St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Bicester

04/09/2026

⛪ Starting Our Year Together in Faith 🙏

Today, our whole school community came together at church for our first Mass of the new school year.

It was a wonderful opportunity for pupils, parents and staff to gather in prayer.

A very special way to start the year, reminding us that our faith is at the heart of all that we do at St Mary’s. 💙

03/09/2026

Today Mrs Horton received some surprise Amazon parcels! Jigsaw puzzles for her class and after school club 🧩

Thank you to our puzzling puzzle purchaser 😊

17/07/2026

Well, we've come to the end our residential- what a week it has been!

Today we went to a local river for a wild swim; it was very cold but we soon got used to it. We spotted fish and froglets and enjoyed a good splash around.

After warm sausage rolls and a slice of birthday cake, we celebrated our successes from the week.

Unfortunately, our coach is delayed BUT we look forward to seeing you all soon and sharing our wonderful adventures!

17/07/2026

🌿 Year 6 Residential – Day 4 at Yenworthy Lodge! 🌿

We've received another late night update from Miss Kennedy:

Our final full day is complete! It has been a brilliant day spent on the beach with blazing sun and a little wind. Wetsuits, rash vests and boots on, we took to the sand to learn how to stand on a surfboard and balance- then we hit the waves!

Who knew the children were so talented! It was incredible how quickly we mastered standing and riding the waves. We ran across surf boards; had a splash fight and a race in the sea- everyone was very wet and salty! Showers on return were essential!

For dinner we enjoyed burgers and chips out on the decking, followed by choc ices- delicious! After we had packed our belongings, we gathered to watch a film together in the lounge with a few tasty snacks.

Tomorrow we will be taking a wild swim in a river before we set off for Bicester. We are all looking forward to seeing our families and sleeping in our own beds.

16/07/2026

🌿 Year 6 Residential – Day 3 at Yenworthy Lodge! 🌿

Wednesday's report is in:

Another great day here at Yenworthy! This morning we were all very tired and most of us were still in bed asleep when Miss Kennedy and Mrs Hill woke us up, but the promise of a bacon bap soon made us get ready for a day of kayaking. Swimming gear on and wetsuits ready, we set off in the minibuses. We saw wild ponies and highland cows and navigated our way up and down very steep hills. Warm pasties were on the menu for lunch today- yummy!

Next, it was time to get out on the water! It was nice and warm but there was a fairly strong wind which made it more of a challenge not to drift off further into the reservoir. We practised using our paddles with our partner to go forwards and backwards and turn, this required a lot of communication and some of us ended up in the water. We played many games all of which involved us getting even wetter: standing on kayaks, rescuing friends and a race into the water. Porridge cookies were a welcome treat before we set off home for jacket potatoes.

Our nighttime activity was extremely fun, we all had 'lives' and ran around a lot, being caught by 'element', 'disease', 'human' and 'lorries'. Although England lost, we enjoyed staying up for a few snacks and watching it with friends. Tomorrow we are surfing!

15/07/2026

🌿 Year 6 Residential – Day 2 at Yenworthy Lodge! 🌿

We've received another late night update from Miss Kennedy:

What another fabulous day! We awoke at 7:30am to a breakfast of cereal, yoghurt and warm chocolate croissants.

Everyone has been assigned daily duty groups and are becoming experts in serving food, cleaning tables, vacuuming, recycling and making wraps for lunch!

It wasn't long after that we set off for a day on the beach- and what a day we had! After hearing about the Lynmouth floods, we completed a scavenger hunt to find treasures, some of which dated back to the 1950s. Then we worked in groups to create beach art using natural resources: turtles, Poseidon and a trident were some creative examples seen.

We had a filling lunch with a variety of wraps, crisps, fruit and biscuits devoured before we began an afternoon of climbing and rock pooling. Fears were conquered, challenges faced and a number of creatures found- including an eel!

Finally, we finished with a scramble over rocks and into the sea and got very wet! We are all now showered- it was much needed! Dinner consisted of sweet and sour chicken followed by a tasty sponge.

Our evening activities were orienteering and the zip wire, this tested our ability to work as a group and communicate effectively as well as let out our excitement with a big scream. We ended watching part of the football- many were pleased with Spain's victory- but very tired and ready for bed. Tomorrow we will be out on the water kayaking in our wetsuits.

14/07/2026

🏖️ Yenworthy Update! ☀️

A quick lunchtime update from our Year 6 adventurers...

What better place to enjoy lunch than on a beautiful sandy beach! 🌊 The children are making the most of every moment of their residential, with stunning views, fresh sea air and plenty more adventures still to come this afternoon.

We hope they're enjoying every minute! 💙

14/07/2026

🌊 A new addition to The Harbour! 💙

We are delighted to share the latest addition to The Harbour, our dedicated sensory space.

Our new sensory egg chair provides a comfortable, calming place for children who may need a quiet moment to regulate their emotions, recharge, or simply enjoy some peaceful time away from the busy school day. Its enclosed design helps create a sense of security, supporting children with self-regulation, emotional wellbeing and sensory needs.

This sensory egg chair was always part of our vision for The Harbour, and we are thrilled to see it finally in place. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our school community, alongside our successful fundraising efforts, we have been able to create a nurturing space that reflects our commitment to ensuring every child has access to the support they need to thrive.

We know this special addition will make a real difference to many of our pupils, and we are so grateful to everyone who helped make The Harbour a reality. 💙

14/07/2026

🌿 Year 6 Residential – Day 1 at Yenworthy Lodge! 🌿

Miss Kennedy sent us an update late last night when everyone was safely tucked up in bed:

Well, we are finally asleep after a fantastic first day at Yenworthy! We stopped at Sedgemoor services for a quick toilet stop and snack and were soon on our way again. Unfortunately, we hit traffic and it took us just under 3 hours to finally arrive at Yenworthy Lodge.

After navigating big hills and winding roads we were most definitely ready for our lunch! We unpacked and made our beds and soon set off on the low ropes course. Here we were able to work together as a team: encouraging and supporting each other. We crawled through tyres, balanced on beams and swung our way through the trees- it was fabulous!

Next was time for dinner- spaghetti bolognaise- delicious! And a sweet treat of apple crumble and hot custard! We finished the night with a walk on the moors, taking some time to appreciate our surroundings.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to climbing on the beach and challenging ourselves. We will also be rock pooling!

29/06/2026