St Ethelbert’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery encourages all pupils to think about their futures both spiritually and from a career point of view.  To encourage this, we aim to have vocation statements from staff, governors, priests and past pupils around the school enabling the children to read, understand and discuss different career paths, giving them something to aspire to in the future. We are starting to embed ‘Lectio Divina’  in both class and whole school assemblies.

Sharing the Learning and ‘Aspiration Days’ will be held to encourage parents, visitors and past pupils to come into school to talk about their career paths, wherever they may be in their journey.

All colleagues in every team in the school help children and young people to answer the question Pope Benedict asked them when he spoke at the Big Assembly in 2010  ‘What kind of person would you really like to be?’ Referring to our motto ‘High Expectations for All, in the Light of Christ’

Mr Marshall: Headteacher Cultural Vocation

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. 

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age. I knew I wanted to serve, continue to learn myself, and teach the next generation of children.  I knew I wanted to teach the range of all primary subjects as opposed to just teaching one subject at secondary school. I had to work extremely hard to achieve my GCSEs and A-Levels at secondary school and then went to university for three years to achieve a degree in primary education. 

While studying at university, I was very fortunate to travel to Sweden and experience mainstream school in a different country, which was fascinating. I have also experienced education in the Maldives, which again, is very different to the UK!  While growing up, I was an altar server and Eucharistic minister for many years in my local churches, as well as at my secondary school chapel. My secondary school was the Ursuline College in Westgate, which is where I was taught all about Communion and Confirmation from the Daughters of Jesus. 

It is warming to now lead a Catholic Primary School knowing that some of the children want a career in education.

John Darby came into school to tell the children all about his schooldays at St Ethelbert's Catholic School and then how he believes it was the 'Serviam' (meaning to serve) badge on his blazer that gave him the grounding to become a teacher, then a deputy, followed by the appointment of an acting headteacher. We loved hearing all about this before he moved onto telling us about his retirement and how he still remembered his 'Serviam' badge from school and decided to give back to others. This was when he carried out various roles including being a school volunteer for CAFOD. Thank you John!