The history of the school

In the year of 1866 approximately, several women and girls, and also a few men, were sent to Ponders End from Dundee to start a jute factory and to teach the local people the work.

Several of the girls were Roman Catholics and there was no Church nearer than Waltham Cross to the north and Tottenham to the south for them to worship in. The girls would sometimes take a train to Tottenham in order to go to Confession but, because trains were so few and far between, on Sundays they would work across the marshes, beside the River Lea, to Waltham Cross in order to go to Mass. Invariably they had to make it a day’s outing, taking their packed lunches with them. A Catholic lady, who was a forewoman at the jute factory, had a house in Alma Road and many of the girls would gather there each evening to say the Holy Rosary. They all contributed towards a statue of Our Lady and made the first little altar in Ponders End. Fr. Hickay and Fr. Tuke were priests at Waltham Cross and they would sometimes visit the girls in their lodgings. In 1876 Fr Bronsgeest was sent to Waltham Cross as Parish Priest and then Mass would be said occasionally in a room of a house occupied by a Mrs Quinn. The house was near the jute factory and Mass was only said on a weekday. Then a Miss Armstrong, a teacher from Waltham Cross, came and catechised the children on Sundays in Mrs Quinn’s house until the time that she returned to Dundee and the house was no longer available.

St. Mary's Catholic Primary School in Enfield was founded by Father Bronsgeest in 1888, 11 years after his arrival as the first St. Mary's School and Church, located behind a corrugated iron building on Alma Road that had previously served as a workshop. The brick building was established to provide a Catholic education and serve as a place of worship for the Ponders End parish, replacing the previous house used for teaching and the temporary iron church building.

As you can imagine, our school has developed significantly in the last 150 or so years but we are very proud of its humble beginnings.  

 

Our School Mission Statement

St Mary’s school community follows the teachings of Jesus Christ, working together to develop the whole child in a spiritual, moral, academic, physical, social and emotional way, within a caring a supportive environment.

Our mission is for every child in our care to be guided by the person and teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and be equipped with the character, learning power and knowledge necessary to live a fulfilling life. We recognise that each child should have the opportunity to achieve their own individual potential. We pledge to work tirelessly to achieve our aim of quality and excellence in all that we do. We seek to work in partnership with parents and provide the best environment for pupils to thrive as they start the process of discovering who they are. We nurture and support our pupils to become informed, articulate and empowered. In this way we honour God and serve our children and families. Pupil-Friendly Motto: Love, Listen and Learn.

 

Our School Aims

We will endeavour to create a Catholic Ethos in our school, which reflects the Gospel values, through the love, care and respect we show to each other, and to all who come to our school. We will teach the beliefs, traditions and practices of the Catholic Faith.

Through the prayer and worship in school we will try to be a living community of people celebrating their love for God and one another.

We believe the quality of the curriculum, with Religious Education at its core, is of prime importance and will focus on the development of the whole child. We will at all times try to make provision for children with special needs, so that all members of our school community achieve their potential.

We will help the children to develop an awareness of and respect for other religious and cultural backgrounds, as we believe this to be an essential preparation for adult life.

We believe that good communication between governors, staff, parents and children is important for the well-being of our school, and we will work in partnership with the wider community especially the home and parish in developing each child’s potential.

 

Aims for Each Child at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Whilst at St. Mary’s School I will learn about being a Christian. I will experience the beliefs, traditions and practices of the Catholic Faith.

I will achieve as much as I possibly can in each area of the National Curriculum.

I will know how to learn and enjoy learning, and will view work in a positive and conscientious manner.

I will co-operate and communicate with others effectively, independently and in a group, and try to win and lose graciously.

I will tolerate and respect the religious beliefs, views and values of others, understand the need for good behaviour and moderate my behaviour accordingly. I will respect the belongings and property of others.

If I have a problem I know I can find someone who will discuss it with me.

I will try to learn from my mistakes and accept there is always room for improvement.

I will share a sense of responsibility for my school, parish, local community and the wider environment.

 

Ofsted Section 48 Report, September 2019