Embedded Files
A Message from Mrs Killick
This will is our last newsletter for this academic year. It has been another extremely busy week for our children as you will see in this newsletter.
Next week, we sadly say goodbye to all our Year 6 children. We wish them all the very best in their new schools, they will all be amazing, just as you have been here at st Paul's.
We are also sadly saying goodbye to the following members of staff
Mrs Trainer, our Speech & Language Therapist
Mr Payne, Miss Welch, Miss White and Miss Searle. We wish them all good luck in their new adventures.
We also wanted to welcome back Miss Field, from her maternity leave. Miss Field will be joining the Year1/2 team in September.
Finally, I wish you all a happy and safe summer holiday, thank you for all your support this academic year and I look forward to seeing you all again on Thursday 04 September 2025.
Year 6 Retreat Day – A Day of Hope and Reflection
Our Year 6 pupils recently took part in a special Retreat Day centered around the theme of' Hope', offering a meaningful opportunity to reflect on their time at primary school and prepare for the journey ahead into secondary school. During the day, the children visited four reflective stations, each focusing on a different aspect of hope, where they were guided through prayer and scripture to deepen their understanding. Father Tom and Deacon Ryan then addressed the children in the heart of the cathedral and their words further supported the children in embracing hope and change with faith and confidence. The day concluded with a picnic in the park and delicious ice lollies generously provided by Mrs Killick. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Secci for organising such a thoughtful and inspiring day – one the children will hold in their hearts forever
A Night at the Movies – Year 6 Shine Bright
Year 6 lit up the stage with their show A Night at the Movies, bringing songs from Toy Story, Shrek, Minecraft and many more to life.
With amazing props, tear-jerking moments, and confident, lively performances, the children truly wowed the audience. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them — a fantastic and emotional celebration of their journey.
Well done, Year 6!
This week, the children set up their own hairdressers in the role play area, where they took turns to brush and style each others hair.
The children have also been taking part in funky fingers activities and really enjoyed threading buttons and cotton wheels onto thread. They then measured their threading against each others to see who made the longest.
Thursday was the children's graduation. All the nursery staff were extremely proud of all of them, they had work hard practising for this day.
it was a wonderful show to celebrate their graduation.
Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us.
Can I Drive a F1!
This week, some of our Year 5 pupils had the opportunity to take part in The Portsmouth Digital City Project Trip to Williams F1 Stem Day. The children worked with others from across the city on three different activities.
Stem design challenge - Nose Cone crumple zones
Museum tour and Question and Answer session
E-Sports
Our children were very engaged with the activities and it was good to see our girls taking an interest in engineering, and asking lots of questions.
Pilgrims of Hope
On Wednesday some of our children visited the Cathedral to be filmed singing for the Pilgrims of Hope.
Mrs Park, the Headteacher from St John's Primary school sent us the following message.
"I just wanted to let you know that the children who sang for the filming this morning were incredible! They sang so beautifully and were exceptionally well behaved and engaged in the singing - every single child was a credit to their school."
Please keep an eye out for this recording coming soon on Facebook.
Having a Splashing Time!
Last Wednesday, Mrs Were and Miss Standley, spent an afternoon with our military children at Hilsea splash park
They all had a lovely time the children were very well behaved.
They especially enjoyed an ice pole and some time in the park.
Nurture Park Trip
On Monday and Thursday Nurture took a trip to Paulsgove park to celebrate the end of the year. All children were well behaved and respectful to members of the public. We are all really proud of you!
Tudor Day
We wanted to share an amazing event that is being held in the Summer, which is open to all.
We thought our Year 3/4 children might be particularly interested as they have really enjoyed learning about the Tudors, this term.
Attendance
This week 240 children had 100% attendance, which is 84% of the school.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Bernadette with 99%
To say a huge well done to all the children who achieved 100% attendance this term we went to the splash park at Canoe Lake today followed by a picnic in the sunshine.
The children were so well behaved and a great time was had by all.
Disco Divas
Last Friday, the children danced the evening away at the school disco. They all had a fabulous time showing off their dancing moves to the great tunes that Mr Edwards played.
Thank you Mr Edwards for providing the music for the discos and Mrs Sawdy for sourcing all the treats for the children to purchase.
We have raised over £1000.00, which will go towards resources for the children.
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
Being able to show an understanding of their actions in our
‘Powerful World’
Nursery :
St Peter : Belle
St Anne : Whole Class
St John : Savannah
St James : Loki
St Bernadette : Ayyub
St Thomas : Skylar
St Pio : Reuban
St Francis : Frazer T
St Scholastica : Jacob
St Benedict : Rose A
St Teresa : Vinnie
St Edith : Leo W
Congratulations and well done to you all.
Reflective thought
"Who ever finds Jesus, finds a rich treasure."
Thomas `a Kempis
Sad Passing
This week we received information that Julie Scarborough had passed away, aged 90. Julie was a long standing teacher at St Paul's during the 1970s and 1980s. Her funeral will be held on August 12, at 11:00 am at St Colman's church.
Julies family have set up a tribute page which has the information about the funeral and also photos, video, and tributes. If you would like to see this please use the following link https://julie-scarborough.muchloved.com/#
Anyone wishing to attend, please register for a ticket using this link:
Low-cost activities and events for your family
A Message from Mrs Killick
As we draw closer to the end of this academic year, we continue to enrich our children's learning.
This week Year 2 visited the dockyards, Year 6 attended music events and year 5 have had a 'Rap' Workshop
On Wednesday, we came together as a school for our End of Year Mass. This was a wonderful opportunity for our whole school community to give thanks for the past year and to reflect on our time together. We are truly fortunate to live and learn together in such a peaceful, loving environment. This is made more obvious to us when we see how war and conflict is affecting children in other parts of our world.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend, please keep cool.
I SEE NO SHIPS......OH YES I DO!
Year 2 are learning about the life of Admiral Lord Nelson and the ship, HMS Victory.
On Monday, they visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyards to find out more about Admiral Lord Nelson and the impact he had on our local history.
The children visited the galleries to learn about the different ships he commanded and looked at the uniform he would have worn, along with other artefacts on display.
After, they visited the grand HMS Victory and explored the different decks.
They all had a wonderful time.
Year 6 Retreat Day Reminder
Monday 14 July
All Year 6 children are to be dropped off at St John's Cathedral at 08.45am where St Paul's staff will meet them.
They will then need to be collected at 2:00pm from the Cathedral.
Children will require sun cream, a hat, plenty to drink and their packed lunch.
We are sure that this will be a wonderful time for us all as we reach the end of our year together.
Children may wear St Paul's PE Kit but NO football kits of coloured t shirts. Thank you
Those children who have arranged a seat on the minibus need to be in school by 8:15 and will be back at school by the end of the school day.
Our School Uniform Expectations
Winter Uniform
White long/short-sleeved shirt with a red tie, ties available from the school office
Grey trousers, Grey skirt/pinafore with grey tights
Grey V-necked jumper/cardigan
Grey or white socks
Black leather/leather style shoes
Black boots with low heel can be worn with trousers (Not skirts/pinafores)
NO trainers allowed
Summer Uniform
White short-sleeved shirt with a red tie
Grey trousers/grey shorts/grey skirt
red checked dress
Grey V-necked jumper/cardigan
Grey or white socks
Black leather/leather style shoes or sandals with closed in toes and low heel.
No flip flops/Crocs allowed
PE Uniform – to be worn by all children
Black/Navy Shorts, Black/Blue tracksuit for winter/outside sports – no logos
Plain white polo shirt/ T-shirt
Plimsolls/Trainers
PE bag – available from the school office
Trainers
Children can change from their school shoes into trainers during playtime/lunchtime to enable them to take part in ball games but at the end of play must change back into their school shoes.
Jewellery
A watch and a single pair of small studs are permitted but these MUST be removed when taking part in PE or games activities. No other Jewellery is allowed.
Hair
Hair must not be dyed, be cut less than a grade 2 and no pattern should be cut in it. Hair gel/spray must not be used. Long hair must be tied back.
Backpacks/rucksacks are not permitted – children should only bring a book bag which are available from the school office.
Uniform price changes From September 2025
£4.00 - Ties
£3.60 - PE bags
£7.00 - Small book bag
£10.50 - Large book bag
Please remember we are a cashless school and purchases must be made by card at the school office.
As we have 7 weeks until the children return to school, this is plenty of time for all parents to purchase the correct uniform, as listed above. This information is also available on our school website.
The Year 6 Art showcase was a great success.
Other year groups visited to see the work.
The year 6's proudly talked about their own journey in art from Year 1 to Year 6 with pride.
Thank you to the parents who attended after school to view the children's work
This week, some of the children found feathers in the garden which they made into a beautiful bird with help from Debbie.
The preschool children have been working really hard rehearsing for their graduation, which they are looking forward to sharing with you.
Dates for your diary
New to Reception Stay and Play 9:30 - 10:30, Friday 11 & Friday 18 July
Preschool Graduation, 2:00pm Thursday 17 July. All Toddler children must be collected by 12:00pm on this day.
Preschool party, 1:00 - 3:00 Friday 18 July. All preschool children welcome to attend the party.
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
Being able to show an understanding of their actions in our ‘Powerful World’
Nursery : Whole Nursery
St Peter : Denzel
St Anne :Antonia
St John : Mia
St James : Artur
St Bernadette : Whole Class
St Thomas : Willow-Rose
St Pio : Harper
St Francis : Patsy
St Scholastica : Reggie L
St Benedict : Mia
St Teresa :
St Edith :
Congratulations and well done to you all.
This week 242 children had 100% attendance, which is 85 % of the school.
Please remember that term time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Scholastica with 99%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on last day of term.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
July
14 - Yr6 retreat at the Cathedral
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
14 -3:00pm Parents/Carers New to Year 1/2 meeting
15 - 1.30pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 - 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
16 3:15pm Parents/Carers New to Year 5/6 meeting
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 3:15pm Parents/Carers New to Year 3/4 meeting
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
21 - 9:00am -Awards Celebration
22 - 10:45am End of the Year assembly
Last day of academic year
Please make a note in your diary for the following dates for SATs in May 2026
Monday, May 11: Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 1 and Paper 2.
Tuesday, May 12: English Reading.
Wednesday, May 13: Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) and Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning).
Thursday, May 14: Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)
School Dinners Price Increase
Please make a note that from September 2025, Caterlink are increasing the price of a school dinner to £2.86 per meal. Please make payments on Scopay in advance of your children taking a meal.
Thank you.
Breakfast club price changes from September 2025
Current Price £2.50 per child
New Price £3.00 per child
New Price for 2 children £2.75 per child
New Price for 3 children £2.65 per child
From September all children will need to enter Breakfast club via the fire exit by the entrance steps.
A letter detailing all the changes is being sent to all parents on Monday
Reflective thought
"We must not fail to help our neighbours, because in them we are serving Jesus."
St Rose of Lima
Pupil Poet Laureates
I am pleased to share the Pupil Poet Laureate Programme Celebratory Podcast 2024/2025, to be shared with participating schools. This is a public link and will be available until the end of August so that pupils can share the podcast at home if they wish.
There are some wonderful poems in this selection, and I hope that those schools that did not submit a poem still got lots out of the programme.
Podcast - https://vimeo.com/1099302241
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this year's programme.
Best Wishes, Dawn Nelson
A Message from Mrs Killick
This term is always incredibly busy with so many different opportunities and experiences for our children, and this week has certainly been one of those.........Democracy day, water-sports, music events, our feast day, visits to secondary schools, CST ambassadors visiting Oaklands..........and many many more.
Our Feast day Mass was a wonderful time for our children to focus on our Saint, St Paul . Our feast day mass was followed by a community picnic and a particular thank you to RRT for providing over 600 meals for everyone. I was delighted with how many families joined us to celebrate. Despite the damp conditions everyone had a wonderful time and all our children enjoyed an Ice-cream after.
Tomorrow, 04 July, is inset day - so there is no school for children.
Enjoy your weekend.
St Paul’s Annual Feast Day Picnic Brings Joy to the Community
St Paul’s school community joyfully celebrated its annual Feast Day with a special school Mass led by Father Andrew. Pupils, staff, families, and parishioners gathered to honour the life and mission of St Paul the Apostle, in a spirit of unity and faith. The Mass featured readings and prayers read by the children and hymns, creating a meaningful and reverent atmosphere.
As part of our feast day Father Andrew and the altar servers blessed our newly installed rosary prayer garden. This will be used for children to actively pray the rosary and specifically during the months of Mary- May and October.
After the service, the celebration continued with a vibrant picnic on the school grounds. A highlight of the event was the Red Tent event hosted by the Rapid Relief Team (RRT), who generously served 600 freshly cooked burgers to attendees. Their support added a festive and welcoming spirit to the day, and the delicious food was enjoyed by all. We also had a visit from our local Police community officer who arrived with a police van - the children, staff and parents enjoyed being locked up!
Father Andrew thanked everyone for their participation and extended special appreciation to RRT for their generous contribution. “Today reminds us of St Paul’s message to live in faith and support one another,” he said.
The Feast Day concluded on a sweet note, with ice cream served to all children and staff. This much-loved tradition continues to strengthen the bonds within the St Paul’s community, celebrating faith, fellowship, and shared joy.
Have your Say
On Monday, we celebrated our British Values learning through a day dedicated to Democracy. Our Democracy Day theme was "Your voice, your choice!" Each adult chose an activity and the children voted on their ballot papers for which activities they wanted to attend. Our children had the best day trying different activities such as architects in action, rocket launchers and karaoke! It was an absolutely fantastic day filled with fun and freedom of choice.
We were also really fortunate to be joined by our local member of parliament, Amanda Martin. The children had previously learnt about her and her role in our Paulsgrove community during Parliament Week this Autumn term so it was amazing for our children to meet her in person and ask her their questions about life as a member of parliament. Amanda commented on how much she enjoyed spending time with our children and said how lovely and polite they all were.
Catholic School Teaching Ambassadors
Catholic Social Teaching is everywhere and always in action at St Paul's.
On Thursday the Catholic Social Teaching ambassadors had their final meeting for this academic year at Oakland Secondary School to celebrate their hard work and the successful events the School was able to put in place to embrace our Catholic values. It is also time for our year 6 children to pass the batton of faith to the new generation of Catholic Social Teaching ambassadors.
Thank you for the amazing journey so far.
This week, we celebrated St Peter and Paul’s feast day with a family picnic.
It was so lovely to see the children and their families having so much fun together. The children were excited to see a police van come onto the playground they were also able to sit in the back of the van.
After all that excitement some of our children came back to the Nursery and enjoyed a delicious ice cream.
We Shine at the 40th Paulsgrove Carnival!
Over the past couple of weeks, some of our KS2 children took part in an exciting workshop with Splodge Designs, where they designed and made their very own props and costumes in preparation for the Paulsgrove Carnival.
On Saturday, all their hard work paid off as they proudly took part in the carnival — dressed as cheerful cherries!
This year’s event was particularly special, marking the 40th anniversary of the Paulsgrove Carnival, and we were thrilled to be part of the celebrations.
The children had an amazing time, and it was a fantastic opportunity to come together with the community and showcase their creativity.
Well done to all the children who took part and a huge thank you to Mrs Rodrigues — we had so much fun!
July
08 - Top Brass Project Showcase
11 - Year R stay and play
11 - Key stage Discos - 3:30-4:30 EYFS& KS1, 5:00-6:30 - KS2
14 - Yr6 retreat at the Cathedral
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
15 - 2:00pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 - 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
21 - 9:00am -Awards Celebration
22 - 10:45am End of the year assembly
Last day of academic year
Reflective thought
"The kingdom is hidden within you; it is found in your own soul."
St Isaac of Nineveh
This week 229 children had 100% attendance, which is 80% of the school.
Please remember that term time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Anne with 100%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on Friday 11 July.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
A Message from Mrs Killick
What a busy week the children have had! I am so impressed with all their sport achievements.
The children have also had the opportunity to visit UTC, and to take part in a wonderful music event 'Baroque to Blues and Beyond' organised by Mrs Sharpe.
The school library service summer reading challenge was launched in school today, please have a look at the information that comes home today with your children.
Just a reminder
Please would all parents to be considerate when parking in neighbouring streets.
We have had a number of complaints from local residents recently about dangerous parking and ask for your co-operation to ensure the safety of everyone.
Please also be aware that the Met office has issued an Amber response alert for the period between 12:00 on 27/06/2025 until 6:00 on 01/07/2025 across the South East of England.
First Holy Communion
On Saturday and Sunday, last weekend, all the children that have attended the First holy Communion sessions throughout the year, received our Lord for the very first time in the presence of family and friends.
They were also accompanied, by the catechist who have guided them during this journey, and members of St Paul's School.
Fr Andrew led this wonderful celebration both in St Paul's School and at St Colman's Church.
Thank you to everyone that made this a holy and memorable occasion for our children.
On Monday the children were invited to come dressed in their clothes from the celebration, into the hall for The Celebration of the Word. The children had a small gathering afterwards to celebrate together - Thank you Mrs White for the lovely cake!
Politely Rebellious
On Monday our Year 6 pupils had the exciting opportunity to attend an engaging and thought-provoking talk by Politely Rebellious at Castle View. The session was all about encouraging young people to think differently, challenge ideas respectfully, and find their voice in the world around them.
The speakers shared stories and ideas that encouraged students to be brave, curious, and confident in standing up for what they believe is right — while always doing so with kindness and respect. The talk touched on themes such as leadership, resilience, and using your voice for positive change.
“It made me realise that speaking up doesn’t mean being rude — it means being strong and respectful at the same time.” - Kenya
Year 6
Children's own mixed media portraits influenced by the portrait work of Frida Kahlo.
Year 3 and 4
Following their history topic on the Romans, the children created their own mosaic art works inspired by Gaudi's Lizard sculpture.
They also learnt about some contemporary mosaic artist such as Sonia King.
Reception Pirates
Applying paint brush skills to paint parts of the pirate characters.
All year groups did an amazing job during sports day. They all participated in races like the egg and spoon and obstacle course. Well done everyone and thank you so much to all the families who supported their children.
Years 3/4 and 5
During sports week these year groups had the opportunity of using an airtrack to practice their jumping skills. The had a fun warm up to music and were then challenged to how high they could jump
Thank you Mrs Rowsell.
Years 6 and 2
Year 2 and 6 had great fun during sports week. They enjoyed a taster session of archery brought to us by Premier sports.
' I loved it and the person showing us was supportive and helped us use teamwork skills.' Ruta
'It was great fun and I learnt a new skill.' - Clara
School Council Celebrate
On Friday 23 June the School Council attended the PCoPS (Primary Council of Portsmouth Students) Celebration.
They presented their achievements to other schools and special guests including the Lord Mayor.
They also took part in workshops about health, climate, crime and careers.
Thank you school council for all your hard work this year and what a great opportunity to share it with the city!
This week the children have enjoyed taking part in
different sports activities. This has included music and movement, races on
the school playground and yoga sessions.
This has all been linked
to our book of the week 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'.
STEM - Great Work
Last week, Year 5 enjoyed an exciting and enriching STEM Day filled with hands-on challenges that sparked creativity and curiosity. Pupils worked collaboratively in teams to design and construct a bridge using only paper straws, A4 card and masking tape, focusing on careful planning, problem-solving, and applying principles of strength and stability. After their bridges were put to the test with a 500g weight, the children showed both innovation and perseverance, refining their ideas and evaluating what made some designs successful. The day continued with an engaging rocket launcher challenge outside, where pupils explored the forces involved in launching and controlling flight.
Throughout the day, children demonstrated excellent communication, teamwork, and adaptability, embracing every opportunity to build resilience and think critically.
The activities offered a fantastic way to apply scientific, mathematical, and engineering skills in a practical setting, and the enthusiasm and determination from all pupils was outstanding.
June
30 - Democracy day
30 June & 1 July Castle View and St Edmunds transition day
July
02 - Whole school Feast day Mass followed by Picnic
03 - 'Change Maker' Mass Choir Performance at New Theatre Royal
03 - Crazy Hair Day - £1.00
04 Inset Day
08 - Top Brass Project Showcase
11 - Year R stay and play
11 - Key stage Discos - 3:30-4:30 EYFS& KS1, 5:00-6:30 - KS2
14 - Yr6 retreat at the Cathedral
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
15 - 2:00pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 - 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
22 - Last day of academic year
This week 227 children had 100% attendance, which is 79 % of the school.
Please remember that term time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Scholastica with 98%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on Thursday 3 July.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
Have your say!
Have your say!
On Monday 30 June, we will be learning more about our British Values by celebrating Democracy Day! Our theme is "Your voice, your choice!" Staff across the school will be running different activities/experiences for the children and the children will vote for which activities they would like to participate in throughout the day.
This day will also be a non-school uniform day so going with the theme "Your voice, your choice" the children can choose to dress in whatever clothes they wish although we kindly ask for no pyjamas or slippers for safety reasons.
Also joining us for this special day is our local member of parliament for Portsmouth North, Amanda Martin MP!
What an exciting day we have coming up!
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
Being able to show an understanding of their actions in our ‘Powerful World’
Nursery : Dolcie
St Peter : Sienna
St Anne :Honey
St John : Freddy
St James : Christabel
St Bernadette :
St Thomas : whole class
St Pio : Barchel
St Francis : Oliver
St Scholastica : Liyan
St Benedict : Mia
St Teresa : Blaize
St Edith : Harrison
Congratulations and well done to you all.
Reflective Thought
"The Church is called Catholic or universal because it has spread throughout the entire world, from one end of the earth to the other."
St Cyril of Jerusalem
Annual Portsmouth Diocese's Mass
Every year, Bishop Philip leads a mass at St John Cathedral where all the Catholic Schools in the Diocese attend to give thanks to God for the academic year.
The Jubilee Year is a landmark moment in the life of the global Church, giving special meaning to this gathering we are all called to be Pilgrims of Hope and Children of Prayer. Bishop Philip invited everyone during his homely to find even just 5 minutes a day to pray.
The School communities were invited to join together as pilgrims of hope, pledging to work together for God's kingdom of justice, peace and love.
Catholic schools are incredible places to grow in faith and witness God's love, as St Paul's school mission statement reminds us
" Do Everything with Love."
We were invited to mark our school commitment in the Jubilee year with a school pledge to take action and to stand in solidarity with our local and global community.
Our pledge:
We will continue to support Cafod in their projects around the world.
We will continue to help the local community with being a food and bath bank collection point.
We will pray in our Rosary garden weekly for the intentions of our school family and the global family.
Phoenix in Year 5 stated " I was so glad to be invited to take part in this event just a couple of days before I receive my First Holy Communion. It was the first time I visited St John's Cathedral and I was amazed by the beauty of the church and the stained glass windows. I didn't know there were so many Catholic Schools around us."
Knowledge is Power
As you are aware, the Year 6 children will be attending an event at Beacon View on Monday - Knowledge is Power.
There will be a follow up session for parents that we highly recommend you attend.
You will need to use the QR code on the leaflet to secure your place.
11 Before 11 Sleep over!
On Friday 13 June the Year3/4 pupils came back to school at 7:00pm for a magical sleepover. The children were able to take part in a variety of activities
Toasting marshmallows
Creating their very own dream jar just like the BFG - would it be a kind dream or a nightmare?
Decorating their own dream catchers
Hot chocolate
Sports
Watching the BFG on the big screen
It was great to have so many staying in the hall and being so successful at sleeping away.
Year 1 - Isle of Wight
Year 1 had a wonderful time on their hovercraft trip to the Isle of Wight this Thursday. The journey across the water was thrilling, and once they arrived, the children spent a glorious day at the beach. They soaked up the sunshine, built sandcastles, and treated themselves to delicious ice creams. Everyone was beautifully behaved, and it was a truly memorable day for all!
Portsmouth: The Digital City
We’re incredibly proud to share that St Paul’s has been recognised as part of the “Portsmouth: The Digital City” Inclusion Project, which has received a Certificate of Excellence in the 2025 Pearson National Teaching Awards for Outstanding Contribution to SEND Education.
In partnership with Google for Education, Canopy for Education, and schools across the city, this project has been transformational for our SEND, EAL, and disadvantaged learners. With access to Chromebooks, assistive tools like speech-to-text and screen readers, and high-quality staff training, we’re not just removing barriers — we’re creating meaningful, lasting change.
Here at St Paul’s, we’ve seen the impact first-hand:
Pupils who once struggled are now engaged and thriving
Teachers feel confident embedding assistive technology into daily teaching
Families are more empowered to support learning beyond the classroom
This project isn’t just levelling the playing field — it’s opening new possibilities for every learner. It’s a powerful example of how inclusive practice, supported by the right tools and collaboration, can truly transform lives.
We’re proud to be part of a citywide movement that puts inclusion at the heart of digital education — and we’re excited to continue building a future where everyone can thrive.
#PortsmouthTheDigitalCity #SENDInclusion #AssistiveTechnology #DigitalAccessibility #InclusiveTeaching #EdTechForAll #PearsonTeachingAwards #InclusionMatters
Well Done Year 1
Last week, all our Year 1 children sat their phonics screening check and they have achieved absolutely incredible results! We are so unbelievably proud of them!
The outcomes from their phonics screening check show the hard work and determination that your child has put into their Read Write Inc learning this year.
Your child's specific phonics screening score will be shared in their report this half term.
Spanish News!
¡Hola! I'm Señora Adie and I've been teaching Spanish at St Paul's for 6 years. In lessons we play games, sing songs and most of all, have fun!
This term we've started some lunchtime Spanish workshops for year 3/4, assisted by some excellent year 6 language ambassadors.
The next three workshops are on the following dates. Please encourage your children to come along and join us on a Tuesday lunchtime.
24 June : Spanish Craft
01 July : Songs
08 July : Games
This week, the children have been enjoying listening to traditional fairy tales. They especially loved the story of the Three Little Pigs.
Using our story sack the children sat together and retold the story using pictures and props. They continued retelling the stories with mark making on large pieces of paper on the floor.
Wednesday 25 June
We look forward to seeing at the sports day event. However, please be aware that if the weather is too hot we may shorten the events in the afternoon as we do not want the children to overheat. All children are to come to school in their PE kit on this day.
Please ensure that the children are wearing the correct sports kit, which is shorts, white t-shirt and trainers/plimsols. (With NO logos)
Please also ensure that you have applied sunscreen to your child in the morning and that they bring in their water bottle.
Just a reminder, that the PE kit for summer is shorts, not tracksuit/jogging bottoms.
Thank you for your support.
June
25 - Sports day - KS2 AM - KS1 & EY PM
26 - Winchester Hampshire games day
27 - Baroque to Blues and Beyond - Orchestra Concert
30 - Democracy day
30 June & 1 July Castle View and St Edmunds transition day
July
02 - Whole school Feast day Mass followed by Picnic
03 - 'Change Maker' Mass Choir Performance at New Theatre Royal
03 - Crazy Hair Day - £1.00
04 Inset Day
08 - Top Brass Project Showcase
11 - Year R stay and play
11 - Key stage Discos - 3:30-4:30 EYFS& KS1, 5:00-6:30 - KS2
14 - Yr6 retreat at the Cathedral
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
15 - 2:00pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 - 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
22 - Last day of academic year
Reflective Thought
"The Mass is the centre of the Christian life and the nourishment of the soul."
Pope Saint Pius X
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
Being able to show an understanding of their actions in our ‘Powerful World’
Nursery : Iris
St Peter : Whole class
St Anne : Lily
St John : Charlie
St James : Loki
St Bernadette : Angelina
St Thomas : Isla
St Pio : Teresa
St Francis : Cassie
St Scholastica : Leo P
St Benedict : Coden
St Teresa : Ronnie
St Edith : Tristan
Congratulations and well done to you all.
This week 238 children had 100% attendance, which is 84% of the school.
Please remember that term time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Thomas with 98.3%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on Friday 27 June.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
School Dinners Price Increase
Please make a note that from September 2025, Caterlink are increasing the price of a school dinner to £2.86per meal. Please make payments on Scopay in advance of your children taking a meal.
Thank you.
A Message from Mrs Killick
Last night I had the privilege of co-hosting the Teach Portsmouth Awards.
The Teach Portsmouth Awards is an annual event that recognises and celebrates the achievements of education professionals across our city.
There were 12 categories; Early Career Teacher Award, Community award, Early years and childcare award, Inclusion and diversity award, Innovation award, Outstanding contribution award, People's choice award, Teaching & learning support award, Unsung hero award, Volunteer award, Wellbeing award and Long service award
This year, our very own, Mrs Rodrigues received an award for her long service to education (20 years).
Well done to everyone that received an award. If you are interested in seeing some of the pictures from the event please head over to the Teach Portsmouth website or facebook page.
Pray with the Rosary
On Tuesday, a team from Sky came in and created a wonderful focus for prayer in the form of a giant Rosary in our woodland area
We would like to say a huge thank you to Sky for all their hard work, and Mrs Dowdeswell and Mr Doolan for organising the visit.
The team from Sky also provided some non perishable food items for us to distribute to our families.
Have your say!
Have your say!
On Monday 30 June, we will be learning more about our British Values by celebrating Democracy Day! Our theme is "Your voice, your choice!" Staff across the school will be running different activities/experiences for the children and the children will vote for which activities they would like to participate in throughout the day.
This day will also be a non-school uniform day so going with the theme "Your voice, your choice" the children can choose to dress in whatever clothes they wish although we kindly ask for no pyjamas or slippers for safety reasons.
Also joining us for this special day is our local member of parliament for Portsmouth North, Amanda Martin MP! What an exciting day we have coming up!
☀️ Stories in the the not so sunshine! ☀️
Thank you so much to all the families who joined us for our Stories in the Sunshine event on Thursday.
As the Great British weather let us down, we made the most of the opportunity to share stories in the hall. It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying stories together. Fingers crossed for better weather next year!
⛵ Sing around the Dockyard ⛵
Today children from year 3 and 4 were offered the opportunity to sing around the dockyard. They represented our school beautifully and sang lots of songs linked to Portsmouth's rich naval history. They also had the chance to perform as part of a huge choir and watch a performance by the Royal Marine's band.
Sail Away
This week, our sailing crew had a wonderful time skippering their own boats. They are really becoming very proficient in their sailing skills and enjoying spending time on the water.
Fire, Fire, Fetch the Engines
Last week, Year 2 children had the fire services visit to talk about fire safety, in relation to their recent topic in PSHE “How to keep safe.”
The fire service taught the children some rhymes to help keep them safe if there were a fire at home and who to call. They also reminded the children what they should do in an emergency.
They looked at the uniform needed to stay safe in a burning building, then dressed the class teacher in o the uniform.
They really enjoyed our special visitor.
This week, Debbie made a superhero mark making area.
The children had so much fun mark making with our special guest who watched us from the ceiling.
This week we also celebrated our Dads and made some beautiful Father’s Day cards.
Jessica said “ I love my Dad because he takes me to the park.”
Georgie said “ I love my Dad because he shared his pie with me from Tesco."
School Council Crazy Hair Day
To raise money for school improvement ideas, the School council will be holding a
Crazy Hair day
on Thursday 03 July
If you would like to wear Crazy hair on this day please pay £1.00.
Ice poles will also be on sale at break time for 50p.
Pay your £1.00 and get crazy with your hair!
This week 236 children had 100% attendance, which is 84% of the school. This is really disappointing as it has fallen over the past few weeks.
Please remember that Term Time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Pio with 99.6%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on Friday 20 June.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
June
18 - Annual School Mass at Cathedral
19 - Year 1 trip to IOW
19 - 4:30pm New to Reception Parents meeting
20 - Student voice celebration at University of Portsmouth
21 - First Holy Communion Mass at St Colmans Church
25 - Sports day - KS2 AM - KS1 & EY PM
26 - Winchester Hampshire games day
27 - Baroque to Blues and Beyond - Orchestra Concert
30 - Democracy day
30 June & 1 July Castle View and St Edmunds transition day
July
02 - Whole school Feast day Mass followed by Picnic
03 - 'Change Maker' Mass Choir Performance at New Theatre Royal
03 - Crazy Hair Day - £1.00
04 Inset Day
08 - Top Brass Project Showcase
11 - Year R stay and play
11 - Key stage Discos - 3:30-4:30 EYFS& KS1, 5:00-6:30 - KS2
14 - Yr6 retreat at the Cathedral
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
15 - 2:00pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 - 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
22 - Last day of academic year
Reflective Thought
“May God the Father bless us, may Christ take care of us and the Holy Spirit enlighten us all the days of our life.”
St Ethelwold
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
being able to show an understanding of their actions in the ‘Powerful World’
Nursery Guillermo
St Peter Riley
St Anne Nelson
St John Juan
St James Izzabella
St Bernadette Kingsley
St Thomas Yzobel
St Pio Darcie
St Francis Elsie
St Scholastica Abrahm
St Benedict Olly
St Teresa Isabelle
St Edith Lawson
Well done to you all.
Just a Reminder
St Paul's is a cashless school, which means all payments need to be made by card/apple pay.
If you are booking your child into Breakfast club, paying for dinner money or trips, please ensure that payment is made on SCOpay in advance.
Thank you.
Castle View Meet the Parents
On Wednesday 9 July at 3:00pm the Executive principal of Castle View, Mr David Oakes will be visiting St Paul's school to meeting with our Parents.
If Castle View is the school that you are thinking of sending you children after Year 6, please don't miss this opportunity .
A Message from Mrs Killick
Welcome back everyone, to the last half term of this academic year.
We have a very busy half term ahead of us, so please keep up to date with events by looking at the list below, our Facebook page and our website.
Let's hope that we have sunny days for our outdoor events!
Just a reminder - trainers are not part of our school uniform, I have seen quite a number of children wearing trainers this week.
Year 6 Out in Our Community
Year 6 Out in Our Community
Today some Year 6 children, visited the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Support Group to sing at their summer party. The children were exemplary ambassadors for the school and once again made a huge and lasting impact on the group members who attend. Well done to all the children involved for living out our school mission statement and 'doing everything with love'.
Phonics
Next week, our Year 1 children will be completing their statutory phonics screening test. To give your children the best possible chance of passing, please practise their RWI sounds using these QR codes over the weekend.
New Lead Schools for Music
As part of the wider regional music hub, three schools have been appointed to Lead music.
These appointments have followed a comprehensive application process.
The appointed lead schools are
St Paul's Catholic Primary
Redwood Academy
St Edmund's Catholic School
Well done to everyone in our school and to Mrs Sharpe for all her musical talents.
This week 245 children had 100% attendance, which is 87% of the school. This has fallen over the past few weeks. Please remember that Term Time Leave is NOT permitted and will not be authorised.
The class with this weeks winning attendance is St Pio with 100%
Well done you are able to wear non uniform on Friday 13 June.
Please note children cannot wear PJ's / crocs or unsuitable footwear.
St Paul's Award
St Paul's Award
This weeks award is linked to this half terms Catholic Social Teaching
being able to show an understanding of their actions in the ‘Powerful World’
Nursery Alice
St Peter Joseph
St Anne Rhahni
St John Sion
St James Nathan
St Bernadette Josie
St Thomas Jamal
St Pio Joachim
St Francis Shona
St Scholastica William
St Benedict Loyal
St Teresa Penelope
St Edith Kenya
Well done to you all.
This week , the children have been really enjoying dressing up in different costumes and making up their own stories. Georgie said “ I’m a princess pirate.”
They have also been playing in shaving foam on a table and moving their hands around to the rhythm of different music. The children were very excited to see their friends after half term, we all sat together and shared our news and talked about what we were looking forward to this half term.
St Colman & St Paul Catholic Church
Sunday 8 June
Whitsun
Come and Celebrate with us
3:00pm
South East Hampshire Parish Area Pentecost Celebration at Oaklands School
Concelebrated Mass Readings and prayers in many languages
Followed by tea and cakes
Please express our diversity by wearing national dress or traditional folk costume
Parents of alter servers, please sigh up to arrive at 2:00pm to help with the welcoming.
We look forward to seeing you all.
Please note there will not be a Mass at 11:30 this day.
Upcoming Events
June
02-13 - Year 4 MTC
09-13 - Year1 & 2 Phonics tests
8 - 3:00pm Pentecost Celebration at Oaklands School
12 - Stories in the sunshine
13 - Sing Around the Dockyard
13 Year 3/4 Sleepover details on Arbor £4 on Scopay
18 - Annual School Mass at Cathedral
19 - Year 1 trip to IOW
19 - 4:30pm New to Reception Parents meeting
20 - Student voice celebration at University of Portsmouth
22 - First Holy Communion Mass
25 - Sports day - KS2 AM - KS1 & EY PM
26 - Winchester Hampshire games day
27 - Baroque to Blues and Beyond - Orchestra Concert
30 - Democracy day
30 June & 1 July Castle View and St Edmunds transition day
July
02 - Whole school Feast day Mass followed by Picnic
03 - 'Change Maker' Mass Choir Performance at New Theatre Royal
04 Inset Day
08 - Top Brass Project Showcase
11 - Year R stay and play
11 - Key stage Discos - 3:30-4:30 EYFS& KS1, 5:00-6:30 - KS2
14 - Yr6 retreat
14 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
15 2:00pm & 6:00pm - Year 6 show
16 - Whole school transition afternoon
16 10.00am - Yr6 leavers mass
17 - whole school transition morning
17 - KS2 girls F1 Williams Trip
17 - 2:00pm Nursery graduation
18 - Reception stay and play
22 - Last day of academic year
Reflective Thought
"Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire."
St Catherine of Siena
Celebrate your education heroes this Thank a Teacher Day
Celebrate your education heroes this Thank a Teacher Day
Show your appreciation for your teaching assistants, teachers, school leaders, nursery staff as every educator deserves recognition for their dedication and impact.
Send a free personalised e-card to express your gratitude. It's a simple way to make someone's day and acknowledge the vital work happening in education across the country.
Theatre Kidz Classes
unfortunately, Theatre Kidz classes will be paused until September due to an unexpected staffing issue.
If your child attends this class, please see your email for Theatre Kidz for further details.
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