St Bridget's C of E Primary School

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Our Values

Welcome to St Bridget's C of E Primary School

School Vision Statement

Inspiring, nurturing and educating our children to serve God by reaching their full potential, serving our local community and by looking after our environment as global citizens of today and tomorrow.

School Mission Statement

'Love your neighbour as yourself.' Luke 10:27

School Newsletter: 4th September 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we arrive at the end of our first week back, it has been an absolute pleasure to welcome all of the children back to school! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing summer. It has been lovely hearing the children share some of the exciting adventures they have had and the various places they visited over the holiday break. The school is already buzzing with enthusiasm and energy for the new academic year ahead.

Site & Building Work Update

Over the summer, the ongoing building and roof work at the back of the school has continued to progress, though unfortunately not quite as quickly as I was hoping.

You will have noticed the building equipment and materials currently stationed at the front of the school. Please can I ask for your support in ensuring that your children stay well away from all construction areas and equipment at drop-off and pick-up times for their safety. Thank you for your cooperation and patience while these essential works are completed.

Staffing & Teaching Updates

In the final week of last term, Mr Coughlin was seconded to St. Andrew’s to take on the role of Acting Deputy Headteacher starting this September. While the timing was certainly challenging for our school to manage at the very end of term, it was an important step to support another school within our Trust as well as a fantastic professional opportunity for Mr Coughlin—we wish him every success in this leadership role!

Following this change, Mrs Ross will now become the SENCO for our school.

To ensure consistency and stability for the children, we acted quickly to secure a full-time teacher for the class. I am delighted to share that Miss James will be the full-time class teacher for Class 8 from September. Having previously taught at St. Bridget’s, Miss James is a highly valued member of our school community, and having her in Class 8 on a full-time basis will provide excellent continuity for the children’s academic progress and daily routines.

Celebrating National Awards Success!

We are starting the term on a huge high with some fantastic national recognition for our school:

Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction: We are very pleased to share that the hard work of our learners and staff at West Kirby St Bridget's CofE Primary School has paid off—we have officially achieved the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award with Distinction! This is an exceptional accomplishment and a testament to our ongoing commitment to environmental education and sustainability.
School Games Mark Platinum Award: Our latest School Games Mark application has now been finalised, and we are proud to announce that St. Bridget's has achieved the prestigious Platinum Award this year! This recognises our dedication to physical education, school sport, and competitive opportunities for all children. Notably, our introduction of OPAL play was highlighted as a very positive feature for our school and pupils.

DfE Attendance Update

I have recently met with the Wirral Attendance Officer, who shared updated statutory guidance from the Department for Education. Recent guidance confirms that while penalty notices are ordinarily issued once the national threshold for unauthorised absence has been met (10 sessions / 5 days), Local Authorities retain the discretion to issue a penalty notice prior to reaching this threshold under specific circumstances.

This discretionary power may be exercised where there is evidence that a parent is deliberately seeking to avoid the national threshold—for example:

Taking multiple periods of term-time leave that fall just below the threshold.
Repeated unauthorised absences for occasions such as birthdays, family events, or non-essential activities.
Patterns of absence that indicate intentional avoidance of attendance requirements.

Where such circumstances apply, the Local Authority, following discussion with the school, may determine that issuing a penalty notice is appropriate and proportionate. Schools may also question the reasons provided for an absence and ask for further evidence where the information does not adequately explain the absence. This helps ensure that all decisions are fair and consistent with statutory guidance and the Local Code of Conduct.

SEND Updates & Support

There are a number of SEND updates and helpful resources now available on our school website, with key highlights including:

Wirral SEND Offer & SENDLO: Information regarding local services and support across education, health, and social care for families with children aged 0–25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
School Nursing Drop-In Sessions: Held every Thursday from 3:00pm–5:00pm (including school holidays) on the 1st floor of St Catherine's Health Centre.
Free Parental Support via Togetherness: Wirral Family Hubs are sponsoring free access to Togetherness, an online learning platform developed by psychologists to support emotional health, wellbeing, and relationships. You can access it at Togetherness Wirral using the access code MERSEY.
Advanced Solutions Community Network: Open-access support for the emotional health and wellbeing of neurodivergent children and their families.
Vaccination Support: Dedicated guidance from GOV.UK on supporting vaccination for children and young people with SEND.

You can view full details and direct links here.

Dates & Meetings

Curriculum Meetings for Parents

These meetings are a great chance to meet your child’s teacher and hear about the curriculum and organisation for the coming year:

Wednesday 9th Sept: EYFS General Information Parents (2:50pm)
Monday 14th Sept: Year 1 (4:30pm)
Tuesday 15th Sept: Year 3 (4:30pm)
Wednesday 16th Sept: Year 2 (4:30pm)
Thursday 17th Sept: Year 4 (4:30pm)
Tuesday 22nd Sept: Year 5 (4:30pm)
Wednesday 23rd Sept: Year 6 (4:30pm)

Mental Health Team Visit

Wednesday 29th Sept (from 9:00am): A member of the Mental Health team will be in school. Tea and coffee will be provided—all parents are welcome to drop in.

INSET Days for 2026–2027