We have very recently created social media pages in an effort to celebrate our community and the amazing successes of our children. We are active on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Please do follow and like/comment to share in the celebration of St Mary's.
FAQS on the use of social media channels and online newsletter
The principal reason for using social media channels is to celebrate our community, our children and their families; our staff and the excellent work they do. Every day there is something positive to celebrate at our school, and in the past staff have been frustrated by not being able to share these moments with parents, governors and one another. Utilising social media and our online newsletter will enable us to communicate this more effectively
Safeguarding is our highest priority.
To ensure we maintain good practise we will:
1) Ask for consent from parents for using their child's image. [Please note: most parents have or have not given photo consent upon joining the school - if you wish to reconsider your decision, please call the main office].
2) Ask children before we take a photo to celebrate their achievement. Even if the parent has given photo permission, if a child does not wish to be photographed on a particular day we will of course respect their choice.
3) Never use a child's full name or any other personal details except their first name [e.g. Mary won the 100m and 200m sprint at our Sports Day today! Fantastic running
In much the same way as print media and television news programming tends to focus on negative news to shock and interest their audiences, social media is also guilty of this. Indeed, it is for that same reason we hear about the dangers of social media far more than the positives!
We know that social media has its downsides (and in PSHE we teach our children to be aware of these), but it can also be a tremendous force for good.
Social media can help us communicate and stay connected, find our voice, fundraise, offer support and show empathy and kindness to others. Above all it can be used to celebrate our young people, share their positive news and promote the change we want to see in our world.
If you currently use any of the above social media channels, we would appreciate it if you could follow us and 'like' and 'comment' to show your appreciation and encouragement for our students, staff and wider community.
We would also appreciate your feedback on what we post, e.g. If you hear of something that should be shared, please call the school office to let us know and we will endeavour to celebrate that piece of good news!