Dear Parents and Carers,
This week has whizzed by and the school has been a hive of activity!
During the week, Year 6 shared their speeches with the school to explain why they should be chosen for particular roles in the school. The whole year group have worked hard to consider the qualities needed for the role and how they show them. Standing up in front of over 200 children is not an easy task, but Year 6 have aimed high and embraced the challenge. We still need to hear a couple more speeches before the teachers can decide who will take on positions of responsibility this year. Watch this space!
Year 4 and Mrs. Newland led a collective worship for the whole school on Tuesday on the theme of Fairtrade. The children learnt about products that are Fairtrade and were challenged to spot the Fairtrade symbol at home! Thank you to one Year 3 pupil who must have gone straight home and looked around his house! Will your children persuade you to buy Fairtrade? Mrs. Armstrong has planned learning for each year group linked to fairtrade as part of our ”Fairtrade Fortnight” focus. Buying fair trade products is a practical way for us to live out Catholic Social Teaching – as it fosters worker dignity, fair wages, safe working conditions, environmental stewardship, and global solidarity. By living out Catholic Social Teaching, we are truly continuing Jesus’ mission and following in his footsteps.
Exciting visitors from Glebelands arrived at St. Cuthbert Mayne to see Year 1 on Wednesday afternoon as part of their Thrive learning. 17 Glebelands pupils helped Year 1 with their Maths learning this week. It was particularly lovely to welcome past pupils as part of the group. This will happen weekly in the Autumn term.
St. David’s Class celebrated a beautiful welcome to St. Cuthbert Mayne liturgy in their classroom, along with their parents on Thursday afternoon. Thank you to Mrs. Scarisbrick for all her work behind the scenes to make this happen and for being so flexible when the location had to change due to the electrical fault at the Church.
God Bless,
Mrs. Amy O’Donovan
Headteacher
Collective Worship
Last Sunday’s Gospel was the Parable of the Parable of the Shrewd Manager or Unjust Steward (Luke 16: 1-13). Jesus gave us lots of lessons within this Gospel. In Collective Worship, the children reflected on what parts of the Gospel really spoke to them – for some it was that if you can be trusted with small things, you can be trusted with bigger things too, for others they really focused on that message of trust – how important it is to trust in God and for God to trust us and for some others it was “You cannot serve God and money” and they thought about what this really means. What part stands out for you?
A request from Mrs. Scarisbrick
Today your child will be bringing home a paper cross. We invite you all to write a prayer on the cross; this may be a familiar prayer or a prayer of your own. Parents of our youngest children are very welcome to scribe for their child.
Prayers may be in thanks to God, for those in need or for family and school - this is your opportunity to take some time to think of what you would like to say to God.
Everybody will have different ideas and to celebrate our community of prayer the crosses will be displayed in our school hall. You are very welcome to decorate the crosses using coloured pencils - no felt tips or collage please. Crosses are to be named and then returned to your child’s class teacher by next Wednesday 1st October at the latest. We do hope you enjoy completing this activity with your child.
POLITE REMINDER - BOOKING SCHOOL LUNCHES
To help us ensure every child has a lunch ready for the week ahead, please make sure school lunches are booked by 11:00pm on Sunday. You’re welcome to book several weeks in advance if that’s easier.
If a lunch hasn’t been booked, we kindly ask that you provide your child with a packed lunch for the day. Unfortunately, the school isn’t able to book lunches on a daily basis, so if a child arrives without a lunch, we’ll need to contact parents/carers to bring one in.
Harvest Festival
Next Thursday, we will be celebrating Harvest Festival as a school. You are invited to send your child into school with non-perishable items for the Cranleigh Foodbank. Please see the list below for suitable items. This is another example of how as a Catholic community we are living out our faith because feeding the hungry is a direct call to love our neighbour, rooted in the belief that every person has inherent dignity and deserves basic necessities like food. Our donations will join those from the Parish that are being collected at the weekend.
https://www.cranleighfoodbank.org/
Year 6 parents – starting secondary school in September 2026
I know that your children have only just started in year 6, but the application process for Secondary schools is already open! Please see the information below from Surrey:
If your child will reach the age of 11 between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026, they will be due to start secondary school in September 2026.
You can apply for a secondary school place from 1 September 2025.
The closing date for on-time applications for secondary schools is 31 October 2025.
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/admissions/secondary
Safeguarding
This week’s Wake Up Wednesday has a safeguarding focus. Youth violence impacts 1 in 4 children and young people in the UK, yet many parents and educators feel unsure how to respond. This guide breaks down the causes, risks and warning signs of violent behaviour in young people, helping adults feel more confident in supporting those at risk.
Drawing on expert insights from the Ben Kinsella Trust, it explores why some young people may carry weapons, how violence is influenced by online content, and what time and locations pose the greatest risk. It also highlights the importance of early intervention, emotional support, and honest conversations.
Reception 2026
We have just settled our Reception intake, but it is already time to think about 2026’s new intake! If your child is due to start school in September 2026 and you would like to find out more about St. Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Primary School, we will be running tours of the school so that you can see us in action and have the opportunity to meet with Mrs. O’Donovan, Headteacher on the following dates:
To book a place, please complete this form.
Interested in teaching?
Are you or someone you know interested in a change of career or have a passion for teaching? If the answer is yes, The Xavier Teach South East Hub have several events coming up with opportunities to find out more about teacher training. You can find out more on their website: www.teachsoutheast.co.uk or if you feel you just want to apply, there is a fast track application here.
