A Warm Welcome to St Mary’s 175th Intake
Friday, 4th July
The first Friday of July has long been recognised as Transition Day in local secondary schools – a special event when Year 6 pupils visit their new schools in preparation for September. This year, Transition Day held extra significance at St Mary’s: the incoming cohort marks our 175th intake, a remarkable milestone for a school that has proudly served the Croydon and wider community since its founding in 1851.
On Friday, we were delighted to welcome our new Year 6 pupils into our school community. The day was carefully designed to help them feel at home, meet their new tutor groups, and begin building friendships with future classmates. Pupils took part in a series of engaging taster lessons, including:
🎵 A music session where they learned to play a simple tune on the ukulele.
🧪 A hands-on science experiment in one of our laboratories.
🎭 A drama workshop creating short ghost stories in teams.
📚 An English lesson exploring monsters – both literal and metaphysical.
Throughout the day, our exceptional Year 10 student leadership team guided and supported the younger pupils with kindness, patience, and enthusiasm. Their efforts made a real difference in helping our future Year 7s feel welcome, safe, and valued.
The day concluded with a meeting for pupils and parents with our Headteacher, Mr Shields, followed by our much-loved Welcome BBQ in the courtyard – a wonderful way to end a memorable day of new beginnings and shared hope for the future.
