This half-term the Equality And Rights Advocates (EARA) team have been planning a special project to revamp the Buddy Benches in the Key Stage 1 and 2 playgrounds.

Before they started, these were plain benches which were not being used for the correct purpose – to be a place to go for those who can’t find a friend. The EARA team have added a brightly-coloured label to make the benches stand out, and rules for how to use the Buddy Bench correctly. The rules of the Buddy Bench were shared with the whole school during assemblies, where the EARA team acted out different scenarios of people using the bench (some correct and others incorrect) and the children had to guess which were the correct uses. 

Everyone now know how to use the Buddy Bench if they are feeling left-out or lonely, or what to do if they see someone else sitting on the bench because they feel this way. Hopefully this will be a useful spot for children and help them to build new friendships.

Thank you to the EARA team and their staff coordinator Miss Sheppard!

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

St Peter’s has returned fully  to normal routines for 2025 by continuing with our typical variety of opportunities for praise and worship.  Already during January, pupils and families in Year 1 have enjoyed a Celebration of the Word liturgical service, and one of the Year 6 classes received the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school.  Most recently, pupils in Years 3 and 4, along with many family members ranging from a newborn babe in arms to worldly wise grandparents, celebrated Mass in school.  Fr Jeremy was the celebrant, and in his homily he reminded the pupils that even when faced with life’s greatest challenges, the loving support of Jesus and a strong faith in God can help us to overcome any obstacle. 

Masses and Celebrations of the Word will continue for other year groups this term before we mark the season of Lent in March when we return from the half term break, whilst the Sacrament of Reconciliation takes place for six different classes over the full course of the school year.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

It was a meteorologically turbulent start to the week at St Peter’s, as Monday brought rain, hailstones, thunder and lightening in the space of just a few hours.  As you can imagine, such changeable weather brings a whole new level of excitement to a school packed with over 400 children aged 4 to 11! 

How apt, then, that in the staff bulletin, this was the prayer and accompanying image for the week:

Speak your Word Lord to calm the winds and rains of the storm, and the hearts of those who are in its path. Protect them from harm, bring them to safety and make of us a warm welcome. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who walked on the water, calmed the waves and is ever-present in the storms we endure.  Amen.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Pupils in Year 5 at St Peter’s are really extending their physical activity this term.  Each class is taking part in a six-week swimming programme between the New Year and Easter, with weekly hour-long lessons at the Waterlooville Horizon Leisure Centre.  These classes cater for children of all swimming abilities and levels of water confidence, with the target of all pupils achieving a swimming distance of 25m in various strokes, treading water, floating on their backs and getting themselves out of deep water unaided.  Added to this, the Year 5 classes will also be enjoying Bikeability sessions – that’s the updated name for Cycling Proficiency.  As well as learning basic cycle care and cycling skills, the children will also take to the roads around school to learn how to navigate public highways safely and correctly. 

Both of these activities are proof against the claim that young people are just on sofas and on screens the whole time, and show that the St Peter’s curriculum extends to valuable life skills and enriching physical activities.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Coming to school, and work, can be tough in January, yet who would not have had their spirits lifted by this beautiful sunrise over St Peter’s on Tuesday morning this week?

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

We are delighted to be able to start 2025 with news that St Peter’s Catholic Primary School raised £1195.07 for the Meerkat Service at the Rowans Hospice. 

The Child Bereavement Support service (known as Rowans Meerkat Service), offers specialist emotional support to children and young people who have a significant adult (such as a parent or grandparent), with a life-limiting illness or, who have been bereaved of an adult close to them. Specially trained staff at the Meerkat Service work alongside families with children up to the age of 18.  The money was raised from selling programmes and accepting donations at our Nativity Plays in December staged by Years R, 1 and 2, and then from a retiring collection at our school Carol Service at Sacred Heart and St Peter the Apostle Church. 

Thank you to all linked to the St Peter’s community who donated to our Christmas fundraising campaign.  Please continue to keep the pupils, staff and families of St Peter’s in your prayers over this coming year.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Thank you for all of the donations we received on our Christmas Jumper Day! Pictured here is just a small selection of the tins, packets and treats that were brought in by the children in return for wearing a wide and wild variety of Christmas jumpers. All of these products will go to Waterlooville Foodbank at Wecock Church in time for Christmas.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 had a very special assembly on Friday afternoon presented by two engineers from the supercar manufacturer McLaren. Our visitors explained to the children the history of the McLaren company, plus details on the work that goes on today at the company headquarters in Woking.

At each fortnightly celebration assembly, pupils from each class are awarded a Golden Key for showing behaviours that live out our school Mission Statement. As an added bonus in this assembly, each Golden Key recipient also received some snazzy McLaren merchandise to wear.

After the assembly, each class in Years 4, 5 and 6 then had a chance to get a close up view of a McLaren Artura, being guided through the vehicle by the two specialist engineers.

It was a great visit to inspire pupils in the field of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and fitting to have McLaren visit on the weekend that the company secured their first Formula 1 constructor’s championship in 26 years with Lando Norris’ victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Thanks go to Miss Sheppard for coordinating the visit, and of course to the McLaren engineers who brought their knowledge and their car to St Peter’s.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Christmas Eve:

4:00pm Children’s Mass Sacred Heart

4:00pm Mass St Michael & All Angels

5.30pm Mass St Thomas’

6:00pm Mass St Michael & All Angels

6:00pm Family Mass St Patrick

6:00pm Mass St Paul

8:00pm Mass Sacred Heart

9.30pm Mass (English & Polish) St Joseph

11.30pm Midnight Mass St Patrick

11.30pm Midnight Mass St Edmund

12:00am Midnight Mass St Colman

Christmas Day:

8.30am Mass Sacred Heart

9:00am Mass (carols from 8.40am) St Thomas’

9.30am Mass St Edmund

10:00am Mass St Michael & All Angels

10.30am Mass Sacred Heart

10.30am Mass St Patrick

11:00am Mass St Joseph

11:00am Mass St Colman

1:00pm Mass (Polish) St Joseph

4:00pm Mass Queen Alexandra Hospital Chapel

The season of Advent has been well and truly begun by the girls and boys who make up St Peter’s School Choir.

The choir sang at two events in Waterlooville town centre – the switching on of the Christmas lights and the Christmas Market (pictured here).

Previous to these two events, the choir joined pupils from other Catholic primary schools in the Portsmouth area to record a Christmas Card Video which will be sent out on behalf of the Edith Stein Partnership of Catholic Schools. Next on the choir’s schedule is to perform at the school Carol Service on Wednesday 18th December at 6:30pm at the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Peter the Apostle on London Road in Waterlooville, before finishing the term with and afternoon performance for the residents of Oaklands Care Home on Stakes Hill Road just opposite the school.

Well done to all of the pupils involved for their hard work, and thank your to Mrs Knight and Mrs Moore for all they do in practicing with our singers and arranging such exciting public performances.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher