Dear parents/carers,

As we come to the end of what has been a very busy and productive half term for both staff and students, I would like to thank our whole school community for their continued hard work and support. Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have begun their mock examinations, which will continue after half term, and I ask that you please keep them in your prayers during this demanding and important time in their academic journey.

Alongside their studies, there have also been many joyful moments in school life, including our fantastic Lip Sync Battle, where staff and Sixth Form students delivered wonderful performances to a truly enthusiastic crowd, all in aid of the Passion Play. My sincere thanks go to Mr Young and to all the staff and students who are taking part in the Sleep Out Challenge; your commitment to supporting others so generously reflects our Catholic values of service and compassion. A QR code is included should you wish to donate to this worthy cause.

When we return after half term, we will enter the period of Lent. Although Ash Wednesday does not fall within the school term this year, it marks the beginning of this important time in the Church’s calendar, and I encourage as many families as possible to attend their local parish to receive ashes and begin this time of prayer, reflection and renewal. I hope you enjoy this newsletter and I wish all our families a restful, safe and enjoyable half-term break.

Mrs Barnes

Headteacher

Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt

Did you see these secret lovehearts hidden around the school? The SVP Ministry ran an amazing Valentine's Day Scavenger hunt to raise money for their upcoming Sleepout Challenge. Did you find them all?

'The Day Before'

Thank you to N-ACT Theatre Company for coming in to perform a one-woman-play that focused on the dangers of social media. The sixth formers thoroughly enjoyed this compelling, informative and touching story.

Word Millionaire

Congratulations to Oluwatosin for being crowned our first Word Millionaire winner of the year! She read over 1 million words since September! This equates to around 20 novels! She received a set of books (what else?) to celebrate her success.

A Student and Staff Sing-Off!

To help raise money for their upcoming Passion Play, the Sixth Formers put on a spectacular lip-sync competition for both staff and students to get involved in.

There were some truly incredible performances from staff; Miss Simmonds, Miss Gifford, Miss Webb, Mrs Barrett-Porter, Mrs Jackson, and Mr Hayden all made a spectacle with their incredible performing talent. The dazzling lights, slick costumes, and incredible synchronised dance routines helped to make this lunchtime event an extra special one.

Well done to the sixth formers for putting on a great show!

UCAS

This half term has been dominated by the completion of UCAS applications. Our offers are changing daily, but as of the end of January we have over 168 offers with 14 students having all 5 offers. We have 25 Russel Group university offers, which is significantly more than last year. We have students holding offers from highly competitive and often oversubscribed courses including law, medicine and economics. We have students undergoing interviews now and Ms Phillips is supporting them in their preparation for these. Please remember the analysis of offers will not be complete for several weeks and offers do not necessarily translate into destination outcomes. We do however have an excellent range of aspirational next steps for our Year 13s to work towards.

A huge well done to all our Year 13s, we are excited to support them in reaching their next steps.

Revision Evolution booklet reminder for sixth form exam season:

Year 13s are currently in their second set of mocks and Year 12 exams are approaching. We remind parents and students regularly to use the Revision Evolution booklet that we created for them. Using active revision methods are key to support positive outcomes. Key methods at A-level will include self-testing, past papers, retrieval practice and interleaving their revision – i.e. building it over time rather than trying to cram content.

Year 11 Sixth Form Taster Day

Friday the 6th February saw sixth form being taken over by our current Year 11 students. They got a feel for sixth form life taking taster lessons and being able to use the sixth form area for the day. They experienced supervised study to get a feel for working independently and to start managing their own learning. They were able to go out at lunch time and experience some of the freedoms they have in Sixth Form. Students were able to complete taster lessons and ask questions about A-levels, getting a feel for what content will be covered and the teaching methods that are used at A-level.

Sixth Form Applications close on Friday 20th February, so this gives students an excellent opportunity to firm up their choices as they make their Sixth Form applications.

All applications should be made via Applica here: St Bernard's High School

Sixth Form Roles

It is great to see lots of the Year 12s stepping up into new roles this term – we have the new House Captains; we have launched a social media team who are now running the Sixth Form social media accounts and creating content for these. To end this half term, we have the new welcome team interviews and the new Head Student Team interviews. We are excited for them and their new roles which they will begin after the Easter holidays. The Year 13s have really stepped up as they prepare for the Easter passion play and preparations for this are in full swing. Well done Year 13.

Student-Led Social Media Page

The brand new student-led social media page, run by our talented sixth formers, is now officially live. Follow our sixth form page to get a sneak peak into sixth form life at St Bernard's from the perspective of the students.

They've got lots of exciting content planned going forward, including 'day-in-the-life' videos, revision tips, syllabus overviews and more!

https://www.instagram.com/stbernardshs_sixthform/

Congratulations to Our Successful Apointees

Following a thorough application process, which included writing an application letter and undertaking an interviewer, we are pleased to announce our new Year 12 House Captains!

The 13 newly appointed captains are full of energy and enthusiasm for their new roles; they hope to create a stronger sense of community and togetherness within the school through the running of exciting new events and school activities.

Their careers are already off to a flying start, with each pair having given a House Assembly to introduce themselves and give a brief summary of what they hope to achieve as captains. Each team has started up their own extra-curricular lunchtime club, and bigger events such as a Colour Run are already in the works for later on in the year.

And now to meet the new captains! - an introduction from each House Captain Team can be found below.

House Annay - Jess, Ayza and Poppy

Hi! We are Jess, Ayza and Poppy, your house captains of Annay. This year, we're excited to bring more team spirit and enthusiasm to our house by organising engaging events and creating opportunities for everyone to earn house points and get involved.

Our goal is to make Annay as inclusive and full of pride as possible - a place where everyone feels welcome and confident to take part. We want to encourage teamwork from all year groups and celebrating every achievement big and small. We aim to create a positive atmosphere that makes our house stand out. Let's make this an amazing year!

House Clairvaux - Isla and Nia

Hello everyone, we are Isla and Nia, your new House Captains for Clairvaux, and we are incredibly excited to step into this role.

This year, we are looking forward to creating new opportunities and events that bring our house together.

Our goal is to ensure that every student in Clairvaux, and across all houses, feels proud, confident, and supported within our school community and the activities it offers.

We hope to encourage teamwork, house spirit, and inclusivity, giving everyone the chance to contribute, grow, and celebrate our achievements together.

We can’t wait for the year ahead!

House Fountains - Nicole and Evie

Hi we're Nicole and Evie, your new House Captains for Fountains. We're very excited and enthusiastic to be taking on this role. We can't wait to run many different events and activities for the students of the school to take part in. We hope to encourage the students of Fountains in all there endeavours, and to foster a growing sense of community within our House.

Let's make 2026 a fantastic year!

House Hyning - Ella and Megan

Hi, we’re Ella and Megan, your new Hyning house captains. This year we strive to create a more welcoming community for you all, our house is structured on the values of hard work, community and prosperity, as your house captains we want our house values to influence us as individuals and what we bring to the school community. By doing this we want our school spirit to strive and be reflected in the charitable events and fun activities we will bring to this new year to earn house points and make our house proud!

House Melrose - Keren and Grace

Hi, I’m Keren , your Melrose House Captain. To us , Melrose is about community, lifting one another, discovering our strengths, and growing together with confidence. This year I want every member of our house to feel seen, supported, and proud to belong. Whether you lead from the front or quietly encourage others, together we ignite change and growth. I want you all to feel comfortable to speak to us no matter what your issues may be.

Hello, I’m Grace, I will be the deputy house captain for Melrose. I am so excited for this amazing opportunity. I cannot wait to bring Melrose together as a community and create multiple opportunities for our house to participate in. Looking forward to meeting you all!!!

House Rievaulx - Iniya and Deborah

Hello! We’re Iniya and Deborah, your house captains for Rievaulx. This year we’re looking forward to strengthening our house community through fun events and engaging house competitions, by giving everyone opportunities to take part and contribute to making an event if they wish. This helps contributes to house points and make new and delightful memories.

Our aim is for Rievaulx to stand out for being positive, united and hardworking. We’re excited to support you all and can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.

Preparing for Lent

It's been a great start to 2026 for the St Bernard's chaplaincy. We kicked things of with a Mass to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany on the first day of term, commemorating the day when the three Magi Kings followed a star towards Bethlehem to give honour to the baby Jesus, the King of Kings. Our readers did a marvellous job, especially considering they had little time to prepare - and our servers were dependable and efficient as always. Thank you to Father Selvini and Father John McGrath for helping us out.

The following week continued with more Masses (the best way to start the year). Each Year Group headed over to our neighbouring church, St Helen's, to celebrate Mass together and bring their petitions for the year before the Lord. There was a wide variety of readers during this run of Masses, with lots of students who haven't read before putting themselves forward. Form Masses in the chapel have continued since then with the Year 10's. Fr Paul remarked about how responsive and present the Year 10's have been during their Masses, so huge props to them!

A group of students from across all year groups went on an after-school trip to the monthly BCYS Mass, which takes place on the first Thursday of each month at Brentwood Cathedral. Here they were treated to tasty Dominoes Pizza and other refreshments before hearing a talk from SVP and Caritas Brentwood. The talk centred around homelessness, specifically the struggled of loneliness and isolation that homeless people often face. They then took part in a few connection-building activities, which encouraged them to ask each other thoughtful, engaging questions to help them build strong, meaningful relationships with others. The event concluded with Mass in the Cathedral.

The BCYS Mass takes place on the first Thursday of each month. It's a fantastic opportunity for students to grow in their faith and meet other young Catholics from around the Diocese. If students would like to register their interest in attending future BCYS Masses, please email me or find me in the Chaplaincy Office.

Lent begins after half-term, and there'll be lots going on at the school to help students prepare for Easter, including student-led reconciliation services, confession, Stations of the Cross, and the CAFOD Big Lent Walk - stay tuned!

Mr Young

Lay Chaplain

Start of Year Masses

To start the year on the right track, each year group went over to St Helen's Church for their start-of-year Masses. There were many volunteer readers and servers across all Year Groups - it was amazing to see so many students eager to get involved! Thank you to Father Viktor, Father John and Father Paul for helping us celebrate the Masses.

Year 10 Form Masses

Form Masses have continued with the Year 10's, who have been bringing their petitions before the Lord as they prepare to take on their GCSE's next year. There's been excellent participation in Mass from the Year 10's, with lots of enthusiastic readers and clear responses during Mass. Thanks to Fr Paul and Fr John for coming in to help us out!

BCYS Youth Mass

A group of students attended the February BCYS Youth Mass, which takes place on the first Thursday of each month at Brentwood Cathedral. The students were treated to Dominoes Pizza and other refreshments before hearing a talk from SVP about the struggles of loneliness that homeless people often face. The talk was then followed by Mass in the Cathedral.

Entering the World of Charles Dickens

We kept the Christmas spirit going a bit longer here at St Bernard's, inviting the Quantum Theatre Company to come in to perform a riveting adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel, A Christmas Carol.

The Year 10s, who are currently studying this classic Dickens novel, went to the Sister Mary Stephen Hall to watch Scrooge embark on a journey of redemption with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Seeing the charachters come to life on stage is a great way to immerse the students into the text. We hope that this has helped improve the students' understanding of the Victorian Literature as they continue their studies.

Poetry By Heart Competition

This half term, English hosted the Poetry By Heart Finals for Year 7 and 8 on January 22nd and 23rd. Poetry by Heart is an in-school challenge that gets students to learn and perform a poem. There were some excellent entries, and the finals were very close!

The winners are:

Year 7: Chimamanda, Aleksandra, Alicja, Vanessa, Eva Ryan, Ifeoluwa

Year 8: Grace, Freya, Ottilie, Borogo, Ananya, Raina

Rotary Club Young Writer Competition

Lesleigh and Ellana in Year 10 demonstrated their creative talent by taking part in the Rotary Club Young Writers Competition. This annual competition aims to encourage young people to develop their writing skills and creativity, and express their thoughts and ideas through the written word. This year, the theme for the competition was 'Happiness in Nature'. We're extremely proud to announce that Lesleigh won the senior writing competition, showing extraordinary writing talent in her submission!

Well done girls, keep up the creativity!

New Maths Display Boards

The Maths Department has been hard at work on their new display boards, which are designed to encourage students to challenge themselves and excel in the field of Mathematics.

The first of the new displays is the "Mathematics Career of the Month" board, which showcases the many exciting careers that are require a high degree of Maths knowledge. The board changes each month, highlighting all the key details about each career -including what each career entails, what qualifications are needed, the starting salary, and more!

The January edition featured 'Chemical Engineer' as the career of the month, which requires A-Level Mathematics to be studied at University. February showcased a career in Investment Banking, which doesn't need a Maths degree, but is strongly recommended.

Keep your eye out for the new career display each month, especially if you are considering a Maths-based career.

Monthly Maths Challenge

The second new display along the N-corridor is the Monthly Maths Challenge, again updated each month to provide three maths challenges for students to complete. Each maths challenge comes in varying levels of difficulty to allow students of all abilities to take part. Successfully completed challenges from students will earn them some achievement points!

To take part, all you need to do is post your answers in the mini letterbox inside the Maths Office (located on the second floor, West Wing).

Holocaust Memorial Day

To commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day, the students have created a moving display honouring the millions of victims who were killed during the Holocaust.

KS4 & KS5 watched a video testimony from three survivors of the holocaust, who recounted chilling stories of their experience in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

The new display features heartfelt messages from the students to the survivors; describing one thing they will remember and one thing they've learnt from their testimonies, followed by a short prayer. Thank you to all the students who helped contribute to this touching tribute.

Dora Love Prize

A group of students also attended the Dora Love Prize launch in Colchester. Founded in 2012 by Essex University Professor Rainer Schulze, this prize scheme has worked with over 1,500 secondary schools in Essex and East Anglia.

It is named in honour of Dora Rabinowitz Love, a survivor of the Holocaust who was imprisoned in Stutthof concentration camp.

Auschwitz-Birkenau Visit

In the last week before half-term, a few sixth form students had the opportunity to go on a one-day tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. This sombre, but informative experience gave students a harrowing closer look at one of the darkest events in human history - namely, the horrific Nazi genocide of over 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.

The students and staff who went on the trip report that it has helped them put life into perspective - they were encouraged by the tour guides to focus on life rather than death, and to remember those who lost their lives so that they can live on though our words and actions today.

Miss Gifford, who accompanied the students on the trip, shared this about their experience:

"We are especially grateful that we can visit this place and return home safely to our homes after, unlike the millions of Jewish people that were not able to do the same in WWII."

The book pictured here is a record of the names of 4 million Jewish people they know lost their lives in the Holocaust. There are 2 million more names that are currently not accounted for.

Well done to the sixth formers for putting themselves forward to go on this trip. The Holocaust is a terrifying reality to face, but it's important to remember the victims and their stories to ensure that such terrible oppression never happens again.

Board Game Brilliance - Fun Revision Guides

The Year 8's showcased some real cleverness and ingenuity in their RE classes this half-term. The students were challenged to create active revision resources for their upcoming assessment - and they went above and beyond in their task!

They didn't just make flashcards and mind maps, they went one step further and came up with their own fully-fledged revision board games. Taking inspiration from Monopoly and other popular household games, the students invented genius revision guides that were fun, engaging and informative!

Amazing creativity Year 8 - you guys have certainly got the Monopoly on excellent revision guides!

Musical Theatre Singing Exams

A huge congratulations to the following students for their remarkable achievement in their recent Musical Theatre singing exams with the London College Music Examinations (LCME).

Lily - Year 7 - Grade 2 Distinction

Molly - Year 8 - Grade 4 Merit

Lexie - Year 9 - Grade 5 Distinction

Lola - Year 11 - Grade 6 Distinction

Olivia in Year 10 also achieved a merit in the Initial Grade piano exam with ABRSM.

A very big thank you to Mrs Halliday and Mrs Hiscock for all their hard work in preparing these students for their Music examinations.

Mrs Githu

Head of Music

National Apprenticeships Week

National Apprenticeship Week is an annual event that promotes apprenticeships and highlights the wide range of career opportunities they offer. During the week, students from Year 7-13 explored apprenticeship case studies in Careers in Form Time, took part in Apprenticeship Conundrums, and completed a whole-school Apprenticeship Quiz to test their understanding of apprenticeship levels, standards, and application routes. Many forms groups scored 10/10 on the quiz, reflecting how their careers knowledge of the apprenticeship routes is growing.

Year 9 Apprenticeships Insight Talk

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), we invited guest speakers from South Essex College to share their expertise and showcase the apprenticeship routes and pathways available at the college to Year 9 students. This event supported our students’ career development by meeting several Gatsby Benchmarks, including Benchmark 2 (Learning from Career and Labour Market Information), Benchmark 3 (Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil), and Benchmark 4 (Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers).

Allied Health Forum

This term, we have been meeting regularly to reflect on their work experience and insight days, develop career readiness and deepen knowledge to support university and apprenticeship applications. In our Allied Health Forum, we have been exploring the NHS Constitution and the NHS Core Values. Students have been developing critical thinking and compassion through mock situational judgement activities.

Personalised Interview and Apprenticeship Support

This term, we have been meeting regularly to reflect on their work experience and insight days, develop career readiness and deepen knowledge to support university and apprenticeship applications. In our Allied Health Forum, we have been exploring the NHS Constitution and the NHS Core Values. Students have been developing critical thinking and compassion through mock situational judgement activities.

Finding Futures Career Fair

We are delighted to announce that Years 7–13 will attend our Finding Futures Fair on April 22nd. Confirmed organisations include the BBC, Royal Air Force, Investment 20/20, Essex and Suffolk Water, Adventure Island, Southend Theatres, and representatives from local law and accounting firms. NHS ambassadors and higher education providers will also attend, including South Essex College, USP, SEEVIC, and universities such as Kent, East Anglia, Essex, Suffolk, SOAS, and Escape Studios.

We warmly invite alumni, parents, and carers who are employers or who can help connect us with local contacts to host a stall and support our students. This event supports our careers curriculum by providing valuable employer encounters and showcasing local opportunities. If you or your organisation would like to participate, please contact lph@stbernards.southend.sch.uk by Monday 2 March.

Spring Term SEND News!

We are excited to extend our morning Learning Support provision from 8am where students can come for homework support as well as attend some of our new morning interventions, which selected students have been invited to. We are grateful to also have the Southend SEND therapies team back in working with a small group of students.

If you have any queries regarding SEND then please continue to direct these to our Learning Support department at:

sen@stbernards.southend.sch.uk

Please see below information on local SEND support in Southend.

Food & Family Support (Limited Availability)

Alongside Tea & Talk, we’re offering a small amount of informal Food & Family support to help with cost-of-living pressures. This includes:

A small selection of food items
A warm treat for children
Supermarket vouchers for eligible families
Energy advice and support
Carbon monoxide monitors to help keep families safe at home
Free “Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child” resource

Food & Family support is offered informally and on a first-come, first-served basis, while stocks last.

Session details:

Southend – The Hang Out
Ground Floor, 62 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1PG

Tuesdays:

3rd March - 9:15am – 11:15am

Shoeburyness – Youth & Community Centre
Delaware Road, Southend-on-Sea, SS3 9NS

Tuesdays:

24th February - 9:30 am – 11:30am
24th March - 9:30 am – 11:30am

KS3 Enrichment Day - Wednesday 11th March 2026

We are very much looking forward to our first KS3 enrichment day on Wednesday 11th March and hope that the students are too!

Year 7 - The Lion King - Lyceum Theatre, London

Year 8 - Belfairs Nature and Discovery Centre

Year 9 - Stubbers Adventure Centre

Students who did not sign up for these activities will be taking part in enrichment activities in school.

Mrs M Bell

Enrichment and Extra-Curricular Lead

House Captain Lunch Clubs

The new House Captains have got off to a great start in their new roles, offering new fun and exciting lunchtime clubs for students to get involved in. Here's a list of all the new clubs and where/when you can find them!

Annay - Humanities Club

Friday E03

Clairvaux - Craft Club

Monday W23

Fountains - Games Club

Thursday TBC

Hyning - Model UN Club

Wednesday E02

Melrose - Scrapbooking Club

Tuesday E18

Rievaulx - Self Care Club

Wednesday TBC

The form captains are very enthusiastic, friendly and keen to make these clubs a success, so be sure to try one out sometime to make new friends and learn new skills!

Support the SVP Sleepout!

The student SVP Ministry are on a mission to raise as much money as possible for the local SVP Centre in Southend - bravely taking on a Sleepout Challenge at the school.

The challenge involves the students spending one night sleeping on cardboard boxes on the cold, hard floor of the Sister Mary Stephen Hall, giving the students a small taste of what life is like for people living on the street. Winter is a particularly tough time for people living on the streets, and the funds they're raising will go a long way to ensuring the people in need are kept clothed, warm and fed.

They've successfully raised almost £700 on the JustGiving Page. If you'd like to help contribute to this incredible cause, you can donate by following the JustGiving Link below. Even a small donation of £2 (the cost of a drink) can go along way to helping those in need!

Daniel Cauchi is fundraising for St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP England and Wales)

The SVP Sleepout will be taking place on the last day of half-term - best of luck girls!

Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt

To encourage donations for their Sleepout Challenge, the SVP Team organised a thrilling Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt. They hid 14 hearts in secret locations around the school, and created cryptic clues to help students find each location. Students who took part had a blast deciphering the clues and searching the school from top-to-bottom, collecting all the locations to win themselves achievement points.

The fundraiser was a huge success, well done to the SVP Students for creating such an exciting challenge!

Mental Health and Wellbeing at St Bernard's

This year, we have started to work in partnership with S-Well, a wellbeing service offered by the local Educational Psychology service and Place 2 Be, a children’s charity.

As part of their transition to Secondary programme, this term, the S-Well team have been in school piloting workshops about building resilience to our Year 7 cohort.

“Resilience is when you have to be brave.”

“Resilience is when you never give up on your goals even when times are tough.”

As well as finding the sessions really informative, a group of students offered feedback to the S-Well team so that they can continue to improve the workshops and meet the needs of students. Students especially liked the real-life stories of people who have overcome set backs.

The S-Well team will be back with Year 7 after half term offering support on how to manage overwhelming feelings.

Place2Be

After half term, Place2Be facilitator’s Lowell and Keisha will be supporting school staff to promote student wellbeing, especially the intersection between race, our own identity and young mental health.

Place2Be are a children’s mental health charity who have been working with partner school’s for over 30 years in the UK. With over 600 current UK partner schools, Place2Be are excited to be supporting students this half term.

Place2Be founded children’s mental health week and along with their ambassador HRH Princess of Wales, work with whole school communities to create a culture of change and shared vocabulary around young mental health.

As part of this partnership, parents at St Bernard’s High School

can now access to Place2Be’s parent website: https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/

You can support your child further at home by accessing the Parent video here: https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/article/helping-your-child-understand-cultural-identity

Watch this space for more news on Place2Be!

Supporting Students to Thrice in Exams

In addition to working in partnership with outside charities and agencies, students also receive information and advice relating to wellbeing in assemblies, during PSHE and form time.

With mocks and real-life exams just around the corner, assemblies designed to help students to manage exam stress have been delivered to Years 10 and 13, with Year 11 assemblies scheduled after half term.

Family support is crucial at this time, but it’s important to remember that stress is a normal function and that simple habits and behaviours can make stress more manageable.

So what is stress?

Stress is how we react when we feel under pressure or threatened. It usually happens when we are in a situation that we don't feel we can manage or control.

It is a normal response that keeps us motivated to meet demands. For example, when sitting an exam, stress can help with increasing writing speed. Increase blood-flow to the brain and encourage us to revise.

Too little stress can lead to feeling unmotivated or bored.

Too much stress can lead to burn out and anxiety symptoms.

Stress Bucket

We all have different capacities for managing stress, we all have different stresses on us and we will all adopt different ways of coping with stress. So how can we make sure that we manage the extra stress around exams and thrive rather than just survive.

Plan – your revision and other commitments. You are likely to have responsibilities at home, maybe a part time job, maybe play a sport… create a schedule for the run up to the exams and the exam weeks.

Minimise your decision making by keeping to a routine. Ever heard of decision fatigue? It’s a phrase that’s used to describe the build up of stress when we are required to make lots of decisions – and they don’t have to be big ones either. Deciding what to eat, where to sit in the common room, what subject to study in SS, when you will complete that past paper…although they don’t sound like much, added to an already-full stress bucket and it’s a problem. So, once you have a plan, stick to it.

Are other people a problem? Friends can be a brilliant source of support, as can families. However, there are times when we can find it difficult to meet other people’s expectations or emotional demands. Try to carve out some ‘quiet time’ by switching off notifications or having a ‘do not disturb’. Friends will learn that they can cope without you for a few hours and you can find time for focus or relaxation.

Communication is key. Asking questions or raising concerns early is really important. Rather than avoiding Mum and Dad, be proactive and say: “I’m planning on revising from 6-8 tonight, can you make sure I’m not disturbed?” OR “I need to do a timed exam paper on Sunday – what would be a good time?” OR “What time are we leaving for Nan’s as I need to do this paper at some point on Saturday?” If you are clear that you are committing yourself to study you are much less likely to feel harassed by your parents – or that your parents don’t have faith in you.

What should a good routine look like?

Prioritise sleep. A 2023 study from America found that the vast majority of college students don’t get the sleep they need. During a typical semester, between 70% to 96% of college students sleep fewer than eight hours on weeknights. Over half of students get fewer than seven hours of sleep each night, and 47% report daytime sleepiness on a near daily level. Sixty percent of students meet the clinical criteria for poor sleep.

We know that sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality affect our ability to retain and recall information, out focus and concentration and our immune system. So if you choose to prioritise your sleep, you will have a significant advantage over your sleep deprived classmates.

Eat regularly and well. This is so important in balancing mood, energy levels, and flushing stress hormones like cortisol from your bloodstream. A recent study which was mentioned on the Zoe podcast noted that Blueberries contain antioxidants called flavonoids that protect your brain from stress-induced damage. It notes that eating a small bowl daily may improve memory, focus, and emotional resilience.

Oats are a complex carbohydrate that help stabilize blood sugar and promote serotonin production, the “feel-good” hormone. A warm bowl of oatmeal in the morning can reduce stress and keep you calm.

Dark Chocolate not only tastes amazing but also reduces cortisol and stimulates endorphins (those feel good chemicals). Keep it under 30g a day for the best benefits and try not to eat in the evening as it does contain caffeine.

Build activity into your routine. This might be walking to school on exam days, or going out for a run or walk in the evenings, doing an online yoga class – I recommend Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube. These help to reduce stress and if they are planned into your routine, provide structure to your day – and maybe something to look forward to.

Study in small, regular blocks. Don’t pull an all-nighter! You won’t be sitting your mock at 3am, so try to align your working day with the school day – even at weekends. Regular breaks are good for your learning with some research noting that students were more likely to recall information after a longer period if they walked up a flight of stairs after 15 minutes of study.

Down time. This means something different to everyone but think about one thing you really love to do and keep doing it through exam season. Whether it’s watching The Traitors with the family, walking the dog, meeting a friend for an ice cream, slapping on a face pack or gaming – go for it.

One final thought. It can feel overwhelming to think that you have to revise ‘all your content in 4 weeks’ but think about it. What do you already know about your strengths and weaknesses? You will know what topics and question types are your nemesis, so be strategic and start first on them.

External Support

If you are struggling with your mental health and wellbeing or that of a family member, it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start.

The school mental health lead is Ms Jackson and she can be contacted on smj@stbernards.southend.sch.uk She is always on hand to offer advice and signpost to sources of support either within school, through various NHS pathways or through charities.

Any person requiring help with their mental health can self-refer to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) via the referral form on this website Southend, Essex and Thurrock (SET) CAMHS | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

In addition, more common and lower risk mental health issues such as anxiety and low mood can be dealt with via a referral to the local MHST. Here the team work with individual students during the school day for a period of several weeks-several months. Referrals here need to be made with the support of Ms Jackson.

Charity Focus

Each half term, this section of the newsletter will draw attention to the superb work of local or national wellbeing charities.

The UK's Eating Disorder Charity - Beat

This charity offers a variety of resources and information for those experiencing disordered or restrictive eating – or for family members and professionals.

Improving children’s and young peoples mental health – Place2Be

This year we are proud to be beginning a partnership with this fantastic charity. Based in East London, Place 2 Be offers training for professionals, in-school support and online resources to support young people and their carers.

Camps International - Peru 2027

Our soon-to-be Peru expeditioners have been hard at work fundraising for their 2027 trip to Peru with Camps International.

This term, the Camps International students braved the rain and cold during an after-school staff meeting to fundraise by washing staff members' cars that were parked on the school playground.

If you would like to support our students on this wonderful adventure, you can do so through ParentPay or on our GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/e87409d9c

Upcoming Events

2nd - 6th March - Year 10 Work Experience
2nd March - Year 9 Taster Day for GCSE Options
2nd March - A Level Politics Trips to the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court
5th March - Year 9 Parent Consultation Evening
11th March - Y7, Y8 and Y9 Enrichment Day
13th March - Year 10 History trip to the National Maritime Museum
17th March - Y10 Graphics and Textiles trip to Hyde Hall
Dates throughout March - Managing Overwhelm workshops and Place2Be Race and Identity workshops

The St Vincent’s Centre's pop-up food and clothing charity store is still ongoing. Come along every Thursday to St Helen's Catholic Church, Westcliff (27 Milton Road, Westcliff-On-Sea, SS0 7JP). Browse their wares, try tasty food and help raise money for charity!

Market Opening Hours:

Morning: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Afternoon: 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Thank you so much for your support in spreading the word and helping us make a difference in the community.

Gracious God, in you we find all beginnings and endings.

Help us to show kindness and understanding through open hearts.

Help us to continue to flourish and grow in Your love and support those in need of Your friendship.

Prompt our learning today using our talents and gifts so that we may serve You more faithfully. Prompt our actions with Your grace and complete them with Your help, so that we may truly love one another as You have loved us.

St Bernard, pray for us

Amen