Home

Who are we?

St Mary’s has a strong and distinctive Christian ethos and vision, yet we remain inclusive of all children in our community, including those with different faiths and those of no faith.

Our vision, values and the ‘Big Ideas’ we promote in the curriculum are universal, ensuring that they hold value and meaning for all our children, families and staff.

Our school logo is a good way to explain ‘Who are we?’, because it says a great deal about our school.

There are six elements to highlight, all embedded in our daily provision:

Centre Cross, Centre Star, Scallop Shell, Bishop’s Mitre, Fleur de Lis and A Finch.

Our logo explained

Centre Cross – A symbol of our Christian identity as a school
Our Christian vision, values and curriculum ‘Big Ideas’ permeate the school at all levels, while recognising that we serve the entire community, Christian or otherwise.

Centre Star – Illustrates our vision for every child to have the chance to shine.
Everybody (adults and children) gets the opportunity to shine and we celebrate the unique skills and achievement of each person.
Our provision will help all children to flourish (shine) physically, emotionally, academically and spiritually.

Scallop Shell – Symbol or Baptism and Pilgrimage – Our journey through life.
Every child is unique and therefore their journey through life and how they develop is equally unique. Every child will learn and grow in their own may, while developing in their learning and in their personal life.

Bishop’s Mitre – It shows the link to our connection with the Church of England.
The school preserves and develops its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level, ensuring that all children are included in every part of our provision.

Fleur de Lis – Symbol for Mary (our patron saint).
The Fleur de Lis (Lily Flower), represents purity which is associated with the Virgin Mary. Mary was called by God to do a special job, giving birth to Jesus, and she accepted it. It reminds us that we all have calling, a special job, and that in fulfilling it, God is always with us.

A Finch – Our school represents everybody in the community of Finchley.
All children are welcome and valued in our school, because we serve our local community in its entirety. We celebrate our diversity and beliefs, and we ensure that our Christian values of compassion and service extend to everybody we encounter.
In addition, our British Values of Respect and Individual Liberty are firmly embedded. Our Christian and British values is promoted in our curriculum and evident in our relationships in school.

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and all people.
(Luke 2:52)

Just like Jesus, we recognize the journey each of us are on, growing in our learning and in our personal development. Our provision at school aims to make the best possible use of every opportunity to:

LEARN, GROW, SHINE