OUTSTANDING – CSI Report 5th May 2023
Diocesan inspection report said:
“Leaders and governors are inspirational in promoting the school’s mission. They are deeply committed and passionate and constantly support everyone. The school seeks to work well with the local parish and show a commitment to its mission. The school promotes parental engagement; they are highly supportive of developing their child’s vocation.
One parent commented, ‘The school’s ethos supports and reflects the Catholic faith. Christ is at the centre of everything that they do.’
Staff speak highly of the care and love that leaders demonstrate and told inspectors, ‘Our school promotes a love of faith which is engaging and inspiring for all our children. Our Catholic ethos is intrinsic in all that we say and do.’ There is an open-door well-being policy, and staff feel confident they can readily access support. One staff commented, ‘St Mary’s is a wonderful place where strong relationships are formed, and everyone is respected.’ Governors make highly significant contributions, effectively evaluating with rigour, analysis, and targeted improvement.”
OFSTED report said:
“There is a strong sense of pastoral care across the school, which reflects the school’s Catholic values.
Leaders promote pupils’ personal development well. They teach them how to be responsible, active citizens. Pupils raise money for charity or make donations to organisations in the local community.
Parents and carers value the opportunities available to their children. A comment made by a parent reflects the views of many others: ‘My child is not just learning academically, but also spiritually and how to be a kind and caring person.” OFSTED December 2022
Our Mission at St. Mary’s
The Catholic Life of the school is given the highest priority where the development of an authentic Catholic ethos is actively sought by all. Children are empowered to have a thorough understanding of the Church’s liturgical year, its seasons, rites and symbols. Within the school community, prayer has a profound and visible effect on the development of all pupils and staff irrespective of ability or faith background. As a school, we promote a love of faith; engaging and inspiring our children to take responsibility for promoting the Catholic ethos of our community whilst seeking to lead and develop this further. Developing a greater understanding of vocation is fundamental in giving our children a meaningful reason to live out their faith. Teachers ensure that children are provided with opportunities to develop their thinking and respond to questions of faith. Our school celebrates, develops and enhances the Catholic Life of our children and ensures our Catholic ethos underpins all that we do and strive to achieve.
Christ has no body on earth but ours.
Ours are the hands with which He heals.
Ours are His eyes, His feet, His lips.
Ours are the hearts through which He loves.
Teresa of Avila
Our Curriculum – Catholic Social Teaching Coverage
Our whole school curriculum is centred around the principles of Building the Kingdom and Catholic Social Teaching. In principle, this means bringing the unchangeable values of the Gospel into an everchanging modern society. Our curriculum and pedagogical approach provides our children with a foundation to make the world a better place. Our children realise that they are not too young to make a difference and that each individual’s unique vocation is not for the future but for now. All of the children’s learning leads them towards answering one of these Big Questions at the end of each learning block. Please see our ‘Curriculum’ page to view our overviews and find more information.
Catholic Life Gallery
Here is this week's Wednesday Word to share at home with your families.
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Listening – Magazine – Page 1
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What a joyful occasion to celebrate! ✝️💙
We are delighted to share that Monty in Year 1 and his younger sister, Hattie, were baptised this weekend, taking this very special step in their faith journey as children of God.
It was wonderful to see Monty supported by his sister, Romy (Year 3), along with his friends Charlie (Year 3) and Olly (Year 5), who were proud to stand alongside him on such an important day.
As a school family, we are so proud of you all and pray that God continues to bless Monty and Hattie as they grow in faith, hope and love.
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Here is this week's Wednesday Word to share at home with your families.
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Companion – Magazine – Page 1
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A huge well done to Isabelle and Steven who represented St Mary’s so wonderfully this morning at the Diocesan Headteachers’ Conference.
After a very early 5am start to catch the coach they attended Mass and had the privilege of singing with children from across the St Gabriel the Archangel CMAT schools. It was wonderful to see everyone come together in song and celebration.
Both children sang beautifully and represented St Mary’s with pride throughout the morning. We are incredibly proud of them and thank them for being such fantastic ambassadors for our school. Well done Isabelle and Steven! 🌟🎶 #catholiclifestm
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Here is this week's Wednesday Word to share at home with your families.
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Faith – Magazine – Page 1
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Here is this week's Wednesday Word to share at home with your families.
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Courage – Magazine – Page 1
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🌑 Year 5 & 6 Take Part in Black Out Day! 🌑
Today, our Year 5 and 6 students took part in Black Out Day, a special event where they put all technology aside – no iPads, no interactive boards and no digital devices of any kind! The purpose of the day was to give our children a chance to experience learning and creativity without relying on screens, encouraging collaboration, imagination, and hands-on problem solving.
It was wonderful to see the children engaging in activities, working together, and having fun in new ways. By the end of the day, many of the students said that they hadn’t missed the technology at all and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
A big well done to all our Year 5 and 6 learners for embracing the challenge! 👏
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🎁🌍 World Give 🌍🎁
Today, a group of our pupils had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside World Give, a charity that provides gift boxes filled with essential items and special treats for children in communities around the world who may not have access to the things many of us take for granted.
The children helped to sort, fill and pack the boxes, knowing that their efforts will bring joy, hope and practical support to other children. They also took part in the filming of a promotional video for the charity alongside local presenter Louise Stones, helping to spread awareness of the incredible work that World Give does.
As a thank you for giving up their time, the charity kindly provided a breakfast club and lots of treats for the children, making the experience even more memorable.
We are incredibly proud of the compassion, generosity and enthusiasm shown by our pupils. They were excellent ambassadors for our school and truly lived out our mission of serving others with love and kindness.
This is just the beginning of our partnership with World Give. In September, we will be launching a whole-school RE homework project and challenging our school community to see how many gift boxes we can fill together. We can’t wait to get involved and make a difference to the lives of children around the world.
Keep an eye out for the finished promotional video, which will be released soon and features some of our wonderful pupils helping to support this fantastic cause!
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