St Marie's Mission Statement
"LEARNING THROUGH FAITH, LOVE AND RESPECT"

 

At the heart of every Catholic School is the need to come to know Christ as revealed in the Gospels and to reflect his teachings in the daily life of the school.

 

In providing a Christian education we aim to:

Develop an awareness that, through Baptism, we are all children of God and in being so, should respect and care for each other in our School Life. These values should enrich the home Life of the children which, in turn, will deepen their awareness of the needs of the wider community.

 

Instruct the children in the teachings of the Church, thus giving them a knowledge of the Faith and an experience of the Living Liturgy.

 

Prepare the children for and encourage regular meetings with Christ in the sacraments. This work will be shared with parents and parishioners.

 

Encourage prayer, both in private and together, as a means of deepening the children's relationship with God our Father.

 

Teachers who are fully committed to a Catholic Education and reflect its values will strive to achieve these aims.

 

Aims and Objectives of St Marie's Catholic School

 

1. To foster the spiritual and moral development of the children within the context of the Catholic faith

2. To provide a welcoming, happy, safe environment where children can develop self respect, a sense of individual worth and are able to cooperate with and show consideration to others

3. To provide a stimulating learning environment within which uniqueness is recognised and individual gifts and talents from God are nurtured and developed

4. To foster independent learning and develop skills for the future

5. To develop and maintain positive relationships between parents, the parish, LEA and the wider community

6. To provide high quality leadership in all areas of school life

 

A Brief History of St Marie's

Catholic education in Standish can be traced back over 175 years to 1829. Originally provided at the Hermitage until 1865 when a Catholic Day School was begun in a cottage at the Cat i'th Window on Almond Brook Road. A main school building was erected close by in 1869 and provided education on this site for almost 100 years until 1966.

 

In 1963 the original school buildings were seriously damaged by mining subsidence and permission was granted for a new school on a different site in Avondale Street, Standish. On January 25th 1965, the Rev. Dr. Malone, Parish Priest, performed the ceremony of "Cutting the First Sod "and the first phase of the new building was completed In April 1966. In January 1969 there were 343 pupils on roll but the opening of St. Bernadette’s at Shevington improved the crowded condition.

 

Two more classrooms and an art area were added in 1979, a new Key Stage 1 classroom was built in 2000 and an area of the school was  converted to house a marvellous ICT suite. In the year 2002 a new Key Stage 2 classroom was built. During the summer of 2003 the playground was extended and with the help of the school council the children decided what markings they wanted on the playground.

At the end of 2004 the foyer area was extended to make room for a bigger staff room and admin offices. Class One also has a new door like Class Two.

During the summer of 2004 a new outdoor play area was made outside the reception classes, this is enjoyed by both school and nursery. This has recently been revived as a result of a successful  Lotteries bid .