‘occasiones non factum te create eos’

Welcome from mr Poole – Head of Year 7

A very warm welcome to the Cardinal Newman Year 7 group page.  My name is Mr Poole, Head of Year 7 and I am delighted and very privileged to support the learning journey with this amazing year group. This year is an important one for our students, as they begin the initial stages of their secondary school life. Year 7 students are able to study every subject available to them and this will allow them to develop an awareness of their future subject options. Cardinal Newman students are very lucky to have a variety of options offered alongside their core subjects.

Year 7 is full of exciting opportunities inside and outside of the curriculum, and we expect our students to take full advantage of them; challenging and enjoying themselves with new skills and experiences. Our aim is to develop mindful, ambitious young people who are able to make mature decisions with both themselves and the wider context in mind. Year 7 students will explore the world around them and ask questions which help them achieve and make progress.

The Pastoral System here at Cardinal Newman means that the students across the Year are split into 9 tutor groups.  As Head of Year, I lead and closely work in partnership with the team of excellent tutors who work incredibly hard to provide the very best pastoral care for our students.  The dedicated team of staff who work alongside our students each day ensure they are constantly striving to be the best people they can be. We have a fortnightly award within tutor groups for the ‘stars of the fortnight’ which is announced in assemblies, as well as tutor group competitions for the best attendance, punctuality and ASPIRE points each half term.  This encourages all pupils to achieve their goals and ensure they are working together and recognising each other’s achievements.

There are many extracurricular activities for Year 7 to enjoy and I would encourage all students to take full advantage of  all the opportunities available, such as our fantastic Bushcraft trip that took place in October of 2022. Students can play a very active part in the life of our school including: Chaplaincy, student council, charity, sports, dance, drama and music to name a few!  As well as providing a welcome break from academic work and the opportunity to develop new skills, they are an ideal way of making new friends outside of the tutor group and year group.

We have a team of dedicated leadership monitors and HOY monitors who deliver daily messages, lead on charity events and represent year 7 as positive role models around the school. Opportunities to apply to be a leadership monitor are termly to encourage all pupils to develop their confidence and leadership skills within the year group. Year 7 students also have the opportunity this year to take part in school competitions, where they compete against other students in the city in a range of areas such as; football, art, drama, debating, poetry and more.

Not only that, but we have a new Talking Points session, each Wednesday, where students can express their own opinions and thoughts in front of their peers and our PSHE program, which focuses on British Values, allowing our students the opportunity to develop their communication skills and form an awareness of cultural and social issues.

The well-being of every child in our care is of the utmost importance to us and I very look forward to working with parents and the team of tutors to ensure that every child in Year 7 is safe, happy and fulfilled.

We know that our students are very well supported at home and this helps us to work together to ensure that all of our students reach their full potential.  Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have any questions or need further guidance and support.

We are very proud of the students in Year 7 and look forward to sharing with you our successes on this page

Kind regards

The Year 7 Tutor Team             

7EHS	Miss E Hawkins
7RBT	Miss R Abbott
7APT	Miss A Panait
7APP	Miss A Phillip
7OLT	Miss O Laight
7HCD	Mr H Chohal/Mrs F Hilton Fri Assembly day
7JPR	Mr J Panesar
7ASW	Miss C Thompson
7CWY	Mrs C Byrne