St Mary's Weekly
Aspiring, nurturing, flourishing;
together shining a light
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Welcome Back and Happy New Year
As we step into 2025 and a new term, I want to take a moment to reflect on the busy and exciting term we left behind. It was a time filled with hard work, creativity and moments of joy, from classroom achievements to the wonderful events that brought our school community together.
During our final Collective Worship of the term, we shared a snapshot of these highlights with the children - a reminder of all we accomplished together.
Thank you from all the staff for the wonderful christmas gifts we all received - they really are very appreciated! Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. As we embrace the opportunities and challenges of the year ahead, I look forward to seeing our school community aspire, nurture, and flourish together once more.
Wishing you all a bright and fulfilling 2025!
Key Dates
Key Dates
2024 - 2025 Academic Year
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...
Spring Term...
Week 1
Wednesday 8th January - Back to school
Thursday 9th January - 09:00 - 11:00 - Year 2 - Healthy Heroes workshop
Friday 10th January – St George’s House Non-Uniform Day
Congratulations to St George’s for winning the Autumn Term House Points competition! To celebrate their achievement, children in St George’s House are invited to come to school in non-uniform on this day. Well done, St George’s!
Week 2
Week 3
Tuesday 21st January - 15:00 - 17:00 - Football Match @ St Peters Mill End
Wednesday 22nd January - 09:00- Parent Rep meeting
Wednesday 22nd January - Year 6 WW2 themed day in school
Week 4
Week 5 Art Week
Week 6
Monday 10th February - Young Voices - Year 4 and choir from Years 5 & 6
Tuesday 11th February - Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 11th February - 2:30 - 3:15 - Book Look for all year groups
Tuesday 11th February - Evening - Year 4 Dance Festival at Rickmansworth School
HALF TERM
Week 7
Thursday 27th February - 09:00 / 18:00 - Parent Coffee and Chat with Mrs Maxwell
Friday 28th February - 14:00 - 15:00 - St David's House Celebration
Week 8 Book Week
Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday - extended Collective Worship in school
Thursday 6th March - World Book Day - dressing up
Week 9
Monday 10th March - 09:00 - 11:00 - Year 3 - Healthy Heroes workshop
Friday 14th March - 14:00 - 15:00 - St Patrick's House Celebration
Sunday 16th March - 09:00 - 13:00 - Matilda Technical / Dress rehearsal in school
Week 10
Monday 17th March - 13:45 - Parent Rep Meeting
Tuesday 18th March - Years 1 to 6 - Mini report to parents in preparation for parent consultations
Wednesday 19th March - evening - Matilda production performance
Thursday 20th March - afternoon & evening - Matilda production performance
Friday 21st March - National Poetry day
Week 11
Tuesday 25th March - Parent consultations
Wednesday 26th March - Parent consultations
Week 12
Thursday 3rd April - Years 1 to 6 - Easter service at St Mary's Church at 18:00
Friday 4th April - Term finishes at 13:15 - No JD Club
Summer Term...
Week 1
Thursday 24th April - Back to school
Friday 25th April - 14:00 - 15:00 - St George's House celebration
Week 2
Tuesday 29th April - Year 4 trip - Farmer Gows
Tuesday 29th April - Year 2 trip - Royal Academy of Arts
Week 3
Monday 5th May - Bank Holiday
Week 4 Year 6 - SATs Week
Thursday 16th May - 13:45 - Parent Rep meeting
Friday 17th May - afternoon - Year 6 - pizza and movie afternoon
Week 5 STEM Week
Monday 19th May - Nite Owls assembly
Friday 23rd May - Year 6 leading our Science Festival
HALF TERM
Week 6
Monday 2nd June - INSET Day - no school
Week 7
Year 6 residential
Reception Phonics Screening
Year 4 Multiplication Check
Friday 13th June - 9am / 6pm - Parent Coffee and Chat with Mrs Maxwell
Week 8
Thursday 19th June - evening - Music Concert - Years 1 to 6
Week 9
Monday 23rd June - Neurodiversity Day
Week 10
Saturday 5th June - Summer Fair
Week 11 Sports Week
Monday 7th July - afternoon - Mini Class Marathon event at the Aquadrome
Thursday 10th July - Sports Day
Thursday 10th July - 15:15 - 17:00 - Year 6 Leavers activities
Week 12
Monday 14th July - Reports to parents
Monday 14th July - evening - Year 6 performance for parents
Tuesday 15th July - afternoon - Year 6 performance to parents
Thursday 17th July - afternoon - Year 6 Leaver's Assembly
Friday 18th July - 09:00 - Year 6 Leavers Service at St Mary's Church - all children in Years 1 to 6 to be dropped off at 08:50
Friday 18th July - term finishes at 13:15 - No JD Club
2025 - 2026 Academic Year
INSET Days and Trust Development Days
INSET and Trust Development Days (in red , 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.
Information
Information
Reminder: New Uniform Changes Effective from January
As we have mentioned previously, our aim is to balance practicality with presentation—ensuring that our children can play, climb, and be active throughout the day while also looking smart when representing the school daily and at events.
To support this goal, we have streamlined the uniform options. These changes provide clearer guidance for parents and children about our expectations while promoting a consistently smart appearance across the school.
We will continue to provide a list of specific dates when children are expected to wear their smart uniform.
Uniform expectations:
Please use the link to buy the specific St Mary’s items from our uniform supplier. All other items can be purchased from a variety of shops -
Beat School Uniform Supplier Link
We believe this streamlined uniform is more affordable, gives a greater sense of belonging and will help our children be active and presentable, supporting the values and activities of our school.
Attendance Update: A Continued Focus for Improvement
While we have made progress in improving and focussing on the importance of attendance over the past year, it remains a key area for us as a school. Below is our attendance data for the Autumn Term, along with our ranking compared to 397 schools within our local authority. A ranking of 1st is the highest.
Overall attendance: 95.5% - Ranked 191st
Overall absence: 4.5% - Ranked 191st
Authorised absence: 3.5% - Ranked 190th
Unauthorised absence: 0.9% - Ranked 212th
Persistently absent (90% attendance or below): 10.2% - Ranked 160th
Severely absent (50% attendance or below): 1.1% - Ranked 301st
Thank you to everyone supporting our attendance policy. Together, we can improve our attendance figures and aim to move into the top quartile of schools in Hertfordshire. If you need any support with attendance or have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s work together to help every child shine!
Sickness
We want all children to attend school as much as possible because every day matters for their learning and development. However, we understand that there may be times when your child is too unwell to attend. Please use the link below to check when and when not your child should be in school.
NHS Pharmacy First Service
Did you know that the NHS Pharmacy First Service enables children and adults to get convenient access to healthcare advice and treatment where appropriate, for seven common conditions without the potential delay of having to wait for a GP appointment? Accessing the service may mean that can help children feel better and back to school as quickly as possible, as well as supporting parents/carers to also get better if they are unwell with one of the conditions covered under the service.
There is no need to make an appointment; parents or carers can pop into their local Boots pharmacy with their child and ask for help under the service.
Support for the following conditions can be accessed under the service, free of charge (unless NHS prescription charges apply):
The service supports with the following conditions for people in the age groups specified below:
Earache (aged 1 to 17 years)
Impetigo (aged 1 year and over)
Infected insect bites and stings (aged 1 year and over)
Sore throats (aged 5 years and over)
Sinusitis (aged 12 years and over)
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women (aged 16 to 64 years)
Shingles (aged 18 years and over)
Personal Development Blog
Personal Development Blog
Allowing Children To Make Mistakes
In a world that often equates success with perfection, it’s tempting to shield our children from failure. However, allowing them to make mistakes is one of the greatest gifts we can offer for their growth and resilience.
Mistakes provide invaluable learning opportunities. For instance, when a young footballer misses a goal, they gain insight into what went wrong and how to improve next time. Similarly, famous people like Thomas Edison and Walt Disney teach us that failure is not an endpoint but a stepping stone to success. Edison’s persistence after countless failed attempts led to the invention of the light bulb, while Disney’s early failures fueled his creativity and resilience.
When children are allowed to experience 'failure', they develop life skills such as managing disappointment, problem-solving, and perseverance. This process strengthens their emotional resilience, much like exercising a muscle. In fact, learning to fail and recover is key to building a growth mindset, which helps children understand that abilities can develop with effort and learning.
At St Mary’s, we create an environment where mistakes are seen as stepping stones to success, not something to fear. Our restorative behaviour policy plays a crucial role in this, whether in the classroom or on the playground. By encouraging children to reflect on what happened, consider alternative choices, and recognise the consequences of their actions, we foster a deeper understanding of how to handle mistakes. This reflection process helps children build emotional intelligence and social skills, which are as important as academic development.
Parents play an important role in reinforcing this mindset at home. Here are some ways to support your child in learning from mistakes:
Play Games Together: Board games or card games are excellent for teaching children about winning and losing gracefully. Encourage them to reflect on how they feel when they win and lose, and guide them to handle both outcomes respectfully.
Model Reflection: Share your own experiences of mistakes and what you learned from them. If you face a challenge or make an error, explain how you will try again differently next time. This helps children see that failure is natural for everyone.
Encourage Risk-Taking: Let your child try new things - even if they might not succeed immediately. Whether it’s attempting a new hobby or learning a difficult task, these experiences teach persistence and the value of improvement.
Use Restorative Conversations: When conflicts or mistakes happen at home, guide your child through a conversation about what happened, what other choices were possible, and what the outcomes might have been. Encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own part in a situation. This approach mirrors the learning process in school, where we help children understand their choices and how they can make better ones in the future.
Celebrate Effort, Not Just Success: Praise the process, not just the outcome. Recognise the effort your child puts into something, even if they don’t “win” or succeed right away. This encourages a focus on resilience and growth, rather than simply achieving a perfect result.
By allowing children to make mistakes and guiding them through the learning process, we prepare them for a lifetime of challenges, growth, and achievement. Let’s work together, at home and school, to celebrate mistakes as opportunities.
Shining a light on...
Shining a light on...
House Competition Results
Throughout the Autumn Term, children earned counters for their house buckets by demonstrating excellent manners, effort and achievements.
Congratulations St George, our winning house! To celebrate, St George will enjoy a non-uniform day on Friday, 10th January.
Above and Beyond
A massive congratulations to the children below who achieved Above and Beyond on Friday!
Jay, Sidney, George, Korina, Dhansika, Caleb, Siddharth, Angelos, Jay, Fletcher, Maeve, Betty, Harper, Orla, Eryk, Giana, Aleyna, Charlie, Ilan, Albie, Sylvie, Ava-Rose, Noah, Cianna, Sadie, Henry, Suri, Florence, Harry H, Zack, Toby, Quinn, Charlie, Poppy, Francesco, Marly, Zoya, Aaryan, Coralie, Darcie, Josh, Sheumi, Lottie, Henning, Louie, Henry
Autumn term Attendance HEROES
HERO - Here Every day, Ready On time
Congratulations to all of the children below that have had 100% attendance during the Autumn Term
Reception
Theodore, Louis, Ilas, Casper, George
Year One
Caleb, Amelia, Matthew
Year Two
Orla , Rosalind, Isabella, Erin, Harper, Eryk, Aleyna, Sylvie, Eliza
Year Three
Jaiden, Toby, Arthur, Jeremy, Tilly, Archie, Mariam
Year Four
Nicole, Sasha, Anabelle, Scarlett, Lilly G, Duke, Oscar, Nancy, Fletcher, Ava, Simran, Quinn
Year Five
Zainub, Ava, Heidi, Aaryan, Esmée, Amelie, Kieran, Ben
Year Six
Eliza, Makensie, Gianna, Louie, Charlie
Autumn Term Sport Review
Autumn Term 1
This half term we focused on health related fitness and exercise. ABC skills in PE (Agility, Balance, and Coordination) are fundamental components of physical literacy and are a major focus across all age groups. The emphasis was on building a strong foundation of movement that not only supports success in sports but also promotes lifelong physical activity.
Agility – the ability to change direction quickly and effectively while maintaining control
Balance – the ability to maintain stability while stationary or moving
Coordination – the ability to use different parts of the body together and efficiently (hand-eye and foot eye)
We discussed how these skills are applied across different sports. We will be using them throughout the year in our PE lessons.
Autumn Term 2
Reception – Gymnastics: In PE, Reception took part in a range of circuit activities to practise key gymnastics skills such as: balancing, rolling and jumping.
Year One - Gymnastics: In PE, Year One focused on developing gymnastics skills. The children learned how to perform forward rolls, paying special attention to body posture, safety, and smooth execution of the movements. They also practised balancing exercises. The children worked on maintaining different poses and positions, strengthening their coordination and body control.
Year Two - Gymnastics: Children practised forward rolls, focusing on the correct form and technique. Some children moved on to practising backwards rolls and further challenges! Balancing exercises were a key focus throughout the half term. They worked on various balance poses, both static (such as balancing on one leg) and dynamic (such as balancing on a beam or moving between positions). The aim was to strengthen core stability, body awareness, and coordination.
Year Three – Gymnastics: Year Three have focused on developing their gymnastics skills, particularly headstands. The children learned how to safely perform a headstand by first practising with support and gradually building confidence and strength. Emphasis was placed on core stability, balance, and proper technique to ensure safety while performing the movement.
Year Four – Dance: This half-term in PE, the children have been preparing for the upcoming Dance Festival. They learned a variety of dance moves and routines, focusing on coordination, rhythm, and teamwork. The children are performing to 'Food Glorius Food' and are looking forward to their performance in February.
Year Five - Gymnastics: This half-term in PE, Year 5 learnt how to perform a vault. The children practised techniques for running, jumping, and landing safely, with an emphasis on maintaining good posture and control during the vault. We also worked on building strength and confidence to improve their speed and accuracy when executing the vault. By the end of the half term, the class showed significant improvement in their ability to perform the vault. Some children moved on to practise a 'squat through' move.
Year Six – Netball: We focussed on mastering both attacking and defending techniques in netball. The children learnt how to create space, pass efficiently, and shoot accurately during attacking play. Defensively, we learnt to mark opponents, intercept passes, and block shots.
Sporting Events
Netball Match – The St Mary’s Netball Team took part in a netball match against St Peter’s School. The team demonstrated teamwork and determination.
Year 5 Fun Run - Year Five took part in a whole class Fun Run. The children competed against other schools. A special mention to: Josh who came 1st in the elite race and Miles who came 6th in the Fun Run race. Anna who came 3rd in the elite race, Violet who came 4th, Ella who came 6th, Esmee who came 8th and Tilly P who came 10th in the Fun Run Race.
Basketball - The St Mary’s Basketball Team took part in a tournament against other local skills. The team demonstrated resilience and sportsmanship throughout all games
Year 6 Hockey – Year Six took part in a Hockey Festival at MTS school. The event was run by children from MTS school. Year Six had the opportunity to mix with other local schools, practise a range of hockey skills before playing mini games.
Congratulations to all of the children that have achieved their 100 / 50 day streak on Doodle Learning. Streaks are built on each app - Doodle English, Doodle Maths, Doodle Times tables and Doodle Spell. Research highlights that little and often supports children to make the most progress.
Results from October/November Parent/Carer Survey
Autumn 2024
A big thank you to all the parents and carers who took the time to complete the survey during parent consultations. We are delighted to share some of the positive results below, showcasing the strengths of our school community.
We also noted that some parents selected "don't know" for certain questions. We recognise this as an opportunity to improve communication and understanding, and we are committed to addressing these areas throughout the year. To support this, we will be offering parent workshops and additional resources to ensure everyone feels well-informed about all aspects of school life.
Your feedback is invaluable in helping us grow together as a community. Thank you for your continued support!
Do you like the introduction of the new interim report sent prior to your parent consultation?
100% strongly agree or agree
How clear was the information provided in the interim report?
100% strongly agree or agree
Did your child's class teacher explain your child's progress and targets in an understandable way?
100% strongly agree or agree
Did the report and consultation provide clear next steps to support your child's learning at home and school?
98% strongly agree or agree
My child is happy at school
100% strongly agree or agree
My child feels safe at school
98% strongly agree or agree
The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
98% strongly agree or agree
My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively / my child has not been bullied
98% strongly agree or agree
The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year
96% strongly agree or agree
When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly
96% strongly agree or agree
My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed
100% strongly agree or agree
The school has high expectations for my child
96% strongly agree or agree
My child does well at school
96% strongly agree or agree
The school lets me know how my child is doing
96% strongly agree or agree
There is a good range of subjects available for my child at this school
91% strongly agree or agree
My child can take part in clubs and activities in this school
100% strongly agree or agree
The school supports my child's wider personal development
93% strongly agree or agree
I would recommend this school to another parent
100% strongly agree or agree
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!
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