Dear Parents, Carers and Families, 

A very warm welcome to St Mary’s Catholic Junior School.

It is a privilege to welcome you to our school community and to continue in another exciting year together.

Since joining the school, I have had the great privilege of getting to know our children, families and staff even more closely. What has struck me most is the genuine sense of community that exists at St Mary’s. We are a school where children are known, valued and encouraged to believe in themselves and where we work together to ensure that every child has the opportunity to flourish.

At the heart of everything we do is our Catholic mission. We seek to live out the Gospel in the way we learn, work and care for one another, rooted in the values of Love, Respect, Peace and Faith. We want our children not simply to achieve academically, but to grow into compassionate, courageous and thoughtful young people who understand that they have an important role to play in their families, their communities and the wider world.

‘Fidem Serva’ — Keep the Faith — is at the heart of our identity. We encourage our children to have faith in God, faith in themselves and faith in what they can achieve.

Our ambition for every child is high. We provide a broad, rich and carefully considered curriculum which develops knowledge, vocabulary, creativity and independence, while giving children opportunities to discover their interests and talents. We celebrate academic success and are proud of the strong outcomes our pupils achieve, but we recognise that education is about so much more than results. We want our children to leave St Mary’s as confident learners, resilient problem-solvers, effective communicators and kind, responsible citizens.

This is captured in our St Mary’s Way. We want our children to be Active, Aspirational, Collaborative, Friendly, Independent, Persistent, Responsible and Versatile. These are not simply words on a wall; they are qualities we actively nurture in our pupils every day.

We also recognise that children achieve the most when schools and families work in partnership. Our relationship with parents and carers is therefore incredibly important to us. We want you to feel welcomed, listened to and confident that we are working alongside you in the best interests of your child.

As we look ahead to the year, our ambition remains simple: to provide an exceptional education within a caring, inclusive and distinctly Catholic community where every child can thrive.

Whether your child is joining us in Year 3, returning for another year or preparing for their final year at St Mary’s, I hope that they will feel a strong sense of belonging here. I hope they will be challenged to achieve more than they thought possible, supported when things are difficult and encouraged to be the very best version of themselves.

As Archbishop Oscar Romero reminds us:

“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

That is a wonderful aspiration for our children and for all of us.

Thank you for entrusting your children to us. I look forward to working with you and to sharing another successful, happy and memorable year at St Mary’s.

With very best wishes,

Sarah Fizul
Headteacher
St Mary’s Catholic Junior School

Fidem Serva — Keep the Faith