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
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.
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
Year 12 Media and English Language students recently enjoyed an inspiring trip to the Sky Up Academy at Sky Studios Elstree, where they explored the fast-paced world of film and television production.
Working in teams, students took on a range of industry roles from director, producer and editor to stylist as they developed and pitched their own film ideas, which they had prepared ahead of the visit. They threw themselves into the challenge with real energy and enthusiasm, gaining first-hand insight into the creative and technical stages of the filmmaking process.
The day also included an in-depth careers session, opening students’ eyes to the many roles that exist behind the scenes in film and TV. Alongside creative roles, they learned about careers such as marketing managers, assistant producers, location managers, production accountants and sound technicians highlighting just how many people it takes to bring a film to life.
To round off the experience, students toured the impressive site, seeing the vast soundstages and learning about recent productions filmed there, including Wicked and Paddington. A memorable and motivating visit that brought classroom learning vividly to life.
Congratulations to the Girls U13 football who competed in the ESFA Cup competition last week.
The squad consisted of majority Y7 students and 4 Y8’s: Elli-Rose, Talyah, Eliza S, Marlie-Rose, Amelia J, Chrisandra, Lavinia, Arabella, Maisie, Jessica B, Francesca, Anastasia and Eliza H.
The team came up against a strong All Saints Catholic team from Dagenham and Redbridge, at half time the score was 1-1 with a goal from Ellie-Rose, early in to the second half All Saints took the lead with a quick response from Amelia to make it 2-2.
The team battled for the whole match in extremely difficult conditions, relentless rain and a muddy pitch made it difficult for the girls to play the ball around and to feet but didn’t stop trying for the whole match.
In the end All Saints came out on top having held them at 2-2 for a considerable amount of time in the second half.
Well done to all the team, a lot of whom have never played a competitive match before, we look forward to playing some more matches to build on the enthusiasm and commitment they showed against All Saints.
During the last week of Autumn term our Sixth Form prefects were selling Christmas Candy Canes during social times, raising money for Teens Unite, a charity agreed by our Student Council.
The initiative proved very successful, with the sum of £252.12 being raised to support this worthy cause.
Well done to the St Mary’s community.
Year 13 students recently took part in a Mock Interview Day as part of the school’s careers programme, giving them a valuable opportunity to practise their interview skills and prepare for their next steps beyond school.
The experience helped students develop confidence, communication skills and professionalism in a real interview setting. For some students, this was their very first experience of an interview, making the day particularly beneficial in helping to reduce nerves and build self-belief.
Employers who volunteered their time were extremely impressed with the students’ performance. Feedback included comments such as, “They are so much more confident than I would have been at that age,” and “The students were highly prepared and came across very well in the interview.”
Mock interview days like this play an important role in ensuring students are well prepared for future interviews for apprenticeships, employment or university, and form a key part of our ongoing careers education programme.
Last night St Mary’s held their annual Christmas Carol service in the Church, which was a beautiful event.
The Church was filled with staff, parents, friends and community partners from St Mary’s, Dewhurst St Mary Primary and Holy Trinity CE Primary Schools. As well as our own Tony Crosby providing musical accompaniment on the Church organ and piano, we were also treated to musical support from the Welwyn Garden City brass band. Our conductor for the evening, Ms Debbie King ensured everyone kept in time, and also joined the St Mary’s Phoenix Choir and the Welwyn Garden Community choir for their carols.
Our thanks to Eve and Talliah for their excellent readings, to Rev Elizabeth Fellows for enriching sermons that touched us all, and the Headteacher Mr Richard Vaughan for his thoughtful final words wishing everyone a peaceful Christmas and Happy New Year.
Thanks also to Emine who has taken some lovely photos of the evening.
The evening closed with mince pies and hot chocolate for everyone, served by Kristine and Elena (staff of St Mary’s) and the Church buzzed with laughter, joy and love from all present.
We are proud to announce that the Year 7 student Kimberly won the Languages Christmas Carols Competition 2025. She impressed the judges by singing an Albanian Christmas carol dressed in festive Christmas attire. Kimberly showed great engagement and joy throughout her performance.
Congratulation on this wonderful achievement!
Each Year Staff and Students of St Mary’s contribute items of food to be included in food hampers for some of our families, which are handed over before we break for Christmas. These hampers are always very welcome and help support families who may need a little extra boost over the holiday period.
