St Mary's Catholic Primary School

St Mary's is a Catholic Primary School in the heart of Wimbledon, educating children from the ages of 3 to 11.If you are interested in applying to St Mary's, please call the office to make an appointment to view the school.

The mission of St Mary's School is to provide a broad education based on the Gospel values, which are central to the Catholic Faith. At the heart of this is the fostering of positive relationships between all members of the school and its wider community and the development of a loving relationship with God our Father. This takes place within a partnership of home, school and parish.

The education that the children receive at St Mary's has Gospel Values at its very core. Our teachers are enthusiastic and strive to encourage a love of learning in the pupils. We have a broad curriculum where a wide range of teaching styles are used to ensure that every child's needs are catered for.

The school welcomes children to Nursery the September after their 3rd birthday. Applications are made directly to the school using the supplementary information form. Admissions to Reception class and in-year admissions are co-ordinated through Merton. Supplementary Information Forms need to be returned directly to the school. Tours to the school are encouraged and can be booked via the school office.

Parents of children who have not been offered a place at the school may ask for their child’s name to be placed on a waiting list. The waiting list will be operated using the criteria listed above. Placing a child’s name on the waiting list does not guarantee that a place will become available. This does not prevent parents from exercising their right to appeal against the decision not to offer a place. Names are removed from the list after twelve months. In the case of a place becoming available, this will be offered in accordance with the criteria listed above. Once a place is offered it must be accepted within 7 days. The child should start school as soon as possible and no later than 14 days from the date on which the offer was made. If the place is not accepted, it will be allocated to the next child on the waiting list.

The School admits children to the reception class in the September of the school year in which a child attains the age of 5 years (the school year runs from 1 September to the 31st August). Parents/carers may opt to defer entry to the reception class until the beginning of the term after their child is five years old, but cannot defer entry beyond the end of the school year (the place will be lost if it is deferred beyond the end of the school year).

Parents/carers may also request that their child attends part-time until their child reaches compulsory school age. If a child attends part-time then the change to fulltime attendance should be at the start of a term or half-term, unless agreed otherwise with the school. The school encourages parents/carers who wish to defer a place or to choose to start part-time to discuss this with the Headteacher in advance. Where the child is attending the school nursery, a separate application must be made for entry into Reception Class.Places are allocated according to the admissions criteria shown below; no automatic entry or priority is given to children attending the school nursery.

We value each individual child and aim to help all children to achieve well and make good progress. If a child is experiencing difficulty with work or behaviour s/he initially receives support from the class teacher. This support is reviewed regularly and discussed with the Inclusion Manager. Where applicable, children receive additional support from staff within the school. Parents are informed if their child’s progress is a matter of concern and have opportunities to be involved at all stages. Children who are on our SEN register have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which is written in consultation with the class teacher and parents. Targets are set and resources allocated to support the child in achieving these.

The school has a published admissions policy which gives preference to children who have specific medical conditions. Children with disabilities have access to the ground floor of the building which includes all our specialist facilities. There is ramped access to the main entrance and disabled toilet facilities in the nursery bathroom. The new school building is completely accessible, with a lift to the first floor. This also allows access to the first floor of the main school.

Pupils who excel well above the expectations for their age are identified by the class teacher. Opportunities are made to extend and challenge these pupils further than is normally done within class. As part of a cluster of schools there are also opportunities for children with specific gifts and talents to access specialist workshops or sessions that will further extend their learning.

Children with English as an additional language (EAL) are supported by a specialist teaching assistant in Foundation Stage and Key Stage One and by teaching assistants and the class teacher in Key Stage Two.