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.
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6th November 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving Father, We remember all those who have given their lives in times of war and conflict. We pray for the brave men, women and animals who sacrificed so much for our freedom and peace. Comfort all those who grieve and bring hope to those who continue to suffer because of war. May we always remember the importance of kindness, forgiveness and peace. Help us to be peacemakers in our own lives, following the example of Jesus. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, I hope you all had a lovely half-term break and enjoyed some well-deserved time together. Welcome back to Term 2! We have a very busy and exciting term ahead, filled with lots of wonderful learning opportunities, special events, non-uniform days and, of course, the excitement of Advent as we begin the countdown to Christmas. Please do keep a close eye on the newsletter each week so that you don't miss any important dates, updates or exciting things happening in school. We are looking forward to a fantastic term together! A New World Record for Take 10 to Read! The results came in yesterday, and we are delighted to announce that, as part of the Take 10 to Read initiative, all children in St Ethelbert's have helped to achieve a brand-new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the most people reading online in 12 hours! An incredible 153,862 people from 92 countries and territories took part, with over 3,000 schools, libraries, businesses and community groups joining in. What an amazing achievement to be part of! We will be ordering our official certificate, which will proudly take pride of place in our school office once it arrives. A huge well done and congratulations to everyone who took part, and thank you for helping St Ethelbert's be part of this fantastic world record. We are so proud of you all! Remembering Our Past Pupils Tomorrow (Saturday), Ms Dowd and I have been invited to attend St Augustine's Church in Ramsgate, alongside Canon Victor Darlington, the Old St Augustinians, Ursuline College and the Mayor of Ramsgate, for a special service of remembrance. Together, we will remember all those who lost their lives in war, with a particular focus on the former pupils of St Ethelbert's and Ursuline College. Everyone is warmly welcome to join us at 12 noon for Mass, which will be followed by a blessing of the graves. It will be a lovely opportunity to come together as a community, honour those who came before us and pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Remembrance Day – Wednesday 11th November Children who are members of uniformed organisations are more than welcome to come to school wearing their uniforms on Wednesday 11th November to mark Remembrance Day. This includes Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, or any other uniformed organisation they attend. As a school, we will come together to observe the two-minute silence at 11am to remember and honour those who have served and sacrificed for our country. The day is also a non uniform day and to dress up in military attire if you would like as a mark of respect. No donation required for this day. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher Morning Routines & Punctuality A reminder that the school gates open at 8:40am, which is when the children's morning learning begins. Please aim to arrive at this time to ensure your child is settled and ready to start the day. Thank you. Nursery and Reception - Virtual Tours Experience our nursery space first-hand with our immersive virtual tour. 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. Thanet Family Hubs For a full list of local Thanet Family Hubsincluding addresses, opening times, and their latest activity timetablesplease visit the dedicated support page on our school website Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2026 This year St Ethelbert's will again be selling poppies to raise money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Mrs Cayley and our Year 6 Prefects will be selling poppies on the infant and junior school playgrounds at the end of the day. Poppies will be on sale from Monday 19th October until Wednesday morning 11th November. We will also have rulers, wristbands and reflective poppies for sale. We will also be having a 'wear something red' non-uniform day on Friday, 6th November for a £1 donation. Thank you for your continued support Remembrance Day: World War I – Battle of the Somme On Wednesday, 11th November, our school will come together to observe Remembrance Day and mark a deeply significant milestone in world history. This year signifies the 110th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme, which took place in 1916 and remains one of the most significant campaigns of the First World War. To honour the memory of those who served, our pupils will take part in a World War 1 learning day, exploring history through hands-on creative activities, stories, and age-appropriate reflection. To help bring history alive, we invite the children to come to school dressed in either a historical military uniform or civilian clothing from the 1910s era. Parents are highly encouraged to use simple items from home or everyday school clothes rather than purchasing pre-made costumes. Of course, this part is optional; as inclusion is one of our school values, if children do not wish to dress up, they can just wear school uniform as normal. To help carry the historical theme into lunchtime, that day's dessert will be a Victoria sponge, a traditional British teatime treat from that era. If you would like your child to have a school lunch on that day there is no need to pre-book just let the teacher know in the morning. This will be charged via SchoolMoney. Please find below simple ideas for costumes. Easy Civilian Costumes (1910s School Children) For Boys: Pair standard dark school trousers or shorts with a plain white or light-coloured button-up shirt. Add a pair of clip-on braces and a traditional flat cap. For Girls: A dark school skirt or dress paired with a plain white long-sleeved shirt. A quick "pinafore apron" can be made by tying a plain white pillowcase, tea towel, or square of white fabric around the waist. Hair can be tied back with a simple ribbon. Easy Military & Wartime Costumes The Soldier: Use khaki, brown, or olive-green school trousers paired with a matching polo shirt or button-up shirt. Fastening a brown or green belt tightly over a tucked-in shirt instantly recreates the look of a wartime tunic. The Red Cross Nurse: Start with a standard school dress or a plain white or blue dress. Safely pin a red paper or felt cross to the front of a plain white apron or white t-shirt. A white tea towel or pillowcase folded over the head makes a perfect nurse's headscarf. PTFA News Help our PTFA win a grant! Please nominate St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School PTFA (Charity No. 1160176) for the chance to win a grant of £1000. It only takes 1 minute to nominate! Your nomination could help us raise extra funds to provide more opportunities and experiences for our children. Thank you for your support! https://movementforgood.com/draws/1000?cn=1160176&ct=education_and_skills&i=1792745393-92624.gif&utm_source=holiday+card&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=M4G2025card&utm_id=M4G2025card#nominateACharity PTFA Christmas Card Project: We're excited to let you know that our Christmas Card Online Shop is now open! Look out for your child's personalised order form coming home with your child. You just need to place an order online. All orders are then printed in bulk after the shop's closure date (see below) and sent to the school for distribution. The online shop will close at midnight on Sunday, 15th November 2026. Any questions please email us: ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk Thank you for your continued support. Times Tables Rockstars Times tables play such an important part of your child's learning in maths. To celebrate and encourage times tables at St Ethelbert's, there will be a Times Table Rockstars Day on Tuesday, 17th November. In line with the national curriculum, Reception and Year 1 won't have started learning their times tables yet but will still be able to join in the fun. Children will continue to develop their number sense through a range of activities throughout the day. This is a whole school event where children will spend the day engaging in fun times table related activities within their class. The best part is that children can come dressed as a rockstar (even if it is your PE day)! They can come in their outfit and wear this for the whole day. Of course, this part is optional; as inclusion is one of our school values, if children do not wish to dress up, they can just wear school uniform as normal. We look forward to the day and seeing your rockstar outfits! A Quick Date Change for Children in Need Please note that our Children in Need Dress-Up Day will be on Friday 13th November, and not on the 20th as we originally put in our diary dates. We are so sorry for any confusion or mix-up with the dates! On Friday 13th November, we invite all the children to come to school wearing something yellow or spotty to help raise money for this fantastic cause. Instead of sending cash into school, please make your donations online directly via the BBC Children in Need Donation Page. Thank you so much for your understanding and support! A Royal Delivery for our Primary School! 👑📚 Our school received a very exciting delivery this week straight from Her Majesty Queen Camilla! As part of the National Year of Reading 2026 campaign, a special keepsake copy of Katherine Rundell's bestselling adventure novel, 'Impossible Creatures', is being gifted to every single Year 6 child across the country. The books have arrived packaged as a royal Christmas present, complete with Her Majesty's official stamp and a lovely personal message to encourage a lifelong love of reading. We will be handing these brilliant stories out to all of our Year 6 pupils closer to the end of term so they can take them home and enjoy diving into the magic over the festive holidays. We would like to say a huge thank you to Her Majesty. Parents and carers can find fun free activities, discussion guides, and more details about the project on the National Literacy Trust's Resource Hub. Fantastic Football Success! Congratulations to our football stars, Briella and Jennifer, for their fantastic recent performances on the pitch! Briella, who plays for the Ramsgate Under 9s, was proudly named Player of the Match after scoring an incredible three out of her team's four goals against Hartsdown. Meanwhile, Jennifer has been showcasing her skills across two teams, playing for both Ramsgate and Margate Under 9s; she recently earned a participation medal after scoring three brilliant goals in matches between Margate and Faversham and Margate and Herne Bay. We are incredibly proud of both girls and wish them, along with the rest of our school football team, the very best of luck as they compete in the upcoming tournament on Thursday, 12 November at Margate Football Club! Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George Joelle Thoughtfulness Being helpful in the classroom and making sure the construction area is tidy! Emily Inclusion Building her confidence to join in whole class activities Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga Jamie Inclusion Always being very polite to staff and her peers – a delight to have in the class Timmy Knowledge Remembering all of the Phase 2 phonics sounds Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Aoife Knowledge Using and applying her phonics skills in reading practise sessions Freddie Knowledge Modelling the skills required in PE lessons Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Hrihaan Knowledge Giving his amazing definition of the word 'covenant' Kenny Thoughtfulness Willingly helping others in his group Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Ocheze Thoughtfulness Always being willing to help others in the classroom Damian Knowledge Improving his concentration in his written work Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Alicja Inclusion Always listening to the opinions of others and making sure that everyone is heard Louis Thoughtfulness Always being able to be relied upon to work well as part of a group Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Jessica Inclusion Always being caring and thoughtful to others Toby Knowledge Trying really hard to improve his handwriting Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Bailey Thoughtfulness Helping in class, supporting friends, showing politeness (it's an endless list) Holden Knowledge Producing brilliant writing all week. Keep it up Holden 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 12 November Year 3 19 November Year 2 26 November Year 6 3 December Year 5 10 December Year 4 15 December KS2 Carol Service Christmas Holiday 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 97.3% Year 1 95.8% Year 2 96.3% Year 3 92.9% Year 4 94.5% Year 5 99.6% Year 6 97.7% Whole School this week 96.2% Whole School academic year to date 95.3% National Average academic year to date 95.67% 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 2026-27 October 2026 22nd END OF TERM 1 23rd INSET DAY (3 of 5) November 2026 2ND TERM 2 STARTS FOR CHILDREN Poppy sale 9th Reception parent information evening for EY Profile 3.30-4pm 11th Remembrance – 2 minutes silence - dress up day 13th Children in Need – Non-uniform 16th - 20th Anti-bullying week 17th Times Table Rockstars Day - dress up 18th SEN Parents Evening 23rd UK Parliament Week 30th St Andrew's Day December 2026 1st Christmas Tree and hoops up 2nd PTFA Gift Wrap 2nd PTFA Disco and infant Party (3.10-4.35pm) 9th Panto –Marlowe Canterbury Years 3-6 - Peter Pan 11th PTFA Christmas Fair (outside) 14th Nursery Christmas Concert 11:00am 14th Nativity Play (Reception) 2.15pm 15th Carol Concert (Juniors) 2.15pm & 6.30pm 15th Stay and Play - Spring Starters - Nursery 3.30-4.30pm 16th Christmas Dinner Day & Christmas Jumpers 16th Nativity Play (Y1 & Y2) 9.15am & 2:15pm 17th Granville Theatre Panto for YN- Y2 - Jack & the Beanstalk 18th Benediction - 1.15pm 18th END OF TERM 2
6th November 2026
Year 5 have started their new topic 'Life cycles and reproduction' by drawing the life cycle of a plant and then dissecting different plants to find their reproductive organs.
5th November 2026
🔴 DON'T FORGET! 🔴 Tomorrow (Friday) is our 'Wear Something Red' non-uniform day! We are asking for a £1 donation, with every single penny going directly to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 🌹. Thank you so much for your generosity.
5th November 2026
No booking, no forms and nothing to pay. Just show the attached ticket on your phone (or print it out) at the turnstile and come on in!
4th November 2026
Thanet Family Hubs are pleased to share details of our upcoming Making It REAL programme at Northdown Road Family Hub. This free course is designed for parents and carers of children aged 2-4 years and focuses on supporting early reading and writing development through everyday activities at home. The programme helps families build confidence in promoting literacy skills and preparing children for starting school. 📅 Dates: Thursdays: 5th, 12th & 19th November 🕜 Time: 1:30pm - 2:30pm 📍 Venue: Northdown Road Family Hub, Zion Place, Margate, CT9 1RP
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‘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.’