St Mary S Is a Thriving School Situated in a Quiet Residential Area Some Two Miles to The

INTRODUCTION

St Mary’s is a thriving school situated in a quiet residential area some two miles to the north west of Swindon. The school was built by St Mary’s Parish in 1961 and has a sister school, St Catherine’s, also serving St Mary’s Parish. The school converted to an academy on 1st August 2011. Our mission is to provide a Catholic education for the primary aged children of the parish.

We have worked in close partnership with St Catherine’s this past school year, sharing a Headteacher as well as Academy Manager. (St Catherine’s converted to academy status in September 2012) It is hoped to cement this partnership by St Mary’s becoming a multi academy trust and St Catherine’s joining the trust. The two schools merging will become The Parish Federation of St Mary’s and St Catherine’s. This should happen early in the school year 2014-2015.

We cater for some 320 pupils, aged between four and eleven years of age. St Mary’s is highly regarded by its local community, and has a well earned reputation for its high academic and social expectations as well as its caring friendly approach to our pupils. The most recent OFSTED judged the school to be good with a number of outstanding features, most notably in pupils’ attainment, the way pupils engage with the wider community and the way the school engages with parents. OFSTED also judged the school to be outstanding in the spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness of its pupils. This has been endorsed by the Diocesan Section 48 inspection which judged the school to be outstanding in every area and went on to say …”that St Mary’s epitomises all that a Catholic school should be.” (March 2010)

St Mary’s was awarded £988,000 from the Academies Capital Maintenance Fund to create a new 5 classroom block. This was completed in July 2013. This was to remove two classrooms served by an old mobile classroom as well as three additional classrooms. These additional classrooms are to enable the school to expand by 10 pupils each year over the next seven years, raising the school PAN from 40 to 50.

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage when they start school and the early Learning Team and KS1 are led by the Team Leader, Colm McCavera.

The Middle Years Learning Team is comprised of years 3 and 4 and is led up by the acting team leader, Maria Pidlisnyj.. The Middle Learning Phase is housed in the new building.

The Upper Learning Team comprises of years 5 and 6 and is led by the Associate Head, Veronica Clare.

The school uses a variety of approaches to children’s learning. Although all the national curriculum subjects are taught, we try to use a cross curricular approach through topic work whenever possible. Sometimes classes are taught using whole class teaching methods whereas at other times group work is used. Children learn in different ways so in both Key Stage 1 and 2 learning opportunities are planned with this in mind. There will also be times when areas of learning are taught as separate subjects, such as Maths.

Above all, the person of Jesus Christ as our role model and teacher impacts on everything that happens in school. We use his teaching and Gospel values to inform how we act with each other, our community and the wider world. We support C.A.F.O.D, Operation Christmas Child, our local S.V.P. group as well as our local community in the distribution of Harvest hampers and contribution the Christmas Shelter appeal.

We are committed to our home / school partnership. We have an “open door” policy with our parents, encouraging them to be involved with the school and our very active “Friend’s Association”, which raises valuable funds for our school are always looking for more people to join them.

Our grounds comprise of a large sport’s field, playground, a recently refurbished activity trail, and conservation area. There are 14 classrooms, a large hall, library area and kitchen where delicious nutritious meals are prepared. We also run a Breakfast Club. We are a Healthy School and have achieved several quality marks including gold sing up, dyslexia friendly, e safety quality mark and are a silver eco school, hoping to achieve Green Flag status this school year. We were also the first Swindon school to achieve the e-safety quality mark from the SWGfL in July 2013.

St Mary’s playgroup is located within the grounds, although it is completely independent of the school.

Our first priority is your child’s welfare and therefore there may be occasions when our concern about your child means that we have to consult other agencies before we contact you. The procedures we follow have been laid down by the South West Child Protection Procedures. If you want to know more about this procedure, please speak to the Headteacher.

Letter from the Headteacher

Dear Parents, Carers and Friends,

Welcome to St Mary’s School.

We, the Staff and Governors welcome you and your child to our school community, joining us in our efforts to provide the best possible experiences for all children to reach their full potential in their learning, as well as developing the spiritual and social dimensions of their lives.

Education is a partnership involving parents and carers in a vital role. Children learn their first standards from their parents, and a Catholic school can only build on what parents are doing at home. The Church’s Declaration on Christian Education states:

“Parents must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure.”

I hope you find this prospectus useful in providing much necessary information regarding St. Mary’s. You may wish to visit our website to gain a flavour of some of the work and activities in which our young people are engaged. www.st-marys.swindon.sch.uk

If you do not know our school, you are most welcome to visit us to see the school at work. Please telephone for a mutually convenient time.

Yours sincerely

Clare-Marie Burchall

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is the trading name of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School (Academy Trust), Swindon, registered in England and Wales under 07697658, registered office Bessemer Road East, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1PE

GOVERNORS

The Governing Body has the responsibility for the school’s strategic policies, aims and objectives, finance, premises and staffing as well as being the employer of all staff.

The Governing Body meets at least three times per year and the Curriculum, Finance and Premises and Staffing meet as required, but at least once each term and they in turn report to the Governing Body.

The Governing Body of the Parish Federation will be comprised as such:

Chair of Governors:

To be appointed

Vice Chair

To be appointed

Foundation Governors Appointed by Bishop Declan:

Fr Michael McAndrew

Mrs. A Griffin

Mrs Anne-Marie Long

Mr Elias Fernandes

Mr Peter Wells

Mrs Ceri McAteer

Mrs Teresa Morse

Mrs Lucy Skittrall

Mr John Clifford

Headteacher: Staff Governor:

Mrs. C-M Burchall Miss Zoe Crook, (St Mary’s) Mrs Jo Bailey (St Catherine’s)

Parent Governors:

Mr. Paul Gilbert (St Mary’s)

Mrs Karen Goldup (St Mary’s)

Mr Stephen Butcher (St Catherine’s)

Mr Antony Maddison (St Catherine’s)

Company Secretary Mr Peter Thompson

Election of Parent Governor:

All parents of children at St Mary’s are eligible to: vote in the parent election or

stand for election as Parent Governor.

St. Mary’s School Staff

Teaching Staff

Helen Butler

Veronica Clare

Molly Chambers

Samantha Corbett

Zoe Crook

Andrea Cull

Sarah Everitt

Jane Foster

Hannah Kershaw

Colm McCavera

Zoe O’Brien

Maria Pidlisnyj

Samantha Rutland

Teresa Stewart

Rachael Weaver

Headteacher

Clare-Marie Burchall

Associate Head

Veronica Clare

Assistant Head

Rachael Weaver

Teaching Assistants

Donna Ballard

Anna Caruso

Julie Clarke

Helen Cooney

Maria Dias

Aveleen Fernandes

Mary Kilminster

Steven Maull

Sophie O’Connor

Maria Pereira

Joanne Shama

Chrissy Stephens

Angela Warwick

Sally Zarola

Office Manager

Carole Green

Admin Assistant

Claire Cummings

Company Secretary

Data Protection Officer

Peter Thompson

MDSA

Donna Ballard

Giovanna Booth

Pat Bown

Helen Cooney

Maria Dias

Aveleen Fernandes

Jane Field

Maria Pereira

Cooks

Teresa Paget

Kitchen Assistants

Rosy de Souza

Laryssa Fernandes

Aneta Mazotta

Caretaker

Ian Hunter

Teaching Staff Areas of Responsibility

C-M Burchall Headteacher (R.E)

Veronica Clare Deputy Head (Assessment, Maths)

Molly Chambers MFL

Zoe Crook on maternity leave

Andrea Cull Music

Sarah Everitt P.E.

Jane Foster EAL to be in charge of tracking EAL and FSM pupils and Equalities

Hannah Kershaw on maternity leave

Colm McCavera Literact, Eco School

Maria Pidlisnyj Science, PSHE

Teresa Stewart SENCO (0.4)

Rachael Weaver I.C.T and Gifted and Talented (Assistant Head)

Samantha Corbett Art and DT

Zoe O’Brien History and Geography

Helen Butler N.Q.T.

Samanta Rutland N.Q.T.

CLASSES

Malmesbury (R) Miss Rutland

Uffington (R / Y1) Miss Chambers

Barbury (Y1) Mrs. Foster

Avebury (Y1 / Y2) Mr McCavera

Liddington (Y2) Mrs Corbett

Silbury (Y3) Mrs Pidlisnyj

Ermin (Y3 / 4) Mrs Everitt

Sarum (Y4) Miss O’Brien

Waylands Smithy (Y5) Mrs Butler

Salisbury (Y5 / 6) Mrs Weaver

Ridgeway (5 / 6) Mrs Clare, Mrs Cull

Home School Partnership

Aims

We aim to develop an environment in which parents/carers feel valued and take an active role in the education of their children. We would like to encourage you to share your particular skills and experiences as parents.

We aim to establish strong links and a feeling of togetherness between parent/carer, school and child.

We believe that regular contact between home and school is important for pupils, for parents and for staff. Through regular contact, school and home can keep each other informed about progress in learning, school issues and ways in which we can work together to make sure each young person has a happy and successful time at St Mary’s.

Parents Welcome

Parents can see children’s work, have brief discussions with teachers or arrange a time to talk before or after school.

Homework Diary / Reading Diary

Daily correspondence between parents and teachers is recorded in this diary and it provides information about progress as well as happenings in the class.

Newsletters

These are regularly distributed, giving up to the minute news about what has happened or what is about to happen. Monthly menus are also distributed. These are now distributed online.

Parent/Carers’ invitation to Assemblies

Class assemblies are held most Friday at 2.15pm. Information as to the order of assemblies will be given in newsletters. Whole school assemblies for Harvest, Advent, Lent Fast Days and Charity assemblies are also held throughout the year. Performances for EYFS, Years 1 and 2 are held at Christmas, Years 3 and 4 at Easter and Year 6 at Summer. You are always most welcome to attend.

Parent/Teacher consultations

As well as frequent opportunities for informal contact, time is set aside twice a year, in October and February / March to meet on a formal basis with class teachers to discuss your child’s progress and achievement.

An annual report is sent out in July with an option for you to meet with the class teacher to discuss its contents if you so desire.

Parents helping in school

We welcome contact with parents who wish to come into school to help in any way, working with children as well as sharing talents and skills and expertise. Parent volunteers will be given training and they can help with the upkeep of the library, hearing readers, gardening, sewing to mention but a few. They can also help with the setting up of and running after school clubs. A D.B.S. check is required.

Meeting for parents/carers for children prior to entering Reception

A meeting is held in the term prior to your child entering school where parents/carers are able to meet with the key adults who will play an important part in the first year of a child being at St Mary’s e.g. Class Teacher, Teaching Assistant, Headteacher, School Nurse.

What you can expect from the school and what we expect from you is explained. School uniform can be purchased and refreshments are served.

PARENT GOVERNORS

Parents are represented on the Governing Body through election and are involved in all aspects of the school’s life. Nominations for parent governors will be in September 2014. There will be two vacancies.

HOMEWORK

Children in the younger classes take home reading books as well as spellings while the older children may take home English and Maths work as well as researching information for the topics they are learning about in school. An increasing amount of homework is now internet based, using such sites as My Maths and Education City. The children have access using their own passwords. If your child does not have access to the internet then provision can be made for your child to use school laptops. Please let the office know if your child needs this facility.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

During your child’s final year at St Mary’s School you will be contacted regarding transfer to secondary school.

The Catholic secondary school for St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is St Joseph’s Catholic College, Swindon.

SCHOOL TIMES:

Children must not enter the playground before 08.40

Morning session begins 08.55

Morning session ends 12.00

Afternoon session begins 12.55

Key Stage 1 children finish 15.15

Key Stage 2 children finish 15.20

Friday afternoons: school finishes for everyone at 15.05

All children should have left the premises by 15.30 except those involved in school activities.

Please note: In the interests of health and safety, children are not permitted on the premises before 08.40, and parent/carer’s cars are not permitted entry to the school grounds at any time. To promote good relations with our neighbours, please park carefully in the residential streets, avoiding double parking or parking across drives.