Google HQ

To celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, on Tuesday 10th October, a group of Year 9 girls visited Google HQ to learn about the importance of studying maths and how it is used everyday in the workplace. They heard from some fantastic speakers including the Director of GCHQ and participated in speed mentoring sessions. They heard from inspiring women who use maths in their roles in marketing, human resources, law, software engineering  and pharmaceuticals. Some key takeaways included be curious in your learning, pursue the subjects that you enjoy and put in the hard work as it pays off. Maths is a key skill that is needed in a world where technology is evermore present, and the UK needs a more diverse range of people to study it.

Launch of Girls' Rugby Club

We are delighted to have launched girls’ rugby as an after school club. Here is a photo from the first training session; it was great to witness such enthusiasm from them all. We will be training every Thursday 3.30-4.30pm at Wimbledon Park.

LAMDA Successes

A big congratulations to our London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA) pupils and students who attended sessions with Rebecca Marangos, our resident LAMDA teacher, and completed their drama examinations this summer, achieving Distinctions across the board! Many of these pupils and students are now continuing with LAMDA to achieve their next grade. Koko I in Year 13, achieved a distinction at Grade 6 which now means she can use this towards her UCAS points for university. Well done to all!

Pictured (left to right): Freddie M, Loic Z, Koko I, Eliza C, Dominic C, Leo A, Rex R and Thierry S
*Daniel W, Angela K and Amelia B-W also received LAMDA qualifications but are not pictured.

Operation Wallacea to South Africa 2023

Eighteen students from our Sixth Form raised and saved money for 18 months, in preparation for their conservation project trip last summer run by Operation Wallacea, the environmental research and conservation expedition organisation. We spent a week in community-owned Somkhanda Game Reserve, helping the expedition scientists collect data on the impact of elephants on the other wildlife. We had encounters with elephants, buffalo, rhino, giraffe, zebra and many other small mammals. We heard the lions rumbling in the mornings from the safety of our tents, but didn't get to see them this year.

In the second week, at pristine Sodwana Bay National Park, students completed their PADI Open Water dive qualification. Along with diving around the beautiful coral ecosystem, we were able to swim with dolphins and manta rays, and spent our recovery time on the beautiful sand beach watching humpback whales breach in the distance. The students also completed a marine ecology course led by our expert tutors. 

It was a life-changing experience, and we look forward to booking the next expedition for 2025.

Careers Fair September 2023

On Friday 29th September, Years 10,11,12 and 13 attended the Saint Cecilia’s Careers Fair. We would like to thank all the parents/carers who supported this event. The pupils and students visited over 30 exhibitors to discuss careers and education pathways from various industries ranging from healthcare, to careers in sport and banking, to real estate. We were delighted that some universities, colleges and apprenticeship providers were also able to attend to inform our students about all of the opportunities available to them.

A Level and GCSE Results

With much talk over the summer holidays about the policy decision to return to 2019 grading and the lowering of results nationally, we are delighted to share the following headlines for summer 2023. 

A Level and Level 3 BTECs:
17% of grades achieved were A*-A
46% of grades achieved were A*-B
69% of grades achieved were A*-C
97% of BTEC grades were Distinction*- Pass

GCSE and Level 2 BTECs:
Attainment 8 score was 53.08
75% of pupils achieved grades 9-4 in both English and Maths
59% achieved grades 9-5 in both English and Maths
80% of BTEC grades were Distinction*- Pass

Many pupils continue to achieve the very highest grades at A Level and have secured places to study a wide range of subjects at a variety of universities. Yet again, we achieved a strong set of GCSE results that showed improvements on 2019. Importantly, progress is positive, which means the teaching, learning and support at Saint Cecilia’s adds value and makes a difference. 

New Partnership with Harlequins!

We are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Premiership rugby club, Harlequins who will run our Rugby Academy for Sixth Form boys. This follows the sudden  sad demise of London Irish, who we were partnered with before.

The new Harlequins partnership will allow us to continue to offer an excellent rugby programme to develop our talented players. Following trials and a selection process, members of the Saint Cecilia’s Rugby Academy will benefit from a package of weekly coaching and training from Harlequins professionals, discounted local gym membership, nutrition support and opportunities to attend Harlequins home matches and meet 1st XV players. Alongside their passion for the sport, students will learn new skills and tactics and improve fitness, enabling them to perform to the best of their ability. We are always looking to grow and develop sporting opportunities within the school, and this partnership will help us achieve this goal.

Relationships and Sex Education Policy

Every three years, the school updates and revises its RSE Policy. Please feel free to read the revised policy here. A separate email has gone out to all current parents and carers about a survey we are conducting on this revision. This survey will close on Friday 21st July 2023.

Thank you in advance for your support.