Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

Allergy Awareness Week 2024 took place from the 22nd to the 28th April. The week aims to raise awareness about allergies and offer help and support to those living with allergic conditions. Allergies are very much real and affect more people than we may think. It might be as small as a minor rash or as severe as a complete immune system shutdown. Either way, allergies are something we all need to take seriously.

One of our Primary 3 learners, who has a number of severe allergies, took the time to make a video during Allergy Awareness Week to educate the Cathedral school community about allergies and what to do if someone suffers an allergic reaction. Please take a few moments to watch this very important video.

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There was an impressive turnout for our final coffee morning of the year on Friday 26th April. The event, run by our Primary 5 pupils, gave the usual opportunity for parents, families and friends to enjoy a catch up over a cuppa and a cake, as well as the chance to win one of our raffle prizes. The coffee morning raised a fantastic £739, which will go directly to enhancing the learning experiences of Cathedral pupils.

As always, many thanks to the fundraising committee for organising and co-ordinating the event.

Primary 6’s current class topic is the Egyptians and, following some careful research, these two learners worked together to create their own pyramid. The girls were able to talk confidently about the skills they used, which included researching, designing, measuring and collaborating. Well done!

These Primary 1 pupils popped along to Mr Young’s office on Tuesday 23rd April to share their latest reading book, ‘Rat-a-tat-tat’, with him. The young learners utilised lots of their phonics and reading skills – including bucket loads of expression – when they read the fun story to Mr Young. Well done, everyone!

These two young gymnasts appeared at Mr Young’s office on Friday 19th April to show off their recently awarded medals: one for freestyle, the other for acro. Well done to both of you!

As we continue to look ahead to our inspection from HMIe, which may take place before the summer holidays, our final Friday Focus provides details for parents and carers on what Cathedral’s inspection will entail.

MONDAY

The inspection team will arrive at the school around 12.30pm.

The Managing Inspector will meet with the Headteacher and the local authority Improvement Officer. The discussion will focus on the school’s self-evaluation and other supporting documentation submitted in advance of the inspection, and on the school’s approaches to safeguarding. The discussion is also likely to involve planning for inspection activities during the remainder of the visit.

While this meeting is taking place, the remainder of the inspection team will begin inspection activities, including class visits.

During the afternoon, the Chairperson of the Parent Council usually meets with an inspector and/or the inspection team’s lay member.

Where a lay member is part of the team she/he may also meet with children (P4 upwards) and focus groups of parents, from Monday afternoon onwards, until they leave the school, usually by the end of the day on Tuesday.

TUESDAY

The priority for the inspection team is to get into classes to observe learning and teaching.

The lay member will continue to engage with parents through looking at aspects of their partnership activities with the school, and with focus groups of pupils.

Usually, at the end of the day, a session will be organised to allow staff to engage individually in professional dialogue about features of their work that they wish to share with members of the inspection team.

WEDNESDAY – THURSDAY/FRIDAY

Inspection activity – class visits, meetings and focus groups – continue.

At the conclusion of the inspection activity, which could be anytime between Thursday morning and Friday morning, a meeting will be arranged to discuss the findings with the Headteacher. A representative from the education authority may also attend. During the meeting, inspectors (including the Care Inspector where inspections have included a nursery class) will share pre-quality assured gradings of the Quality Indicators for the school with the Headteacher, who is asked to keep these confidential, sharing only with the education authority and the senior team within the school, until the draft letter of inspection findings is received.

The Headteachers will share high level messages and key strengths and aspects for development with staff as soon as possible after the visit is complete.

A more detailed outline of what Cathedral’s inspection will look like can be accessed via the link below:

THE INSPECTION PROCESS

This Primary 2 learner certainly has artistic talent and she popped along to Mr Young’s office on Wednesday 17th April to show off her most recent painting. Can you tell which European city it is? Yes, it’s Paris!

Mr Young was extremely impressed by the young artist’s use of colour and blending and, most of all, simply by the beautiful way she managed to capture the Eiffel Tower and path along the River Seine (it actually reminded him of the paintings of the French impressionists). Well done, mini Monet, and don’t stop painting!

Perhaps the cold, rainy weather didn’t make it feel like the start of the summer term on Monday 15th April, but there was the usual Cathedral sunshine inside the school building. As always, the week began with our whole-school assembly, including pupils from Primary 4a talking about their recent learning journey and the award of Pupil of the Week certificates. Mr Young gathered Primary 7 pupils together after assembly to encourage them to continue to give of their best in what will be their very last term in Cathedral Primary School.

There’s LOTS to look forward to in the summer term including First Holy Communions, the Primary 7 residential excursion to Lendrick Muir, our school show (Lion King), and our various class trips. Dates for the term ahead can be accessed via the link below:

Click to access REVISED-SUMMER-TERM-DATES-2024.pdf

What an incredible term it’s been here at Cathedral! You only need to scroll back over our website newsfeed to see the rich and varied learning experiences our pupils have enjoyed since returning to school after the Christmas holidays. There’s NEVER a dull nor a wasted day here at Cathedral!

Please can I take this opportunity to thank and congratulate each and every one of our learners for all their hard work and enthusiasm throughout this term. It’s always an absolute joy walking through the school and seeing everyone so engaged in their learning, from our youngest learners in the Nursery and Discovery Drive to our senior pupils up in Ambition Avenue. I’m the luckiest Head Teacher in the country!

Please can I also thank all of the staff for your incredible hard work this term. You never fail to give of your absolute best for the children in your care and I want you to know it doesn’t go unnoticed.

And to parents and carers, clergy, parishioners and friends of the school: thank you for your ongoing support. It is very much appreciated.

I wish our entire school community a very Happy Easter and a restful spring break. See you on Monday 15th April!

A very special visitor made a flying visit to Cathedral Primary and Nursery on the last day of term, Thursday 28th March. Pupils across the school got a huge Easter surprise when the Spring Chicken suddenly appeared in their classroom, accompanied by a favourite Cathedral song to sing along to: ‘I’m a Spring Chicken’.

Bing Videos

There’s always lots of fun and GREAT CRACK here at Cathedral!