At Saint Mary’s, we value home/school communication and, as part of this partnership, we are interested in the opinions of our students, parents and carers.
We regularly sent out questionnaires to our parents and carers to get feedback and help shape our current practice and school offer.
The latest questionnaire focussed on school life and the curriculum. Please find below the results of this survey.
Thank you to everyone who responded.
Summary of Parent Voice
| % who agree or strongly agree | % who have a neutral opinion | % who strongly disagree | Other | |
| My child is happy at school | 94% | 6% | ||
| My child feels safe in school | 97% | 3% | ||
| My child does well at school | 91% | 9% | ||
| The school has high expectations for my child | 85% | 15% | ||
| The school makes sure pupils are well behaved | 97% | 3% | ||
| The school deals effectively with bullying | 33% | 36% | 3% | 27% (have no experience of bullying) |
| The school is a welcoming and pleasant place | 97% | 3% | ||
| The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year | 82% | 15% | 3% | |
| When I raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly | 82% | 15% | 3% | |
| The school lets me know how my child is doing | 85% | 12% | 3% | |
| The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced | 88% | 12% | ||
| The school supports my child’s wider personnel development | 88% | 12% | ||
| I would recommend St. Mary’s CVA New Mills to another parent | 94% | 6% |
Parent and questionnaire feedback on Catholic Life, religious Education and Collective worship
My Child feels happy at school – over 91% strongly agree or agree
My Child feels safe at school – over 94% strongly agree or agree
The school is a supportive and joyful community – over 91% strongly agree or agree
Staff at school are positive role models for my child – over 94% strongly agree or agree
The school works well with the parish – over 91% strongly agree or agree
I understand the schools Catholic Mission and I am supportive of it – over 81% strongly agree or agree and 16% were not sure
The school supports me in my role as the first educator of my child – over 94% strongly agree or agree
My child enjoys learning RE in their lessons – over 75% strongly agree or agree and 16% were not sure
I know how ell my child is doing in RE and what they need to do to improve – over 75% strongly agree or agree and 25% were not sure.
The school supports my child’s spiritual and moral development – over 81% strongly agree or agree and 16% were not sure
I am invited to be involved in the prayer life of the school – over 91% strongly agree or agree
Our recent parent survey results on Catholic Life and Mission:
Our recent parent survey results on Catholic Life and Mission, Religious Education (RE), and Collective Worship highlighted several strengths:
- 86% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school enables their child to behave respectfully and fosters a joyful community.
- 100% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that the school works well with the parish.
Additional Notes & Follow-up Actions:
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RE Progress Awareness: Parents receive updates on their child’s progress in RE through parent consultations and annual school reports. We have now added each new knowledge mat to ClassDojo so they can be discussed at home. These resources are also available on our school website: RE Knowledge Mats. Additionally, we have organised six sessions throughout the year for parents to visit the school and see their child’s RE work firsthand.
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Enjoyment of RE Lessons: Student voice data indicates that 90% of students report enjoying RE lessons. We encourage parents to discuss with their child why they may not enjoy RE and provide feedback.
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Spiritual & Moral Development: This is supported through prayer, RE teaching, and personal development activities, including school groups, trips, and residentials, aligning with the standards outlined in the Catholic Schools Inspectors’ Handbook.
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Parent Concerns: Two parents mostly disagreed with the survey statements. The school remains open to a meeting to discuss their concerns further.
