Parent Communication and Events

At St Mary’s we pride ourselves on excellent communication with parents.

Open door policy

If you have concerns about your daughter, or would like further information, please speak to her class teacher in the first instance. If you have any specific questions regarding the curriculum you speak with  Mrs Wentworth, the Assistant Head of Lower School (Academic). Please speak to Mrs Adamson, the Assistant Head of Lower School (Pastoral), for information on your daughter’s pastoral care.

School records

It is important that school records are complete and up to date, in the event that parents need to be contacted urgently. Please notify the Lower School Office if there are any changes.

Tapestry for Preparatory Class

It is important that parents are able to share in the achievements of their daughter. The online learning programme Tapestry is a two-way system which gives parents the opportunity to see what their daughters have been learning in the Preparatory Class and also to add achievements at home. This creates a rounded picture of your daughter’s learning and development.

Home Links

Parents receive their daughter’s home learning tasks every Friday on the Home Links letter from her form teacher.

Home School Log

If you need to speak with your daughter’s class teacher please email them through the St Mary’s School app.

Reporting

Reports are issued at Christmas and at the end of the school year in July. The Christmas report is a shorter report, which includes A general teacher comment, English, Mathematics and short statements regarding the Foundation Subjects. A full report is sent home in the summer term. Girls are continuously assessed and parents meet with teachers in October (Prep class only) and February/March, April/May to review progress and to discuss their daughter’s next steps.

SATs tests take place at the end of Year 6. The pupils also take part in the Incas diagnostic testing at Year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Parents’ Evening

There are Parents’ Evenings in October (Prep), February/March and April/May each academic year. Specialist teachers are available at the Parents’ Evenings. Parents who are unable to attend Parents’ Evening are welcome to speak to the Lower School Office to arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss their daughter’s progress with her class teacher.

Open Classrooms

Parents of pupils in Years 1 to 6 are invited into the classrooms at least every half term on a Friday at the end of school to look over their daughters’ work. Please note that this is not a time for consultation with the class teacher, but an opportunity to celebrate your daughter’s work and to be involved in her learning. Classrooms are closed from 4pm.

Email communications

Parents can contact teachers directly by messaging via the St Mary’s school app: Prep – St Mary’s, Year 1 – St Mary’s etc.

School App

St Mary’s has a school app through which parents are sent communications such as calendar dates, notices, school trip messages and news stories. Parents are able to contact relevant staff directly through the messaging system on the app.

Website

The school website is a great source of information on all sections of St Mary’s School. It also includes school policies and the latest news.

The Parents Portal can be found here and contains useful information such as school day timings, key dates, menus, uniform guide and online shop, curriculum and news. This information can also be accessed via the St Mary’s app for parents when their daughter joins the school.

Social Media

You can follow us on Twitter (@stmaryscolch), Facebook (stmaryslowerschoolcolchester) and Instagram (@StMarysColchester)

PTA

St Mary’s has an active Parent Teacher Association, which organises at least one social or fundraising event for the whole school each term.
Membership of the PTA is automatic and parents are kept informed via the newsletter and by letter, of the various PTA events.

Parents who would like to help organise PTA events are encouraged to join the PTA committee, who can be contacted by emailing sms.colchester.pta@gmail.com The committee meets on one evening each half term to plan events.

School trips

Trips are organised each term for every year group and are designed to inspire the girls, or to support and extend curriculum studies.

We try to ensure that all girls take part in at least one theatre and gallery trip during their time at the school.

Key events

We enjoy welcoming friends and family members into school on a regular basis for events. These include performances such as the Nativity, outdoor theatre production, Sports Day, PTA events such as Fireworks Night and our annual Prize Giving celebrations.

Details of events are communicated via the St Mary’s app.