With Christ at our side to guide us,
we shine in all that we do.
Year 1 led a beautiful Celebration of the Word on the theme of Meals, reflecting on the special meals we share and the most important meal of all – the Mass.
Through prayers, songs, and scripture, the children thought about how Jesus shared meals with his friends and gave us the gift of the Eucharist. They shared their own memories of special meals with family and friends, reminding us of the joy of coming together.
Climate Change & Raingardens @ Durham Wildlife Trust
John from Durham Wildlife Trust recently visited us for two days to work with Year 5 on a practical solution to surface flooding from heavy rainfall. The project led to the building of a raingarden on our school site. You can spot it near the main entrance of our school. Year 5 pupils worked well to learn the instructions and follow them successfully.
What is a Raingarden?
A raingarden is a simple and effective way to help avoid surface flooding due to heavy rain. It also provides a micro wetland habitat for wildlife.
How does it work?
Rain water run-off from the down pipe of a gutter is diverted to a container which houses layers of filtration materials. The rain water works its way through the layers and then returns to the drainage system via an exit pipe.
Why do we need one?
This process slows down the rate of water flow into the drain system, thereby reducing the risk of sewers becoming overwhelmed and flooding the surface during times of very heavy rain.
Take a look at Year 5 in action:
Our Y3 Egyptologists enjoyed an inspiring visit to the Oriental Museum in Durham. Firstly, the children used their archaeological skills to interpret the use of a variety of interesting artefacts recovered from Ancient Egypt. We enjoyed an adventurous and informative gallery trail, where pupils even used the Rosetta Stone to interpret hieroglyphics. Another highlight, was seeing a contemporary mummified Egyptian body, which had been perfectly prepared for the afterlife. Meanwhile, the children creatively performed a dramatic weighing of the heart ceremony, where they demonstrated their brilliant role play skills! We had a wonderful day and this was a brilliant launch to our new History unit!
Year 3 enjoyed a visit to the brilliant Open Zone at the Word today. The children used various apps to create wonderful animated movies. I’m sure we’ll have some future creative movie producers!
Year 4 looked fantastic on Friday in their World Book Day outfits – can you guess which book characters they chose?
Year 4 has been learning about the celebration of Mass as part of the Eucharist topic. We visited Fr Bill in church who took us into the chapel to explain in more detail the parts of the Mass and what happens at each stage of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Fr Bill showed the children some of the books used throughout the Liturgy of the Word and the sacred vessels used in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. They were even allowed to taste the unconsecrated host.
The children were very knowledgeable and asked lots of good questions.
The St. Bede’s Tenpin bowling team were in top form at the Riverside in Sunderland today, as they bowled over the opposition to become District Champions! Fifteen teams represented their schools in the finals, but it was the St. Bede’s team who proved to be the most consistent. Amazingly, four of our squad made the Panathlon 100 points club and collected additional awards! The children had a wonderful time with their friends and showed of a lot of ability and concentration to take the overall title. Well played everyone, I was really proud of you all!
What an exciting day we have had! Today we celebrated World Book Day and came to school dressed as book characters! Can you guess who we are?
© 2025 Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.
