Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

Primary 3a were engaged in some exciting Viking-themed learning in Cathedral’s Investigation & Innovation Hub on Thursday 18th September. Our young learners worked in their co-operative learning groups to plan, design and build their own version of a Viking longship.  They were tasked with building a ship which will successfully float while holding people, weapons and any loot the Vikings might pillage and plunder! Primary 3a are excited about testing their ships to see how they fare, which will then allow them to evaluate and modify their designs.

Our first artwork to appear in the 2025/26 Cathedral GOMA (Gallery Of Magnificent Art) online exhibition comes from Primary 1/2. Our young learners’ beautiful self-portraits feature the use of pattern and colour and bring a burst of colour to Discovery Drive.

Watch this space for more masterpieces from Cathedral’s talented artists.

As I listen and talk in different situations I am learning to take turns and I am developing my awareness of when to talk and when to listen. Lit 0-02a

Our young learners have been very busy this week implementing our ‘keeping safe’ prompts and talking about what we can do to keep our nursery free from hazards. Our new learners have also been familiarising themselves with our playroom motto, ‘Choose, Play, Put Away’, and have shown themselves to be responsible citizens in their play throughout each day.

Staff have been working with the children to create inviting experiences that spark and develop curiosity within the nursery environment. With the arrival of autumn, the children have been observing and discussing the changes in the weather. One learner brought in a special leaf they had found on their way to nursery and showed this to their friends during gathering time.

P7c enjoyed a fascinating live workshop, delivered by Barclays Bank, on Wednesday 17th September. Along with other schools from across the country, our Primary 7 learners learned about managing their money, including the importance of setting and sticking to a budget (something Mrs Duffy regularly needs help with!).

One of the Cathedral Pupil Parliament departments is the Finance Directorate, which ensures Cathedral learners are involved in, and kept informed of, how the school budget and school funds are used. The knowledge and skills Primary 7 gained from the Barclays workshop will come in handy when our Cabinet Secretaries for Finance are looking for support to take forward finance-related Pupil Parliament priorities later in the year.

As the month of October approaches, a special display has appeared in the school library dedicated to Black History Month. We hope the books on this display will highlight the achievements of the black community, celebrate their many contributions to our country and help Cathedral pupils learn about key black historical figures who have helped make Britain and the world what it is today.

This Primary 7 learner shared a fascinating piece of Cathedral history with Mr Young on Monday 15th September: a photograph of his grandfather’s Dux medal, awarded way back in 1967. As soon as the learner, who is a very keen footballer, heard the date, he said to his papa, “That’s the year Celtic won the Champions League!” St Christopher, patron saint of travellers, is on the reverse of the medal, which is why his papa keeps it safe in his wallet and takes it everywhere he goes. Thank you for sharing this lovely wee bit of Cathedral history!

Good attendance makes a HUGE difference to your child’s progress and attainment. Every school day really does count!

We are now into the sixth week of the school year and Cathedral’s overall pupil attendance is currently:

93.6% 

This is 2% lower than this time last year, so it is vital this percentage is raised as a matter of urgency.

Many thanks to all parents and carers for your support in helping us maintain high pupil attendance across Cathedral school community. A helpful leaflet about attendance percentages can be accessed via the link below:

Attendance table

It was fantastic to see the hall bustling with so many parents, families and friends on Friday 12th September for our first coffee morning of the year. Hosted by Primary 7, the event raised an incredible £932.59 for school funds. Wow! 

Many thanks to Primary 7 pupils, their teachers and the Fundraising Committee for co-ordinating the event.

A number of local schools came together at Cathedral on Friday 12th September for a friendly football tournament. Teams from Cathedral, St Brendan’s, Our Lady & St Francis, Keir Hardie, St Patrick’s, Christ the King and St Theresa’s each played seven matches during the course of the morning. St Brendan’s Primary won overall, with Cathedral coming a very respectable second place.

Congratulations to St Brendan’s and many thanks to Mr Maxwell, DHT from Our Lady & St Francis Primary School, for organising the tournament.

Primary 4b were very busy in Cathedral’s Investigation & Innovation Hub on Thursday 11th September.  Joshua, one of our Primary 4b learners, was eager to share what his group were collaborating on:

“Our challenge was to make a paper aeroplane based on an animal that flies.  Our group discussed animals that fly.  We decided to base our aeroplane on a bat.  I was the Team Captain.  I logged onto the laptop to find pictures of bats.  Our Chief Architect, Jade, then used the pictures to sketch a plan of our design.  Next, Damian, our Master Builder, constructed our design. Finally, Amelia, our Testing Coordinator, put our aerophane through several tests and it passed with flying colours (except when I launched it and it flew out the window!).”

What amazing learning, and what an articulate description of the creativity skills being used and developed in Primary 4b!