The Lion King – Community Theatre Trip

St Mary’s Takes on the Pride Lands!

Last night our St Mary’s community headed to the West End once again — this time to see the spectacular The Lion King at the iconic Lyceum Theatre — and what an unforgettable evening it was!

From the breath-taking moment the animals filled the aisles during The Circle of Life to the stunning costumes, puppetry, and powerful performances, the production was simply mesmerising. The creativity and artistry on stage had everyone completely captivated.

As always, it was wonderful to see our school community — families, students, staff and friends — sharing such a special cultural experience together. The feedback on the coach home said it all:

“Absolutely incredible!”
“The staging was amazing!”
“When’s the next one?”

These theatre trips are fast becoming a highlight of our community calendar, and it’s fantastic to see so many enjoying world-class live performance together.

Watch this space… the next adventure is coming soon!

#StMarysCommunity #TheatreTrip #LionKing #WestEndMagic #CulturalCapital

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Wool & Wellbeing

This term, St Mary’s High School’s Wellbeing Club launched Wool & Wellness, a weekly lunchtime group open to both students and staff. What began as a simple idea — bringing people together through knitting and crafting — quickly became something truly special.

Meeting once a week, the club embraced four of the Five Ways to Wellbeing:

  • Connect – building positive relationships across year groups.
  • Learn – developing new creative skills, with complete beginners confidently picking up needles for the first time.
  • Take Notice – slowing down, being present, and enjoying a mindful moment in a busy school day.
  • Give – creating something meaningful for other children who need it.

Students and staff alike enjoyed the calm, supportive atmosphere. Beginners were warmly welcomed and discovered not only a new skill, but also the joy of contributing to a truly worthwhile cause.

Supporting Project Linus UK

The club has been proudly supporting Project Linus UK, a 100% volunteer-run, non-profit Community Interest Company.

The mission of Project Linus UK is simple but powerful: To provide love, warmth, comfort and a sense of security to babies, children and teenagers who are sick, disabled, disadvantaged or distressed.

They do this by donating new, homemade, washable quilts and blankets, lovingly created by volunteer knitters and quilters across the UK.

The charity supports children from premature birth up to 19 years old who may be seriously ill, traumatised, bereaved, abused, or facing significant challenges.

How It All Began

Project Linus began in the United States in 1995 and was inspired by Linus van Pelt, the security-blanket-carrying character from the comic strip Peanuts.

Project Linus UK was established in March 2000 and became a registered Community Interest Company in February 2013. Since then, it has continued to grow thanks entirely to volunteers and donations.

What Happens to the Blankets?

Every donated quilt or blanket is:

  1. Carefully checked for quality and safety.
  2. Labelled with a Project Linus tag.
  3. Delivered to a baby, child or teenager “in need of a big hug” — to keep as their very own.

Our special blanket is photographed with just some of the students that contributed to this amazing project. The blanket has now been posted off and the Project Linus UK Area Coordinator for East & North Herts commented “Your blanket sounds lovely, thank you for all the hard work that you’ve put into it.”

Through Wool & Wellness, our school community is not only supporting wellbeing within our walls but also extending care far beyond them.

 

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Calling Year 11! Year 11 Student Prom June 2026

Get ready to sparkle! The Year 11 Prom will be going ahead on Thursday 25th June 7.30-10.30pm

After years of hard work, it’s time to dress to impress, arrive in style, and dance the night away. Join us for an unforgettable evening of memories, laughter, and celebrations with your friends before the next chapter begins!

Tickets are now available to be purchased via Parent Pay

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Year 11 Jekyll and Hyde: Revision on Tour

Year 11 students travelled to the Palace Theatre, Southend to see a production of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as part of their GCSE English Literature revision.

Students were treated to the cast of six actors highlighting key characters, quotations, and themes from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic thriller in an enjoyable and engaging evening.

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Clerk to the Governors

130 hours per year to be worked flexibly (38 weeks/term time only)

Part-time hybrid position, combining remote working with time based at the school

Salary: H6/H7 SCP 14-23

Our governing board is seeking a highly organised, professional and dedicated Clerk to the Governors to provide essential support to the strategic leadership of our school. This is a key role, ensuring the board operates with efficiency and is in full compliance with statutory responsibilities. The post holder will be required to work flexibly in order to meet the needs of the School Board with some meetings being held in the evenings

The Clerk will work closely with the Chair of Governors and Headteacher to plan meetings, prepare agendas, take minutes and ensure governance processes are followed and compliant.

Key Duties:

  • Provide accurate, impartial advice on governance, procedures, and compliance
  • Monitor the statutory requirements of the Academy on behalf of the governing body to ensure up to date at all times
  • Prepare agendas, collate papers, and produce high‑quality minutes of Full Governing Body meetings, the Annual General meeting, sub-committees, exclusion panels and complaints panels within agreed timescales
  • Support governor recruitment, induction, and ongoing training
  • Ensure governance information, policies, and statutory documentation are up to date

The Ideal Candidate:

  • Experience of professional clerking, ideally within a school or academy environment
  • Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail
  • High levels of integrity, confidentiality, and impartiality
  • Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Confident using ICT to support efficient administration
  • Flexible approach to working hours, including evening meetings
  • Commitment to ongoing training and development
  • Able to build positive working relationships

This role offers a rewarding opportunity for someone who wants to support school leaders and help strengthen the school’s governance.

St Mary’s CE High School is committed to providing a safe and caring learning environment, founded on our Christian principles. We continue to develop an excellent standard of education for all students, allowing everyone to achieve their full potential regardless of ability or background in a safe and inspiring community.

The Ofsted inspection of 2023:

“The school has a well-designed, ambitious curriculum. This is evident in the good quality of pupils’ learning demonstrated in lessons and in their books.”

“Pupils live up to leaders’ expectations of their behaviour. Pupils follow the well-established routines in lessons and usually focus on learning.”

“Pupils are proud of their school.”

St Mary’s CE High School is one of three church secondary schools in Hertfordshire, all of which are within the Diocese of St Albans. The school is well recognised in the local community for its high-quality provision and outstanding inclusion agenda.

The SIAMS report of January 2020:

“An exceptionally inclusive and caring community

Applicants do not need to be practising Christians but would be expected to uphold our Christian principles of trust, forgiveness, compassion, thankfulness, friendship and love, as well as our vision where, ‘Through God’s love, we are the rich soil where seeds flourish and roots grow’.

“Through God’s love, we are the rich soil where seeds flourish and roots grow.”

St Mary’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful applicant will be required to undertake safeguarding training, and all positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Two references will be sought for every candidate that is called for interview.

St Mary’s is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Closing Date: Monday 30th March 2026 at 9am

Interview Date: To be confirmed

We reserve the right to interview and appoint suitable candidates before the application deadline

 

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Annual Music Festival 2026

We look forward to our annual inter-house music festival, being held on the 5th March 2026 at 7pm. Students will be showcasing their musical abilities to a panel of judges and audience members. All students are welcome to attend.

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Children’s Mental Health Week 2026

 

From 9–15 February 2026, schools and communities across the UK marked Children’s Mental Health Week, a national annual campaign. The week shines a spotlight on the importance of young people’s mental wellbeing, encouraging open conversations about emotions, challenging stigma, and reminding every child that they are not alone. At its heart, the campaign empowers children to understand that their feelings matter — and that support is always available.

This year’s theme, “This is My Place,” invited children and young people to reflect on where they feel they truly belong. Whether that sense of belonging is found with friends and family, within school, through sport, faith, creativity or hobbies, the theme encouraged pupils to explore the connections that help them feel safe, valued and understood.

As always, St Mary’s CE High School embraced the campaign wholeheartedly. We focused on fostering a strong sense of belonging, identity and community across our school. Research consistently shows that when young people feel connected and secure, they are more likely to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. Creating a culture of inclusion and care remains at the centre of our mission.

Supported by our dedicated Student Wellbeing Ambassadors, a whole-school activity brought students together in a celebration of individuality and shared experience. Students were invited to create their own “My Place” maps — thoughtful and creative pieces of artwork identifying the people, places and activities that help them feel comfortable, confident and supported.

Students also engaged with inspiring video resources created by artist Ricky Martin, best known to many as Art Ninja’s Art Ninja. His creative approach encouraged pupils to express themselves through art as a positive outlet for emotions and self-discovery.

It was wonderful to see students coming together to celebrate their uniqueness while recognising the shared need for belonging. The finished artwork beautifully reflected the diversity of our school community — each piece different, yet united by a common message: everyone deserves a place where they feel accepted and valued.

Children’s Mental Health Week serves as an important reminder that supporting mental wellbeing is not limited to one week in the year. At St Mary’s, we remain committed to nurturing an environment where every student feels heard, supported and proud to say, “This is my place.”

 

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Swimming Gala success

Congratulations to year 7 student Ruby, who took home a hoard of medals at the recent Romford Swimming Club Gala. A real credit to how hard Ruby trains and the commitment to her swimming club.

Ruby won bronze in the 200m freestyle and individual medley, silver in 400m freestyle and gold in 100m and 50m freestyle.

Rosco Hunt

 

 

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GCSE Drama trip to see Stranger Things

Our GCSE Drama students enjoyed an inspiring trip to see Stranger Things on Friday 6th February 2026, where they proved themselves to be outstanding representatives of the school community. The production offered a wealth of material for the live theatre analysis component of the GCSE Component 3 written exam; showcasing an impressive range of techniques that included lighting, sound, projection and set design as well as the physical performance by a fabulous cast of actors. The stage adaptation linked seamlessly with the wider Stranger Things franchise, giving students a rich and engaging example of how a story can be reimagined for a new medium. Their enthusiasm, focus and exemplary behaviour made the visit both enjoyable and academically valuable.

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Year 10 Basketball team

Well done to our Year 10 boys basketball team, who made the short journey to Goffs Academy to play in a friendly fixture on Thursday 5th Feb. The team played very well in the first and last quarters and scored some great team baskets. They came away from the match with some areas of improvement and are keen to get back in to training at Basketball club.

The team are coached by Antreas, one of our sixth form students. Antreas is currently studying for his  A levels whilst also completing a level 3 sports leadership course. The boys really appreciate all of the time and knowledge Antreas has given to them.

Player of the match – Bobby

Rosco Hunt

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