St John's
Catholic Primary School
At St John's we grow and learn in the footsteps of Jesus.
Curious
Thoughtful
Prayerful
Respectful
Creative
Independent
Caring
Responsible
Latest News
Keep up to date with all the latest news happening in school at the moment.
-
I Can & I Am
Fri 13 Jun 2025I Can & I Am
Children in Years 5 and 6 took part in a series of engaging wellbeing workshops, all centred around the idea of “inflating our own balloons.” This idea encourages children to recognise the importance of self-worth and confidence. When we feel good about ourselves, we’re better equipped to cope with life’s ups and downs.
The ‘I Can I Am’ bus has been creatively transformed into a range of inspiring workspaces, including a fully equipped kitchen. One of the highlights for many children was the chance to make their own pizzas – a wonderful way for them to try something new and experience success (inflating their ‘balloon’). Of course, after making their pizza the children were allowed to eat them! The team also led discussion workshops with the children, encouraging them to focus on the positive qualities in themselves and in one another.
Pupil Voice:
“It made me feel calm and content. It was a fun and peaceful place to be.” Sienna
“It made me happy.” Brianna
“I enjoyed meeting the staff (Tom and Sam) because they were kind and helpful. I also liked making the pizzas because it was something that I had never done before.” Finley
“It was a difference experience for me! It felt weird handling the dough, but I enjoyed chatting about myself and others too. It gave me a chance to show kindness to other people.” Lorenzo
“It made me feel calm. We had the opportunity to talk about our challenges and steps towards this. I felt determined, like I could take on my challenge.” Jenny
-
KS1 Trip to Farleigh Hungerford
Fri 13 Jun 2025KS1 Trip to Farleigh Hungerford
KS1 had a fantastic time exploring Farleigh Hungerford Castle, linked to our history project. We dressed up, looked at artefacts and played in the ruins. Thank you very much to all the parents who were able to help out on this trip.
-
House Saints Afternoon
Fri 13 Jun 2025House Saints Afternoon
Last Friday the whole came together to remember our dear friend and colleague Adrian Smith. Pupils competed for the “Mr Smith Orienteering Shield” awarded for their orienteering skills. It was an afternoon of sportsmanship, fun, singing and laughter.
Congratulations to Saint. Don Bosco House who won the Shield.
-
Letter from Mrs O'Rourke
Fri 09 May 2025Welcoming Our New Holy Father – Pope Leo
It is with great joy and reverence that I write to you today as the Catholic world welcomes our new Holy Father, Pope Leo. In these times of global uncertainty and spiritual need, the election of a new pope brings renewed hope, unity, and direction for our faith.
Pope Leo, taking the name of a great line of pontiffs before him, reminds us of the rich tradition and continuity of the Church. We especially remember Pope Leo the Great, whose wisdom and courage helped shape the Church in its early days. We now pray that Pope Leo will be guided by the same Holy Spirit as he begins his papal ministry.
As a Catholic school, this is a special moment to reflect on the role of the papacy and the importance of leadership rooted in service, compassion, and truth. In Celebration Assembly today children reflected on the significance of the Pope and celebrating this historic moment with prayer and thanksgiving.
Let us unite in prayer as a school community:
"May the Lord bless Pope Leo with wisdom and strength. May he be a shepherd after Christ’s own heart, leading the Church with faith, hope, and love. Amen."
Next week, our Year 6 pupils will be taking their national SATs, and we want to take this opportunity to wish them all the very best.
Our children have worked incredibly hard throughout their journey at St John’s, which has included the disruption of COVID. The children have showed focus, determination, and a positive attitude to their learning. These assessments are just one part of their school journey, and we are proud of everything they have achieved so far.
We encourage families to support children by ensuring they are well-rested, eat a good breakfast (still time to join the Year 6 Big Breakfast if they haven’t yet signed up) and arrive at school on time each day. Most importantly, we remind our pupils that all we ask is for them to try their best—they are already a credit to themselves and to our school.
Let’s keep Year 6 in our thoughts and prayers as they take this important step with confidence and courage.
Finally, a reminder that our next Children’s Mass takes place this Sunday at 10:30am at St John the Baptist Church. This is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to lead and participate in the liturgy through readings, singing, and prayer. It is always a joyous celebration!
Everyone is warmly welcome—please join us to support and celebrate our children as they grow in faith.
With every blessing,
Mrs O’Rourke
Headteacher
-
Roles of Priests and Deacons in the Catholic Church
Fri 09 May 2025Roles of Priests and Deacons in the Catholic Church
This week, Years 5 and 6 have been learning about the roles of priests and deacons in the Catholic Church, particularly how their roles are similar and different. They were lucky enough to have Kwame, a trainee deacon from St John The Baptist parish, visit. He spoke clearly about the process of becoming a deacon and what his role entailed. The children listened beautifully, asked lots of interesting questions and scribbled down lots of notes ready to write up what they have learnt in their next RE lesson.
-
Class 6 & 7 Benediction on Friday 9th May 2025
Fri 09 May 2025Class 6 & 7 Benediction on Friday 9th May 2025
Fr Richard led Class 6 and 7 in Benediction today. It was a beautiful time of stillness, quiet reflection and prayer in God's presence. The children were a credit to our school and it was lovely to share this with member of our school family.
Thoughts from the children:
Araon ' I felt peaceful because I knew I was with God.
Trust - I felt blessed because God was with me.
Jude - I felt confident because I knew God was going to help me.
Amy - When we sang the Taize I felt like I entered God's kingdom. 'Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom'
Emily - I felt happy and calm singing the Taize.
-
House Saints Afternoon
Fri 09 May 2025House Saint Afternoon
We will be having our next House Saint afternoon on Monday 12th May. At 2.50pm the school will be on the playground to pray and sing together. You and your families are all very welcome to join us in the celebration. You may wish to join in us in saying the same house prayer verse as you child.
Loving God,
Thank You for our school,
A place of faith, learning and friendship.Guided by the example of St. Francis,
May we be instruments of peace, caring for all creation.Inspired by St. Mother Teresa,
Teach us to serve with love,
Seeing You in everyone we meet.Following St. Don Bosco,
Help us to live with joy and kindness,
Always encouraging and supporting one another.Like Blessed Carlo Acutis,
May we seek You in all we do,
Using our gifts to share Your light with the world.Bless our school community,
That we may grow in faith, wisdom, and love,
Becoming Pilgrims of Hope, people You call us to be.Amen.
We will be singing 'Hope' if you would like to join
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_t5xitQjIc
-
Letter From Mrs O'Rourke
Fri 25 Apr 2025Dear Families,
A very warm welcome back to the summer term! I hope you all enjoyed a peaceful and joyful Easter break with your loved ones. It has been a delight to see the children return to school so smartly dressed and full of enthusiasm – thank you for ensuring they were so well prepared for the term ahead. Their pride in their appearance reflects their readiness to learn and be part of our wonderful school community.
As we return to school, we do so with heavy hearts following the sad passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Each class has taken part in a special time of reflection and prayer, and we have come together as a school to honour his life, his leadership, and his deep commitment to love, peace and compassion. The children are inspired to become Pope Francis’s pilgrims of hope. We invite all members of our school community to join us for a Mass this evening at 6pm in St John the Baptist Catholic Church, where we will continue to pray for his soul and give thanks for his wonderful service to the Catholic Church and Catholic education.
As part of our commitment to continued professional development, our staff team took part in a Training and Development Day on Tuesday 22nd April focused on deepening our faith and teaching of Religious Education during this Jubilee year. During the day we were fortunate to hear an inspirational talk from James Shone, founder of the I Can & I Am charity. James shared powerful insights about self-belief and resilience, and we are excited to welcome him back in June, when he will be working directly with our Year 5 and 6 pupils.
I would also like to express heartfelt thanks for your generous support of our Easter Raffle and Penny Challenge organised by the Friends of St John’s. Together, we raised over £700 with some of the money supporting Dorothy House, a local charity close to our heart that provides compassionate care and support for people with life-limiting illnesses. Your contributions will help make a real difference – thank you.
Before the break, we were blessed to share some very special moments as a school community. Thank you to all the mothers and motherly figures who joined us for the EYFS Mother’s Day service – your presence made the occasion truly memorable for the children, and it was a beautiful celebration of the love and care you give every day.
We also want to commend our Year 5 and 6 pupils who led the Stations of the Cross reflection with such reverence, maturity, and thoughtfulness. Their leadership and reflection during this important part of our Lenten journey helped the whole school community prepare our hearts for Easter in a truly meaningful way.
As we look ahead to the summer term, we are excited to continue our weekly Book Club Fridays supported by the Friends of St John’s Catholic Primary School. These sessions provide a wonderful opportunity for children to explore a love of reading, select a book alongside their friends, and build confidence in their literacy skills. We encourage all pupils to bring in a few pennies to save towards a book of their choice and enjoy the joy of reading!
As ever, we step into this new term with hope, joy, and a shared commitment to growing together in faith, learning, and love.
With every blessing,
Mrs O’Rourke
-
Desert to Garden – Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Fri 25 Apr 2025Desert to Garden – Wednesday 2nd April 2025
To celebrate Lent, on Wednesday 2nd April, our Years 5 and 6 pupils led prayerful reflections for the whole school, focusing on Jesus’ final week on Earth – Holy Week. With clear Gospel readings, confident voices, and thoughtful leadership, the children guided the younger children through meaningful activities that brought the Easter story to life. Younger pupils commented on how brave, helpful, and inspiring the older pupils were. A huge well done to Years 5 and 6 for being such wonderful role models!
-
EYFS Mother’s Day Celebration
Fri 25 Apr 2025EYFS Mother’s Day Celebration
On Friday 28th March Foundation Stage had a wonderful Mother's Day Celebration. The children showed their appreciation and love through song and prayer. There were not many dry eyes in the house!
