Welcome
Headteacher Message
I am delighted to welcome you to Ashford St Mary’s C of E VA Primary School website. I have the privilege of being the Headteacher of this wonderful school in the heart of Ashford.
Everything we do stems from our desire to see all children reach their own potential and to ensure that they are happy and secure whilst doing so. Our Christian vision underpins this:
To provide the children and adults of St. Mary’s with exceptional learning experiences, which offer opportunities to develop their unique skills and talents, underpinned by strong Christian values. Our nurturing environment will foster creativity and enable our children to make a positive contribution to society, enjoy life in all its fullness and to shine as lights in the world to the glory of God.
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Our Christian Values:
We have values to live by, not rules to follow, at ASM.
The staff are committed to providing the best quality of education and work tirelessly to do this. A Good Ofsted grade and an Outstanding SIAMS grade reflect the hard work put into the academic education and wellbeing of our pupils. St Mary’s has a family feel, a warmth and friendliness, which visitors often comment on and is central to our being. I would love to welcome you to our school in person, please contact the office if you would like to visit.
Mrs Hirst – Headteacher
Chair of Governors Message
Hello my name is Lizzie Worthen and I have the privilege of being the Chair of Governors. I am a Foundation Governor appointed by the Diocese of Canterbury and am proud to undertake this extremely important role. The Governing Body is there to work with and support the Headteacher and the school staff to ensure all the children get the best education possible whilst at Primary School. As Chair, I want to ensure that this education is delivered by motivated and inspirational staff and underpinned by an accountable leadership team with a strong vision for continued improvement.
My professional background is as a children’s nurse and I currently work in a senior leadership and management role within the Health Service. My daily work role has given me many transferable skills which I trust I am able to use with the school and contribute to chairing the Governing Body.
If you would like to raise any issues or concerns with me that cannot be addressed by school staff or would like to ask me any questions please write or email via the school office and I will get back to you.
Lizzie Worthen - Chair of Governors
We are a large school, with 420 pupils aged between 4 and 11, organised into two classes per year group. We are situated in the centre of Ashford and our pupils come from a wide range of ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds; we believe this is something to celebrate.
Our school building is spacious and well resourced. Our two playgrounds and school field provide ample space for children to play as well as areas to be quieter if they wish.
There is an independent nursery attached to the school as well as a Breakfast Club, run by ourselves and an After School Club, run by JAG. We also offer a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities to enhance our children’s learning.
We believe that it is important to forge strong links with parents and with the local community and, amongst other things, run a number of clubs and courses for parents or for whole families to take part in together. Our Family Liaison Officer is an important point of contact for families. The school also has close links with St Mary’s Church in the centre of town and we are frequent visitors to the church.