We are pleased to share details of some upcoming online workshops for you run by the NHS Wellbeing and Emotional Support in Schools Team (WEST). These sessions are designed to help you support your child in building resilience and managing stress around tests and exams.

The workshops will offer practical strategies, guidance, and tools to help your child feel more confident and better equipped during challenging times. We warmly invite you to join us and learn how small changes can make a big difference to your child’s wellbeing.

Warm regards,

Mrs Peake 

Pastoral Manager

Rehearsals began back in September, with pupils committing their time and energy week after week to bring this imaginative and heartfelt story to life. Their hard work culminated in three fantastic performances on the 6th and 7th February, each one filled with confidence, enthusiasm and outstanding talent.

One of the most special aspects of Imaginary was the opportunity it gave to so many students. Pupils from every year group took part, with a wide range of main roles and speaking parts ensuring that students of all ages were able to shine on stage. It was wonderful to see such a strong sense of collaboration and support between year groups. Throughout the performances, it was clear how much the cast were enjoying themselves. Their energy was infectious, and they were an absolute credit to the school.

The success of the production was not only due to those on stage. The backstage crew worked tirelessly to ensure smooth scene changes, our lighting and sound team created atmosphere and impact, enhancing every moment of the performance and the live band played brilliantly. Every student involved — whether performing, managing backstage, operating technical equipment or playing in the band — played a vital role in bringing Imaginary to life.

At its heart, Imaginary celebrated the importance of creativity and imagination. The story reminded us that imagination is not something to outgrow, but something to nurture. It encouraged us to embrace new ideas, dream boldly, and recognise that creativity can be “the start of our journey.” This powerful message shone through in every performance.

We were delighted to receive so much positive feedback from audiences and staff. Many commented on the professionalism, confidence and talent displayed by our students. Several even described Imaginary as the best production we have put on so far — praise that is thoroughly deserved.

Congratulations to every student and member of staff involved in making Imaginary such a memorable experience. The dedication, teamwork and imagination on display were truly inspiring.

We cannot wait to see what creative journey begins next! 

The ski conditions this year were challenging at times.  Heavy snow during the week resulted in us skiing in every possible mountain condition - skiing through snow, fog and sun with the piste conditions being icy in places but mostly like off-piste some days and perfect on others.  We have never experienced so much snow in the valley - it was lovely to watch the pupils play in it as we created our own St Mary's Winter Olympics one evening.

The pupils made fantastic progress with their skiing during the week.  The beginner skiers progressed quickly from the nursery slopes, up the mountain to skiing some of the most difficult slopes (black runs) and skiing from the top to the bottom of the mountain.  The intermediate and advanced skiers also made great progress, improving their parallel and carving turns as well as their slalom racing, showing similar skills to what we have been watching on TV in the Winter Olympics.

A special thank you to the staff - Mrs Budden, Mrs Walton, Mrs Turley, Mrs Peruffo, Miss Bailey, Mark (ski instructor) and Dani (rep).  Thank you so much for giving up your half term to support the ski trip and creating life long memories for our pupils 🙂

Mr Giampalma

Our students are working really hard to bring you a fun and heartwarming show about the importance of creativity and imagination. Coming to St Mary's on 6^th and 7^th February, buy your tickets now from www.ticketsource.co.uk/stmarysrc

The choir sang beautifully throughout and impressed the congregation with their sound and harmonies, as did a few smaller groups. Their talent and commitment earned glowing compliments from everyone in attendance, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.

Thank you to everyone who supported the event and helped make it such a success. This performance was a wonderful way to celebrate the festive season and showcase the talent within our school community.

Player of the Tournament was Theo S.

Performing alongside G4 was an inspiring experience for the group, offering a rare opportunity to collaborate with a professional ensemble in such a prestigious setting.

Our school joined with thousands of other schools up and down the country in wrapping, packing and sending shoeboxes full of gifts – things like cuddly toys, games, balls, hats, gloves and scarves, stationery and hygiene items – to children in need around the world.

Through this campaign, run by the UK charity Samaritan’s Purse, we want to teach children here about generosity for others, and compassion, to make them aware of the fact that there are children elsewhere in the world who have nothing, and give them the opportunity to do something practical, yet so simple, that can make such a difference. 

All pupils in years 7,8 and 9 were invited to take part and we also had pupils in years 10 and 11 who made their own individual their contributions. The response was incredible with well over 300 shoe boxes wrapped and filled with gifts. The parcels were delivered by our site manager, Mike Haskett, the Samaritan’s Purse volunteers were overwhelmed by the number of gifts they received and passed on their huge appreciation to the school.

This week pupils and staff at St Mary’s marked Red Wednesday. We asked pupils and staff to stand alongside those who suffer persecution by wearing a distinctive item of red clothing, we also illuminated our school chapel in red to show that we have not forgotten those who are being persecuted against on a daily basis for their faith. Red Wednesday was an opportunity to be their voice, to and shine a light on Christian persecution and the injustice of religious persecution throughout the world.

Our school joined Christians and other faith communities in the UK in a positive and united vision of religious belief which,

UPHOLDS the rights of individuals to follow their faith and conscience without coercion or reprisals.

PROMOTES respect and tolerance for those of other religious traditions.

CONDEMNS acts of violence carried out in the name of religion or by regimes against religion.

COMMITS to helping victims of persecution.

Our day culminated with a celebration of Mass, including prayers and hymns prepared by the pupils during the day. The year 7s participated wonderfully and their singing was superb.

The aim of our retreat was to provide an opportunity to experience faith on a more personal way and on a level different than “book knowledge.” The day allowed for a “retreat” from the typical academic day and provided opportunities for reflection and spiritual experience, an increase in self- knowledge and a deepening of relationships among members of each form group. The feedback we received from pupils reflected the success of the day, “I feel it brought me and my new friends closer.” “I loved the activities, they were really great fun!”

Our students enjoyed every element of this show - the choreography, set, costumes and, of course, outstanding vocal performances that take influence from many different genres.  It was a fantastic example for our students of how technical elements can truly elevate a performance and immerse the audience in the narrative. The vocal performances were powerful and emotive, showcasing the immense talent on stage, and we left the theatre with a lot of students in tears at the emotional ending!!

Trips like these are invaluable for our GCSE students, offering a direct, engaging way to experience the elements of live performance they study in the classroom. Seeing Hamilton provided an exceptional opportunity to analyse professional-level choreography, lighting, set design, and the innovative integration of diverse musical styles. Most importantly, it was a truly inspiring and unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

The evening was a real testament to the power of music and community. Our students demonstrated exemplary behaviour throughout the event and showcased their abilities to learn and perform harmonies confidently. The opportunity to share the stage and sing alongside professional musicians like Voces8 and Laura Wright was a profoundly inspiring experience for our students, igniting their passion and demonstrating the heights that musical dedication can achieve.

A particularly noteworthy aspect of this project was the involvement of several of our choir members as 'Young Leaders'. These students underwent specialised training from Voces8, learning invaluable skills in leading vocal warm-ups, conducting workshops, and teaching songs to younger pupils. During the concert itself, their leadership shone brightly as they confidently guided the audience through interactive songs and provided invaluable assistance to the primary school choirs with their performance actions. This leadership role not only enhanced their musical understanding but also developed their confidence and teaching abilities.

The concert also featured several standout individual contributions from our students. Hattie had an extraordinary opportunity to perform a solo alongside the celebrated Laura Wright – a truly unforgettable moment for all present. Furthermore, Annabelle and Alicia captivated the audience with a poignant and powerful poem they had collaboratively written and delivered, eloquently articulating the transformative 'power of music'.

From the moment rehearsals began in September, a tremendous amount of hard work and commitment went into bringing this beloved story to life. Our students embraced every aspect of the production, with many taking to the stage as the colourful and quirky fairytale characters we all know and love. Their energy and enthusiasm were infectious, and it was clear they had a brilliant time performing the original songs and bringing the hilarious script to life. There were some truly stand-out performances from the lead roles, whose dedication to their characters shone through in every scene.

Our live band provided a fantastic musical backdrop, the dedicated backstage crew worked tirelessly to ensure seamless set changes and prop management, while the sound and lighting team expertly crafted the atmosphere, it was a true team effort, demonstrating the diverse talents of our student body.

The hard work off all students paid off, as Shrek The Musical was incredibly well received by audiences, who thoroughly enjoyed the humour, the catchy tunes, and the heartwarming message of acceptance. Seeing the joy on the faces of both performers and the audience was a wonderful reward for everyone's efforts.

As the final curtain fell on Shrek's swampy adventure, the question on everyone's lips is: What will be next? With such a strong display of talent, teamwork, and theatrical passion, we are already eagerly anticipating next year's production and the new challenges and triumphs it will bring!

A real highlight for our Young Leaders was the chance to collaborate with members of the renowned vocal ensemble, Voces8. These world-class performers led workshops specifically designed to teach our students how to lead and instruct singing to younger pupils. It was an invaluable experience, giving our choir members practical insights and techniques. The project wasn't just for our older students; pupils of all ages enthusiastically took part. This inclusive approach allowed for fantastic peer-to-peer learning and mentorship. Our students quickly developed essential leadership skills, not just in music but in general. They also gained confidence in standing in front of large groups, significantly improving their clarity of instruction and delivery. It was wonderful to see them grow so much in such a short space of time

Our Young Leaders put their new skills into practice by delivering a fantastic singing workshop to Bosbury Primary School earlier in the year. They also played a crucial role in helping other Herefordshire primary schools prepare for the "Sing The Celebration" concert in June.

Those running the Encore project were incredibly impressed with our students. They particularly highlighted how well our pupils worked together and their willingness to volunteer to lead and take part in different aspects of the workshops. Their enthusiasm and proactive approach truly made a difference. Our younger pupils will have the chance to continue as Young Leaders next year, building on the strong foundations laid this year. As for our older pupils, they've gained an invaluable experience that will undoubtedly benefit them in their further endeavors. This project has not only nurtured their musical talents but also equipped them with transferable skills that will serve them well for years to come.

St Mary's were superb leading aspects of the day and representing the school with honours. 

Year 7 Player of the Tournament Freya Hadley D awarded by the year 7 captain Isabelle H

Year 8 Player of the tournament Ruby T and Elizabeth W Awarded by the Year 8 Captain Inala K

On Thursday, 18th September our school community came together to celebrate the Year 7 Welcome Mass, a truly special occasion marking the beginning of a new chapter for our newest students. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Andrew and Fr Augustine and was a great opportunity to seek God’s blessings on our Year 7s.

Throughout the Mass, students participated with enthusiasm, proclaiming The Word, reading the prayers of the faithful, altar serving, and joining in the hymns. They were reminded that, like each of our House Saints, they are called to make a difference in the world by showing kindness and compassion to those around them.

This celebration was also a wonderful reminder of our school’s mission, rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, as we strive to form students who are not only learners but also servants to others. The readings and prayers of the Mass reflected the theme of Hope from our Jubilee year along with the teaching from Jesus that love of God and love of our neighbour is the most important commandment to live by.

A heartfelt thank you to the parents, carers, and staff who supported this celebration. We look forward to walking alongside our Year 7 students as they grow in faith, knowledge, and service throughout their time here at St Mary’s.

Let us continue to pray that they are inspired by the example of our patroness Mary, always seeking to serve and love others in all they do.

Following on from their ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report at the beginning of the year, staff and pupils are celebrating another impressive set of GCSE results at St Mary’s RC High School, Hereford.

Pupils performed incredibly well across the full range of subjects and the school recorded a particularly high proportion of the top grades, including 16% gaining a grade 7+ in both Maths and English, and a quarter of all pupils scoring 5 or more grades 7-9.

In the key attainment benchmarks, 60% of pupils achieved strong passes (5+) in English and Maths, with 79.3% passing both of these core subjects with a grade 4+. There were also a significant number of individual performances where pupils exclusively gained those top grades 7-9.

Headteacher Stuart Wetson is delighted with this year’s outcomes and praised the hard work and commitment of the pupils and staff team; “It has been a great year at St Mary’s and today’s results are testimony to the endeavour and application of our pupils, the dedication of our talented teachers and the wonderful support from our parent body. We are tremendously proud of our pupils and hope to have set them up well for their exciting next steps.”

I just wanted to write to express my thanks for your support in helping us at St Mary’s to sustain such strong attendance.

We have just this week been given not one but two national attendance awards.  One for being in the top 10% of all schools and the other for performing in the top 25% of similar secondary schools for our spring term attendance 2024/25.

We are rightly proud of this achievement but could not do it without your support.

Best wishes

Stuart Wetson
Headteacher

We pray for Pope Leo XIV as the shepherd of your Church,

We ask that you guide his hand in leading and unifying the faithful,

Keeping us always under your careful watch.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion serve the family of God by assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion during the celebration of Mass.

When we gather for the Eucharist (the Mass), we gather as a family to celebrate our faith, to be nourished by God’s word, to offer thanksgiving to God the Father for all his gifts, above all the gift of his Son, and to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. Being called to take on the role of Eucharistic minister is a great privilege, and we are delighted to welcome Miss Gorin into her new role.

Fr Andrew performed the rite of institution during our voluntary Mass and following this, Miss Gorin was able to help distribute Holy Communion alongside Fr Andrew for the first time.

Our students have been working hard to put on this year’s exciting production of Shrek the Musical!

Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a fun-filled fairy-tale adventure full of laughs, music and extremely entertaining characters!

The show is on Friday 7^th February at 7pm and Saturday 8^th February at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets on sale now at www.ticketsource.co.uk/stmarysrc 

The new lectionaries are intended to make the biblical translations more faithful to the original languages, to reflect current biblical scholarship, and to provide a text for use in liturgical setting that is easier to proclaim and, where appropriate, more inclusive.

St Mary’s PTFA generously donated a new set of lectionaries for our school. On Friday 6^th Dec, the feast day of St Nicholas, Fr Andrew came to celebrate Mass for us in our chapel. This was the first opportunity for us to use the new lectionaries and at the start of Mass we had a special Blessing of new Lectionaries.

Maksim Polovvy and Pawel Mychalski had the honour of being the first to read from the lectionary during Mass. Both boys read with clarity and confidence and it was a lovely way to introduce the new lectionary into our school worship.

Through this campaign, we want to teach children here about generosity for others, and compassion, to make them aware of the fact that there are children elsewhere in the world who have nothing, and give them the opportunity to do something practical, yet so simple, that can make such a difference. 

All pupils in years 7,8 and 9 were invited to take part and their contributions were incredible with nearly 300 shoe boxes wrapped and filled with gifts.

The first term of the new academic year is well underway and it has been a very positive start at St Mary’s.

Our Y7’s have begun life at St Mary’s in very settled fashion and it feels like they have been with us for much longer than the opening weeks.  They are now fully involved in the life of the school, and it was lovely to see some of you at their recent Y7 Welcome Mass.

I also want to extend my thanks to the huge number of you who consented to your children helping out at our Open Evening on 3^rd October.  Hundreds of our pupils volunteered to either help as guides or within departments and they were an absolute credit to our school.  We received so much positive feedback from prospective parents both on the night itself and after the event.  Our pupils really are our very best advert for the school and the response and feedback from our many visitors highlights this.

Last week our Y11 pupils were all out on their week long work experience placements around the county.  It is very reassuring and rewarding to hear from employers that our pupils are polite, punctual and show great potential in the workplace.  Such experience is vital for informing their next steps and I hope our Y11s were really able to take something from their placements, even if it helped to confirm that they don’t want to follow a particular career path.

With Y11s returning to us this week, the focus shifts back to preparing for their mock exams later in the term.  I am sure that parents of Y11 are by now aware, but we are offering extensive support after school in the lead up to the exams, both from individual subjects to larger ‘Study Skills’ sessions every Wednesday in the hall.  These have been well attended so far and I would encourage our y11s to make the most of the support available.  Thank you in advance, as I know this puts an extra burden on parents and we are also offering some transport support for pupils who may have difficulties attending, and our minibus will take pupils into town just before 5pm each evening.

My classroom visits so far this year have been very encouraging, and I have seen good levels of engagement and learning across the various year groups.  Our schedule of Department Reviews begins this week, and together with my senior colleagues our monitoring will begin with the Music department and then we will see all other departments across the remainder of the academic year.

Rehearsals for this year’s annual production are in full swing as the cast and crew get ready to share ‘Shrek the Musical’ with you in the new year.  When ticket details are released, please come and support the production as it is always a highlight of the school year, and a huge amount of work goes into it.

We look forward to welcoming last year’s Y11 cohort back to St Mary’s next month for their presentation evening.  I am sure you will have seen in the local press that they achieved some impressive GCSE results, meaning that for a % of pupils gaining a 4+ and 5+ in Maths and English, St Mary’s were the top performing school in the county.

Everything is set up for another successful year at our school and I would just like to thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation of all that we do.

Yours faithfully,

Stuart Wetson
Headteacher

There were also some exceptional individual performances amongst the pupils with a number of them securing the very highest grades 8 and 9s across their various subjects.

Headteacher Stuart Wetson paid tribute to the excellent performance of the pupils and the dedication of the staff at the school; “I am absolutely delighted for our pupils. They have done so well and their results are nothing more than they deserve. I wish them every success for the future and hope we have set them up well for their next steps in education and training. I also want to thank the staff team for their incredible hard work and commitment”.

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/24533151.herefordshire-gcse-results-day-2024/

St Mary’s Mock Election 2024

On Wednesday 3^rd July, the pupils and staff of St Mary’s went to the polls in our Mock Election, just one day prior to the General Election. The aim was to give pupils exposure to the whole process from registering to vote, attending hustings to hear the policies of the respective candidates before voting at our specially devised polling station. 

Many thanks to the five candidates who represented the different political parties and who bravely put themselves before the St Mary’s electorate.

Mr Williams, Head of History, announced the results in a video sent out to all form groups on the morning of Thursday 4^th July – see below:

As the end of this half-term approaches, I wanted to write to express my thanks for your ongoing support of all that we do at St Mary’s.

It has been another very busy half-term both in and outside of school.  The past few weeks have been dominated by the Y11s starting their GCSE exams and at the time of writing, they are about half way through.  It is such an important time for them and I would ask that you continue to keep the year group in your thoughts and prayers as they work through 6 weeks of examinations.   I am very proud of the way they have approached them so far and I wish them every success with the outcomes.  They have worked hard and I am sure their results will reflect this.

On Friday 24^th May we say goodbye to Year 11 on their Leavers’ Day, and despite the rigours of exams, I am sure we can have a day of celebration.  The final part of the day will be their Leavers’ Mass, a fitting way to mark the end of their time at St Mary’s.

We have also enjoyed unprecedented representation in the district football finals with 4 of our 5 year groups making it through to Edgar Street.  Year 7, 8, 9 and 11 all made it to the final and Year 10 only narrowly missed out with marginal defeat in the semi-finals.  Year 11 went on to win on penalties to be crowned county champions and despite valiant efforts, year 7, 8 and 9s fell at the final hurdle.  All teams received excellent coaching and support and are a credit to our school.

Homework on Edulink One – New approaches to setting and recording homework

In response to your feedback across our various parents’ evenings earlier in the year, we are implementing a new way of setting and recording homework which will no longer include the pupil planner.  Following half-term, teachers have been asked to pilot and trial this new approach which uses the Edulink One app and should be quick, easy and reliable for parents to see what has been set, when it is due in and whether it was submitted.  This new system will be fully launched in September and pupils will no longer be issued with a planner.

Instead of a planner, all pupils will be issued with a small A6 blazer pocket-sized timetable in a plastic pouch, and 2x paper copies of their timetable, one for their locker and a copy for home.  Whilst this new approach is app based, our policy on mobile phone use in school has not changed.  Indeed, pupils will still need to switch off their phones and put them in lockers.  Their teachers will inform them of what homework is being set with deadlines, etc. and they, like you, will be able to check and respond to this at home.  We feel this system will be more streamlined and consistent, and hopefully more informative and helpful to parents.  This facility will be live from June 3^rd 2024, and whilst it is being trialled during the second half of the summer term, do not hesitate to contact your child’s HOY or our Edulink One administrator EdulinkApp@st-maryshigh.hereford.sch.uk should you have any queries or feedback.  The links below should give you an ‘at a glance’ look at how this will look and how to view the homework your child has been set.

For further guidance, please watch the following brief video which outlines how to use Edulink One Homework:  Homework: For Parents & Pupils

If you are not registered with Edulink One or have any problems accessing the app please contact us on EdulinkApp@st-maryshigh.hereford.sch.uk

To prepare for the pilot/trial starting on June 3^rd after half-term, all pupils in years 7-10 have had an assembly explaining our new approach to setting homework and reminding them of our mobile phone policy in school.

Thanks again for your feedback and we hope that this new way of working will help everyone be better equipped about homework.

Next term we look forward to the Eisteddfod and Sports Day, two events which really bring our school community together.  I would encourage all pupils to get involved in some capacity in what promises to be highlights of the school year.

We will also be appointing prefects (after 102 Year 10’s applied for this responsibility) and senior pupil positions in conjunction with our plans to really develop student leadership opportunities at St Mary’s.

Thanks again for your support and cooperation with attendance.  Local data published last week shows that we maintain our position as the secondary school in Herefordshire with the highest attendance and lowest persistent absenteeism.  This is significant and exemplifies the strength of relationship that we have with you.

Please can I ask for your support in ensuring that all pupils return to school after half-term in full school uniform.  We will of course make adaptations in accordance with warm weather, but we do expect all pupils to wear their uniform including their school blazer.

I will update you on our progress later in the summer, but in the meantime, I would like to wish you a restful and enjoyable half-term break when it arrives.

Yours faithfully

Stuart Wetson
Headteacher

St Mary’s hit the ground running, and scored within the first 5 minutes, and went in at the break 9-1 up.  We were probably not quite as clinical as we could have been in the second half, but 4 further goals followed to leave the final score 13-1.  For the record, centre forward, Marco G, scored an amazing 6 goals, and his strike partner and captain, Kacper L, bagged a brace, as did Jack C, with one apiece for Fin G, Will G and Reuben T.

Squad from: Jacub P, NatHan G, Wiktor Ni, Zak W, Will G, Jack C, Reuben T, Ben H, Fin G, Marco G, Kacper L, Dom P, Charlie W, Jesse J, Ewan B, Jake D, Dan S.

Red Wednesday is an annual event organised by Aid to the Church in Need. 

The aim of this global campaign is to highlight the suffering experienced by Christians and also people of other faiths and beliefs, including Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Hindus. In many countries throughout the world people are persecuted or discriminated against because of their faith or beliefs.

We marked the end of the month of Holy Souls with a service in the chapel During the service staff and pupils were invited to come forward one at a time, to light a candle for those friends or family who are no longer with us. The candles we lit were  symbols of Christ who brings us to everlasting life. There was also the opportunity to write the names of their loved ones in our Book of Remembrance.

From (very) bright outfits to face paints and wigs, St Mary’s truly brightened up in support of the Harvest campaign with CAFOD on October 13^th – helping to build a brighter world! We are all too keenly aware of the suffering endured by so many around the world, and students at St Mary’s are doing what they can to live out the greatest commandment to “love thy neighbour”.

This year, we hosted the widest variety of fundraisers to date – netball tournaments, face painting, name the bear, hot chocolate sales, discos, name the Pokémon toy, to name a few. The students were wonderfully enthusiastic in their participation, with year groups coming together to promote and support each other. Some of the fundraising even began during Open Evening for prospective parents, with our CAFOD club students engaging in conversations about the campaign and what these donations can achieve. To date, students have raised £1610.63, and there are still chocolate hampers being raffled off!

This money will make a real difference to the lives of those suffering the greatest in the world. In real terms, this money could help teach over 160 children to read or supply 44 families with a supply of clean water, or even pay for 5 mobile health teams that can reach the most remote and vulnerable communities.

A special mention has to go to Mr Watson for his unbelievably yellow suit and Kermit the Frog tie, and Ruby in Year 7 for her minion costume – both were voted as Best Dressed by the CAFOD club!

Donations can still be made via the CAFOD website at https://cafod.org.uk/

God Bless,

Miss C Leslie (Teacher of RE and CAFOD club co-ordinator)

Thursday 5^th October 2023, 4.30-8.00pm

Stuart Wetson, Headteacher will address parents at 6.00pm and again at 7.00pm in the Main Hall.

Tours of the school will take place before, after and in-between the presentations by the Headteacher.

A final bell will ring at 8.00pm to mark the end of the evening.

We welcome applicants for September 2024 from Catholic children, those of other Christian denominations and from children whose parents wish them to be educated in a Catholic environment.

Open Mornings

Monday 9^th, Tuesday 10^th and Wednesday 11^th October 2023 all at 9.15am

There is no need to make an appointment for the Open Evening, but please call or email the school to make an appointment for one of the Open mornings as places are limited.

Telephone:        01432 850416

Email:                    sturley@st-maryshigh.hereford.sch.uk

There were also some exceptional individual performances amongst the pupils, with Julia Janusz gaining an impressive nine Grade 9’s and Madeleine Evans, Jago Frost and Ben Hawkyard all achieving eight Grade 9’s across their various subjects.

Headteacher Stuart Wetson paid tribute to the excellent performance of the pupils and the support of the staff at the school: “These results reflect the hard work and dedication of the pupils within the year group and the unwavering support of our talented and committed staff team. There has been a lot of national media coverage about more challenging grade boundaries and a return to pre-pandemic levels, so to hit these heights and standards is very encouraging indeed. I am so proud of our pupils and want to wish them every success for their next steps and the future”

Please ensure your child has PE kit, water bottle and wears suncreen.  

Please see the attachment below for more information about the day.

Many thanks

PE Department

https://inourplace.heiapply.com/online-learning/course/122

This course is about understanding how the coronavirus pandemic may have affected your child or children emotionally.

It starts with a brief look at your experience of the COVID pandemic and then moves onto thinking about your child or children.

This is a very short course, introducing some ideas about the impact of the pandemic on your child. It may take you about 30 minutes to complete.

You may have noticed that your child’s interests have changed since returning to school, or that your child is more anxious, or you might be worried about their social life. This course may help you to process the impact of the pandemic on your child. There are some things to think about here, but the course isn't full of answers, as it's a very short course. You may have some thoughts about your child or children as you do the course.

There are, however, ideas for supporting your child in our in depth course 'Understanding your child' or in 'Understanding your child with additional needs'. There are also several other courses available in our courses library. Something for everyone!

If you are struggling to access/download photos of your child please email itsupport@st-maryshigh.hereford.sch.uk 

The Pallium is a simple woollen vestment that is worn over the chasuble, and is the symbol of the bishop as a good shepherd. During his inauguration Mass, the late Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this symbolism - “The symbolism of the pallium is even more concrete: the lamb's wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life.” Each new Archbishop is given a new pallium as a sign of his communion with the Successor of St Peter.

It was a delight to celebrate this momentous occasion with members of the Cardiff and Menevia Dioceses, including teachers and pupils from many other Catholic schools across the Cardiff Diocese. It was especially thrilling to hear the Cathedral filled with voices in a rousing rendition of “Guide me, O thou great redeemer”!

Following the Mass, His Grace was kind enough to take some photos with us. He was incredibly touched by our presence at the Mass, and expressed his gratitude, thanking us for making the journey from Hereford to be there to celebrate with him.

This unique experience will live long in the memory for our students (and hopefully not just because we had home-made Welsh cakes and a McDonald’s)!

Miss C Leslie (Teacher of RE)

To vote, you will need to make a purchase within store of any value.  You will receive one token per transaction.

Please see below a list of stores taking part in the voting:

1. Tupsley Express
2. Hereford Holme Lacy Express
3. Hereford, Bewell Square
4. Hereford, Belmont
5. Buckingham Express, Whitecross Road

Voting is open until the end of September 2023.  The project with the highest number of votes across the region will receive £1,500.

Please share this with your family and friends and help us to raise money for the school.

Thank you for your continued support.

St Mary’s R.C. High School