St. Mary's R.C. Primary School. Newton Aycliffe, County Durham

Mission Statement

WITNESS AND CELEBRATE

We witness and we celebrate Jesus Christ This statement lies at the heart of St.Mary's school as we measure all our actions against the Gospel values of justice and truth. Our curriculum is designed to enable each child to celebrate his or her true potential and to grow academically, spiritually and socially with the confidence of knowing that he or she is a valued member of the community. In this way, self respect; respect for others and respect for our environment will flourish. We reach out to the wider community through our educational, sporting and social ties and to the world through our awareness of others and appreciation of and respect for different beliefs and lifestyles.

School Uniform
We encourage parents to support the school's uniform policy, which is as follows;

* White or light blue skirt or blouse.
* Grey trousers, skirt or pinafore.
* Royal blue sweatshirt or cardigan.
* School polo shirt.
* School sweatshirt.

* These may be purchased in school.

P.E. A change of top with shorts and sandshoes is suitable for both boys and girls. Please note that trainers are not suitable for indoor wear as they are not flexible and offer little or no grip on the equipment. When there are outdoor activities trainers may be worn. Jewellery (including earrings for pierced ears) IS NOT permitted in school and watches must be removed prior to the P.E. lesson.

Behaviour and Discipline
    The behaviour in the school is of a high standard and it has been noted in the recent Ofsted report that relationships are good based upon mutual respect.
    Discipline is firm and friendly and we aim to foster in the children a responsibility for their own actions.
    If a child misbehaves then firm and fair sanctions are used depending on the age of the child and the nature of the offence. Should the poor behaviour continue, parents will be informed and asked to meet with the Headteacher in order that a consistent plan may be drawn up to facilitate an improvement in the child's behaviour.
    In the event of there being a deterioration in an individual's behaviour the Headteacher can temporarily exclude a child. Extreme behaviour may warrant a permanent exclusion though this sanction is always a final recourse once all other avenues have been explored.
    Exclusion is only ever contemplated when education and welfare of the other pupils is being threatened.

Special Educational Needs
All the children at St.Mary's are special! Some have particular talents, and some may require more support in small groups or perhaps individually. We have a carefully designed system for identifying individual needs and, as always, we aim to work closely with parents. Details of the schools' Special Educational Needs policy and guidelines are available on request.