St John Vianney School Newsletter 06.02.2026

Contents

• Deputy Headteacher's Message
• Key information and Dates for your Diary
• Key Info
• Lunches
• Stars of the Week
• Employee of the Week
• Highlights of the Week
• Our Catholic School
• Poetry Corner
• Useful Information
• Reminder: Reporting Pupil Absence
• Links to Our Website and Social Media

Deputy Headteacher's Message

Dear Parents and Carers, Thank you for having your child ready for school each day and for reinforcing our expectations and standards. Attendance and behaviour remain real strengths of SJV school, supporting all our pupils to make good progress both academically and in their personal development. This week has been another busy week in school with pupils accessing a wide range of fantastic opportunities; Forest school, Duke of Edinburgh, swimming, Cronkshaw Farm and a trip to Manchester Opera House to see Horrible Histories – The Concert. Pupils really enjoyed the Opera House experience, an opportunity that linked closely to our History and Drama curriculum. Miss Wilkinson who led the trip said that the pupils were wonderfully behaved, enthusiastic and a real credit to the school! Mrs Wood led a group of our Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 pupils to Manchester to photograph some of the architecture on the themes of 'Angels' and 'Reflections'. Photography GCSE and BTEC Art and Design are two areas where many of our pupils enjoy expressing their creative side and achieve exceptionally well.

Our assemblies this week have been delivered by CAFOD, we have supported CAFOD in raising funds for their ‘World Gifts’ initiative for the last three years. Funds raised have supported with; winter warmth, maternity care and providing livestock to support poorer communities as well as medical aid where it is most needed. The first of our residential experiences is rapidly approaching - Key Stage 3 pupils have been invited to attend Ghyll Head on the 11th to 13th March. This invitation is dependent upon appropriate behaviour in the lead up to the residential and that they can always respond appropriately to adult instruction, which is vital in keeping all our pupils safe. Medical forms have been distributed to parents and carers and are due for return by Monday 23rd February. Can I remind all parents and carers that the school closes for the half term break at 3:15pm on Thursday 12th February for all pupils and reopens on Monday 23rd February at 9:00am. Very best wishes for the weekend ahead,   Mr G Damant, Deputy Headteacher 

Key information and Dates for your Diary

Dates for Your Diary

• Thu 12th Feb 2026 @ 3:15pm - School closes for Half Term Break
• Friday 13th Feb 2026 @ All Day - INSET Day - school closed to pupils
• Mon 23rd Feb 2026 @ 9:00am - School re-opens for Spring Term 2
• Wed 25th Feb 2026 @ 1:45pm - Coffee Afternoon
• Wed 11th Mar - Fri 13th Mar 2026 - KS3 Ghyll Head residential
• Mon 30th Mar - Wed 1st Apr 2026 - KS5 PGL at Winmarleigh Hall residential
• Wed 22nd Apr 2026 - Class 6 CAFT overnight residential
• Mon 27th Apr - Fri 1st May 2026 - KS4 Calvert Trust residential

Key Info

Allergies

Please be aware that we have a number of pupils in school with severe nut allergies. To reduce the risk of exposure for these young people, we aim to keep the school nut free. In order to support us with this we kindly ask that you:

• Do not give children nuts or nut products in their packed lunches.
• Do not give nuts, nut products or snacks/bars containing nuts for break time snacks.
• Do not send cakes or food items, containing nuts, in to school for birthday celebrations, cake sales or events.

Thank you for your support.

Lunches

Week commencing 9th February 2026:

If you would like to attend our Coffee Afternoon and meet the Therapy Team, please click on the following link to fill out the form and secure your place by 20th Feb :

I would like to attend the Coffee Afternoon on Wed 25th Feb @ 1:45pm

Stars of the Week

• Class 1 Mrs Jordan - Joel - For working very hard in lessons and engaging with adults for support.
• Class 2 Miss Walsh - Noah - For improved behaviours this week.
• Class 3 Mr Healey - Anea - For always making the right choices and being a good friend to others.
• Class 4 Mrs Garfin - Cory - For trying his best and not giving up.
• Class 5 Mr Whelan - Ben - For better attendance and working well with his peers.
• Class 6 Miss Shaw - Adnan - For facing his fears at forest school on the slackline.
• Class 7 Miss Graham - Jack - For improved behaviour, attitude and effort in class.
• Class 8 Mrs Wood - Ishaaq - For being positive all week, using kind words and being fully engaged in learning.
• Class 9 Mr Donovan - Cormac - For excellent attendance and attitude.
• Class 10 Mr Wood - Dylan - For supporting his friends in a mature and helpful way throughout the week.
• Class 11 Miss Sherwin - Finlay - For having more positive peer interactions without prompts.
• Class 12 Ms Lord - Daniel - For confidently presenting a power point to the school governors during his Photography lesson.
• Class 13 Mr Kanakides - Katie - For always working hard and getting involved with tasks in the Post 16 common room.
• Class 14 Miss Wilkinson - Micah - For being very positive in lessons and his attitude to learning has been excellent.

Employee of the Week

Highlights of the Week

Our Catholic School

Our spiritual focus in SJV this week truly reflects the spirit of our school; a joyful place to learn, work, and grow together:

''Whoever possesses God is happy".

- St Augustine

It has been a busy and uplifting week across our Catholic community. Class 8 enjoyed a wonderful retreat at The Spiritan Centre led by Father Nick, where they spent time reflecting, learning, and strengthening their faith. We also celebrated our monthly Parent and Community Mass, held on the first Friday of every month. It is always a blessing to share the celebration of the Eucharist with our parents and carers.

In RE, Key Stage 3 pupils explored the theme 'Equality', using case studies, they considered how we can all play a part in reducing inequality in our world. Meanwhile, Key Stage 4 continued their study of prayer within Christianity and Judaism, deepening their understanding of faith traditions and practices.

Mrs Garfin

Poetry Corner

Celebrating Working-Class Voices in Poetry

Encouraging Our Pupils to Explore and Champion Authentic Voices At Saint John Vianney School, we believe that poetry is for everyone. It is a powerful tool for self-expression and a window into the lives and experiences of others. We always explore the rich tradition of working-class voices in poetry, a vital part of our literary heritage that deserves to be celebrated and understood. For far too long working-class voices have been underrepresented in the poetry world but things are beginning to change. In recent years, we’ve seen Joelle Taylor (raised in working-class Lancashire) win the T.S. Eliot Prize, and Caleb Femi (whose debut collection explores life on the North Peckham Estate) win the Forward Prize. Of course, as part of the Salford Diocese our own Laureate is the Bard of Salford John Cooper Clarke, and our Poet in Residence Mr Lomax is a trustee of The Working Class Movement Library. Why Working-Class Voices Matter to Our Pupils Working-class poets have long used their craft to shine a light on everyday life, struggles, triumphs, and dreams. Their words bring authenticity and emotional depth to poetry, offering perspectives that are often overlooked. By engaging with these voices, our pupils  not only broaden their understanding of society but also discover the beauty in ordinary experiences and the strength of resilience. By exploring working-class voices in poetry, we empower pupils to appreciate empathy, creativity, and the power of words. They have a voice in this world, and it deserves to be heard. As Valentine's Day approaches let's celebrate with a few Working Class Love Poems, the first a track by Mr Lomax, performed with a band, about his Grandad returning from the war to meet his Nan for the first time (she had been doing his job in his absence.)  The second, a poem by John Cooper Clarke made famous by The Arctic Monkeys! 

Click here to navigate to Mr Lomax's poem.

Oliver Lomax

Useful Information

Reminder: Reporting Pupil Absence

Please remember to inform the school office directly if your child is going to be absent from school. You can do this by calling the school on 0161 881 7843 or by sending an email to admin@stjohnvianneyschool.co.uk. Timely notification helps us to ensure our attendance records are accurate and supports the safeguarding of all our pupils. Thank you for your cooperation.

- Mrs J Griffin, Family Liaison Officer, Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

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Click here to visit our Online Safety Hub for more useful tips and advice.

Click on the following link to open a directory of useful links and information about facilities, activities and support available to you and your young person: INFORMATION DIRECTORY