As a Catholic school, we are always continuing to raise the standards of education we provide and are guided by our Mission Statement which puts Christ at the heart of every activity.
Starting or moving school is a major step for a child and we are conscious of this. We believe that when family, school, and parish work in partnership, your child can make this step securely. Here at St Margaret Mary’s School, we do everything we can to develop the potential of every child who attends our school. Also, we work hard to create and promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs - as explained in our statement - Promoting British Values and Culture. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you as parents as we seek to fulfill our aims and demonstrate that every child in our care matters.
The touchstone of an excellent curriculum is that it instills in children a love of learning for its own sake. This means that primary children must not only learn what to study, they must also learn how to study.” (The Primary Curriculum Review Executive Summary p8).
Flexible teaching methods are used to meet the purposes of the National Curriculum. For example, the Creative Curriculum is a carefully planned, thematic approach to teaching and learning designed to support children’s natural curiosity and stimulate their creativity. Class teaching, group/individual, and special needs teaching all feature in the structure. At St Margaret Mary’s Catholic Primary School, our children study the following national curriculum subjects: Literacy, Numeracy, Science, Religious Education, Music, Art, Physical Education, History & Geography.
We are very fortunate at St Margaret Mary's RC Primary School to have governors who work tirelessly to ensure that our school continues to move forward and achieves the very best for all of our children.
Here at St Margaret Mary's R C Primary School, we are lucky enough to have our Forest School site. This outside learning environment gives children across the school fantastic opportunities to explore and learn about the world around them. A number of our staff are trained to plan and deliver wonderful Forest School sessions that are engaging and exciting.
Our journey in faith starts at home. As parents, you are the first and most significant educators in your child's life. By having your child baptized, you have expressed your wish to have them brought up within the Catholic faith. Working closely together, forming a partnership between parents and the school, we aspire to nurture the unique qualities of each child and allow them to flourish and grow throughout their primary years.
Christ is present in our daily lives and through living out our mission statement. It is more than just part of the curriculum - it is the Catholic ethos that makes St Margaret Mary's a special and inclusive environment where children can learn and grow, with staff that offers outstanding care and guidance to your children. The mission statement, displayed throughout the school and in every classroom. It is our distinctive purpose, it is what makes our school special and it is our remit in our journey - meeting God each day. Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything we do and we use the principles of the 5W's to live his word and become good Christian role models. We aim to bring children closer to God by learning and understanding the teachings of Jesus, so that we can all lead a rich and fulfilling life, helping others and bringing ourselves closer to God. Through our RE curriculum and Sacramental program, we guide children on their journey in faith. Each year group follows the 'Come and See' program all children take part in collective worship, liturgical assemblies and attend Mass in the convent chapel. All children also have the opportunity to learn about other faiths as part of our curriculum.
The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to work with certain categories of pupils on a roll on the January Census date. However, since 2012/13 the Government decided that eligibility for the Pupil Premium be extended to include children who have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (known as "Ever 6 FSM). Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after (LAC) continuously for more than six months and children of Service Personnel (SPC).
The Government sees this as the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for FSM / LAC / SPC and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches pupils who need it most. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
Whilst schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit, they will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from families in need of support. Since 2012, schools are required to publish information about how they have used the Pupil Premium. This will ensure that parents and others are fully aware of the attainment of pupils covered by the Pupil Premium.
