Dear Parents and Carers,
All of the children that attended the discos last Friday had great fun! Thank you to The Friends for organising this event and to the staff that helped out too. The two discos raised an incredible £701 in total and a £137 donation to Children in Need was made from this.
The week started off with great news from our Cross Country runners. Well done to the 19 children who took part in the event on Saturday. St. Cuthbert Mayne came away with an impressive 7 medals!
Thank you to Year 3 St. George’s Class, who led a beautiful collective worship to explore the Mass – particularly what happens during the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The children spoke clearly, confidently and were very knowledgeable. Their singing was joyful!
We are looking forward to celebrating St. Cuthbert Mayne Day next Thursday. Do join us for Mass at 10am if you are able to. Reception will be celebrating with a liturgy in class with Mrs. Scarisbrick rather than coming to Mass.
Kindness and being a good person are values we hold dear and work hard to instil in our children every day. Each of us has a choice: to be kind and help someone feel valued, or to be unkind and risk hurting their feelings and self-esteem.
At school—especially in Reception and Key Stage 1—children are learning not only academically but socially too. Just as mistakes happen when learning new skills, they can also happen in friendships and interactions. Sometimes children may say or do things that are unkind. This is a normal part of learning how to navigate relationships.
While we cannot promise that your child will never experience an unkind comment or action, we can promise that we will continue to teach, model, and encourage kindness every day.
How you can help:
Please join us in promoting kindness by asking your child what acts of kindness they have done each day. Together, we can make kindness a habit that lasts a lifetime.
Do follow us on Instagram if you haven’t already https://www.instagram.com/saint_cuthbert_mayne/
God Bless,
Mrs. Amy O’Donovan
Headteacher
Collective Worship
In Last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that a time will come when it will be really important that they demonstrate they are willing to stand up for what they believe in. He implores them to prepare to stand firm, to not give into fear, to speak the truth and to endure, no matter what. For those who can follow through on all this, He promises good things. In Collective Worship, we thought about what that might mean for us today? Are we brave enough to stand up for what is right and challenge things when they are wrong, or do we just walk past it or stand back?
New Parish Mass
The Diocese are moving towards a model where Deaneries become moderated parishes. The Guildford Parish will be celebrating Mass with Bishop Richard at St. Joseph’s Church in Guildford on Saturday 29th November at 6pm. It would be lovely to see some of our children (in school uniform) with their families.
Communication
We are currently working on a communication policy to help you as parents in knowing how to contact school in the best way and what you can expect when you email in etc. We will share this with you when it is complete. For example: If you send an email into school for the attention of a member of staff, you can expect to get a response within 48 hours. Your first point of contact is always your child’s class teacher etc.
As many dates as possible have been added to the calendar on our school website - this includes Nativities and Advent Services etc and things booked in for the rest of the year.
Important dates
Thursday 27th November - Mass 10am : SCM Feast Day
Monday 1st December - School Closed
Wednesday 10th December - 9.30am EYFS and KS1 Nativity in Church
Thursday 11th December - 2pm EYFS and KS1 Nativity in Church
Friday 12th December - Whole school pantomime in hall
Tuesday 16th December - CYE Christmas Assembly 9.30am
Tuesday 16th December - 2pm KS2 Christmas Advent Service
Wednesday 17th December - 6pm KS2 Christmas Advent Service
Thursday 18th December - 10am End of Term Mass
Thursday 18th December - Christmas lunch and jumper day
Friday 19th December - School finishes at 12pm
Friends of St. Cuthbert Mayne – Dates for your diaries
Attendance
In order for your child to thrive at school, they need to be in school! As you know, the government are continuing to push the importance of good attendance and this is something that we completely agree with. Non-attendance results in lost learning and can impact upon your children’s relationships with their peers. There are 175 days each year when your child is not expected to attend school – perfect times for dentists, non-urgent appointments and holidays. Our current average attendance is 96% - let’s work together to improve this!
You must contact the school office if your child is going to be absent. If we do not hear from you by 11am we will follow our safeguarding procedures and escalate the concern to the Director of Compliance and Safeguarding in the Xavier Trust.
Can your child be in school?
Lateness
Arriving on time is just as important as attending every day. When children are late, they miss valuable learning. A calm start to the day helps children feel settled and ready. Please ensure your child is in school by 8.50am through the school gates, so they can begin the day with their classmates.
We understand that every once in a while, the traffic may be bad or something happens, that means you arrive late to collect your children. However, this should not be an everyday occurrence. Once the playground is clear, the gates need to be shut so that after school club children can play outside. Moving forwards, if you arrive after 3.30pm to collect, your child will be put into After School Club and you will receive an invoice for the session. Additionally, if you do not arrive on time to collect from an after-school club your child will be taken straight to After School Club and again you will be charged for a session. The school office closes at 4.15pm and it is not possible for us to keep your child safe after the expected collection time.
Safeguarding
Tracking devices like AirTags and SmartTags were designed to help people find lost belongings, but they’ve also opened the door to worrying forms of misuse. Their compact size and subtle design make them easy to hide, which can lead to the unwanted tracking of people without their knowledge. From stalking and bullying to potential misuse by peers, these gadgets bring a range of risks that trusted adults must stay aware of.
This guide examines the growing popularity of Bluetooth trackers, the most common ways they’re being misused, and how to spot signs that a child may be affected. With practical tips on detecting hidden devices, using the right apps, and starting important conversations, it’s a vital read for parents, carers and educators looking to stay ahead of a fast-moving issue.
Reception 2026
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 for our last tour on Wednesday 26th November at 9.30am
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.
