Celebrating What Makes Us Shine

• There are lots more dates to add to the calendar but we wanted to get these to you as soon as possible to put into your dairies...

2025-2026 Academic Year

INSET Days and Trust Development Days

INSET and Trust Development Days (in red, light blue and purple) are days children are not in school. These are important training days for staff to enhance their skills, knowledge, and collaboration across the school and Trust.  They ensure we deliver the best possible education for our children.

All children in Years 1 - 6 will celebrate Harvest at St Mary's Church on Wednesday 1st October 2025.

Pupils (Years 1-6 only) to arrive at Church between 08.50 and 08.55am. Please take your child to the back of the Church - the Hall entrance where there will be a specific place for each year group to leave their coat and bag, rather than taking into the Church with them. Please let your child know that no water bottles will be needed as the service will last for about 30 minutes only. If you are able to help us with the walk back to school, please let Mrs Palmer know.

Year 6 are leading prayers and the drama. All are welcome to attend!

This is a SMART occasion when our children get the opportunity to wear their smart uniform. All children in Years 1 - 6 wear shirts and ties please. 

St Mary's families do give donations for those who need them in our community. All donations to be brought to Church. Please see below:

Harvest Festival Collection

The following items are requested please: 

Jam, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tinned custard/rice pudding, snacks eg noodles/cereal bars, chocolate, long life milk, long life juice/squash, washing up liquid, washing powder, shampoo, deodorant, children’s dental products (toothbrush/toothpaste). 

Chocolates and biscuit boxes would also be welcomed so that we can put some harvest boxes together for Riverside Lodge.

 Please make sure all packets are still within date or, better still, have a long-remaining ‘use by’ date.

 The following items are not required:

Cereal, pasta, baked beans or tinned corned beef.

Contributions of canned food, toilets etc will be brought to the church and taken inside by the children, where it will be given to waiting adults.

Parent Courses

Pupil Leadership at St Mary's

Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to our different Pupil Leadership Teams.

At St Mary’s, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn about leadership, which is why each Year 6 pupil holds a position of responsibility. Leadership and responsibility are vital components of our enrichment programme, and our Year 6 pupils take on a variety of roles, including Head and Deputy positions, Reading Ambassadors, Digital Leaders, and House Captains.

Leadership is not just for Year 6. We encourage children across the whole school to take on responsibilities and have their voices heard through the School Council, Eco Council, Ethos Council and Sports Council. These groups play an important part in shaping school life and giving children the chance to contribute to our community.

We look forward to sharing more about our young leaders in the coming weeks and celebrating the positive impact they have across our school.

House Points

Above and Beyond

🌟 Year 4 – Exploring the Earth and Volcanoes 🌟

Year 4 have been busy geographers already this half term! As part of their topic, the children have been learning about the layers of the Earth and how our planet is structured beneath the surface. To help them understand this, they used playdough to build models of the Earth’s layers, carefully shaping and labelling the crust, mantle, outer core and inner core.

They have also explored the fascinating world of volcanoes and discovered how and why they erupt. To bring their learning to life, the children created their very own volcano models and had lots of fun watching them erupt!

The excitement and curiosity in Year 4’s classroom has been fantastic to see – we are so proud of the way they are aspiring, nurturing their knowledge, and flourishing as geographers.

🌟 Year 1 – Tech Explorers🌟

Year 1 have been busy building their computing skills this week. The children have been practising how to locate letters on a Chromebook keyboard and even had a go at typing their own names. They also explored the question “What is technology?” by sorting items into technology and not technology.

Next week brings an exciting challenge as the children begin to log into the Chromebooks using their very own username and password!

🌟 This week in our PE Lessons 🌟

Across the school in PE lessons, pupils have been working hard on their Health and Fitness learning journeys. They have been discovering how exercise helps to keep bodies strong and minds healthy. Through fun games and activities, they have explored different ways to move, stretch, and build stamina. It has been fantastic to see everyone's enthusiasm and energy as they learn how to stay healthy and active.

St Mary’s Highlights: Don’t Miss a Moment!

Stay connected and dive into the excitement at St Mary’s! Our social media pages are buzzing with all the amazing activities our children have been involved in over the past couple of weeks. From vibrant class projects and special assemblies to heartwarming community events, there’s so much to see and celebrate!

Click on our social media links to catch up on all the fun, unforgettable moments, and proud achievements. Don’t miss out—follow us and be part of the joy that makes our school community shine!