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  • Autumn Term 2026 - Welcome back to school

    Fri 04 Sep 2026

    4th September 2026

     

    Dear Parents

     

    A warm welcome back to our pupils, parents, and staff. I hope you all enjoyed your summer holidays – we were definitely blessed with the weather which is now back to normal!!  As we begin the new school year, we always ask you to do a little admin housekeeping. This year we are asking you to contact the school office directly if you have changed any of the information below during the school year. It is essential that you notify us of any changes as they happen to maintain accurate pupil records and be able to contact you in case of emergency.

    • Home address and email address
    • Telephone number
    • Doctor Surgery
    • Emergency Contacts
    • Medical information

     

    If you would like to check the information that we hold for your child, please contact Mrs Partridge in the office. Over the next week, Mrs Partridge will be checking for any gaps in the data currently held and will contacting some parents directly to complete the information. Our data privacy notice is available upon request and on our school website. Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

     

    Some general information:

    Access to school car park – a reminder that all cars must reverse park into the parking bays and the walkways around the carpark are to be used at all times. Please avoid crossing over the main carpark.  Be mindful of your speed entering and exiting the car park as pupils, parents are using this space.

     

    School starts at 9:10am. Arriving after this time means your child is marked late. In this instance, please bring your child to the main reception area to sign them into the late register. Late arrivals are monitored by school and the local authority attendance officers. Persistent late arrivals may require further consultation with the attendance officers and parents. Late arrivals not only impact your child’s learning but also the others in class who’s learning is disrupted.  

     

    The school attendance target for the year is 95% which is attending for 180 days out of a possible 190 days. We encourage all our pupils to become a               “HERO - Here, Every day, Ready, On time”.

    Please read the information on the school attendance letter (appendix 2) for our school procedures in relation to absence and attendance.

     

    Uniform: Just a reminder that we have several items of preloved uniform that is free when you need to restock different sizes. Before you buy anything, please pop into school first. Our uniform for all pupils consists of a white polo t-shirt, dark bottoms and a royal blue jumper or cardigan with the school logo and black school shoes. Our new PE Kit consists of a royal blue sports t-shirt (‘St Mary’s’ on the back) and dark bottoms with trainers. Uniform can be bought at Picton Sports, Heol Aur, Dafen Industrial Estate. We kindly ask that children adhere to the school uniform policy.  

     

    PE forms part of the curriculum and pupils are to wear a school PE t-shirt with dark shorts/bottoms. Your PE timetables will be advised in each class newsletter.

    In the interests of health and safety children are discouraged from wearing jewellery at school. If jewellery is worn, it must be removed during PE sessions. The school will accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of items of jewellery.  

     

    Please write your child’s name on ALL uniform (and reapply after washes) to help reduce the amount of lost and found and to make it easier to return to the correct owner if lost.   

     

    Water bottles: Pupils are to bring their own water bottles to school daily which can be filled up at our cold-water dispensers to stay hydrated. Please write your child’s name on their bottle. We have some St Mary’s branded water bottles on sale at school for £5. If you’d like to buy one, please send in cash to the office.

     

    Snacks: We are a NUT FREE school due to a few children suffering with serious nut allergies. We ask for everyone’s cooperation on this matter. We encourage children to bring in healthy snacks such as fruit and water, instead of fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps. Energy drinks are not permitted. This will help with your child’s health and their development and goes hand in hand with the Healthy Schools Award Scheme.

     

    A reminder for Years 3-6 as per end of term letter, all pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) need to bring their own pencil case to school daily and restock throughout the year as required. A pencil case will need pens (black ink), pencils, rubber, sharpener and a ruler. Thank you in advance for helping us with this request.

     

    Parent Pay for School Meals, After School Sessions and Trips: Parent pay is used to book school meals, provide consent/payment for school trips as well as our After School Club Sessions. www.parentpay.com

    If you do not have a log in, please let the office know. New pupils will have their log ins in the next few days as the system updates.

     

    Pupils who attend on a full-time basis all receive free school meals. This is called Universal Free School Meals. However, some pupils may be eligible for the Free School Meal Grant which opens up access to other funding sources as well as providing the school with much needed additional funding. Please visit  https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/education-schools/school-meals/free-school-meals/ to see if you qualify for the additional support.

     

    After-school sessions for pupils in Years 1-6 will start the week of September 14th. A letter detailing which clubs are available and how to book on Parent Pay will be sent home early next week next week. As always, spaces are allocated on a first come first serve basis.

     

    Our school Website https://www.stmarysllanelli.org/  has a range of information on it. Class information is in the process of being updated so please check it throughout the term. Our website also has the option to be translated into multiple languages (click on the British flag at the top right of the screen for different language). 

     

    Own clothes days will continue to be held on the last Friday of the month. We kindly ask for a donation of £1 per child on these days. The option to pay in full for the year will be available on Parent Pay in readiness for the first own clothes day on the 25th of September.

     

    The school calendar on the website will be updated over the next week. Read on for a snapshot of dates.

     

    Rocksteady music lessons restart Monday 7th of September. There are still a few spaces left in all 4 of our bands so if you would like to book your child, please go to the parent portal on the flyer that came home before summer.  

    Satori Jujitsu have held a Jujitsu after school session at St Mary’s for several years with several of their club members and our pupils achieving great success at National and World level. On Tuesday 8th September, the club will host a  Jujitsu Taster Day at school for pupils in Year 1- 6 providing everyone the opportunity to have a go and potentially join the club. More information regarding this will be sent home by Satori next week. PE kit to be worn for the day.

     

    National Roald Dahl Day is on Sunday 13th September. During the first two weeks of term, all pupils are taking part in different classroom activities based on Roald Dahl’s vast collection of books and stories with a performing arts day scheduled for Tuesday 15th September led by Shine Drama. We kindly ask for a donation of £1 per child towards the cost of the visit.

      

    Wishing you all a warm welcome at the beginning of a new school year.

     

    Yours Sincerely

    Mrs Howells,

    Headteacher

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Appendix 1

    School Calendar (more dates will be added – please check the website throughout the year)

    01/09/25

    Designated Inset Day – school closed to pupils

    All

    02/09/25

    All pupils to attend school – start of Autumn Term

    All

    07/09/26

    Rocksteady Music – lessons start

    Y1-6

    08/09/26

    Jujitsu Taster Day (followed by club for current members)

    Y1-Y6

    09/09/26

    Start of term Mass

    All

    13/09/26

    Roald Dahl Day

    All

    14/09/26

    After School Club Sessions start

    Y1-6

    15/09/26

    Roald Dahl Drama Workshops – Shine Drama

    Y1-6

    16/09/26

    School Council launch

    Y2-6

    16/09/26

    Kerbcraft Road Safety lessons start

    Y2

    24/09/26

    Head Boy/Girl Presentations delivered to whole school

    Y6

    28/09/26

    Macmillan Coffee Afternoon 2-3.15pm.

    All

    25/09/26

    Y3 Y4 trip to The Big Pitt

    Y3/4

    25/09/26

    Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    29/09/26

    Flu vaccine day

    Rec-Y6

    01/10/26

    Restart a Heart Live Lesson

    Y5/6

    05/10/26

    Y4 First Holy Communion Parent Meeting

    Y4 FHC

    06/10/26

    Parents Evening - Teaching and Learning Evening 4-5pm, followed by Meet the Teacher 5-6pm

    All

    18/10/26

    Inscription Mass

    FHC pupils

    19-21/10/26

    Y6 Manor Residential trip

    Y6

    22/10/26

    Y4 Class Assembly (Harvest)

    Y4

    23/10/26

    Last day of term/Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    WC 26/10/26

    October Half Term

    All

    02/11/26

    Back to school

    All

    11/11/26

    Rememberance Day

    All

    12/11/26

    Y6 Class Assembly (Rememberance)

    Y6

    13/11/26

    Children in Need Day

    All

    WC 16/11/26

    Antibullying Week

    All

    27/11/26

    Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    29/11/26

    Advent Family Mass at OLQP

    All

    02/12/26

    Advent Reconciliation Mass at school

    All

    03/12/26

    PTA Christmas Disco TBC

    All

    08/12/26

    Christmas Concert (details to follow)

    All

    08/12/26

    Christmas Concert (details to follow)

    All

    14/12/26

    Christmas Party Day

    All

    15/12/26

    SJL Carol Concert 6pm

    All

    16/12/26

    Christmas singing in the community

    Choir

    17/12/26

    End of term mass

    All

    18/12/26

    Last Day of Term/Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    04/01/27

    Back to school

    All

    WC 08/02/27

    February Half Term

    All

    15/02/27

    Inset Day

    All

    WC 22/03/27

    Easter Holidays

    All

    WC 29/03/27

    Easter Holidays

    All

    03/05/27

    May Day Bank Holiday

    All

    23/05/27

    First Holy Communion Day

    Y4 FHC

    WC 31/05/27

    Whistun Half Term

    All

    WC 14/06/27

    Personalised Assessments Y2-Y6 – 14th, 16th, 18th, 21st June

    Y2-Y6

    16/07/27

    Last Day of the school year

    All

    19/07/27

    Inset Day

    All

    20/07/27

    Inset Day

    All

    ** There are 2 more Inset Days to set

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Appendix 2 - SCHOOL ATTENDANCE 

     

    Dear Parents, 

     

    We believe passionately that every school day matters in a child’s education. This is backed up by plenty of research to show how crucial regular attendance is in ensuring children reach their full potential in our education system and develop into confident, wellrounded adults who are equipped for life. 

     

    What is good attendance? 

     

    There are 190 school days each year. To ensure a child fully achieves their potential, they should be in school for at least 95% of this time (180 days). If a child is taken out of school for a 2-week holiday in termtime then any further absences e.g. through illness will immediately put that child below the 95% threshold. We encourage our pupils to be a HERO – “Here, Every day, Ready, On time”. 

     

    Can I take my child out of school for a holiday in term time? 

     

    Headteachers have the discretion  to approve up to 10 school days over an academic year for family holidays. This is done on a case-by-case basis and the decision to approve will be based on a number of factors, including  the child’s attendance over the last year. All requests for term-time absence must be submitted in writing to the Headteacher prior to going away. 

     

    What do I do if my child is absent from school? 

     

    Parents have a responsibility to inform the school if their child is absent and provide a valid reason for the absence. We ask that parents ring the school on 01554 759178 or  contact us by email (admin@stmarysllanelli.ysgolccc.cymru) as early as possible ON THE FIRST DAY OF ABSENCE. In line with many other schools, we also  send text messages to remind parents to contact us if their child is absent. 

     

    What about lateness? 

     

    The law states that parents are legally required to ensure their children attend school 

    regularly and on time. Persistent lateness is dealt with in much the same way as irregular attendance. Persistent lateness can be every bit as harmful to a child’s education as missing school. All children are to be in school by 9:10am, after this time they are marked as late.

     

    How do we deal with persistent absence? 

     

    We like to keep parents informed about their child’s attendance, so we will be providing termly reports for every child. We also contact parents of children whose attendance is a cause for concern. The purpose of these meetings is to identify the reasons for persistent absence and to identify any support the school or outside agencies can give to ensure the child’s attendance improves. There are occasions where there are  significant and ongoing concerns about a child’s attendance which necessitate the school referring the matter to the School Safeguarding and Attendance Team. 

     

    What can I do as a parent? 

     

    As parents, we all want the very best for our children and key to this is a good education. 

     

    We are proud of what we do for our pupils here at St Mary’s School. We endeavour to provide educational experiences tailored to a child’s developmental needs and which feed their interests, enthusiasm and specific abilities and talents. For this to work, they need to be with us for as much of the journey as possible, so we urge that, as parents you: 

     

    • ensure that your child arrives at school on time each day 
    • ensure that your child only misses school for reasons which are unavoidable or justified, such as illness or days of religious observance 
    • always notify the school as soon as possible - preferably on the first morning of any absence 
    • try to avoid booking family holidays during term-time and 
    • talk to the school if you are concerned that your child may be reluctant to go to school. 

     

    I hope you will support us in our attempts to ensure that your child has the very best start on their lifelong learning journey.

     

     

     

     

  • End of Year Letter - Summer 2026

    Wed 15 Jul 2026

    15th July 2026  

    Dear Parents   

      

    It is hard to believe that the school year is almost to an end with Friday 17th of July our last day. It feels like only last week we started the school year! Here is some information for you about the upcoming school year.    

      

    The classes that we formed last year, moving away from the traditional year groups, will continue as we found the structure has supported our pupils’ learning and development and allowed our teachers to tailor teaching more effectively to developmental stages and learning needs, whilst also fostering a nurturing and collaborative environment.  In keeping with our Catholic identify and values, we will continue to use the acronym C.H.R.I.S.T., for our class names, reflecting our commitment to Christ-centred education and community.  The classes will be led by the following teachers:  

      

    • C  Mrs Imogen Smith    (Nursery and Reception)  
    • H  Mrs Lisa Penn-Dalling   (Y1 and Y2)  
    • R  Mr Christopher Williams  (Y3)  
    • I   Mrs Victoria Upton    (Y4)  
    • S  Mr Rhys Gill      (Y5)  
    • T  Mrs Rhianon Evans     (Y6)  (nee Miss Healy)   

      

    As you can see from the staffing list, we will sadly be saying goodbye to Miss Nicole Clark who will be joining the Additional Learning Department at the City and County of Swansea. Miss Clark for this year, has been the teacher of Dosbarth C, after spending the previous year teaching in the Year 5 class. We wish Miss Clark every success in her new career and new chapter of her life.   

      

    From September, we welcome, Mrs Imogen Smith, who joins us from Ysgol Llandeilo. She will be teaching Dosbarth C - Nursery and Reception. We extend Mrs Smith a very warm welcome to our school.   

      

    Before we close on Friday, there are several items of lost clothing and water bottles left at school. Please check in with your class teachers for any items that may belong to your child.   

      

    For September: Uniform is to be worn by all pupils from Nursery to Year 6.  Before you buy anything, please pop in to Reception as we have a range of uniform at school that has been donated or left in lost and found over the past few years (all have been washed). In addition, our PE t-shirt is changing for September, it is available on Picton Sports and is a royal blue sports fabric crew neck t-shirt with St Mary’s on the back 

    https://www.pictonsports.co.uk/?estore&cat=Education|Primary%20Schools|St%20Marys%20Primary%2 

    0School    

    In addition, children who are joining Y6 in September can purchase and wear their Leavers Hoodies from the very start of the school year (also available on Picton – Leavers 2027).  

     

    For pupils in the Junior department (Dosbarth R,I,S and T), pencil cases are required daily. They should include black pens, pencil, rubber, sharpener and a small ruler. Pencil cases can stay at school but will need to be refilled by parents throughout the year as items are used up.   

      

    Water bottles are required daily and can be refilled at the water fountain. Please write your child’s name on them.  We have recently sourced St Mary’s branded water bottles which are on sale at school. They are £5. If you’d like to buy one, please send in £5 cash with your child to the school office.   

      

    School starts at 9:10am when class teachers take the register. If you arrive after this time, your child will be marked in as late. If you arrive after the gates have been locked, please bring your child to the main Reception via the electronic entrance gate to sign them in.  A child who is 10minutes late per day, misses 32.5hours of education in a school year. We ask you to arrive early to school to minimise the disruption to their learning and the learning of those who are already in class. Persistent lateness may result in a referral to the Education Welfare Department.    

      

    Attendance is compulsory at school for pupils over the age of 5. To maximise progress with learning, we expect our pupils to attend school regularly and for at least 95% of the year. This percentage is in line with the Welsh Government target figure for learners. Pupil absences are carefully monitored by the local authority. If you child is absent, the procedure that all parents are to follow is to phone school on 01554759178 or email admin@stmarysllanelli.ysgolccc.cymru to advise the reason on the first day of any absence. If no contact is received regarding a pupil absence, parents will receive a text or an email alerting them to the absence and request that parents contact the school to explain the absence. Any unexplained absences will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’. Medical and dental appointments should, as far as possible, be arranged out of school hours. Permission to take pupils on holiday during term time must be requested in writing from the Headteacher and will only be authorised if overall attendance is very good.    

      

    After school clubs will not be available until week the 14th of September. Further information regarding the new clubs will be issued during the first week back.    

      

    For the new Y6 class – just a reminder that the full payment for the residential trip in October, is due by the 4th of September.   

      

    As we come to the end of another successful school year, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for your continued support, encouragement and partnership. The achievements of our children are made possible through the strong relationship between home and school, and we are truly grateful for the trust you place in us each day. On behalf of all the staff, thank you for being such an important part of our school community. I wish you and your families a happy, restful and enjoyable summer break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in the new academic year on the 2nd of September.  

      

    Yours Sincerely  

      

    Mrs Alison Howells  

    Headteacher  

  • Summer Term Letter 1 May 2026

    Tue 05 May 2026

    5th May 2026 

     

    As you can see from the school calendar below, the summer term will be another busy one! More dates will be added. Summer term will hopefully continue to bring the sunshine. As the children are outdoors for some of their learning (as well as playtimes), please ensure your child has a bottle for water daily, and a sun hat and sun cream on sunny days. 

     

    Seagull nest warning: Over the weekend, a seagull has made itself a nest in one of the raised flower beds at the front of the school near the decking. A request for support has been logged with the local authority as seagulls can be quite temperamental when nesting. The area has been cordoned with barriers for now. Please be mindful of this when you approach the main school door. In addition, please could all Y3 parents congregate on the junior yard for pick up time in the afternoons until the matter is resolved. Thank you. 

     

    04/05/26 

    May Day Bank Holiday – school closed 

    All 

    07/05/26 

    First Confession for FHC pupils 

    FHC 

    12/05/26 

    Sports Day 

    All 

    13/05/26 

    Junior Proms Practice 

    Y6 

    14/05/26 

    FHC practice at Our Lady Queen of Peace 

    FHC 

    14/05/26 

    Rocksteady – Rock Music trial sessions at school 

    Rec-Y6 

    17/05/26 

    FHC Day 

    FHC 

    18/05/26 

    FHC party day 

    FHC 

    21/05/26 

    May Procession 

    All 

    22/05/26 

    Own clothes day 

    All 

    WC 25/05/26 

    Whitsun half term – school closed 

    All 

    01/06/26 

    Back to School 

    All 

    08/06/26 

    Junior Proms Concert Theatr Ffwrnes 7pm 

    Y6 

    15/06/26 

    Personalised Assessments Y2-6 Reading 

    Y2-6 

    17/06/26 

    Personalised Assessments Y2-6 Reasoning 

    Y2-6 

    22/06/26 

    Personalised Assessments Y2-6 Procedural 

    Y2-6 

    26/06/26 

    Own Clothes Day 

    All 

    26/06/26 

    Y3 & Y4 trip to Penclacwydd WWT *details to follow 

    Y3/4 

    02/07/26 

    Moving up day 

    All 

    03/07/26 

    School Reports out 

    All 

    06/07/26 

    Drop in parents evening  

    All 

    10/07/26 

    Y6 Leavers Show * parents invited 

    Y6 

    15/07/26 

    Y6 Leavers Mass * parents invited 

    Y6 

    17/07/26 

    Y6 Presentation Assembly * parents invited 

    Y6 

    17/07/26 

    Own clothes day, Last day of school year 

    All 

     

    Some further information regarding some upcoming dates:  

    After school club reminder: There is no drama club today Tuesday 5th May. There will be no Rounders on Monday 18th May and no Sewing on Wednesday 20th May. The only clubs running after half term will be drama and jujitsu. Booking for Drama club for after half term will be on parent pay by the end of this week.  

     

    12th May: Sports Day will start at 9:30amand run until approx  11:30/12pm on Tuesday 12th of May. We ask that pupils wear a t-shirt in their house colour. If they don’t know their colour, please ask their class teacher.  Parents/Guardians/Grandparents etc are all invited to attend. Feel free to bring your own seating /blankets to sit on the grass bank.  

     

    14th May: Pupils from Reception to Y6 will have the opportunity to take part in a Rock Music taster session with a company called Rocksteady who are one of the UKs leading music tuition companies offering  rock and pop band lessons for children age 4-11. Your child will bring home more information after their visit.  

     

    17th May: Congratulations to all children who are making their First Holy Communion at Our Lady Queen of Peace. All First Communicants are to be left in the care of teaching staff in the Parish Hall by 9.30 a.m. Parents then need to take their seats in the Church. Fr Martin is very kindly providing light refreshments for all First Communicants in the Parish Hall after the service. We will also have a celebration at school on Monday 18th May – please could children bring their FHC outfits to school on this day.  

     

    21st May : As part of our celebration of May as the month of Our Lady, the school will be holding a May Procession on the 21st of May. The children will sing Marian hymns, share in reflective prayer and process around the school to the statue of Our Lady, this will culminate in the crowning of Our Lady with flowers. Our First Holy Communion children are encouraged to wear their First Holy Communion outfits to lead this procession. It is advisable that children wear uniform to school and change into their First Holy Communion outfits at school. All pupils are welcome to bring a single flower (artificial or fresh) or a small posy of flowers to lay at the feet of Our Lady.  

     

    Personalised Assessments for all pupils in Years 2- 6 will take place on the 15th, 17th and 22nd of June.  The personalised assessments are based on the skills in the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework (LNF) and will provide information on the reading and numeracy skills of individual learners and whole classes which teachers can use to plan next steps in teaching and learning. (These dates could change but will need to be undertaken during our 2-week window between the 15th and 26th of June). 

     

    2nd July is Moving Up Day - Year 6 will spend the day at St John Lloyd  (parents will soon receive information directly from SJL regarding arrangements – if your child is not attending SJL for Y7, they can attend school as normal). All other pupils are to go into their current classrooms as normal upon arrival and will move up to their next year groups after registration to spend time with their new teachers. 

     

    3rd July: Annual school reports will be sent home with your child. 6th July: Teaching staff will be available between 4pm and 5pm to discuss your child’s school report if required. No appointments needed – drop-in session only. 

      

    As always, my door is open if you have any queries.  

     

    Yours sincerely 

    Mrs Howells

    Headteacher 

  • February Update

    Wed 04 Feb 2026

    Dear Parents

     

    I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you as parents, pupils and extended family members for your support this term during the schools’ recent Estyn Inspection. I am very proud of how our pupils, parents and staff present themselves on a daily basis and look forward to reading the Inspectors report which will be published towards the end of March. I will forward a copy on to you when I am able to do so.

     

    Some information:

     

    Musical Theatre After School Club: For the next 2 weeks (this week Wednesday Feb 4th and next Feb 11th) our student teachers will be running a Musical Theatre After School Club for pupils in Y3-6. Spaces are limited to 25 cost £2 per week via Parent Pay and are allocated on a first come first served basis. If you need log ins to Parent Pay, please contact Mrs Partridge in the office.

     

    School Photographs New Date and Company: Next week on Monday February 9th, a company by the name of Roz and Kirsty will be at school to take individual and sibling photographs. This is a change of date to the one issued previously. The company require ALL parents wishing their child to have a photograph taken to complete the registration link online https://randk.uk/register/st-marys?pin=1224

    When you log in, if it asks for the school PIN this is 1224. This change is due to current GDPR laws and legislation. If you do not register your child, they will not be able to have their photograph taken. If anyone needs help to complete the registration, please call in to see Mrs Partridge (she is not available tomorrow morning Tuesday 3rd Feb).

     

    Lost and Found: There are a lot of uniform items left at school on a weekly basis. We do our best to reunite the items with their owners, but this can be difficult when there are no names written on the clothing. Please could you write (and reapply) your child’s names on their clothing to help with this. We also have several items of pre-loved uniform that has been donated to school so before you buy any new items, please call in to see what is available in your child’s size.

     

    PE Days: PE Kit consists of a blue crew neck t-shirt and dark bottoms with trainers. We kindly ask that children adhere to the school uniform policy.  PE forms part of the curriculum and pupils are to wear a school PE t-shirt with dark shorts/bottoms. There will also be adhoc sports days during the year but the children will be notified of this as they happen.

                                               Nursery, Reception, Year 1      Thursday

                                               Year 2 and Year 3                        Tuesday

                                               Year 4                                             Friday

                                               Year 5 and Year 6                        Thursday

     

    Snacks: We are a NUT FREE school due to a few children suffering with serious nut allergies. We ask for everyone’s cooperation on this matter.  We encourage children to bring in healthy snacks such as fruit and water, instead of fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps. Energy drinks are not permitted. This will help with your child’s health and their development and goes hand in hand with the Healthy Schools Award Scheme.

    Our Year 6 class have recently started a Fruit Shop during morning break. Fruit is available to buy at 40p per item (cash only).

     

    A reminder for Years 3-6, ALL pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) need to bring their own pencil case to school daily. A pencil case will need pens (black ink), pencils, rubber, sharpener and a ruler. Thank you in advance for helping us with this request.

     

    As we are almost half way through the school year, just a reminder that it is extremely important that you keep us up to date of any changes in circumstances throughout the year e.g., change of home address, new telephone numbers or any medical conditions.  Our data privacy notice is available upon request and on our school website. Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

     

    School start: Your child needs to be in school before 9:10am as this is when children are in class ready for registration. Arrival after this time is marked as late which is monitored by the school and local authority attendance officers. If you arrive late, please escort your child into the main reception area so that you can sign them in to the Late Register on the iPad. We do understand that there may be one off occasions where lateness happens however, we need to record reasons for all late arrivals. Persistent late arrivals will be monitored, and the school will need to follow the appropriate procedures. Late arrivals not only impact your child’s learning but also the others in class who’s learning is disrupted. 

     

    School Meals: Meals can be prebooked and paid for on the school meal website www.parentpay.com

    Parent Pay is also used for school trips. If you have not received your log in, please let us know. Any pupils new to the school will have their log ins soon as possible - it takes a few days for the system to set up.  Universal Free School Meals are currently available for all full-time pupils in Nursery, Reception, Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Some pupils may be eligible for Free School Meals which also allows access to other grants and provides additional funding to the school. If you think you qualify, please visit https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/education-schools/school-meals/free-school-meals/

     

    The school calendar is below (this is also uploaded to our website  https://www.stmarysllanelli.org/

    This has a range of information on it including updated class information. The website has a translation tool (click on the British flag at the top right of the screen for different languages). 

     

    05/02/26

    Y2 visit Llanelli Docks

    Y2

    06/02/26

    Basketball Skills Y4/5

    Y4/5

    08/02/26

    FHC Group Mass

    FHC

    09/02/26

    Y6 Cycle training (all week)

    Y6

    09/02/26

    School Photos * NEW DATE * Please complete the link emailed to you

    All

    12/02/26

    PTA Disco

    All

    13/02/26

    Stick 2 Drum Session

    All

    WC 16/02/26

    Half Term – school closed to pupils

    All

    23/02/26

    Diocesan Inset Day – school closed to pupils

    All

    WC 24/02/26

    Welsh Week

    All

    24/02/26

    Cricket Sessions start for Y3-6 (weekly on Tuesdays)

    Y3-6

    26/02/26

    Lenten Reconciliation Service at school

    All

    26/02/26

    Carmarthenshire Schools Football tournament TBC

    Team

    27/02/26

    Eisteddfod (wear Welsh Costume/Red)/own clothes

    All

    05/03/26

    World Book Day

    All

    08/03/026

    FHC Group Mass

    FHC

    16/03/26

    Launch of our Annual Easter Competitions

    All

    17/03/26

    School Nurse Team visit - Reception class Measuring assessments

    Rec

    19/03/26

    Y5/6 Visit to the Senedd in Cardiff

    Y5/6

    22/03/26

    FHC Group Mass

    FHC

    25/03/26

    Stations of the Cross Service at school

    All

    27/03/26

    Easter Performance TBC

    All

    27/03/26

    End of term – Own clothes day

    All

    WC 30/03/26

    Easter Holidays – school closed

    All

    WC06/04/26

    Easter Holidays – school closed

    All

    13/04/26

    Back to school

    All

     

    Yours Sincerely

    Mrs Howells,

    Headteacher

     

    School Calendar (more dates will be added – please check the website throughout the year)

     

  • Autumn Term Scoop 2025

    Thu 11 Dec 2025

     

    https://sway.cloud.microsoft/d64iheqNf3SAAuXC?ref=email 

     

     

  • Autumn Term Run up to Christmas

    Fri 28 Nov 2025

    28th November 2025

    Dear Parents,

    I cannot believe that it is the 1st of December on Monday-this year is flying by! As always in the run up to Christmas, the school calendar is a full diary. This is also available on the school website and updated regularly https://stmarysllanelli.org Photos from many of our school activities and events can be found on our school Instagram page @stmarysllanelli Here is the information you need regarding the upcoming events:

    TODAY

    Friday 28th November

    Dafen Christmas Fayre: Pupils from Years 3 to 6 will be taking part in the Fayre, singing around the tree for the annual Christmas light switch on in Dafen. Everyone is welcome to attend the fayre as it is open to the public. For the singers, please meet by the tree at 5:45pm.

    Saturday 29th November

    Parish Christmas Fayre from 1pm to 4pm at Our Lady Queen of Peace where there are a number of stalls selling books, bric a brac, cakes, games, gifts etc including our PTA stall.

    Sunday 30th November

    Family Advent Mass at Our Lady Queen of Peace. Many children are taking part in the Mass and have been practising their readings all week. Please arrive by 9:45am at the lastest (in school uniform). We look forward to seeing many of you to celebrate the beginning of Advent.

    Monday 1st December

    Y5 will attend a St John Lloyd transition event in the afternoon (1:30-3pm) all linked to Santa’s Workshop

    Wednesday 3rd December

    Y6 will visit Llanelli Library for a Welsh Football Exhibition (from Wrexham Museum) from 1:30pm to 2:30pm. All transport costs are covered by Welsh Football.

    Wednesday 3rd December

    PTA CHRISTMAS DISCO. Foundation Phase (Nursery,Reception, Y1 & Y2) 5pm – 6pm.  Juniors (Y3,4,5,6). £2.50 entry fee (Cash only on the night). Refreshments/Christmas Stalls with items for sale. Parents are to stay with the Foundation Phase children.

    Thursday 4th December

    Advent Reconciliation Service at school

    Tuesday 9th December

    CHRISTMAS CONCERT – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

    Wednesday 10th December

    CHRISTMAS CONCERT – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

    Thursday 11th Decmber

    Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. We invite all pupils to wear Christmas jumpers/clothes on this day with all donations received going directly to Save the Children.

    Monday 15th December

    Party day for classes. Party clothes can be worn. Class teachers will ask for food donations to class parties closer to the time. Reminder: We are a NUT FREE school due to allergies.

    Wednesday 17th December

    Christmas Dinner Day. This is a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a pudding.

    Please pre-book in advance on Parent Pay (bookings usually open about 14 days in advance).

    Thursday 18th December

    End of term Mass at school

    Friday 19th December

    Last Day of Term and Own Clothes Day

    Monday 5th January 2026

    School Closed for Staff Training Inset Day

    Tuesday 6th January

    School reopen to all pupils for the start of the Spring Term

     

    CHRISTMAS SHOWS  9th and 10th of December 2025

    Foundation Phase (Dosbarth C & H - Nursery-Y2) are performing “A KING IS BORN” on:

    Tuesday 9th of December at 2pm

    Wednesday 10th of December at 10am

     

    Pupils in the Junior classes (Dosbarth R, I, S, T - Y3-6) are performing “SUPERSTAR” on:

    Tuesday 9th of December at 10am

    Wednesday 10th December at 4pm

     

    This will be an opportunity for parents, children and staff to come together to celebrate this important time of year. Every child will be taking part, and you should have had information regarding costumes for your children (if applicable) (if not please ask your class teacher). 

    Part time Nursery pupils are not expected to return for the afternoon performance.

    For the Juniors 4.00p.m.performance, children are required to remain in school at the end of the day. They will be given a drink and small snack at 3.15p.m. It is anticipated that the show will last approximately 45 minutes. (if there is any issue with children staying, please let your class teacher know asap).  

    There will be a small raffle at the end of each performance – tickets are £1 each if you wish to partake.

    The number of tickets sold are limited to comply with school health and safety capacity limits and will be intially restricted to 2 tickets per show. 

    To reserve your space at the shows, please book online VIA PARENT PAY ONLY between Monday 1st  December and Thursday 4th December. Your tickets will be sent home on Friday 5th December. All remaining tickets will go on sale from Friday 5th December.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The PTA have sourced some exciting prizes for the Christmas raffle on sale next week. We will send a book home next week for you to have the option to enter the raffle.

    If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Yours Sincerely

    Mrs Howells,

    Headteacher

  • Attendance Letter September 2025

    Mon 08 Sep 2025

    SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

     

    Dear Parents,

     

    We believe passionately that every school day matters in a child’s education. This is

    backed up by plenty of research to show how crucial regular attendance is in ensuring children reach their full potential in our education system and develop into confident, wellrounded adults who are equipped for life.

     

    What is good attendance?

     

    There are 190 school days each year. To ensure a child fully achieves their potential, they should be in school for at least 95% of this time (180 days). If a child is taken out of school for a 2-week holiday in termtime then any further absences e.g. through illness will immediately put that child below the 95% threshold. We encourage our pupils to be a HERO – “Here, Every day, Ready, On time”.

     

    Can I take my child out of school for a holiday in term time?

     

    Headteachers have the discretion  to approve up to 10 school days over an academic year for family holidays. This is done on a case-by-case basis and the decision to approve will be based on a number of factors, including  the child’s attendance over the last year. All requests for term-time absence must be submitted in writing to the Headteacher prior to going away.

     

    What do I do if my child is absent from school?

     

    Parents have a responsibility to inform the school if their child is absent and provide a valid reason for the absence. We ask that parents ring the school on 01554 759178 or  contact us by email (admin@stmarysllanelli.ysgolccc.cymru) as early as possible ON THE FIRST DAY OF ABSENCE. In line with many other schools, we also  send text messages to remind parents to contact us if their child is absent.

     

    What about lateness?

     

    The law states that parents are legally required to ensure their children attend school

    regularly and on time. Persistent lateness is dealt with in much the same way as irregular attendance. Persistent lateness can be every bit as harmful to a child’s education as missing school. We encourage all children to be in school by 9:10am. Children who   arrive in school after the close of register  will be marked as an unauthorised absence.

     

    How do we deal with persistent absence?

     

    We like to keep parents informed about their child’s attendance, so we will be providing termly reports for every child. We also make contact with parents of children whose attendance is a cause for concern. The purpose of these meetings is to identify the reasons for persistent absence and to identify any support the school or outside agencies can give to ensure the child’s attendance improves. There are occasions where there are  significant and ongoing concerns about a child’s attendance which necessitate the school referring the matter to the School Safeguarding and Attendance Team.

     

    What can I do as a parent?

     

    As parents, we all want the very best for our children and key to this is a good education.

     

    We are proud of what we do for our pupils here at St Mary’s School. We endeavour to provide educational experiences tailored to a child’s developmental needs and which feed their interests, enthusiasm and specific abilities and talents. For this to work, they need to be with us for as much of the journey as possible, so we urge that, as parents you:

     

    • ensure that your child arrives at school on time each day
    • ensure that your child only misses school for reasons which are unavoidable or justified, such as illness or days of religious observance
    • always notify the school as soon as possible - preferably on the first morning of any absence
    • try to avoid booking family holidays during term-time and
    • talk to the school if you are concerned that your child may be reluctant to go to school.

     

    I hope you will support us in our attempts to ensure that your child has the very best start on their lifelong learning journey

  • Welcome Back September 2025

    Mon 08 Sep 2025

    8th September 2025

    Dear Parents

     

    A warm welcome back to our pupils, parents, and staff. I hope you all enjoyed your summer holidays.  As we begin the new school year, you will find attached the Consent and Medical questionnaires as well as a Data Capture Sheet.  Please complete both forms and return to school signed and dated (please do this at the bottom of the data sheet) by WEDNESDAY September 10th 2025. These forms are personal to your child and need to be completed to update all our records. If your child is new to the school, you will already have received this pack and if you haven’t done so already, please return it by Monday.  A Home-School Agreement will follow for you to sign.

     

    It is extremely important that you keep us up to date of any changes in circumstances throughout the year e.g., change of home address, new telephone numbers or any medical conditions.  Our data privacy notice is available upon request and on our school website. Thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

     

    Some general information:

    Access to school car park – thank you for your support and cooperation on safe use of the carpark.

     

    School start: Your child needs to be in school before 9:10am as this is when children are in class ready for registration. Arrival after this time is marked as late which is monitored by the school and local authority attendance officers. If you arrive late, please escort your child into the main reception area so that you can sign them in to the Late Register on the iPad. We do understand that there may be one off occasions where lateness happens however, we need to record reasons for all late arrivals. Persistent late arrivals will be monitored, and the school will need to follow the appropriate procedures. Late arrivals not only impact your child’s learning but also the others in class who’s learning is disrupted.  

     

    The school attendance target for the year is 95% which is attending for 180 days out of a possible 190 days. We encourage all our pupils to become a “HERO - Here, Every day, Ready, On time”. Please read the information on the school attendance letter attached  for our school procedures in relation to absence and attendance.

     

    Uniform: As you already know, the school uniform consists of a white polo t-shirt, dark bottoms and a royal blue jumper or cardigan with the school logo and black school shoes. PE Kit consists of a blue crew neck t-shirt and dark bottoms with trainers. We kindly ask that children adhere to the school uniform policy.  PE forms part of the curriculum and pupils are to wear a school PE t-shirt with dark shorts/bottoms.

     

    There are several items of free pre-loved uniform available throughout the year at school if you require any.  New uniform can be bought at Picton Sports, Heol Aur, Dafen Industrial Estate. Book bags can be purchased from the school or from Picton.

    In the interests of health and safety children are discouraged from wearing jewellery at school. If jewellery is worn, it must be removed during PE sessions. The school will accept no responsibility for the loss or damage of items of jewellery.  

     

    Please write your child’s name on ALL uniform (and reapply after washes) to help reduce the amount of lost and found and to make it easier to return to the correct owner if lost.   

    Water bottles: Pupils are to bring their own water bottles to school daily which can be filled up at our cold-water dispensers to stay hydrated. Please write your child’s name on their bottle.

     

    Snacks: We are a NUT FREE school due to a few children suffering with serious nut allergies. We ask for everyone’s cooperation on this matter.  We encourage children to bring in healthy snacks such as fruit and water, instead of fizzy drinks, sweets, crisps. Energy drinks are not permitted. This will help with your child’s health and their development and goes hand in hand with the Healthy Schools Award Scheme.

     

    A reminder for Years 3-6 as per end of term letter, all pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) need to bring their own pencil case to school daily. A pencil case will need pens (black ink), pencils, rubber, sharpener and a ruler. Thank you in advance for helping us with this request.

     

    School Meals: Meals can be pre booked and paid for on the school meal website www.parentpay.com

    Parent Pay is also used for school trips. If you have not received your log in, please let us know. Any pupils new to the school will have their log ins soon as possible - it takes a few days for the system to set up.  Universal Free School Meals are currently available for all full-time pupils in Nursery, Reception, Years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Some pupils may be eligible for Free School Meals which also allows access to other grants and provides additional funding to the school. If you think you qualify, please visit https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/council-services/education-schools/school-meals/free-school-meals/

     

    The After-school club letter will be issued next week with clubs starting the following week commencing Monday September 15th 2025. Please return the club booking letter asap. Spaces are allocated on a first come first serve basis. If you are successful in being allocated a place in your chosen club, your child will be added to the club list on Parent pay which will be open for you to complete the consent and payment information to secure your space prior to its start.  Refunds will only be issued if the club is cancelled by the school.  

     

    Our school Website https://www.stmarysllanelli.org/  has a range of information on it. Class information is in the process of being updated so please check it throughout the term. Our website also has the option to be translated into multiple languages (click on the British flag at the top right of the screen for different language). 

     

    Own clothes days will continue to be held on the last Friday of the month. We kindly ask for a donation of £1 per child on these days. The option to pay in full for the year is available on Parent Pay.

     

    The school calendar on the website will be updated over the next week. See overleaf for a snapshot of dates.

     

    National Roald Dahl Day is on Friday 12th September. During the first two weeks of term, all pupils are taking part in different classroom activities based on Roald Dahl’s vast collection of books and stories.

    TOMORROW Tuesday 9th September 2025: We have arranged for Shine Drama to attend to lead pupils from Year 1 to 6 in a performing arts day and kindly ask for a small contribution of £2 each towards the cost of this day via parent pay. All pupils are invited to dress up in their favourite costume on Friday 12th September.

     

    Thank you for taking the time to read this detailed letter. Please remember to return your completed data forms by Wednesday so that we can update your child’s records.

     

    Wishing you all a warm welcome at the beginning of a new school year.

     

    Yours Sincerely

    Mrs Howells,

    Headteacher

    School Calendar (more dates will be added – please check the website throughout the year)

     

    01/09/25

    Designated Inset Day – school closed to pupils

    All

    02/09/25

    All pupils to attend school – start of Autumn Term

    All

    04/09/25

    Y4 attend launch of Treasure School – Film Skills Project

    Y4

    08/09/25

    Start of term Mass

    All

    09/09/25

    Roald Dahl Drama Workshops – Shine Drama

    Y1-6

    12/09/25

    Roald Dahl Day

    All

    WC 15/09/25

    After School Clubs start this week

    Y1-6

    17/09/25

    School Council Presentations in classes

    Y2-6

    24/09/25

    Head Boy/Girl Presentations delivered to whole school

    Y6

    26/09/25

    Macmillan Coffee Morning * more details to follow – date to be confirmed

    All

    26/09/25

    Y3 Y4 trip to Dylan Thomas Museum

    Y3/4

    26/09/25

    Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    30/09/25

    Y4 First Holy Communion Parent Meeting

    Y4 FHC

    10/10/25

    Inset Day – school closed to all pupils

    All

    13-15/10/25

    Y6 Manor Residential trip

    Y6

    16/10/25

    PTA Autumn Disco To Be Confirmed

    All

    17/10/25

    Show Racism the Red Card Day

    All

    19/10/25

    FHC Inscription Mass

    FHC Y4

    24/10/25

    Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    WC 27/10/25

    Half Term – school closed

    All

    03/11/25

    Parents Evening

    All

    04/11/25

    Parents Evening

    All

    13/11/25

    Y3 Y4 Stick 2 Music session

    Y3/4

    14/11/25

    Y6 Class Assembly

    Y6

    14/11/25

    Children in Need Day

    All

    16/11/25

    FHC Group Mass

    FHC

    28/11/25

    Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    30/11/25

    Advent Mass OLQP

    All

    04/12/25

    Advent Reconciliation Mass at school

    All

    09/12/25

    Christmas Concert TBC

    All

    10/12/25

    Christmas Concert TBC

    All

    11/12/25

    Christmas Jumper Day

    All

    15/12/25

    Christmas Party Day

    All

    16/12/25

    Christmas singing in the community

    Choir

    17/12/25

    Christmas Dinner Day

    All

    18/12/25

    End of term Mass

    All

    19/12/25

    Last day of term – Own Clothes Day £1

    All

    WC 22/12/25

    Christmas holidays – school closed

    All

    WC 29/12/25

    Christmas holidays – school closed

    All

    05/01/26

    Inset Day – school closed

    All

    06/01/26

    All pupils back to school

    All

     

  • Summer Term Letter 3

    Thu 17 Jul 2025

    17th July 2025

     

    Dear Parents  

     

    As we approach our last day of this school year, it is time to say goodbye to our Year 6 class. They will all be missed at St Mary’s, but it has been a joy to watch them grow and blossom before our eyes. Their leavers performance of 80 Days Around the World was excellent – it was evident how hard they have all worked on the show. All school staff wish them the very best for this new chapter of their lives.  

     

    Tomorrow, Friday 18th of July, is the last day of the year. School is closed to pupils on Monday 21st of July. There is a county designated INSET day on Monday 1st of September so all pupils will return to school on Tuesday the 2nd of September 2025. There is a scheduled INSET day on Friday 3rd October.

     

    As this year closes, in addition to the announcements last week regarding staffing changes, we can also now confirm that Mrs Joel, who has been a Teaching Assistant at St Mary’s for 21 years will be leaving us tomorrow. Many of you may already know that Mrs Joel is getting married next week and will start her married life as Mrs Pine in a beautiful area of Somerset, England as her husband is a member of the Armed Forces. Mrs Joel has been a dedicated and loyal member of the staff team at St Mary’s – she has supported learning with almost every year group, nurtured and cared for generations of families, hundreds of pupils and parents and made long lasting friendships as a lifelong member of the St Mary’s family. Thank you, Mrs Joel, for all that you have done for our pupils, parents and staff.  We wish you and Mr Pine good health and happiness for your forthcoming marriage CONGRATULATIONS!!! We will miss you very much in September – it will be very odd without you being a part of the school, but we are very happy for you as you move into this next phase of your life.

     

    Information for September  

     

    CHANGES TO THE CAR PARK:  Over the summer holidays, the entire carpark is being redesigned to create more space and be in line with current health and safety regulations.

    The work includes extending the main entrance by moving the pillars and gates; removing the roundabout; creating a free flow drop off system and removing all current silver low level fencing around the car park, and creating a walkway accessible from every car park space, which will lead to the new entrance point (for the morning and afternoon for drop offs and pickups) which is the gate at the bottom of the car park leading on to the junior yard.  

    This will be very different to what is currently in place, so we ask that you take the utmost of care whilst using the car park to learn the new system, whether that be driving or walking.

     

    PENCIL CASES: All pupils in Years 3, 4,5 and 6 are required to bring their own pencil case in daily. This should include black pens, pencil rubber, sharpener and a ruler. Pencil cases can stay at school but will need to be refilled throughout the year as items are used up.

     

    School starts at 9:10am when class teachers take the register. If you arrive after this time, your child will be marked in as late. If you arrive after the gates have been locked, please bring your child to the main Reception via the electronic entrance gate to sign them in.  A child who is 10minutes late per day, misses 32.5hours of education in a school year. We ask you to arrive early to school to minimise the disruption to their learning and also the learning of those who are already in class. Persistent lateness may result in a referral to the Education Welfare Department.  

     

    Attendance is compulsory at school for pupils over the age of 5. To maximise progress with learning, we expect our pupils to attend school regularly and for at least 95% of the year. This percentage is in line with the Welsh Government target figure for learners. Pupil absences are carefully monitored by the local authority. If a pupil is absent, parents are asked to telephone the school on the first day of any absence. If no contact is received regarding a pupil absence, parents will receive a text or an email alerting them to the absence and request that parents contact the school to explain the absence. Any unexplained absences will be recorded as ‘unauthorised’. Medical and dental appointments should, as far as possible, be arranged out of school hours. Permission to take pupils on holiday during term time must be requested in writing from the Headteacher and will only be authorised if overall attendance is very good.  

     

    Uniform is to be worn for all children (Nursery to Year 6). New uniform can be purchased at Picton Sports, Heol Aur, Dafen Industrial Estate. Book bags can be purchased at Picton or at school. However, before you buy anything new, please call into school and take whatever you need from our pre-worn uniform stock. Uniform consists of

    • white polo t-shirt
    • blue jumper or cardigan with school logo
    • grey or black bottoms – trousers/tailored shorts, skirts/pinafores (no leggings/tracksuit bottoms)
    • black school shoes or black trainers

    The P.E kit consists of a blue crew neck school t-shirt with logo on front and dark coloured bottoms. The P.E timetable will follow in class newsletters in September. Please write your child/ren’s names on ALL uniform (and reapply after washes) to help to make it easier to return to the correct owner if lost.  

     

    Water bottles are required daily and can be refilled at the water fountain. Please write your child’s name on them.

     

    After school clubs will not be available in the first week of Autumn term whilst new clubs are being arranged. Further information regarding the new clubs will be issued during the first week back.  

     

    I would like to thank you as pupils, parents, extended family members and friends for your continued support of our school.  I am very proud of our achievements this year both at school, in the community and our parish. We are thankful for our pupils and enjoy teaching and nurturing them as they progress through the school. Have a happy and enjoyable summer.  

     

    We look forward to welcoming you back to school on Tuesday 2nd of September 2025.

    Yours sincerely 

    Mrs Howells

    Headteacher

  • Summer Term Letter 2

    Mon 23 Jun 2025

    Dear Parents

     

    Changes to Classroom Structure – Autumn Term 2025

     

    As we prepare for the upcoming Autumn Term, we would like to inform you of an important change to our class structure, designed to better support our pupils’ learning and development.

     

    Due to changes in pupil numbers and in alignment with the Curriculum for Wales, we will be forming new class. This new structure allows us to tailor teaching more effectively to developmental stages and learning needs, whilst also fostering a nurturing and collaborative environment.

     

    In keeping with our Catholic identify and values, we are also moving away from the traditional year group labels. Instead, each class will be named using the acronym C.H.R.I.S.T., reflecting our commitment to Christ-centred education and community.  The classes will be led by the following teachers:

     

    C            Miss Clark                       (age Reception and Y1)

    H           Miss Penn                       (age Y2)

    R            Mr Williams                   (age Y3)

    I             Mrs Upton                      (age Y4)

    S            Mr Gill                              (age Y5)

    T            Miss Healy                      (age Y6)

     

    Nursery provision will be provided in the room adjacent to the Reception class.

    We believe that these changes will enrich the learning experiences for all our children and help us continue to provide a warm, including and faith-filled environment. We appreciate your continued support and understanding as we implement these positive developments.

     

    As you can see from the staffing list, we will sadly be saying goodbye to two of our teachers. Miss Annabel Jones joined us last September for her first year of teaching and has been successful in gaining a new position at a school in Mumbles for the next stage of her teaching career. Mrs Low has been with us for the last three years teaching in Year 5 initially and for the last two years, she has been the class teacher of our Nursery and Reception pupils. Both leave St Mary’s to begin new chapters of their life.

    In addition, two of our Teaching Assistants are coming to the end of their temporary contracts and will be leaving at the end of the summer term. Mrs Eleri Jones (Nursery) and Mrs Strasdin (Nursery/KS2) have been a great support to their classes, helping the teachers create a nurturing, inclusive, fun and exciting learning environment.

    Thank you all for your hard work and kind and caring support that you have shown both pupils and staff throughout your time at school.  We wish you the very best for the next stage of your lives.

    From September, we welcome a new Teacher, Mr Gill, who will be teaching Class ‘S’. We extend Mr Gill a very warm welcome to our school. The children are very excited to be in your class in September.

     

    Please read on for information below regarding upcoming dates and general information:  

    Monday 30th June

    Girls Cricket Final in Carmarthen

    Tuesday 1st July

    Moving up day Year 6 will spend the day at St John Lloyd (parents will have received information directly from SJL regarding arrangements – for those not attending SJL in September, you are expected to attend school as normal).  All other pupils will arrive at St Mary’s and go into their current classrooms and move up to their next year groups after registration to spend time with their new teachers. Technocamps will also be at school to run sessions with KS2.

    Wednesday 2nd July

    PTA Summer Disco. Nursery to Y2 from 5pm to 6pm. KS2 pupils Y3-6: Disco 6:15pm-7:30pm. Parents are to stay with children in the Nursery to Y2 disco.

    Friday 4th July

    School reports will be sent home

    Monday 7th July

    Inset Day – school closed to pupils

    Tuesday 8th July

    Football tournament Swansea KS2 Team

    Tuesday 8th July

    Teaching staff will be on hand between 4pm and 6pm to discuss the school reports with parents if required. No appointments needed – drop-in session only.

    Friday 11th July

    Y6 Leavers Show “80 Days Around the World” 10am

    Wednesday 16th July

    Y6 Leavers Mass 1:45pm

    Friday 18th July

    Last Day of School Year. Summer holidays begin.

    Y6 Leavers and Celebration Assembly 9:30am

    Tuesday September 2nd 2025.

    All pupils return to school

    Wednesday 1st October 2025

    School Culture Day – more details to follow

    Friday October 3rd 2025

    Inset Day – school closed to pupils

     

    Summer necessities: Please can you ensure your child has a water bottle daily. Suncream and sun hats are strongly advised during sunnier days. Please label everything with your child’s name. Tip Tops will be on sale every Friday until the end of term. They are 20p each. Lost and Found: There are many school jumpers left in almost all classes – please check in with your class teachers if you are missing any jumpers.  Uniform for September: Uniform is to be worn by all pupils from Nursery to Year 6.  We are aware that the cost of living is having an impact on almost everyone. To help, we have a range of uniform at school that has been donated or left in lost and found over the past few years. Again, please call in from next week to see what will fit your child before you buy any new items. Currently, there are more smaller sizes than larger sizes, but we will also happily accept further donations for us to distribute to others.   

     

    Yours Sincerely

    Mrs Alison Howells

    Headteacher