Welcome from the Headteacher

A very warm welcome to St Stephen's Church of England VA Primary School.

It is a real privilege to be the Headteacher of St Stephen's and to lead such a wonderful school community. We are incredibly proud of our children, our dedicated staff and the families who make our school the special place that it is.

At St Stephen's, our children are at the heart of everything we do. We want every child who comes through our doors to feel safe, happy and valued; to know that they belong and, most importantly, to know that we believe in them.

As a Church of England school, our Christian faith and values are at the heart of school life. Our vision is for our children to learn and grow and achieve together in God's love, and we aim to live this out in the way we learn together, care for one another and treat each other every day. We are proud of our strong links with St Stephen's Church and of the important part we play within our wider community.

Relationships are incredibly important to us. We know that children learn best when they feel safe, secure and understood. We want St Stephen's to be a place where children feel confident to be themselves, to have a go, to learn from their mistakes and to know that there will always be someone there to encourage and support them.

Alongside this care and nurture, we have high expectations for every child. We are ambitious for our children and committed to providing them with a high-quality education. Through a broad and ambitious curriculum, we ensure strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics alongside rich learning across the wider curriculum. We want our children to develop the knowledge and skills they need, while also encouraging them to think, question, explore and become increasingly confident and independent learners. We want every child to make progress, experience success and be well prepared for the next stage of their education.

We also believe that education is about much more than academic achievement alone. We want our children to leave St Stephen's as kind, respectful, confident and resilient young people. We want them to discover their talents, develop their character, enjoy new experiences and make memories that will stay with them long after they leave us.

We are very fortunate to have extensive grounds next to Towneley Park, including our Forest School, worship garden and outdoor learning and sporting spaces. These provide wonderful opportunities for our children to learn, play, explore and enjoy experiences beyond the classroom.

Our families are an incredibly important part of our school. We believe that children achieve their best when school and home work together, and we value open, positive relationships with our parents and carers. Ultimately, we all want the same thing - for our children to be happy, successful and to flourish.

St Stephen's is a school with a strong sense of faith, family and community. We are incredibly proud of our school and ambitious for its future. Above all, we are committed to providing the very best for every child and ensuring that they are supported and encouraged to achieve all that they are capable of during their time with us.

I hope our website gives you a flavour of life at St Stephen's and the values that are important to us. If you are considering St Stephen's for your child, I would encourage you to come and see our school for yourself. We would be delighted to welcome you, show you around and introduce you to our wonderful school family.

Laura Rostron
Headteacher