Headteacher's Newsletter

Friday 30^th January 2026

Dear Parents, 

Headteacher’s Newsletter

Sacrament of Reconciliation

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

Congratulations to the Year 3 children in Miss Carr, Mrs Luckham’s class and Mrs McDuff’s class who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation this week. This is a very special step in their faith journey, as the children learned about God’s forgiveness and love. 

On Tuesday 3 February at 9:15am, the Sponsor Liturgy will take place as part of the Sacramental Programme. This liturgy is a special occasion in children in year 3 faith journey. We will welcome your child’s sponsor to attend and join us in celebrating this important stage of the Sacramental Programme. We look forward to sharing this special liturgy with the children and their sponsors.

Maths Dress Up Rockstars Day Friday 6 February

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

On Friday 6 February, we will be celebrating Times table Rockstars Day by dressing up as rockstars! Children are encouraged to come to school in their best rockstar outfits to mark the occasion. Please see the attached poster for more details.

We have also enrolled our school in NSPCC Rocks, an exciting online times tables competition run by Times Tables Rock Stars in partnership with the NSPCC, the UK’s leading child protection charity. Children in Years 2 to 6 will be taking part.

During the competition, pupils will practise their times tables on TTRockstars, helping to improve their confidence, accuracy and recall speed. Classes will be given time on the day to participate in the competition. NSPCC Rocks is part of the NSPCC’s Number Day, and we are delighted to be involved in such a fun event that supports both learning and a great cause.

Thank you for your continued support, we’re looking forward to a rock-star-filled day!

Mental Health Week

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

We will be celebrating Children’s Mental Health Week from 9-13 February.

To mark the week, children are invited to wear a yellow accessory on Friday 13 February, such as a hairband, badge, bracelet or socks, for a £1 donation. Please log into ParentPay to take you to this this payment item.

This year’s theme, “This is My Place,” links closely to children’s rights, including feeling safe, included, listened to and respected. These ideas connect to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 12, 19, 23 and 28). As a Rights Respecting Gold School, we will be exploring how looking after our mental health is both a right and a responsibility.

Throughout the week, teachers will talk with children about how to care for their mental health as well as their physical health. Our Wellbeing Champions will also be creating Hello Yellow posters and sharing presentations with their peers.

All classes will take part in a debate session, giving pupils the opportunity to practise speaking and listening skills while exploring British Values. These sessions will focus on listening respectfully, valuing different opinions, expressing ideas safely and following agreed rules.

Debate topics by year group are as follows:

• Reception: Was Jack right to climb the beanstalk?
• Year 1: Should fidget spinners be allowed in school?
• Year 2: Should Hermione have a limit on items in her bag?
• Year 3: Are you for or against deforestation in the Amazon?
• Year 4: Should we use plastic in daily life?
• Year 5: Should mobile phones be banned from schools?
• Year 6: Are zoos cruel?

If your child would like to research their debate topic beforehand, they are very welcome to do so.

Stay and Share

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

Stay and Share takes place once every half term. The session runs from 8:30am–9:00am and gives parents the opportunity to come into the classroom, sit with their child, look through their books and see the progress they have made. It is always lovely to see so many parents attend and share this special time with their children. The next Stay and Share session will take place on Friday 6 February and we would love to see you!

Whole School Dates List

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

The key dates have been set for the academic year. On the list, you will see the date, event and location. The full list can be seen on this link St Vincent's Catholic Primary School Trafford: Key School Events and Dates and spring 1 dates can be seen below:

Spring 1 Dates

Attendance and Punctuality Reminders

School Values: Make a Difference Be Passionate about Learning Be Kind Be Respectful

If you have any concerns or need support with your child’s attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school office to request a call back from our pastoral team. We are here to help and work in partnership with families.

Please note that holidays in term time are not authorised. Before booking any trips, we ask parents to check our term dates to ensure holidays are arranged within the designated school breaks.

You can view the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 term dates here:

St Vincent's Catholic Primary School Trafford: Term Dates and Times of the School Day

We warmly welcome parents to ask about school life. Your first point of contact is your class teacher. In addition, Mrs Farrell (infant deputy) and Mrs Sutton (junior deputy) and I are available to work in partnership with you to support your child’s learning and wellbeing. We value open communication and welcome all to work together for the benefit of all our pupils.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs A Harrop