Dear Families,

As we come to the end of our first autumn term, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the many blessings we have shared together over these past weeks. It has been a truly joyful and enriching start to the academic year, filled with vibrant learning, deepening faith, and a real sense of community.

Our classrooms have been alive with curiosity and creativity. From exploring new books to solving tricky maths problems, our children have embraced every opportunity to learn and grow. We’ve seen children flourish in all areas of the curriculum, supported by dedicated staff who continually go above and beyond to provide a broad, engaging, and nurturing education.

Faith continues to be at the heart of everything we do. Our prayer life this term has been especially rich, with children leading beautiful reflections and acts of worship. Whether it has been through classroom prayer, whole-school liturgies, or our weekly assemblies, we have seen our pupils grow in confidence and spirituality.

It has also been wonderful to witness the many leadership opportunities our children have embraced — from school council members to eco champions and house captains — showing maturity, responsibility, and a real desire to make a difference in our school community.

Our wider curriculum has been buzzing with activity. Year 2 have enjoyed weekly swimming sessions, showing fantastic progress and resilience. Forest School continues to thrive, running twice a week and offering children the chance to connect with nature and build valuable life skills. Our Year 3 and 4 pupils in Love Class have been developing their musical talents by learning the violin, which has been a delight to hear drifting down the corridors.

We’ve also had some wonderful local visits and experiences — from tasting new cuisines at local restaurants to inspiring support from the Ramsbury Hub and local authority to enhance our reading and phonics provision. These partnerships have had a real impact on our children’s learning, and we are deeply grateful.

We are also blessed with the ongoing support from our fantastic parent community and dedicated governors. Your engagement and encouragement are felt in so many ways — through your attendance at events such as the House Saint afternoon, the Year 5 Reading Breakfast, the EYFS Parent Pilgrimage and Welcome Service, and the Upper Key Stage 2 class Masses. Thank you for walking alongside us in the formation and growth of your children.

This term, we also say farewell to a few much-loved members of staff.

Mr Coleman retired after 12 years of service to St John’s Catholic Primary School. Mr Coleman supported children across the lunchtimes ensuring every child could enjoy a hot meal or packed lunch alongside their friends. He also supported the play and looked after our grounds. We are blessed with the support and service he has shared with the school community. We wish him well on his retirement and look forward to hearing about his travel plans and adventures!

Mr Miller, who has been a part of the St John’s family for an incredible 22 years, will be retiring at the end of this term. His commitment, kindness, and unwavering support for the children and staff have made a lasting impact, and he leaves behind a legacy of care and service that we will always remember with gratitude. We wish Mr Miller every happiness in the years ahead and hope he enjoys his new adventures and travel plans.

Ms Byrne, who has worked tirelessly in the school office for the past five years, is also moving on. Her role has been vital in ensuring the school runs smoothly every day. From organising trips and first aid to being a friendly face to parents and staff alike, she has kept the wheels of the school turning and the children safe. We wish her every happiness in the future.

We also say goodbye and thank you to Miss Williams, who has completed her maternity cover with us. Her dedication and warmth have helped ensure our youngest children had the very best start to school life. We wish her well as she moves on to a new role in another school.

Looking ahead, we are delighted to welcome back Miss Fallows, who will be working in Understanding Class every Thursday and Friday. We are also pleased to announce that Mr Mike Brown has been appointed as our new caretaker and will begin his role at the start of Term 2. We warmly welcome him to our St John’s family.

As we now look forward to a restful half-term break, I want to thank each and every one of you — staff, parents, governors, and most of all, our wonderful children — for making this first term such a special one.

May God bless you and your families with peace, rest, and joy this holiday.

With every good wish,

Mrs O’Rourke