What a week it has been at St Matthew's! I find myself reflecting on the power of stories and the values they instil in us all. This week, our World Book Day celebrations truly brought that home in the most wonderful way.

Our staff came together to bring stories to life, and what a sight it was! Each member of our team embodied a character that represents one of our school values, and I was genuinely moved by the creativity and thoughtfulness behind every choice. From Harry Potter's bravery and kindness, to Rainbow Fish's generosity, and Fantastic Mr Fox's clever perseverance – these aren't just characters from beloved books, they're reminders of the values we work so hard to nurture in our children every single day. The Very Hungry Caterpillar joined us too, symbolising growth and transformation, whilst Postman Pat reminded us of the importance of reliability and showing up for one another. And I have to say, Gangster Granny was a particular highlight – what a wonderful message that it's never too late to chase your dreams and be a cool granny one day!

Mr Glinka showing real determination and perseverance by sharing his featured appearance on a book cover about non-league football, where he attended a football match where it had snowed so heavily, that many spectators left. He was one of only few who stayed on to support the players in these terrble conditions, someone took his photograph covered in snow and it was then used on the front cover. These are the kind of real-life examples that show our children that the values we celebrate in stories are lived out every day by the people around them. That's powerful stuff.

Alongside our World Book Day festivities, we've had quite a busy week operationally. We've held our Multiplication Tables Check Meeting, ensuring we're well-prepared to support our children in this important assessment. We've also been busy planning ahead for our Year 5 children's visit to Robinwood in September 2026, I'm confident it will be an unforgettable experience for them and cannot say enough how much this is a part of the transitional process of preparing our Y6 children for high school. 

On the sporting front, I'm thrilled to report that our Football Team has been out representing St Matthew's at a local tournament this week. They won one match and lost one, and I want to make it absolutely clear that they should be tremendously proud of themselves. It's not just about the wins and losses – it's about the effort, the teamwork, the resilience, and the team spirit they've shown. That's what matters, we feel they just go from strength to strength every time they play. A huge thank you to Mr Glinka and Miss Bradburn for ensuring the children get these opportunities to play!

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.

Home Achievements

We must celebrate two of our remarkable children who have recently shared their incredible achievements with us. Joshua in Year 3 brought in his grading certificate and yellow belt from Karate. He also brought in his Football Trophy, which he had won, his skills are growing in all sports. He told us that he assisted two goals and actually scored two goals. Well done, Joshua.

We also had the pleasure of celebrating with Amelia in Willow, who shared that she had been recognised for her and her family's costume making skills in the Manchester Evening News. Amelia joined us at the front of the hall and shared how her and her mum made her Dog Man Costume. We are so proud of her. 

These moments remind us all of the importance of celebrating every success. Keep letting your light shine Amelia and Joshua. Your St Matthew's Family are so proud of you!

House Points

Malala

3207

Mandela

3811

Pankhurst

3503

Turing

3710

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.

The excitement doesn't stop there. Turing House is thinking "team is the dream" and getting increasingly close to the top spot. With the competition remaining so tight, next week could see another house claim victory. The energy and enthusiasm from every single child is truly inspiring.

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

Attendance

We celebrated our highest attending class in assembly this week, which was Year 4 this week! A huge well done goes to this 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 are getting so close now, with four classes on target! Well done, everyone! Come on St Matthew’s, let’s see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

SENDCO Absence 

Any parents/carers who have appointments with the SENDCo over the next few weeks will still go ahead. Miss Tyrer and myself will be covering these meetings. If you have any worries regarding SEND children or meetings that are set to take place, please send an email to admin@stmatthewsce.co.uk and either myself or Miss Tyrer will get back to you as soon as we possibly can. 

Special thanks

Before I finish, I must take a moment to celebrate someone who has been absolutely outstanding this week. Miss Tyrer has managed to juggle planning for two classes whilst keeping you all informed through Weduc about the events happening in different classrooms with staff absences. On top of that, she led two vital parents' evenings in my absence, when I was needed for meetings elsewhere. That's not just competence – that's going above and beyond. Miss Tyrer, thank you. Your dedication and professionalism have not gone unnoticed, and I'm genuinely grateful for everything you do for our school community.

I am sure you will join me in thanking all of the staff this week. This has been a really changeable week and the staff have given their absolute all. I am so proud of how they have all come together to ensure that our children had the most magical World Book Day! Which I am sure you will agree was a great event! 

As we move forward, I'm reminded once again of why I love being part of St Matthew's. It's because of moments like these – where stories inspire us, where our staff embody our values, where our children show courage and determination, and where our team steps up to support one another. That's the heart of what we do here.

I hope you've enjoyed hearing about our week as much as I've enjoyed living it with you all.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone,

Miss Lynton

Dear St Matthew's Parents and Carers of our Wonderful Year 4 Children, 

I'm delighted to remind you of an exciting opportunity we have coming up this week that I believe will be of real interest to our Year 4 families. If you missed this on our calendar of events, please let the office staff know, we can repeat this vital meeting again in a few weeks. 

On Wednesday 4th March at 3:15pm, we are hosting a Multiplication Timetable Check Meeting for parents, and I would like to take this moment to explain why this initiative matters so much to us here at St Matthew's.

The multiplication tables are a fundamental building block of mathematics. When children have secure knowledge of their times tables, it opens doors to so many other areas of learning. It boosts their confidence, accelerates their progress in division, fractions, and algebra, and ultimately gives them the mathematical fluency they need to tackle more complex problem-solving with ease. It's not simply about memorisation – it's about developing automaticity so that children can access higher-order mathematical thinking without being held back by recall difficulties.

This Wednesday's meeting is designed to bring parents into our world and help you understand exactly what we're working towards with the children. We want to share the strategies we're using in class, show you the resources available to support learning at home, and give you a real sense of where each child is in their journey towards mastering their times tables. It's also a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions and understand how you can best support your child's learning in this crucial area.

As you know, at St Matthew's we believe that partnership between school and home is absolutely vital. When parents understand what we're doing and why we're doing it, when you can see the methods we're using and feel equipped to reinforce learning at home, that's when real progress happens. Children thrive when they see the adults around them working together with a shared purpose. I would encourage all parents of Year 4 children to attend if you possibly can. This isn't about adding pressure or creating anxiety – quite the opposite. It's about empowering you with knowledge and practical strategies so that you can support your child in a way that feels manageable and positive. We know that every child progresses at their own pace, and this meeting will help you understand your child's individual starting point and what success looks like for them.

I very much look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday. If you have any questions beforehand or are unable to attend but would like further information, please do get in touch with the office. 

Many thanks in advance for your support, 

Miss Lynton

Super First Week Back, St Matthew’s!:

What a wonderful start to the half term it has been at St Matthew's! I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the brilliant things that have been happening across our school and to express my gratitude to those who go the extra mile to make our community such a special place.

Our Year 5 and Year 3 children have had another fabulous week in the swimming pool. It's truly inspiring to see them continue to let their light shine as they progress with their swimming skills and confidence in the water. The dedication and enthusiasm they show week after week is a testament to their wonderful attitudes towards learning and trying new things.

Behind the scenes, we have someone who deserves a very special mention. Mr T, our fantastic cover site manager, has been absolutely tireless during the half term break. He has cleaned every single school carpet and jet washed our paths and outdoor school equipment, transforming the appearance of our grounds. But that's not all – Mr T also kindly decorated the EYFS play house at home, and it now looks absolutely fantastic in the Woodlands classroom. His continuous hard work and commitment to maintaining our school environment is truly invaluable, and I cannot thank him enough for everything he does for St Matthew's.

I would also like to extend a huge thank you to Lois and Robin's dad, who has generously brought us some fantastic furniture for our Rainbow Room. It's through the kindness and generosity of our families that we are able to create such welcoming and nurturing spaces for our children. Donations like these make a real difference to the learning environments we provide.

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.

Home Achievements

We had another remarkable child who have shared her achievements with us this morning. Jorgie-Mai from Year 5 brought in her medal and certificate for gymnastic to share with us. Jorgie-Mai is an absolute inspiration to us all demonstrating exactly what it means to work hard, believe in yourself, and keep striving for excellence. We can see she is letting her light shine so brightly with her talents and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for her.

House Points

Malala

3130

Mandela

3687

Pankhurst

3427

Turing

3620

 Another huge congratulations to Mandela House for winning this week's house points! We were all amazed that you have managed to win for a few weeks in a row now! The team spirit across the school is absolutely amazing. You never know, we may have another house win next week as it is still a very close competition. It looks like Turing are thinking more ‘team’ is the dream and are getting increasingly close! Amazing work, everyone.

Attendance

We celebrated our highest attending class in assembly this week, which was Year 3 again this week! As you all know, the goal is to get our classes to 97% - 100%, as you can see, we are getting so close now, with four classes on target! Well done, everyone! Come on St Matthew’s, let’s see if we can get all classes to 97%, that would be just amazing!

We are still classed as a cause for concern with our attendance. Looking at this week's attendance you can see why. Our Persistent Absences continues to be such a big worry for us. Please support us by having your child in every day. One or two days absence can really knock the children's confidence. Let's keep letting our children's light shine brightly together! 

Special News 

As we look ahead, I'm delighted to remind our school community about an exciting celebration coming up on Thursday 5th March – World Book Day! Throughout the day, we will be exploring how stories help us learn about important values. Each class will focus on a different book that highlights one of our school values:

• Respect - characters who learn empathy or fairness
• Kindness - helpers, friends or caring heroes
• Aspiration - dreamers, inventors and explorers
• Perseverance - characters who never give up

This is such a special occasion in our school calendar, and we look forward to sharing the magic of stories and reading with all our children. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the power of books and imagination, and I hope our families will get involved in making it a memorable day. 

Health and Safety

Before I finish our weekly news, I do need to remind parents about our car park. We have received a number of concerns about parking on the school carpark during drop off times, and I would be grateful if families could refrain from parking there. This helps us to keep our school grounds safe and accessible for everyone, and we really appreciate your cooperation and understanding on this matter.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Miss Lynton

We are excited to celebrate World Book Day next Thursday on 5th March.

This year, our theme will be 'Books that Build Character'.

Throughout the day, we will be exploring how stories help us learn about important values. Each class will focus on a different book that highlights one of our school values:

• Respect - characters who learn empathy or fairness
• Kindness - helpers, friends or caring heroes
• Aspiration - dreamers, inventors and explorers
• Perseverance - characters who never give up

Please see the attached letter for further details.

Kind regards,

Miss Tyrer

Please find attached our St Matthew's Family News for Spring 1 and our Celebration Slides from this morning! 

Have a fantastic half term everyone, stay safe and enjoy the rest! 

See you on the gates at 8:40am on the 23rd February 2026 

Best wishes,

Miss Lynton

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Join us in the hall after school for arts and crafts and to learn all about this wonderful celebration for our Muslim families.