St Mark's Church of England Primary School, Stafford Road, Southampton, SO15 5TE
Details of our open days for admissions to Years R and 3 in 2012.
Latest edition of the Lower Phase newsletter, written by the children to report our exciting week!
Before you start you need sprouting potatoes which you can get from garden centres.
What you need:
- a bag with holes in
- news paper
- potatoes
- and soil
1) First get your bag and put news paper at the bottom of the bag
2) Next fill it up about 6 inches with soil
3) Then put your potatoes in the bag four tops
4) After that sprinkle some soil over your potatoes
5) Finely put in a safe place
Helpful tip:
When planting the potatoes push them slowly in the soil so they will not break
Blogged by Maddy and Sabrina
...and finally - one day early comes this week's news from the Upper School - including an exciting account of a trip to Southampton Airport.
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Latest update from Lower Phase, including how you can build reciprocity and fabulous homework projects!
Latest news, including how you can help with times tables and our Classroom Communicator project.
Please complete and retun to school - let uknow how we can help you - together, we make a difference.
Our school was founded in 1884. We are a state Primary school for boys and girls and are maintained by Southampton City Council Education Authority. As a Church of England controlled school, the local church of St Mark's is represented on the governing body. We are fortunate to have strong links with the Diocese of Winchester and our local authority.
We became a primary school in September 2010 and look forward to becoming a Forest School. You can read our Ofsted report here and our outstanding SIAS report here.
Our Vision, Mission and Values
The Vision
We share and practice our vision together in our school…

Our school seeks to reflect the Christian understanding that all people are precious to God. Emphasis is placed on an education for life, developing each child’s particular talents within a happy, caring, and disciplined environment, where co-operation, mutual respect and responsibility are encouraged.
The Aims
Our school is a team, which includes children, parents, staff (teaching and non-teaching), governors and friends. Together we aim to create a happy community where we:
We recognise that the keys to successful teamwork are participation and communication.
We strive to achieve excellence in all we do.
What do we get up to at St Mark’s?
Our priorities are to ensure that we build ‘learning power’ for children so that they develop the many skills needed to develop the wide and varied repertoire needed to manage and direct their own lives in the future. Through their ‘creative learning journeys’ [each half term, each year group selects a powerful text and their topic work comes from this!] the children have the opportunity to develop a set range of learning to learn skills over the six areas of the curriculum – these are:
Communication and language development
Mathematical development [problem solving, number, shape and space, data handling]
Creative development [music, art learning from RE, dance]
Knowledge and understanding of the world [geography, history, learning about RE, science, ICT, design and technology]
Personal, social and emotional development [ social and emotional aspects of learning] and
Physical development [swimming, 2 hours of games per week , PE and orienteering]
Reading is key and so our entire curriculum is led by .......
Brilliant books
The children have books led by Michael Morpurgo, Ali Sparks, Celia Rees, Eoin Colfer, E Nesbit, Dick King Smith , as well as the classic novels by Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Ransome, Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and many others! Every child is expected to be a member of our local Shirley High Street Library and key links with real life authors made through one of the city centre bookshops.
Titles of topics studied so far are :
Year 3 and 4 work along side our Creative Partners [many of whom are artists, sculptors, animators and web designers] and learn about problem solving, independence, team work, effective participation, self review and leadership – recent challenges include
where they worked in mixed age groups with an adult partner to contribute to the project’s learning outcomes.
Year 5 last year worked on animation projects and produced their own DVDs on The Iron Man, a powerful text that led their project with City Eye.
Mastery of basic skills in literacy and maths is paramount and children have clear guidance about their learning targets , no matter where they sit on the academic spectrum - these are reviewed formally each half term and formally to parents at the end of every term. Parents are invited in each half term for project days / afternoons and welcomed to participate in our learning journeys.
Child initiated learning is promoted and throughout the year, there are opportunities for children to explore the city that they are growing up in and contribute to its development.
PUPIL VOICE IS KEY!
LEARNING TO LEARN is critical
ASSESSMENT FOR AND OF LEARNING IS CENTRAL
to motivating and progressing the learning of all children
Open Door events occur each half term and parents and children sit and review their work to date together, usually with snacks and juice!!!!
Curriculum guidance is sent out by each year team every half term with a matrix to indicate what is being focused on each week of the term. The phase newsletters also illustrate fortnightly what has gone on, what is being planned and what is expected.
Leap in Faith
Leap in Faith events happen every half term – we work with our City Missioner and faith partners and celebrate outcomes creatively at the end of the week with a family worship during the Friday afternoon. The children are building up a rich understanding of their own beliefs and values as well as appreciating the beliefs and values of those around them. The children have their own school song and use their classrooms and the hall to demonstrate their understanding of love, peace, truth, right conduct and non violence through words, pictures, displays and of course, their own wonderful ways in supporting and nurturing each other!
Lots of good games for all years at http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html
http://www.mathsplayground.com - lots of fun games.
Blogged by Anthony
Test your knowledge about Light and Shadow - can you arrest the right suspect?
Green team is this activity we do each tuesday. We have two members of each class as a Green team member. At green team we plant things and pick some rubbish up sometimes. Last week we grew some potatoes. Our potatoes are growing though!!!
Blogged By Sabrina and the crew
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Temi: I've enjoyed working in a team with everyone.
Ethan: I liked working on the computers and taking videos.
Carlos: I enjoyed being in the group, helping the group and taking photos.
Leo: I enjoyed going on the laptops and helping James.
Ema: I enjoyed working with Ecclestone George and with the team.
Sabrina: I enjoyed working as a team and sharing ideas with the storyteller.
James: I had lots of fun and enjoyed seeing you all learn lots of new things very quickly and easily.
Thanks also to Oliwia and Maddy who helped with the blogging.
Today first we went to assembly!
Next, we listened to the story that the storyteller told us!! Next we did few activities about the story !! Next it was break time ! Then, after break we still did fun activities like, drama, storyboards and other ! Later we went to lunch!! After that we went to our class and then later we made a tree painting! The teacher put a dolop of paint and we blew through the straw ! That was amazing!! After that we went outside and sketched the tree ! Then it was hometime !!!
Blogged by Oliwia
Today first we went to assembly. Then we went to our groups and made models out of art stuff.The models where insects that live on the trees. I made a ladybird ! Next it was break time ! After break, we went to our groups and went out side to sketch the Lion and the Tree ! Next we went back our class rooms!
Blogged by: Oliwia and Maddy
This is the lion on friday. The lion grew his wings but he was too tired to fly! He also got eyes on friday but was of them was shut. He was half asleep and had one open to keep an eye on us!
The lion's wings were under cover but starting to grow.
Blogged by Sabrina and Ethan
Today first I, Temi 3H and Ethan 3H were typing the lower phase news letter. It was fun! After that it was break time. After break time we went to finish off our newsletter. Next we did fun stuff. Then it was lunch time !! After lunch time, we went to our groups ! We did insects made out of clay to put on the tree.
Next we washed our hands and went outside to sketch the lion. Then it was the end of the day!
Blogged by Oliwia and Sabrina
The children in reception class have made lovely pictures of trees this afternoon.
Blogged by Chloe Yr R
Leonidas has now got a head and a body (not a whole body yet) and a tail!
He will have ladybirds on him too!Blogged by Carlos, Leo (photo) and Maddy
Age: About 60 years old
Born: c540 B.C.
Name means: Lion
Died: 480 B.C.
Had two older brothers, plus a younger brother.
Leonidas would become king of Sparta, the 17th of the Agiad line.
Blogged by Sabrina
The tree on the outside of the Woodside Building now has some handprints and leaves!
Blogged by Leo
Reception and Year 3 classes making bugs to go on the tree on the side of the Woodside Building.
Blogged by Ethan
My video showing some of the hand prints made by the year 3's and reception classes which are leaves being stuck on the tree on the outside of the Year 1 Woodside building.
Blogged by Ethan
Details of our open days for admissions to Years R and 3 in 2012.
Latest edition of the Lower Phase newsletter, written by the children to report our exciting week!
Before you start you need sprouting potatoes which you can get from garden centres.
What you need:
- a bag with holes in
- news paper
- potatoes
- and soil
1) First get your bag and put news paper at the bottom of the bag
2) Next fill it up about 6 inches with soil
3) Then put your potatoes in the bag four tops
4) After that sprinkle some soil over your potatoes
5) Finely put in a safe place
Helpful tip:
When planting the potatoes push them slowly in the soil so they will not break
Blogged by Maddy and Sabrina
...and finally - one day early comes this week's news from the Upper School - including an exciting account of a trip to Southampton Airport.
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Latest update from Lower Phase, including how you can build reciprocity and fabulous homework projects!
Latest news, including how you can help with times tables and our Classroom Communicator project.
Please complete and retun to school - let uknow how we can help you - together, we make a difference.
Details of our open days for admissions to Years R and 3 in 2012.
Latest edition of the Lower Phase newsletter, written by the children to report our exciting week!
Before you start you need sprouting potatoes which you can get from garden centres.
What you need:
- a bag with holes in
- news paper
- potatoes
- and soil
1) First get your bag and put news paper at the bottom of the bag
2) Next fill it up about 6 inches with soil
3) Then put your potatoes in the bag four tops
4) After that sprinkle some soil over your potatoes
5) Finely put in a safe place
Helpful tip:
When planting the potatoes push them slowly in the soil so they will not break
Blogged by Maddy and Sabrina
...and finally - one day early comes this week's news from the Upper School - including an exciting account of a trip to Southampton Airport.
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Sorry for the delay posting this online but we hope you enjoy our new format - as designed and written by the children in years 5 and 6!
Latest update from Lower Phase, including how you can build reciprocity and fabulous homework projects!
Latest news, including how you can help with times tables and our Classroom Communicator project.
Please complete and retun to school - let uknow how we can help you - together, we make a difference.