Author: marketing

Esther, is a Year 13 English Literature student for entering the This is Me!, Young Writers national poetry competition. Her poem was published in the recent edition of the Young Writers This is me! book.

A Song – Esther

Nature sings me a song

The fountain of water goes bubble babble

The leaves on the trees go filter flutter

Sure, the tree trunks blow the trumpet

But the leaves on the floor go crunch crunch

Stepped on like fallen soldiers in battle

My hand swaying in the water, I feel the rhythm.

Look around and I see the unspoken lyrics

pennies at the bottom of the fountain of untold wishes.

Sit on the green grass

No need for the noisy streets

Or stubborn kids, crying kids

Come here where it’s all part of the song

Ignore the tune is what I wouldn’t do

Come over here. Join me and enjoy the view

Make memories you wouldn’t want to let go off

Trust me it’s the sound of healing

No need for disturbing sirens

Just stay under her loud silence

The healing process of the musical forest

A sound I wish forever to last

And not be disturbed by constructions and buildings

Restore the free peace that everyone can share

And not the hard material that gives us all a glare.

You can find out more about the competition here

Demelza is a charity that assists families with young members suffering from terminal and very serious illnesses.

SVP is the Society of St Vincent de Paul who help anyone experiencing poverty. They are there for individuals and families, providing resources and opportunities for mutual support.

The appeal ran throughout Lent and encompassed a variety of social action initiated by our students, including donations of chocolate Easter eggs.

Cross-Site Easter Egg Competition: Congratulations to all participants in our Cross-Site Easter Egg Competition! Together, we raised 655 eggs, with St Mary’s contributing 405, Emmanuel 80, and Aquinas 170. Well done to all involved!

Buon viaggio!

The CTK Rome trip has commenced! Look out for our Rome 2024 diaries to see what the group get up to each day!

Nana Reynier takes over as Chair from Dr Rupert Evenett MBE, who has been a Foundation Governor at Christ the King Catholic Sixth Form, for over 17 years. CTK is a highly successful sixth form that has three sites in South East London and Kent. CTK Aquinas is a selective A Level centre for excellence, offering a wide range of A Level courses aimed at high-achieving students. CTK Emmanuel is a professional centre for excellence, offering Technical and Professional programmes equivalent to three A Levels and highly specialised routes to university. CTK St Mary’s is a sixth form centre for excellence offering a wide curriculum of A Level and Applied Technical qualifications.

Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms, Shireen Razey, says:
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Nana as Chair of Governors, following the outstanding tenure of Rupert. Nana has a wealth of experience and is dedicated to education and community wellbeing. We are thankful to Rupert for his commitment to our Christ the King Community.”

Nana brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, having been a Foundation Governor at Christ the King since 2019, she is currently Vice Chair. With a highly successful career in the Civil Service, where she held a senior position in education policy and conducted significant project reviews, Nana has demonstrated a deep understanding of the educational landscape. Nana is currently the Director of People Services and Products and was previously Director of People Experience at Citizens Advice and Head of Organisation and People Development at the University of Greenwich.
Dr Rupert Evenett MBE hands the baton to Nana at an exciting time, following the Sixth Forms 30th Anniversary celebrations and a highly successful Ofsted. The sixth form has an innovative curriculum which meets the needs of local students, including T Levels, BTEC and A Level qualifications.
Over £5 million has been invested in the property strategy over the past 3 years to ensure students have outstanding in class and social spaces. This has included university-grade science labs, state-of-the-art business conferencing rooms, industry-standard engineering facilities and equipment, along with the establishment of a hospital mock ward and child development facilities.

Nana commented:
“Supporting students to realise their ambitions and tapping into and utilising their true potential to the full is at the core of CTK. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to continue to support CTK in helping students make this a reality. I continue to be impressed by the outstanding students at CTK and the amazing staff that are working collaboratively to elevate the achievements of our students”.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Governor at CTK and playing a key role in transforming lives for the better please contact CTK’s Clerk to Governors, governance@ctksfc.ac.uk

We are thrilled to announce Mr Armah was the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Urban Synergy Teacher Advocacy Award! This recognition is for his dedication and exceptional contributions to the community.

Huge congratulations and well deserved!

We are delighted to announce that we have received good by Ofsted, in the latest inspection.

You can find our full report here

Husband and wife joint gift appeal runs for the fourth year! 

Christ the King Sixth Forms and East Kent Colleges Group are set to work on another Christmas campaign, this time seeking to raise more than ever before in donations and gifts. 

Now in its fourth year, the campaign run by husband-and-wife team Shireen Razey (Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms) and Graham Razey (Chief Executive at EKC Group) targets those in need, spreading festive cheer through the collaboration, with donations and gifts totalling over £20,000 so far. 

The Christmas Gift Appeal and charity art auction, organised by Christ the King Sixth Forms (CTK) and East Kent Colleges Group (EKC), aspire to continue this tradition. The gifts, donations and funds raised will go towards child hospice charity Demelza, Refuge, Lewisham Foodbank, homelessness charity The Manna Society and the St Vincent De Paul Society, which tackles poverty and disadvantage. 

Shireen Razey, Executive Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms said:  

“We are delighted to be organising our annual Christmas Gift Appeal again this year. We know what a difference it makes to the local charities we support. Many families continue to face real hardship, and we hope our appeal makes a difference to those at Christmas time. CTK staff and students contribute hugely to social action work within the local community throughout the year, and we are always touched by your kind donations to our Christmas Appeal.” 

The art auction involves students and staff from both College groups donating artworks to be sold in support of charity. We are grateful to those who bid on the students’ artwork, helping us raise nearly £700.

Thank you to those who contributed towards the campaign via the colleges ‘GoFundMe’ link. An incredible sum was raised for the five charities we supported this year.

The charities we supported are:

St Vincent de Paul Society

Demelza Hospice Care for Children

The Manna Society

Lewisham Foodbank

Refuge

For further information please contact:

Christ the King Sixth Forms: Robyn Brown r.brown@ctksfc.ac.uk 

Christ the King Sixth Forms: Rhiana Octave r.octave@ctksfc.ac.uk

Click on the image below to find out more.

CTK ST MARY’S HOLDS ITS OCTOBER OPEN DAY!

CTK St Mary’s was the second of the CTK Open Day events to take place. The event went ahead on Saturday 7th October where we were joined by nearly 360 prospective students. 

The student ambassadors worked tirelessly and professionally to chauffeur individual groups of prospective students and their parents/carers around the building as they answered questions and showed our guests to the relevant subject areas. 

Staff also played a key role on the day, interacting with interested students and taking them through the subject course. Some subject ambassadors remained in their classrooms to support their teachers and give the prospective students a real feel of what it would be like to study A Levels, T Levels or BTEC courses at CTK St Mary’s by giving them an introduction to the classroom facilities as well as showcasing their fantastic work. 

Principal talks were conducted by site principal Mrs. Camilla Crampton and Executive Principal Shireen Razey. These sessions offered a comprehensive overview of the diverse subjects and opportunities available at CTK St Mary’s. The feedback from our visitors was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting their satisfaction with the event.

We extend our gratitude to the students and staff whose efforts contributed to the event’s success. A heartfelt thank you to the prospective students and parents/carers for their delightful presence and participation.

This summer some students from CTK St Mary’s had the exciting opportunity to take part in the MET Police summer school. The summer school was held for those who are interested in uniformed/police jobs as a future career. The students were invited to partake in an insight week; visiting different areas of the MET and having a taste of what it would be like to work in it.

Saffron from CTK St Mary’s said this about her experience:

Day 1 – Fitness myth busting

Day one consisted of us in sportswear, and looking at what it takes to be a police officer. We undertook the bleep test, whereby to be a PC you must achieve level 5:4 minimum (and learned that more specialist roles are required to achieve much higher levels). We also practiced self-defence tactics such as releasing yourself from a grip, punching, elbowing and kneeing someone to defend yourself in a dangerous situation – as well as being educated on red, amber and green parts of a body correlating to low/high risk places to hit. The rest of the day we were taught about stop and search; the pros and cons to it, as well as being able to enact a stop and search in pairs.

Day 2 – CID and Detective

On Tuesday we spent time with two sergeant detectives specialising in serious crime such as rape, murder and child abuse. We learned the difficulty of the job but also how rewarding it is to have a positive impact in someone’s life, for example giving a family justice or being a system of support for someone grieving. We had a go at putting on forensic overalls with gloves and investigated a mock crime scene. We also tried sampling DNA on each other in pairs. Lastly, we retouched on stop and search and went through the decision-making process of deciding whether or not to search someone and why, including the legal aspect of needing a good reason for your suspicion.

Day 3 – Specialist units (horse/dogs/marine)

On Wednesday we had a busy day. We took a trip to visit the stables and saw the police horses. We had an insight into the requirements and specialties of each horse, in addition, the uniform that both the horse and the officer need to wear- especially if it is a public order event. We also got to meet Raven, a police dog and gave her some strokes (as well as cheekily hiding something and making her find it). Thirdly, we looked at the marine unit where we visited the, what is now a museum, which was the oldest functioning police station, and then suited up in life jackets to get onto a police boat. We learned about the daily encounters the marine unit deal with, and the training required to do the job. We also had a challenge of picking up Fred, who was a life-sized dummy imitating the weight of an average person- wet. (When pulling someone out of water they will be heavier than usual, so Fred is used as practice). Lastly, we looked at the on-sea morgue where they keep bodies when unfortunately they find someone (there were none when we were there!).

Day 4– Gravesend

On day 4, we Visited the training village which mimicked a real town with houses, shops, football stadiums and train stations. The village is used by officers and specialist teams for example firearms and TSG (territorial support group) who are trained in public order and riots. Here, we got to try on their uniform which they estimated – all in all – to be an additional 2 stone in weight on you, as well as have a look inside their van. We witnessed petrol bomb training as well as rapid entry methods, which was probably my favourite part since I had the opportunity to smash down a door!

Day 5 – Ceremony

On the last day, friends and family were invited to an appreciation and celebration ceremony, looking at everything we had done and achieved in the week as well as having some final talks with a counter terrorism officer, firearms and lastly recruitment, to talk over entry requirements and routes for people interested in joining the MET straight away. It was a lovely afternoon spent with everyone I had been with during the week, and we were presented with an award for our participation.

Almost 1000 students at Christ the King Sixth Forms (CTK) are celebrating excellent A Level and BTEC results.  Students have shown resilience and determination to land top grades which is a testimony to their hard work. Christ the King Sixth Form has three sites across Southeast London and Kent and yet again CTK students were able to achieve outstanding A Level and BTEC success and secure places at their chosen university destinations. 

Students at CTK Aquinas have achieved outstanding results, with a 98% A Level pass rate and 21 A Level subjects achieving a 100% pass rate. This is especially impressive being above the national UK pass rate of 97.3%.

Over 500 students at CTK studied BTEC extended qualifications (3 A Level equivalent) with a pass rate of 99, and 70% of those received Distinction or above gaining places at highly competitive universities.

It is remarkable that this is a group of young adults, who sat their first ever external examinations this year, having spent most of their Year 10 and 11 at secondary school being taught from home due to the pandemic and being unable to sit GCSE examinations in summer 2021.  This year group are also the first cohort since 2019 to have their grades adjusted in line with ‘pre-COVID’ grade profiles. These results demonstrate what resilience and determination this cohort of students have repeatedly shown. 

CTK Executive Principal, Shireen Razey said “I am immensely proud of what our students have achieved this year. Students at each of our specialist Sixth Forms have shown real resilience and determination to succeed in their studies, and I am delighted to be able to celebrate their outstanding results today. A big thank you to our students’ parents/carers for their invaluable support. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the committed staff at CTK whose dedication and care have played a key role in our students’ success. I wish each of our students every future success in their university, apprenticeship and employment destinations and look forward to hearing of their great achievements as CTK Alumni.”  

Some student thoughts about their experience of studying at CTK:

Daniel Dimitrovski

A Level Maths (A*), Further Maths (A*), Physics (A), Computer Science (A) and EPQ (A*)

University of Oxford

“I have always been greatly supported by everyone at CTK. One of the things I have enjoyed the most, is the engaging lectures from professional and outstanding teachers. My greatest achievements have been gaining a distinction in the Maths Olympiad and now getting into Oxford University to study Maths and Computer Science. My teachers really helped me prepare for my university interview and I am very grateful to everyone at CTK for the opportunities I have been given. I leave CTK with enhanced motivation to excel in my further studies and to build a strong career in Maths and Computer Science with a focus on Cryptography.”

Dami Adedoyin-Adeniyi

A Level History (A), Religious Studies (A), Sociology (A) and EPQ (A*)

University of Oxford

“CTK has been a very positive experience, mostly because the staff have offered such great support. The teachers are all very helpful and are specialists in their chosen subjects. I have been given extensive opportunities to enhance my progression prospects and the careers team were extremely knowledgeable.  When I opened my results envelope, I was overjoyed to see my hard work had paid off and I had achieved grades AAA and an A* in Extended Project Qualification. I had always felt very supported by my teachers from the beginning, and they were there with me when I received my results, everyone was so happy for me. I am now very excited to be going to Mansfield College, Oxford to read History. I want to say that I couldn’t have done it without the help of my teachers and everyone at Christ the King who supported me.”

Lani Iriajen

A Level Maths (A), Biology (A), Chemistry (A) and EPQ (A*)

Imperial University College London

“My first impression of CTK was that everyone in the community was friendly and approachable. This impression has remained, and I have made some good friends. I am grateful for all the support I have received from my teachers. The teachers are always willing to help and go that extra mile for you and are specialists in their subjects. I am looking forward to going to study Biochemistry at Imperial University College London and start my higher education journey.”

Kayla Worrell-Morrison

A Level Criminology (A), Psychology (A), Media (A) and EPQ (B)

University of Cardiff

“I chose CTK as it offers an excellent range of A Levels, with well-planned and resourced teaching and learning. At CTK I was supported every step of the way on my journey. From the very beginning to the very end, each member of staff was there for me; academically and as a whole person, they encouraged me to always strive to be the best I can be. I worked hard and with the support of the Christ the King community, I am happy to say I have achieved AAA and have a place to study Media and Communications at the University of Cardiff.”

Tia Richards

A Level Politics (A*), Geography (A*), Fine Art (B), EPQ (A)

University College London

“I have really enjoyed my time at Christ the King. It is a very community spirited sixth form where everyone has been so supportive and helpful. I have felt very cared for and nurtured throughout my time at CTK. In preparation for university, the Careers Team helped to guide me and provide advice on which pathway to choose. There were many opportunities available, including the Open City Accelerate Programme at University College London, which helped me understand the requirements of my chosen course. I am over the moon with my results of A*A*AB and am happy to be studying at University College London.’’

Nathaniel Gana

BTEC Media – D*D*D

University of Reading

“I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the support that CTK sixth form has provided me with during my time here. With dedication to academic excellence and inclusivity, I gained D*D*D in BTEC Media and have been able to achieve my dreams of attending the University of Reading to study Architecture. The personalised attention and encouragement from the teachers has, without doubt, contributed to my academic success. The various resources offered by the sixth form, such as the well-stocked library, extracurricular activities, and online tools have been outstanding.  I would highly recommend CTK, to anyone looking for a wonderful educational experience that goes beyond academic excellence.”

Christabel Efe

BTEC Applied Science – D*D*D*

University of Warwick

“I am thrilled to have achieved D*D*D* in BTEC Applied Science at Christ the King. I am going to study Neuroscience at University of Warwick, in the pursuit of becoming a Neurosurgeon. During my time at CTK, I enjoyed meeting new people, engaging in classroom work and coursework. Furthermore, my teachers have given me thorough support in my studies and have motivated me to work harder. The support systems put in place at CTK are very good and the Sixth Form always has the student’s best interest at heart.”

Angele Ijeh

BTEC Media – D*D*D*

Brunel University of London

“I am delighted with my results. Whilst at CTK, I enjoyed many of the modules that I studied as they were truly inspiring. We had to complete a media campaign for a music artist which I really enjoyed as this gave me an insight into how media integrates into the music industry. I am now going to study Music Production at Brunel University and am thankful to CTK and the support my teachers provided me.  I have truly enjoyed my time at CTK, and it has helped towards my aspiration of owning my own record label.”

Chisom Eduzor

BTEC Applied Science – D*D*D

Kingston University

“With the help of CTK I have been able to achieve D*D*D in BTEC Applied Science and now I am going to study Biomedical Science at Kingston University. Christ the King has a wide range of exceptional courses and the course I studied was just the right one for me. The teachers helped me to support and push me to achieve my final grade. The Careers team provide great advice for the future, and they helped me choose which path I wanted to go down.”

Klaudija Kazlauskaite 

BTEC Health and Social Care – D*DD

University of Greenwich

“I chose CTK because of its values and the support that is available to students. My experience has been great at CTK. Teachers here are very talented, and they helped me to achieve my best. Staff are always there to support you as a young individual in all possible areas. I recommend this sixth form because students always receive the support they need. There are many different activities and opportunities that students can get involved in and improve on a variety of skills. I am so happy with my results and that I have received my offer to study at University of Greenwich.”

We were delighted to hold our Evening of Celebration on 22 June 2023 providing the opportunity to recognise and celebrate our wonderful students’ achievements this year. 

It was a fantastic evening with a welcome and introduction from Mrs Crampton, CTK St Mary’s Principal, followed by a talk from one of our alumni, Seni Fawehinmi who attended CTK Emmanuel in 2008-2010 studying Business and Travel and Tourism. He has since been involved with Metric Capital Partnership and continues to support their work with CTK.

The Guest speaker was John Sinik, Managing Partner of Metric Capital Partners, who has been working with CTK over several years in many different ways, including offering scholarships to some of our most deserving students. The scholarships have provided financial support to help them through their higher education studies. John himself received similar support when he was a student and is very keen to give other young people the same opportunity. John talked about his experience of setting up the scholarships and the effect it has had on both him and the students involved, after which he was kind enough to present the awards. His advice to guests was, “Be bold, the world is changing, find something you love and run through walls to make it happen!”

As guests arrived they were welcomed by one of our talented students, Sudhirsing, playing the piano which was a beautiful way to commence the celebrations.

After the awards had been presented and to close the formal proceedings guests were served refreshments and had the chance to meet speakers, staff and students.

It was a wonderful evening providing the opportunity to celebrate our fantastic students and their achievements.

Christ The King Sixth Forms Foundation Governor Trevor Gomes awarded BEM in Kings Birthday Honours List 

Christ the King Sixth Forms’ Foundation Governor Trevor Gomes was awarded a prestigious Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to education and the community. Trevor, who is a previous student of Christ the King Sixth Forms, was recommended for the honour by the Prime Minister for his work establishing a youth mentoring programme which equips young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with the skills needed for the world of work and higher education. 

Trevor is the founder and director of youth mentoring programme ‘ELEVATE’, originally launched in 2019 to support 15 students at Christ the King Sixth Form College. Trevor rapidly expanded the programme during lockdown, which is now reaching over 10,000 students. The programme runs a series of different schemes, combining workshops with 1:1 mentoring, and a breakfast club offering weekly group mentoring, and covers a range of topics helping young people improve skills for presentations, interviews and networking, as well as providing guidance on careers and CVs, building an online presence and personal branding, and boosting wellbeing and resilience. 

Acts of Charity Day takes place annually. Our Act of Charity Day helps our students to establish and emphasise the values that are important to us at Christ the King Sixth Forms. Our students spend the day contributing in a positive way in their local communities.  The day provides the opportunity for students to take part in a group social action activity with their 10:10 tutor group. In previous years this has included as varied activities as litter picking to helping in local Churches, foodbanks and Primary schools. 

If you know of a local organisation or business who would like our students’ involvement with a charitable activity to support the local community then please contact enquiries@ctsfc.ac.uk

Below are photos of students from this years Acts of Charity Day 2023.

Mental Health Awareness Week

This week students and staff have getting involved in a range of activities and information sessions with the aim of raising awareness and getting students talking about mental health. Every day the Wellbeing Team sent out information and strategies to promote good mental health including a leaflet on how to cope with Exam Stress and one on how to cope with Loneliness. During the week there were several activities and information session taking place on all our sites.   

Just some examples are:

At St Mary’s in the LRC there was a large display focussing on anxiety with tips and approaches on how to manage its effect and suggestions of actions that can be tried both personally and with friends and colleagues. The display also includes a library of self-help books and details of professional services that can be contacted. 

At Aquinas one of the activities for the week was getting out for a walk at lunchtime with students and staff getting out to take some time to enjoy the fresh air. 

At Emmanuel students and staff created a thought board on how to manage stress and anxiety.  The board was positioned in the reception area and students and staff were encouraged to  come along and post their ideas on the post-it notes available; every thought or idea was exchanged for a sweet. This will provide a great source of tips and hints on how to manage anxiety for students and staff.

We were delighted to welcome Bosch Engineering UK to St Mary’s on 16th May as part of our ‘External Speaker Programme’. A Level Maths and Science and BTEC Applied Science students were all lucky enough attend an afternoon of presentations and demonstrations to support their studies.

Presentations were given on what Bosch Engineering does and its history, Careers in Engineering, and women in STEM.  Students also had a demonstration of Engine ECU, ABS and Sensors on the two Bentleys brought along by Bosch.  Speakers from Bosch were Alan George, Bentley Project Manager, Gregg Wookey, Bentley Team Leader, and Bernadette Gray Project Safety Manager.   

The afternoon provided students a great opportunity to learn more abut the Engineering sector.  

Twelve students from Mrs Nadori’s tutor group at CTK St Mary’s decided to set themselves a £50 target to raise money for the Ahotokurom camp in Ghana. Mrs Nadori remembered our first charity raising efforts back in the early 1990s when the leprosy camp had no permanent buildings. She told us how proud the communities in Ghana and CTK were when the first concrete building – a community centre – was completed.

The students decided to attempt a sponsored silence for just a day. Some found it easier than others. It was definitely challenging but amazingly we more than doubled our target raising £123.58! Staying silent for a day was nothing compared to a lifetime of challenges faced by those with this debilitating condition. We are discussing what we can do next!

On Saturday 18th March CTK Sixth Forms were invited, along with other charities and social action groups within the archdiocese,  to exhibit the charitable and social action work they are involved in.  The exhibition took place in the Amigo Hall after Mass in St Georges Cathedral Southwark.  This initiative was supported by the Archbishop who has a specific interest in schools showcasing their philanthropic activities.

Staff and students from CTK set up a stall in the hall, showcasing their work through banners, posters, and leaflets. This was an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of the many social action projects, charity events and community action events that CTK Sixth Forms support, and the positive impact that schools are having in their communities, and to encourage others to get involved in charitable work.

New facilities were made possible by securing a Capacity Fund from the Department of Education 

The MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup Louie French, The Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Nick O’Hare, James Kewin, from the SFCA, Sidcup Ward Councillors and the Mayoress, attended the official opening of the new Learning Centre at CTK St Mary’s today. 

CTK St Mary’s were delighted to be selected for a Capacity Fund from the Department for Education to expand its teaching and learning facilities, due to increased numbers of students at the over-subscribed Sixth Form.   

The new learning hub includes, four brand new classrooms, independent learning area and career hub 

CTK St Mary’s in Sidcup is a successful Sixth Form serving 16-19 learners from in and around the Bexley borough.  The Sixth Form offers a wide range of A Level and BTEC courses and has recently added T Levels to the curriculum offering. 

MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup Louie French said; 

“It was a great honour to join the official opening of these excellent new facilities at CTK St Mary’s in Sidcup this morning. With the support of government funding from the Department of Education to expand its teaching and learning facilities, CTK ST Mary’s have successfully delivered a new teaching area and Careers Hub, which will benefit many students in Sidcup both now and in the future”. 

Christ the King Sixth Forms Executive Principal Shireen Razey said;  

“We were delighted to receive this funding from the Department of Education to enhance our teaching and learning facilities.   We are excited about the benefits the new learning centre will offer our students and were honoured that our MP Louie French could host the grand opening for us.  CTK St Mary’s can now offer students a state-of-the-art learning experience in the heart of Sidcup, and alongside the recent opening of our hospital ward at CTK Emmanuel, we are able to offer learners across Southeast London and Kent the best teaching and learning experience in a Catholic Sixth Form environment. We are thankful to the James and SFCA colleagues who represent Sixth Form Colleges across the UK. They play an important role in raising the profile of colleges and worked hard to ensure Sixth Forms were included in the Capacity Fund bids”. 

The grand opening was attended by the the Mayor of the London Borough of Bexley, Councillor Nick O’Hare, who officially opened the centre, the MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup Louie French, James Kewin, from the SFCA, Sidcup Ward Councillors June Slaughter and Richard Diment (Cabinet Member for Education) and the Mayoress. 

CTK St Mary’s Student Governor Damar Brown gave a heart-warming speech, thanking Shireen Razey and the Christ the King Sixth Form Governors for making this vision possible. 

In keeping with the Sixth Form’s Catholic mission, Father Michael blessed the opening of the new centre and the CTK St Mary’s gospel choir sang a beautiful rendition of Hosanna, Oh Come Al Ye Faithful and We wish you a Merry Christmas, to the VIP guests and students.  Staff, students and Christ the King Sixth Form Governors, were delighted to be able to celebrate the new learning hub opening together at this momentous occasion. 

BTEC and A Level Sports and PE students from CTK St Mary’s visited the Olympic Velodrome at Stratford for a very enjoyable and informative day in November.  They took part in a range of different activities including learning about the design of racing bikes and taking part in a coaching session on how to successfully ride around the velodrome at speed.  They also had the opportunity to participate in a velodrome track session.