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

St Peter’s is in its final month of its 60th Anniversary year, or Diamond Jubilee.  It has been a year marked with various celebrations, such as St Peter’s Fest, a commemorative booklet for all pupils, the sale of jubilee merchandise, a Feast Day Mass, the opening of a school time capsule from 1989 and the burying of a new one to be opened in 2049. 

The year of special events sum up just what it is that makes St Peter’s so special.  Staff were creative and dedicated in how they helped the pupils to understand, appreciate and celebrate the anniversary, be that through work done in the classroom or behind the scenes.  Volunteers gave willingly of their time to create fun and memorable events that will live on warmly in children’s experience of St Peter’s. Links with our two local parishes remain strong, and the values with which we raise, educate and love the children in our care have remained constant over the 17 years I have been associated with the school (I was a parent of pupils long before taking on the Headship 8 years ago).  So, ahead of the season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas, I would like to express great thanks to the staff, volunteers, pupils and families who have made 2024, our Diamond Jubilee year, so special for St Peter’s.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Well done to the Year 1 pupils at St Peter’s who led this year’s initiative on collecting gifts as part of the annual Operation Christmas Child appeal.

Year 1 at St Peter’s collected over 40 shoe boxes full of toys, games, craft materials, toiletries and winter essentials to be sent to children around the world who may otherwise receive no gifts at Christmas.

We are fortunate to be able to combine forces with Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College to send off a bumper collection of Christmas gift boxes in the most efficient way possible. Students and staff at Oaklands were delighted to be able to host some pupils from our Year 1 to help load the boxes and send them on their way to those in need around the globe.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

St Peter’s is bringing to an end its year of celebration to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the school.  Back in the summer term, a time capsule which was buried on the old school site in 1989 was opened in a special assembly.  This contained a list of the prices of sweets, crisps and drinks at the time, a local newspaper, and lists of children’s favourite TV shows and music groups. 

For the time capsule that was buried this month, a pupil vote led to the inclusion of the school’s Diamond Jubilee memento booklet, a whole school photo, our school uniform, stamps, coins and a photo of King Charles III.  Also included in our 2024 time capsule were letters from Year 6 about life in the school and our Diamond Jubilee celebrations, along with pictures of the summer school show The Wizard of Oz.  Each class was then asked to choose their favourite book, and a copy of each was included in the time capsule.  I wonder what the children and staff of St Peter’s will think of our choices when the capsule is dug up in 2049!

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher