We finished the term with our Advent Service which, this year, was a 'Karaoke Christmas Story'! Our Junior and Senior 1804 society retold the nativity story through narration, scripture and a mixture of pop songs that everyone was encouraged to join in with.

Donations to the Micah foodbank were offered during the service and our dancers performed beautifully to Phil Wickham's version of 'Away In a Manger'.

After a closing Christmas reflection, students enjoyed the annual staff Christmas sing-a-long video and everyone left the school building with the rousing St Julie's tradition - 'My Lighthouse'! 

Students were entertained at break time by a pop up Christmas concert from our Sixth Form performing arts students!

The three piece band and four vocalists belted out some Christmas classics to a very appreciative audience!

On Friday morning we celebrated the breakfast of champions as our merit cup winners all spent period 1 in the Dining Room enjoying a spectacular breakfast banquet prepared by our catering team.

The traditional feast is a worthy reward for the form group in each year that has collectively earned the most points through their excellent attendance and punctuality, exemplary behaviour and fantastic attitude to learning.

We hope that all of our winners enjoyed themselves!

On Thursday our Sixth Form centre turned into a wardrobe department as students put the finishing touches to their magnificent outfits in the annual Sixth Form fancy dress competition.

The event is always a highlight of the Christmas calendar and generates huge excitement when it comes to judging time in the final parade in the Dining Room!

Thank you to everyone who raised some smiles by taking part.

Whilst staff recently had their Christmas jumper day it was the turn of students to dazzle with their accessories on Thursday this week!

We had a wonderful glitterfest as students arrived bedecked in socks, hats, ribbons and some wonderful glasses! 

Throughout this last week students have been celebrating their achievements during the last half term in our Merit Cup assemblies.

Students are acknowledged and rewarded for both individual and collective achievement with points awarded in various categories including attendance, punctuality and behaviour leading to some nail biting finishes to see who wins a place at the Merit Cup Breakfast!

Thank you to all of our Progress Leaders and Form Tutors for making the assemblies such fun occasions!

After last week's successful production of Annie, our KS3 cast headed for a well deserved treat at the Liverpool Empire, where they enjoyed taking an audience seat for the Roald Dahl classic, Matilda.

The students enjoyed a fantastic evening and were impressed by the show's impressive choreography, set design and story telling. 

We're confident that they took careful mental notes that they can use in next year's production!

On Wednesday it was time for crackers and hats as students enjoyed a sumptuous Christmas dinner!

Our catering team, led by Mr Eccles, did a spectacular job in preparing and serving a full menu of roast turkey with hand rolled stuffing, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, cauliflower cheese, greens with cranberries, pigs in blankets and the enormously popular sprouts with bacon and maple syrup.

With some festive tunes and a wonderful Christmas spirit the meal was a fabulous occasion enjoyed by all!

On Tuesday 16th December, we welcomed local parishioners in to school to join us for a Christmas Afternoon Tea.

Our Youth SVP Group took the lead with the preparations, organising decorations, entertainment and bingo and our Junior 1804 offered a very warm welcome to all our visitors.

Parishioners from OLA, Gateacre and St Wilfrid’s enjoyed a variety of delicious finger sandwiches and cakes provided by our amazing catering team and tea and coffee was served by members of our 6th form 1804 Society.

We ended our time together with a short reflection, thinking about what our Christmas prayer or wish is this year. Visitors, students and staff all added their wish to a paper link that was added to a group paper chain, to remind us of how connected we are.

The paper chain now hangs at our altar in the chapel and our prayers will be offered at this Friday Morning’s Mass.

After finishing with a rousing Christmas sing-a-long, everyone left with a smile on their face and the students were a credit to themselves, their families and the school!

On Friday of last week we had a wonderful lunchtime as we invited students to visit our Christmas bazaar!

The event was a fun filled extravaganza and turned our team talk area into a hive of activity!

With the generous support of our student volunteers our visitors had a chance to visit a host of different stalls offering prizes, items for sale, tasty treats and a chance to pummel volunteer staff members with snowballs!

Thanks to everyone involved for making it such a memorable occasion!

On Wednesday we reached the climax of our production run with the emotional final performance of Annie!

The show has been met with huge acclaim by audiences, from our primary matinee last week through to our three sold out evening performances.

The talent, passion and enthusiasm shown by all members of the company, from our principal cast through to chorus, technical and costume, is a credit to the inspirational teaching and dedication of our Performing Arts team.

Thank you to everyone came to enjoy the show and support our students. Thanks to Mrs Mannings for the photos which you can enjoy in the gallery below.

On Wednesday, student representatives from Y7, 8 and 9 went to the Metropolitan Cathedral for the annual Schools’ Advent Service.

Primary and secondary schools from across the Archdiocese gathered to watch an entertaining retelling of the Nativity story through song, dance and a few bad jokes! The highlight this year was the inclusion of a real donkey!

Students participated in the singing of carols and the event ended with a toy collection for Nugent - a lovely way to mark this advent season!

Year 12 welcomed Elizabeth and Mark from Cunliffe's on Thursday where they learned about the range of careers in the construction industry.

Students were able to discover pathways and routes into the industry; different roles within the company and the ever growing number of females working within engineering.

We'd like to thank Mark and Elizabeth for their time.

Year 8 students attended the Computer Science CyberMEGA Event on Tuesday 9th December where they had the opportunity to take part in lots of engaging activities.

Some of the activities included building and programming robots, programming robots to play football, decode Santa's code to stop The Grinch from getting access and many more! 

The students were able to compete against other schools and win some amazing Prizes. The Grinch even made a surprise appearance! Isabella won the top Cyber Student from St Julie's for her confidence and participation!

Well done to all students, they had a fantastic day and even enjoyed a slice of pizza! 

This week we sent a team of badminton players to the first badminton tournament of the year hosted at Belvedere Academy.

As well as earning a creditable fourth place overall, our players were recognised for their great sportsmanship with a tournament 'fair play' award! 

Well done to all of the players for a great tournament.

On Tuesday our Year 7 and 8 Football Team contested a triangular fixture with back to back matches against teams from Bellerive and Gateacre High School.

Although tough on the players from all teams, everyone showed their stamina and endurance in the matches.

Congratulations to our players who recorded a win against Bellerive and a draw against Gateacre!

This week, our students took part in an exciting workshop designed to open their eyes to the incredible variety of careers within the NHS. Many discovered roles they had never heard of before—from cutting-edge technology positions to vital behind-the-scenes jobs that keep our healthcare system running.

Each student will now produce a creative advertisement for their chosen NHS career. The format is completely up to them—whether it’s a catchy song, an engaging game, or even a dramatic movie trailer, imagination is the only limit!

Once completed, these projects will be entered into a national competition, giving our students the chance to showcase their creativity and win fantastic prizes.

On Thursday students from Year 12 were introduced to LJMU Outreach team member, Mariama. Mariama spoke to students about the benefits of higher education, different types of courses to look out for and gave an oversight of life as a student at LJMU.

Students were able to learn more about  both the City and Mount Pleasant Campus and the different courses offered at each. In addition, they were provided with an overview of student finance, accommodation and scholarship opportunities. We'd like to thank Mariama for her time and insight; and look forward to welcoming her back into school in the new year.

Our Year 7/8 Footballers have cleared the first hurdle of their Merseyside Cup campaign with a win!

Our players faced a team from Ridgeway High School in the first round and took a win securing a place in the next round of the competition. Well done to all of the players!

We are now in the season of Advent, so on Monday, all Year 7 students gathered in the Chapel for a celebration of Mass.

The Mass was an opportunity to begin this season of preparation well; by reflecting and giving thanks for all the good things in our lives, to remember those who find this time of year difficult and think about how we can open our hearts to Jesus and others this Christmas.

A huge thank you to Year 7 for their participation and to all the students involved in reading and music ministry. Thank you,  Father Ed for leading us in a wonderful celebration that has started Advent in the best way possible!

On Wednesday this week we welcomed in Steve from Creative Score and DJ, Producer and Songwriter A ME B to lead DJing workshops for staff and students from schools across the city.

At the workshops the guests were introduced to the Pioneer FLX4 digital turntables and walked through an introduction to some of the industry standard software packages used by creators across the globe.

On Tuesday we were delighted to welcome Laura and Mariano from the Onatti production company who performed ‘Un Ensayo Desastroso’ in Spanish to all of Year 8.

The fast paced and hilarious play follows auditions for Romeo y Julieta in a small town theatre in Spain.

The unfolding chaos sees meltdowns and tantrums, forgotten props, and students drafted in to replace missing cast members!

Thank you to the performers for a wonderfully engaging show that the audience thoroughly enjoyed!

On Monday night our Y9/10 travelled to Cheshire to face Hartford High School in the third round of the U15s English school's cup.

Hartford pressed the home advantage to take the lead, but our players stayed focussed and dug deep to net an equaliser.

With things all square at the final whistle the teams faced off for a tense penalty shootout. A brilliant save from our keeper, Peggy, saw St Julie's prevail and we progress to the next round. Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 footballers who celebrated an away win on Tuesday against Archbishop Blanch in the Liverpool League.

The match was a nail-biter, with our team falling behind twice before goals from Charlotte redressed the balance. With the score 2-2 at the final whistle, a cool penalty shoot out saw our team progress to the next round!

Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 netballers who have both celebrated big wins in this week's netball league game!

Our teams faced opposition from Holly Lodge Girls' College, and with great team work and spirit our Year 7 team, pictured in green, recorded an 8-0 win and our Year 8 team, in pink, triumphed with a 5-0 win!

A special well done goes to Annabelle in Year 7 and Orlaith in Year 8, our respective players of the match.

On Wednesday, we held our first Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving in the chapel, offering a safe space for students, parents, carers and staff to reflect and pray for those loved ones who have died. Sr Catherine Darby and Sr Mary O'Brien were in attendance to remember those Notre Dame Sisters lost within the past year and Fr Peter McGrail represented our local Deanery priests.

Led by our chaplain and Ministry students, the service included music, scripture, poetry and a beautiful opportunity to light a candle in memory of those who have died. The atmosphere was moving and meaningful for all who were there. 

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen

On the 25^th November we’re inviting students to wear white ribbons in their hair to support the white ribbon charity in ending male based violence against women and girls.

Ribbons will be on sale during the school day. We are also asking for gift donations for the women being supported by South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service in refuge this Christmas.

Congratulations to our Year 7 A Team of netballers who earned third place at the LSSP tournament this week!

On Tuesday the team joined teams from 16 other schools across the city at Wavertree Tennis Centre for some great competitive matches.

Some headline results include a 7-0 win over St Nicholas, a 5-1 against Alsop and a 4-1 against the Bluecoat A team.

Well done to all of the players for enjoying the day with a great sporting attitude!

All Year 10 students celebrated mass on Monday and focused on the theme of the Eucharist and its importance to Catholics. 

Fr Peter McGrail began the day by celebrating Mass with Q Band and P Band closed their school day with Mass celebrated by Fr Ed Cain. 

Students were attentive and participated in the Mass with respect.  Also, a special thanks to students from Y8 and 9 who served in Ministries of the Word and Music beautifully!

Our Sixth Form Physics students recently took part in an exciting Physics Olympiad hosted at the University of Liverpool, competing against 30 other schools from across the region. The event was packed with challenging and creative tasks designed to stretch their scientific thinking and teamwork skills.

Students tackled a range of fascinating problems, including:

• - Simulating Archimedes’ burning mirrors to achieve maximum light intensity.
• - Measuring the Doppler effect and analyzing frequency shifts.
• - Predicting planetary realignment using Kepler’s Second Law.
• - Identifying exoplanets by studying spectral data to detect chemical compounds.

It was an inspiring day filled with discovery and collaboration. Our students represented the school brilliantly, and we are proud to share that our team finished in the top 10!

A special mention goes to our talented students who had a fantastic day exploring advanced physics concepts and showcasing their talent.

Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 Football Team who have cruised to a comfortable win in their first league game of the season!

Our players gave an outstanding performance in the opening fixture of the Liverpool Schools' League to record an emphatic 8-0 victory over their opponents from Archbishop Beck.

Well done to the team for getting their first points on the board!

On Tuesday we were thrilled to be able to exhibit the CAFOD commissioned Jubilee Year icon to staff and students.

The icon has been on a display tour in dioceses across the country throughout the year, and only yesterday was in the Isle of Man! We benefitted from the wonderful opportunity to display the icon for one day only in our Chapel, allowing staff and students to spend reflection time in its presence.

Thank you to the Archdiocese of Liverpool for affording us this opportunity.

The entire school community united today in our Peace Garden for the annual Remembrance Day commemoration.

Shortly before 11am all staff and students assembled for the ceremony with readings from our 1804 Society explaining some of the history surrounding the solemn occasion, and the sacrifices of those we remember and honour.

This year marks 80 years since VE and VJ days, and so our ceremony this year had a particular focus on the service personnel and civilians who lost their lives in the Second World War.

Student and staff representatives laid ceremonial poppy wreaths representing each member of the school community before the sounding of ‘The Last Post’ saw our flags being lowered to half mast. Those assembled then flawlessly observed a period of reflective silence.

Thank you to all students for helping to make this important ceremony to meaningful today.

Please click here to read a copy of an information leaflet for parents circulated by Meresyside Police about knife crime.

If you have any questions or you would like to know more please contact safeguarding@stjulies.org.uk.

Students from Years 8 and 9 recently took part in a fantastic retreat to Savio House, where they thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of their experience. The trip included a scenic outdoor walk to the White Nancy landmark, as well as smaller group sessions that encouraged time for reflection and personal growth. Throughout the retreat, the students represented St Julie’s Catholic High School with great maturity and enthusiasm.

The retreat provided an important opportunity for students to pause and reflect on their lives, their relationships with family and friends, their school community, and their faith. As part of the experience, the group attended a reconciliation service and celebrated Mass, during which students were respectful, thoughtful, and engaged.

Overall, it was a meaningful and successful few days away, leaving everyone with lasting memories- and perhaps in need of a good night’s sleep!

This week students celebrated the anniversary of the creation of the United Nations in a workshop with the LFC Foundation.

The three strong team led the students through some of the guiding principles of the UN, including maintaining peace, promoting human rights and fostering social and economic progress globally. They then sought to put these principles into practice in group activities.

Thanks to the team from the LFC Foundation for a great workshop.

Year 8 students consolidated their learning of tectonic plate boundaries this week by making them out of Oreo biscuits!

Students have been completing a course of study on Hazardous Worlds, looking at where volcanoes and earthquakes take place. The constructive, destructive five and conservative plate boundaries were explained using Oreos, and disappeared pretty quickly afterwards! 

After the success of last year's Ariel Trust project, students at St Julie's were asked for their support to star in a drama workshop to be used as support material for other schools.

A professional film company attended school just before the half term break to shoot a drama workshop focusing on 'skills for a healthy relationship', starring our students. 

The purpose of the film is to support other secondary school in how to deliver these sessions in their setting. 

Ariel Trust were extremely impressed with our students' energy and professionalism and are hoping to work with them again soon on future projects!

Congratulations to Sophia in Year 8 who was part of the City of Liverpool Water Polo Team that won the Swim England U15 Competition at the weekend!

The City of Liverpool regained a previously held crown when they won their four consecutive matches at the Alan Higgs Cetnre in Coventry. The final was a closely fought match against Otter from London, but robust defending of a lead established in the third quarter saw the Liverpool swimmers prevail.

Sophia started competitive swimming at 7 and switched to water polo a couple of years later, quickly settling into the energetic, fast paced game.

Well done to Sophia and her teammates on a phenomenal result for our city!

Students in Year 9 Textiles recently took part in an house competition to create a 3D dress, with fabulous results!

The students did a fantastic job combining the many design skills they have developed over the half term into wonderfully formed pieces.

Well done to all of the contestants for some remarkable work.