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Tag: Year 5

Headteacher’s Newsletter – 27th March 2026

Written by Mrs McQueen on . Posted in Headteacher Newsletter.

Dear Parents/carers,

Cotswolds Art In Schools

This term, we have been fortunate to take part in an exciting  art project in partnership with Oxford Brookes University, CATS, and Art in Schools https://www.artinschools.org.uk/). Through this initiative, children at our school have had the unique opportunity to experience a wide range of artistic treasures—many of which are freely accessible in galleries across the United Kingdom.

Pupils have explored works by renowned artists such as Turner and Van Gogh, alongside pieces by lesser-known artists, broadening their understanding of different styles and periods. These artworks have been shared through fortnightly classroom exhibitions, presented as engaging PowerPoint displays.

The response from the children has been overwhelmingly positive. They have shown great enthusiasm, confidently identifying their favourite pieces and explaining the reasons behind their choices.

We look forward to continuing this inspiring project next term. Thank you to Mrs Thorsby for co-ordinating this work.

Easter Church Service

Thank you to everyone for joining us for the Easter Service yesterday. Thank you to Olly and Rev Kennedy from the church and Mrs Taylor and Mrs English for organising this. EYFS pupils made an Easter tray to understand why we celebrate Easter.

Y3 River Walk

To complete their topic this term on rivers, Y3 ventured to Glyme river.

Y5 Rainforest Adventure

Thank you to the PTA for contributing to the very exciting trip that Y5 took to the rainforest this week. They had learnt so much and were very excited on their retun. The staff commented on how polite our children had been throughout the visit, which was lovely to hear.

School Uniform

Summer uniform of shorts or a red checked dress can be worn after the Easter holidays. The summer dress should be worn with white socks not tights. Please remember that leggings and sports trainers are NOT part of our school uniform.

The Treehouse

The Treehouse is open next week and I know there are lots of children who are looking forward to some fabulous Easter activities. The Treehouse will run in June and throughout the summer too. If you would like a place to support you with managing childcare, do book. The Treehouse is run by our qualified school staff, who know your children really well. If you are in work currently and need childcare but finds the cost too expensive, please talk to us to see how we can support your child with a reduced place. Everything will be treated confidentially.

Attendance

Whole school attendance this week95%
Class with the highest attendance this weekYear 5 – 98.46%
Whole school attendance (year to date)95.9%
National average94.6%

Diary Dates

School Calendar

We hope you have a lovely Easter holiday and look forward to welcoming you back on Monday 13th April.

Kind regards,

Mrs McQueen

Headteacher’s Newsletter – 13th March 2026

Written by Mrs McQueen on . Posted in Headteacher Newsletter.

Dear Parents/carers,

Year 5 Music Festival

Year 5 did us proud at the Chipping Norton Music Festival this week. They were not only praised for their
teamwork and beautiful singing but their exemplary behaviour as well. Follow us on Facebook and
Instagram to see the video.

Mother’s Day Event

Thank you to everyone who attended the Mother’s Day event today as it was such a success. Thank you to all the staff for supporting such creativity. We look forward to dressing up next Friday for Comic Relief and making ourselves look funny for money.

Nursery News

After a short delay, we have been given the opportunity to open our nursery to two year olds in September. If you are interested in this, please contact the school for further information. We will open this if there is demand.

If you have a child who is about to reach 3 years old and are looking for a school nursery place, we can
currently accommodate this as well. We are open 50 weeks of the year.

Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools Inspections (SIAMS)

Thank you to our governors – Linda carpenter and Rev. James Kennedy for supporting our school on
Tuesday and working with Mrs Taylor on our SIAMS report. Our Christian vision is very important to us and we use our school values every day.

Our vision is, ‘to provide firm foundations and create opportunities for everyone to be inspired and flourish within a supportive community demonstrating branches of wisdom, integrity, compassion, patience and joy’.

We demonstrate our vision and values through our story of the mustard seed. Please ask your children
about this and see what they can tell you. Our values are seen in the form of some memorable objects.

Funny for Money – Comic Relief Friday 20th March

Dress up funny for money – wear something silly, funny or daft (using what you made today!) to school for £1 donation.

Holiday Club at The Treehouse

This is now open! If you would like your child to attend but may need support financially, we may be able to help you with this. Contact the school office for support.

Parents’ Evening – Last chance to book

Parents’ Evening is on Monday 16th March and Wednesday 18th March are available to book online. This is the perfect the opportunity to find out how your child is doing in school.

Attendance

Whole school attendance this week96.64%
Class with the highest attendance this weekYear 4 – 99.23%
Whole school attendance (year to date)96.67%
National average94.6%

Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to welcoming you back on Monday.

Kind regards

Mrs McQueen

Headteacher’s Newsletter – 6th February 2026

Written by Mrs McQueen on . Posted in Headteacher Newsletter.

Dear Parents/carers,

Rain, rain go away and unfortunately I can’t say come back another day unless it is a while away! The forecast is set to be like this next week so please ensure your child has a suitable coat and shoes.

Great sports skills at CNS on Wednesday

As always, the children of St. Mary’s were praised for their teamwork and superb behaviour. Life skills that are valued wherever you are in the world. Well done, everyone!

Year 5 workshop

We had a fantastic singing workshop on Tuesday with our visitors from the Chipping Norton Music Festival and the children sang really well! We will be taking part in the event with other schools on the 12th March in Chipping Norton Town Hall, during the school day and parents are welcome to watch the performance and details have been sent out on ParentMail.

Another Strive For 5 Winner

If you read at least five times a week at St. Mary’s your name is placed in the weekly book raffle. Kayla was a very lucky winner and got to read to Isla. Reading opens whole new worlds and gives us such great opportunities. We love a good book at St. Mary’s! What’s your favourite read?

Safeguarding

During Collective Worship, this week, we have been talking about Safeguarding and keeping ourselves safe. We talked with the children about trusted adults and the fact the children can talk to any staff member about a worry they may have.

If you have a concern or would like further information about safeguarding, please contact:

  • Mrs. McQueen – Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Mrs Taylor – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Miss Wakefield – Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

SAFEGUARDING?

You will have likely heard the work ‘Safeguarding’ talked about at school or other settings, but not all parents are really clear on what it actually means or looks like for their child. In education settings, the term Safeguarding refers to the process of protecting children from harm. This includes protecting them from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Safeguarding processes, polices and procedures are put in place to ensure that children are safe and happy, and that they have the opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive.

As a parent, you have a vital role to play in safeguarding your child. You are the first line of defence against harm. By being aware of the risks and taking steps to protect your child, you can help to keep them safe.

Safeguarding is not just about protecting children from physical harm. It’s also about protecting them from emotional harm. This includes protecting them from bullying, cyberbullying, and other forms of emotional abuse. Parents and carers also play an enormous role in teaching children about personal safety, online safety, and dangers they may encounter in their everyday lives and by being proactive, informed, and involved, parents can significantly contribute to their children’s safety and wellbeing.

WHAT DOES SAFEGUARDING LOOK LIKE?

Safeguarding is the proactive process of planning, minimising risk and putting into place strategies to keep children safe. As a parent, you will do this every day without even thinking about it- you hold your child’s hand as they cross the road, teach them about trusted adults and make sure that they are safe in all that they do – but it goes beyond that.

Schools and education settings will have policies and procedures that set out the measures in place to keep children safe, but how can you do this as a parent? For parents, safeguarding should be a combination of proactive measures and vigilant awareness, many elements of which we will complete naturally, but it is always useful to take a step back and consider how you are maintaining the key elements of safeguarding your own children:

  • Building strong relationships with your children
  • Teaching essential safety skills
  • Awareness of potential and changing risks that you children may encounter
  • Trusting your own safeguarding instincts
  • Adapting your safeguarding rules as your child grows and matures

Attendance

Whole school attendance this week94.06%
Class with the highest attendance this weekYear 4 – 97.6%
Whole school attendance (year to date)96.1%
National average94.6%

Get Ready for a Friday Treat!

Have a lovely weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Kind regards,

Mrs McQueen

Headteacher’s Newsletter – 4th April 2025

Written by Mrs McQueen on . Posted in Headteacher Newsletter.

Dear Parents and Carers

What a fabulous term we’ve had at St. Mary’s from fantastic class assemblies to amazing school visits to link in with our school topics. We’ve been to sporting events and the children of St. Mary’s have represented our school in so many ways. In fact, we came fourth in the Oxfordshire Boccia finals last night. Our school is going from strength to strength every day and what we offer our children is something I am very proud of. Our staff challenge when it is needed, support when times get tough and turn up every day to give the children of St. Mary’s the very best they can.

Easter Service

Thank you to everyone who attended our service yesterday. We may have had some technical difficulties but we are strong and the sun shone down on us and did not deter some lovely singing.

Nursery News

You all know that we are set to open our nursery next September and we are very nearly full, which is just fantastic. I can’t think of anything better than dropping your children at the same place every morning in preparation for a smooth transition to the school they will spend the rest of their time in. We had applied for the Department For Education grant before Christmas and have just received the news that we have been successful. So, what does that mean for the children of St. Mary’s? There will be refurbishment throughout the summer holidays of the whole EYFS area. We will get new fencing, outdoor area and furniture throughout for our new pupils. This also means that the money we had put aside for this can be used on other projects around the school.

Nursery visits for new starters to be arranged for next term.

Amazon Antics!

Year 5 had an amazing time visiting the rainforest this week.

Attendance

Class with overall best attendanceYear 3 – 100%
Overall school attendance94.91%
Unauthorised attendance4.28%

Have a lovely Easter break as the weather is set to be lovely next week and we look forward to welcoming
you back on Tuesday 22April 2025.

Kind regards,

Mrs. McQueen

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