Parents' Newsletter

As we come to the close of this half term, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on some incredible achievements that truly highlight the strength of our school community.

One of the most inspiring moments last term was our biggest-ever donation to Hackney Foodbank - an outstanding 716kg of essential items! Our students’ dedication to supporting those in need has been remarkable. These efforts, along with the continued support of our families and staff, remind us of the power of working as a community. As we head into the next half term, we remain committed to providing our students with the very best education, while continuing to make a positive impact in the wider community. This includes increasing our work with our local primary schools, running various workshops for Year 5s to showcase the fabulous work our staff do at Cardinal Pole and give the local community an insight into secondary school life!

I would like to thank you all for your continued support and wish you all a restful break. I look forward to continuing our journey together in the new half term.

Yours in service,

Adam Hall

Executive Headteacher

Since January, Catholic life at Cardinal Pole has continued to offer a range of experiences for our staff and students. We are lucky as a school community to be supported by dedicated priests who have enabled all staff and students to celebrate Mass since the start of the new term. Weekly celebrations of the Eucharist will continue after the half-term break, with the schedule for all year groups below:

Wednesday 5th March | Period 3 | 11.10am | Year 12

Thursday 13th March | Period 3 | 11.10am | Year 13

Tuesday 18th March | Period 4 | 12pm | Year 8

Wednesday 26th March | Period 4 | 12pm | Year 9

Thursday 3rd April | Period 4 | 12pm | Year 10

Last week, we celebrated the feast of St Josephine Bakhita, one of our school saints. Her story is one of perseverance and determination in the face of unimaginable suffering. Mr Tavares spoke powerfully in assemblies about the power of forgiveness and how we can apply St Josephine’s example to our community at Cardinal Pole. The day before her feast, staff marked the occasion in true Cardinal Pole fashion—with cake!

When we return after the half-term break, we will begin our journey into Lent. Ash Wednesday falls on 5th March this year, and all students will have the opportunity to receive ashes during liturgies on the day. Later in Lent, Year 8 students will take part in examinations of conscience, while Year 9 and 10 will gather for a reflection on the Stations of the Cross. Our next charitable drive will also begin, and we hope to see the same incredible generosity shown during our Advent foodbank appeal - more details will be shared soon.

Finally, we are excited to be taking 40 students to the Flame Congress at Wembley Stadium, where 10,000 young Catholics will come together for this inspiring event. For more information about the Flame Congress, click the link below:

We are incredibly proud to share that our school has made its biggest ever donation to Hackney Foodbank – an amazing 716kg of essential items!

Supporting Hackney Foodbank has been a core part of our community work since 2013, and this year, our students came together for our Christmas charity drive, completing a foodbank Advent calendar to provide as many of the 24 most-needed items as possible.

Matthew Tisi, Acting Assistant Headteacher, said:

"We are so proud of our students for their generosity and commitment to helping those in need. This is our biggest donation yet, and we’re already planning how to go even bigger next year!"

A huge well done to everyone involved – your kindness makes a real difference!

Last week in Drama, we focused on our composed pieces, which we have spent the last year devising and putting together. We rehearsed and performed them for an audience, and our teacher, Miss Tavares, gave us specific feedback to help us make improvements before our final performance.

This was then performed in front of the official examiner from the exam board. It was quite overwhelming having them there, as it was our last chance to get everything right. But I was really pleased with how it went, and all our rehearsing, along with the targets from Miss Tavares, really paid off.

Having the examiner there was nerve-wracking because they don’t know us, and we couldn’t rely on our relationship with them for a good grade. The whole process is anonymous to ensure fairness, which made it even more challenging. To prepare, some of us recorded our lines and listened to them repeatedly, which I found really helpful.

The best part of the whole experience was working with my group. In one section of the performance, we all spoke in unison, which gave our piece more power. Since the message was powerful, I think it was delivered really effectively.

This week, we’re sitting our mocks in all our other subjects. Having the Drama experience last week - a real GCSE - has helped me understand the importance of proper preparation, revision, and following our teachers' advice. I really hope we all do well!

This term, we have seen excellent attendance at the Year 7 and Year 10 Parents’ Evenings, as well as our Parent Workshop. Thank you for your continued support.

Year 11 and Year 13 have completed the first week of their mock exams, with the second week continuing after half term. They have shown great dedication, organisation, and focus—please encourage them to keep revising over the break.

Our work with local primary schools remains strong, with Year 5 students from Halley House, Nightingale, and St John and St James visiting for Maths, PE, Computer Science, and Science workshops.

We also wish the very best to Ms Tiberi (Science), who has begun her maternity leave, and Ms Addae (Maths), who will be leaving just after half term for the same reason.

Mr O'Donoghue

Head of School

Aspiration is at the heart of our school’s mission, and we are always looking for ways to inspire our students to think ambitiously about their futures. As part of this, all our Year 8 students had the exciting opportunity to visit the University of Hertfordshire.

The day was packed with engaging experiences designed to give students a real taste of university life. They spoke with undergraduate students to learn about their experiences, attended a lecture to see what higher education is like in action, and explored the campus on a guided tour. This trip encouraged them to start thinking about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Reflecting on the day, Bersabeh (Year 8) shared, “It was a really great day. It was fantastic seeing all the facilities on the campus. I’ve never seen a campus university before.”

We hope this visit has sparked curiosity and ambition in our students as they continue their journey through school and beyond.

Once a Cardinal Pole student, always a Cardinal Pole student!

Just because you’ve left and gone onto new and exciting things it doesn’t have to be goodbye!

At Cardinal Pole, we are humbled to have an incredible network of Alumni who play a vital role in our school community.

Whether it’s by offering mentoring, sharing your stories or helping to support the school’s initiatives we’d love you to keep in touch.

To sign up to be a part of the Alumni Network, simply follow the link below and complete the short form.

This February half term, visit Hackney Museum for a magical adventure with the Tourmaline and the Museum of Marvels trail, organised by Kids in Museums and Little Tiger.

Pick up a free activity sheet to help you search for Tourmaline, her friends, and magical objects hidden around the museum. Complete the trail and earn a free Tourmaline sticker! You can also design your own Museum of Marvels and enter a competition to win a signed Tourmaline book bundle and a National Art Pass (plus kids), courtesy of Art Fund.

The trail is inspired by Tourmaline and the Museum of Marvels, a fun, feminist adventure series for children aged 9-12.

When:

• Spotter Trail: Saturday 15 February – Saturday 22 February
• Design Your Own Museum of Marvels: Saturday 15 February – Saturday 22 February

All activities are free, self-led, and drop-in. Recommended for children aged 5+, and all children must be supervised by an adult.

Week Commencing Monday 10th & 24th February 2025: Year 11/13 Mocks

Half Term: 17th - 21st February 2025

Thursday 27th February – Year 12 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 13th March – Year 8 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 27th March – Year 9 Parents’ Evening

Website: https://www.cardinalpole.co.uk/
Location: 205 Morning Ln, London E9 6LG, UK
Phone: 020 8985 5150