Year 5 were visited by Helen King researcher and author, alongside illustrator Lily Kroese. They introduced the pupils to ‘New Home’, which is a children’s book written and illustrated by asylum seekers living in Newcastle. Listening to the story allowed us to think about how the people in the story would feel; it helped us reflect on our actions towards people experiencing personal hardship. We were so impressed by the moving story and we offered our own ideas for how we would help to welcome refugees to our community. During the workshop, we decorated a fabric square which will be sewn together by Lily to create a "belonging" scarf for our class. Thank you for inspiring us!

Pupils from our German club were invited to Durham University to join in their special ‘German Day’. Our pupils joined in workshops which included an introduction to the geography and peoples of the German Speaking World, a language lesson and a session exploring German culture. Our pupils were given some souvenirs to take home as part of their day provided by The Goethe-Institut, Germany’s cultural institute. We even managed to enjoy our packed lunches by the river. "It was good to spend time out of school where we could learn the language and take part in activities and not feel rushed. We also found out that there are similarities with languages and that you can work out the meaning of German words from some of our own English words" Harrison Y5 "The Staff and teachers were really nice, and the activities helped us learn quickly. As well as the language we also found out more about Germany." Chuigo Y5

Pupils across school took part in a National online assembly to raise awareness of online safety. Pupils took part in a very interactive assembly and were guided through different scenarios to highlight some of the dangers that might occur by being online but also how these can be avoided by keeping safe. Part of the assembly involved listening to situations where unkind messages were sent online. We were told different ways on how we could deal with this. As a follow-up activity, Y3 enjoyed sending words of kindness to  friends during ‘Kind Time’ and talked about the positive impact of messages of kindness. In Y2, pupils played an online game, Google Interlands to apply what they had learned.

We were joined by Fr John who celebrated Holy Mass with us, in the school hall. Y3 and Y5 helped us to celebrate the mass, leading the readings and singing hymns. We marked the start of Advent and thought about how we can prepare for the arrival of Christ, at Christmas. We celebrate Mass, in school on the first Friday of each month. All of our English Martyrs' parish and school community are most welcome to join us. There are refreshments served by our pupils available after Mass.

Year 5 and 6 took part in a knife crime worship, in partnership with Northumbria Police. Representatives from Northumbria police came to visit our upper KS2 classes to talk about the perils of knife crime and consider the consequences of this. The pupils took part in the interactive workshops, which covered: risks of carrying a knife or a bladed article misconceptions about knives why people might carry a knife helping students to have some understanding of the consequences of carrying a knife sources of support for young people The workshops were really informative and helped our pupils gather a better understanding of some of the issues the police and young people in our community are facing.

There are 24 official languages in Europe but adding in regional and minority languages, the total number spoken across the continent is over 200. On 26 September, European Day of Languages, we celebrated the range and diversity of languages spoken throughout Europe by celebrating the languages spoken in our school. We are so lucky at English Martyrs' to have a school community where many languages and cultures can be celebrated. Miss Madsen led us in an assembly where we heard many different languages spoken from around Europe. We were set challenges to identify languages and we are going to research the origins of languages spoken in our school. Throughout the day and coming weeks we will learn more about languages and the importance of learning other languages. It was is wonderful to see children so proudly sharing their languages and cultural backgrounds with the school community.

We were very happy to welcome Fr John and Fr Mariadass into school, to celebrate Holy Mass with our KS2 children and some of the English Martyrs' parishioners. This was a celebration of the new academic year where we were able to ask for God's guidance and support from the Holy Spirit. We gave thanks for our friends, teachers and families as well as praying for our new reception children and our previous Y6 children who are now starting their new journeys at High School. We will celebrate mass on the First Friday of each month, here in our school hall. Parents, carers and parishioners are most welcome to join us for mass and there will be refreshments available afterwards. At the end of Mass, our Year 6 children made a special pledge to carry out their special roles and responsibilities. After each statement, the children responded 'I do' showing commitment to their roles and supporting the school community. Fr John then blessed the badges which will be given out to the Y6 prefects.

When is Black History Month? This year’s Black History Month is from 1 October 2023, to 31 October 2023. It’s celebrated annually across the globe but originally stemmed from the United States of America. What is Black History Month? Black History Month is a time for reflection and positive changes for the future. During the event, people can celebrate the outstanding contributions that Black people have made to society across the globe, both today and historically. Why is Black History Month Celebrated? Black History Month provides great opportunities to reflect on the key moments in history and in today’s society. It’s important to celebrate the contributions of everyone to our communities, and support the multiculturalism and diversity that shapes them. It can highlight any inequalities that Black people are facing, and work towards shaping a better future for all. Black History Month can also give opportunities to discuss Black famous inspirational people throughout history, that future generations can look up to. What are the origins of Black History Month? Black History Month originates from the United States, dating back to 1915. This happened half a century after slavery was abolished, by the United States’ Thirteenth Amendment Law. It was during this year that minister Jesse E. Moorland and Carter G. Woodson founded an organisation. This organisation was devoted to promoting Black people’s achievements throughout history, and celebrating these. Mrs Margo led our assembly, supported by some of our Y6 pupils. Mrs Margo reminded pupils about some of the most influential black individuals and how they have helped to shape history. The children also considered how much society has changed but also what still needs to be done to ensure everyone is treated fairly and with respect. The month presents an opportunity for children and young people in our school to learn more about Black history and to celebrate the contributions Black people have made to society.

Welcome Mass for Bishop Stephen We were excited to be invited to attend mass and join other Catholic Primary schools from across the Diocese at St Mary's Cathedral - on Friday 29th September. Two members of our CAFOD club represented our school as our Diocesan schools joined Bishop Stephen this afternoon at a beautiful Mass to welcome him to our Diocese as our Bishop.

Following a successful art project, linked to the 75th anniversary of Newcastle City, being twinned with Gelsenkirchen, in Germany - Mr Kennedy, Miss Madsen and Mrs Bridgewood were able to visit our Partner school, called Rainbow School. Our team spent 4 days in the City of Gelsenkirchen, visiting Rainbow school, teaching lessons and working with their staff as well as being able to visit other education institutions, including a High School and a Talent College. The trip was a wonderful opportunity to learn about culture and education in another part of Europe. It also allowed staff in both schools to plan for further collaborative work and projects. We hope that the Rainbow school teachers will be able to visit us, here at English Martyrs' soon and we have ambitions to take some of our pupils over to Rainbow school in the future. We are also looking to expand our languages offer and start a German language club in school  so that our pupils can learn to communicate with their friends over in Gelsenkirchen. You can read more about the visit in the articles below.

This year we have teamed up with Grass Roots Sports and Northumberland Cricket board to deliver some high quality and challenging PE and Coaching sessions for our pupils. This term, children will be taught Tag Rugby, with a focus on not only the fundamental skills of throwing and catching but also the importance of movement and tactics within the game. Pupils will also look to improve reaction time, coordination and confidence as they apply new skills to game situations. Our pupils in Year 2 and 4 are currently working with Northumberland Cricket board to improve their skills and learn about the game of cricket. The coaches will introduce all elements of the game to the children and will also provide further pathways and opportunities for those who wish to pursue the sport outside of school. Through our PE offer, this year - our pupils will be taught a wide range of skills which can be applied to a wide range of sports. They will be able to take part in many different sports both in PE lessons and in school competitions.  We will also be working with other organisations including Falcons Rugby and Newcastle Eagles basketball. You can find out more on the PE pages of our website.

Welcome Reception class 2023-24! It has been lovely to welcome our new reception pupils and their families, into our English Martyrs' community. We have been so impressed with the way in which the children settled so quickly and are embracing school life. We look forward to working with the pupils and families in the coming years - it is a privilege to be shaping the lives of our children. We aim for all families to be involved in their children's learning journey and welcome any feedback or comments from parents. If we can help or support in any way please do not hesitate to contact us. Here are some highlights from our first few weeks in school.