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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26th June 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving God, we thank you for the blessings of our school and parish community at St. Ethelbert's. Help us to be a place where everyone is welcome, where good friends are made, and where your love shines through our daily actions. Guide us to follow the example of St. Ethelbert of Kent. Grant us the wisdom to live with courage, the grace to serve others with humility, and the peace to walk always in your light. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, Sports Day Thank you for your wonderful support during our four Sports Days this week. We were incredibly lucky with the weather in the end! Being by the sea certainly has its advantages, with a lovely breeze helping to take the edge off the high temperatures compared to places like London. Thanks to the adaptations we put in place, all four Sports Days ran extremely smoothly and were a great success. A huge thank you to Mr Miles, our Sports Coach, for all of his hard work in organising such enjoyable and well-run events. Most importantly, well done to all of our children. They showed fantastic sportsmanship throughout the week, cheering one another on, encouraging their friends, and taking part with enthusiasm, determination and respect. We were incredibly proud of the way they supported each other and represented our school. Congratulations to all of our House Teams! The final results for Sports Day 2026 are: 1st Place: St Matthew (Red) – 159 points 2nd Place: St Luke (Green) – 145 points 3rd Place: St John (Yellow) – 138 points 4th Place: St Mark (Blue) – 105 points This year, we have bought a brand new trophy to celebrate the success of the winners. Staffing Update I am delighted to announce two new additions to our staff team from September. Firstly, I am pleased to share that Mr Miles will be joining us on a full-time basis as our very own Sports Coach. Many of you have already seen the positive impact he has had this year, particularly during Sports Day. Having Mr Miles with us full time will enable us to offer even more sporting opportunities for our pupils, including additional clubs, increased participation in competitive fixtures, and an enhanced PE and sport provision across the school. I am also delighted to welcome Mrs Silchenko, who will be joining our Reception team as a Teaching Assistant. Mrs Silchenko brings enthusiasm and experience, and I know she will be a wonderful addition to our Early Years team. Mrs Silchenko is from Ukraine but now lives here. Please join me in giving both Mr Miles and Mrs Silchenko a very warm welcome to our school community. We are delighted they will be joining us and look forward to the many positive contributions they will make from September. Staffing 2026-2027 - reminder from last week I am pleased to share our staff structure for the upcoming 2026-2027 academic year at St Ethelbert's Catholic Primary School and Nursery. I am thrilled to say that for a fourth year in a row we have no changes to staff. Please take the time to discuss these changes with your children to help them prepare for their new classes. Headteacher: Mr Marshall Deputy Headteacher: Ms Dowd School Manager and PA: Mrs Vernon Class Teachers and Classes for 2026-2027 Nursery (United Kingdom / Saint George): Mr Clinch Reception (Poland / Saint Jadwiga): Miss Rees Year 1 (Romania / Saint Andrew): Mrs Webb & Mrs Russell Year 2 (Hungary / Elizabeth of Hungary): Mr Linton Year 3 (Japan / Paulo Miki): Mr Pressley Year 4 (Italy / Catherine of Siena): Miss Todd Year 5 (India / Saint Mother Teresa): Mrs Lawrence Year 6 (France / Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux): Mr Evans and Mrs King Support Staff Our wider team continues to provide dedicated care and specialised interventions across the school: SENCO: Mrs James Sports Coach: Mr Miles Speech and Language TA: Mrs Cayley Learning Mentors: Mrs Taylor (year 6 morning and supporting academic achievement across the school in the afternoon) and Mrs Calver (year 4 in the morning and supporting social, emotional and mental health/ THRIVE across the school in the afternoon) SEND Teaching Assistants: Mrs Hitch (year 5) and Mrs Kelly (year 4) Support Staff Team: Mrs Redford (Nursery), Mrs Silchenko (Reception), Mrs Thorne (Year 1), Mrs Gill (Year 2), Mrs Silsbury (Year 3), Mrs Milgate (Year 3), Miss Webster (Year 5), and Mrs Bradford (Year 6) Important Transition Day Information Our formal Transition Day will take place on Thursday 2nd July. On this day, current children will spend time in their upcoming classrooms with their new teachers. Children are to come into school as they do now. We will move the children up to their new class once settled in school. Likewise, they will return to their current classroom before dismissal. On this day, pick up and collect as you would normally do now. Our current Year 6 pupils will not be on-site at St Ethelbert's, as they are required to attend transition sessions at their respective new secondary schools. Please note that some secondary schools choose to run more than one transition day; please contact your child's specific secondary school directly to verify their exact arrangements and schedules. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher Water Safety during hot weather periods During periods of hot weather, the risk of drowning can increase in children and young people. Even shallow water can be dangerous for eager young swimmers. Please always watch your children closely near paddlers, pools, and beaches. Click on the links for water safety videos to watch together at home in relation to water safety and the water safety code to raise awareness and educate children in water safety and lifesaving skills. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FdfTeJoF2w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoEZQxSvH9g Trip to Monkton Nature Reserve Year 3 and 4 had a fantastic day at Monkton Nature Reserve on Tuesday. They enjoyed handling a variety of moths, exploring the woodland, and discovering fascinating fossils, stuffed animals and insect specimens in the museum. The children were full of curiosity, asking lots of thoughtful questions, which our guide was happy to answer. A big thank you to Monkton Nature Reserve for organising such a special trip for St Ethelbert's! PTFA Summer Fair We're excited to invite you to our annual PTFA Summer Fair on Friday, 3rd July, straight after school. There will be stalls, games, treats, and plenty of fun for the whole family. More volunteers are needed to help run stalls and support the event. Please email us at ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk if you can help. Thank you for your support. Don't miss the performance by the School Choir! PTFA Summer Fair Raffle The raffle tickets were sent home in an envelope today. The tickets are priced at £1 each, if you purchase any tickets please complete the stubs and return them with money in sealed envelopes. There is a return box in the school office. Also, please kindly return unwanted tickets so we can sell them to others. There will be a lot of lovely prizes that are donated to PTFA: -Family entry tickets to Wildwood -Family entry ticket to London Tower Bridge -£25 voucher from Taylor Meat Ramsgate The draw will be at the PTFA Summer Fair on Friday 3rd July from 3:30 PM, we hope to see you all at the fair! PTFA AGM Tuesday 14th July 3:30pm The PTFA plays a vital part in the school community, and all the parents and carers are warmly invited to attend the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is your chance to hear how the funds you have helped raise have been used for the benefit of the children at the school. The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTFA Committee, to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. Nominations should be sent in advance of the AGM for existing committee members willing to stand for re-election and for anyone wishing to stand as an Officer or Ordinary Committee Member for the first time. Please complete the form if you wish to be nominated and return by 3 pm on Friday 10th July to the PTFA at ptfa@stethelbertsschool.co.uk. If anyone would like to discuss the roles in the PTFA or would consider volunteering with support initially, please feel free to email us. Year 3 Swimming – Term 6 The Year 3 swimming will start on Friday, 5th June 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 17th of July 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. Water bottles and fresh fruit/veg snacks To help keep our children healthy and ready to learn, please ensure your child brings a filled water bottle to school each day which they can then refill throughout the day. The bottle should be filled with water only and not juice. We also ask that any healthy snacks sent in from home are cut into bite size pieces to minimise choking hazards and support safe eating habits. Children will be encouraged to sit and eat before playing, helping them enjoy their snacks calmly and safely. Thanet Family Hubs Below are details of some upcoming courses taking place at Thanet Family Hubs Autism Awareness - 3-week course Explore, recognise and celebrate the unique strengths and abilities of autistic individuals in this empowering course. Newington Family Hub, Thursdays 11th June - 2nd July: 10am - 12pm Northdown Road Family Hub, Fridays 3rd July - 17th July: 10am-12pm First Aid for Babies Join in our practical and supportive workshop to learn vital first aid techniques to confidently care for your baby in an emergency. Cliftonville Family Hub - Monday 8th June: 9.30am-11.30am Priory Family Hub - Tuesday 21st July: 12.30pm - 2.30pm Please note that these sessions are delivered by Kent Adult Education (KAE) and are not run by the Family Hubs, however they are being held within our premises. These courses provide valuable information and support for families and professionals, and we encourage you to share them with anyone who may benefit. Further details, including dates, times, and booking information, can be found in the attached leaflets. 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. Please click here for the SEND Newsletter Special Edition Children showing our school values this week Year Group Class Name/Saint Name Child Value Reason for Value Nursery United Kingdom Saint George All of Nursery Inclusion Showing amazing teamwork during a fantastic Sports Day Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga All of Reception Inclusion Being so supportive of each other during Sports Day and cheering each other on! Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Hrihaan Knowledge Completing his homework each week and studying topics of personal interest in his own time Melody Inclusion Her increased participation in whole class discussion and willingness to share her ideas with adults Luna Inclusion Her teamwork in PE lessons and on Sports Day Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary John-Paul Knowledge His wonderful sentence work in his writing of a report Zachariah Knowledge His excellent oral breakdown of a maths reasoning problem Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Connie Thoughtfulness Guiding others to make the right choices when sewing Poppy Knowledge Naming a rare amphibian Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Ernie Knowledge Improving his understanding of analogue and digital time Leia Inclusion Cheering on each team and helping with scoring at Sports Day Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Layla Knowledge Trying hard with her learning, trying to be more independent Chika Thoughtfulness Helping others without being asked. Thank you Chika! Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Frank Knowledge Sharing his fantastic acting skills Aislin Thoughtfulness Always caring and sharing with 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 9th July Year 5 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 92.5% Year 1 83.3% Year 2 87% Year 3 93% Year 4 97.8% Year 5 89.2% Year 6 94.6% Whole School this week 91.7% Whole School academic year to date 95% 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 June 2026 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 PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS OR WRAPAROUND CARE ON FRIDAY 17TH JULY
25th June 2026
Own Clothes Day for the Summer Fair Tomorrow (Friday 26th June) will be a non-school uniform day in exchange for a donation to the PTFA Summer Fair. Please bring an item for the fair listed in the photo. Thank you for your continued support.
23rd June 2026
Quick update for everyone coming to Sports Day today! The weather is absolutely beautiful but it is getting very hot. Our outdoor shade is quite limited so we recommend bringing a sun umbrella to stay cool. Don't forget your sun cream and plenty of water too!
22nd June 2026
Dear Parents and Guardians, We're delighted to offer a special ticket promotion for families attending our upcoming match against Concord Rangers. To access the discounted tickets: Visit the online ticketing page www.margate-fc.com and select tickets on the top bar, and select the Concord Rangers match. Click the "Redeem Code" button at the top of the page. Enter the promo code SCHOOLS and click "Redeem". You will see a "Code Applied Successfully" message. The "Adult - School Offer" ticket option will then become available. Important: For every Under-18 ticket purchased, you can select up to two Adult School Offer tickets at the Free rate. We hope you can join us for an enjoyable day of football and support your local club. For further information please contact media@margate-fc.com
22nd June 2026
This week is extremely hot. Please make sure your child brings a water bottle and hat and you apply plenty of sunscreen
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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.’