Another action packed week, St Matthew's! :

What a week it has been! As I sit down to write this piece, I'm filled with such gratitude for the incredible team we have here at St Matthew's CE. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge just how exceptional our staff and supply staff have been, particularly over these past few days.

We've navigated an extremely busy week, and if I'm being honest, it's been one of those stretches where everything seems to happen at once. What's made all the difference is the unwavering commitment and flexibility of our team. Right now, we're managing with a significant number of our regular staff absent, which means those who are here have had to go above and beyond in ways that don't always get the recognition they deserve. Whether it's covering classes, supporting colleagues, or simply maintaining the warm, nurturing environment that makes St Matthew's special, they've done it all with such grace and professionalism.

Supply staff deserve a particular mention too. They've stepped in offering support, often with little notice, and have become such an integral part of keeping our school running smoothly. They've brought energy, enthusiasm, and a genuine care for our children, and we're truly grateful for their contribution during this demanding period.

It's at times like these that you really see the heart of a school. It's not just about the systems and structures we have in place – though of course those matter – it's about the people. It's about individuals who care deeply about the children in their care and who are willing to adapt and support one another when things get challenging. That's what I see every single day here at St Matthew's, and I wanted to make sure our community knows just how much that means.

Let's celebrate another wonderful week!

On Monday, we were absolutely delighted to welcome families into our hall for our Eid Arts and Crafts Event. It was such a joy to see so many of you joining us to celebrate this important occasion with our school community. The children were utterly engaged and beaming with happiness, and it was a beautiful opportunity to share in the traditions and customs that are so meaningful to our families. In EYFS, our youngest learners had a particularly memorable experience as they learned about using prayer mats, dressed in traditional clothes and jewellery, and immersed themselves in the celebration of Eid. I must take a moment to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to our staff who so kindly provided all of the snacks and treats on the day. This generous gesture ensured that every child had the full experience of the celebration and really brought the day to life. These moments of cultural celebration are truly at the heart of what we do at St Matthew's, and it is wonderful to see our community coming together to honour and learn from one another.

On Tuesday, our Year 6 children took centre stage as we held our Parents as Partners event. This is always such a special occasion in the school calendar, giving parents and carers the opportunity to step into their child's learning environment and experience what a typical day looks like in Year 6. Ms Charles had thoughtfully prepared a variety of activities that we use at this time of year to help support the children's understanding of the types of questions they may encounter in their upcoming SATS assessments. What I particularly loved about this event was seeing the children confidently and proudly share how they learn with their grown-ups, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the strategies and approaches we use in the classroom. The children then treated their parents to tea and biscuits – such a lovely touch that showed their genuine appreciation for their families taking the time to be part of their learning journey. These partnerships between home and school are so valuable, and events like this really strengthen the bonds between us all.

On Thursday morning, Class Willows and Year 4 delivered a fantastic Easter performance in St Matthew's Church. The children shared their performance with parents, carers, and children from Years 5 and 6, and it was truly a special and moving occasion. The children demonstrated remarkable confidence as they sang and acted their way through the performance, delivering their lines with such assurance, joy, and genuine warmth. It was wonderful to see them shine so brightly, and you could feel the pride and love radiating from everyone who was there to support them.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mrs Gilani, Mr Wilkes, and Mrs Kavanagh for their outstanding and dedicated leadership of the rehearsals with the children in school. The time, dedication, care, and passion they invested in preparing the children for this performance was evident in every moment on stage. I would also like to thank our EYFS and Year 1 team for pulling together the outfits and costumes that helped bring the performance to life. These behind-the-scenes efforts are so important and often go unnoticed, but they make such a difference to the children's experience, confidence, and happiness.

Most importantly, a huge well done to the children themselves – you were absolutely brilliant! Your hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment to the performance was truly inspiring. Thank you also to everyone who came to watch and support the children. The presence of our families and the wider school community means so very much to our learners, and it is wonderful to see you celebrating their achievements alongside them. As Miss Tyrer said yesterday, Lillie beautifully expressed at the close of our performance that we hope you all have a wonderful Easter when it arrives!

We are so proud of the achievements of our children, both in the classroom and in special events like. these. Whether it is children earning their Star of the Week awards or achieving special accomplishments at home, every child has something to celebrate. These moments, big and small, are what make St Matthew's such a truly special place to learn and grow.

House Points

Malala

3458

Mandela

4207

Pankhurst

3827

Turing

3988

I'm delighted to offer another huge congratulations to Mandela House for winning this week's house points – and for an impressive few weeks in a row! The team spirit across our school community is absolutely amazing, and it's wonderful to see such positive competition bringing everyone together.

Attendance

This week has been the lowest in terms of attendance. I cannot express enough how important it is that the children are in school every day! Please support our school family by making sure your child is in school and on time every day.

A huge well done goes to Year 1 class as they worked so hard to improve their attendance. As you all know, the goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see, we have had no classes meet this week ☹

Come on St Matthew’s, let’s see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

 

StretFest -Bringing the spring love to Stretford 

This weekend is Stretfest! Please see the following link for all the planned events and activities taking place in Stretford this weekend. There's day and night activities planned including music, culture and community across different venues and spaces. https://thestretfest.co.uk/#schedule 

Looking forward to next week

Now, I'm delighted to share something much more fun and creative! Our Easter Egg Decorating Competition is opening on Monday, and I couldn't be more excited about it. This is such a wonderful opportunity for our children to let their imaginations run wild and get creative as we approach the Easter holidays.

Whether your child is thinking of a traditional, beautifully decorated Easter egg or something completely wild and imaginative, we want to see it all. There's something really special about this time of year when creativity flourishes, and I know our children will come up with some absolutely brilliant designs. It's the perfect activity to do at home together – a chance for families to sit down, perhaps with some paints, markers, or whatever creative materials you have to hand, and work on something together. These moments matter. They're the ones children remember.

The competition opens on Monday, so that gives everyone a few days to plan and create. We're closing entries on Wednesday at 3pm, so there's a nice window for families to get involved without it feeling rushed. I'd encourage every child in the school to have a go. It doesn't matter if you think you're artistic or not – that's not what this is about. It's about having fun, being creative, and celebrating the season together.

I do hope you'll encourage your child to participate. We'll be showcasing all the entries, and there's something really special about seeing the school community come together around these kinds of activities. It brings colour, literally and figuratively, into our school, and it gives every child a chance to shine in their own way.

As we head towards the Easter holidays soon, I'm reflecting on how important these moments of celebration and creativity are, particularly after weeks like the one we've just had. They remind us that school is about so much more than academics – though of course we're committed to that too. It's about fostering a love of learning, encouraging self-expression, and creating memories that will stay with our children long after they leave St Matthew's.

Thank you once again to every member of our staff team for their dedication and hard work. And thank you to our families for your continued support and trust in what we're doing here. It means everything.

I hope you'll join us in celebrating the creativity that's about to burst forth with our Easter Egg Decorating Competition. Get those eggs ready, gather your materials, and let's see what wonderful creations our children can come up with!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone,

Miss Lynton

Peace Matters - Our Trip to Parliament!:

What an extraordinary privilege it has been to witness our children take their passion for peace onto one of the most important stages in our country this week. On Wednesday, our Junior Peace Mala Ambassadors from Year 5 and Year 6 travelled to Parliament to lead a workshop on how we teach peace here at St Matthew's, and I can honestly say it was a day that will stay with us all for many years to come.

This remarkable opportunity would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our MP, Andrew Weston, who has been such a constant champion of our work and our values. Andrew recognised the power of what our children are doing and helped us share our peace message far beyond the walls of St Matthew's. He brought together MPs from across the country to join us for this fabulous event, including Caroline Nokes, Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, and their genuine interest in what our children had to say was truly moving and for staff quite emotional at times.

Our children stood with such confidence and purpose, sharing the profound message of peace that runs through every religious scripture. They taught the visiting MPs about our Peace Mala initiative and what it means to us as a school family. With each bracelet they gifted to every MP who visited us, our children were sharing far more than a beautiful piece of jewellery. They were teaching a powerful message about treating others with love and care, about our shared humanity, and about the fundamental right that every single person has to peace. To see our young people articulate these values so eloquently, and to watch the MPs listen with such genuine attention, was deeply moving.

The children and staff were then given a tour of the Houses of Parliament, and what a tour it was! Walking through the great hall and into the House of Commons and House of Lords, seeing the very spaces where decisions are made that affect each and every one of us, brought home the significance of the day. We were then given the special privilege of visiting the King's Robing Room, seeing the many special places within Parliament where the work of governance happens with Andrew leading the tour. For our children to stand in these historic spaces and understand that their voice, their message, and their passion for peace matters, was truly special.

But the day did not end there. We celebrated the success of the event and tour with a picnic in St James's Park, where the children could reflect on all they had experienced and share their excitement with one another in glorious sunshine. The weather could not have been better! Then we walked up to Buckingham Palace, that most famous building in London, bringing our day to a close in a way that felt both joyful and fitting. What a day to remember indeed.

What strikes me most profoundly about this experience is the reminder it gives us all about the importance of the message our children were sharing. In every religious scripture, across every faith and belief system, there is a call for peace. There is a call to treat others with love and care, to recognise the dignity in every person, and to work towards a world where peace is not just an ideal but a lived reality. The importance of sharing this message has never been more vital than it is right now. Our children understood this instinctively. They did not need to be told that peace matters; they felt it, they believed it, and they were eager to share it with the most senior figures in our country. That is the spirit of St Matthew's. That is what we stand for as a school community.

I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the MPs who joined us and who took the time to listen to what our children had to say. Your presence, your attention, and your willingness to receive the peace message from our young people meant more than words can express. Thank you for recognising that our children have something important to teach us all.

To our children and staff on the day, including Mr Thornley and Ms Derrick (both fabulous parents who supported our trip), who represented St Matthew's with such grace, such enthusiasm, and such heart, I am immensely proud of you. You carried our values with you to Parliament, and you shared them with generosity and conviction and most definitely let your light shine. You have shown that age is no barrier to making a difference, and that young voices matter.

An extra special thank you must also go to Miss Bennett, from our Admin Team who organised this trip with MP Andrew Weston’s Personal Assistant. From booking our train tickets and minibuses to gathering the many things that we need to ensure a safe trip for all, such as first aid kits, risk assessments, plans and times for the day, contact details for each child in case of delays. Her planning was meticulous and to have both her and her fabulous husband give up their non-working days to ensure the trip was seamless from beginning to end was beyond kind. We cannot thank them both enough!

As we move forward, let us carry the spirit of this day with us. Let us continue to teach Peace Mala, to live peace, and to share the message that every person deserves to be treated with love and respect. Our children have shown us that this message can reach the highest levels of Government. Now it is our responsibility to ensure it continues in every corner of our school community and beyond Greater Manchester.

What a wonderful way to let our lights shine!

Another Wonderful Week has passed us by! :

What a wonderful week we have had at St Matthew's! As reflect on all that has happened, I am filled with such pride and joy at the way our school community continues to come together to celebrate, learn, and support one another.

We started the week with St Patrick's Day, and what a fantastic opportunity this provided for us to learn all about this important festival for the Irish community. The children embraced the day with enthusiasm, wearing green to mark the occasion and to feel a part of the celebrations. It was lovely to see our school so vibrant and colourful, and it reminded me of one of the things I love most about St Matthew's – our commitment to understanding and celebrating the diverse cultures and traditions that make up our wider community. These moments of shared celebration help us all to grow in empathy and respect for one another.

St Matthew's Peace Keepers

I must take a moment to share something truly remarkable that happened this week. Our Junior Peace Mala Ambassadors travelled to London to hold a workshop on the importance of the Peace Mala with Members of Parliament in the Houses of Parliament. I cannot tell you how incredibly proud I am of these children. They demonstrated such courage, passion, and eloquence in sharing their message about peace with such important figures. What struck me most was that these children understood something really significant – that no matter your age and size, if your message is an important one, people will listen. This is such a powerful lesson for all of us. Our Peace Mala Ambassadors have shown that young voices matter, and that when we have something meaningful to say about making our world a better place, we have the power to be heard. They are an absolute credit to themselves, their families, and St Matthew's.

Easter Preparation

Behind the scenes, our Willow class and Year 4 have been working incredibly hard rehearsing the Easter Story as we prepare for our performance at Church next week. The dedication and commitment shown by these children has been wonderful to witness. There is something quite special about watching children bring a story to life through drama and performance, and I know that our Church performance is going to be a truly memorable occasion. I do hope you will be able to join us to celebrate their hard work and talent.

Supporting Kickstart

This week we also supported Kick Starts' fundraising Cake Sale for Red Nose Day. It was heartwarming to see our school community come together to support such an important cause. Whether it was through baking, buying, or simply spreading the word, everyone played a part in making a difference. These are the moments that remind me why our school is so special – we don't just focus on academic achievement, important as that is, but we also nurture in our children a sense of responsibility and compassion towards others.

As I always say, our children let their lights shine. This week has been no exception. Whether it has been through their enthusiasm for learning about different cultures, their bravery in standing up for what they believe in, their dedication to rehearsing for our Easter performance, or their generosity in supporting charitable causes – every single child in this school has something special to offer. I am constantly amazed by their resilience, their kindness, and their willingness to embrace new experiences and challenges

Star of the Week

As always, we look forward to hearing all about the special achievements of our children in our Star of the Week Assembly. Listening to each of our wonderful teachers speak so highly of a child in their class, who has let their light shine so brightly it has impacted on everyone’s week, is why this assembly is the best way to end the week! Please see the attached table to see which children have been awarded this special recognition this week.

House Points

Malala

3399

Mandela

4121

Pankhurst

3745

Turing

3969

 

I'm delighted to offer another huge congratulations to Mandela House for winning this week's house points – and for an impressive few weeks in a row! The team spirit across our school community is absolutely amazing, and it's wonderful to see such positive competition bringing everyone together.

Well done to everyone for embodying the very best of Our St Matthew's Way.

Attendance

This week has been one of our lowest in terms of attendance. I cannot express enough how important it is that the children are in school every day! Please support our school family by making sure your child is in school and on time every day.

A huge well done goes to Year 2 class as they worked so hard to improve their attendance. As you all know, the goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see, we have only one class reach this, this week ☹

Come on St Matthew’s, let’s see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

Class	%
Nursery	95
Reception	95
Year 1	96
Year 2	97
Year 3	89
Year 4	89
Year 5	93
Year 6	91

 

Future Events

As we move forward into the final weeks of this term, there are a couple of important dates and events I would like to remind you about. We have an Eid Mubarak Arts and Crafts session after school on Monday 23rd March at 3:00pm in the main hall. This is a wonderful opportunity for our children to engage in creative activities whilst learning about and celebrating the festival of Eid. I do hope many of you will be able to take part.

Our Easter Performance at St Matthew's Church will take place on Thursday 26th March at 9:45am. This is always such a special occasion in our calendar, and I would love to see as many of you there as possible to support our children and celebrate the hard work they have put in.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of St Matthew's. It is through working together as a community that we create such a positive and nurturing environment for our children to learn and grow.

 Eid Mubarak to all of our families celebrating today!  May this special day bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to your lives.  Wishing you and your family a joyful and blessed Eid for all of your St Matthew's Family! 

Wonderful work, St Matthew's!:

What a wonderful week we've had at St Matthew's! Starting on Monday with all of the classes celebrating International Women's Day, it's was truly special to see our children engaging with the stories of remarkable women who have shaped our world. 

At St Matthew’s each year group explored a different inspiring figure through the Little People, Big Dreams series for International Women's Day. Year 6 have been learning about Kamala Harris, who made history on January 20, 2021, when she became the first woman, the first African American woman, the first Indian-American, and the first person of Asian-American descent to be sworn in as Vice President of the United States. Year 5 discovered the incredible story of Malala Yousafzai, whose courage and determination to fight for girls' right to education led her to become, at just seventeen years old, the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Year 4 have been inspired by Emmeline Pankhurst and her powerful motto "deeds not words" as she campaigned for women's voting rights. Our younger children in Year 3 and 2 have learned about Rosa Parks, whose brave refusal to give up her seat on a bus sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped end legal segregation. Year 1 have explored Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, who saved countless lives through her dedication and innovation. Even our EYFS children have been celebrating Vivienne Westwood, whose creative vision brought punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream and earned her recognition as one of Britain's most influential artists. 

I'm delighted to share that Willow and Year 4 have been working incredibly hard rehearsing their Easter Performance, which they'll be sharing with us at church on Thursday 26th March. The children's enthusiasm and dedication have been wonderful to witness and as always, we love to hear them singing. 

Meanwhile, Woodlands have enjoyed a beautiful Spring Walk around our grounds, and what a joy it's been to see them spotting all the signs that spring is truly here at St Matthew's. I was lucky enough to get back into the classroom and teach EYFS on that morning. There's something magical about watching small people discover the natural world on their doorstep. Our Early Years children see such awe and wonder in the smallest things. Their excitement was amazing whilst they explored our wonderful grounds. We had the best morning, and how lucky am I to do get the chance to work with them! Their little lights shining, buzzing around the grounds finding all the joys of spring, it was just fabulous! 

Attendance

On a practical note, I wanted to mention our attendance figures from last week. We were just under the national average at 95%, compared to the national figure of 95.9%. We continue to see our persistent absences affecting our overall attendance data. Regular attendance is so important for our children's learning and progress, and we'd really appreciate your support in ensuring your child is in school every day they're able to be. Year 6 children's attendance in particular, really does need to improve!

Let’s work together to improve our attendance as to get the best possible life chances for every child we need to be at school every single day! The goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%. Together, we can do it! Come on St Matthew's. Let’s try and beat National figures this week, remember we only needed 1%, we have got this! 

Week beginning 9^th March 2026

Class	Attendance %
Nursery	90
Reception	90
Year One	96
Year Two	93
Year Three	97
Year Four	98
Year Five	95
Year Six	95

 

Stars of the week

Please find our wonderful stars of the week attached to this post. I say this week after week, I do love our Friday Star of The Week Assemblies, getting the chance to listen to the teachers speak with such passion about how our children have shown our values or the St Matthew's Wayis just awesome! It's important that we take time to hear their growth and share how proud we are of them. A huge WELL DONE to each child who was celebrated today and let their light shine.

Success- We are now a School Street!

We always love to hear how our children have ‘Let their light shine’ but this time, I have some news to share of how we let our lights shine as a community. I have had confirmation from School Streets yesterday that we have been successful in our bid to become a School Street, with 100% of the people who supported our bid in the consultation period saying it would be the best possible way of ensuring the children safety! Well done, everyone! Olly and Caris have already taken up posts as School Street 

House News

In our house news, we heard that Mandela won our houses again in our assembly this morning. We love the way Mandela work together and let their light shine on mass as they are absolutely racing ahead now. It is going to take real focus to ensure that the other houses catch them up but we reminded our children that it will be teamwork that helps them catch up our clear leaders. As working together is what makes the difference.

Malala

3284

Mandela

3966

Pankhurst

3601

Turing

3824

New Headpupils have been announced!

Mr Glinka and Miss Charles met this week to review our Head Pupils. As promised, we have decided it is better to give more than 2 children these prestigious roles. This is by no means an easy decision as the Year 6 children would all love the honour of becoming our Head Pupils. After lots of discussion, Eva D and Ziggy were given the roles. We are so proud of both children and feel that their new positions in school are well deserved. 

Finally, a huge thank you to all the staff and families of St Matthew's! We have had another week of reduced numbers of staffing but we have pulled together and let our lights shine for the children. I cannot thank you all enough. The week has been quite smooth and this has meant that the children can still focus on their learning!

Remember, rest is the best way to ensure we get off to a good start next week! 

Let's hope the weather is a little better, or it will be a very wet Parkrun tomorrow! 

Have a fantastic weekend everyone! 

Family fun with our EYFS children and their parents and carers.

School reopens on Monday 20th April.

School closes today and reopens on Monday 20th April.

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