Winter certainly has set in but we have had a lovely week in school. Here are some highlights:
Year 3 – Stone Age Project
Year 3 had a great time in Computing this week bringing their Stone Age stories to life using IMotion to create a short animation.
Netball Tournament at CNS
Some Year 5 & 6 children represented our school at a Netball tournament at CNS – Mrs Hornsby was very proud and said that they represented our school beautifully.
Piper and Theo presented a report to Assembly this morning ‘It was really fun to take part in the tournament. We all played brilliantly and showed great team work & communication. It was a fantastic opportunity.’
EYFS – Castle Role Play
EYFS have been enjoying castle role play this week and dressing up in some wonderful costumes.
Poppy Appeal
Thank you to everyone that supported the Poppy Appeal in school, we raised £242.78 for the Royal British Legion.
Well, what a fantastic week we’ve had despite the rain! We’ve had dance workshops, singing, Opera to name but a few.
Here’s one of the highlights – Lantern Making.
Year 3 enjoyed a trip to the Town Hall to make Christmas Lanterns. They were very well behaved and Mrs Eaglestone and Mrs Hicks were very proud of how creative the children were.
The class are looking forward to taking part in the Chipping Norton Light Switch on, on Thursday 27th November where they will take part in a lantern procession before the official countdown.
The pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 have been fortunate enough to take part in African drumming and dancing workshops for the past term. The children have thoroughly enjoyed their sessions each week. Next term, they will take part in some hip-hop and I can’t wait to see what brilliant things they produce.
The Orchard
The Orchard is a pathway for children specially developed to meet the needs of children in our school. Like adults, there are times in our lives when we need some extra support and this is where it all happens. From Emotional Literacy Sessions; one to one support and gardening sessions that feed the soul, The Orchard provides this. The children experience outdoor learning sessions, led by Miss Southeard and Mrs Dunn, and this week it was all about the sounds you could hear round the campfire.
Amazing Attendance!
Well done to everyone who has had amazing attendance this term. Whole school attendance was 98.23%, this week! We have many classes achieving 100% or extremely close to this, every week. Imagine, when I first arrived it was only just over 90% so what an achievement. Making sure your child is at school everyday (unless they are genuinely ill) and on time is so important. It is a skill for life and one worth learning at an early age so thank you.
Whole school attendance this week
98.23%
Class with the highest attendance this week
Year 4 – 100%
Whole school termly attendance
97.19%
Chocolate Tombola Contributions
Wow, that chocolate tombola is going to be something special. Thank you for all the contributions. The PTA will be very pleased.
Enjoy your half term holiday and we’ll see you rested for another busy term on Monday 3rd November.
Thank you to everyone who attended our Harvest festival yesterday. It was a lovely service, where our children are growing in confidence every time they speak. Thank you Mrs Taylor for organising this and to Rev. Kennedy and Rev. Shaw for supporting us with this.
Parents’ Evening
If you haven’t booked already, there are still spaces available to see your child’s class teacher. This is an excellent opportunity to see how they have settled in to their new classes, raise any concerns and learn how to support your child even further. The children love to hear how well they are doing too.
Panto Reminders
Lots of parents have paid for our Christmas annual treat to the Pantomime. We are very lucky to be able to attend this at a hugely reduced rate, due to it being a school performance and that the PTA contribute heavily to this as well. If you haven’t had a chance, tickets are available to purchase on ParentMail.
We are pleased to announce that, in January 2026, we will be collaborating with Ace Centre Nursery, where I will assume the role of Executive Headteacher. This decision comes as the current headteacher embarks on an exciting new headship opportunity. Recognising the statutory importance of leadership, we felt it imperative to support and ensure the continued existence of the nursery school, at this current time, within our community.
In the coming weeks, we will share further information, ensuring that everyone is fully informed and involved. A letter has already been sent via ParentMail to keep you updated on these developments.
We look forward to embarking on this journey together and are excited about the positive impact our collaboration will have for the children and families in Chipping Norton. Thank you for your continued support.
PGL
The children have had an excellent week at PGL. I saw many smiling faces as they took part in some amazing activities. Thank you to Mrs Hornsby, Mrs Jordan and Miss Philpott for supporting the children this week. A well-deserved rest is in order for everyone at the weekend!
Some After-School Clubs in Action
Harvest Festival Donations
Thank you to all the families that donated food for our Harvest Festival next week. I will be taking the food to church tonight so that it can be displayed in the church. Giving a little of what you can and letting your children see the importance of this is a valuable life lesson and we appreciate this so much.
As you know, we will be extending our nursery provision to 2 year olds in January. We are also offering a wrap around service to meet the needs of working families 50 weeks of the year from 8 -6pm. Next week we will be advertising for several posts. If you know someone that would be interested in working at St. Mary’s and they have the skills, qualifications and experience we need, please get in touch.
Year 4 St. Braivels Residentail Trip
The children had the most excellent time at St. Braivals this week. They enjoyed a campfire and marshmallows and a lovely walk alongside many other things. I think we will have some tired children this weekend! Harvey told me that he had a brilliant time and enjoyed all of the activities, especially archery and fencing!
A Message from The Branch
A Warm Welcome from Parent Drop-In Every Monday Morning, 8.20–9.30am, School Library
Parent drop-in is there for all parents and carers with children at St Mary’s. We know that starting school is a big step—not only for children but for parents too. If you’re new to our school community, we’d love to invite you to our friendly Parent Drop-In. It’s a relaxed space where you can ask questions and find support if you need it.
Emma Kennedy is here every Monday morning in the library. She can offer advice on a wide range of things—whether it’s benefits, housing, debt, parenting support, help with school uniform or just help with forms. Many families face challenges, especially in these times, and you don’t need to face them alone. Sometimes, sharing a worry is the first step toward finding peace of mind and there are lots of organisations out there who can help if you need advice, financial assistance or just someone to talk something through. Emma is also very used to working with families who do not speak English as their first language and need help navigating new systems.
Emma’s children all came to St Mary’s, and she now works at The Branch, which is a charity in the heart of Chipping Norton. The Branch is a Community Hub where you can access all sorts of support to help your family thrive.
Every Tuesday afternoon (1–2.30pm) we host Connect Café at The Branch. Come along for coffee, cake, and crafts, with friendly faces to welcome you. There’s also practical help available, including Citizens Advice.
Whether you’d like a listening ear, a bit of guidance we’d love to meet you.
I have received a recent concern from a resident on The Green about parking on double yellow lines and stopping outside school to let reception children out. Please keep the families of St. Mary’s safe by planning your journey in good time so that you do not have to rush and show our children how things shouldn’t be done. Let’s be positive role models for everyone.
Please join us for our annual Harvest Festival at St. Mary’s Church on Thursday 16th October at 9.30am – all welcome.
If you would like to make a donation to the food bank, please send your child to school with something tinned or dried. No fresh items please. I will take them to the Church on Friday 10th October so that they can be displayed in St. Mary’s Church for their Harvest Festival on Sunday 12th and in preparation for ours on Thursday 16th September.
Open Morning
Wow! What a busy Open Morning we had today. We had so many people through the school doors – old and new. Thank you to everyone that visited and thank you to the staff and children for working so hard. Thank you also to our teams that we work with – The Branch, LCSS and Rhiannon from the mental health team and of course our PTA. It was great to see so many families connecting with the services we have on offer.
Our new school lunch company, Dolce cooked up a variety of different food. My favourite was the yorkshire pudding topped with delicious cauliflower cheese. We had children tasting the menu and some of our Y6 pupils who woudn’t necessarily have a school lunch have definitely changed their minds. If your child would like a school lunch, please log onto the school grid.
Our Y6 tour guides were a credit to our school. Here is a message from a parent today.
‘Wow, never knew the school was so big! Stan and Vlad who showed me around are a credit to the school. It was great to see it all. For someone who is looking to put their child into the school you’d struggle to see why you wouldn’t want to. The place looks great. All the children were sat working hard and listening nicely.’
More nursery news and more…
We are very pleased to say that in January 2026 we will be taking 2 year old children. A special room is being developed for this provision and we hope that prospective parents will be able to visit this area in November/December. If you know someone that would be interested in this provision, please get them to contact the school.
Wrap around care and more…
We are also pleased to announce that we will be able to offer childcare from January 2026 for 50 weeks of the year. This will mean that we will offer not only after-school clubs but holidays clubs too. These will be run by staff in school so every face will be familiar and provide working parents with the support that they need. More information to follow. We are very excited about this.
If you would like to register your interest for a place in nursery or would like to know more about wrap around care, please get in touch.
