Friday 25^th September 2026

Dear Parents & Carers,

 

It has been another busy and rewarding week at St Mary’s, with so much wonderful learning and hard work taking place across the school.

 

Our Year 5 pupils had a fantastic visit to the British Museum this week. They had a brilliant time exploring and learning and I was particularly proud of the way they represented our school. Their behaviour, enthusiasm and manners were a real credit to St Mary’s and to their families.

 

Our Year 6 Faith Leaders also had the opportunity to represent St Mary’s at the Beginning of Year Mass, attended by teachers and children from across the Diocese of Southwark. It was wonderful for our Faith Leaders to come together with other Catholic schools to celebrate the beginning of the new school year and our shared faith. A special thank you to Mr McNicholas for accompanying the children and supporting them at this important event.

 

We also had the pleasure of joining 5B for their beautiful class liturgy, focused on the theme of Peace. The children reflected thoughtfully on what peace means and how we can bring peace to our classrooms, our friendships, our families and our wider community. It was a lovely reminder that peace is not simply the absence of conflict; it is something we actively create through our words, choices and actions.

 

This links beautifully with this Sunday's Gospel from Matthew. Jesus tells the story of two sons. One initially says no when his father asks him to help, but later “thought better of it and went.” The message is a powerful one for all of us: we do not always get things right the first time, but we always have the opportunity to stop, reflect and make a better choice.

 

That message feels particularly appropriate as we look across our school this week. Learning is not just about getting the answer right first time. It is about being willing to listen, to reflect, to learn from our mistakes and to try again. Whether that is in the classroom, in the playground, during a liturgy or on a school trip, every choice we make gives us an opportunity to show Love, Faith, Peace and Respect.

 

Thank you, as always, to our wonderful staff for the incredible amount of hard work that goes into making each week of learning so successful, and to our children for continuing to show such enthusiasm, resilience and curiosity.

 

Dates for your diary

• 01/10/2026 - 5C Class Liturgy at 9.30
• 08/10/2026 4D Class Liturgy at 9.30
• 15/10/2026 – 4T Class Liturgy at 9.30
• 22/10/2026 – 3A Class Liturgy at 9.30
• 23/10/2026 – Wear it Pink Day – Fundraising for Breast Cancer

Keeping Our Children Safe Online

As our children get older, more of them will begin asking for their own mobile phones and wanting to use apps such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. While technology can be a fantastic way to communicate, learn and have fun, it also brings responsibilities and risks that children are not always ready to manage independently.

 

We would encourage all parents and carers to check the age requirements of the apps your child is using and not simply assume that because their friends have an account, it is appropriate for them. Age restrictions are there for a reason. WhatsApp's current UK Terms of Service state that users must be at least 13 years old to use the service. Many other popular social media platforms also have minimum ages, commonly 13, although the precise requirements vary between services. Ofcom requires platforms to enforce their stated age limits and provide children with age-appropriate experiences.

There is also an important change coming. The UK Government has announced plans for social media services to be unavailable to children under 16, with the new restrictions expected to come into effect in Spring 2027. Messaging services such as WhatsApp are currently not included in this planned social media restriction.

In the meantime, we strongly recommend that parents:

1. - Check the age rating and minimum age before allowing your child to create an account.
2. - Know which apps your child is using and who they are communicating with.
3. - Check privacy settings and make sure accounts are set as privately as possible.
4. - Talk regularly about not accepting requests or messages from people they do not know in real life.
5. - Remind children that photographs, videos and messages can be copied and shared beyond the original recipient.
6. - Make sure your child knows that they can always come to you if something online makes them worried, uncomfortable or frightened.
7. - Consider setting sensible boundaries around phone use, particularly at bedtime. A phone in the bedroom overnight can quickly become a source of distraction, anxiety and lost sleep.

The Government's current online-safety work recognises the impact that social media can have on children's sleep, concentration, wellbeing and self-esteem, and new guidance is being developed to support families with healthy screen use.

 

A few simple rules for our children:

• - If you wouldn't say it face-to-face, don't send it online.
• - If you wouldn't show it to your parent or teacher, don't post it.
• - If something doesn't feel right, tell an adult.

As a school, we will continue to teach children about responsible technology use, online safety, relationships and respectful behaviour. Keeping children safe online works best when school and home send the same message.

 

For further information, parents can consult Ofcom's online safety guidance for parents and the UK Government's latest guidance on protecting children online

Happy Bag Collection on Friday 9^th October

If you are having a clear out at home or sorting through your wardrobes, we are holding a Happy Bag Collection on Friday 9th October. We welcome donations of unwanted clothing, shoes, sheets, duvets and covers and jewellery. Items can be brought into school at any time from now until the collection date.

 

The more donations we receive, the more funds the school will raise, helping us to purchase new resources for our children. At the same time, all donated items go on to support people in need across the world.

 

This collection reflects our commitment to Catholic Social Teaching, encouraging us to think of others, act generously and support those less fortunate than ourselves, while also benefiting our own school community.

 

Thank you, as always, for your continued generosity and support.

 

Achievement Awards

The achievement certificates this week are awarded to:

• Hemkrish in 3A
• Jonas in 3E
• Sowmithra in 4D
• Dhyan in 4T
• The whole of 5B
• Daisy in 5C
• Samuel in 6G
• Ethan in 6P

 

The Headteacher’s award goes to Arkun in 3A

The Kindness Award goes to Franciszka in 5B

The Swimming Award goes to Jacob in 4T

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Miss SK Fizul

Headteacher