Headteacher's Newsletter

Friday 23^rd January 2026

Dear Parents, 

Sacrament of Reconciliation

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

Congratulations to the Year 3 children in Mrs Needham’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. We are proud of the way they prepared for and participated in this important sacrament. Please keep the children and their families in your prayers as they continue to grow in faith.

Design and Technology Award

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

We are really pleased to share the fantastic news that our school has been awarded the Design & Technology Association Quality Mark. This is a significant achievement and recognises the strength and quality of Design & Technology provision across the whole school.

The award celebrates our well-planned curriculum, high-quality teaching and training, excellent resources, and the engaging, hands-on learning experiences we provide for our pupils. It highlights how children are encouraged to be creative, develop practical skills, and apply their learning in enjoyable ways.

Achieving this Quality Mark involved a detailed self-assessment process followed by external moderation, making this recognition particularly rewarding. We are extremely proud of this accomplishment and what it reflects about our commitment to high standards of teaching and learning.

Online Safety Parent Briefing

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

Parents are invited to attend an online parent briefing run by Knowsley Online Safety Team, taking place next week.

Date: Wednesday 28th January 2026
Time: 9.30am – 10.15am
Platform: Microsoft Teams (online)

This will be an informative session on online safety. As technology is rapidly changing and children are being exposed to new online risks all the time, the session will provide up to date guidance to help parents and carers understand current online safety issues and how best to support children at home.

There is no need to register. Parents and carers simply need to click on this link at the scheduled time to join the session: Teams Meeting

• Cameras and microphones will be switched off for all attendees.
• Questions can be submitted via the Q&A box, which will be explained during the session.

The event will be streamed using Microsoft Teams and can be accessed in the following ways:

• Via the Teams app on desktop (Windows or Mac) or mobile (free to download).
• Through a web browser such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox (no app required).

Please note that this session (and all virtual sessions) will be recorded and shared afterwards, so anyone who is unable to attend the live event will be able to watch it back at a more convenient time.

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

Headteacher