At St Mary’s, the Ethos Group plays a pivotal role in fostering a community aligned with our core values and theologically rooted vision. Composed of two representatives from each class, the group serves as ambassadors of integrity, compassion, and inclusivity within our school community.

Their primary responsibility is to exemplify these values through their actions and interactions,  setting a positive example for their friends. They actively engage in initiatives that promote ethical behavior, respect for diversity, and a sense of belonging among students.

By organising events, leading discussions on moral issues, and supporting others in times of need, the Ethos Group cultivates a nurturing environment where every individual feels valued and supported. Their dedication not only enhances the school’s ethos but also reinforces our commitment to fostering personal growth and a shared sense of responsibility rooted in our theological principles.

September 2024

In our first meeting Mr Quinn and Mrs Jones met with the children to discuss the roles and responsibilities of being part of the Ethos Group. 

Mr Quinn told the children about the history of the school and the importance of our school values; Citizenship, Happiness, Responsibility, Interdependence, Self-control and Tolerance. 

The children were asked to think about what they can do to support their friends in class and during social times. They came up with lots of wonderful ideas such as running activities at lunch for those that look lonely or find it difficult joining in with friends. 

We discussed local links within the community and came up with some suggestions of how school can help support or raise money for charities.

They have a very important job supporting our Collective Worship. Each day the children attend an assembly.  We look forward to the representatives from each class helping with prayers and readings both in church and school during these times. The Ethos Group are also responsible for updating our collective worship floor book three times a week, this will help us to see what we have learned over the year.

We look forward to our next meeting!

October 2024

In our Ethos Group meeting we discussed what it meant to 'Love your neighbour as yourself'

The children all came up with wonderful answers including, looking after people in our school, family and the local community. They thought about how all the children in our school show respect to others everywhere they go and show our St Mary's love as representatives of the school.

The children thought of ways they could help other such as raising money for charities such as Macmillan, supporting good causes such as the 'Bags to School' project and also completing a fun run with the School Council for the British Red Cross.

This year the Ethos Group would like to support the Macmillan cake sale by baking cakes together to sell and raise money for the charity. They will collaborate with Mrs Lee to help her after Christmas as we have a busy few months ahead! 

Mr Quinn explained how a candle can represent being 'lit up', that sometimes people try to blow out your candle which can be sad and there are those that light them up, he encouraged us all to light each others candles!

They talked about their Collective Worship book that had been completed by each class over the last few weeks and how successful it had been in sharing what we have learned in our morning assemblies. Mr Quinn asked the children if they would like to support or lead Collective Worship and it was a huge, YES!

It was decided that they would work together to tell the story of Noah and his Ark in the Collective Worship in November. They would have to plan what they would need to deliver the story as a group thinking of ways to make it fun and exciting for all the children and visitors at St Mary's.

The Ethos Group look forward to another busy month of being a huge support for our friends and teachers in school.

November 2024

Our Ethos Group celebrated their first Collective Worship, planned and delivered by the group with a little support from Mr Quinn and Mrs Jones.

The children told the story of Noah and his Ark and were able to use costumes, props and musical instruments to make it exciting. Nursery came along for the story and they loved it as much as the rest of the school and visitors of the church.

It was fantastic to see them lead on Collective Worship and to hear the prayer that one of our Year 1 pupils wrote to thank God for his lessons and stories that help us today.

We look forward to more involvement in Worship throughout the year. Well done to each and every one of the Ethos Group members for their contribution!

December 2024

In our meeting we discussed the importance of the Nativity Story. Rehearsals for our Christmas performances are underway and everyone is excited for their shows. 

Mr Quinn spoke about Advent, as this was being discussed in Collective Worship. We thought about each candle and why we celebrate the lead up to Christmas Day.  

Mrs Jones had been learning sign language reception class and we wanted to learn too! We have learned the signs for our school values, CHRIST. We will be practicing them so we can show the rest of the school.  We have asked for the signs to support our theologically rooted vision - WE LOVE. WE LEARN. WE FLOURISH. 

We thought about our responsibilities as a member of the Ethos Group, in addition to updating the Collective Worship book, we have decided to lead on class prayers at lunch and the end of the day. 

January 2025

In this months meeting we reflected on previous meetings and showed off our sign language skills. Mrs Jones reminded us of the school values and we practiced, WE LOVE. WE LEARN. WE FLOURISH. As a group we want to teach the rest of the school so they can learn the signs too! We cant wait to share it with everyone in an upcoming Collective Worship!

We thought about the term Courageous Advocacy and how we can become 'agents of change' in our community. Discussions about what we can do this year such as cake sales and book sales were raised. We reflected on last year, when the school took part in the 'Santa Dash' tp help raise money for the charity, 'Once upon a smile'. This charity helps to provide emotional and practical support to children that may have lost a loved one.  We raised over £600 for the charity and we are very proud of ourselves at St Mary's!

Mr Quinn told us about the broken clock in Droylsden Town Centre, how it had broke but it would cost more than £600 to look at it before it could be fixed. As a group we thought how we could help by writing persuasive letters to our local MP to see if there is anything that could be done? It would be wonderful to get the clock back up and running for the community!

More suggestions to enhance our surrounding areas in the community was a litter pick and to plant some flowers to make the area near our school bright and cheerful.  Mr Quinn informed us that we have plans to develop our school garden too, including a new bench in our reflection/prayer garden.

We thought about how we can take part in Collective Worship and look forward to leading on worship for the story of St Valentine!

February 2025

The Ethos Group recently created and performed an assembly about the story of St. Valentine during collective worship. Working alongside Mr. Quinn, the children helped develop the script, bringing the story to life with passion and creativity. We welcomed guests from the Church to join us in celebrating this special occasion. The story of St. Valentine, a symbol of love and kindness, reminds us of the importance of compassion in our lives today. As we celebrate love, we are reminded of God's unconditional love for us, and how we are called to share that love with others.