Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School

Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School is a Voluntary Aided, 11 – 16 Co-educational Comprehensive Day School, serving the Faith Community of Denbighshire. The Faith community encompasses families of all faiths and children of all faiths are welcome here in line with our admissions policy. The school is situated on land adjoining Ysgol Mair Primary School.

All subjects benefit from specialist suited rooms and access to ICT is supported through bookable laptop trolleys situated in five zones across the school. Additional PC and tablet access has been developed by the library, now providing a superb learning resource centre, incorporating our new school “virtual library” to support pupils in their work. Pupils are encouraged to use the library, both in school time and its research and study facilities during their free time and after school. Homework club operates Monday to Thursday from 3.15 – 4pm. The school “quad” provides outdoor seating for pupils who prefer to eat al fresco and pupils are encouraged to maintain this area free of litter.

The school benefits from generously sized outdoor sports facilities at Ffordd Derwen. Changing rooms at both on-site and off-site facilities have recently been upgraded to a good standard. Recent improvement to the lunctime arrangements have enabled increased levels of participation in the “5 x 60” sports programme. Further PE provision includes swimming at Rhyl Leisure Centre and the full range of amenities at the award winning “Marsh Tracks” cycling centre in Rhyl.

We are a Catholic school promoting the Gospel values of Faith Hope and Love. We stand for understanding, kindness, forgiveness, truth and respect. These attributes are those of people of all faiths and as such we welcome children of all faiths into our school. We have developed our beautiful Chapel to provide a calm and reflective place for groups and individual children to go to be calm and thoughtful.

There are Year group assemblies held in the chapel each week and every form says prayers with their Form Teacher during tutor sessions in the middle and at the end of each day. Liturgies and services are also held in the Chapel and the school gym depending on the season and feast. Each year we celebrate whole school mass at our local Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Assumption (St Mary’s) in Rhyl. Bishop Peter Brignall is invited to celebrate the Mass of Welcome, supported by Fr Charles Ramsay, parish priest and friend of the school. The staff and pupils benefit from the support and guidance from our diocesan clergy.

The school supports local, national and international charities in a variety of ways, including Rhyl Foodbank, St Kentigern Hospice, Ty Gobaith Hospice, The Royal British Legion, Marie Curie, “Jeans for Genes”, CAFOD and Missio. Students develop their understanding of other world faiths, both through the explicit RE curriculum and also through various enrichment opportunities such as visiting the local Mosque in Rhyl, the Synagogue in Liverpool and both Christian Cathedrals in Liverpool. Pupils have opportunities to experience a “retreat” from daily life to reflect on their spiritual journey, through in-school retreat days, the “Flame” national youth events and overnight retreat visits to centres such as Savio Retreat Centre in Cheshire.