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
1st May 2026
1st May 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving God, we thank you for our school community and the gift of time to rest this bank holiday weekend. Bless our families with peace, joy, and relaxation, and keep us safe in all we do. May we return refreshed and ready to learn and care for one another. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, With this newsletter, you will also find our termly curriculum overview, which outlines what your child will be learning in each subject from Nursery through to Year 6. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into the exciting topics, skills and knowledge being covered across the school. We encourage you to take some time to look through it with your child and have a conversation about their learning. This can be a wonderful way to support and extend their enthusiasm at home. It has been a real pleasure to complete a learning walk around the school this week and see so much positive engagement in lessons. Our Nursery children have been enjoying exploring the outdoors in the sunshine as part of their topic "Ready, Steady, Grow." In Key Stage 1, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils were busy developing their maths skills, focusing on calculations and place value. Year 3 have been working hard on maths calculations alongside their fascinating history topic on Pompeii, while Year 4 pupils have been producing some beautiful artwork, as well as taking part in their weekly ukulele lessons and swimming sessions. Year 5 have been applying themselves well in arithmetic and PE, and Year 6 are showing great dedication through their weekly trumpet lessons and SATs preparation. It is wonderful to see such a wide range of subjects being taught and so many children fully engaged in their learning. Next Friday afternoon, the whole school from Nursery to Year 6 will be taking part in an exciting trip to see 'Kidenza' at the Granville Theatre. We will be walking to the theatre to watch a live orchestra performance, as we believe every child should have the opportunity to experience live music. During the concert, pupils will listen to a range of classical pieces and learn about the different families of instruments within the orchestra. We expect to return to school by 3:00pm; however, we apologise in advance if dismissal is delayed by 5–10 minutes, depending on the programme schedule. If you haven't sent your permission slips back yet, then please do this by Tuesday. I wish you all a very happy and relaxing long weekend. Don't forget it is bank holiday on Monday so the school is closed. We will be back open on Tuesday as normal. 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. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO SWIMMING ON FRIDAY 8TH MAY DUE TO KIDENZA CONCERT SEND Parents Evening – change of date Wednesday, 13th May, is our SEND parents' evening. Parents should receive a sign-up sheet via email. Please attend via Dane Park Road entrance. PTFA Spring Disco and Infant Party A reminder about the Spring Disco and Infant Party. Tickets are still available all day today via School Money. 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 Heaven Knowledge Showing huge improvement during phonics and maths! Her confidence has really grown! Malachai Thoughtfulness Always wanting to help his friends and adults in the class! Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Kaviyan Knowledge Using his phonics to read a book independently Jessica Knowledge Working carefully and methodically to create a 3D sculpture by folding paper Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Ehvehlyn-Marie Knowledge Making good progress in her phonics learning Leo-George Knowledge His improvement in his independent writing and letter formation Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Louis Knowledge Reciting a poet's song from the 'forum' in Pompeii Jennifer Thoughtfulness Considering the feelings of her classmates on the playground Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Nabilah Knowledge Scoring 25/25 on her practice MTC Jessica Knowledge Scoring 25/25 on her practice MTC Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Kaiden Inclusion Trying really hard with every aspect of school life Rory Inclusion Trying really hard through /Thrive mornings Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Tommy Inclusion Always showing maturity and level headedness on the playground Lily Knowledge Working, working and working towards achieving in her SATS! 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 93.9% Year 1 94% Year 2 93.3% Year 3 95.3% Year 4 98.6% Year 5 98.1% Year 6 95.4% Whole School this week 95.2% Whole School academic year to date 94.8% National Average academic year to date 94.8% It will be a non-uniform day on Monday for Nursery who achieved 100% attendance this week. Well done! 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 1st Swimming Year 4 - 1.10-1.55pm (4 sessions) 4th Bank Holiday Year 2 Tests 6th PTFA Disco and Spring Party 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
24th April 2026
Latest Newsletter from Mr Marshall Loving God, As we begin Term 5 at St Ethelbert's, we thank you for bringing us back together as a school family. Bless our children as they learn and grow, our staff as they guide and support, our governors in their leadership, and our parish in its care for our community. Help us to work with kindness, patience, and courage in all that we do, especially during this busy term. May we support one another and do our very best each day. Amen. Dear St Ethelbert's Community, Welcome back to Term 5! It has been wonderful to see all the children return to school so positively and settle back into school life so quickly. A particularly warm welcome goes to our new nursery families who have joined us this week. We are delighted to have you as part of our school community. The school newsletter goes out every Friday via email; our school website and Facebook page. Please follow and like us. Although this is a shorter term, it is always a very busy one as we enter the exam period. Year 6 will be sitting their SATs in just two weeks' time, so please ensure children attend school every day from now on. They are working extremely hard, and with continued support, it will soon be over. I will be sending a letter to Year 5 parents later this term with full details about the Kent Test, including how and when to apply. Please be aware that the application process does not open until June, so there is still plenty of time for you to consider your options and make a decision that is right for your child. 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. God Bless Mr Marshall Headteacher 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. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO SWIMMING ON FRIDAY 8TH MAY DUE TO KIDENZA CONCERT SEND Parents Evening – change of date Wednesday, 13th May, is our SEND parents' evening. Parents should receive a sign-up sheet via email. Please attend via Dane Park Road entrance. 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 Victor Inclusion Settling into Nursery very well for his first week at St Ethelbert's Charis Inclusion Settling into Nursery very well for her first week at St Ethelbert's Nellie Inclusion Settling into Nursery very well for her first week at St Ethelbert's Reception Poland Saint Jadwiga Freddie Knowledge Massively improving his writing and always wanting to practise his sentences Adam Inclusion Supporting his friend at Breakfast Club on their first time going! Year 1 Romania Saint Andrew Kasi Knowledge Her improved skills and concentration during PE Zach Thoughtfulness Making good choices at the appropriate times, especially with lining up. Year 2 Hungary Elizabeth of Hungary Stanley Knowledge His mental calculations to solve a four-step maths problem involving mass Dominion Knowledge His excellent progress with his phonics work with Mrs Cayley Year 3 Japan Paulo Miki Akorede Inclusion Making sure that his peers had the chance to share their ideas Amelia Knowledge Sharing her description of a busy street in Pompeii Year 4 Italy Catherine of Siena Rose Thoughtfulness Treating her friends with kindness in class and at playtimes Kirk Knowledge Significantly improving his AR ZPD – keep up the good work! Year 5 India Saint Mother of Teresa Lucy Thoughtfulness Always jumping in to help. An all-round good egg! Daisy Knowledge Showing fantastic progression in PE. Is she the next Ladies Cricket captain? Year 6 France Saint Vincent de Paul & Saint Therese of Lisieux Lilly-Pearl Knowledge Increasing her SATs practise arithmetic score! Nikolas Knowledge Scoring 40/40 on his practise arithmetic test! 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 30th April Year 5 7th May Year 6 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 96.4% Year 1 97.3% Year 2 95.3% Year 3 93.3% Year 4 98.6% Year 5 98.5% Year 6 93.6% Whole School this week 96.2% Whole School academic year to date 95.2% National Average academic year to date 94.8% It will be a non-uniform day on Monday for Nursery who achieved 100% attendance this week. Well done! 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 April 2026 25th Feast of St Mark May 2026 1st Swimming Year 4 - 1.10-1.55pm (4 sessions) 4th Bank Holiday Year 2 Tests 6th PTFA Disco and Spring Party 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
24th April 2026
THANET FAMILY HUBS: details of two upcoming transition support groups that will be running from Newlands Family Hub and Northdown Road Family Hub
22nd April 2026
PTFA Spring Disco and Party. Payments can now be made via School Money. Thank you for your continued support.
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.’