to the entire community – families, students, staff and our parishes – to be graded ‘Outstanding’ across all areas. When you read the report, which is now available online, you will see that it is the students that bring a strong sense of joy and vibrancy to the St. Leonard’s community. One of the most profound lines of the report from a comment by one of our students: "This school has made me become a better person." Whilst we do not know which student said this, we do know that everyone - teachers, support staff, families and students - have all taken their part in building such a powerful and transformative school community.

We look forward to our next youth led Mass at St Joseph's, sharing our thanks and joy with our local parish.