BISHOP VAUGHAN

Every pupil, parent and teacher will recognise that there is a ‘rhythm’ to the academic year, and in our school, as should be the case for any faith school, this is shaped by the liturgical year, as well as by the seasons themselves. In addition to these, Bishop Vaughan’s year is shaped by its own traditions, events and values, and October for us is a month in which the efforts and achievements of our pupils in the preceding academic year are celebrated in various ways. If Se

What a wonderful start we have had to this new academic year! September is always an especially significant month for any school, bringing with it the excitement of new beginnings: new pupils and colleagues joining our community, pupils moving into new year groups, new opportunities to embrace and, of course, new challenges ahead. This September has felt particularly special as we begin an academic year which also forms part of our Sixtieth Jubilee celebrations, this markin

Roots and Wings "There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children: roots and wings. Roots to give them a foundation and a sense of belonging, but also wings to help free them from constraints and prejudices and give them ways … to fly." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe As August draws to a close and we prepare to welcome our pupils back for a new academic year, I have found myself reflecting on Goethe's powerful words about the two greatest gifts that adults can give t

What a great day today has been! We’re delighted to celebrate another year of excellent GCSE results, following on from last week’s Sixth Form success stories! The results represent a significant achievement for pupils across the year group, with many students securing strong passes and outstanding grades across a broad range of subjects. These outcomes reflect not only academic success but also the commitment and perseverance shown by pupils throughout their studies. Among t

This year’s A-Level results day was once again a cause for celebration at Bishop Vaughan!

As we reach the end of another academic year, July has provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only the achievements of the past twelve months but – since this is also a Jubilee year in the school’s history – the opportunity also to celebrate the enduring success of Bishop Vaughan Catholic Comprehensive School over the past sixty years! One of the highlights of the Jubilee Year – which will also include a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop Mark O’Toole in October

June has been another busy and rewarding month here at Bishop Vaughan, as ever reflecting the energy, faith, vibrance and commitment that make our school community so special. There have been several important events for our pupils this month. Poignantly, and following on from the subject of last month’s post on this page, there was the funeral of our dear parish priest, Canon Jason Jones, and this was attended by a large number of our pupils, who paid their respects with dig

Dear Parents and Carers, Further to our recent communications regarding the red weather alert, I am writing to confirm arrangements for Friday 26 June. With temperatures now forecast to return to more typical levels for this time of year, the school will be open as normal and full attendance is expected for all pupils. Following our earlier risk assessment and the measures implemented this week, we are confident that conditions will allow for a safe return to normal sch

Dear Parents and Carers, Arrangements During Red Weather Alert (Extreme Heat) - Thursday 25 June Further to my previous communication regarding the red weather alert (extreme heat), I am writing to inform you that, following further review of the conditions and updated forecasts, the decision has been taken to close the school to all pupils on Thursday 25 June. This decision has not been taken lightly. Despite the range of mitigation measures in place, temperatures across the

Dear Parents and Carers, Arrangements During Red Weather Alert (Extreme Heat) I am writing to inform you of our arrangements for the next two days, following the red weather alert (extreme heat warning) affecting our area this week. After careful consideration, the school will remain open for pupils where parents and carers judge it safest for them to attend. At the same time, we fully respect the decision of families who choose to keep their children at home during this peri

We are delighted to announce that tickets are now live for our 60th Anniversary Celebration Evening! Join us for a spectacular night of music, dance and performance as we celebrate 60 years of Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, bringing together talent from past and present students on one stage. 📍 Brangwyn Hall 📅 Tuesday 7th July 2026 🕖 7:00pm Ticket Prices: £8 Adults, £5 Children Book now:https://www.ticketsource.com/bishop-vaughan-school/t-oeegkad This promises to be a mem

As we look back on the month of May, it is impossible to do so without acknowledging the profound loss felt by our entire school and parish community. The sudden and deeply shocking passing of Canon Jason Jones has left us all saddened and reflective, yet united in prayer and gratitude for everything he represents to us. For many of us, it remains difficult to fully comprehend that someone who was such a constant presence within our school life is no longer physically with us

Dear parents and carers, We’re pleased to confirm that the gas issue has now been resolved. School will be open as normal on Monday 11 May. Thank you for your understanding. Yours faithfully, Mrs Pole

Dear parents and carers, Due to an issue with our gas supply, affecting hot water and kitchen facilities, the school will be closed to most pupils on Friday 8 May while we work to resolve the matter. The gas has been switched off since an issue was identified and there has been no risk to pupils today. Work will be set for all pupils via Teams, and we ask that this is completed at home where possible. The school will remain open for pupils who have scheduled external examinat

In the February blog post, I mentioned that our staff training and pupil assemblies had had a renewed focus on Catholic Social Teaching. This, often abbreviated to CST, is understood well at BVS as the Church’s guide for living out the Gospel in society. I thought, then, that it may be of interest to readers of these posts to learn a little more about what CST is and why place such emphasis on it on our school. CST is something that, as a Catholic school, should be informing

March has been a particularly rich and reflective month at Bishop Vaughan, since we have of course, and as referenced in last month’s post, been in the Lenten season. During this, our school community always focuses on reflection and renewal, a ‘spiritual spring clean’ as I believe I’ve described it in previous posts and as is often the theme of our assemblies in this period. Through services, prayer and acts of charity, pupils have been encouraged to consider how small actio

February has certainly been a busy and rewarding month at Bishop Vaughan! Our pupils’ engagement in learning, while still miraculously finding the time to be involved in such a wide range of activities from our vibrant extra-curricular programme has been most impressive – numbers participating in these continue to be very high, and of course that sort of commitment is in itself is an expression of our shared values. A perfect example of this – and one of the highlights of Feb

Since a new calendar year is always a moment for reflection and renewal, our assemblies this month have focused on these themes. January offers us a valuable opportunity to look ahead with optimism (making changes and adjustments to embedded practices, habits or routines if we need to!) and to set our minds on who we want to be – what we want to represent and what we hope to achieve. I believe it was Maya Angelou who wrote “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t