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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13th November 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall A Prayer for Children in Need Day Heavenly Father, we pray for all children who are sad, lonely, frightened or in need. Surround them with your love, comfort them in difficult times and give them hope for a brighter future. Bless those who care for and support children, and help us to be kind, generous and loving to everyone we meet. May every child feel safe, valued and loved. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, Please follow the link to donate to Children in Need Donate to BBC Children in Need Donate here https://donate.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/default-1 As we finally move deeper into the winter months, we are experiencing colder, wetter weather as we move into the weekend. Please could we remind everyone to ensure children come to school with appropriate warm clothing, including coats, hats, gloves, and scarves, so they can stay comfortable and safe during outdoor play. Children are still not coming in wearing a coat. The school is lovely and warm now we have brand new boilers in all buildings but it isn't warm outside. This week, each class will be sending home a Curriculum Newsletter for Term 2. This newsletter outlines what your child will be learning in each subject area over the term, including English, Maths, Science, and the other exciting areas of our curriculum. We encourage you to take some time to read through the Curriculum Newsletter with your child. It's a great way to start conversations about their learning, ask them what they have enjoyed so far, what they are curious about, or what new skills they are developing in class. Please remember to encourage your child to read at home; practise times tables, spellings and complete homework. Any problems then please message the teacher on Class Dojo and they will get back to you when they can. On Wednesday, the whole school came together to mark Remembrance Day with a two-minute silence in the hall. Every child and member of staff stood still and silent, each holding a battery powered candle as a symbol of respect and remembrance. It was a truly moving moment of reflection, and I would like to thank all the staff and children for their thoughtfulness and respect. Across the week, classes have also taken part in a range of activities to learn about remembrance and to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed. We shall remember them. Please do take a look at our school Facebook page to see some lovely photos from the week's activities. 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, 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! Panto Time.... oh no it isn't.... oh yes it is! I believe the children deserve the best enrichment experiences in life as we aim for our school motto 'High Expectations for all, in the Light of Christ'. Therefore, I am very glad to announce for a SIXTH year in a row, that all of Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 children will be jumping on a coach and heading to the Marlowe Theatre on Wednesday 9th December to see Peter Pan. Also, nursery, reception, year 1 and year 2 will walk to the Granville Theatre on Thursday 17th November to see Jack and the Beanstalk. You should receive a letter next week. Thank you very much once again to our brilliant PTFA who have agreed to buy the tickets for the whole school. We will only ask parents to contribute towards the coach to the Marlowe in key stage 2. This will be on school money. Please note that junior children will need to be picked up later on Panto day and there will be no clubs. We will text with updates so you know roughly when we are due back (approx 5.15pm). You never know each year as we always get traffic coming out of Canterbury and at the Lord of the Manor roundabout. All children including Year 6 will need to be picked up. There will be wrap around care for the infants. The infant trip to the theatre on the 17th will be back by normal dismissal time. 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. We Will Remember Them On Tuesday Mr Marshall together with the Head Boy and Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy, Deputy Head Girl and Mrs Cayley went to St George's Church Ramsgate to lay the school wreath made by Year 4. After laying the wreath they stood quietly around the memorial to remember those who gave their lives for their country Service of Remembrance at St Augustine's On Saturday, Mr Marshall and Ms Dowd attended a special service of remembrance at St Augustine's Church in Ramsgate, alongside Canon Victor Darlington, the Old Augustinians, Ursuline College, and the Mayor of Ramsgate. The service remembered all those who lost their lives in war, with a particular focus on former pupils of St Ethelbert's and Ursuline College. Mass began at 12 noon and was followed by a blessing of the graves. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together as a community, honour those who came before us, and pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Following the service, the Old Augustinians kindly presented Mr Marshall with a £100 donation to be used for resources and activities for the children. We would like to extend a huge thank you to them for their generosity. Sporting Success! A massive well done to Damian for his fantastic achievements on the football pitch! Playing in his role as goalkeeper for the Ramsgate "Oranges" Under-8s, Damian's brilliant performance helped secure his team's recent tournament success, including making two crucial saves at the very end of the match. We are all so proud of his hard work and dedicationcongratulations, Damian! Over £300 raised s far for the Poppy Appeal Our school community has been busy raising funds for the Royal British Legion through our recent Poppy Appeal events. Our class Poppy Runs held during PE lessons raised an impressive £141, and our Wear Red non-uniform day raised a further £161.23, bringing our total so far to £302.23. Every child who took part in the Poppy Run has received a clip-on poppy as a thank-you for taking part. In addition to this, the Royal British Legion will be collecting our poppy appeal boxes this week to count the money raised from selling poppies and merchandise, so we hope to share our grand final total with you very soon. Every penny raised goes directly to the Royal British Legion to support veterans and their families, and we thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support. 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 Community Spotlight: A Magical New Addition to Our Library! We are thrilled to celebrate one of our very own school parents, Mrs Searchfield, on the publication of her wonderful new children's book, Luna Finds the Magic Within Her! This heartwarming story follows young Luna on an inspiring journey to discover self-love, confidence, and the unique light that makes every child special. Mrs Searchfield has very generously donated a copy of the book to our school library, where it is now available for our pupils to read and enjoy. You can find the book on Amazon. 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. PTFA Christmas Gift Wrap There will be a Christmas gift wrap event on Wednesday 2nd December. The payment for each gift (£2.50, up to 2 gifts per child) is available through 'School Money'. The children can choose Christmas gifts from our various stock of items, which will be wrapped and ready for someone special. We need more volunteers for this event and would greatly appreciate it if you could help wrap up the gift with the children in the morning. ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk PTFA Infants Christmas Party PTFA is delighted to invite all Infant's children to the Christmas party on Wednesday 2nd December 3:10-4:20. Each child will have the chance to meet Santa and receive a special gift, as well as fun games, snack & drink, all included in the entry fee. The payment for entry (£2.50 per child) is available through 'School Money'. PTFA Junior Disco Juniors Christmas Disco will be on Wednesday 2nd December 3:20-4:30 PM. Please book a space via 'School money', £2.50 entry. There will be hotdogs, doughnuts, candy floss, sweets, drinks, and games and crafts, so please bring some change. 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! Anti-Bullying Week 16th to 20th November 2026 This year's campaign - Break the Silence - will encourage children, young people and adults across the UK to start conversations about bullying, speak up, listen and take action together. The theme was developed in collaboration with the anti-bullying sector and shaped directly by the voices of more than 200 children and young people, many of whom spoke about the silence that can surround bullying and the barriers young people face in asking for help. Please follow the link to view our anti bullying policy. Anti Bullying Policy Please click the link below for more information https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/anti-bullying-week-2026/parent-and-carer-pack Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George Nellie Knowledge By being able to recognise and count numbers to 20! Isabelle Inclusion Developing her confidence to join in with our phonic sessions Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga Teddy S Knowledge Showing HUGE improvements with his pen control and letter formation Malaya Inclusion Always being fully engaged in learning and following the class rules Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Zeynep Knowledge Her improved participation during 1:1 reading sessions with Mrs Robinson Judith Knowledge Her thoughtful and considered answers during discussions in class Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Alex Thoughtfulness His continued politeness to all adults and school visitors Melody Knowledge For knowing that raisins are just dried grapes Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Amaya Knowledge Understanding the sequence of events in the Liturgy of the Word John-Paul Inclusion Always exhibiting wonderful behaviour and manners towards others Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Mia Inclusion Always being a supportive friend to her classmates Syna Thoughtfulness Always offering to help with jobs around the classroom Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Emilia Inclusion Always sharing her ideas in class and helping others Kirk Inclusion Always trying his best and taking part in lessons 100% Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Joe Inclusion Sharing his ideas in class and contributing to class discussions Holly Thoughtfulness Helping out the younger children in choir 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 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 96% Year 1 93.1% Year 2 97.6% Year 3 96.7% Year 4 95.4% Year 5 96.1% Year 6 92.5% Whole School this week 95.4% 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 November 2026 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 https://www.stethelbertsschool.co.uk/
13th November 2026
A Quick Reminder Children in Need Today (Friday 13th November) is a non-uniform day and 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.
11th November 2026
Over £300 raised so far for the Poppy Appeal Our school community has been busy raising funds for the Royal British Legion through our recent Poppy Appeal events. Our class Poppy Runs held during PE lessons raised an impressive £141, and our Wear Red non-uniform day raised a further £161.23, bringing our total so far to £302.23. Every child who took part in the Poppy Run has received a clip-on poppy as a thank-you for taking part. In addition to this, the Royal British Legion will be collecting our poppy appeal boxes this week to count the money raised from selling poppies and merchandise, so we hope to share our grand final total with you very soon. Every penny raised goes directly to the https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/ to support veterans and their families, and we thank you so much for your incredible generosity and support. #royalbritishlegion #RBL
11th November 2026
On Tuesday Mr Marshall together with the Head Boy and Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy, Deputy Head Girl and Mrs Cayley went to St George's Church Ramsgate to lay the school wreath made by Year 4. After laying the wreath they stood quietly around the memorial to remember those who gave their lives for their country. We Will Remember Them #RBL #royalbritishlegion
11th November 2026
This is a reminder from PTFA about the Christmas cards project. The order form was already sent home with the children. If you wish to purchase anything, please remember to place your order through the online shop by this Sunday. If you need to know your child's unique code for ordering, please email us. We are happy to help. ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk
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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.’