School Day

At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, we believe every school day should be purposeful, calm and engaging. Our routine is designed to help children feel secure, settled and ready to learn. The school gates open at 8.35am, providing a gentle ‘soft start’ to the day, and close at 8.48am, ready for registration at 8.50am. Each day begins with Collective Worship, bringing our school community together for reflection, prayer, Bible stories and exploration of our Christian vision and values. Teachers plan carefully sequenced lessons that build on previous learning, with English and Maths usually taking place in the morning, alongside a morning playtime.

We place a strong emphasis on wellbeing, positive relationships and respectful behaviour. Children are encouraged to be kind, respectful and responsible, while staff provide consistent guidance and support to help them make positive choices. Children have a one-hour lunch break, as well as opportunities for movement and play throughout the day, helping them to recharge, socialise and return to learning ready to focus. In the afternoon, the focus is usually on our wider curriculum, including subjects such as science, history, geography, art, computing, PE and music. We aim to provide a rich and engaging curriculum that encourages curiosity, creativity and a love of learning.

The school day ends at 3.20pm, meaning our total hours of school each week is 32.5 hours. We also offer a range of extra-curricular clubs led by our class teachers, giving children opportunities to develop new skills and explore their interests. We value our partnership with parents and carers, providing regular communication about learning, events and important updates, together with guidance on how you can support your child at home. Above all, we want every child to feel that they belong, have learned something new and have opportunities to flourish each day