St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School! I am proud to be the Headteacher at St Mary’s, a vibrant, diverse and inclusive community that warmly embraces families from around the world. We serve families from Bognor, Pagham, Middleton and all areas in between. We are part of the Bosco Catholic Education Trust, which includes schools from across both West and East Sussex including outstanding secondary schools.  As such we can call on expertise from the Trust to ensure that our teaching and learning continues to be of the highest quality.   

We have close links to Our Lady of Sorrows church and welcome children of all faiths and none. As a Catholic school we are an outward sign of God’s presence in the world. We are guided by our mission statement, We Journey and Grow in the Footsteps of Jesus Christ. This mission is at the heart of all we do, encouraging our pupils to develop into compassionate and responsible individuals.  Children are taught that it is the mission of each and every one of us to treat others and the world in a way that will make a positive difference. Our school values of confidence, independence, collaboration, creativity and service are woven through our curriculum and guide us in nurturing and developing each child’s potential, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future. We teach a broad and balanced creative curriculum with a coastal, Catholic and international focus; all our pupils from Year One onwards receive singing and music tuition each year. We make good use of wonderful local resources such as the beach and Hotham Park, and other places of interest, to engage the children in learning. A highlight of Yr6 is the PGL residential on the Isle of Wight, and we also run Beach school regularly in Early Years, and Forest School sessions throughout the school. 

Our school is a warm, calm and focused place of learning, where every child is valued. Our behaviour policy is based on the ‘Beatitudes’, and we adopt restorative approaches to behaviour management, with a strong emphasis on making good choices and understanding the consequences of our actions. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to create a nurturing and stimulating learning environment where every child can thrive. We are proud to have a wellbeing offer that includes a family and pupil mentor, trained ELSA’s, a play therapist and an emotional and mental health practitioner form the Thought-full team. We take part in sporting events with local schools and offer a range of extra-curricular clubs to cater for all and we also have close links with our local secondary schools, especially St Philip Howard Catholic School in Barnham. 

 We are committed to working in partnership with parents to support the development of our pupils and help each child to thrive. We are excited to embark on this journey with you and your child, and would love to show you around our school. Thank you for considering St Mary’s Catholic Primary School for your child’s education. We look forward to welcoming you into our school family.