Year 10 Students Explore Careers at the Hertfordshire and West Essex NHS Expo

A group of our Year 10 Health and Social Care students recently visited the University of Hertfordshire to attend the Hertfordshire and West Essex NHS Careers Expo — and what an inspiring day it was!

The trip began with an immersive role-play scenario where students stepped into the shoes of NHS staff. They followed the journey of a patient who had fallen off a bike and broken a bone, gaining a real understanding of how many different professionals work together in a patient’s care — from paramedics and A&E nurses to radiographers and pharmacists.

After the scenario, students explored the careers expo where they had the chance to speak with professionals from a wide range of NHS roles. From midwifery and physiotherapy to art therapy, finance, and library services, the event showcased the incredible diversity of careers available in the NHS.

Hands-on activities were a real highlight of the day. Students tried their hand at CPR, practiced intubating a dummy, and even attempted keyhole surgery on training models! It was an eye-opening experience that brought their classroom learning to life and helped them see how their studies can lead to exciting real-world opportunities.

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St. Mary’s High School Celebrates Stress Awareness Month

This April, St Mary’s CE High School participated in Stress Awareness Month, an annual initiative observed every April since 1992. This month-long event is dedicated to raising awareness about the causes and solutions to stress. Its mission is to encourage individuals and organisations to recognise and reduce stress, promoting a happier, healthier, and more resilient world. It serves as a timely reminder for all of us to take charge of our mental and emotional well-being and explore practical ways to manage stress.

In recognition of Stress Awareness Month, our school organised a variety of workshops aimed at helping students understand and adopt effective self-care strategies during challenging times. These workshops not only provided valuable insights into managing stress but also encouraged students to think proactively about their mental health.

One of the standout events was the Yoga Workshop, which offered students a powerful tool for stress relief. Yoga is well known for its numerous benefits, both mentally and physically. By incorporating yoga into daily routines, students can reduce stress levels, enhance mental clarity, and improve overall well-being.

The Stress Ball Workshop introduced students to the simple yet effective method of creating a homemade stress ball from just a balloon. Squeezing and releasing the stress ball is a proven way to relieve tension and anxiety. Additionally, it helps strengthen hand and forearm muscles, improves circulation, and provides a healthy outlet for nervous energy.

We were also thrilled to welcome back Godfrey, the Therapy Dog. Godfrey’s visits are always a highlight, offering both students and staff a calming presence that helps ease stress. Research shows that interacting with dogs can lower the stress hormone cortisol and increase the feel-good hormone oxytocin, promoting a sense of calm and happiness.

Our staff members also participated in activities, receiving Stress Relief Adult Colouring Books, Staff Wellbeing Toolkits, and other resources to help manage stress both at work and at home.

The Stress Awareness Month initiative was a resounding success, providing students and staff with practical tools to manage stress while promoting a supportive, engaging, and wellbeing-focused environment. It also encouraged the development of lifelong practices that can contribute to overall mental health and resilience.

We look forward to continuing to support our students and staff in fostering a culture of wellness and balance.

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Author Visit to St Mary’s

To wrap our World Book Day celebrations, we were lucky enough to secure a visit from author, Steve Skidmore, on Thursday 3 April. Steve, along with his writing partner, Steve Barlow, has written over 270 books for children covering all kinds of adventures. Their newest venture is with graphic novels on Shakespeare plays. Some of our Year 7 and 8 students were treated to a Romeo & Juliet performance (with audience participation of course) and a detailed analysis of Macbeth.

Steve was very engaging and it was wonderful to see the students so enthusiastic about Shakespeare! Both plays are studied in the English curriculum so it was excellent foundation work for our students.  Selected students took the opportunity to share lunch with him too. We all discussed lots about history, Shakespeare and books. Everyone had a marvellous time and Steve was as complimentary about our students as I was proud of them. A great day had by all!

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Karate Champion

We are delighted to congratulate Eliseo in Year 8, who competed in the English Karate Championship in Sheffield on 12 April and won the under 14 years -45kg category, winning all 5 of his fights.

Eliseo has been fighting at a National and international level since the age of 7, competing in several different countries across Europe. He’s previously won a bronze medal and the British and Commonwealth championships, however this is his first national title.

Earlier this month, Eliseo competed in Spain at the K1 world youth league tournament, although he didn’t win a medal, his efforts have earned him a 3 month trial with the English national squad – if successful, he’ll be one of the youngest members of the squad and once he turns 14, he’ll be eligible to compete for his country in the world and European championships.

Well done Eliseo, your hard work, motivation and dedication will see you building on your success.

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PE – Mini Marathon

All students in Years 7,8 and 9 recently took part in the Mini London Marathon in the last week of the spring term. 

Students enjoyed learning about the history of the marathon. They heard the story of the Ancient Greek Pheidippides, who is said to have fought in the battle of Marathon and then travelled 26 miles to Athens, to deliver the news of victory. All on consecutive days. He sadly died when he arrived at Athens and only delivered half of the message. In his honour, a 26 mile marathon was made an event at the first modern Olympic Games. The race became 26.2 miles, as we now know it, when the Royal Family wanted to watch the start and finish of the first London marathon from their Royal box. 

 

Inspired by the story of Pheidippides, students were challenged to complete a 2 mile course in their PE lessons, taking them around the perimeter of the St Mary’s site. All students who completed the mini marathon were rewarded with a Pin badge which many are wearing with pride on their blazers. A great opportunity for St Mary’s to be a small part of a global sporting event. 

 

Photos attached. A very energetic finish by Kheira in Year 8 who looked to confuse the finishing tape for a high jump bar! 

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Visit by the Mayor of Broxbourne to St Mary’s

Today we were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Broxbourne, Cllr Sherrie McDaid, to St Mary’s.  Cllr McDaid met with sixth form students Kamsi and Ivian and Year 10 students Vinnie and Rhian.  She was impressed with the mature conversation she had with them and their insightful questions and responses.  After a short school tour she spent time with the Headteacher and got to know more of the work we are doing, our aspirations, and strategies to drive St Mary’s forwards from strength to strength.  Overall, she was highly impressed with the calm, purposeful atmosphere of the school, the aspirations of the students, and the quality of the school experience that St Marians receive.

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A level geographers explore the Jurassic coast

The A level geography students spent 3 days exploring the human and physical geography of the Jurassic coast. A destination which is much discussed in lessons and did not disappoint. Students carried out many different field techniques, learning skills ready to complete their own independent research investigations. They explored urban areas in Bournemouth looking at place identity and regeneration, and they focused on sustainability in Poundbury. They looked at coastal processes and the influence of geology at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, and they measured the impact of coastal management in Swanage Bay. The weather was glorious and allowed students to see the coast at its best. The students were a pleasure to work with and received many compliments on their work ethic, polite attitude and friendliness.

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Unsung hero in Year 8

Hi, my name is Mikail.  When I was 8 years old, I had stage four Hodgkins lymphoma.  I beat this disease the first time, but unfortunately it relapsed when I was 9 years old. I had lots of help from the hospital staff and special cancer charities.

There were two main charities that helped me and my family.

CANCER RESEARCH UK and YOUNG LIVES VS CANCER.

I decided with my parents to help raise awareness and money for both charities – they use my cancer story and pictures to raise awareness and money every year.

I have helped Cancer Research UK raise £600,000 and Young Lives VS Cancer £325,125. This money goes to funding medicine, treatment, hotel stays, travel costs and clothing for Cancer patients.

I love helping other children because I know how hard it is to live with cancer.  Making children happy is important to me, it is a hard time, and they need a lot of support.

Thank you.

Mikail H

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Intermediate Maths Challenge

Selected Year 9 and 10 students took part in the UKMT Maths Challenge on 29th January 2025. To prepare, students attended a weekly club to sharpen their problem-solving skills. Despite particularly tough questions this year, with lower grade boundaries than in 2024, the students performed exceptionally well.

A special congratulations to our top scorers:

  • Gold: Joshua
  • Silver: Dylan
  • Bronze: Eva

We are incredibly proud of their achievements!

Joshua’s outstanding score qualified him for the follow-on round, an opportunity granted to only a few thousand students nationwide each year. We eagerly await his results.

If your child is interested in future maths challenges, visit the UKMT Competition Papers website for past papers and video solutions. The Junior Maths Challenge is open to Years 7 and 8, while the Intermediate Maths Challenge is for Years 9 and 10. Invitations for the 2026 competition and our prep club will go out in Autumn 2025.

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International Maths Day (Pi Day) – 14th March 2025

Students in Years 7, 8, and 9 took part in fun maths quizzes and puzzles to celebrate International Maths Day.

Year 7 – A History of Maths Quiz

How modern is the maths we use today? Year 7 students put their knowledge to the test in a history-themed quiz. Try it yourself—can you beat the Year 7 winners, 7S1?

  1. When was the Earth’s circumference first calculated?
  2. When did the numbers we use today arrive in Europe?
  3. When was Fermat’s Theorem (written in 1667) finally proven?
  4. When was the first “calculating machine” invented?
  5. When did Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi write Al-Jabr, establishing algebra as a branch of mathematics?
  6. What is the earliest known human use of mathematics?
  7. In what year did Katherine Johnson calculate an orbital trajectory for a moon landing?
  8. When did Pythagoras of Samos prove Pythagoras’ Theorem?
  9. When did René Descartes introduce the coordinate system?
  10. When was the first pie chart used to analyze causes of deaths in British army camps during the Crimean War?

Answers are at the end of this article—see how close you get!

Year 8 – The Set Game Challenge

Year 8 students played The Set Game, where they had to find groups of three cards that followed specific rules. The winning form, 8F2, found all six sets in just 9 minutes and 23 seconds! Think you can do better? Watch the video here on how to play and give it a go   here.

Year 9 – KenKen Puzzles

Year 9 students tackled a Japanese maths puzzle known as KenKen, and you can watch how to play here. The competition was tight, with just one point separating 1st and 2nd place. Congratulations to 9T2 on their victory! Rumour has it that Miss Rowlands is still celebrating in the staff room. Want to try KenKen yourself? Check out the link provided here.

Quiz Answers (with Year 7’s closest guesses in brackets)

  1. Earth’s circumference calculated – c. 250 BC (1610 years off)
  2. Numbers arrive in Europe – 1202 (198 years off)
  3. Fermat’s Theorem proven – 1994 (197 years off)
  4. First calculating machine – 1700 (100 years off)
  5. Al-Jabr written – 820 (780 years off)
  6. Earliest evidence of maths – 20,000 BC (17,000 years off)
  7. Katherine Johnson’s moon calculations – 1961 (89 years off)
  8. Pythagoras’ Theorem – c. 550 BC (1950 years off)
  9. Descartes’ coordinate system – 1637 (63 years off)
  10. First pie chart – 1854 (1 year off)

Great effort from all students—looking forward to next year’s challenges!

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