Headteacher's Blog Post - Saturday 18th July 2026

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 and a Jubilee magazine publication – has undoubtedly been our spectacular 60th Jubilee Concert, held at the beautiful Brangwyn Hall at the start of the month. This special event brought together current pupils, former pupils, staff, dignitaries, councillors, Education Department representatives from the Local Authority and countless further supporters of BVS to celebrate six decades of Catholic education, service and achievement. The performances throughout the evening reflected the values that have shaped Bishop Vaughan since its foundation and demonstrated how those values continue to inspire future generations.

Alongside contributions from current and former pupils, the celebration featured special guests including Stagecoach Swansea and Swansea Amateur Operatic Society. As our school serves as a rehearsal base for both organisations, and because their memberships include many of our pupils, past and present, their involvement reflected the lasting impact of Bishop Vaughan beyond the classroom. The fantastic Swansea Music Service, with whom we have a close association, and several of the aforementioned former pupils accompanied our choir and orchestra, those alumni being delighted to be “back with Bishop Vaughan” for a performance reminiscent of their school years with us! Our lovely primary cluster pupils truly were stars of the show with their beautiful performances, and the sense of community was exemplified perfectly when every performer took to the stage for the final performance, a spellbinding rendition of local composer Karl Jenkins’ Adiemus.

It was a truly joyful and uplifting evening, with performances of an exceptionally high quality; the feedback we have had attests to this! From comments on the evening itself such as “that’s the best concert I’ve ever seen, bar none!” to the lovely emails, letters and cards which have followed each day of the weeks that followed the concert, it was clear that the hard work invested by all had truly paid off. I share a selection of these below, taken from our Summer newsletter, which I invite you to read for more news about this event and indeed the many other things that have been going on over the summer term. It is linked here.

The concert served as an important reminder of the school's remarkable journey over the past sixty years. Generations of pupils have passed through our doors, going on to make significant contributions to their communities, professions and families. Throughout that time, Bishop Vaughan has remained committed to providing an outstanding Catholic education rooted in faith, excellence and service. It’s unarguable that what makes our school particularly special is the strength of the community that surrounds it. The Jubilee celebrations highlighted both that and the lasting connection many former pupils and staff continue to have with Bishop Vaughan. Their presence demonstrated the profound impact that a school community can have across a lifetime and it was a very moving event for that reason, as well as an entertaining one.

As we conclude the academic year, it’s important to recognise the many achievements of our pupils. Whether in the classroom, on the sports fields, through artistic performances, acts of service and charity or contributions to our faith community, they’ve continued to display the qualities that we seek to nurture at Bishop Vaughan. Their appreciation of the Festival of Literature and Culture, as referenced in last month’s post and in the Summer newsletter, was certainly evident and it was a lovely way to end the term.

For our Year 11 and Sixth Form students who’ve completed public examinations this summer, I’d like to wish you every success when results are published in August. You have worked extremely hard and we’re all immensely proud of your efforts. We look forward to celebrating your achievements and supporting you in the next stage of your journey. We’ll see you on results day!

Finally, I would like to thank our pupils, families, staff, governors, clergy and wider community for their continued support throughout the year. Together, we’ve celebrated a truly historic year in the life of Bishop Vaughan. I wish all of our pupils and their families the blessings of a restful, safe and enjoyable summer break and I look forward to welcoming everyone back in September for another exciting year ahead.

Mrs Pole