CALENDAR

Monday 21st December

(to Friday 1st January)
w/c Monday 4th January
Thursday 7th January
Friday 8th January
Monday 11th January
Wednesday 13th January

Christmas Holiday
Sixth Form Mock Exams
NCS Assembly (Year 11)
Year 11 Photograph
EMA Meeting
MET Conference
Tees Valley Cross Country
Year 11 Parents Evening

Wednesday 3rd February

Thursday 4th February

Year 9 Technology Day

Int. Maths Challenge
Year 10 GCSE Catering
Year 13 Parents Evening
Rock Night

Monday 8th February

Tuesday 9th February
(to 17th) The Gambia Trip
Wednesday 10th February
CP Swimming Gala
Thursday 14th January
Thursday 11th February
GCSE Maths Enrichment
Monday 18th January
Year 12 Parents Evening
(to 11th February) CP Art Exhibition
Monday 15th February
Thursday 21st January
Year 7 / 8 Sportshall Athletics
(to 19th) Half Term
Friday 22nd January
St Anne Line Mass
Tuesday 16th February
HCFE Apprenticeship Event
Monday 25th January
Hairspray Theatre Trip
(to 19th) ICT Paris Trip
Thursday 28th January
Year 10 GCSE Catering
Monday 22nd February
Hitler on Trial Play
Friday 29th January
The Gambia Race Night
w/c Monday 22nd February
Year 11 Mock Exams
CP Cross Country
Tuesday 23rd February
CP Bake Off
Monday 1st February
Vardy Lecture
Wednesday 24th February
Year 8 ASBAD
w/c Monday 1st February
MFL Speaking Tests
Friday 26th February
CAT Presentation

School finishes on Friday 18th December at 3.10 pm

for the Christmas break.
School re-opens Monday 4th January 2016 at 8.50 am.

Online e-payments for school meals and other school purchases

The school is now using iPayimpact online payments to help reduce administration and cash handling in
schools and also to allow pupils to reduce the amount of cash they carry to school.
You can log into Ipay at http://www.ipayimpact.co.uk/IPI using your unique login and password. If you
have any problems with Ipay, please contact Mrs Wright at swright@ems.hartlepool.sch.uk for help
making sure you include your childs name, D.O.B and form group in the email.

School Uniform / PE Kit

School uniform orders and purchases should be made through: AJM Designs, 119 Raby Road. They are open
between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm Monday to Friday and their phone number is; 01429 721401. They can also be
contacted via e-mail at; ajmdesigns15@gmail.com.
If you have any items of school uniform or PE kit that your child no longer needs (which are still in good
condition) we would be grateful if you would send them to school. We will then keep a supply of uniform and PE
kit in school which can be loaned to students in an emergency. Thank you

Contact Details Please will parents / guardians notify the school office immediately if there are any changes to names,
addresses, telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers or the named contact persons of students.
It is very important that contact information is kept up to date.
The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College is now on Facebook and Twitter.
Please visit www.facebook.com/EnglishMartyrsSchool and 'like' the page to receive information from the
news feed or follow @EMS_Hartlepool on Twitter.
The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College, Catcote Road, Hartlepool, TS25 4HA
Tel: 01429 273790
Fax: 01429 273998
e-mail:
admin@ems.hartlepool.sch.uk
www.ems.hartlepool.sch.uk

The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College

Parents Bulletin No 2
December 2015
Dear Parent / Carer
The autumn term will end at 15:10 on Friday 18th December 2015. The spring term will start on
Monday 4th January 2016 at 08.50. May I thank you for all your support throughout this term which
has been a busy but rewarding one for all of us.
From January 4th I intend to make a slight alteration to the structure of our school day on Fridays.
Citizenship sessions (period three) will be collapsed and periods one and two will be lengthened to
mirror the timings of the Monday to Thursday timetable. This does not effect the timings of the
beginning or end of the day.
I hope that the change will improve the quality of time for core curriculum study and enable collective
worship, through assemblies, to take place on each day of the week.
We say goodbye to two members of staff this Christmas. Miss F Dunnakey, Head of Maths is taking up a new post in
Egglescliffe School from January 2016. Miss N Roberts, our Chaplain for the past twelve months, is leaving to lead youth
ministry provision in Derbyshire. They both take with them our gratitude for their service to EMS and our prayers and best
wishes for the future.
On behalf of all our staff and governors may I wish you a peaceful, restful and joyous Christmas with your friends and
families and a very Happy New Year.
I look forward to working with you in the spring term.
Yours sincerely

Stephen Hammond

A Merry and Merciful Christmas

As you may already know, Pope Francis has very
recently declared a Jubilee of Mercy meaning that
more than ever we are being called to show mercy to
those nearby as well as those who we might never meet. Mercy might not seem like
an overly Christmassy theme, but whilst I was looking into it I found that one of the key elements of the Year of Mercy is an
invitation for all worshipping communities to open a door of mercy.
Doors feature many times in our lives, whether real or metaphorical. Maybe someone has opened a door of opportunity in
our life; maybe in some cases a door has been shut. Mary and Joseph had more than their share of closed doors, traveling
from hotel to motel in search not only of a place to rest for the night, but a place to give birth to a child! They must have
been stressed, anxious, dirty, not to mention young, vulnerable and fairly low down in societys hierarchy is it any wonder
that a door wasnt opened straight away?
Its possible that each of us has turned someone away who was in need of our help, support or assistance. This could be
because of their appearance, a reputation, or because of what theyve done (or not done) in the past. The Year of Mercy
calls us all to open a door in our hearts, and in our lives to the ones who dont deserve it; after all, if they did deserve it, it
wouldnt be mercy. Pope Francis said, May the Jubilee of Mercy bring us all closer to Gods goodness and love! In a
season known for love, hope, joy and peace, what better time to open a door of mercy in our lives.
With that, I thank you all for the door that has been so warmly opened to me here at The English Martyrs School and Sixth
Form College. Sadly I wont be staying past the end of this term, but words really cannot
express my gratitude to everyone involved in this community, especially you, the parents and
carers of our fantastic young people. Im filled with awe at the unity and strength that exudes
this school and its community. We hope that you all have a truly blessed, beautiful and happy
Christmas. Naomi, School Chaplain
Awards Evening
Our Annual Awards Evening takes place on Thursday 7th January 2016 at 6.30 pm in the
Sports Hall. We are delighted to welcome as our Guest of Honour,
Gary Pallister.

Senior Team Maths Challenge

A group of four sixth form students
Tia Briggs, Georgia Lennon, Oliver
Manley and Haydn Rogan, took part in the
Senior Team Maths Challenge at Teesside
University. They competed against pupils
from other schools in the area and
finished in 15th place.

Emily Barnard 7MC1 Travelled to the Waterside Arts Centre in Manchester on 20th
November to compete in the National Song and Dance Championship. Emilys age
group was aged 10-14 and she was placed 4th overall. This is a fantastic achievement
and we look forward to many more successes.

Robotics
On Wednesday 25th November Go Ahead provided a robotics day for
thirty Year 9 students who show potential in STEM subjects. The whole
day event involved working in teams of three to manufacture their own
robots, with students being tested on their problem solving skills if
things didnt quite go to plan during the build! The group were then
split into two teams who competed in a competition that not only
tested the quality of their build but their ability to control the robot. All
students representing English Martyrs approached the day with
enthusiasm and they were a credit to the school.

Wishing you all the Joys and Blessings of the Christmas Season
and Best Wishes for 2016
The staff and students of The English Martyrs School
and Sixth Form College

Christmas Eve
St Joseph's
St John Vianney
St Thomas More
St Patrick's
St Cuthbert's
Christmas Day Mass
St. Patrick's
St. Joseph's
St. Thomas More

4.30pm
Carols
5.00pm
Mass
6.30pm
Carols
7.00pm
Mass
5.30pm Carols
followed by Mass
5.00pm Carols
5.30pm Mass
7.00 Carols
7.30pm Mass
9.30am
9.30am
10.00am

Medicines / Tablets Please remember that students must not carry any tablets or medicines in school. If students
need to take medication during school hours parents must hand it to Mr Craddy for safekeeping.
Thank you

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this years

Operation Christmas Child appeal.
We were able to send 40 shoeboxes to children for Christmas.

Catholic Partnership Sportshall athletics.

The Year 7 and 8 sportshall athletics team travelled to Darlington to represent the school against other schools within the
partnership. Every student was rewarded with a medal and 2 trophies were won! There were some great individual
performances with an overall outstanding team performance.
Year 7 girls - 2nd, 1st-St Joseph's
Year 7 boys - 1st
Year 8 girls - 1st
Year 8 boys - 2nd, 1st-Carmel.
Well done to all students.

Exam Invigilators / Vacancies

We are currently looking to recruit Exam Invigilators for the Summer 2016 GCE and GCSE Exams. The exams run from 6th
May 29th June. Invigilators are employed on a temporary, casual basis. You do not need to be available every day during
this period but we do ask that you are available at least two full days each week. Please contact the Examinations Officer,
Diane Rutherford (01429 273790) if you would like more information.

Trampolining Success
A number of students represented the school in the British
Schools Gymnastic Competition in Trampolining. The
Competition was held at Gateshead Leisure Centre in the
North East Regional Round. The students performed
superbly with Lewis Rodgers placed 2nd in the U19
Intermediate Category and therefore qualifying to zonal
finals. The U14 Novice Girls team were placed 4th out of 19
teams in the competition. Courtney Palmer competing in her
first competition was placed 5th / 89, Alex Mullins 9th / 89 and
Grace Allan 40th / 89. Congratulations to all students involved.

Student Safety
Please ensure that you remind your children that they must only cross Catcote Road via the pedestrian
crossings. We have had a number of reports of students running across the road in front of cars. This is
very dangerous and could lead to an accident.
Would parents please avoid dropping their children off in any of the staff car parks at any time during the
school day. It is in the best interests of all students safety if the number of vehicles entering the site is kept
to a minimum.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

Children whose parents are in receipt of one of the following are entitled to receive free school meals (FSM):
Income Support (IS) or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA)
An income related employment and support allowance
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income which from 6th
April 2013 does not exceed 16190 as assessed by HMRC
If you are in any doubt whether your son / daughter is eligible for Free School Meals (and the associated Pupil Premium
payment) contact Hartlepool Civic Centre on 266522. You will need to supply your National Insurance number before they
carry out a simple eligibility test via their Eligibility Checking Service.
Remember School can provide packed lunches or a hot meal as part of the Free School Meals service.

Adverse weather and publicising unplanned school closure

With colder temperatures on the way I thought it would be useful to remind parents of our procedures regarding any school
closure as a result of adverse weather. Parents should be aware that we will do everything possible to keep the school open
and we would only close the school in extremely rare circumstances.
If we do need to close the school we would make the announcement via our website and via BBC Radio Tees. These are the
only ways in which we would make such an announcement and parents should disregard a message by any other form of
media.

Catholic Partnership Badminton

Well done to our Year 8 and 9 boys and girls
who competed in the Catholic Partnership
Badminton tournament on the 25th November.
Seven schools entered, with our Year 8 girls
finishing 3rd in their year group and the year 8
boys finishing 2nd.

Shine
As part of The Shine Programme the Year
11 students were invited to a Conference at York
University. It gave the pupils an opportunity to improve
their study skills and increase motivation towards their
future during this crucial time in school. The Conference
also offered an opportunity for pupils to meet with friends
they made during the Year 10 residential, develop their
self-awareness and celebrate the end of the Shine
programme. We were invited along with 3 other schools
from around the Country. Jonathan Williams and Lewis
Connor also won a prize for being the best dressed students. The students really enjoyed their day and have
loved being part of Shine and are hoping to carry this on
in Year 12 at our Sixth Form.

Key Stage 5
We have been very impressed with the dedication and work ethic this term from our very
talented A Level students. They have been working on their individual projects and have
produced some excellent examples so far. We would like to remind all students that the exam
papers will arrive in college in January and they will be given out at the end of the month. We
would like all units of work completed before this happens.

Catholic Partnership Art Exhibition

This year we are working with a group of Year
9s in producing 3D sculptural bowls and digital
paintings for our annual art exhibition at
Durham Cathedral. The students are well on the
way with these. The finished outcomes for the
exhibition will be something that we will all be
very proud of.

HMD 2016
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day in January the EMS History Department will be creating an exhibition to according to this
years theme; Don't Stand By.
This is a display at Auschwitz in Poland. Auschwitz was a Nazi death camp and killed approximately 1.1million people, 90%
of these were Jewish. We are planning to create a exhibition similar to this 'shoe' exhibition in Auschwitz.
When the Russians liberated the camp in 1945, 43,000 pairs of shoes belonging to victims were found. These shoes
represent only a fraction of those who were victims of the Nazi genocide. We are hoping to create a version of this on a
smaller scale in the art gallery throughout January to represent and remember the loss of life during the Holocaust.
We are hoping that you can help us with this by donating shoes
that you or your family have outgrown.
We need shoes which are:
In PAIRS
In good condition
Not broken or in need of repair
We will be donating them to a charity at the end of the
exhibition- any shoes are acceptable (boots, trainers, sandals
etc.) You can send your child into school with the shoes and
these can be dropped off to the main office, the staff room or
the History Department.

Lab Live
In December Year 9 EMS students
took part in the LabLive event.
This event is a spectacular science
show which brought all the fun of
The Times Cheltenham Science
Festival to Hartlepool. This
event ,which was sponsored by EDF
Energy, was aimed to inspire and
engage inquisitive young minds. As
well as enjoying an interactive
show, pupils learned more about
the benefits of studying science,
technology, engineering and maths
at GCSE and beyond.

Gallery Exhibition
Alongside our amazing work from our students, we are also hosting an
exhibition of ceramic and painting by our ex Head of Art Michael Brogan.
Michael retired 5 years ago and decided to come back this
year as an artist in residence, concentrating on ceramics.
From September he designed and produced some truly
exquisite pieces of ceramics from bowls to teapots. We
hosted his exhibition (a selling one with very reasonable
prices) in November and the turnout was fantastic. Michael
still has some pieces available for sale, if you are interested
please contact the school and ask to speak to Mr Gribben.
Some examples are included so you can truly appreciate the
craftsmanship and quality of these original pieces of artwork.
On behalf of the whole Art department we would like to wish you all a very peaceful and holy Christmas.

Art
It has been another very busy but exciting term for us all in Art and Design. The students have produced some
amazing work, as always and we would like to share some examples with you..

Key Stage 3
Each year we are always surprised and delighted to see the outcomes of our
key stage 3 homeworks. We appreciate the hard work and effort that goes into
these and we want to thank all the students and those that helped them
produce these fantastic pieces of 3D artwork.

Key Stage 4
Our Year 11s should be working
diligently on completing all work
associated with their coursework.
The actual GCSE exam papers have
arrived in school. These papers will
be given to all GCSE art and
photography students in the first
lesson back after January. Can we
please ask that you make sure that
your son / daughter spends time in
their sketchbook over the
Christmas holidays.

Year 12 EDF Mentoring Scheme

This year EMS 6th form hosted the launch of the 4th year EDF Energy mentoring programme. This was a
town-wide event open to all Y12 aspiring engineers in Hartlepool.
The programme is part of EDFs strategy to prepare young people for work and gain valuable employability skills
which will enable them to succeed within this type of sector and hopefully consider a career with EDF energy
itself.
The process involved a competitive interview process, mentoring contact sessions with EDF Energy staff and 5 training days
throughout the two years. Ten EMS students applied for the scheme and three of our students were successful in their
application.
Congratulations to Drew Russell, Joseph Bousfield and Ben Sharman.
The scheme is a wonderful opportunity to gain high quality work experience, employment preparation and insight in a
market leader industry and following the completion of the programme students have the possibility of being recommended
and apply for the EDF sponsorship programme. This year two EMS6 students successfully secured university sponsorship as
a direct result of their participation. Congratulations and huge well done to Michael Hainsworth and Joseph Mason.

EDF Pre Apprenticeship Event

Sixth Form Christmas Market and Fancy Dress Day
On Friday 4th, Year 12 and Year 13 had their
annual Christmas Market and Fancy Dress day.
Students arrived wearing their Christmas outfits;
ranging from many Elves to snowmen. Many
went one step further by having festive face
painting to express their love of Christmas even
more!
Students worked in form groups with their tutor,
running their own creative Christmas themed
stall to raise funds for the Year 13 Leavers
Dinner. The stalls included hot turkey
sandwiches, a festive themed photo booth and
lots and lots of delicious cakes!
All had a jolly time and managed to raise over
630. A big thank you and well done to all
involved!

In November aspiring EDF apprentices visited Hartlepool Power

station to find out more about their apprenticeship scheme, meet
current apprentices and also have a plant familiarisation tour. This
event was aimed to support with our students application and assist
them in their preparations for this highly competitive recruitment
process and prestigious scheme.

Tomorrows Engineer Event at CAT

In November a group of Year 10 and Year 11
students who had been invited back to
Caterpillar took part in a team event to design
and build a Bizzy bot robot. The students
developed team working and developed their
problem solving techniques and also had the
opportunity to have a plant tour to see the
CAT manufacturing process.
Well done to the Year 11 students who
impressed CAT and who were invited back!
Alisha Dixon, Arriana Cheesborough , Patrick
Mulvey, Maddie Burn and Ellis Longhorn.

Social Mobility Foundation

The social mobility foundation runs a
number of schemes that year 12 students
may be interested in applying to,
including residential programmes for
aspiring medics, engineers, bankers,
accountants and solicitors. Students accepted onto the programmes will
have access to a range of support, including an e-mentor: a person working
in the profession they wish to join, free visits to Russell Group universities
across the UK, work experience at a top firm in their local area or in London
in the profession they wish to join, and workshops to develop soft skills such
as networking.
More information can be found online at www.socialmobilty.org.uk. Please
note there is an imminent application deadline of 21 December.

Apprenticeship Preparation Programme

During December students who are interested or are
intending on applying for apprenticeships have been
participating in a variety of events such as assemblies and
drop in sessions to support this highly competitive process.
The assembly was delivered by guests from HCFE and the
workshops provided students with the support, advice and
guidance needed to register and create their online
application on the apprenticeship website.

Hartlepool Young Persons Achievement Award

UCAS 2016 Entry
The final UCAS deadline of 15 January 2016 is fast approaching. If your son/daughter
intends to apply to university to start a course in September 2016 then their application
must be sent to UCAS by this date. So as to ensure that the form goes through the
rigorous college checking system all forms must be submitted (pay/sent) to Bev Scaife
by Monday 4 January 2016. If you have any questions regarding the UCAS system please
contact Bev Scaife at the college.

In December the achievements of young people were celebrated at the

3rd Hartlepool Young Persons Recognition Awards for their hard work
and commitment. Five young people received special recognition awards
at the event. They were: Apprentice of the Year Cheryl Baxter, Volunteer
of the Year Kayleigh Driver, Employee of the Year Rebecca, NewtonSmith, Learner of the Year Christopher Scott and EMS student
Jacob Clyburn Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Well done Jacob and all of the young people who received awards!

Year 8 and Year 12 Mentor Team

Building Day Teesside University
During November dedicated Y12 and eager
Year 8 boys participated in a fantastic Teambuilding Day at Teesside University. The
boys participated in fun group activities
which focused on communication, trust and
teamwork. They got the opportunity to
use the universitys climbing wall, sports
centre and high tech sensory equipment
to test response times. They had a
fabulous day well done to all involved!

Tees Valley Skills Event

In December Y9 students attended the annual Tees Valley Skills event at
Teesside University. This event is the largest skills event in the area and is
an interactive event that allows students to try some of the training and
jobs available. Students sampled a variety of exciting career and training
opportunities that are on offer and which support the areas diverse and
expanding sectors.
The event is aimed to help our students decide upon their subject choices
and next steps in education and employment.

Beat the Rat Race

On the November 4th ten Year 9 students, chosen for their hard work in French /
German, attended a Routes into Languages event at Newcastle University entitled
Beat the Rat Race: Using Languages to Get Ahead. This was an exciting opportunity
for students to learn more about the benefits of learning languages and see the unique opportunities available to those who
have a languages qualification. Students had the opportunity to interview people from industry who use languages in their
day-to-day work (including a spy from GCHQ!) and completed a taster session in Korean. A great day was had by all!

Eurovision Song Contest

English Martyrs returned triumphant this year in the Catholic Partnership
Song Contest with their talented singing (in French) and dancing to the
tune of Jingle Bell Rock. Congratulations to all the pupils who took part:
Rosanna Rigali, Molly Scott, Katie Mason, Olivia Bone, Olivia Beavis,
Courtney Palmer, Mia Gordon, Rose Allen and Jay Allen. Thank you also
to Kira Lister (Y12) for her presentation of the group and taking part in
judging. A truly enjoyable day was had by all and their talent was
rewarded by bringing home the winners' trophy.

Hartlepool Entrepreneurship Event

During November 15 of our Year 10 students participated in a
town-wide enterprise event which took place at Hartlepool Sixth
Form College. Students worked with local organisations to look
at the skills required for setting up and developing your own
business and then worked as teams to develop a community
based business idea to a Dragons Den. English Martyrs had two
teams and we were delighted that one of groups
won their challenge.
Well done!

Cologne Christmas Lunch

In December the MFL department organised a
German themed Christmas lunch for the students
who were due to go to the Cologne Christmas
market. The students tried some of the food they
would have tasted in Germany including Hotdogs
mit Ketchup, Stollen and Apfelsaft. They also
created some German Christmas cards. It was a
fun lunch and gave the students the opportunity
to experience some German cuisine and use the
language to order their food.

Clothes Show Live

The Technology Department organised a trip to Clothes Show Live, Tuesday 8th December.
The trip was aimed at Year 9 and 10 students and those students in Years 12 and 13 studying
Textiles. The trip increased awareness about the Fashion and Textiles industry and was a fun
packed day which will allowed students to experience the College Forum, College Catwalk,
Design Awards Gallery and Fashion Theatre.

The English Martyrs Association

The EMA (The English Martyrs Parent / Teacher / Friends Association) work to raise money to
benefit the school. All monies raised by the EMA are donated to the school and used to
contribute to many projects across a range of Departments and activities. As a parent of a pupil
at The English Martyrs School and Sixth Form College you are automatically a member of the
EMA and are invited to attend meetings and events. Meetings are held once per half term on Monday evenings at 6.00 pm
in the Conference Room (St Annes Building, opposite the main school office). They normally last for approximately one
hour. The next EMA meeting will be held on Monday 11th January 2016.
All parents / friends of the school are most welcome to attend. All support is greatly appreciated.

A fantastic way to help the EMA to raise money

whilst shopping:

Masterchef 2015
The Food Department hosted the annual Catholic Partnership Masterchef competition on Wednesday 18th November.
Two year ten students from six schools in the partnership competed against each other under time conditions.
Georgia Cooper and Sarah Greig worked with Mrs Bainton to practise for the event and represented English Martyrs
School. They were awarded a special commendation for team work and making their own pasta. The brief set was to
produce a delicious 2 course meal that costs less than 5.00.

Using The Giving Machine - Its Easy!

Browse to www.thegivingmachine.co.uk
Click shop
Pick your shop
Sign up if you wish or Give anonymously
(both have the same result)
Type English Martyrs in the search bar, then
click search
Click Choose next to English Martyrs
School
and Sixth Form College
Click Continue
It will open the website of the shop you
chose, you do your shopping as normal
and the school makes cash for free!
Please Note:
You shop as normal, same prices and
the shop makes a donation to the
school!

Thank you for your support.

Remember to keep an eye on our school website for up to date House point scores!

Many thanks to everyone

who donated prizes for
our annual Christmas
Chocolate Tombola. The
event was enjoyed by
students and we raised a
grand total of 280.