Welcome

Sshh... there’s a secret place in Islington...

Tucked away between Upper Street and Essex Road, behind the bustle of one of London’s liveliest neighbourhoods, you will find St Mary’s Church of England Primary School. We are a rare oasis of calm in the heart of Islington: a school with a rich history, strong community and a very clear belief that every child is precious and loved by God.

At St Mary’s, we want children to be known. Not simply as names on a register or results on a page, but as individuals with their own strengths, interests, experiences and possibilities. Nurture, Aspire, Compassion and Empower shape the experience we want for every child: to be known and supported; to develop curiosity, confidence and ambition; to notice and care for others; and to find their own voice, agency and capacity to make a difference.

That begins with nurture, but it certainly does not end there. We are ambitious for our children. We want them to read widely, think deeply, ask difficult questions, reason, create, perform, explore and discover what they are capable of. Our curriculum reaches well beyond the classroom, drawing on the extraordinary opportunities around us in Islington and London and on partnerships that bring expertise and experiences into school.

A child at St Mary’s might sing with specialist teachers through our St Paul’s Cathedral Choral Partnership, grow and investigate in our Secret Garden, discover a new world in our Family Library, learn an instrument, lead change through our Rights Respecting work, explore the natural world through our environmental learning, or stand up and perform for others. These are not extras around the edges of education. They are part of how children discover their interests, build confidence and learn to let their light shine.

We are proudly inclusive. Children arrive at St Mary’s with different starting points, strengths and needs, and our responsibility is to know them well enough to understand what will help each of them flourish. Sometimes that means challenge; sometimes encouragement; sometimes additional support. It always means maintaining high expectations while ensuring that children experience school as a place where they belong.

Our Christian character runs through this. Faith at St Mary’s is expressed not only through worship but through relationships, service and the way we treat one another. We want children to understand that compassion requires us to notice, include, serve and act, and that their gifts can be used not only for themselves but for others and for the world around them.

There is something special about growing up at St Mary’s. Children are surrounded by the energy and opportunity of London, yet come each day into a small, nurturing community where they can be known, challenged, encouraged and loved. By the time they leave us, we want them to know more, understand more and be able to do more. But we also want them to know themselves: to have confidence in their abilities, compassion for others, curiosity about the world and the courage to take their place within it.

Know me. Teach me. Connect with me. Help me to shine.

Welcome to St Mary’s.

Anthony David
Executive Headteacher