St Ambrose College

At St Ambrose we cherish our privileged position within the ER Network and our thriving ERI Group meets every two weeks. Our Chaplain, Mr Murray, and Dr Rousseau love meeting the students and planning activities with them.

Currently, they are focused on homelessness. They have already braved freezing winter temperatures as 40 students and staff took part in a sleepout to raise awareness of the issue across the school community. It was so impressive to see them refuse to sleep inside in the PE corridor, instead taking cardboard, sleeping bags and tents onto the grass despite temperatures of -5! But the sleepout was only part of the advocacy work they did. The rest of the week included workshops around homelessness for all year groups, art displays highlighting the issue around school, and a photographic exhibition in the Chapel. Homelessness was even the prayer and reflection focus for the week.

The ERI Group’s work around homelessness has continued since. They have written a PSHE lesson which all students will be taught after Easter, and they are currently organising a panel discussion with the aim of securing the attendance of local elected officials. It will take a courageous individual to face the questioning of these passionate and well-informed students, that’s for sure!

Our group has also been heavily involved in lobbying for the right to asylum of Mahamadou, an asylum seeker from Niger. Thanks to Ann Nichols and Wilf Hammond, the group have met Mahamadou to hear his story and are currently lobbying legal firms in London to take on his case. The letter the students wrote in support of Mahamadou has been signed by all form groups, so we hope they’ll take notice and act!

This Half Term we have continued our efforts to make St Ambrose a suicide safer community. Having already trained our Pastoral Team in Applied Suicide Intervention, we have now begun training some of our older students too.

22 Year 12 students attended a full day workshop run by Mr Murray and Ann Nichols. We know that suicide is a huge issue in young males and, sadly, we have experience of it in our own community. It was fantastic to see the boys engaging with the issue, showing empathy, and understanding, and learning practical ways to support their peers.

Following our successful Immersion to Sierra Leone last year, we have already recruited our next two groups for 2025 and 2026! Originally, the intention was to only recruit for next year from current Year 11 and 12, but the standard of applications was far too high for that! So, we have committed to returning to annual visits again. We have started meeting the group already and held an orientation meeting for parents before Easter. The biggest problem will be dealing with the demand from staff to be part of the Immersion!

In March we celebrated the Year 8 retreat day.

Here are 8B and 8C enjoying their Lenten Retreat in the Chapel. Here they are taking part in our Lent quiz and acting out scenes from Holy Week. Some Oscar-worthy performances!

Students meeting with Mr Rainey to discuss the development of Catholic Social Teaching into school life.

Stations of the Cross

During the Lenten season, school takes on a particular atmosphere. Distinct from the chaotic and often tense build up to exam season, Lent provides a perspective that can sometimes be lost. It reminds us of what really matters, why we are here, and what it means to be a part of a Catholic community.

During the month of March, each RE class had the opportunity to spend a lesson in the Chapel reflecting on the Stations of the Cross. We are truly blessed at St Ambrose to have a beautiful Chapel. The altar, the tabernacle, the artwork, are gentle nudges as to the higher purpose for our students, the life that sits beyond homework and exams.

Stations of the Cross provided a rare moment out of the busy school day to walk with Christ, to share in his journey and to reflect on what it truly means for them as individuals.

“I know the story of his death and crucifixion.” One student commented. “But I haven’t ever really thought about what it might have felt like.” It seemed striking, utterly important that this was the distinction made. It wasn’t simply about educating students in the journey Jesus took in an academic sense, but for them to delve deeper in the emotional and spiritual impact of that journey. To see it through Jesus’ eyes and then through their own, to see what it meant for his life and now for theirs.

Our chaplain, Mr. Murray had put up the 14 stations not just with their corresponding titles – but with a deeper reflection of the issues they raise and the scenes and moments we might witness these in modern society. Veronica wiping the face of Jesus became not just a biblical scene, but an invitation to pupils to be the person who steps out of the crowd. A Catholic community is an invitation to speak up, to be an advocate, to prioritise the most vulnerable. Veronica here became a model of behaviour, and as students read out and reflected on the message- it became clear that those 14 stations were not a past historical event but ever and increasingly important.

Students reflected on how the women in Jesus’ life might have felt. The grief, the anger, the despair that might have overwhelmed them in those moments. Encouraging students to empathise, to see where in the world people may feel those things too today. The stations were an invitation, an open door for pupils to reflect on their own faith journey and their place within the wider world. We prayed together, felt the call to respond and went back into the school day with hope for the future.

Mrs Sarah McManus