Parent Voice Summer 2026

A huge thank you to all of our families for your thoughtful and generous responses to our latest request for parent voice. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping the ongoing development of our school, helping us to refine what we do well and strengthen the areas that matter most to you and your children. We are committed to working in partnership with our community, and your insights continue to guide our decisions, enrich our curriculum and support the high‑quality education we strive to provide every day.
Here are some headlines of the most recent survey:
Question
You said
We did/will (our response)
Do you feel St Mary's provides a safe and welcoming environment for your child? 98.1% of you said ‘Yes’
1.9% of you said ‘Sometimes’.
0% of you said ‘No’.		 While this is a very small proportion, every parent’s voice matters, and we take this feedback seriously. We have reviewed the comments provided by the 1.9% of parents and have followed this up individually, where appropriate, to better understand their experiences.
Staff will continue to prioritise positive, respectful interactions with all families, especially at busy times such as drop‑off and collection.
We are strengthening our visitor and site‑safety procedures to ensure they remain clear, consistent and visible to all parents/carers.
We will continue to promote a culture of kindness, inclusion and welcome, rooted in our Catholic mission and values.
Parents/carers are encouraged to speak directly with a member of the leadership team if they ever feel unsure, unwelcome or worried about safety so that concerns can be addressed promptly.
How well does St Mary's promote values such as respect, kindness and inclusion? 94.2% of you said ‘Yes’.
5.8% of you said ‘Sometimes’.
0% of you said ‘No’.		 We are proud that so many parents feel the school embodies these values, and we will continue to ensure they remain central to our daily practice. We will continue strengthening our inclusive culture through adaptive teaching, pastoral support and celebrating diversity.
We will use this feedback to reinforce what is working well and to identify any small areas where we can deepen our approach even further.
Does your child enjoy coming to school? 90.4% of you said ‘Yes’.
9.6% of you said ‘Sometimes’.
0% of you said ‘No’.		 We are delighted that so many children look forward to school and we will continue nurturing this positive climate.
Staff will keep planning engaging lessons, enriching experiences and supportive routines that help children thrive.
We will continue listening to pupil voice to ensure school remains a place where children feel motivated, valued and eager to learn.
For the small number of children who may not always feel this way, we will work closely with families to understand their needs and strengthen their sense of belonging.
Do you feel your child is making good progress in their learning? 94.2% of you said ‘Yes.
5.8% of you said ‘Sometimes’.
0% of you said ‘No’.		 We are delighted that so many parents can see the progress their child is making.
Staff will continue to use careful assessment, targeted support and well‑sequenced teaching to help every child move forward from their starting points.
We will keep strengthening communication with families through curriculum overviews, parent meetings and regular updates.
For the small number of parents who feel unsure about their child’s progress, we will continue to offer additional opportunities to discuss learning needs and next steps (or any other barriers they may have).
Do you feel you receive regular updates about your child's progress towards their SEND targets and next steps ? 91.5% of you said ‘Yes’
8.5% of you said ‘It could be improved.’		 Parents value the clear communication from teachers and the SEND team.
Families feel well informed about how their child is progressing and what they are working on next.
Many commented positively on the school’s inclusive ethos, noting that staff take time to explain strategies and celebrate small steps of progress.
For the small number of parents who feel they would benefit from more frequent or clearer updates, we will offer additional opportunities to discuss their child’s plan and progress through meetings at the start of the year (to go through your child’s one page profile) and informal coffee mornings next academic year which will be targeted for parents/carers of children with additional needs.
Do you feel the school's behaviour expectations are clear and consistently applied? 96.2% of you said ‘Yes’
3.8% of you said ‘Not always’
0% of you said ‘No’		 We are delighted that parents recognise the clarity and consistency of our behaviour approach. Please be reminded of our behaviour policy here: Behaviour and Anti Bullying Policy .pdf
Staff will continue to use routines, restorative conversations and positive reinforcement to help children make good choices.
We will keep reviewing our systems to ensure they remain fair, transparent and aligned with our values and we will continue to remind staff, at regular points throughout the year, of behaviour systems.
For the small number of parents who feel unsure, we will provide additional opportunities to discuss our behaviour policy and how it supports their child, including how we can offer additional support to children who struggle with specific behaviours.
Are you informed about what your child is learning in school (e.g. curriculum maps and knowledge organisers)? 94.2% of you said ‘Yes’
3.8% of you said ‘Sometimes’
1.9% of you said ‘No’		 We are delighted that parents find our curriculum communication helpful and accessible.
Staff will continue to provide consistent updates, including half-termly curriculum information, knowledge organisers and subject‑specific guidance. Please be reminded that all of our curriculum information is also found on our website: https://stmaryscpa.co.uk/curriculum/curriculum-vision-overview/
We will keep refining these resources to ensure they remain clear, parent‑friendly and aligned with our curriculum design.
During our Meet the Teacher session before the summer, we will also share curriculum information to all parents/carers.
How effective is the school’s communication with parents (e.g. newsletters, emails, social media, updates)? 78.8% said ‘Very effective’
17.3% said ‘Ok’
3.8% said ‘Could be improved’		 Parents appreciate the weekly newsletters, email updates, and social media posts that keep them informed.
Many families feel communication is clear, regular and helpful for planning ahead.
We will review our communication schedule to ensure messages are clear, consistent and not overwhelming.
For parents who would benefit from more notice or clearer organisation, we will strengthen advance communication of key dates and events.
Please be reminded to update us if your contact details change (phone number or email address) as all of our communication is via Arbor. In addition to Arbor, parents/carers have the option of looking at our school Facebook page, where we duplicate information and also share celebrations.
Do you feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or concerns? 98.1% said ‘Yes’
1.9% said ‘Could be improved’
0% said ‘No’		 The overwhelming majority of parents told us they feel comfortable approaching the school. This reflects the welcoming culture we strive to create and the commitment of staff to being accessible, supportive and responsive. Families appreciate the open communication channels, including face‑to‑face conversations, phone calls and email contact. Please be reminded that you can also contact class teachers via the year group email addresses.
Staff will continue to prioritise positive relationships, ensuring parents feel heard, respected and supported.
We will maintain clear pathways for communication so families know who to contact and how concerns will be followed up.
For the very small number of parents who may feel less confident, we will offer additional reassurance and opportunities to connect with staff in ways that feel comfortable for them.
Does the school support your child’s emotional wellbeing? 90.4% of you said ‘Yes’
9.6% of you said ‘Unsure’
0% of you said ‘No’		 Many families commented on the positive impact of pastoral support, including check‑ins, wellbeing activities and nurturing spaces.
Staff will continue to prioritise warm relationships, emotional regulation strategies and early intervention when children need extra help.
We will keep strengthening our wellbeing offer through assemblies, our PSHE curriculum, pastoral programmes and opportunities for pupil voice.
Further details regarding how we support your child can be seen on our wellbeing page of our website: https://stmaryscpa.co.uk/safeguarding-and-wellbeing/wellbeing/
and also on our PSHE curriculum page: https://stmaryscpa.co.uk/curriculum/curriculum-subjects/pshe/
Does the school encourage good attendance and punctuality? 100% of you said ‘Yes’ All parents (100%) told us that the school actively encourages good attendance and punctuality. Staff will continue to promote strong routines, ensuring children start each day calmly and ready to learn.
We will maintain our rigorous tracking and supportive conversations with families to address any emerging concerns quickly.
We will keep celebrating excellent attendance and punctuality to reinforce positive habits.
Is there a good range of enrichment opportunities available for your child over the year (educational visits, activity clubs, workshops and off-timetable days)? 80.8% of you said ‘Yes’
17.3% of you said ‘It could be improved’
1.9% of you said ‘No’		 The majority of parents (80.8%) told us that the school provides a good range of enrichment opportunities. This feedback highlights the value families place on clubs, trips, themed days, sporting events, arts activities and wider experiences that help children grow, explore and thrive.
We are proud of the huge variety of enrichment activities we offer—far more than is typically available in many primary schools.
Most of our clubs, events and experiences are heavily subsidised or completely free, ensuring every child can take part regardless of circumstance.
Staff will continue to plan a rich programme of opportunities that support children’s talents, interests and wellbeing.
We will strengthen communication so parents have clear information about what is available and how to sign up.
For families who feel they may have missed opportunities, we will ensure reminders and updates are shared more consistently.
Do you feel you have opportunities to be involved in school life (e.g. family learning events, Stay and Pray, assemblies, volunteering)? 98.1% of you said ‘Yes’
1.9% of you said ‘It could be improved’		 We are delighted that so many parents feel involved and valued.
Staff will continue to offer a rich programme of family events, ensuring there are opportunities for all parents/carers to engage in ways that suit them.
We will keep promoting Stay and Pray, curriculum showcases, assemblies and volunteering roles so families can share in their child’s learning journey.
For the small number of parents who may feel less confident or unsure about how to get involved, we will provide clearer information and personal invitations if needed.
Additional comments/suggestions: Our response:
I would like to know more about pastoral support Pastoral support at St Mary’s is the day‑to‑day care that helps children feel safe, understood and ready to learn. It includes the relationships children build with trusted adults, the routines that help them feel secure and the guidance they receive when they face worries or challenges. Staff offer emotional support through check‑ins, restorative conversations and calm spaces; they teach children how to manage feelings, build friendships and solve problems; and they work closely with families to ensure every child’s needs are known and responded to. In addition to class teachers, Miss Blake is our pastoral leader who, alongside several other key staff, is trained in a variety of pastoral strategies: Thrive, Emotion Coaching, Brick Therapy, Art Therapy, Sand Therapy, Rainbows counselling and Trauma Informed Practice.
Some of the workshops could be more purposeful. We always try to give the workshops and family learning a focus - either linked to a national/internal event (e.g Olympics) or a theme which is important to our school (e.g. School of Sanctuary or Catholic Social Teaching). We will always welcome any feedback or suggestions with how we can improve our workshops.
It will be really helpful if we can receive the lunch menu for kids so we can be aware of what they are eating daily. The menus are all on our website and shared regularly with parents/carers. You can view them here: https://stmaryscpa.co.uk/parents/school-meals/
Would like more notice for stay and play events. We will make sure that we give parents/carers at least 4 weeks notice (unless these is a change of date due to unforeseen circumstances)