Welcome

 

A very warm welcome to the website for Long Ditton St. Mary’s Church of England (Aided) Junior School! Our vision at LDSM to inspire children and adults to be confident, courageous and compassionate within a community that enables them to flourish academically, socially and spiritually.

 

We are incredibly proud of our school and it is an honour to be the headteacher here. Visitors never fail to comment on how positive, confident and articulate our pupils are and the joy with which they share their learning. As a small school, we pride ourselves on the fact that every adult gets to know every child and strong relationships underpin everything we do. We are lucky to have a very low staff turnover - the adults enjoy school as much as the children!

 

 We are committed to ensuring that our pupils not only enjoy learning, but that they thrive academically. As a result, the progress in reading, writing and mathematics made by our Year 6 pupils in 2022 was significantly higher than both the national and Surrey average. Our curriculum is inspiring and designed to ensure that children acquire subject knowledge and apply it in a range of meaningful ways. Our curriculum is enhanced by specialist teaching in music and PE and a highlight for many is Forest School where children can build dens, toast marshmallows and enjoy time with their friends outdoors.

 

Each term, parents and carers are invited to their child's project outcome where they will see a showcase of beautiful work. Our aim is to ensure that parents feel well connected to their child's educational journey as we believe this is instrumental in a child’s developmentWe value the close partnerships we have with parents and carers   We are also grateful for the time and talents that many parents and carers give by volunteering to enhance the provision in our school. We also value our partnership with St Mary’s church and the other local schools that form part of the Ember Learning Trust.

 

Once our children reach Year 6, we work with local secondary schools to ensure a smooth transition into Year 7. Whilst the majority of our pupils attend Hinchley Wood for secondary school, a number each year are offered places at local grammar and independent schools. Our role is to ensure that the children are ready for the next stage of their education at whichever school they choose. 

 

Our ethos is rooted in Christian Values which are shared by those of all faiths and none. We focus on how these values can impact on the way we live our lives both individually and collectively.

We help all our children to develop lively, enquiring minds, good personal relationships and the knowledge and skills to equip them for the future and the ever-changing word in which we live. 

 

We have a strong and committed Governing Body – people who generously give their time to support and lead the school with the best outcomes for children always at the forefront of their minds.

 

Our door is always open and we are very happy to meet with you, show you around our school and discuss the opportunities that Long Ditton St. Mary’s Junior School can provide for your child. Please come and visit!

 

Sarah Martin

Headteacher

PGCE MEd

****************************************************

Please note that paper copies of documents on this website are available on request.