We were very lucky this year as we had some students from Leeds University, who came into school to talk to Year 8 about the opportunities available to students who choose to study languages.
They learnt about the types of jobs available to people who have language skills and the skills that people acquire by learning languages.
Our students also found out a bit about University life and they had the opportunity to ask questions about what it is like being at University. We were very impressed with some of the questions asked and answers given by our students. Well done! Bien Fait!
Kianna Leader
(International Women’s Week)
On Monday 7 March 2022, Year 8 were lucky enough to have a visit from an ex-student of Mount St Mary’s – Kianna Leader – to start our International Women’s Week.
Kianna spoke to Year 8 about her journey through MSM, her option choices, and how she did not let any gender stereotypes hold her back from making her decisions. She worked incredibly hard, and ended up achieving As and A*s at GCSE – really inspiring for our students about to embark on their GCSE journey.
Kianna went on to college and to study PPE at the University of Nottingham, achieving a 1st class honours degree. She told Year 8 that she got this far by saying ‘Yes’ to everything, not letting anything hold her back – and encouraged them to do the same. Just like our Year 8 vision, she ‘believed’ she could do it, saw herself ‘grow’ through her journey and ultimately ‘achieved’. We were delighted to be able to kickstart our International Women’s Week with such a relevant message from Kianna!
Prize Presentation 2021
Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend this year’s Prize Presentation Ceremony.
It was fantastic to see so many of our 2021 leavers who returned to collect subject prizes, attendance certificates and their GCSE certificates. Staff and Governors were extremely proud to award these to a year group who overcame significant challenge to pursue their personal best.
Thank you to Lorna Kirkwood-Thompson who performed during the event, singing a reworked version of “Together in Electric Dreams” to reflect the evenings theme – Stronger Together.
It was also a pleasure to hear from Naemi Asmerom (Year 9) who delivered our keynote address and inspired all those in attendance to be the best version of themselves.
Look out for further updates to our picture and video galleries next week as we share some of the best moments from last night’s ceremony.
1st of July saw our final Drop Down Day of the year with a focus on Respectful Relationships and overcoming challenges in life. Students were incredible throughout the day, creating a real buzz within the classrooms and approaching all topics with great maturity, energy and enthusiasm. The day started with an incredibly powerful speech from Richard McCann who talked to students about how he has overcome a great deal of adversity in his life. Richard shared not only his emotional story but also the secrets behind his success and his “I Can and I Will” attitude. Students listened in awe at such a powerful story before leaving the hall and beginning their lessons with a renewed sense of self-motivation and belief.
The day was an amazing success with students leading conversations, pushing each other to contribute and creating excellent reflections in the afternoon. Many students left school with a keen thirst for more PHSCE sessions like this in the future and we cannot wait to see what they can achieve next year.
As part of Year 10s work experience this year staff organised a practical, in-depth two week programme aimed at providing students with the opportunity to gain experience in their career of interest. The first week saw students partaking in sessions based around experience in the workplace, practical experience in a career sector of their choice, cv writing, confidence and teamwork building and A level taster sessions. In the second week students focused on further and higher education and took part in sessions based around student well-being, student finance, personal statement writing and student ambassador Q and A.
The aim of this programme was to prepare students for the world of work and also for their post 16 options. Students had the opportunity to gain hands on experience in an industry they are interested in working in, whilst at the same time getting to find out more about their college and university options. Students were supported throughout by school staff, college and university staff and employers to ensure progression and to inform decision making. This was a true collaborative event with support from Leeds Trinity University, Leeds United Foundation, Temple Moor High School, IntoUniversity, NHS, West Yorkshire Police, and the iCan Academy.
For more photo’s of the event please click here to go to our photo gallery
Last week we had a representative from Leeds City College hold an assembly for our Year 11 students. The students were introduced to the various campuses and courses that Leeds City College have available and were also shown impressive video tours around their facilities. The representative explained that it is mainly vocational courses which they offer, however, they also have apprenticeships and a sixth form for A Level applicants. The students were impressed to hear that the college has a Student Union where they can go for support and to get involved with clubs and extra-curricular activities.
This week year 11 had a visit from members of the NCS (National Citizen Service) to talk about how they could get involved in the local community this summer.
For more information or to contact NCS please go to their website at www.wearencs.com
We were introduced back to school with a brilliant speech by Phil Fraser. Phil is a very successful business man who told us about his long journey to earning millions. He inspired us by telling us the long list of jobs he went through and how we should still take a skill from everything we experience. He also told us the skills that are most important for employers and showed us that a simple job such as stacking shelves can teach us multiple transferable skills such as showing initiative. It was very inspirational to us students as it showed us that even if we don’t know what we would like to do as a career yet, or if we are not the most academically intelligent, we can still reach success in the future. We also learnt that applying for jobs is only the first step and that the most important thing is to show your personality and interests as much as possible, even on your CV – Mabruk Yusuff, 11CQU
“It was great because it showed us that you don’t have to be academically successful to achieve your goals.” – Julia Asante
“It was good because it taught me that to get a job you not only need a CV but also a cover letter and it taught me how to layout a CV too.” – Marcia Dos Santos
“Made me realise that there are always errors before you succeed.” – Paris Smart
“Has made me realise that cover letters are needed for some jobs.” – Alicia Do Carmo
“It made me reflect about my time left in high school and how I want to improve my grades.” – Isabella Kyere
