CATHOLIC LIFE
CATHOLIC LIFE & MISSION
LIVING, LEARNING, CARING TOGETHER WITH GOD BESIDE US
Our Mission:
At St Mary's our mission is to be a community which offers the best possible education based on Christian values. Every child is valued, cared for and encouraged to reach their potential in an atmosphere of warmth, care and hope.
At St Mary's Catholic Primary our school mission statement 'Living, learning and caring together with God beside us' is central to everything we do and we recognise the importance of putting our faith into action. Our Catholic faith influences our school life in which to do our best to follow the Gospel values including love, justice, forgiveness and concern for others. We ensure that we are providing opportunities for our pupils to develop an understanding of their faith and to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. As a Catholic school, we aim to instil in our pupil a sense of belonging and community. We also encourage pupils to see themselves as part of the wider community of the parish, neighbourhood and the world at large. We do this by involving them in parish activities, local initiatives and national/international causes.
DIOCESAN INSPECTION REPORT 2025
Summary of Key Findings for Parents and Pupils
-
St Mary’s is an unmistakably and distinctive Catholic school which goes about supporting the Church’s mission of making disciples in a significant, yet humble way.
-
All leaders have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development as a consequence of regular and rigorous monitoring and of honest self-evaluation. This creates a culture of determination to grow and to continue to improve.
-
Pupils take on a variety of roles of responsibility, increasing their global and faith awareness as a result. They take on their roles with passion and dedication, as faith leaders, exemplifying what it means to be part of a truly Catholic school.
-
Pupils at St Mary’s make good progress from their starting points. By the time they leave the school, they have become religiously literate and are ready to meet the increased demands of the next phase of their education.
-
Prayer is central to everything that happens at St Mary’s. Pupils and staff alike recognise the power of prayer in their lives and are able to express their faith in a variety of creative ways.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Religious Education is central to the educative mission of the Church. At St Mary's it is the 'the core of the core curriculum'. We follow the diocesan guidelines and framework for the teaching of Religious Education and implement the 'Come and See' RE programme across the school. We ensure that a minimum of 10% curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages.
The Come and See programme is developed through three themes which are explored each time at greater depth:
-
Church
-
Sacraments
-
Christian Living
Throughout each term, three units of work are delivered which follow the themes. Each unit lasts for four weeks and is structured into these aspects:
-
Explore
-
Reveal
-
Respond
PRAYER & LITURGY
Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of St Mary's Catholic Primary School. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through involvement in a variety of forms of worship: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared and meditative. Our children are actively involved in planning and leading liturgical prayer times, both in class and whole school settings. Our shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond by being witnesses of our faith.
Prayer & Liturgy at St Mary's:
-
Whole School Celebration of the Word
-
Class Celebration of the Word
-
Mass at St Mary's of the Rosary Catholic Church, Forest Hall
-
Daily school prayers
-
Prayer stations
-
Christian Meditations
MINI VINNIES
Mini Vinnies follow in the footsteps of Christ and St Vincent de Paul.
The Mini Vinnies are the youngest members of the St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) and their motto is ‘Turning concern into action’ and their mission is –to see, think and do.
At St Mary’s, our Mini Vinnies group has members from Year 3 to Year 6 who live out the mission of St Vincent by helping charities and supporting people in our own school and parish community.
The Mini Vinnies meet once a week with Mrs Gartland (Year 2 Teacher) to discuss, share and plan activities on how they can support others.
Examples of activities they have led include:
-
Macmillan Coffee Morning
-
Harvest collections for local charities
-
Making and selling porridge to support Mary’s Meals
-
Making rosary beads for Rosary during October and May
-
Setting up and maintaining Advent/Lent prayer stations
-
Prayer cards for the community
-
Leading CAFOD campaigns during Lent
FAITH IN ACTION AWARD
Our Year 6 pupils participate in The CYMFed Faith in Action Award. There are four levels of award: Pin, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Participants accrue credits of service in their parish and/or school and the wider community. The Faith in Action Award builds on what young people already experience in serving others, asking them to reflect upon it so that they may find new ways of living out and exploring their faith. There is an opportunity for both guided reflections, through group reflection points and personal reflection, through journaling.
The pupils led by Mrs Thompson (Year 6 Class Teacher) work towards achieving the Pin level. They plan a range of activities they will lead throughout the year, including:
-
The Reception Class and Year 6 Buddy Celebration of the Word
-
Remembrance Celebration of the Word & Poppy Appeal
-
Operation Shoebox Appeal
-
Making prayer cards for the community
-
Full and active service in Mass, including some pupils acting as servers
-
Leading assemblies on Fairtrade
-
Recycling Activities
OUR PARISH
Our school is situated within the parish of St Mary of the Rosary, Forest Hall.
Parish Priest: Fr Sean Hall
St Mary of the Rosary
Great Lime Road
Forest Hall
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 7AB
(0191) 268 4222
Mass Times:
Saturday 5.30pm
Sunday 11.00am
