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Catholic Life As a Catholic School we are always mindful of the teachings of the Church and how we should follow in Jesus’ footsteps. The pupils’ are encouraged to follow the example set by the Saints to do Charity Work in School, in the Parish and the Local Community; through volunteering and supporting peers, fund raising or donating goods and time. Education gives people the grounding they need for life— preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of later life; helping them achieve positive things and preventing many problems happening later in life. We try to ensure that all pupils have the experiences that will ensure they become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. So that they become young people who understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The Charity Work undertaken generally comes under the RE, PHSCE or Enrichment Curriculum umbrella. We have implemented this programme because of relevant legislation. Catholic Life: Support Us The Education Act (2002) Requires all schools to teach a curriculum that is “broadly based, balanced, and meets the needs of pupils.” From this, we must promote the spiritual and vocational, moral, cultural, social, mental and physical development of pupils at school. It requires and looks for children to live ‘full active lives as part of their community’ and into adulthood. It looks for children to feel safe, be happy, fulfil their potential and appreciate others It must promote British Values (‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.) Teaching British values means providing a curriculum which 'actively promote(s) the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs'. Pupils in each Year band take the main responsibility for Charity Work for one half term per Academic Year. The pupils are encouraged to adopt a Charity of their own choice. Autumn 1 Year 3 Autumn 2 Year 4 Spring 1 Year 1 Spring 2 Year 2 Summer 1 Year 5 Summer 2 Year 6 EYFS (Reception & Nursery) Catholic Life: Text Throughout Autumn 1 and the Summer Term a weekly Charity Enrichment Activity is held which children choose to be part of, where they undertake extra fund raising work for Charities of their choice. During Vocations and Citizenship Day, held annually around May, Yearbands often take a different charitable slant. Often this involves supporting the Homeless found in Birmingham City Centre. The Homeless are also supported at Harvest Time with donations from the Harvest Festival going to the Fireside Centre. There are also whole School Charity initiatives annually in Lent and Advent. The School always gives support to the Diocesan Charity of Father Hudson’s Care and pupils from each Yearband represent the School at the annual Good Shepherd Mass at St Chad’s Cathedral. http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk/whoweare/history/1.htm The focus of the Advent Charity varies. Previous Advent or Academic Year Charity Fund Raising Initiatives have seen the pupils raising money for the Parish Church refurbishments. Each year the School supports Mission Together, an initiative of Pope Francis. https://missiontogether.org.uk/ The Staff of St Bernadette’s are also heavily involved in Charity Work in many forms. Supporting by donating Raffle Prizes or other goods as needed. Volunteering and giving time to support children and families outside of School. As well as undertaking personal fund raising activities. Read More Catholic Life: Text Vocations It is important that all pupils have a basic understanding that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God and although we are all very different , God loves every one of us no matter what we look like or how different we are. Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to reach their full potential and this is achieved through the broad and balanced curriculum on offer and the strong, pastoral support available to all children. Mission Our school mission statement is: At St Bernadette’s catholic School you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you. Catholic Life: Support Us Catholic Life: Gallery

Parent Questionnaire Parent Questionnaire 2024 Results Previous Results Each year we encourage feedback from our parents by asking them to complete an annual questionnaire. These questionnaires give parents the chance to suggest ways in which school can improve as well as letting us know what we are doing well, so that we can continue to provide an enriching, exciting curriculum and learning experience for our pupils. 2021 2022 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

St. Bernadette's Policies & Admissions Admissions Admission Arrangements If you would like your child to attend St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, please read the information below and follow the steps for the relevant entry point. School Visits We hold school tours in November. If you are unable to attend, please contact Mrs Smallwood to arrange a visit. Miss Finnegan, our Headteacher, will be delighted to show you around. Tel: 0121 783 7232 Email: admissions@stberns.co.uk Nursery (ages 3 and 4) How to apply: · Nursery applications are made directly to the school. · Please complete the online Nursery Application Form or get a hard copy from the school office. · We currently offer 52 full-time places (30 hours per week). Documents needed: · Child’s Birth Certificate (copy) · Proof of address · Baptismal Certificate (if applicable) Reception How to apply (September intake): · Applications are coordinated by Birmingham City Council (BCC). Please submit your Reception application via the BCC School Admissions portal by the published deadline. Catholic Supplementary Information Form (SIF) · In addition to your BCC application, please complete our Supplementary Information Form (SIF) so that the correct Catholic admissions criteria can be applied. · Provide proof of Baptism (if applicable) with the SIF and return it to the school office. · Documents to include with SIF · Child’s Birth Certificate (copy) · Proof of address · Baptismal Certificate (if applicable) In-Year Applications (Reception – Year 6) You can apply at any time outside the normal Reception admissions round. Children will be admitted where places are available. How to apply: · Complete the In-Year Application Form (available at stberns.co.uk ), or request a hard copy from the office (Tel 0121 783 7232 | Email admissions@stberns.co.uk ). · Return completed forms to: Mrs M. Smallwood , St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, Hob Moor Road, Yardley, Birmingham, B25 8QL , or email admissions@stberns.co.uk . If there are more applications than places: · We will apply our published oversubscription criteria (see the full Admission Arr angements). · If no places are available, your child will be placed on the waiting list. Details will be included in your outcome letter. Appeals If your application is unsuccessful, you have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. · Late appeals will be heard at the same time as previously scheduled appeals or within 30 school days of the appeal being lodged. · Decision letters are normally sent within seven school days of the hearing. Key Contacts Contact: Mrs M. Smallwood, admissions@stberns.co.uk 0121 783 7232 Admissions 2025-2026 Admissions 2026-2027 Nursery Admissions 2026-2027 In Year Application Form Supplementary Application Form Appeal Timetable 2025 Consultation: Proposed Admissions Policy 2027–2028 We are consulting on our proposed Admissions Policy for 2027–2028 If you have any comments, please email Mrs Smallwood at admissions@stberns.bham.sch.uk Parish Boundaries for the Archdiocese of Birmingham

SEND Information SEND Policy 2025/26 sendco@stberns.bham.sch.uk SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY INFORMATION REPORT SEND: Text 2025-2026 Our School “At St Bernadette’s Catholic School, you will find us caring, hardworking and co-operative. We follow the ways of Jesus, using our talents and gifts to make our school special. We show respect to all and welcome you.” At St Bernadette's School, in line with our Catholic ethos, we believe that all our children are individuals and unique. We constantly endeavour to meet the needs of every child in our care. We aim to develop children into confident and resilient learners, to develop a love of learning and to encourage them to explore opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone whilst not neglecting the need to develop wider life skills that they can use to underpin their future development. St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School currently has 597children on role (May 2025). There are currently 135 children on SEND register with a range of needs. 10 children have an EHCP. We offer three main levels of support – universal, targeted and specialist. All children with SEND get universal support through high-quality teaching and most will get targeted support. Those children and young people with more complex or severe needs will also have specialist support. If your child needs specialist provision, school staff will usually need to get specialist advice. This kind of support is usually given to children and young people with long-term complex needs and/or disabilities, often with an Education Health and care (EHC) plan. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities At St Bernadette’s School, we support children with a variety of differing Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, and we pride ourselves on being a highly inclusive school with an ethos which encourages and celebrates diversity and difference. SEND is categorised into the following areas in the SEN code of practise 2014: Cognition and Learning Communication and Interaction Social, Emotional and Mental Health Sensory and Physical Identifying and Assessing Need When pupils have an identified Special Educational Need or Disability before they join our school, we attempt to work closely with the people who already know them from their previous setting and use the information made available to identify what the possible barriers to learning are so that within our school setting we try to plan appropriate support strategies. At St Bernadette’s School, we work closely as a team and if staff have a concern about a child, staff fill in an SENDCO referral form and discuss concerns with parents. After a half-term of observations and monitoring, we will decide if further support is needed. With your consent, your child will be placed on the SEND register, and we begin to follow the Graduated Response approach of ‘Assess, Plan, Do and Review’. Targets and further information about how each child is being supported will be shared termly with parents. https://edukeyapp.com/parent/login Some children will be monitored using the Birmingham Audit Continuum; this allows the children working below key stage standards to have small step targets set in lessons to enable them to achieve and begin to work independently. Some children may require more support than is ordinarily available, and we may ask outside agencies to support us in ensuring that we offer the best support we can. Staff can access the Ordinarily Available Guidance (January 2024) to help support children’s learning within the classroom. Our approach to teaching children with SEND At St Bernadette’s School, we offer smaller setting groups with a tailored curriculum and a focus on closing gaps in English and Maths skills in most year groups. Teachers adapt their high-quality teaching to cater for their pupils’ needs and plan individual timetables where necessary. When appropriate, staff are deployed to give children additional interventions in small groups outside the classroom, or to provide one-to-one support. We use the EEF guidance ‘Five-a-day’ and embed the key principles into all our lessons. At St Bernadette’s School, we offer smaller setting groups with a tailored curriculum and a focus on closing gaps in English and Maths skills in most year groups. Teachers adapt their high-quality teaching to cater for their pupils’ needs and plan individual timetables where necessary. When appropriate, staff are deployed to give children additional interventions in small groups outside the classroom, or to provide one-to-one support. We use the EEF guidance ‘Five-a-day’ and embed the key principles into all our lessons. Targeted/Specialist support: Interventions for small groups or individual children for additional Maths support by Teaching Assistants. Buddy systems for support during playtimes, lunchtimes, and class. Provision of specific resources and equipment, e.g. Specially designed chairs and grab rails, if advised by the Physical Difficulties Team (PDSS). Attendance and family support officers who with the families of persistent absentees offer support and guidance. Wellcomm Assessment to focus on Speech and Language Development, and subsequent implementation of support & strategies as required. Dyslexia Gold Program for KS2 pupils (dyslexia traits). Phonics Groups. Small group reading support in class through guided reading, and individual reading support (Jackanory and Lunchtime Supervisors) Precision Teaching. Support for children with EAL status –Quality First Teaching strategies provided to Teachers (English as an Additional Language) Co-ordinator Miss Bowden. Pastoral support is available for some pupils who are a high priority for 1:1 mentoring work. These services are in extremely high demand and there is often a waiting list to be seen, children are placed on the waiting list in order of priority. Third Space Learning (Maths) intervention. Happy Minds Programme implemented across the school. Gross and fine motor skills interventions. Speech and Language interventions. Sensory Circuits. Play Therapy. We use the Ordinarily Available Guidance produced by the Local Authority to complement our teaching (January 2024). Curriculum adaptations We use a range of strategies across our lessons to ensure we offer an inclusive approach to learning and allow all children to access the classroom environment. We also seek advice and equipment from outside agencies as and when the need arises. Parent Consultations At St Bernadette’s School, we work closely with parents and carers and recognise they have much to contribute to our support for children with SEND. We hold coffee mornings throughout the year where parents can meet up and support each other in a safe environment. During these sessions, we gather parent feedback on the SEND provision at St Bernadette’s School, signpost parents to training courses and support groups and offer opportunities to meet up with outside agencies. For children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan or require specialist support (over and above what is ordinarily available), we will invite you in for further meetings in the year. These meetings celebrate your child’s learning, look at the progress they have made against the targets set, create new targets, and discuss the next steps. During the year, a parental questionnaire is sent to gain views on the school and the SEND provision. Child Consultations Pupils’ views are very important; they have a right to be involved in decisions about their education, and they are made aware of the support that surrounds them in school. Children are fully involved, and their views feed directly into all policies, procedures and daily teaching of children with SEND. Evaluating Provision At St Bernadette’s school, progress is reviewed in senior leadership meetings and with class teachers. The next steps are then discussed. Ideas are shared and discussed in staff meetings to ensure up-to-date research and policy is in place. Children’s individual progress towards their goals is reviewed at regular intervals (three times a year). Children are baselined before receiving interventions and the impact of these interventions are reviewed by the SENCO and staff. Children are asked if they feel the adjustment or intervention is helpful and makes a difference. Annual reviews are held for children with Education Health Care Plans. Staff Training At St Bernadette’s primary, we believe in professional development and aim to ensure all our staff have the understanding they need to enable them to support your child. When a new member of staff joins the school, we ensure they understand the systems within the school and they are given information about the children they are working with. The senior leadership team within the school are constantly moderating needs within the school and, where an area of concern is highlighted, whole school training could be organised to ensure all staff understand specific learning difficulties and appropriate teaching or support strategies that could be utilised. If your child needs specialist support from an outside agency, such as the Speech and Language Service (SALT), Educational Psychologist (EP), Occupational Therapist (OT) or school nurse, we will always discuss this with you first. Some of our staff have completed training in the following areas. When staff go on a course, they have an opportunity to give feedback to the rest of the staff during staff meeting sessions. Transition Support Nursery to Reception We hold a parent and carer session in the summer term for our new reception starters, providing parents with the opportunity to meet with the class teacher and SENDCO. We hold ‘taster’ sessions follow in the second half of the summer term in preparation for their September start. Transition to Reception, and then into each successive year-group, is supported by meetings, information leaflets, and taster sessions in each new class. End-of-Year Transition When children move up a year, the new class teachers hold a welcome meeting for parents. We hold 2 transition sessions during the summer term allowing the children to go up to their new classroom and meet their teacher. Some children may require extra transition visits to their new classroom to help reduce their anxiety and ensure that the transition is successful and positive. Class teachers and TAs meet with each other during the summer term to discuss the needs of the children and share support plans. Secondary Transition We liaise very closely with our partner schools to ensure that the transition from primary school to the secondary school is as smooth as possible. Mid-Year new starters When we are aware that pupils joining us from other settings have identified special educational needs, we arrange a meeting with the family to enable us to gain a greater understanding on the support we need to put in place. Outside Agencies We work with the following agencies to provide support for children with SEND: School Health Advisory Service Behaviour Support Service Pupil and School Support (PSS) - D Smart Communication and Autism Team (CAT) - J Clifford Birmingham Educational Psychology Service (EP) - M Walker Physical Difficulties Support Service (PDSS) – A Begum Hearing Support Team (HS) – C Hasler View the Local Offer website to find out more about the above agencies: https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/send-support-and-information/specialist-send-support-services/ Traded Services or NHS Core Services: Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) – R Rose Occupational Therapy – E Hartland We will ask your permission before we arrange for any outside agencies to come in and work with your child. Once the feedback has been received, we will share this information with you and arrange a meeting. Clubs and Trips All our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our children, including our before and after-school clubs. All children are encouraged to go on our day trips and residential. All children are encouraged to take part in sports day, school competitions, school assemblies and performances, workshops, etc. All children are encouraged to apply for roles of responsibility in school e.g. school council, house group leaders, technical team etc. No child is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability. Please read the school’s accessibility plan for further information about the steps we have taken to prevent disabled children from being treated less favourably than other children and the arrangements we have made to help children with SEND access our school. Complaint Procedure Your first point of contact is your child’s class teacher and/or phase leader. If you are not satisfied that your concern has been addressed, then you may make an appointment to speak to the Assistant Heads or Deputy Head Teacher. If they cannot solve your issue, then an appointment can be made to speak to the Headteacher. If you are not happy with the response, then you may contact the governors through the school office. Mr Lenihan – Chair of Governors Mr Carroll – SEND Governor Birmingham Local Offer The Birmingham Local Authority Local Offer can be found at https://www.localofferbirmingham.co.uk/home/parents-and-carers/ It includes information about the wide range of services available to support all areas of a child’s life (0-25 years), especially those with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood. Every local authority in England has a duty to provide children and young people (0-25 years) with support if they have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities - this is known as the Local Offer. Every local authority has to publish what support is available on a website: this is called the Local Offer Website. This Local Offer website gives information about the support the local authority expects to be available across education, health and social care. The information on the website is clear and easy to find. It says who a particular service is for, how to apply, and how decisions are made about who gets that service. SENAR 0121 303 0829 School Health Advisory Service 0121 465 5457 Forward Thinking Birmingham 0121 250 1560 Child Development Centre 0121 465 1582 Birmingham Children’s Trust 0121 303 1888 SEND Information Advice Support Service 0121 303 5004 Feedback ‘I would like to say thank you for all your support in helping X thrive’ (Y2 Parent, 2023). ‘Thank you to you and X for your time and support, it's really appreciated by us all’ (Y4 Parent, 2023).

Pastoral Support Please take a look at the following websites where you will be able to access support from various organisations if needed. BARNARDO’S – Support for children, young people and families in need. Contact details: www.barnardos.org.uk , Helpline telephone: 0121-550-5271. SHELTER - Housing advise and homelessness. Contact details: www.shelter.org.uk , Telephone helpline number 0300-330-1234 MIND - Adult support for mental health, benefits and housing. Contact details: Birmingham mind.org.uk, Telephone 0121-262-3555 Support for key worker practical advice for staying at home taking care of your mental health support for work, benefits, and housing talking to children about coronavirus how to talk to your anxious child or teen about Coronavirus and much more WOMEN’S AID - Provides front line domestic violence and abuse support to women and children in Birmingham and Solihull area. Contact details: https://bswaid.org/ Contact telephone number: 0800 800 0028 (freephone helpline)/   07891 492327 for anyone who would have accessed the drop-in centres. Any women at risk of homelessness as a result of domestic violence and abuse in Birmingham can call the Housing Options HUB. Telephone number:  0800 169 9604   EDWARDS TRUST - Support for Children and Families facing loss and surviving bereavement across the West Midlands. Contact details: admin@edwardstrust.org.uk Bereavement telephone: 0121-454-1705 CRUSE BEREAVEMENT CARE - Support for Children and Families facing loss and surviving bereavement. Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm Contact Telephone number: 0808 808 1677 Email: www.cruse.org.uk BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S TRUST - https://www.@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY - Offer family telephone support for those living in Solihull - 5 days a week  Contact telephone number: 0121 779 1734 Email: socialsolihull.org.uk How best to look after your own and/or your child mental and emotional wellbeing on a daily basis How to talk with children about COVID - 19 and their worries relayed to it How to support children to engage with learning at home How best to maintain social connections whilst complying with social distancing How to manage behaviour that can be challenging or difficult to manage  FOOD BANK VOUCHERS - These can be obtained from school. Your local Children’s Centre will also be able to offer you advice and may sign post you to other appropriate organisations. We also know that lots of children will be over hearing adult conversations, listening to the news, and have access to social media etc. all of which may leave them feeling confused and frightened. Please have a look at these links with your children to help them understand about coronavirus, social distancing and self-isolation as they may benefit from a simple explanation; https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus_INSwith-cover.pdf Further support can also be accessed through: CHILDLINE- 0800 1111 SHOUT 24/7 - free text service for children- text to 85258 CHILDMIND HTTPS://CHILDMIND.ORG/ARTICLE/HOW-MINDFULNESS-CAN-HELP-DURING-COVID-19/ provides simple mindfulness activities to do with children PAUSE - is a drop in mental health and emotional well-being service for under 25s it is currently offering telephone support from 10 am - 6 pm 7 days a week for children and their parents. contact no: 0207 841 4470  email: askbeam@childrenssociety.org.uk OUR ROOTS CIC offers free telephone counselling (CBT or talk therapy) info@ourrootscic.co.uk Telephone : 0121 439 9045  For support, advice and information in a crisis please contact one of the following: - YOUR GP or out of hours service - SAMARITANS on 116 123 free 24hr support - POLICE -Call 111 (open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year) - SANELINE on 0845 767 8000 (open 4:30 pm – 10:30pm every day) - CALM HELPLINE 0800 58 58 58 open 5pm – Midnight 365 days a year

Updates on the Corona Virus and it's impact on pupils, parents & staff. CORONA VIRUS - Updates and Information Risk Assessment Covid Catch Up Premium Remote Education Provision Blended & Remote Learning Covid Management Plan For the latest information relating to Corona Virus, please visit the Government website and World Health Organisation. https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public For any urgent queries regarding Corona Virus, you can contact the Department of Education Helpline using the contact information provided below. This is for Staff members and Parents. Department for Education Helpline: Phone: 0800 046 8687 Email:DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday) NHS Information: NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do. Use this service if: you think you might have coronavirus in the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see travelling advice you’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus enquiry@stberns.bham.sch.uk What are Covid 19 Symptons? The main SYMPTOMS OF Covid-19 are: - A new continuous cough and/or - Fever (temperature of 37.8 degrees or higher) - Loss of or change in, normal sense of taste of smell (anosmia) What is the mode of transmission? Covid-19 is passed from person to person mainly by large respiratory droplets and direct contact (close unprotected contact, usually less than one metre). These droplets can be directly inhaled by the person or can land on surfaces which another person may touch which can lead to infection if they then touch their nose, mouth or eyes. When is a person infectious? A person is thought to be infectious 48 hours before symptoms appear, and up to seven days after they start displaying symptoms. Are pupils at risk of infection? Pupils of all ages can catch the infection, but pupils make up a very small proportion of Covid-19 cases with about 1% of confirmed cases in England aged under 19 years. Pupils also have a much lower risk of developing symptoms or severe disease. If setting has been notified of symptomatic pupil/staff member, should the rest of the class/bubble be excluded? No, the class/bubble should continue to attend the education setting as normal. The symptomatic case should stay at home and follow the stay at home guidance: the staff member/pupil’s parents encouraged to get tested. Any siblings of the pupil attending the setting/staff’s household member should self-isolate for 10 days. Should a pupil/staff member come to School if a member of their household is unwell? No. If a member of the pupil’s/staff member’s household is unwell with COVID-19 symptoms then the pupil/staff member should isolate for 10 days starting from the day after the household member(s) became ill. If the pupil subsequently develops symptoms then they should isolate for 10 days from the date. Can the siblings of a pupil who is self-isolating because they are a contact of a case attend the education? Yes, other household members of the contact do not need to self-isolate unless the pupil, young person or staff member they live with in that group subsequently develops symptoms. If a pupil has Covid-19 symptoms, get tested and tests negative, can they return to the education setting even if they still have symptoms? If the pupil is NOT a known contact of a confirmed case the pupil can return to the education if the result is negative, provided they feel well, and they have not had a fever for 48 hours. Should close contacts of a positive case get tested? No, they are not required to get tested unless they develop symptoms during the 14 days of isolation. Key Worker Contact Form A message to all the children at St. Bernadette's

Collective Worship at St Bernadette's Collective Worship Collective Worship Policy At St Bernadette’s Catholic School, the children participate in communal acts of prayer and /or liturgical celebrations every day. Sometimes this will be in class prayer, other times it may involve children in the year band joining together in prayer or it may be in a key stage assembly or a whole school mass. Children are encouraged to learn a selection of traditional prayers in each year band, but are also encouraged to devise their own personal prayers. A list of prayers can be seen here for each year band. Prayers take place at the beginning of the school day, before and after lunch and again at the end of the school day. Every classroom has a focal point for prayer, which is appropriate to the liturgical season. Each classroom is also named after a Saint and the children learn about their saint and the lives they lead. Every year band will prepare a year band mass each month, which is held in school. We also have a key stage mass in school every term and a whole school mass which takes place at Holy Family Church every two to three weeks. Parishioners are invited to celebrate mass with the school and are asked to become prayer partners for children who are receiving the sacraments. The children are able to experience the liturgical Life of the church in many ways throughout the year, such as the Stations of the Cross during Lent, Rosary Club during the months of October and may and a Carol Service at Christmas. They also celebrate their Saint’s feast day and join in Mass, with their Sister school of Holy Family, during Holy Days of obligation. In addition to the children’s prayer life, the staff in school begin every meeting with a prayer. Different members of staff will lead the prayer, providing the staff with the opportunity to reflect on the Gospel Values. One training day every year is set aside for a staff retreat, with staff having had the opportunity to attend a retreat in Lourdes and Fatima in recent years. Father Fretch is our Parish Priest, who is a regular visitor in school. Sister Maura Halpin is also a regular visitor and together they support the children in the sacramental year bands of year 3 and year 6. They also visit the other year bands to support them in their RE lessons and in the preparation of mass. Collective Worship: List

All About our School Our School: List Head Teacher's Welcome I warmly welcome you to St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School. Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. At St Bernadette’s, we provide a safe, secure and happy environment where every child is supported and challenged to achieve their full potential. Our school motto, ‘Learn to Love, Love to Learn’, is at the heart of all we do. Our curriculum places Jesus at its centre and reflects Gospel values, nurturing a sense of purpose and faith in our children. We are delighted to share that our recent Catholic Schools Inspection report praised the exemplary behaviour of our children, recognising their deep understanding of Christian values. The report also highlighted that our staff are outstanding role models, creating a loving and nurturing environment where children are happy, confident and proud to be part of the St Bernadette’s family. We celebrate the uniqueness of each child, recognising every individual as created in the image and likeness of God. Alongside academic achievement, we offer a wealth of enrichment opportunities, encourage pupil leadership, and support the spiritual and social development of our children. Our talented and dedicated staff work closely with families, our parish and the local community. We believe that education is a true partnership and greatly value your involvement and support in your child's educational journey. We look forward to welcoming you and your child to St Bernadette’s. Miss E. Finnegan Headteacher Our School: About Us

We are delighted to announce that St Bernadette’s School has achieved the Live Simply Award, having successfully demonstrated that we are living simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the world’s poorest communities. The assessor stated: It was wonderful to hear how the children were able to relate the actions they have been taking to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and how we are entrusted to look after God’s world. It was lovely to hear how praying helps them to feel calm, peaceful, safe, happy and grateful. The action you have been undertaking to build links with the Aaran Court care home and with the local parishioners was lovely to hear about and it was clear the children are enjoying interacting with the older generation. It was great to hear about the fundraising you are doing to support young people in Rwanda and how one of the children is now at Manchester university studying engineering. The children were knowledgeable about climate change and how the world’s poorest countries are the most impacted, it was fabulous to hear of the initiatives you are doing to make a difference. It was very interesting to see the difference in energy usage during your “digital down day”. We have decided as a school to pursue the CAFOD Live Simply award. This is an opportunity for us to respond to Pope Francis’ invitation to “work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us.” To earn this award, we need to show as a school we are living: Simply- how we encourage our families to consume less in our daily lives. Taking the time to be more reflective, prayerful and considerate to others. In solidarity with the poor- being aware that other people might be experiencing difficulties, vulnerabilities, injustice or exclusion. Sustainably with creation- learning ways that can help rebalance our relationship with the environment. Remembering that God gave us this Earth for us to care for. We already do so much as a school to fulfil these objectives, but this year we have planned some special events which we will have a positive impact upon our global, local and school communities. The action plan is as below, some of the highlights are: Engaging with the vulnerable in our local community by writing Christmas cards to older people, inviting them in to watch our Christmas performances. Developing links with our local foodbank by taking collection of food and hygiene items from staff and children to donate regularly. Working towards the Oceans Friendly School Award, making concerted steps to reduce our waste in school and electing members of an eco-team to monitor this. Live Simply Action Plan Food bank collection This Lent we demonstrated how we can be ‘Generous and Grateful’ ‘Compassionate and Loving’ by inviting parents/carers to donate to a food bank that Mrs Buchannon had heard about The food bank is run by Teresa at the back of her café called Lily’s Tea Parlour. Every Friday a collection bin was placed at the Nursery and the gates at the front of school, with a list of items that were most needed. Mrs O’Brien, Mrs Robbins and Mrs Bchannon looked after the Nursery collection and Mr Wayne collected in the donations from the gate. Our parents/carers were extremely generous in donating plenty of items and these were then picked up by Teresa and given out to members of the community in need. We would like to give our thanks to all who felt that they could spare some provisions, especially at this time when costs of our own food and provisions is rising. Living in Solidarity We have been demonstrating our virtues of ‘Compassionate and Loving’, and ‘Generous and Grateful’ by inviting residents of Aran Court to our seasonal celebrations this year. On Wednesday 7th December 2023, we had extra members in the audience for the Christmas Performance of ‘Born in a barn’. The ladies and men really enjoyed their performances as can be seen below in the tweets and photos on the day. They loved getting to meet the cast of the play and our children were delighted to be able to get to chat to them in their costumes. The Wellbeing staff, Katie and Sharon sent us this lovely message when they got back to the home. We also had Year 4 making Christmas cards for the 80 residents of the home. "We had a lovely afternoon, thank you very much for inviting us. We felt very welcome in your school and your children were so well behaved too. Thank you for our refreshments - the ladies love a good cuppa!" When reception held their Easter Bonnet Parade on 29th March 2023, we invited the Aran Court residents in to watch the children proudly displaying their beautiful bonnets. Nursery and Reception were delighted to have an extra special audience. After the parade we invited our visitors to have tea and biscuits. As can be seen below they really entered into the spirit of the day and came with their own beautiful bonnets! Sharon and Katie who are staff members of Aran Court are pictured here having a well-earned cup of tea. They have always been delighted to join us in our celebrations. Our visitors also took a tour around our Easter egg competition entries and were really impressed with the effort put in to making the Religious Stories entries. We are also inviting the residents for an afternoon tea on Friday 26th May 2023 as this is our Vocations Day for the whole school. We will have some Mini Vinnies attending this tea, having a chat with them to find out more about their previous life, where they worked and just getting to know them better. Check back here soon for how this goes! Waste Management Results from the parent/carer environmental survey Many thanks for the replies to the environmental survey we sent out recently. We had 85 replies and this shows that there is an awareness and care for our local and world environment within our community. Below is a pie chart demonstrating how you consider single-use plastic when out shopping. Living Sustainably This shows there is a care towards using less but we all know sometimes the most convenient solution can be heavily plastic based eg, apples in a plastic wrapper or milk in plastic bottles. The pie chart above shows that it has sometimes been a decision for you to walk/take public transport instead of using the car. This shows you consider the effect of pollution on the air we breathe, and the cost of petrol makes this decision make sense. When asked what concerns you where you live 43 out of 85 people said litter/flytipping/waste management. It is all our responsibility to ensure we reduce our waste. When asked what your concerns were for the global environment some people said pollution. Some said plastic waste, others mentioned global warming/climate change. Our children are so environmentally aware and knew that we needed to do something as a school community about the plastic we dispose of. Although great efforts were made in our classrooms to recycle paper and card we did not have a dedicated recycling system in place for plastics. That all changed this academic year. Special plastic recycling bins were ordered and installed at key places within school. These were clearly labelled with the items which could be recycled within them. The Eco-wardens check the bins in their particular zone weekly and when these are full help Mrs Lennon empty these into the larger plastics bin for refuse workers to collect. Through the work we are doing for our Live simply award, the Eco-wardens and the Earth Ambassadors are all working together to help make our school more environmentally aware. We are grateful for your support to your children achieving this aim. Digital Down Day You may remember that on Monday 20th March, children and staff participated in Digital Down Day. During this day, teachers taught their lessons without laptops and interactive whiteboards, the staff in the kitchen switched off the ovens and served cold lunches and children arrived in bright clothing to light up our classrooms since the lights were switched off. We were so impressed with how this day was embraced by children, parents and staff members. We wished to highlight how making small changes to our everyday routines could have a massive impact upon our energy consumption and thus our impact upon the environment. The charts below show our electricity usage during the month of March. You can clearly see our reduced electricity usage on the 20th March, which was very similar to Friday 10th March – a snow day, where no children and a limited number of staff were in school. We are so proud, thank you for your support. The Eco-team

School Meals At St Bernadette's our school meals are provided by Cityserve. They provide a nutritionally balanced meal for our children who have a school meal at lunchtime. The menu provided runs on a 4 weekly rolling cycle and includes healthy and nutritious options each day. If your child has a school meal please complete the menu choices below. Please only complete this once as this information will be used by the cook to order ingredients and produce the correct number of meals Dear Parents/Carers I am writing to introduce myself as the Schools new Catering Supervisor. My name is Sharon Worth and I have twenty four years experience in this role. I am passionate about providing our children with a tasty, healthy school lunch. Almost all of the food we serve is cooked from scratch using fresh locally sourced ingredients. We provide a salad cart with fresh bread daily. I am developing a new menu for 2022 and have lots of ideas for the coming months which include tasting sessions at parent evenings and regular theme days. If you would like to contact me about your child’s dietary needs, or for any queries about school lunches please email me at sharon.worth@birmingham.gov.uk Kind Regards Sharon Worth

Gospel Values Pupils at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School are growing to be: Grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, becoming men and women for others. Attentive to their experience and to their vocation; and discerning about the choices they make and the effects of those choices. Compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words. Faith-filled in their beliefs and hopeful for the future. Eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world. Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better. Learned, finding God in all things; and wise in the ways they use their learning for the common good. Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better. Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and prophetic in the example they set to others. Gospel Values: Student Life Eloquent & Truthful Learned & Wise Intentional & Prophetic Curious & Active Generous & Grateful Attentive & Discerning Compassionate & Loving Faith Filled & Hopeful Gospel Values: List The Summons Mission Vocation The Passion Legend Five Types of Prayer Being a Catholic List Values & Virtues Our School Mission Statement School Rules List Item Title Gospel Values: List

St Bernadette's Curriculm Curriculum All learning experiences are planned to offer the broadest educational opportunities to pupils. Everyday offers opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge. Learning is delivered through assemblies, visits, themed weeks, after school clubs, as well as through timetabled lessons for particular subjects. We employ a combination of setting and mixed ability grouping depending on the subject area. A range of strategies are used to motivate and address the needs of all learners. Whole class teaching, group work, paired work and individual study is used at appropriate times. Pupils are given the opportunity to take the initiative, make decisions, work co-operatively and sometimes independently, supported by the class teacher. Resources are varied and include textbooks, worksheets, audio-visual, ICT and interactive materials, all of which are intended to support learning. Curriculum: Student Life Foundation Stage Curriculum Developing creative, confident learners Children may enter Nursery in the school year in which they will be four years old and may start Reception in the school year in which they will be five years old. The Nursery and Reception Years follow the Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum, which is based on seven areas of learning: Prime Areas Personal, Social & Emotional Development Communication & Language Physical Development Specific Areas 4. Literacy 5. Mathematics 6. Understanding the World 7. Expressive Arts and Design In order for new pupils to settle into school, we ensure that the Nursery and Reception children have their own: Early lunch sitting Outdoor play area Induction day. Curriculum: Academics KS1 & KS2 Children in KS1 (age 5-7, Yr1 and Yr2) and KS2 (age 7-11, Yr3- Yr6) follow the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum Consists of: Religious Education Core Subjects (English, Mathematics & Science) Foundation Subjects (Art & Design, Citizenship, Computing, Design & Technology, French, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education) Delivery of these subjects ranges from discrete lesson time, cross curricular elements through other subjects and in dedicated curriculum days. Curriculum: Text Curriculum: List Intent, Implement, Impact Curriculum Maths Science Topic Computing English PE MFL EYFS