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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18th September 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Lord Jesus, On this feast of Saint Matthew on Monday, we thank you for calling him from his old life to become your faithful disciple and apostle. Help us, like Matthew, to hear your call and follow you with open hearts. Give us the courage to leave behind whatever keeps us from you, and make our lives a witness to your mercy and love. Saint Matthew, pray for us, that we may faithfully follow Christ and share His Good News with others. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, We are delighted to share our Curriculum Newsletters with you, which gives you an insight into what your child will be learning in each subject this term, per year group. We hope this will help you to understand and support your child's learning at home, and provide lots of opportunities to chat together about what they have been learning at school. If you would like to find out more about the topics and knowledge being covered, you can find further information under the 'Curriculum' tab on our school website. You can also find your child's class timetable on the website. Our Curriculum Newsletters will be shared with you every term, so you will receive six newsletters throughout the academic year, helping you to stay up to date with your child's learning journey. Homework should be coming home now every Thursday. Please view our homework policy on our school website for more details. Homework is to be completed and handed in on the following Monday (or Tuesday if it is a bank holiday). On Monday, children in Year 6 will be completing their speeches as candidates to be Head boy and Head girl. The whole school will then go back to theory classroom to vote. We have received so many applications this year so we will have to complete the speeches over two weeks. The boys will complete their speeches in assembly this Monday with the girls completing their speeches a week on Monday. Have you changed your address, mobile phone number or emergency contact details over the summer? We should have three emergency contact numbers for your child. If you need to update us, then please let the office know next week as a priority. Thank you. Keeping Our School & Home Community Cyber Secure At our school, cybersecurity is a year-round priority. Our staff undergo regular awareness training to ensure all pupil records, school data, and digital platforms remain safe and strictly protected. However, cyber safety does not end at the school gates, protecting our children's digital footprint works best when home and school work together. As technology evolves, cyber criminals and online risks are targeting families through new avenues. From sophisticated phishing scams and AI-generated content to hidden location tracking on popular social apps, staying vigilant is essential. Here is how you can strengthen your family's digital security at home: Use the "Pause, Screenshot, Ask" Rule: Teach children never to click links sent via direct messages (DMs) or act on messages that demand urgent action, offer free gifts, or cause panic. Encourage them to pause, take a screenshot, and show it to you first. Be cautious with emails, texts and messages: Scammers may pretend to be schools, banks, delivery companies, friends or other organisations you trust. Take a moment before clicking a link, opening an attachment or sharing personal information. If a message creates a sense of urgency or asks you to make a payment, stop and check it through an official website or known contact method. Use strong, different passwords: Avoid using the same password for several accounts. In particular, make sure your email account has a strong and unique password, as access to your email can sometimes provide a route into other accounts. A password manager can make it much easier to use different passwords without having to remember them all. Turn on two-step verification: Wherever it is available, enable two-step verification (also called 2FA or MFA) on important accounts such as email, banking and social media. It provides an additional layer of protection if someone obtains your password. Back up important information: Photos on your phone, important documents and other valuable files can be protected by regularly backing them up to a trusted cloud service or external storage. That way, if a device is lost, damaged or affected by malware, you have another copy. Keep devices and apps updated: Don't ignore those update notifications! Turn on automatic updates where possible for phones, tablets, computers and apps. Security updates help protect devices against newly discovered threats. Turn Off Geolocation on Apps: Many popular apps track live locations by default. Go into your child's device settings and turn off location services for social media, camera apps, and gaming platforms to avoid exposing your home address or daily routine. Build Strong "Passphrases": Encourage your child to use a passphrase (a string of 4+ random words like purple-duck-potato-boat) rather than simple passwords, and remind them never to share passwords with friends. Maintain Open, Judgment-Free Communication: Make sure your child knows they can come to you if they encounter something unsettling online, see a fake account, or make a mistake, without fear of having their device immediately taken away. A useful family habit: STOP – CHECK – THINK Before responding to an unexpected message, encourage everyone in the family to: STOP – Don't rush, even if the message says something is urgent. CHECK – Is it really from the person or organisation it claims to be? THINK – Is it asking for something unusual, such as a password, payment or personal information? If something doesn't feel right, don't click the link. Find the organisation's official website or contact them using a trusted phone number instead. What if you make a mistake? Don't panic. If you have clicked a suspicious link, shared a password or entered financial information, act quickly. Change affected passwords, contact your bank if necessary, and seek advice. The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides clear guidance on what to do if you think you've been caught by a phishing scam. Together, we can ensure our children enjoy the benefits of technology while staying safe and secure online. If you ever have questions about our school's digital safety policies, please don't hesitate to reach out! Year 6 parents - Secondary School Places It's time to start thinking about secondary schools! For children starting Year 7 in September 2027, applications opened on Monday 1 September and close on Monday 2 November 2026. You can apply for up to 4 schools: Put the schools in your order of preference. It is in your best interest to list 4 schools. Naming only one school does not guarantee your child a place at that school or give priority for a place over another child. You are not able to name the same school more than once. Details can also be found here: https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/secondary-school-places Wishing you all a relaxing weekend. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher Year 6 Residential parent meeting There will be a parent information evening for Y6 parents on Tuesday 22nd September at 3.20pm to share more details and answer any questions. Good Luck! Good luck to our Year 5/6 Football Team who are playing in the John Curran Cup tonight at Newington Primary School. Nursery - Virtual Tour 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. Kent Adult Education Please see attached information about the September Family Learning online courses, along with community workshops which are happening in Thanet, Canterbury and Dover. All courses are free to eligible learners and cover a range of topics designed to support family life, wellbeing and learning. For full information and to book your free place please visit : www.kentadulteducation.co.uk Non-uniform for CAFOD On Friday 25th September we will be having a non-uniform day for CAFOD. Children can wear their own clothes for a £1 cash donation with all the money going directly to the charity. Following this, on Monday 5th October we will have an assembly with John Darby, a representative from the charity, who will share details with the children about how their fundraising makes a life changing difference. Our ongoing target is to raise £750 for a community water supply. Thank you for your continued generosity! Scholastic Travelling Book Fair We are delighted and excited to announce that after its success last year, the Scholastic Book Fair will be returning to St Ethelbert's! The Book Fair will be on the KS2 Front playground before and after school on 1st and 2nd October and on Year 1 and 2 playground before and after school on 5th and 6th October. However, you are welcome to visit either playground on the day and time that suits you best. There will be over 200 books to choose from to suit all ages, interests and budgets. For every book that you purchase, you will help us to earn free books for our school. Like last year, we are unable to accept cash payments. If you wish to purchase a book, there will be a QR code to scan with your phone which will take you to the Scholastic website where you can make payment. We can't wait to see you all! Mrs Webb and Mrs Russell Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George June Knowledge Always joining in with our phonics and recognising rhyming words! Emily Inclusion Settling into Nursery really well and following all Nursery rules! Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga River Knowledge Telling Mrs Cayley all about sea glass and how it is formed Heaven Thoughtfulness Always wanting to tidy up without being asked and looking after the classroom Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Ella Knowledge Using her phonics to write sentences in English lessons Marnie Thoughtfulness Ein a good, kind and supportive friend to a new member of the class Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary James Knowledge Sharing his synonym for the word 'scared' (fearful) Alexander Thoughtfulness Helping his classmate who had fallen over Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Zachary Knowledge His wonderful use of flexible partitioning Naya Thoughtfulness Always being a good friend in the playground Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Aidan Knowledge Working hard to develop his cursive style in our handwriting lessons Akorede Knowledge Making lots of contributions to our class discussions Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Maymunah Inclusion Always putting her hand up and sharing ideas Theo Knowledge Completing his mathematics independently. Keep it up Theo! Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Bailey Thoughtfulness Always being kind, polite and considerate towards others Chika Thoughtfulness Always being the first to hand out or collect books, tidy up and consider others 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 24 September Year 4 1 October Year 3 8 October Year 2 15 October Year 6 22 October Year 5 Half Term 5 November Year 4 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% Year 1 97.9% Year 2 93% Year 3 98.7% Year 4 95% Year 5 97.3% Year 6 97.04% Whole School this week 96.5% Whole School academic year to date 96.5% National Average academic year to date % 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 September 2026 18th Year 5/6 football – John Curran Cup 3.45pm Newington Primary School 21st Feast of Saint Matthew 25th Non-uniform for CAFOD - cash donation 30th Book Fair arrives October 2026 1st Autumn Census 5th World Teacher's Day 5th CAFOD Assembly 7th Book Fair collected 18th Feast of Saint Luke 19th Sharing the Learning - parents invited in from 2.30pm - thrive focus 19th Multiplication Table Check parent's info meeting 3.20pm 20th/21st Parents evening - 3:20 - 6:00pm 22nd END OF TERM 1 23rd INSET DAY (3 of 5)
14th September 2026
Individual and sibling photos will be today Monday 14th September. Please make sure the children are smart and in full school uniform. Thank you.
11th September 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving God, Bless our schools as we begin this new academic year. Guide our leaders, inspire our teachers, support our families, and help our pupils to grow in wisdom, faith, and love. May all that we do reflect the example of Christ and strengthen our mission as Catholic communities. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, We're excited to begin another year of learning, growth, and achievement together. As always, we are incredibly proud of our children and the progress they continue to make. This year, we remain ambitious and forward-thinking in our approach, and we're pleased to share our school vision and priorities for 2026–2027. Raising Expectations, Deepening Learning At the heart of our vision this year is a strong focus on challenge and depth. We want all our pupils to be confident, curious learners who think deeply and work hard. That's why we are continuing to strengthen the questions we ask in lessons, whether spoken or written, encouraging children to reflect more, explain their thinking, and push their understanding even further Retaining Knowledge and Building Stronger Foundations Learning doesn't just happen in the moment it needs to stick. That's why we're focusing on helping pupils recall, revisit, and apply what they've learned regularly. This helps them make strong connections between topics and deepen their understanding over time. To support this, we're embedding Cold and Hot Quizzes across all subjects. These short assessments help children reflect on their starting points and celebrate their progress by the end of a unit. You will find these in your child's books in every subject, every term by the end of the year. More Pupils Working at Greater Depth We continue to strive for higher standards in teaching and learning, and this includes increasing the number of pupils working at greater depth by 6%. Teachers will be using developmental marking and deeper questioning to stretch children's thinking and promote high-quality responses. Improving Attendance for All Regular attendance is essential to every child's success. This year, we continue to implement effective attendance strategies to ensure our whole school attendance continues to meet or exceeds national averages. We will also continue to place a particular focus on reducing persistent absence among our Pupil Premium children, helping all children make the most of their time in school. Last year, attendance improved but there is always more to do. More trips and more clubs Increase enrichment activities across the school, providing a minimum of 3 educational trips per year group and offering unique extra-curricular clubs (e.g., West End acting/theatre). Working Together We know that strong partnerships between school and home lead to the best outcomes for children. Thank you for your ongoing support, your encouragement at home, and your belief in our shared mission. Let's make 2026–2027 a year of achievement, joy, and excellence together Kent Test A very well done to all our Year 6 children who completed their Kent Test yesterday. They all took it in their stride. I have never known a year group take part in the test in such a calm manner. They all tried their best and now we have to wait for the results. Results will come out to the parent email address you registered the Kent Test to on Thursday 15th October no later than 4pm. ClassDojo Updates & New Milestone Certificates This Wednesday, our teaching staff met to refine our ClassDojo communication system, ensuring a consistent and fair approach across the entire school. Moving forward, you may notice a few positive changes to how points are awarded. Children can now earn single points across three key categories linked directly to our school values, including Inclusion, Knowledge, and Thoughtfulness. To further celebrate exceptional effort, we have introduced a Superstar Dojo worth 2 points, as well as an Out of This World Dojo worth 5 points for children who earn the golden class star! Rather than resetting each term, points will now accumulate over the entire school year, allowing pupils to work toward exciting new milestone certificates. A huge thank you to Mr. Clinch for designing these fantastic awards (pictured below)! Point Milestones: Bronze Certificate: 50 points Silver Certificate: 100 points Gold Certificate: 200 points Platinum Certificate: 300 points Diamond Certificate: 500 points Thank you for your continued support as we recognize and celebrate your children's hard work and character throughout the year! We know how much you value ClassDojo as a window into your child's day, so to support this, we have created a new policy, which is attached to this newsletter and available on our school website. To maintain high professional standards and protect teaching time, staff will only respond to messages when available between 8:00am and 5:00pm, and will not reply during active lessons or outside these hours. We kindly ask all parents to read the full policy to see how we can best work together. On an exciting note, we are delighted to launch two new ways to celebrate our pupils! First, we are introducing a "Positive Postcard" scheme each week, two children from every class will be selected by their teacher to receive a surprise praise postcard directly in the post. Second, we have revamped our Values Certificates for assembly. Two children per class will be recognized each week for demonstrating our key school values: Inclusion, Knowledge, or Thoughtfulness. Keep an eye out for these refreshed certificates and a happy delivery in your mailbox soon! Individual and Sibling photos Individual and sibling photos will be on Monday 14th September. Please make sure the children are smart and in full school uniform. Year 6 parents - Secondary School Places It's time to start thinking about secondary schools For children starting year 7 in September 2027 applications opened on Monday 1 September and close on Monday 2 November 2026. You can apply for up to 4 schools: Put the schools in your order of preference. It's in your best interest to list 4 schools. Naming only one school does not guarantee your child a place at that school or give priority for a place over another child. You are not able to name the same school more than once. Details can also be found on our website. https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/school-places/secondary-school-places Wishing you all a relaxing weekend. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher School Individual and Sibling photos Individual and sibling photos will be on Monday 14th September. Please make sure the children are smart and in full school uniform. Thank you. Year 6 Residential parent meeting There will be a parent information evening for Y6 parents on Tuesday 22nd September at 3.20pmto share more details and answer any questions. Nursery - Virtual Tour 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. Kent Adult Education Please see attached information about the September Family Learning online courses, along with community workshops which are happening in Thanet, Canterbury and Dover. All courses are free to eligible learners and cover a range of topics designed to support family life, wellbeing and learning. For full information and to book your free place please visit : www.kentadulteducation.co.uk Non-uniform for CAFOD On Friday 25th September we will be having a non-uniform day for CAFOD. Children can wear their own clothes for a £1 cash donation with all the money going directly to the charity. Following this, on Monday 5th October we will have an assembly with John Darby, a representative from the charity, who will share details with the children about how their fundraising makes a life changing difference. Our ongoing target is to raise £750 for a community water supply. Thank you for your continued generosity! Scholastic Travelling Book Fair We are delighted and excited to announce that after its success last year, the Scholastic Book Fair will be returning to St Ethelbert's! The Book Fair will be on the KS2 Front playground before and after school on 1st and 2nd October and on Year 1 and 2 playground before and after school on 5th and 6th October. However, you are welcome to visit either playground on the day and time that suits you best. There will be over 200 books to choose from to suit all ages, interests and budgets. For every book that you purchase, you will help us to earn free books for our school. Like last year, we are unable to accept cash payments. If you wish to purchase a book, there will be a QR code to scan with your phone which will take you to the Scholastic website where you can make payment. We can't wait to see you all! Mrs Webb and Mrs Russell Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George Olueze Thoughtfulness Being really kind and welcoming to our new Nursery children! Kyran Knowledge Trying really hard to learn, and join in, with our phonics rhymes Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga All of Reception Inclusion Settling into school amazingly well! Very proud! Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Penelope Thoughtfulness Her calm, thoughtful and focused approach to the class assembly Chester Inclusion Participating in the whole class PE lesson when learning basketball skills. Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Archie Thoughtfulness Modelling good manners and helping others without prompting Otis Knowledge His excellent use of shading in his art lesson Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Naeemah Knowledge Her wonderful use of descriptive sentences Evelyn Inclusion Being helpful and supportive to others in the class Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Eliza Knowledge Showing good understanding of expanded noun phrases in English Alicja Thoughtfulness Helping with lots of jobs around the classroom! Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Alfie Knowledge Working really hard in RE and producing a fab piece of work Ocean Knowledge Working hard during English. Keep it up Ocean Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Peti Inclusion Being a fantastic addition to the St Ethelbert's family Jevon Knowledge Showing an amazing attitude to improving his writing 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 17 September Year 5 24 September Year 4 1 October Year 3 8 October Year 2 15 October Year 6 22 October Year 5 Half Term 5 November Year 4 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 97.6% Year 1 94.1% Year 2 92.6% Year 3 97.1% Year 4 98.6% Year 5 98.1% Year 6 98.1% Whole School this week 96.6% Whole School academic year to date 96.4% National Average academic year to date % 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 September 2026 14th September – Individual and Sibling photos 18th Year 5/6 football – John Curran Cup 3.45pm Newington Primary School 21st Feast of Saint Matthew 25th Non-uniform for CAFOD - cash donation 30th Book Fair arrives October 2026 1st Autumn Census 5th World Teacher's Day 5th CAFOD Assembly 7th Book Fair collected 18th Feast of Saint Luke 19th Sharing the Learning - parents invited in from 2.30pm - thrive focus 19th Multiplication Table Check parent's info meeting 3.20pm 20th/21st Parents evening - 3:20 - 6:00pm 22nd END OF TERM 1 23rd INSET DAY (3 of 5)
11th September 2026
10th September 2026
We are in the news!! Well Done Reception class!
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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.’