Prospectus 2024 v2

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k st. joseph’s catholic school & sixth form a warm welcome for all welcome to st. joseph’s and thank you for taking the time to explore this prospectus. choosing the right school for your child is a fundamentally important decision - one that calls for careful thought and consideration. i hope that what you find in these pages will help you to arrive at a decision that allows your child to develop and to flourish. here at st. joseph’s we root everything in our mission to lead each young person in our school community to become “fully human in christ”. our catholic, christian ethos demands the highest standards of expectation and commitment, recognising the distinct human dignity of every one of our students and doing all within our power to unlock their potential. by choosing st. joseph’s, you can expect us to provide your child with an environment that is welcoming and disciplined. we will get to know your child well and look after them, from year 7 right through to year 13. the teachers and support staff here at st. joseph’s are well-qualified, experienced and thoroughly committed to the school’s ethos. teaching at st. joseph’s is not just a career: it is a vocation. staff are well known for going the extra mile to support and guide our pupils and to help them develop holistically; and they challenge all students to make the most of their god-given talents. we are, of course, well aware that it is you - parents and guardians - who are the first educators of your children. as such, we make sure that we keep parents up-to-date with their children’s progress and welcome their involvement in the life of the school. i hope you find this prospectus lively and informative. please contact us at the school if you have any particular questions or would like to visit. dr felton headteacher

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k transition to st. joseph’s “i loved the activity day the sixth form organised for us. it was really good fun, and helped me get to know people from lots of other schools who were coming to st. joseph’s with me.” (amy, year 7) we understand that starting a new school can be a daunting prospect for pupils and parents alike. with that in mind, we run a rich and varied programme of transition activities to help our year 7 pupils feel at home from the moment they set foot in our school. from the transition activities to sports days run by the sixth form, to taster lessons and ‘meet your form tutor’ days, we do all we can to make the transition as easy as possible. we want your child to know their way around their new school, and to know the people and places they can turn to if they need some help or advice as they settle in. this programme of events and activities also enables us to get to know your child before they arrive in year 7, so that we can do all we can to help them quickly feel at home with us at st joseph’s. we have a dedicated head of year 7 and year 7 tutor team who remain with year 7 pupils each year. these members of staff are experts in transition from primary schools and are able to help your child settle in as quickly as possible. the head of year 7 will spend time in our primary feeder schools, talking to pupils and teachers, making sure that the transition from year 6 to year 7 is both smooth and effective. keep in touch on twitter! follow us at @stjosephscomp

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k curriculum: a learning pathway our curriculum is designed to bring out the best in all our students. we recognise that every student is unique, learning at their own pace and with their own strengths and targets, and this is reflected in the various pathways students can take through our curriculum. in years 7, 8 and 9 pupils follow a broad and enriching curriculum building on the core literacy and numeracy skills they have developed in their primary school, and allowing them the opportunity to experience new and exciting areas of learning and experience, taught by subject specialists. alongside their english and maths lessons, students will study science, religious education, welsh, humanities, technology, computing, creative arts, music, drama, pe and a modern foreign language. our year 10 and 11 curriculum supports students to learn at their own pace. we start aspects of our gcse and btec courses at the end of year 9, allowing our students to find the right pathway through their qualifications, to give them the best chance of success. some students will be ready to take some exams at the end of year 10, giving them the time to study additional courses, or work on improving their grades in year 11. our excellent gcse and btec results demonstrate the success of our flexible curriculum as we seek to provide the right pathways for each of our students, opening the doors to their future. we are an 11-18 school, and our curriculum aims to give our students the academic pathways to take them through to university, apprenticeships and the world of work. see our sixth form page for more information on the courses available.

founded on gospel values as a catholic school, our mission is to journey with christ, putting him at the centre of everything we do. we believe that jesus is ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ and that we live life to the fullest when we follow his teachings and show others how to lead a life of service and work for the common good. our starting point is that each human person is holy ground; each human being is created uniquely in the image of god and we must seek to acknowledge and treasure the unique gifts that each pupil and member of staff brings. gospel values such as justice, love, service, forgiveness, sacrifice, perseverance, hope and joy are central to our school and underpin our relationships with one another. pupils are encouraged to develop their faith through daily acts of prayer and worship in morning care, and we meet regularly as a community in year group and whole school assemblies. the celebration of mass is a key feature of the school’s liturgical life and pupils, teachers and parents have opportunities to celebrate together at the beginning and end of each year, in class settings and for major feasts in the church’s liturgical calendar. residential retreats to kintbury are organised annually for years 10 - 13 and our sixth form students are given the opportunity to participate in the cycling pilgrimage to santiago de compostela. dedicated pastoral care lessons offer pupils the chance to explore moral and ethical issues, share in worship and develop their understanding of local, national and world affairs in a safe and respectful environment. age appropriate health education is delivered by specialist professionals. at st. joseph’s “becoming fully human in christ” means that we aim for excellence and high achievement. we have high expectations of all our students. all students are challenged to give of their best. we expect each student to work hard, play hard and to take a full part in the life of our school. we monitor each individual’s progress regularly and set them challenging targets. we believe that all our students are talented individuals with potential to achieve. above all, st joseph’s pupils are encouraged to uphold gospel values, helping themselves and those around them to become “fully human in christ”.

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k meeting the needs of every pupil at st joseph’s, we are proud of our commitment to ensuring every child has the appropriate level of support and challenge they need to reach their full potential. we are able to offer support in a range of areas and deliver speciailsed programmes for pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, speech and language difficulties and learning difficulties. the school’s extensive educational provision is complemented by a strong focus on emotional wellbeing. our aim is to ensure all pupils are supported both academically and emotionally, regardless of their area of need. pupils with physical difficulties are well catered for with purpose built facilities that allow us to provide for all aspects of their care, including a dedicated physiotherapy room. close partnerships with medical professionals ensure staff receive regular training in relevant areas, allowing us to fulfill the requirements of each pupils’ individual health plan. we are proud of our programme for our more able and talented pupils who receive a range of enrichment opportunities from year 7 that nurture and develop their abilities. our curriculum pathway allows our more able and talented pupils to reach their potential, achieving the very highest gcse and a-level grades. our excellent a*/a results every year in both year 11 and year 13 proves the effectiveness of this programme. expertise in the university application process, including oxbridge applications, means that significant numbers of our more able and talented students go on to attend the country’s most prestigious universities. “there are exceptionally strong and beneficial working relationships between staff and pupils” (estyn) stjosephscomp @stjosephscomp @stjosephscomp

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k the sixth form at st. joseph’s the sixth form at st joseph’s is a thriving and integral part of our school. our success comes from our determination to ensure that every student is supported and developed both academically and pastorally. whether they are planning to go on to university, apprenticeships or employment we strive to provide a range of opportunities for our students to enhance and improve their skills. we pride ourselves on providing excellent teaching in a caring and supportive environment. the success of this can be seen in the excellent results achieved by students every year. our staff are on site each and every day, enabling us to monitor and track students’ academic progress and wellbeing carefully. “coming to the sixth form was the best choice i could have made. the teachers are so supportive, and have given me so much of their time.” our sixth form curriculum gives students the chance to develop their academic pathways, from traditional as and a-level subjects to a range of vocational qualifications. all of this is underpinned by what we call the ‘st joseph’s core’ which includes the advanced skills challenge certificate and all the extra curricular activities that are available to students across year 12 and 13. for those who want to improve their gcse english language and mathematics grades, we offer re-sit classes in both subjects that can be taken alongside the as and a-level subjects. more information specific to the sixth form is available on the school website and in a separate sixth form prospectus that is available from the school.

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k extra curricular activities participation in the sporting and creative life of the school is a particularly strong feature here at st. joseph’s. at st. joseph’s your child will have many opportunities to develop these talents in a wide range of academic, cultural, sporting and musical opportunities. there are clubs on offer during the school day and after school. we emphasise enjoyment and excellence and encourage all pupils to have a go. and when something doesn’t go quite as well as expected, we encourage them to try again. through the wide variety of sports clubs and school teams, there is the opportunity for every student to get involved. our students have achieved great success in a number of sports disciplines such as netball, football, rugby league and rugby union, with a number of former students going on to become full internationals. the school is also very proud of its achievements in the performing and creative arts. pupils have opportunities to join the school choir, orchestra, music club, drama club, art club and take part in our whole school productions.

w w w. s t j o s e p h s c o m p . c o . u k literacy, numeracy & digital competency at the heart of our curriculum are the vital skills of literacy, numeracy and digital competency. pupils are encouraged to develop their literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, with additional support and intervention strategies available for those who need ‘catch up’ or ‘confidence booster’ sessions. we run a variety of extra curricular and supra curricular opportunities including maths club and book clubs for students to extend and develop their literacy and numeracy skills outside of lesson time. in order to support pupils to develop their digital literacy skills, we have a number of dedicated it suites, kitted out with a mixture of pcs running up-to-date software and applications along with chromebooks that are also available in department areas and sixth form study zones. state of the art laser cutting equipment is installed in the design and technology rooms, allowing students the chance to develop their digital literacy skills in a practical environment. “the school...has a wide range of beneficial learning resources including new technologies. the library, reading lecture theatre provide room and a learning environments.” (estyn) stimulating variety of stjosephscomp @stjosephscomp @stjosephscomp

how to join us at st. joseph’sst. joseph’s is open to all pupils regardless of their background, ability, faith or culture. we pride ourselves on being an inclusive school, welcoming anybody who shares in our ideals of a child centred education.if currently in year 6, the school is part of neath port talbot school admissions system and as such you can apply for a place online when applications open in october. we also accept paper based applications available from the main school office.if you are looking for your child to transfer mid-year from another secondary school, then we ask you to contact us via the school office to check on spaces and we can then direct you to complete the neccessary application and invite you to come and visit.admission to year 12 is managed by the school and there is a separate online application system on the school website to apply for a sixth form place. this process begins in october with visits to local secondary school year 11 assemblies, open evenings in november and then taster lessons later in the academic year.