The end of school term last year saw all year groups go on the end of year trips, the Year 8 students travelled to the Harlow Essex outdoor centre and participated in activities such as climbing, paddle boarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, mountain biking, Archery, Abseiling, Mountain boards and High ropes.

The students had a fantastic day, many faced their fears, many pushed them selves out of their comfort zones and all definitely had fun and enjoyed themselves.

Well done to all students, they were great ambassadors and representatives for St Mary’s.

Ms Andrews

We are delighted to share that Chris M has been recognised by OCR as one of the highest-scoring students in the country in the Sport Science qualification. This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to Chris’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to his studies.

We are incredibly proud of Chris and all that he has accomplished. We are equally pleased that he has chosen to continue his education with us, having now returned to the Sixth Form at St Mary’s to pursue the next stage of his academic journey.

Sports Day 2025 brought the heat and the heart as students from Years 7 to 10 gave it their all in athletics, football, volleyball, basketball, and rounders! From fast feet to fierce teamwork, this year’s event was one for the history books — with multiple school records shattered across events!

The competitions were full of excitement, and here are your year group champions:

📚 Year 7 🥇 1st – 7F1 (218 points)
🥈 2nd – 7T2 (210)
🥉 3rd – 7T1 (209)

📚 Year 8 🥇 1st – 8F2 (203)
🥈 2nd – 8T2 (186)
🥉 3rd – 8K1 (184)

📚 Year 9 🥇 1st – 9S1 (209)
🥈 2nd – 9T1 (184)
🥉 3rd – 9F2 (167)

📚 Year 10 🥇 1st – 10T2 (227)
🥈 2nd – 10F2 (162)
🥉 3rd – 10S2 (156)

And now… 🥁

🏅 HOUSE SPORTS DAY CHAMPIONS 2025 🏅
With a massive 1,475 points, this year’s ultimate sports day champions are… TURING HOUSE! 🎉👏

🏠 Final House Standings:
🥇 Turing – 1475
🥈 Franklin – 1367
🥉 Seacole – 1335
🏅 King – 1291

A huge congratulations to all competitors for their energy, sportsmanship, and sheer determination. You made this day unforgettable!

Let the countdown to next year begin…

From June 24 to June 30, St Mary’s proudly joined the global celebration of World Wellbeing Week—a special time dedicated to promoting all aspects of wellbeing, including mental, physical, emotional, and social health. This worldwide event encourages individuals and communities to reflect on and improve their overall wellbeing, inspiring positive changes that benefit everyone.

At St Mary’s, we are passionate about wellbeing and actively participate in these awareness weeks by offering a variety of fun and meaningful activities for the entire school. The ideas for these events come directly from our current Student Wellbeing Ambassadors, who play a vital role in organising and leading these initiatives.

This year, World Wellbeing Week also provided an exciting opportunity for students to join this important team. Many students showed great interest and enthusiasm to become the next group of Wellbeing Ambassadors. After completing three engaging training sessions, these new ambassadors are now officially part of the team!

We are thrilled to welcome our newest ambassadors who are ready to help make St Mary’s a supportive, caring, and positive environment for everyone. Keep an eye out for the exciting wellbeing activities and initiatives they will be leading next year!

There are few better ways to mark the end of a school year than with sunshine, music, and a real sense of community—and St Mary’s Annual Summer Concert delivered all three in abundance this past Friday. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the school courtyard, bathed in summer sunshine, the event was a true celebration of talent, togetherness, and joyful farewells.

The concert opened with an exciting performance of Come Alive from The Greatest Showman, perfectly setting the tone for an afternoon full of energy and emotion. Backed by a live band of professional musicians, the Phoenix Singers Choir captivated the audience with a set of crowd-pleasing hits, each one performed with heart and harmony. The concert closed on a poignant yet uplifting note with These Days—a fitting farewell for the choir’s older members as they prepare to take their next steps beyond St Mary’s.

A particular highlight was the opportunity for soloists to take centre stage, gaining invaluable experience performing with live musicians—an opportunity championed by Mr Crosby and Miss King, who continue to foster a love of music and performance in their students. Their guidance and encouragement were evident in the confident, heartfelt performances throughout the afternoon.

Another standout moment was the sing-a-long of Weather With You, led by Harry on lead guitar and supported by staff members, all strumming along with him. With the sun shining and the audience in full voice, it was a moment of pure joy and connection.

The atmosphere was nothing short of magical—sunshine, ice creams, great company, and the shared love of music made this year’s concert a truly memorable one. It was more than just a performance; it was a celebration of community, creativity, and the spirit of St Mary’s.

Thursday 3rd July saw the girls take on the annual Nicky Morris Challenge held at Wodson Park.  The team, made up of students from Years 7,8 & 9 competed against 7 other local schools and got off to a flying start winning the first 3 track events – Anny in the 200m Hurdles, Nia in the 100m and Yelena in the 70m Hurdles. Clearly not satisfied with her 1st win, Nia then went to triple jump and took home the gold in that too! The day was rounded off with outstanding performances from all the girls in their relays, with the Year 7 team securing the final gold of the day! This was enough to ensure the Year 7 team finished 3rd overall – a fantastic achievement.

Nia was also awarded the ‘Jane Branford award’ for breaking the 100m record on the day too. Lots more to come from this team of young ladies

Well done to all the competitors on a brilliant day of athletics; Karina, Yelena, Nia, Savannah, Evie, Isabella, Anny, Selina, Teera, Itohan, Yasmin, Kyrah-Zhane and Sofia

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting our annual Key Stage 3 Prize Giving event – a truly memorable evening celebrating the outstanding progress and achievement of our students across all subject areas. The hall was filled with St Mary’s parents/carers, students and staff as we proudly recognised the hard work, growth, and determination of our learners throughout the academic year.

Students were commended not only for academic excellence, but also for qualities that speak to the heart of our school values. Special awards were given for dedication and commitment, resilience in the face of challenges, and contributions to the wider community – reminding us that success takes many forms.

The evening was expertly hosted by Megan and Ben, whose confident and warm presentation set the perfect tone for the event. Their professionalism and charm kept the evening flowing seamlessly.

On Wednesday 2nd July 2025, a small group of Year 9 MFL students took part in an exciting event at the Emirates Stadium, showcasing the power of languages beyond the classroom. The day featured a range of inspiring speakers who shared how languages have opened doors in their personal and professional lives. Highlights included Steve Eadon, leader of Arsenal’s Community Outreach Team, who spoke about his journey using languages in his career and the world of football. Dr. Saleyha Ahsan, an emergency doctor and broadcaster, showed how languages have supported her work in war zones and humanitarian crises. Meanwhile, Sandile Gontsana, performer and dialect coach at The Lion King, shared how languages have enhanced his career on the West End stage. Our students learnt Bollywood moves with Ash Mukherjee and James Albon, graphic novelist, shared how languages have enriched his life both personally and professionally, allowing him to travel the world.

The event ended with Languages Got Talent, in which Megan, Kai and Wren read poems in Spanish and French and our very own Taylan won the 3rd place by performing a rap in Turkish! We are very proud of how confident they all were and hope that the event helped them realise how languages can enrich lives and broaden horizons.

Ms Iniesta – MFL Subject Lead

This week, our Year 10 Spanish students took part in the traditional Quinceañera cultural celebration. A festive highlight that gave them taste of the most important celebration for young people in many Spanish-speaking countries. Students enjoyed some delicious Spanish tapas, danced to lively Latin rhythms, and took part in fun and engaging speaking activities. It was a wonderful opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture while having a great time with their classmates.

A truly memorable day unfolded for a group of our Year 12 students as they attended Day 8 of The Championships at Wimbledon—an experience they won’t forget in a hurry.

The day began in exciting fashion on Court 2, where the students watched Flávio Cobolli overcome Marin Čilić in an intense four-set match. To their delight, several of the group were spotted on the BBC’s live coverage, causing quite a buzz as faces from St Mary’s flashed up on national television!

As the sun shone down over SW19, the group soaked up the full Wimbledon experience—exploring the outer courts, enjoying the iconic strawberries and cream, and spending time relaxing on Henman Hill. In the afternoon, they witnessed Liudmila Samsonova’s confident straight-sets victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

With the evening still warm and spirits high, the students settled in for a thrilling mixed doubles quarter-final. British player Joe Salisbury, partnered with Luisa Stefani, delighted the crowd with a hard-fought win over Su-Wei Hsieh and Jan Zieliński. One of our students, Oliver, even managed a bit of celebrity spotting—sporting his England cricket cap, he found himself brushing shoulders with none other than Joe Root!

As the day drew to a close and the sun dipped below the stands, there was time for one final round of strawberries and cream before the group made their way home—tired but thrilled by the day’s events.

It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience one of the world’s greatest sporting events first-hand, and it’s safe to say the memories made at Wimbledon this year will last a lifetime.