St Gregory's Prospectus 2023-2024

WELCOME OUR HEADTEACHER

It is a privilege to be the Headteacher of St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School: a one-form entry Primary School, situated in the heart of Stratford upon Avon We are proud to be part of a much bigger family of schools, in a Multi-Academy called Our Lady of the Magnificat This means that we are able to share expertise and resources within our family to provide the very best outcomes for every child in our care

At St. Gregory's, nobody gets left behind: we are committed to promoting the very best outcomes for every child in our care. We provide memorable experiences which ensure that all children have access to a range of unique opportunities; enhancing their lives, within school and beyond. We firmly believe that it is not just about what happens in the classroom, it is about the added value we offer, which truly inspires our children.

OUR HEADTEACHER

We hope that this prospectus will give you an insight into our thriving school community. We also warmly welcome visits to our school, so that you can see our learning in action. Please do not hesitate to contact our School Office to arrange a tour.

OUR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION LEAD

At St Gregory’s, we are dedicated to supporting our pupils to attain a deeper knowledge and spiritual understanding of the Catholic faith We guide, support and prepare pupils, as ambassadors of Christ, within their daily lives through: the teachings of Jesus, worship, prayer and creating enjoyment through meaningful spiritual encounters with Christ

The teaching of Religious Education is at the heart of everything we do at St Gregory's, and helps us to fulfil our motto to love, learn and grow with Jesus As a Catholic school, we aim to educate the whole child holistically; our ethos is inseparable from the curriculum It is our loving response, in word and action to God’s invitation, to support pupils in building a relationship with the Father, made possible through the work of Jesus Christ, and the witness of the Holy Spirit.

OUR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS CO-ODRDINATOR

At St Gregory’s we believe that all children have an equal right to a full and enriching education which will enable them to achieve their full potential. We provide a safe, stimulating and inclusive learning environment where every member of our community is valued and respected.

Our broad, balanced curriculum and enrichment activities provide opportunities for all to achieve and succeed. We raise the aspirations and expectations for all pupils with SEN and ensure that teachers are able to identify and provide for those pupils; allowing them to join in all school activities together with their peers

OUR SCHOOL VISION OUR SCHOOL VISION

Our School Vision encapsulates our hopes and aspirations for every pupil at St. Gregory's.

CATHOLIC MISSION

OUR GOSPEL VIRTUES AND VALUES

At St Gregory’s, we have a rich and diverse Catholic Mission Programme and our faith permeates through all aspects of school life: through our daily prayer, Sacramental Preparation, Liturgy, whole school events and retreats

Each half term, every pupil explores two of the Diocesan Gospel Virtues and Values and one of the Catholic Social Teachings. We spend time reflecting on the meaning of the words and how we can work to encapsulate these values in our lives The children are given a variety of ways to explore Jesus' teachings, including through Music and Art lessons, as well as Forest School Nature Nurture sessions too.

OUR MISSION IN ACTION SCHOOL MISSION

Supporting local charities, chosen by the children, including: Stratford Food Bank, local Care Homes and local hospitals. Working with Graduate Planet to build awareness of sustainability, including attending the Solar and Wind farms, Stratford Butterfly Farm and Lego Sustainable City workshops. Exploring the lives of the Saints through workshops, delivered by Diocesan Vocations Officers, as well as whole school Vocations Days, retreats to Alton Castle and visits to St Chad's Cathedral Thought provoking assemblies and workshops led by guest visitors including: the Dog's Trust, charities such as CAFOD and people in the community who help us, such as Police Officers, Fire Fighters and Doctors.

HOW WE LIVE OUT OUR MISSION

Working with our Local Parish and developing our local heritage by supporting events within Stratford

Participating in Liturgy through child-led worship and encouraging pupils to undertaken leadership roles within whole school Mass.

Learning through a rich, varied curriculum, which includes opportunity to explore World Religions and issues such as the refugee crisis.

Showing creativity within lessons, which enables pupils to reflect deeply on Jesus' teachings and develop in their religious literacy

THE EARLY YEARS

In the EYFS, we help each other to achieve the unthinkable! We enjoy learning through play and solving new problems. We know that: give us chance to grow, our creativity is a gift and with a Growth Mindset, we can achieve our dreams

um builds upon the knowledge and skills which the children ed within their nursery and pre-school settings, as well as ir homes It enables the children to succeed through coand collaborative learning principles As such, there is a hasis on the Prime Areas of learning: Personal, Social and Development, Physical Development, and Communication guage. There are carefully crafted opportunities for the develop these Prime Skills within the four Specific Areas of: Literacy), Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Our enabling environments and warm, skilful, adult interactions support the children as they begin to link learning to their play and exploration Research demonstrates that high engagement levels aid pupils’ progress and we, therefore, provide an engaging curriculum, with enriching activities which are provided by subject specialists. On a weekly basis, pupils receive Art and Music Lessons from subject specialists, PE and Swimming Lessons which are taught by Level Three Sports Coaches and Forest School Lessons are delivered by our highlyexperienced Forest School teacher. We enhance our curriculum provision by following the children’s interests and ideas; fostering a life-long love of learning, both in and outside of school.

OUR CURRICULUM

Through our dynamic and inspiring curriculum, we strive to develop every child's passion for learning. This bespoke curriculum is carefully crafted so that each child can develop academically and socially whilst providing the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to succeed We ensure that an effective balance of broad learning opportunities are available to aid the holistic development of ou children.

Through our broad and balanced curriculum, we grow minds that a motivated to question and develop a thirst for knowledge We encourage our children to aspire for academic excellence and hav high aspirations for themselves. At St. Gregory's, our children’s vie and ideas are respected and encouraged, and we help to build resil attitudes which rise to a challenge and support each child to becom become lifelong learner

Our children feel safe: they take risks, ask questions, make mista learn to trust, share their feelings and grow. They celebrate their and others', successes and learn from mistakes; developing the of resilience and perseverance

We encourage our children to use the vibrancy of our nation and area to learn from other cultures, respect diversity, cooperate one another and appreciate what they have Our curriculum prom equality for all; providing equal opportunities and celebrating div We achieve this by providing a strong SMSVC (Spiritual, Moral, S Vocational and Cultural) curriculum, with British Values at the c

WHAT MAKES ST. GREGORY'S SPECIAL?

A PUPIL'S THOUGHTS...

"We get to be creative in all of our lessons. RE is my favourite lesson: God created the world and it is our job to care for it, as well as everyone who lives in it. "

Amelia, Year Four

A TEACHER'S THOUGHTS...

"After the first day at St Gregory's, I knew this was the school for me The staff and pupils have been so welcoming and supportive; I was immediately made to feel part of the St Gregory's family In this school, the children always come first "

Miss Duxbury, EYFS Lead

A PARENT'S THOUGHTS...

"My three children are thriving in St. Gregory's Catholic Primary School. We feel very much part of the St Gregory's family. They are having an exceptional start to their education. Not only are all their teachers committed at the highest level but they also have a dedicated Music, Art, Science, Forest School and PE teachers, so the children are accessing a multi-disciplined approach to their schooling."

Mrs. Marie

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PARISH PRIEST...

"St Gregory's is a thriving, happy and successful school - a lovely place to be - with a very strong, child-centred culture The children are renowned for their outstanding behaviour and the Catholic life of the school is excellent; encouraging the children in their prayer and spiritual development

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School is a joy for a Priest to work in "

Fr Alex Austin