A Passage to India

SJBC Sixth Former, Rob joins the Headmaster on the eve of his momentous trip to Calcutta, India as part of the Bosco Volunteers. Rob will be spending 8 days in India together with students from our sister school, Salesian College, Chertsey. Rob will visit a number of Salesian schools as well as a shrine to Mother Theresa. In addition he will be working with children living in the slum areas of the city. The trip has a further purpose - to reflect on how best to convey such poverty to people in the UK, many of who have never experienced it on this scale. We wish Rob all the very best and congratulate him for his generosity and courage in undertaking a trip that will be anything but a holiday.

Partners in Success

Chair of Governors, Mrs Jane Hargrave, Assistant Headteacher, Mr Kevin Regan and the Headmaster are joined by Judy Hutchinson and Warren Von Eschenbach from the University of Notre Dame, London programme. The programme, now in its third year, has seen a range of outstanding Notre Dame University students spending part of their 'London experience' working with our students. Here they join us as our guests to meet the United States Ambassador. 

Visit of the United States Ambassador

A wonderful occasion, the visit of the United States Ambassador Mr Matthew Barzun, to Saint John Bosco College. The Ambassador made a superb presentation to the Sixth Form students which involved him asking them many questions about their ideas and responses to U.S. culture and policy. The audience, which also included two representatives from our (U.S.) Partner Institution, Notre Dame University, were fully engaged and responded to Mr Barzun's openness. Receiving a special award for their outstanding contributions to the school are Darlene and Oliver. 

The Ambassador helped the students identify the issues - foreign and domestic- which mattered to them and also challenged some of the myths or perceptions. We are extremely grateful to the Ambassador for visiting us and we look forward to being neighbours when we move to Battersea. 

Our new Spanish Partner School

Staff and students of El Pilar Salesian College, near Madrid, join Mr Uttley and Project Leader, Mrs Picton at the start of what we hope will be a fantastic exchange programme. The group will be getting to know their UK counterparts, visiting the Science Museum and spending time getting to know London. 

Feast Day'15

Feast Day 2015 - our last ever at our current site. We were delighted to have the Provincial of the Salesian Order in the UK, Fr Martin Coyle, as our principal celebrant (pictured alongside School Chaplain, Fr Saju). Fr Coyle spoke of the unique blessing of having Don Bosco as our patronal saint, a man who worked tirelessly for young people, understood them and believed in their dignity and possibilities. Fr Coyle reminded us that, as a Salesian school we shared today's celebration with the global Salesian network of schools in 131 countries. 

During the beautiful service in the Parish Church, students presented a cheque to our guest from Shooting Star Chase, one of our designated school charities. Shooting Star provides incredible help to very ill children in its hospices around the region. Click here for more information. Happy Feast Day!