This week has seen as its centre of attention our Ofsted inspection on 27^th and 28^th September.  Every child in the school was a credit to their families, their teachers and the St Peter’s community.  The pupils’ behaviour, good manners and engagement with the members of the inspection team were all exemplary over the two days, so well done and thank you to all the children.  Furthermore, I must thank every single member of the school staff who showed their usual professional commitment to our learning community before then going that extra mile to prepare for the inspection.  The final report from the inspection will take several weeks to produce, so we will be able to publish the outcome towards the end of October.

On Monday, we received new from the Diocese of their intention to suspend the process of converting Catholic schools to become part of a series of Multi Academy Trusts.  For us at St Peter’s this simply means carrying on with business as usual, as we were not listed in the current or next round of anticipated conversions.  We will continue to work closely both with the Local Authority and our neighbouring Catholic Schools to drive forward school improvement and constantly develop the learning and progress of the children in St Peter’s.

My week ended on a high with a letter from Fr Jeremy expressing his appreciation of the Year 1 liturgy in school this week.  He wrote of how well prepared the children were to share the story of God’s creation, which was evidence of pupils’ learning and understanding in their RE lessons.

I hope you all have a restful weekend, as indeed will all of the staff here at St Peter’s!

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

Although it by now that we have never been away, and the crispness of September is making the summer holiday a receding memory, we ‘officially’ got the new school year underway on Tuesday with a whole school Mass.  Fr Jeremy celebrated Mass with Years 1 to 6, with a homily which focused on the importance of honesty and truthfulness. It was wonderful for us all to gather together in celebration and worship, re-establishing for 2017-2018 that school community spirit that makes St Peter’s such a strong family.

The busiest year group this week has, I think, been Year 6. On Thursday our Year 6 pupils spent the day at Purbrook Park School on a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) day, where teams took part in tasks to either build a rocket or transport tomatoes without damaging them. My thanks go to the Year 6 staff who took the children on the trip, and to the staff and students at Purbrook who hosted the event. Fresh from that day out, many of our Year 6 pupils then hot-footed it to Oaklands for their Open Evening. No sooner have we started this year than we’re looking ahead, and all families with children in Year 6 should have received information about applying to secondary school. We’ve lots to do before then, but it will be on us before we know it!

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

At St Peter’s this week we were lucky enough to host special guests who brought new experiences to our pupils.  On Tuesday, a touring theatre company performed the musical ‘Oliver!’ for our Year 2 and 3 classes.  The company of just 4 performers used sound, light, creative staging and a huge amount of energy to bring the classic Dickens tale to life.  Then on Wednesday and Thursday we had a visit from Miss Gemma Carden, who works as a fundraiser for Rowans Hospice.  Speaking to children in Key Stage 1 on Wednesday, then Key Stage 2 on Thursday, Gemma gave a sensitive presentation on the work that the hospice does for those with life-limited conditions.  The children were in awe of the care and facilities that the hospice provides, and amazed that it costs £5.8 million a year to run.  Gemma encouraged the children to think about taking part in the Rowans’ fundraising walk over October half term as a way of giving their help to those in need within our local area.  Details can be found here: https://www.rowanshospice.co.uk/events/childrens-starlit-walk-2017/

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

Welcome back to St Peter’s for the 2017/2018 school year, and an especially warm welcome to all those pupils who will be joining the St Peter’s community this month.  I hope that the summer break provided everyone with a chance to relax, spend time with family and friends, and generally recharge batteries ready for another busy term.

It is fair to say that the pupils have provided the sole ray of sunshine this week, as autumn seems to have arrived early this year.  It was wonderful to see the pupils from Years 1 to 6 gathered together for worship on Tuesday morning, and the school is ready to begin the induction process for the new Year R children from Monday 11th September.

All of the pupils have had homework diaries issued this week.  Please take 15 minutes to sit down with your child to look at the information in the front few and final few pages, which includes information about our Catholic tradition, a reminder of the 6Cs, a copy of the times tables and the school term dates on the back cover.

As a reminder, the school term dates for this year are posted below.

Mr R Cunningham

Headteacher

St Peter’s Catholic Primary School  Term dates 2017 – 2018

Autumn Term  Friday 1^st September 2017 to Thursday 21^st December 2017

Half term holiday Monday 23^rd October to Friday 27^th October

Inset days this term (school closed to pupils): Friday 1^st September 2017, Monday 4^th September 2017, Friday 22^nd September 2017, Thursday 21^st December 2017

Spring term  Thursday 4^th January 2018 to Thursday 29^th March 2018

Half term holiday Monday 12^th February to Friday 16^th February 2018

 Summer Term  Monday 16^th April 2018 to Friday 20^th July 2018

Half term holiday Monday 28 May to Friday 1^st June 2018

Inset day this term (school closed to pupils): Friday 20^th July 2018

Please note: Bank Holiday school closures

Friday 30^th March 2018 (Good Friday)

Monday 7^th May 2018 (Early May Bank Holiday)