Month: March 2022

Five learners from CTK Aquinas have been successful in their attempts to join the Raising Opportunities Programme – a programme that seeks to prepare learners for higher education and wider participation. CTK’s partner for the RO (Realising Opportunities) Programme is the University of Leichester and these learners will be guided through the programme by them.  

The learners Alejandro, Rianna, Rachel-Gladys, Ashton and Samuel all received the good news recently that they have been accepted onto the course. Once these learners complete the programme (that runs from the start of year 12 into the beginning of year 13) they can hopefully expect to receive reduced grade offers from UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) when they get to apply. 

Our congratulations go out to these learners, and we hope that they find the course both informative and educational. We would also like to thank our Careers and Partnerships team for orchestrating this programme in collaboration with Leicester University. 

Learners at CTK Aquinas took part in a youth mental health first aid course run by MHFA (Mental Health First Aid) recently. The course sought to teach learners how to identify, understand and help others who may be experiencing a mental health issue. 

These learners will now go on to be the student wellbeing ambassadors for the sixth form and use what they have learnt to promote good mental health practices and procedures. We are excited and proud to have learners who reflect our values and are as passionate as we our about mental health. 

This training has been organised as part of our wellbeing initiative, put in motion by our wellbeing committee. Here at CTK, we understand that the wellbeing of everyone in our community is paramount in ensuring positive development and progression, and we realise the importance of good mental wellbeing. This is just one process of many that our wellbeing committee is currently working on, as well as trips, competitions and more. 

CTK Aquinas is delighted to host the “Researchers in School” forum, organised by both Eton College and Christ the King Sixth Forms on Wednesday the 23rd of March between 1-4pm. The forum includes a number of external speakers offering talks on a variety of subjects including developing a reflective culture in schools and a reflective look at using online courses between schools, to name a few.

To find out more information on the event, please read over the document here. The Event is open to all parents/guardians who wish to attend.

We hope to see you there!

We welcomed the celebration of LGBT+ History Month here at Christ the King this February with a variety of activities and displays which sought to illuminate some of the amazing actions members of the LGBT+ community have performed throughout history. 

In the LRC (Learning Resource Centre) we have had wonderful displays installed detailing both prominent historical figures from the LGBT+ community as well as more recent individuals who have achieved something remarkable. Many people have found these displays incredibly interesting and thought provoking. An example of someone on the board was Nicola Adams, who was the first openly LGBT+ woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the boxing competition. 

The LGBT+ Society, a student-led group acting as a safe and secure environment to talk about issues relating to the LGBT+ community, has also been discussing LGBT+ history, as well as the positive changes to civil rights in recent history and the landmark events that led to where we are now, including the 1969 ‘Stonewall Riots’ and origins of the Pride in England to name a few. 

Our 10:10 reflection at the start of the month was also dedicated to LGBT+ history month, which emphasised the importance of respecting human identity, dignity and worth, and that whoever we are, our self-understanding can be affected by our past, present and future. 

CTK is an establishment that reveres acceptance and respect, and we are delighted to be able to be able to shine a light on the importance of the LGBT+ community and the positive impact they have made in making our world a better place. 

At Christ the King we are big proponents of social action in our communities and are regularly running events and activities for the benefit of charities in and around our local communities. Below are a few of the recent social action events that have been taking place across the CTK (Christ the King) sites. 

Recently learners and staff were encouraged to wear expressive clothing in aid of “Dress to Express Day”, a day that aims to raise both money and awareness for the charity Young Minds, a charity that seeks to ensure all young people and their families receive mental health support, if they need it. This day raised over £350 for the charity and cannot wait to see this money put to good use. 

In a similar vein, students also took part in “Onesie Day”, which saw learners attend their sixth form in all manner of humorous onesies. This event was run by the learners themselves and was in aid of Mindout, a charity focusing on improving the mental health of people in the LGBT+ community. 

Learners also ran a heart-shaped lollypop stand in the canteen, with the profits going towards the charity Tender, a charity whose mission is to help young people who are the victims of domestic abuse. This was another charity selected by the learners. The total sales managed to raise a fantastic amount of £70 for the charity. 

The grand total from these events was over £400, and we are so immensely proud of our learners for running events like these, whilst simultaneously committing to their studies. It demonstrates how deeply they care about social action and how much making a difference means to them. 

We eagerly await the opportunity to inform you of more acts of charity and social action occurring around the sixth forms in the future. 

Christ the King is proud to announce the launch of our Easter Appeal, a fundraiser seeking to raise both gifts and money towards two amazing charities, CAFOD and Demelza.  

CAFOD (Catholic Aid for Overseas Development) is a Catholic organisation that aims to assist anyone in the world who requires aid. Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses. 

The appeal is set to run throughout lent and encompasses a variety of social action initiated by our learners, including a chocolate Easter egg appeal, a GoFundMe donation page and a milkshake stand amongst many more. We are honoured to be organising such an event and are excited to be able to update you once we have news on the status of the appeal. 

If you would like to donate items or funds to the appeal, you can do so in a variety of ways: 

• If you would like to donate monetary funds, please follow the link which will take you to our GoFundMe page, where we are raising money for the two charities. 
• If you would like to donate chocolate eggs to the appeal, please bring them to either the chaplaincy, or the reception where they will be collected by the team. 

We would like to take this moment to thank our fantastic chaplaincy team for organising the appeal and continuing to facilitate and run events throughout its course.