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

• Whole School Pilgrimage on Friday 11th July 2025

  Fri 18 Jul 2025

  Whole School Pilgrimage on Friday 11th July 2025

  Last Friday, the whole school took part in a special pilgrimage to St Thomas More Church in Bradford on Avon to mark the Jubilee Year of Hope. Throughout the day, the children showed great reverence and took time for thoughtful reflection along the way. A highlight of the journey was Mr Brown leading groups in song as we walked along the river, filling the air with joyful voices. Once at the church, the children took part in a series of reflections and prayers, deepening their understanding of hope and faith. It was a beautiful day of unity, reverence, and spiritual growth, and we are proud of the respect and participation shown by all the children. A huge thank you to all the parents and volunteers who helped make the day so special.

   

  

• Letter from Mrs O'Rourke

  Tue 01 Jul 2025

  Dear Families,

   

  As we reach the midpoint of our final half-term, we have much to celebrate and look forward to.

   

  First Holy Communion Celebrations

  Last Sunday, a group of our Year 3 pupils received their First Holy Communion at St John the Baptist Catholic Church—a truly special and sacred moment in their journey of faith. We were so proud of their prayerful participation and the way they approached the Sacrament with such reverence and joy. Congratulations to all the children and their families on this blessed occasion.

  We now look ahead to this coming Sunday, when another group of children will receive the Sacrament for the first time. Please keep them in your prayers as they prepare to welcome Jesus in the Eucharist. May this be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ for each of them.

  A heartfelt thank you to Fr. Richard, our parish catechists, and all parents and carers who have supported the children so beautifully throughout their preparation.

   

  Transition Morning – Tuesday

  Next Tuesday morning will be our Transition Morning, when all children will spend two hours in their new classrooms with their new teacher for September. This is an exciting and important part of helping the children feel confident and prepared for the next stage in their school journey. We know they will benefit from this opportunity to begin forming relationships and getting to know the learning environment they’ll step into in September.

  Year 6 children moving onto St Augustine’s Catholic College in September will be attending the College for the full day.

   

  Thank You for Your Feedback

  We would also like to thank all of you who responded to our parent questionnaire regarding the organisation of classes in the next academic year. Your thoughtful and supportive feedback has been invaluable.

  After carefully considering your views and working closely with the teaching team, we are pleased to share that next year, the children will be learning in split year group classes. For Maths and Phonics, however, they will be taught in dedicated year groups, to ensure targeted teaching and progression at the appropriate pace for each child.

   

  This will look like the following:

  Early Years Foundation Stage: Two classes

  Years 1/2: Three split classes with Year 1 and Year 2 taught separately for Maths and Phonics

  Years 3/4: Three split classes with Year 3 and Year 4 taught separately for Maths

  Years 5/6: Split classes with focused teaching by year group where appropriate, including Maths

   

  We are confident that this structure will continue to support high-quality teaching and learning, and provide a nurturing and effective environment for every child.

  In addition, we listened to the voice of the children, staff team and parents and in September will be changing Class Numbers to Class Names based on the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit – linked to our school logo. 

  Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we continue to grow and develop as a school community rooted in faith, learning, and love.

  Please note the final newsletter for this academic year will be Friday 18^th July.

   

  With every blessing,

   

  Mrs O’Rourke

• EYFS Trip to Longleat

  Tue 01 Jul 2025

  EYFS Trip to Longleat

   

  Foundation Stage had a fantastic trip to Longleat at the start of Term 6! The fun began when we boarded our lovely coach and started our journey to Longleat.

  The coach was full of excitement and anticipation! When we arrived we went straight to our “Amazing Animals” workshop with two of Longleat’s keepers. The children had the opportunity to touch, hold and observe cockroaches, snakes, guineapigs and Miss O’Mahony was nominated to hold the tarantula!

  After that we took shelter from the rain and enjoyed a delicious picnic. Once refuelled we boarded the Longleat express to take us on a train journey around the park and then hopped on the boat to see the sealions.

  We finished the day with a drive through the safari park looking out for many different animals. It was a wonderful day!

   

  

• Letter From Mrs O'Rourke

  Fri 13 Jun 2025

  Dear Families,

  As we come to the end of a very busy and uplifting fortnight here at St John’s Catholic Primary School, I want to take a moment to give thanks for all that we have experienced and achieved together.

  A heartfelt well done to our wonderful children who have completed their statutory assessments over the past two weeks. Our Year 4 pupils approached the Multiplication Tables Check with great focus and resilience, and our Year 1 children tackled their Phonics Screening Check with enthusiasm and growing confidence. We are so proud of their hard work – it is a real           testament to their commitment to learning and to the support you provide at home.

  We have also been truly blessed with the richness of community spirit that has filled our school. Sports Day today was a stunning success, and I would like to say a sincere thank you to all the families who came to support. The sunshine was matched only by the smiles on the children’s faces as they gave their all. Your cheering, encouragement and presence brought such joy and truly allowed our school’s Gospel values and Catholic ethos to shine brightly throughout the day.

  It has also been wonderful to see such strong parental engagement in other areas of school life. Our OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) afternoon was a joyful and memorable event – thank you for joining us and embracing the spirit of play and exploration that is so important for our children’s development.

  Thank you, too, for taking the time to complete our parent surveys. Your thoughtful responses are currently being carefully analysed and will play a key role in helping us shape the ongoing growth and improvement of St John’s.

  These past two weeks have truly shown what we can achieve when we work in partnership – with faith, with love, and with a shared sense of purpose. Thank you for walking this journey with us.

  Wishing you all a peaceful weekend and continued blessings in the weeks ahead.

  Warm regards and God bless,

  Mrs O'Rourke

   

• I Can & I Am

  Fri 13 Jun 2025

  I 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 2025

  KS1 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 2025

  House 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 2025

  Welcoming 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 2025

  Roles 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 2025

  Class 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.