St Mary's Catholic Primary School Governors' Annual Report to Parents - for Academic Year September 2023- July 2024 (Autumn Term 2024)

School Improvement

As a school, we are on a continuous cycle of self- reflection, development and improvement to ensure that we offer the very best to all our pupils.

"As a result of this culture of ongoing self-evaluation and reflection, leaders identify and implement pertinent actions that lead to improvement. They deliver national priorities, such as curriculum reform, thoughtfully and creatively." Estyn 2019.

During 2023-24, we continued to work on our identified school development priorities. Below, is a summary of the areas the school identified following a range of self-evaluation exercises and the progress made over the academic year.

Our Curriculum Offer at St Mary's

The school's innovative and personalised curriculum has continued to offer a range of authentic, rich, exciting and cross- curricular learning experiences for all children this year. All teachers have continued to work creatively and collaboratively to ensure that children contribute to planning their curriculum based around broad open-ended whole school topics, ensuring that they have ownership over their learning.

Each year group have enjoyed exploring a variety of 'Big Questions' to inspire and activate their learning.

Early Years children were 'Ambitious, Creative Contributors' and explored 'What do I hope to be when I grow up?' Years 1 and 2 children were 'Ethical, informed Citizens' and investigated 'Why (people) move to Wrexham?' Years 3 and 4 were 'Healthy, Confident Individuals' and found out 'Are we ready for the Metaverse?' Years 5 and 6 were 'Ambitious, Capable Learners' and explored ' Who do I want to be in 5 years time?' and discovered 'Who has changed the future and how?'

In June 2023, the school's curriculum summary document was reviewed and is available on the school website.

We hope you enjoy reading how we continue to develop our personalised curriculum here in St Mary's. If you would like a paper copy of our curriculum summary document, please contact the school office.

Assessment at St Mary's

As a school we have robust assessment arrangements in place. We draw upon a range of information to ensure every pupil is supported appropriately. We place huge value on the importance of "formative" and "in the moment" assessment which enables the staff to facilitate immediate progress. Parents receive regular information on their child's progress, and are given help to understand their next steps in learning.

Assessment arrangements include:-

• On-entry assessment

• Day to day formative assessment

• Identifying, capturing and reflecting on learner progress over time

• Understanding group progress

• A shared understanding of the principles of progression

• Pupil progress meetings

• National personalised assessments

• Parent/carer involvement

As a school we also monitor the well-being of every pupil to ensure they are getting the support they need to have the best life opportunities.

School Performance

With the roll out of the Curriculum for Wales, there has been a significant shift in the role of assessment both at a national and a school level. The purpose of assessment is to support each individual learner to progress at an appropriate pace, ensuring they are supported and challenged accordingly.

The Curriculum for Wales In the Supporting Learner Progression document: 'Assessment Guidance' sets out the three key reasons for assessment:

 support individual learners on an ongoing, day-to-day basis

 identify, capture and reflect on individual learner progress over time

 understand group progress in order to reflect on practice

This approach to assessment is being fully embedded in St Mary's in order to ensure that supporting learners to make progress is at the heart of our assessment practices going forwards.

Additional Learning Needs (ALN)

"St Mary’s is a fully inclusive learning community" where the "provision for pupils with additional needs is highly effective and the co-ordinator ensures that this is delivered effectively and consistently across the school." Estyn 2019

The ALN reform continues to be embedded throughout the school and regular updates are shared with staff to enhance knowledge and processes. Over the course of the year, children throughout different year groups have been converted over onto an IDP (Individual Development Plan), particularly those children with need for additional learning provision. Regular involvement from outside agencies has been beneficial in securing recommendations and targets for our children to work towards including our educational psychologist, speech and language therapists, the behaviour team and literacy service. Input has also been received from specialist provisions regarding children with significant complex needs. Opportunities to access training have been positive with a focus on developing Makaton and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) awareness for all staff.

In April 2023, Mrs Jones took on the role of Acting ALN Coordinator (ALN) until September 2023 and continued to focus on providing the children with small step targets to ensure progress was being made. Regular contact with parents and agencies continued and Mrs Jones and Mrs Williams will continue to work together on the ALNCo role during 2024-25. Mrs Donna Tait is the school's ALN Governor and is in regular contact with the ALNCo to ensure that the school is continuing to meet pupil need and support families in the best way possible.

The staff within school will continue to work with children who will be receiving Targeted Universal Provision and those children who will require Additional Learning Provision.

Our school in Wales

The main language used in St Mary's Catholic Primary School is English, however all our children and staff are encouraged to use as much Welsh as possible, in our ongoing pursuit to become a bilingual school, in line with the Welsh government ambition. Welsh is taught as a second language throughout the school from Nursery to Year 6. We all enjoy saying a range of Welsh prayers and singing a range of Welsh songs and we love to proudly sing our Welsh national anthem on St David's day and throughout the year.

Our 'Criw Cymraeg' have worked extremly hard to continue to promote and develop the use of Welsh across the school. They lead a weekly Gwasanaeth every Monday morning and greet everyone with a warm 'Croeso' on entering the hall. During assembly, they introduce the 'Brawddeg yr Wythnos for everyone to practise during the week and present 'Siaradwr Yr Wythnos' certificates to the child in each class who has made the best effort to use Welsh that week. They also share Welsh prayers and songs and encourage everyone to join together to sing the Welsh national anthem.

They have greatly enhanced the school environment with Welsh displays in classes, in corridors and in the main entrance, signage around the school and waliau graffiti on the yard. All initiatives continue to raise the profile of Welsh in the school and have supported the school to achieve the Bronze Cymraeg Campus award. We are very grateful for all the hard work and commitment. Da iawn.

We hold an annual school Eisteddfod, celebrate Dydd Shw Mae and Dydd Miwsic, celebrate St David's Mass and join the St David's day parade in the city centre, proudly waving our Welsh flags. We even made it onto the 'Welcome to Wrecsam' documentary in the parade! Da iawn Ysgol Santes Fair!

Extra- Curricular Clubs

Staff voluntarily offer a range of clubs during lunch times and after school and we are very grateful for their on-going support and enthusiasm. Children enjoyed attending clubs such as football, board games, athletics and dance this year and all clubs were very well attended and enjoyed by all children.

Our athletics team, along with many parent and grandparent supporters, attended the Diocesan athletics event held in Rhyl in June; the first time since the pandemic. Children from Years 3 to 6 participated in events such as the relay, sack race, 100 m sprint and 800 m long distance race. As always, St Mary's children behaved impeccably and displayed exceptional team spirit. Everyone was delighted to win the overall trophy as the 'winning school.'

Pupil Voice Groups

“Many pupils take an active role in a wide range of effective pupil voice groups. As a result, they develop outstanding leadership and communication skills and high levels of confidence.” Estyn

Each year, representatives of each year group/ class are voted onto the Pupil Voice groups by their peers in a secret ballot. We have key members of staff who provide excellent support to the Pupil Voice groups and help coordinate regular meetings and plans for the year, in line with their identified action plans.

We are very proud of how well our pupil voice groups continue to contribute the continuous development and improvement of our school and are delighted to report that we have once again retained Platinum Eco award status and are pleased to have gained our bronze Cymraeg Campus award this year! Representatives from all pupil voices groups now attend every full governing body meeting to share an overview of their work and the impact they have made each term.

A summary of the work of our Messengers of Christ to enhance the Catholic Life of our school can be found by clicking on the Link

Please click on the Link  to find out about the work of our School Council and Super Ambassadors during the academic year 2023-24.

The work of our Eco Committee during 2023-24 can be found by clicking on the LINK

Our Criw Cymraeg update for 2023-24 can be accessed by clicking on the LINK

Promoting Health and Well-being

As a Healthy School, the governors and staff are all fully committed to supporting pupil and staff well-being and promoting healthy living. All classes have P.E. sessions each week either in the school hall or in the outdoors. Daily meditation takes place in all classes after lunch, and all children have the opportunity to learn and play in the outdoors.

Children have access to drinking water throughout the day and are encouraged to bring a refillable bottle to school. Children in Early Years are provided with a healthy snack each day and children in Years 1-6 are encouraged to bring fruit for snack each day. Juices, fizzy drinks are not permitted in school.

Pupil voice groups organised another enjoyable and worthwhile health and well-being week and this year the theme was 'Your Voice Matters', All children enjoyed participating in a range of class-based and collaborative, cross-phase activities to support their understanding of the importance of expressing their views and ideas. Favourite activities included a 'Break the Rules' day and 'Express Yourself' dress up day.

School Trips and Visits

A wide range of school educational visits and trips were organised throughout the school year to support and enrich learning across the curriculum.

Children in Years 1 and 2 enjoyed a visit to Liverpool World Museum and participated enthusiatically in workshops provided by Xplore, Year 5 children learned about keeping safe in the community in Dangerpoint and enjoyed participating in a River Gwenfro field trip and river study. Years 3 and 4 enjoyed trips to Liverpool Maritime Museum to enhance their studies on the Titanic and explored their locality by visiting St Gile's Parish church and our much loved Erddig, Our youngest children in the Early Years' had fun feeding the animals and taking a tractor ride at Park Hall Farm and our upper junior children enjoyed residentials to Glan Llyn for our Year 5s and Cardiff for our Year 6s. What a busy and exciting year!

Engaging with and supporting our school and wider community

2023-24 has been another very busy year with a wide range of opportunities to involve our school community in the life of the school. The autumn and spring clean up days brought many enthusiastic families together to clean up the school site, the Friends' first Christmas Fair and Santa Dash were a huge success, filling the school hall with families and local businesses and raising an incredible £2,000. and the summer family picnic, despite being affected by the weather, provided a wonderful opportunity for families to get to know each other, eat together and take part in lots of games and activities, also raising over £1100. Many of our KS 2 pupils took part in a local poetry competition entitled 'Our Wrecsam' and Year 6 girls winners were presented with prizes at the Carnival of Words event held at Wrecsam library.

Once again, it was wonderful to welcome parents and wider family members into school to watch the Christmas concerts and to include our families in the religious life of the school by inviting them to attend religious services , joint class family Masses and class assemblies.

Events such as a Shw mae' day brought many parents, grandparents and link governors into school to take part in a range of Welsh activities in each class, another Year 5 and 6 community Christmas concert held in Ty Pawb examples of the very successful events held this year to engage with our families and wider community.

PC Ellis, the school's police liaison officer, has continued to provide support to the school, as required. Planned age-appropriate sessions were delivered to classes on topics such as people who help us, keeping safe on-line, drug awareness and anti- social behaviour.

The school has continued to reach out their support by holding a range of school fundraising events to support to a wide range of needs and charities this year, including Children in Need, Rock Your Socks (Down Syndrome), Poppy Appeal, Wrexham Foodbank, CAFOD, YAB, Nightingale House Hospice. We have maintained links with a local care home 'Hilbury House, and have paid visits to sing to the residents, play games and perform our Christmas concerts