With Christ at our side to guide us,
we shine in all that we do.

Early Words – Family Hubs

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A new partnership with South Tyneside Family Hubs is beginning to take shape in school and today marked an exciting first step. We welcomed a group of our EYFS parents and children to launch a six‑week Early Words programme—an initiative designed to strengthen the communication and interaction skills of children aged 3–4 while giving families practical tools to support learning at home. The session created a warm, collaborative atmosphere, with children and adults exploring early language activities together and building confidence through shared play and conversation.
Working closely with Family Hubs allows us to connect our school community with high‑quality early years support, and today’s launch reflects our commitment to nurturing strong home–school partnerships. Over the coming weeks, families taking part in the programme will continue to explore strategies that encourage early communication, vocabulary development, and positive interaction—skills that form the foundation for future learning.

This is the first of several opportunities we hope to offer. As the partnership grows, we aim to host a wider range of programmes for parents and carers, ensuring that families feel supported, informed, and empowered in their child’s early development. We look forward to sharing updates throughout the term as more sessions become available.

South Tyneside Infant Gymnastics Champions 2026!

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Our young Infant Gymnastics squad had a great day competing in the District Finals at the Urban Factory today. The A team were crowned South Tyneside Champions, while our fantastic B team also claimed brilliant bronze medals and a place on the podium!

I was very proud of the children who trained superbly for the event and then showed great courage and composure to perform so well in front of the four judges.

It was wonderful to see the team spirit among our children as they really supported each other. Meanwhile, all of our gymnasts enjoyed exploring a variety of activities at the brilliant Urban factory.

Our A team will now go on to represent South Tyneside in the County Finals at Royal Grammar School in Newcastle on Friday 12th June.

Thank you very much to our fantastic parent helpers who encouraged our children throughout the event. Thank you also to the parents who practised the routine with their children at home – they all did us so proud today!

 

District Basketball Grand Final Qualifiers 2026!

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Today our basketball squad enjoyed the prestigious Hoops4Health Tournament at the Vertu Motors Arena, the home of the Newcastle Eagles. Amazingly, three of our teams reached the semi-finals! One of our teams qualified for the District Grand Finals event ( Friday 13th March) which will take place on the same night as an Eagles match with a capacity crowd watching on as St. Bede’s take to the court!

 

I was very proud of the determination, skills and teamship the children displayed, which took them all deep into the competition. It was wonderful watching all the teams cheering for each other as they supported each other on the different pitches.

 

In preparation, all of the children had trained enthusiastically over the winter months at lunchtimes. The children’s training efforts really showed today as they performed superbly at a great venue alongside their friends.

 

Meanwhile, throughout the day it was lovely to see our teams display good sportsmanship by shaking hands with their opponents after games.

 

Thank you to our brilliant parent helpers who enabled us to have so many teams involved in the event. Finally, thank you to all of the children for your positive attitude and relentless efforts today, which carried you all a long way.

 

Meanwhile, our Basketball journey will continue together as we begin to prepare for the Grand Finals night- Let’s Go St Bede’s Let’s Go!

Y3 Animation Movie Makers At Open Zone & Library Visit!

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Year 3 enjoyed a visit to the brilliant Open Zone at the Word today. The children used various apps like ‘Stickbot’ to create wonderful animated movies. I’m sure we’ll have some future creative movie producers! While we were there the children also enjoyed changing their library books before reading the first few pages together back at school.

Y5/6 Netball Stars!

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A massive well done to our new Netball squad who competed superbly in the recent District competition! It was wonderful to see St. Bede’s represented by two fantastic teams, who trained with great enthusiasm for the tournament. While the A team just missed out on progress to the Finals day, they can still all be very proud of themselves! Well done to Mrs. Wilson who has put a lot time and energy into our new squad that can look forward to more netball opportunities in the future.

Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 – This is My Place

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This week, our school has been celebrating Children’s Mental Health Week 2026, with this year’s theme: “This is My Place.”
The theme encouraged children to think about belonging—what it means, why it matters, and where in their lives they feel truly valued and accepted.

Understanding Belonging

Throughout the week, pupils explored the idea that belonging is more than just being present in a group or a place. It is the feeling of being:

  • A valued part of something,
  • Cared for,
  • Included, and Comfortable to be themselves.

Teachers led discussions about the different ways we know we belong—whether through friendships, family, classrooms, clubs, or the places that make us feel safe and happy. Children shared wonderful ideas about the people and environments that help them feel supported and confident.

Creating Personal ‘Belonging Maps’

To help children explore their own sense of belonging, each child created a personal map. These maps were unique to every pupil and included:

  • Special places they feel connected to,
  • Groups or communities they are part of,
  • Activities that make them feel accepted,
  • And even non‑physical spaces—such as a feeling, memory, or moment where they feel they truly ‘fit’.

This activity encouraged children to reflect on what makes them feel secure and valued, as well as celebrating the diverse and personal ways we all find our place in the world.

Year 2- Shrove Tuesday

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Year 2 had an exciting and delicious Shrove Tuesday celebration this week as they welcomed a very special visitor—Mavis from Asda—who joined the children to make and decorate their very own pancakes!

The classroom was filled with smiles (and a lovely sweet smell!) as the children mixed, flipped, and prepared warm pancakes with Mavis’ help. Once ready, everyone chose their favourite toppings—ranging from chocolate sauce and sprinkles to fresh fruit and classic lemon and sugar. The children took great pride in decorating their creations before tucking into their tasty treats.

Afterwards, the fun continued in the school hall with a lively pancake race, keeping alive a much‑loved English Shrove Tuesday tradition. With frying pans in hand and pancakes at the ready, Year 2 ran, laughed, and cheered each other on in a friendly and energetic race.

It was a fantastic day filled with teamwork, tradition, and lots of joy. A huge thank‑you to Mavis and Asda for helping make the experience so memorable!

        

Year 2 Great Fire of London trip

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Yesterday, the Year 2 children enjoyed a visit to West Boldon Lodge as a hook for their new history topic, The Great Fire of London. They had great fun building their own version of Pudding Lane before setting it alight and watching the fire spread just as it did in 1666. Afterwards, they made bread and cooked it over the fire like Thomas Farriner—and even had a little taste!       

Celebrating Our Young Authors – Congratulations, Year 2!

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Just before Christmas, our Year 2 class took part in an exciting writing competition where the children were challenged to design and describe their very own monster. Their imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm were fantastic, and we were thrilled to learn that every child in Year 2 had their work selected to be published in a special book. What an amazing achievement for the whole class — well done, Year 2!

We are also incredibly proud to share that one of our Year 2 children, was chosen as the overall winner of the entire book. Her brilliant monster description won her a £10 National Book Tokens voucher, and her entry was even selected to appear on the front cover of the published book — an outstanding accomplishment!

Well done- we are super proud of you! 🌟📚👹
And a big congratulations to the whole of Year 2 for their wonderful work!

© 2026 Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.