Awards and Accreditations
Inclusive Quality Mark, Centre of Excellence Status
We are delighted to have renewed this award in January 2024 and to continue our ongoing status as an IQM Centre of Excellence.
Young Carers Angel Award
Young Carers Champion: Siobhan Creswell ELSA
In May 2024, St Mary’s welcomed Russell Minns from Surrey Young Carers to renew our Young Carers Angel Award, an award that is made to schools that demonstrate they are actively supporting young carers. Schools must meet eight standards, checked by the Surrey Young Carer staff and young carers. These include having a carers’ champion, a carers support group, training for staff and assemblies about young carers to help all pupils understand the issues that our young carers face. The group also supports pupils to self-identify and find the help they need in a caring environment. We are delighted to have renewed this award and grateful for the hard work and compassionate support our young carers receive from the Home School Link Worker (HSLW) and Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) who run the group.
Young Carers Champion: Siobhan Creswell ELSA
Supported by Action for Carers Surrey, we have an active and supportive Young Carers Group in our school. We meet every half term in an informal setting to come together to chat, share experiences and have some fun. We occasionally take the children out of school and thanks to the generosity of Ben Webb of www.surreyhillsandrivers.co.uk we recently visited Imbhams Farm near Haslemere where the children had the chance to feed lambs, relax in a safe farm setting and learn some interesting facts about the countryside right on our doorstep. Our focus is on inclusion and respect, we treat all the children with compassion and understanding and aim to make a difference to our Young Carers in school.
More information on Action for Young Carers Surrey can be found on their website
https://www.actionforcarers.org.uk/who-we-help/young-carers-under-18/
If you’d like to get in touch with Surrey Young Carers or to find out more about the service and how it can help, please call 01483 568 269 or email syc@actionforcarers.org.uk
Heritage Award
Celebrating Our Local Heritage: St. Mary's School's Heritage Week
As the autumn leaves (and rain) began to fall, there was a palpable sense of excitement at St. Mary's School, all thanks to the remarkable Heritage Schools initiative from Historic England in collaboration with Surrey Heritage and Surrey Museums Partnership. The driving force behind this endeavour was to instil a deep sense of pride in our local heritage among the children while allowing them to understand its significance in the broader national narrative and create stronger community bonds.
For St. Mary's School, this initiative meant embarking on an adventure that would not only educate the students but also bring the entire community together. The heart of this venture was the Chiddingfold local walk, a week-long program that catered to students of all ages and skill levels. The activities were designed to match the abilities of the children, and they encompassed a wide range of skills, from map reading and history to computing, literacy, and art.
Students practised reading Chiddingfold maps (some as old as 1880) and planned a walk, fostering their map-reading and navigation abilities. They explored important buildings and places in Chiddingfold, the Village archives, the Crown, Ramster Hall and Gardens, Jack Salway’s magical garden, Pied Piper Theatre, Cordelia’s artistic cottage and St Mary’s Church, which allowed students to delve into the village's rich history.
The children honed their digital skills by creating photos and videos to document their journey. They were inspired to write a poem to express their feelings about the village. They engaged in artistic endeavours, such as mark making, sketching, painting, and creating collages inspired by the village's beauty.
One of the most significant aspects of the Heritage Week was the opportunity for students to meet and learn from the village's own community members. Listening to their stories, understanding their life experiences, and seeing their work in Chiddingfold instilled a deep admiration for the village and its history. A magnificent display showcasing different facets of the village was created, reflecting the hard work and dedication of the students. The success of Heritage Week would not have been possible without the support of numerous individuals and groups, including volunteers, the Chiddingfold Lunch Club, parents, grandparents, and neighbours. Their involvement was instrumental in bridging the gap between the village and the school children, reinforcing the idea that community spirit is the backbone of any local heritage initiative. The valuable contributions of our local artist, John Worth, played a pivotal role throughout the week, and the video he created using the Chiddingfold walk memories footage was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Heritage Week at St. Mary's School evolved into a commemoration of community, culture, and historical heritage. It left an enduring impression on students, teachers, and the community at large, emphasising the significance of preserving and treasuring our local legacy. We hope the heritage of Chiddingfold endures within the hearts and minds of its young inhabitants.
Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the wonderful individuals who contributed to the realisation of this project, offering their time and resources to make this week truly exceptional. Special thanks to Louise Cartledge, Su McKie, Phil Darley, Jack Salway, Beverley Draper, Rosie Glaister, Hannah Hall, Tina Williams, Iona and Chris Everett, Christine Tebbot, Ruth Goddard, Gill Beckwith, Jane Bell, Mark Harrison from King Edward’s school, Cordelia Hampton John, and John Worth. This project simply would not have come to life without your generous support and participation.
Agnieszka Ryder
Y3 Class Teacher and History Subject Lead
The video representing our Heritage Week was skillfully produced by the talented local artist John Worth, with support from Cordelia Hampton-John. We deeply appreciate the dedication and hard work that went into creating this wonderful, enduring commemoration of our Heritage Week.
