St John Vianney RC Primary School

St John Vianney is a Roman Catholic Primary School serving a wide catchment area in South-east Edinburgh. This includes the Inch, Moredun, Fernieside, Gilmerton and Gilmerton Dykes. The school roll is 270. We have ten primary classes and also a 20:20 nursery class nursery.

The school came into being on 1st November 1956. The first head teacher, Matthew McCabe, aware of the French connections in the area wrote to General de Gaulle. He agreed to be patron of the school and donated a medal given to him on the liberation of Paris during the Second World War.

Our school badge is the Cross of Lorraine enclosed by the wheel of Gilmerton. The Cross of Lorraine is a symbol found on the coat of arms of Mary of Guise (mother of Mary Queen of Scots) and was also the badge of the Free French led by De Gaulle during World War 2.

We are part of the Holy Rood High School Cluster along with St Catherine’s, St Francis’, St John’s, St Mary’s Leith and St Ninian’s. The school serves the parishes of St John Vianney and St Gregory the Great.

The school management team consists of a Head Teacher, Depute Head Teacher and Principal Teacher. There is a specialist teacher in brass instruction, recorder and a teacher of English as an Additional Language.  We have Drama, Italian and PE specialists.  There are seven Pupil Support Assistants and we have the services of a Business Manager, a School Administrator, a Service Support Officer and playground and dinner hall supervisors.

St John Vianney RC Primary School is a community of faith and learning that aims to encourage all pupils to achieve their potential both in their learning and in the wider community. As a Catholic community we are committed to and celebrate our faith through celebration and worship. We value all within our community and promote an inclusive ethos where everyone is welcomed and respected.

Our School Aims:

• To promote Gospel values, particularly love and forgiveness, in all our interactions with pupils, staff and the wider school community
• To provide high quality learning experiences that enable all pupils to achieve highest levels of attainment
• To ensure our young people understand and develop their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and social skills
• To promote children’s wellbeing, independence and the right to make choices in their learning
• To provide a welcoming, safe and secure learning environment where each child feels valued, is happy and able to grow in confidence and build resilience as they progress through school
• To celebrate our diverse school community and continue developing positive relationships with all our parents, parishes and the wider community
• To ensure all staff continue to develop professionally and maintain characteristics set out in the charter for Catholic Schools

The mission of the Catholic School is to develop as a community of faith and learning, providing the highest quality of education, and offering formation through the promotion of Gospel values, through celebration and worship, and through service to the common good.