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St Peter’s RC Primary School

Headeacher: John Peoples

Information

• St Peter’s is a Roman Catholic Primary School for boys and girls aged from four to eleven years of age.
• Our school serves the Catholic community of The Most Holy Redeemer Parish and part of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Wickford.
• The school is set in a rural location and has as excellent setting. There are over three hundred pupils in our school. All are baptised Catholic children as part of the Admissions Criteria.
• Every attempt is made by the school to serve Catholic families of the Parish. As Cardinal Hume has said "The Church’s aim has always been to provide a place at a Catholic school for every Catholic child."
• St Peter’s is a high-achieving school academically and seeks to develop the whole child through a broad and balanced curriculum The school has a strong tradition in music, sport and art as well as a wide range of extra-curricular activity The school values each child as an individual and that the best education for a Catholic child is the result of the partnership of Home, School and Parish.

The School’s Mission Statement says: 

• St. Peter’s, as a Catholic School, is committed to sustaining and further developing a Christ-centred, safe and welcoming environment in which all members of our school community may flourish.

Our Vision is that:

• Each child’s potential is recognised and developed as fully as possible.
• The confidence and self-esteem of each child is enhanced through access to a relevant curriculum.
• We recognise and meet the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and academic needs of every child in our care.

St Peter’s School Governors

The Governing Body of St Peter’s is made up of seven Foundation Governors, one elected Parent Governor, two elected Teacher Governors, and one representative from Essex County Council, one from Basildon District Council and the Head teacher as an ex-officio member. There is also a Clerk to the governing Body, who plays an important part in ensuring that the Governing Body’s work is well organised.
Foundation Governors, who are appointed by the Bishop to protect the Catholic ethos of the School, must outnumber the rest. At least one must be a parent of a pupil at the time of the appointment. Foundation Governors are appointed on the recommendation of the Parish Priest, Head teacher and Chairman of Governors. The School has recently adopted the system of creating a shortlist of potential Governors, which should consist of people who have some current or past experience of real commitment to the School.
There are at least three full Governing Body meetings each School year, plus an Annual Meeting with the parents. Governors are expected to join two of the four main sub-committees (Curriculum, Finance, Personnel and Premises), which have delegated responsibility for implementing the policy of the Governing Body. These sub-committees should meet at least once a term to discuss the issues delegated to them and to report subsequently to the full Governing Body.
The Governing Body has adopted a Code of Practice, which commits the Governors to visit the School, and keep up-to-date with current legislation by undergoing training provided by the Local Education Authority. Governors are obliged to act as a collective body, irrespective of personal views and must maintain confidentiality at all times in discharging their duties. Being a School Governor does, therefore, require a significant commitment, but it can be very rewarding, working with such dedicated staff and such wonderful children.

Statement by the Bishops of England & Wales on Catholic Schools

We are blessed in most areas of our countries with a splendid system of Catholic Schools. This has been achieved through the great generosity of our Catholic people, the support and loyalty of parents, the faith and devotion of our teachers, religious and lay and the considerable financial State Aid we have received. It has been and remains the unswerving policy of the Bishops to provide and preserve Catholic schools wherever possible. It is our conviction that they have an indispensable role in the Catholic upbringing and formation of the children. The Bishops now wish to re- affirm this conviction and their unqualified support of our Catholic Schools.

The Catholic School is not just a place where the pupils learn the truths of our Faith; they become familiar with the Church and her liturgy especially the Mass - the source and summit of the whole Gospel message. At best the Catholic school is a living and caring community of Faith, an extension of the home, and an integral part of the Catholic community. We can all be rightly proud of our achievement and of the very significant and distinctive contribution our schools make to education as a whole in our countries. Our schools are not divisive; rather they provide a positive service to the wider community in teaching and upholding our Christian standards and values. The Church has owed and continues to owe much to its schools. Our experience in this country is that the Catholic school is alive and well. The Bishops are committed to its continued existence and development. We must remind all Catholic parents of their duty to educate their children in the knowledge and practice of our Faith. We urge upon the whole Catholic community, especially parents, the importance of supporting their Catholic schools, and entrusting their children to them.