Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.

• Letter from Mrs O'Rourke

  Fri 26 Sep 2025

  A Fabulous Start to the Term!

   

  Dear Families,

   

  The past two weeks at St John’s Catholic Primary School have been fantastic! Children have settled into their learning with focus, creativity, and enthusiasm, and our playgrounds have been full of collaboration, laughter, and imaginative play.

   

  Earlier this week, we held a practice fire drill, and the children were incredible. Special mention goes to our EYFS pupils, who showed remarkable calm, respect, and independence.

   

  We were delighted to welcome Bev Ball (Wiltshire LA) and Helen Easton (OPAL) to school this week. Both consultants praised our children for their excellent learning behaviours and the warmth of welcome they experienced—testament to the strength of our Catholic school community.

   

  We ensure that all children have access to high-quality texts, and we are ambitious for every child to thrive in their reading. We remind parents that reading every night is a vital way to support learning, and if you have any questions, please speak with your child’s class teacher. Please take note of the Reading Breakfast events being held across the academic year when families are invited to join their children to start the day with tea/coffee croissant’s and a good book!

   

  Thank you also to all the families who attended our ‘Meet the Teacher’ workshops on Tuesday evening—the largest turnout we’ve had in some time. It was wonderful to welcome families into classrooms, share our learning environments, and discuss the exciting challenges and opportunities ahead.

   

  We are so proud of our children’s curiosity, creativity, and compassion. Their dedication and joy in learning is a wonderful reminder of the strength and spirit of our school community.

   

  With best wishes,

  Mrs O’Rourke

• Parent/Teacher Meetings

  Fri 26 Sep 2025

  Parent/Teacher Meetings

   

  We will be holding our autumn parent teacher meetings on Tuesday 7^th October and Thursday 16^th October between 3.30pm and 6.00pm. Booking are made using the Parents Booking system and will open at 6.00pm on Friday 26^th September and will close at 9.00am on 3^rd October. Instructions on how to access the system can be found in the attached letter. Appointments are limited to one per child. Should you require an additional appointment, please telephone the school office and we will arrange a telephone appointment with the class teacher. There will also be the opportunity to arrange a meeting with Mrs O’Mahony our Inclusion Lead by contacting the school office.

• Mission Review Evening

  Fri 26 Sep 2025

  Mission Review Evening

   

  On Tuesday 18^th November I would like to warmly invite all parents and grandparents to join school representatives and governors to a Mission Review Evening. The event will be held in the school hall with cheese and wine refreshments. The evening will allow all adult stakeholders to reflect and review our school mission statement and consider options for the school mission going forward into our centenary year in 2026-2027. The evening will commence at 6.15pm with a key note speech from Mrs O’Rourke at 6.30pm and then time for  adults to discuss and review our school mission, the evening will close before 7.45pm.

   

  We have gathered pupil voice regarding the mission statement, logo and ethos, please note this event is aimed at adults only. We look forwarding to welcoming you all in order that we can work together to make our Catholic school the finest place it can be.

• First Holy Communion Mass in school

  Fri 26 Sep 2025

  First Holy Communion Mass in school

   

  We were delighted to come together as a school community to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving for the children who made their First Holy Communion last academic year. We are very grateful to Father Richard for celebrating Mass with us and to Joel for leading the music so beautifully. The children were reverent, prayerful and looked wonderful in their special outfits. Our readers read with confidence and the singing was particularly special – it was a truly joyful occasion for all. We also thank the parents and families who joined us and helped make the celebration even more special.

  

• School Photos

  Fri 26 Sep 2025

  School Photos

   

  David Wiltshire Photography will be in school on Tuesday 30^th September to take pupil’s individual photos. Pupils with siblings in our school will also have a photograph taken together during the school day. Unfortunately, we are not able to take photos with children who are not currently at St. John’s or any other family relationships other than siblings.

   

  All pupils should come into school in their Winter uniform on this day.

• Letter from Mrs O'Rourke

  Fri 12 Sep 2025

  Dear Families,

   

  Welcome to the New School Year!

  I hope this newsletter finds you and your families well and rested after the summer break. It is a pleasure to welcome you all back to St John’s Catholic Primary School for the start of a new academic year, and to extend a particularly warm welcome to the new families who are joining our school community for the first time.

  As a Catholic school, we are proud to place Christ at the centre of all that we do. Our mission is to nurture the spiritual, academic, emotional, and social development of every child in our care. We are looking forward to another year of learning, growth, and faith, where together — school, home, and parish — we support one another in helping our children flourish.

   

  Until we get to Advent of this year, our school theme continues to be celebrating the Year of Jubilee – challenging us to be pilgrims of hope. Through our collective efforts in prayer, service, and learning, we will help our children understand how they can live out Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching themes each day.

  Our dedicated staff have worked hard over the summer to prepare a welcoming and stimulating environment, and we are excited to begin the year with enthusiasm and hope. We are committed to delivering a high-quality education rooted in faith, and to supporting every child in reaching their unique God-given potential.

  There will be many opportunities for you to engage with the life of the school in the coming months — from curriculum evenings to school Masses, parent meetings, and celebrations of learning. We deeply value your partnership and support, and we look forward to walking alongside you this year in faith and friendship.

  I encourage you to take note of the dates for the diary which are included on the school website and within this newsletter.

  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions as the year progresses. Let us keep each other in prayer as we begin this new chapter together.

  With every blessing for the year ahead,

   

  Yours sincerely,

   

  Mrs O’Rourke

  Headteacher