St Mary's News
Aspiring, nurturing, flourishing;
together shining a light
Embedded Files
“Let your light shine before others.”
Matthew 5:16
What Makes Our World So Special?
What Makes Our World So Special?
Last week, we spent time reflecting on the question “What makes our world so special?” The children explored the beauty, awe, and wonder of the world around them, taking time to notice the small details in nature that make our planet extraordinary. From the changing colours of autumn leaves to the patterns of clouds and the songs of birds, it was a chance to pause, look closely, and appreciate the incredible world God has given us.
As part of our reflections, we watched 'What a Wonderful World', beautifully narrated by Sir David Attenborough, which reminded us of the breathtaking beauty and diversity of life on Earth. This might be a lovely opportunity at home to watch some of his BBC One nature programmes together and talk with your children about the wonderful world we live in and how we can care for it.
Key Dates
Key Dates
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...
This Week ...
Week 6
Tuesday 7th October - Individual photographs for Reception to Year 6 (smart uniform for Years 1 to 6)
Wednesday 8th October - pm - Watford Schools Trust with Year 1
Friday 10th October - 2pm - Parent Rep meeting
Autumn Term...
Week 7 - Themed week - Black History Month
Tuesday 14th October - Reception, Years 1 & 2 Target Reports sent to parents
Tuesday 14th October - Year 3 - Celtic Harmony Class Trip
Thursday 16th October - 09:00 - 10:30 - Parent workshop with LynnTurnball from PINS project
Week 8
Tuesday 21st October - Reception, Years 1 & 2 Parent Consultations
Tuesday 21st October - Year 2 - Pirate Day in school
Tuesday 21st October - 3:00 - 3:45 - Year 4 Book Look
Wednesday 22nd October - Reception, Years 1 & 2 Parent Consultations
Wednesday 22nd October - 3:00 - 3:45 - Years 3 to 6 - Book Look
Wednesday 22nd October - Year 4 - Class trip to the Science Museum
HALF TERM - Thursday 23rd October to Tuesday 4th November
Week 9
Monday 3rd November - INSET Day - no school
Tuesday 4th November - Children back to school
Thursday 6th November - 16:30 - 18:30 - Fireworks Night
Sunday 9th November - Remembrance Sunday Church service and procession
Week 10 - Themed Week - Anti-bullying week
Monday 10th November - Odd Socks Day
Tuesday 11th November - Remembrance day - children can wear their scouting uniform to school
Week 11
Tuesday 18th November - Year 6 Class Trip to the Imperial War Museum
Week 12 Assessment Week
Wednesday 26th November - Wreath Making Evening
Friday 28th November - afternoon - St Andrews House Celebration
Week 13
Wednesday 3rd December - Years 3 to 6 Target reports sent to parents
Friday 5th December - 2pm - Parent rep meeting
Saturday 6th December - Christmas Market
Week 14
Tuesday 9th December - am - Reception Nativity Dress Rehearsal to school
Tuesday 9th December - afternoon - Pantomime at Watersmeet - parents to pick up from there
Wednesday 10th December - 9:30am - Reception Nativity Performance for parents
Wednesday 10th December - am - KS1 Nativity Dress Rehearsal to school
Wednesday 10th December - evening - KS2 Parent Consultations
Thursday 11th December - 9:30am & 2pm - KS1 Nativity performances for parents
Thursday 11th December - evening - KS2 Parent Consultations
Week 15 No Enrichment Clubs
Monday 15th December - Christmas Jumper Day & Christmas Lunch
Monday 15th December - afterschool - Years 1 to 3 - Christmas Disco
Wednesday 17th December - 3:00 - 3:45 - Reception, Years 1 & 2 - Book Look
Wednesday 17th December - 6pm to 7pm - Years 3 to 6 Carol Service at St Mary's church
Thursday 18th December - Afternoon - Reception Disco
Thursday 18th December - Afterschool - Years 4 to 6 - Chritsmas Disco
Friday 19th December - wear Christmas jumpers - school finishes at 1:15
SpringTerm...
Week 1 - Breakfast & afterschool starts back
Wednesday 7th January - children back in school
Week 2 - Enrichment Clubs start back
Thursday 15th January - 9:00 - 10:30 - Parent workshop with Lynn Turnball from PINS Project
Week 3
Monday 19th January - pm - Y5 Mini Police - Bullying and Internet Safety Sessions
Week 4
Week 5
Monday 2nd February - pm - Year 5 Mini Police - Road Safety
Tuesday 3rd February - afternoon & evening - Year 4 & choir - Young Voices
Week 6 - Themed Week - Art week
Monday 9th Febraury - pm - Year 5 Mini Police - Interactive session, drill and equipment
Tuesday 10th February - 3:00 - 3:45 - Parent Book Look
HALF TERM - Monday 16th to Monday 23rd February
Week 7
Tuesday 23rd February to Thursday 25th February - Scholastic Book Fair
Friday 27th February - whole school watching the M&M Productions - Wizard of Oz
Week 8 - Themed Week - Book Week
Thursday 5th March - World Book Day - dress up as a book character
Friday 6th March - afternoon - St Davids House celebration
Week 9
Sunday 15th March - Years 3 to 6 - Oliver production - Dress rehearsal
Week 10
Tuesday 17th March - Parent Target reports to parents
Wednesday 18th March - afternoon and evening - Oliver production
Thursday 19th March - afternoon - Oliver production
Friday 20th March - St Patrick's House Celebration
Friday 20th March - evening - Oliver production
Week 11
Tuesday 24th March - Parent Consultations
Wednesday 25th March - Parent Consultations
Thursday 26th March - 2pm - Parent Rep Meeting
Thursday 26th March - 6pm - Easter service in Church for Years 1 to 6
Friday 27th March - Last day of term - finish at 1:15
Summer Term...
Week 1 - Breakfast & afterschool starts back
Wednesday 15th April - children back in school
Week 2 - Enrichment Clubs start back
Friday 24th April - afternoon - St George's House celebration
Week 3
Week 4
Monday 4th May - Bank Holiday - no school
Week 5 - SATS Week
Week 6 - Themed Week - STEM week
Tuesday 19th May - 3:00 - 3:45 - Parent Book Look
HALF TERM
Week 7
Tuesday 2nd June - children back in school
Week 8 - Year 1 Phonics Screening; Year 4 Multiplication Check
Week 9 - Year 6 residential
Week 10 - Themed Week - Diversity Week
Saturday 27th June - Summer Fair
Week 11
Week 12 - Themed week - Sports Week
Monday 6th July - afternoon - Charity Mini-Marathan at the Aquadrome
Thursday 9th July - Secondary Transition day
Friday 10th July - Sports Day
Friday 10th July - afterschool - Year 6 Leavers party
Week 13
Monday 13th July - Reports to parents
Wednesday 14th July - evening - Year 6 performance to parents
Thursday 15th July - afternoon - Year 6 performance to parents
Week 14
Monday 20th July - Year 6 Leavers assembly for parents
Tuesday 21st July - Leavers Service at St Mary's Church
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.
Personal Development Blog
Personal Development Blog
Growing Great Habits - Part 2 - Home Learning
At St Mary’s, we often talk about the small, daily habits that help children flourish; those seeds we plant that grow into confidence, resilience, and a love of learning. In school, routines help children feel safe, organised, and ready to learn. At home, the same principle applies.
Home learning isn’t just about finishing a task or remembering spellings. It’s about developing independence, persistence, and pride. When children take ownership of their learning at home, whether through daily reading, practising Doodle, or exploring something new that links to school, they are building habits that last far beyond the classroom.
The most powerful home learning happens when it becomes part of family life. Sitting together to read, talking about what’s been learned at school, or setting aside a quiet space for learning time all send a strong message: learning matters here. These small routines help children see that education isn’t confined to a building or a timetable - it’s a lifelong journey.
Research continues to show that when families actively engage in their child’s learning, outcomes improve significantly. Children develop stronger focus, better motivation, and a deeper understanding of their own role in learning. Just as importantly, they see that home and school are working together; two parts of the same team, both invested in helping them grow.
At St Mary’s, our home learning is designed to be meaningful, balanced, and achievable. We encourage parents to celebrate effort, not just results, and to use home learning as a chance to connect, talk, and grow together.
Information
Information
Parking Considerably
We really appreciate that parking around St Mary’s can be a challenge, especially at busy times of day. Please do park courteously and avoid double parking or blocking driveways, as this has become frustrating for some of our neighbours. Last year, one of our neighbours needed to get to A&E but couldn’t leave their driveway due to cars double parking.
Please park at Tesco and walk up to school - it’s only a short walk and helps to keep our local streets safe and accessible for everyone.
Children can be dropped off from 8:15am for a small cost, or collected later from Enrichment Clubs or JD After School Care, which may help ease congestion at peak times.
We regularly talk to the children about being a Good Friend — this is a great opportunity to model that in our wider community by making thoughtful, considerate choices.
Reception 2026 Tours
We’re now welcoming prospective parents for our Reception 2026 tours. If you know families in the local area with children starting school next September, please do spread the word about St Mary’s! Our tours are a wonderful opportunity to see our school in action, meet the team, and experience our caring, values-driven environment. Families can book a visit through the school office.
Parent Courses
Please find below the Autumn Term free online parenting groups for parents and carers, funded by Herts County Council for parents/carers who live in Hertfordshire or who have a child attending a Hertfordshire school.
Please see below the latest DSPL9 Newsletter for parents, which includes a wide range of opportunities for support. There are coffee mornings, workshops (both in person and online), and a variety of support groups available to access.
If you would like any further information or guidance about what’s on offer, please speak to Mrs Budd, who will be happy to help.
Shining a light on...
Shining a light on...
House Points
This year, children will continue to earn House Points to fill their house team's bucket. Each week, the house with the most points will be awarded four points, the second place will receive three points, and so on. At the end of each term, the winning house will enjoy a non-uniform day as a special reward for their efforts.
Effort & Progress in Learning Certificates
Congratulations to the children below who received a special certificate on Friday for 'Effort and Progress in Learning'.
Reception - Celine & George
Year 1 - Rosie
Year 2 - Ezra
Year 3 - Nina
Year 4 - Kaiden
Year 5 - Illia
Year 6 - Heidi
Above and Beyond
A massive congratulations to the children below who achieved Above and Beyond!
Amelie, Seb, Stefanos, James, Niamh, Harry, Theodore, Scarlett, Angelo, Margot, Maeve, Daisy, Niven, Orla, Aavani, Ilan, Noah, Millie, Ava, Archie, Scarlett, Lily, Harry B, Max, Iris, Florence, Jamieson, Cian, Marly, Scarlett, Lilly D, Poppy, Minnie, Sasha, Ava, Duke, Nicole, Nancy, Simran, Carter, Charlie, Olivia, Anabelle, Ella, Ava, Miles, Ben, Felix, Amelie
Attendance Award
Harvest Festival Celebration
Last week, we came together for our Harvest Festival, and it was a truly joyful celebration of music, reflection, and community. Our wonderful choir sang beautifully, filling the church with music, while Year 6 performed a drama and led us confidently in prayer. Rev. Gary shared the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, reminding us all of the importance of sharing and caring for one another. The whole school then joined together to sing Harvest Samba with such enthusiasm and joy, filling the church with smiles and song.
A huge thank you to everyone who brought in produce for our local food bank; your generosity will make a real difference to those in need. We are so grateful to everyone who helped make the service so special, and to our families for their continued support.
Year Six Geography Field Trip
As part of our geography learning, Year Six visited the Aquadrome this week to carry out some fieldwork. The children spoke to members of the public to gather their views on the recent closure of the park and its impact on the local community.
They showed great curiosity, confidence, and respect as they conducted their surveys — a brilliant example of our pupils shining their light beyond the classroom!
🎬Year 6 Visit Sky Up Academy at Sky Studios 🎬
Our Year 6 pupils had an unforgettable experience at Sky Up Academy last week! They stepped into the world of television production at Sky Studios. From presenting and filming to directing and editing, everyone had a chance to shine both on and off camera. The afternoon was full of creativity, teamwork, and confidence — perfect examples of our St Mary’s values in action with them all left inspired.
Community
Community
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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