St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents and Carers

A warm welcome to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School! We are delighted that you have chosen to send your child to our school and we will endeavour that they join us in following our Mission Statement – to journey and grow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. We are proud of our Catholic ethos and whether you have chosen this school because you are a Catholic or because of our reputation, or that St Mary’s is your nearest school, we hope you will feel part of our community very soon.

We are part of a deanery family of schools that includes St Richard’s in Chichester, St Philip Howard Catholic High School and many others in south-west Sussex. We are shortly to become members of the Bosco Catholic Education Trust which includes Catholic schools from across Sussex from Emsworth to Rye. 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 are proud of our diversity and welcome children whose families originate in other European countries and further afield. I have been Headteacher here since 2015 and was delighted to be appointed Executive Headteacher of St Mary’s and St Richard’s in Chichester in September 2024. I look forward to meeting you and your family in person very soon.

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to St Mary’s Catholic Primary School! I am proud to be Head of School 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 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; 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.