Welcome Back!

Communication

Following conversations with our Class Representatives last academic year, we have also agreed how we will keep families up to date with everything happening at St Mary’s this year. We will share a half-termly school newsletter, alongside weekly class blogs on our school website. These blogs are a really important way of keeping you connected with your child’s learning: they will give you a glimpse into the learning from the week, let you know what the children will be learning the following week, home learning for the week, and share any key information, dates or reminders to help you plan ahead. Each blog will also include a list of emails that have been sent to the class that week, so you can easily check that you haven’t missed anything. Alongside this, we will continue to share plenty of news, celebrations, photographs and snapshots of school life through our Facebook and Instagram pages. We hope these different channels will make it easier for everyone to stay informed, connected and involved in school life. 

Uniform

At St Mary’s we are proud of our school uniform and the sense of belonging it creates. We also recognise the importance of keeping uniform affordable for families, in line with the Government’s policy on reducing school uniform costs.

To support this, our expectation is that every child wears the following St Mary’s bespoke uniform items:

School jumper

School PE polo shirt

School tie for Smart Uniform (Years 1 to 6)

All other uniform items (such as trousers, skirts, shirts, PE shorts, etc.) can be purchased from any retailer. Bespoke versions of these items with the school logo are available, but they are optional. 

We want every child to be able to take part fully in our active learning culture. For this reason, we have a day-to-day uniform for regular school use, and children in Years 1–6 also have a smart uniform for specific occasions such as events, services, and performances. We believe it is beneficial for children to understand the value of dressing smartly for special occasions, as it helps them to show respect, take pride in their appearance, and recognise the significance of important events.

Jewellery – only small stud earrings are permitted. Necklaces are not be worn. Children may wear an analogue watch.

The required St Mary’s logo items can be purchased directly from our supplier here:St Mary’s Uniform – Beat School Uniforms

PE and PE Kit

PE Days

Reception - To be confirmed in a few weeks

Year 1 - Monday & Wednesday

Year 2 - Wednesday & Thursday

Year 3 - Monday & Friday

Year 4 - Tuesday & Thursday

Year 5 - Tuesday & Friday

Year 6 - Wednesday & Thursday

Children are to come into school on their PE days wearing their PE kit. Reception PE days will start in a couple of weeks.

-St Mary’s Yellow PE polo shirt

-Black shorts or black skort

-St Mary’s Black zipped hoodie with school emblem or plain black zipped hoodie

-Black tracksuit bottoms with school emblem or plain black tracksuit bottoms

-Plain white or black trainers (velcro if unable to tie shoe laces)

-White ankle socks

No gym shorts/ Nike Pro/ cycling shorts or leggings for PE lessons. We will inform you when gymnastics will be taking place in PE lessons and these can be worn if your child wishes, but must be of a suitable length. These can be brought into school to change into on gymnastics days. If it is cold, your child needs to wear black tracksuit bottoms. 

Please ensure that children do not wear earrings or any other jewellery on their PE days. This is important for the safety of your child and others. If your child is wearing earrings or jewellery, they will be asked to remove them (independently) before taking part in the lesson.

If your child has recently had their ears pierced and the earrings need to remain in for a specific period of time, please email the School Office to confirm this. In this instance, the earrings must be securely covered with tape (provided by parents/carers) for the duration of the PE lesson.

Please note that PE lessons may take place outdoors, so children should be prepared for the weather. Please send your child in with a light, waterproof rain jacket.

Non-school Uniform Days

Non-uniform days are always a fun and exciting part of school life. While we encourage children to express their individuality, it is important that their clothing choices are still practical, safe, and respectful of our school community. To support this, we ask families to follow these simple expectations:

No large branding or logos

We want non-uniform days to be inclusive and free from pressure to wear expensive or fashionable labels. This helps ensure all children feel comfortable and equal.

Sensible footwear

Trainers, closed shoes or other sturdy footwear should be worn. Our active learning approach means children are often moving, playing, or learning outdoors, so footwear must allow them to join in safely.

Clothing suitable for the weather

Children should be dressed appropriately for the season - with coats in colder weather, hats in the sun, and layers if needed. This ensures they can enjoy the day comfortably and safely.

No midriffs or strappy tops

Outfits should be modest and practical, so no cropped tops or thin strap tops, as these are not suitable for an active school environment.

By following these guidelines, we make sure non-uniform days remain fun and enjoyable for everyone, while keeping our focus on active learning, safety, and inclusivity.

Attendance Matters

At St Mary’s, we know that every day in school makes a difference. The Department for Education (DfE) has made clear that attendance is a critical priority for school improvement, and under Ofsted’s new framework attendance is now graded separately. This reflects the importance placed on ensuring children are in school consistently.

The reason for this is simple: research shows that children with good attendance achieve better academically, build stronger friendships, and develop positive habits for life. Even small amounts of absence can quickly add up and affect progress.

This term we are continuing to focus on building strong attendance habits right from the start. Our expectation is that all children are in school, on time, every day unless there is a genuine reason such as illness.

• School day timings: The soft start opens at 8:35am and all children should be in their classrooms by 8:45am for registration.

• Reporting absence: If your child is unable to attend, please notify the school office as early as possible on the first morning of absence.

• Holidays in term time: As per government guidance, these cannot be authorised.

Together, let’s make this a year where every child has excellent attendance and is ready to shine their light every day.

End of Day Arrangements

To further strengthen our safeguarding arrangements at the end of the school day, we are making our collection procedures clearer and more consistent.

Collection from the Playground/ front of school (Reception to year 5)

The end of the day is an extremely busy time for teaching staff, with some children being collected from the playground while others are moving to enrichment activities, sports clubs or Afterschool Club. To make this safe and manageable, only adults who are listed on our school database as an emergency contact will be able to collect a child directly from the playground.

Other Adults Collecting

If someone who is not listed as an emergency contact is collecting your child, they will need to collect them from the school office, where their collection can be checked and managed safely.

Play Dates

For play dates, please email the school in the morning so that the relevant staff can be informed by lunchtime. If we have not received confirmation, we will ask the collecting adult to go to the office, where Mrs Palmer will be able to manage the collection.

Changes to Club Arrangements

If your child is registered to attend a club that day but your plans change, please come to the school office to arrange their collection as your child will be sent to the club they are registered to attend.

If Your Child Is Not Collected at the end of the day

If your child has not been collected at the end of the school day and they are not registered to attend a club, they will be taken to the school office. Mrs Palmer will contact you to find out what is happening and confirm the collection arrangements. This ensures that every child remains safely supervised and accounted for.

Thank you for supporting us with these arrangements. Having one clear procedure helps us ensure that every child is accounted for and handed over safely at the end of the day.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jr

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!