Dear Parents/Guardians

As we reach the end of the Spring Term, I’d like to extend a huge thank you to parents for all your support.  Although the Covid guidance has thankfully much reduced in wider society, schools have been particularly affected by widespread rising case numbers and corresponding staffing shortage.  Even as I write today, we still have two classes at Cardinal Newman who are not able to participate in our end of term “Veneration of the Cross” or join the rest of our community for lunch, due to outbreaks of cases in that year group.  We are grateful to parents for supporting us in all the complications this term has brought and for enabling so much of the “normal routine” of school life to take place: Mission Weeks, sports matches, open classrooms, Book Week, visiting authors and AGT workshops, residential and day trips… You can see photos of many of our activities this term on the school website here. Our children have enjoyed so many opportunities this term and we look forward to many more in the Summer Term!

As usual, staffing plans for the new academic year will be shared fully when finalised in June, but we wanted to share now with parents the news that Mrs Denmead will be retiring from Cardinal Newman at the end of the Summer Term this year.  Mrs Denmead joined Cardinal Newman - temporarily to cover a maternity leave! - 22 years ago when her own children were in the school and she has most recently worked as a Senior Leader and as Teaching and Learning Lead across the school.  The mantle of Mrs Denmead’s Senior Leadership role will pass to our “Senior Leaders for Teaching and Learning” - Mr Joice, Mrs Gautheron and Mrs Sharp - and we know that they will keep the flame burning brightly for Teaching and Learning at Cardinal Newman.  We have all been blessed by Mrs Denmead’s tireless contribution to the Cardinal Newman community over so many years and we are delighted that Mrs Denmead has been persuaded to return part-time in September as a KS2 intervention teacher under the National Tutoring Programme, so we will not be losing her expertise at Cardinal Newman next year! 

Our children have enjoyed a Holy Week Art Project this week and their fantastic paintings were displayed at the Open Classrooms yesterday.  Some of the artwork across the school can be seen here   Parents are warmly invited to join us on the first day back at 2:30pm for our Easter Mass in the school hall, led by Year 6.  Details of the Holy Week and Easter services can be found on the parish websites  here: All Saints and St. Erconwalds.

We wish you and your families a relaxing break over the holidays and a happy and blessed Easter when it comes!

All best wishes.

Catherine Burnham