A SCHOOL is proposing to change its name and uniform as part of its ‘road to improvement’.
St Gregory the Great Catholic School headteacher Lyndsey Caldwell wrote to parents and carers to outline the proposals.
Among the changes being consulted upon with parents is changing the name of the school to Greyfriars Catholic School.
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Ms Caldwell told the Oxford Mail: “We’re in the Greyfriars parish so it’s about strengthening the links with the community.
“That sense of we are a real link to Oxford and the university, that’s something I really want to build.
“It’s not just a change of name, it’s a radical shift for us as a school and the way we run things.
“We’ll look at feedback from parents and there’ll be a series of ‘meet the headteacher’ meetings to inform people.”
Years 7-11 will see a uniform change, with the school paying for new blazers and ties, and supporting the cost of new trousers and skirts.
Ms Caldwell added: “There’s initial design plans – we’re getting the student council to work on that too.
“It’s the sense of a fresh look for us and it will show it’s a significant change.
“There’s a lot of powerful and positive things that have happened here over the last few years and this change is what I will think will lead us on.
“It’s about a sense of a fresh look and a new chapter.
“I know what’s right for the children – it’s a way of improving the school, not necessarily to meet criteria but to benefit the pupils.
“We’re on a road to improvement and this is part of that model of improvement.”
Read more: Trust merger could help ‘inadequate’ school
The school week will also see a shift as enrichment opportunities, known as electives, are set to be introduced.
The letter sent to parents states that from September, opportunities such as painting, cooking, gardening, fitness and charity work will be available.
These sessions would be an hour long – a single lesson per week – and students would choose an elective every term, completing six different electives over the course of the year.
“One of the things students have missed in the pandemic is participating in clubs and activities in the community,” said Ms Caldwell.
“Yes, they’ve missed their education but the social aspect and sense of participation has been lost for a lot of students, and we’re keen to build on that in school time.”
In 2020, a school trust merger saw the Pope Francis Catholic Multi Academy Company take control of the secondary phase of St Gregory’s.
Two standalone schools were created – St Gregory’s and St Frideswide Church of England Primary School – with Ofsted now able to inspect the schools separately.
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