Welcome from the Head Teacher
As a practising Roman Catholic, I am extremely proud to be the HeadTeacher at St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School and Nursery. Since starting in September 2020, I lead an experienced, hardworking, outward looking and committed team who look forward to developing the school further for the children and local community. I have worked in Thanet throughout my whole career so know the area very well.
Dates for your diaryCalendar
Keep up to date withOur Facebook feed
8th May 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving God, We pray for the children receiving their First Holy Communion at St Ethelbert's Church this Sunday. Fill them with joy, peace, and love as they welcome Jesus into their hearts in a special way. Bless their families and all their catechists who have guided and supported them on their faith journey with kindness and care. May this special day bring them closer to you and inspire them to grow in faith each day. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, Yesterday, we gathered together for a lovely whole school assembly to honour Mary, the Mother of Jesus, with a special crowning ceremony. The children sang the hymns Immaculate Mary and As I Kneel Before You beautifully whilst crowning the statue of Mary and presenting her with flowers as a sign of thanksgiving and love. Mrs Rydz and the children then shared the story of Mary and Bernadette, explaining how Bernadette met Mary at Lourdes, Southwest France. During the assembly, the children also learnt about a decade of the Rosary and how to pray it together. To help continue this special prayer at home, every child in the school was given a rosary bead and prayer card to keep and use with their families. Thank you to all involved in this special assembly. A huge thank you to our PTFA for organising such successful school events this week. The Key Stage 2 disco and the EYFS/Key Stage 1 circus entertainer both ran simultaneously and were enjoyed tremendously by all the children, who had great fun throughout the evening. We are very grateful to the PTFA members and parent volunteers for giving up their time and energy to make these events possible while also raising valuable funds to support opportunities and experiences for our children in school. We would like to wish all of our Year 6 children the very best of luck for their SATs exams next week. The children have worked incredibly hard throughout the year and should feel very proud of all they have achieved. Please ensure children arrive at school on time each day and have a good night's sleep so they are well rested and ready to do their best. As their final year of primary school begins to draw to a close, we want them to remember that the most important thing is not a test score or grade, but the kind, hardworking and well-rounded individuals they have become. We are extremely proud of every single one of them and all the effort they have shown along the way. We have just returned from a wonderful whole school trip to the Granville Theatre to watch a live classical orchestra performance. From Nursery right through to Year 6, all of the children were absolutely amazing and represented the school beautifully. During the concert, we listened to a variety of classical pieces and learnt about the different instrumental families within an orchestra, including strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. The children were engaged, respectful and enthusiastic throughout the experience. Well done to everyone for such exemplary behaviour and a fantastic attitude to learning. Thank you to Mr Evans, who leads music across the school for being our chief organiser! We would like to wish all of our First Holy Communion candidates every joy, blessing and success as they receive this very special sacrament on Sunday 10th May at the 12 noon Mass at St Ethelbert's Church. Thirteen children will be making their First Holy Communion this year: Zuzanna, Mikolaj, Akorede, Louis, Abby, Nikola, Alicja, Poppy, Filip, Joy and Noah from St Ethelbert's School, along with Michael and Julia from other schools. We are incredibly proud of all the children for their commitment and preparation. A heartfelt thank you goes to our wonderful catechists, Mrs Rydz and Mrs Smalley, for their dedication, time and guidance in teaching the children each Saturday, helping them grow in faith and understanding. We are also very grateful to Father Jonathan for leading the Mass, and we look forward to celebrating this special occasion with him. Ms Dowd and I are very much looking forward to being there to share in this joyful celebration. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher School meal price increases Due to rising costs KCC and Caterlink have made the difficult decision to increase the cost of school meals. Please note that from 1st September 2026 the price of a school meal will increase from £3.37 per meal to £3.48 per meal. Change of Menu On Thursday, 21st May there will be an 'School Treat Day' menu for census day. If you would like your child to have a school meal on that day, please pay via School Money. Thank you. Please see attached flyer for details. Year 4 Swimming The Year 4 swimming will start on Friday, 24th April at Ramsgate Swimming Pool. The children will start their lesson at 1.10pm and finish at 1.55pm. The children will be back at school and ready to be dismissed as normal. The programme will take place every Friday up to and including the 22nd of May 2026. Your child will need to bring swimwear, goggles and a towel on these days. No spray deodorants are allowed, only roll-on. They must wear a coat as they may be cold walking to and from the pool. SEND Parents Evening – change of date Wednesday, 13th May, is our SEND parents' evening. Parents should sign-up directly with the class teacher. Please attend via Dane Park Road entrance. Thank you from the PTFA Thank you to all the children who joined the PTFA Spring Party & Disco on Wednesday! The infant children enjoyed hula hooping, circus activities, and a bubble show with the entertainer, while the juniors enjoyed the outdoor disco along with lots of stalls run by volunteers. We raised a total of £590 for our children and school. Thank you for your support! Please contact the PTFA if you have any feedback or suggestions. ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk Bag2School A collection bag was recently sent home. This is one of our popular fundraising events, please fill it with unwanted clothes, shoes, and accessories (details can be found on the bag) and bring them back to the school car park on Monday 11th May by 9 AM. Thank you for your support. Thanet Family Hubs Attached is an up-to-date timetable for Thanet Family Hubs, which outlines the sessions, activities, and services available across the hubs for the upcoming period. The new timetable will take effect until 29th May 2026 Can you help? We have parents of 5 young children who live in Nethercourt. They are desperately looking for help with transport for 2 children to school in the mornings Monday to Wednesday and picking up 3 of them in the afternoon Mondays and Wednesdays. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you can help, then please contact the school office for more details. Thank you. Instagram Don't forget we have our own school Forest School Instagram account where you can see photos of what they have been doing in our very own onsite Forest School! https://www.instagram.com/stethelbertsforestschool?igsh=MWRraXl2MjNlc25xNA== SEND Please click here for the latest Kent County Council Newsletter for SEND. Here you will find the latest news on Children's mental health, KCC SEND progress to date and further general advice, guidance and support. Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George Ivy Knowledge Always joining in with the learning activities and showing improvement in all areas Florence Inclusion Wanting all her peers to be included in her learning and being a kind friend!! Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga Ella Inclusion Always being kind and supportive to her peers! Edison Inclusion Always setting a good example and following our carpet rules Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Elijah Knowledge His detailed verbal responses in lessons Ivy Thoughtfulness Always using her manners and being a kind and thoughtful member of the class Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Hugo Knowledge His wonderful presentation in his fractions work on Wednesday Naya Thoughtfulness Always trying to help others when they are struggling Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Amelia Knowledge Completing a diary entry from the viewpoint of a child from Pompeii Poppy Thoughtfulness Providing the chance for a classmate to succeed in maths Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Alfie Knowledge Evaluating a price of artwork and referencing negative space Toby Thoughtfulness Always trying his hardest in lessons and working collaboratively with others Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Jevon Thoughtfulness Always jumping in to help others, with kindness Joe Knowledge Always being enthusiastic in lessons (especially history) Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux All of Year 6 Knowledge Working their socks off all year working towards SATS. We are all very proud of you! Well done to Kayden, Freya, Eliza, Ella and Cillian who have received a Thoughtfulness Certificate from the Walking Bus for always being polite and respectful when walking to school. Well done! Class Masses If you would like to join us for a class Mass, then you are very welcome. Children lead the Mass with readings and bidding prayers. Date Year Group attending Mass 14th May Whole School Mass led by Year 4 21st May Year 3 Half Term 4th June Year 2 11th June Year 6 18th June Year 5 25th June Year 4 2nd July Year 3 9th July Year 2 16th July Year 6 Leavers Mass Mass will be on Thursday mornings at 9.30am in St Ethelbert's church Attendance this academic year... Our attendance policy states that we aim for a 100% attendance Reception 96.8% Year 1 96.6% Year 2 91.6% Year 3 95.4% Year 4 99.1% Year 5 96.3% Year 6 98.2% Whole School this week 96.3% Whole School academic year to date 95.2% National Average academic year to date 94.8% PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT A MEMBER OF THE WRAPAROUND CARE STAFF AFTER 4PM THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 07400 170519 DIARY DATES 2025/26 May 2026 11th - 14th Year 6 SATs 13th SEND Parents Evening 22nd Sharing the Learning - parents invited in from 2.30pm 21st Summer Census 22nd END OF TERM 5 June 2026 1st TERM 6 STARTS FOR CHILDREN 1st YEAR 4 TIMES TABLES (2-week window) 5th Swimming Year 3 - 1.10-1.55pm (7 sessions) 8th Year 6 Residential meeting (2027 cohort) w/c 8th Yr1 and Yr2 PHONICS SCREENING 16th New YN and YR parent's information evening w/c 22nd Sports Week 22nd - Nursery Sports Afternoon 2.15pm 23rd - Reception and Year 1 Sports Afternoon - 1.15pm 24th - Year 2 and Year 3 Sports Afternoon - 1.15pm 25th - Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 Sports Afternoon - 1.15pm 24th Feast of St John 25th New YN and YR play and stay 4-5pm 26th/29th/30th Bikeability July 2026 2nd TRANSITION DAY 3rd SUMMER FAIR 3-5pm 9th Year 6 dress rehearsal to school - 1:00pm 9th Year 6 Production to parents - 7:00pm 15th End of Year Reports to parents 15th Year 6 Disco -6.00pm - 7.30pm 16th Year 6 Leavers Mass, Graduation and Afternoon Tea - 1.00pm 17th Benediction 1.15pm 17th Nursery Graduation 2.30pm 17th End of Term 6 for children 20th INSET day (4 of 5) 21st INSET day (5 of 5) 21st END OF TERM 6
8th May 2026
8th May 2026
MESSAGE FROM THE PTFA Thank you to all the children who joined the PTFA Spring Party & Disco on Wednesday! The infant children enjoyed hula hooping, circus activities, and a bubble show with the entertainer, while the juniors enjoyed the outdoor disco along with lots of stalls run by volunteers. We raised a total of £590 for our children and school. Thank you for your support! Please contact the PTFA if you have any feedback or suggestions. ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk
5th May 2026
Don't forget the PTFA disco and party tomorrow
1st May 2026
Explore our NURSERY
‘Every child at St Ethelbert’s is to fulfil their academic, social, behavioural and emotional potential in the surroundings of a Catholic community, and in which each individual shares or respects the Catholic Church and Christian way of Life.’