Our third St Mary’s Community Theatre Trip proved to be another fantastic success as staff, students, parents, carers, family and friends came together for a wonderful evening in London’s West End to see the spectacular production of Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre. It was another brilliant opportunity to spend quality time together outside of school and celebrate everything that makes the St Mary’s Community so special.

Although the performance began around 30 minutes late due to unexpected sound issues, any frustration disappeared the moment Fagin stepped onto the stage. Instantly winning over the audience, he cleverly went off script with a hilarious joke about his pickpockets being late too—a perfect nod to the delayed start that had the entire theatre laughing.

From that moment on, the production was simply outstanding. This fresh, completely reimagined version of Oliver! breathed new life into the much-loved classic, blending humour, energy and heart in equal measure. It was almost impossible not to laugh along, tap your feet, and quietly sing to the iconic songs. The incredibly talented children in the cast were nothing short of phenomenal, delivering performances full of confidence, charisma and professionalism.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make another Community Theatre Trip such a memorable occasion. These evenings continue to bring people together, create lasting memories and strengthen the wonderful sense of community that makes St Mary’s such a special place.

Keep an eye out for details of our next theatre trip—you might just want to “be in the room where it happens!”

Our annual Summer Concert was a truly memorable evening and the perfect way to celebrate the close of another successful academic year at St Mary’s CE High School.

Bathed in glorious summer sunshine, our beautiful courtyard provided the ideal setting for an evening of outstanding music, performed by our exceptionally talented students. Friends and families gathered to enjoy a varied programme of pop songs, musical theatre favourites and instrumental performances, all brought to life with the support of a professional live band. Performing alongside experienced musicians was an invaluable opportunity for our students, allowing them to develop their confidence, showcase their talents and create memories that will last for years to come.

The warmth and encouragement from our audience made the evening even more special. It was wonderful to see our school community come together to celebrate the hard work, commitment and creativity of our young performers, whose dedication was evident in every performance.

Events such as these are a reminder of what makes St Mary’s such a special place. They reflect our vision of being “the rich soil, where roots flourish and seeds grow”. Our students continue to flourish both musically and personally, supported by dedicated staff, encouraging families and a community that believes in nurturing every individual’s gifts.

Thank you to everyone who performed, attended and helped make the evening such a success. It was a fitting finale to another fantastic year at St Mary’s, and we look forward to seeing our students continue to grow in the year ahead.

Our school garden has flourished once again this year, thanks to the enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work of our students. Throughout the spring and summer, pupils have worked together to grow a wonderful variety of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers, transforming the garden into a thriving green space for the whole school community to enjoy, as well as the wildlife.

This year’s Garden Guardians were our Year 8 co-curriculum cohort, who spent their Monday form time outdoors, embracing the benefits of fresh air and nature. From sowing seeds and weeding beds to watering, planting, and maintaining the garden, students developed practical gardening skills while enjoying the opportunity to work as a team and connect with the natural environment.

Watching tiny seeds develop into healthy plants has been a rewarding experience and a fantastic reminder of the value of patience, care, and perseverance.

This beautifully fresh, organic produce was donated to the school’s canteen where it has been creatively used in the lunches for our students and staff. Significantly benefiting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport and minimising plastic packaging.

The school garden continues to be a valuable learning resource, providing opportunities for all students and departments to engage in practical, outdoor learning. This year, the Science Department made excellent use of the garden through its STEM Club project, giving students the chance to explore scientific concepts in a hands-on environment.

As part of the STEM Club’s potato-growing project, students learned about plant growth through an enjoyable and interactive activity. They planted potatoes, cared for them by watering them regularly, and observed the changes throughout the growing season. Students recorded their observations, measured plant growth, and investigated the conditions plants need to thrive. Through this project, they developed their scientific enquiry skills, strengthened their teamwork and responsibility, and gained a deeper understanding of the potato growing process.

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to the garden this year.

As part of our Scholars Programme, students were invited to join an after-school lecture delivered by Mr Casimir, who spoke on the interdisciplinary nature of art and science and why students should relish the combining of different subjects. He used examples from nature as well as historical figures who have built their success on this skill. Students listened intently and then challenged Mr Casimir with well thought out questions. It was a pleasure to be in a room with such deep thinking students and we look forward to hosting more of these events across next year.

On Friday the 26th of June, Year 7 ‘Club 9’ geographers participated in a workshop about vulnerability. Each student was given a personal profile and were asked to consider which factors made them more or less vulnerable to natural hazards, before heading out onto the field to see the stark contrast between levels of susceptibility around the world. Their level of engagement was fantastic throughout and each student demonstrated an understanding of the inequality of risk when faced with a natural hazard.