It is my great privilege to welcome you to the family of St Mary’s, Whickham. St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, which has served the surrounding communities of Whickham and Lobley Hill for over 50 years, is so much more than just a school; we are a hub of education, faith and community, which welcomes all, and strives to develop the unique, God-given gifts and talents of all our pupils with an ethos underpinned by love.

Personally, I have had the honour of teaching, living and worshipping within the parish of St Mary’s for a number of years. It is with absolute assurance, therefore, that I can acknowledge how remarkable our pupils, staff and wider community are. Not only do pupils at St Mary’s achieve educationally – with academic performance comparing highly favourably against local and national benchmarks – but they also develop into respectful, responsible, resilient young people, with a multitude of gifts and talents, which have been fostered and honed by skilful and committed teachers who care deeply for each and every child they work with.

Please explore our school website to see some of the wonderful things we have going on in school each and every day, and should you be considering St Mary’s as the school for your child please do not hesitate to get in touch, as I would be delighted to show you and your family round in person. Please know that we welcome families of all faiths and none. We are keen to offer the best school experience for families who wish to work in partnership with us and share our vision, ethos and values no matter what your religious background or personal belief.

I trust that you will recognise for yourself how special our school and parish community is here at St Mary’s, and look forward to sharing a bright future together with you and your family.

Yours in Faithful Optimism,

Joseph Wheatley – Headteacher