Pupils from St Peter’s joined hundreds of other young people from many of the 70 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Portsmouth for the annual Schools Mass this week. Celebrated on the Feast Day of St Anthony of Padua, Bishop Phillip’s homily focused on the strength of faith in this patron saint of the recovery of lost items.

Each school brought their banner to take part in a procession and display to encompass the whole of the Diocese in a great display in the presence of Bishop Philip and Canon P J Smith, the Episcopal Vicar for Education.

Pupils also presented posters on the theme of ‘Actions speak louder than words’, showing the works of faith in action that take place throughout the schools in our Diocese. I was joined in the great celebration by Mrs Moore and Mrs Richardson, pictured below in the Cathedral with our pupil chaplains.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

And in the blink of an eye, the second half of the summer term is underway.  Or, to put it differently, the final 7 weeks of this school year are now upon us!  A range of our pupils went through national statutory tests in May, and others continue to do so in June, all well prepared academically and pastorally by wonderful St Peter’s staff.  The summer term in June and July brings with it usual and unusual events – this year we will have our usual Sports Days, SummerFest, St Peters and St Paul Feast Day celebrations, Year 4 camping on the school field and Year 6 presenting their end of year show The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition), as well as the less usual events such as marking our school’s 60^th Jubilee, the Football Euros, the Paris Olympics and giving pupils an insight into the democratic process through education around the General Election.  

Of course, the first week of this half-term began with learning events to commemorate the 80^th Anniversary of the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy.  Each class in school took part in age-appropriate learning about the significance of this major event (please don’t believe the media when they say such topics are not taught in school), with Year 4 in particular going deeper.  The Year 4 History topic for this half term is to investigate and assess the role that Portsmouth played in changing the course of the Second World War in Europe, and they received a more detailed presentation on the global and historical context of D-Day.  This included a presentation by me, reprising my former role as a History teacher!

We are also pleased to let you know that working in partnership with Hampshire Design Studios we have produced a commemorative tea towel that all the children have worked on in school. The tea towels have been produced in recognition of St Peter’s 60th Jubilee this year and should provide a nice memento for all families of their child being at St Peter’s in our 60th year.

The tea towels are available to purchase through the below website link at £4.99 each, along with a whole range of jubilee merchandise available to buy. All funds raised through the purchase of merchandise and tea towels go directly back towards school resources, so you are supporting school with any purchases made.

St Peter’s 60th Jubilee Merchandise Shop

We thank you for your ongoing support and look forward to sharing Jubilee celebrations with you over the coming weeks.

A busy few weeks ahead then – watch this space for updates!

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

An unexpected visitor dropped into St Peter’s this afternoon in the form of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

We are led to believe that an emergency incident took place in the locality, but we have no further information about this. However, in searching for a spot to land at about 2:20pm on Tuesday 4 June, St Peter’s school field was the most convenient place. Because the emergency was off site, two paramedics set out on foot to attend, and the pilot waited with the helicopter. In conversation, he invited pupils to come out to look at the aircraft as an impromptu learning opportunity about our incredible emergency response services. Many classes were able to see the helicopter up close before we had to close off the field for the end of the day collection time. However, once clearance was given, at 3:18pm the helicopter took off to fly back to base, meaning hundreds of children had a chance to see it take flight!

As stated, we do not know any details about the emergency that took place in the local area away from the school site, however we hope and pray that all involved are now safe and well. We give thanks for the incredible work done by all who work as first responders in our emergency services, who work in accident and emergency hospital care, and those who work in longer term medical treatment and recovery.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Our Friday afternoon assemblies this week had a medal winning theme with the visit of swimmer Katy Sexton. Katy represented England at the Commonwealth Games, and Great Britain in four World Championships and the Sydney and Athens Olympics between 1997 and 2012. Swimming the 200m backstroke, Katy became Great Britain’s first ever female World Champion swimmer in 2003. As well as sharing her medals, Katy also displayed the MBE for services to swimming that she was awarded in the 2004 New Year Honours list.

Katy spoke to the pupils about the importance of motivation and resilience, the latter attribute being one of our key Learning Circle behaviours at St Peter’s. During the assemblies, Mrs Stewart, who leads PE in school, also announced the winners of this half-term’s inter-house sports competition and launched the ‘Road to Paris’ initiative to increase pupils’ awareness and interest in this summer’s Paris Olympiad.

All the pupils attended school in non-uniform today as part of our fundraising efforts to support the Meerkats Child Bereavement support service at the Rowan’s Hospice.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

You may have read, heard or seen in the news this week the grand proclamation that “children under 9 are to be banned from receiving sex education”, including plans to prohibit any pupils being taught about gender identity.  In truth, sex education is not typically taught in most primary schools until Year 6, when the children are aged 10 or 11, and is delivered at an age-appropriate and introductory level centred on pregnancy and child birth.  Further and appropriate sex education follows at secondary school age, and parents and carers always have the right to withdraw their children of any age from sex and relationships education (but not the biological aspect of reproduction that appears in the science national curriculum). 

It is also worth noting that in primary schools, what is meant by ‘relationships’ education involves teaching children what makes a good friend, who are trusted adults, how to sort out arguments, and how make up after disagreements.  Throughout primary school, children are taught about healthy, respectful relationships, focusing on family and friendships – including online and social media.  This primary school content at St Peter’s is all age appropriate and does not venture into what some of the mainstream media may have you believe is radical teaching on adult relationships, gender identity and sexual orientation. 

Furthermore, children are taught at the right age and stage about some of the physical changes that will happen to them during their later childhood and early adolescence as part of the curriculum about maintaining their own personal health and wellbeing.  You will be reassured to know that St Peter’s relationships and health education curriculum is taken from a Diocesan approved programme of study called ‘Life to the Full’ , prepared and resourced by a Catholic company called Ten:Ten.  This is a programme underpinned by a Christian faith understanding that our deepest identity is as a child of God – created, chosen and loved by God.  Furthermore, St Peter’s Relationships and Sex Education policy is publicly available on our school website, giving further reassurance to parents, carers and families of how our school approaches these sensitive topics in the most suitable way for the pupils in our care.  At all times, we respect the role of parents and carers as the first educators of their children. 

I am always available to host any conversations that parents, carers or families, having the policies and curriculum above, may still wish to have regarding relationships and health education at St Peter’s.  I would also advise caution when reading about this topic in the media, encouraging individuals to conduct their own research as to just how representative headline grabbing stories may be of the reality in the vast majority of our schools.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

As well as regular timetabled lessons of whole class PE, and a range of extra-curricular sporting activities, many children at St Peter’s get the opportunity to take part in sports taster sessions organised at local secondary schools and colleges. 

So far in 2024, different groups of children from across the year groups have taken part in racquet skills sessions, tri-golf, dodgeball, netball and tag rugby tournaments.  In school, meanwhile regular inter-house sports tournaments are organised to pit our different houses, named after St Oscar Romero, St John Paull II, St Teresa of Calcutta and St Mary Elizabeth, against one another over the course of the academic year. 

After indoor athletics and football so far this year, the next inter-house tournament will be tennis, in keeping with the hopefully sunny and hot summer term.  There is always a lot of sport going on at St Peter’s, and we will be building up to the Paris Olympic Games and the Euro 2024 tournament with further events in June and July.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Year 4 pupils recently experienced learning in the great outdoors to have an Anglo-Saxon day. Their first task was to make an amazing stew, chopping vegetables carefully before placing them into the bubbling water.

The second activity of the day was coloured weaving, with pupils picking two colours and transforming them into lovely spirals. The children then made friendship bracelets out of thread which they got to wear and take home.

After lunch, the pupils made Anglo-Saxon dens (homes) out of dried grass and bendy sticks. The last thing activity of the day was making fire! The children made the fire using flint rocks with a specific type of metal to ignite cotton wool or dried grass.

Thanks as always go to our St Peter’s staff for bringing external experts into school to enrich and deepen the school curriculum for the pupils.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

Congratulations to our two Tag Rugby teams who took part in an area schools tournament hosted by Oaklands this week. Well done to all the players who have taken up Tag Rugby with Mr Crozier this year, and to those pupils who were part of the tournament winning team!

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

The pupils at St Peter’s continue to think of those less fortunate than themselves.  As well as a curriculum which educates children on the circumstances and challenges of people around the world, each week at whole school worship prayers written by pupils are read out asking for help and fortitude for those in need.  Furthermore, the pupils are always keen to take part in fundraising events to offer financial support to charities where they can.  Already in 2024 the Year 5 pupils raised over £1200 for Simon Says, the children’s bereavement counselling service, by doing a sponsored swim at the end of their series of swimming lessons in school.  During Lent the whole school took part in 10 days of daily mile walking as part of CAFOD’s Big Lent Walk 2024 campaign, both walking in solidarity with children living in the developing world, and raising much needed funds for international aid.  Looking further back, Year R and Year 1 raised £120 for Sophie’s Legacy, a charity supporting families with children in hospital, but selling programmes for their Nativity plays.  It is great to know that the children and young people in our schools have charity and benevolence at the heart of so much that they do, and we would that you continue to remember them and the school communities of which they are a part in your regular prayers.

Mr R Cunningham
Headteacher

The staff and pupils at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School wish you all a Happy Easter.