A warm welcome from our
Headteacher
St Botolph’s Church of England Primary School aims to provide a stimulating and varied programme of education to enable children of all abilities and backgrounds to acquire confidence, knowledge and skills within an environment of the Christian faith and practice, respecting also those from other faiths. Staff, children, parents and governors work together for the care of the school within the community, committed to the spiritual, social, moral and intellectual welfare of the pupils.




Latest News
Year 3’s Trip to the Gurdwara
Year 3 had an amazing time at the Gurdwara! The lovely Ms Gill gave us a guided tour and spoke about the key values of Sikhism. She also spoke about how Sikhs may take Amrit...
Young Carers Summer Event 2025
Last week our young carers met in the forest with our forest school leader and had an afternoon of free play, woodland crafts and ice lollies. They all received a summer gift bag with things...
EYFS Explore the beach
On Tuesday 15th July, our EYFS explorers hopped on a train and set off for a fantastic day at the beach! The children had a brilliant time building sandcastles, searching for shiny seashells, and enjoying...
On Tuesday 15th July, our EYFS explorers hopped on a train and set off for a fantastic day at the beach! The children had a brilliant time building sandcastles, searching for shiny seashells, and enjoying delicious ice creams. They even became expert seagull defenders, making sure those cheeky birds stayed far away from their sandwiches! What a wonderful day full of smiles, laughter, and sandy toes!

On Tuesday 15th July, our EYFS explorers hopped on a train and set off for a fantastic day at the beach! The children had a brilliant time building sandcastles, searching for shiny seashells, and enjoying delicious ice creams. They even became expert seagull defenders, making sure those cheeky birds stayed far away from their sandwiches! What a wonderful day full of smiles, laughter, and sandy toes!
On Wednesday 10th July, our school hall was filled with music, energy and pride as we held our much-anticipated Choir Summer Concert. The choir performed a vibrant selection of songs they have been learning throughout the year, including pieces from their performances at Young Voices at the O2 Arena and the Trust Choir Concert held at the Woodville Halls back in March.
The children sang with enthusiasm and confidence, and it was wonderful to see so many parents and carers in the audience showing their support. One section of the concert featured pupils who have been learning to play the guitar and drums. They impressed us with a group piece, as well as some confident solo performances, before joining the choir for a lively and fun-filled rendition of Uptown Funk.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Riches for accompanying the choir on piano and impressing us all with her incredible musical talent. The evening was a true celebration of the hard work, dedication and joy of our young performers.

On Wednesday 10th July, our school hall was filled with music, energy and pride as we held our much-anticipated Choir Summer Concert. The choir performed a vibrant selection of songs they have been learning throughout the year, including pieces from their performances at Young Voices at the O2 Arena and the Trust Choir Concert held at the Woodville Halls back in March.
The children sang with enthusiasm and confidence, and it was wonderful to see so many parents and carers in the audience showing their support. One section of the concert featured pupils who have been learning to play the guitar and drums. They impressed us with a group piece, as well as some confident solo performances, before joining the choir for a lively and fun-filled rendition of Uptown Funk.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Riches for accompanying the choir on piano and impressing us all with her incredible musical talent. The evening was a true celebration of the hard work, dedication and joy of our young performers.
Year 3 had an amazing time at the Gurdwara! The lovely Ms Gill gave us a guided tour and spoke about the key values of Sikhism. She also spoke about how Sikhs may take Amrit and wear the 5Ks. We learned all about this in class and it was amazing to see what all the things we have learned about look like at the Gurdwara. We had the chance to try some of the delicious dahl and chapati from the Langar hall as well which was a hit all round! We are very fortunate to the Gurdwara for this opportunity as we loved every minute.

Year 3 had an amazing time at the Gurdwara! The lovely Ms Gill gave us a guided tour and spoke about the key values of Sikhism. She also spoke about how Sikhs may take Amrit and wear the 5Ks. We learned all about this in class and it was amazing to see what all the things we have learned about look like at the Gurdwara. We had the chance to try some of the delicious dahl and chapati from the Langar hall as well which was a hit all round! We are very fortunate to the Gurdwara for this opportunity as we loved every minute.
Last week our young carers met in the forest with our forest school leader and had an afternoon of free play, woodland crafts and ice lollies. They all received a summer gift bag with things to keep them occupied this summer.

Last week our young carers met in the forest with our forest school leader and had an afternoon of free play, woodland crafts and ice lollies. They all received a summer gift bag with things to keep them occupied this summer.
A huge well done to our amazing Year 4 pupils for their fantastic performance in the St Botolph`s Day Play.
The children worked incredibly hard to produce a thoughtful and engaging retelling of St Botolph’s life, highlighting the lasting impact he continues to have both inside and outside our school.
Their dedication and teamwork shone through, and their singing was truly beautiful. It was a great success and a proud moment for everyone involved.

A huge well done to our amazing Year 4 pupils for their fantastic performance in the St Botolph`s Day Play.
The children worked incredibly hard to produce a thoughtful and engaging retelling of St Botolph’s life, highlighting the lasting impact he continues to have both inside and outside our school.
Their dedication and teamwork shone through, and their singing was truly beautiful. It was a great success and a proud moment for everyone involved.
On Thursday, we welcomed Laura from `Outdoor Studios` into our school who took us outside to explore with natural materials. We began to experiment with using paint and even cherries from our school field.
Once we had completed that, we completed an observational drawing of a leaf using charcoal and chalk. We then used the paint to create a layered effect to enhance the leaf drawing. All of these skills were then applied into creating a piece of artwork on a wooden plank that had been shaped into a house. Before we could do that, we had to sand the wooden plank down which definitely tired some of us out! We thoroughly enjoyed exploring art outside and look forward to seeing our work displayed at our Trust exhibition.

On Thursday, we welcomed Laura from `Outdoor Studios` into our school who took us outside to explore with natural materials. We began to experiment with using paint and even cherries from our school field.
Once we had completed that, we completed an observational drawing of a leaf using charcoal and chalk. We then used the paint to create a layered effect to enhance the leaf drawing. All of these skills were then applied into creating a piece of artwork on a wooden plank that had been shaped into a house. Before we could do that, we had to sand the wooden plank down which definitely tired some of us out! We thoroughly enjoyed exploring art outside and look forward to seeing our work displayed at our Trust exhibition.
Yesterday morning our young carers met to mark Carer`s Week. We completed our Imago Community transition booklets to pass to our new teacher or new school. We shared the new young carer`s story book that Imago delivered to us called Young Carer`s In Bunny Land and we coloured motivational quotes. We ended our session with a drink and a biscuit.

Yesterday morning our young carers met to mark Carer`s Week. We completed our Imago Community transition booklets to pass to our new teacher or new school. We shared the new young carer`s story book that Imago delivered to us called Young Carer`s In Bunny Land and we coloured motivational quotes. We ended our session with a drink and a biscuit.
All aboard for a journey into history! Year 3 travelled to Rochester by train today, exploring the iconic castle and discovering local heritage at the Guildhall Museum. A day full of learning, adventure, and bravery as we climbed the 215 steps to the top of the castle! The children loved the views, the history and learning about King John and his sieges making links to recent history lessons, as well as things they learnt in year 2. We have had a fantastic day.

All aboard for a journey into history! Year 3 travelled to Rochester by train today, exploring the iconic castle and discovering local heritage at the Guildhall Museum. A day full of learning, adventure, and bravery as we climbed the 215 steps to the top of the castle! The children loved the views, the history and learning about King John and his sieges making links to recent history lessons, as well as things they learnt in year 2. We have had a fantastic day.
🎨 Exciting News!
Our talented Year 5 and Year 6 pupils recently took part in inspiring workshops with a local artist, and now their incredible artwork is on display!
Come and see their creativity brought to life in the ‘Layers of Life’ exhibition:
📍 St George`s Arts Centre, Gravesend, DA11 0TA
🗓️ 3rd - 15th June
⏰ 10:00am - 5:00pm daily
Support our young artists and experience their amazing work up close!

🎨 Exciting News!
Our talented Year 5 and Year 6 pupils recently took part in inspiring workshops with a local artist, and now their incredible artwork is on display!
Come and see their creativity brought to life in the ‘Layers of Life’ exhibition:
📍 St George`s Arts Centre, Gravesend, DA11 0TA
🗓️ 3rd - 15th June
⏰ 10:00am - 5:00pm daily
Support our young artists and experience their amazing work up close!
FINAL CALL – SCITT Applications Close 30 June!
Want to start your teaching journey in September 2025?
✔️ Train in real schools from day one
✔️ Earn QTS with expert guidance
✔️ Build confidence through hands-on experience
✔️ Join a supportive, passionate community of educators
✔️ Graduate career-ready and classroom confident
Whether you`re a recent graduate or changing careers – this is your path to making a real impact 🌟
📅 Deadline: 30 June
🔗 Apply now: https://www.aletheiatrust.org.uk/school-improvement/initial-teaching-training

FINAL CALL – SCITT Applications Close 30 June!
Want to start your teaching journey in September 2025?
✔️ Train in real schools from day one
✔️ Earn QTS with expert guidance
✔️ Build confidence through hands-on experience
✔️ Join a supportive, passionate community of educators
✔️ Graduate career-ready and classroom confident
Whether you`re a recent graduate or changing careers – this is your path to making a real impact 🌟
📅 Deadline: 30 June
🔗 Apply now: https://www.aletheiatrust.org.uk/school-improvement/initial-teaching-training
At the end of Term 5, Governor Awards were handed out during the final worship. Children received certificates and badges for living by our three values of Respect, Resilience and Responsibility. All children should be proud of their achievements and a very big well done from all at St Botolph`s.

At the end of Term 5, Governor Awards were handed out during the final worship. Children received certificates and badges for living by our three values of Respect, Resilience and Responsibility. All children should be proud of their achievements and a very big well done from all at St Botolph`s.
In the last week of Term 5, Mr Dockrell, Mrs Flynn and four members of our School Council had the pleasure of listening to nine children from across Key Stage Two perform their speech for us to determine our overall school winner.
Competition was very tough! All class winners had prepared, rehearsed and spoke with confidence and real passion about their chosen topic. We had speeches ranging from Guinea Pigs to Gymnastics and Wildlife to the Eiffel Tower. We were so impressed but it made our job even more difficult to choose a winner.
A huge well done to all of our class winners for getting this far.
Following deliberation and looking at the criteria set we chose Violet (Maple class) as our overall St Botolph`s winner. Her speech on Gymnastics blew us away whilst maintaining eye contact and holding our interest during her speech. We didn`t inform Violet until our Eucharist Service on Friday and we invited Violet`s parents in as a surprise. Violet`s prize was a selection of books along with some sweets to enjoy whilst reading her favourite books.
Violet and Mrs Pollard are looking forward to joining all of the other school winners from across our Trust and heading up to the Houses of Parliament before performing once more to determine the overall Trust winner.
We`re all very proud of you Violet - what a great achievement!

In the last week of Term 5, Mr Dockrell, Mrs Flynn and four members of our School Council had the pleasure of listening to nine children from across Key Stage Two perform their speech for us to determine our overall school winner.
Competition was very tough! All class winners had prepared, rehearsed and spoke with confidence and real passion about their chosen topic. We had speeches ranging from Guinea Pigs to Gymnastics and Wildlife to the Eiffel Tower. We were so impressed but it made our job even more difficult to choose a winner.
A huge well done to all of our class winners for getting this far.
Following deliberation and looking at the criteria set we chose Violet (Maple class) as our overall St Botolph`s winner. Her speech on Gymnastics blew us away whilst maintaining eye contact and holding our interest during her speech. We didn`t inform Violet until our Eucharist Service on Friday and we invited Violet`s parents in as a surprise. Violet`s prize was a selection of books along with some sweets to enjoy whilst reading her favourite books.
Violet and Mrs Pollard are looking forward to joining all of the other school winners from across our Trust and heading up to the Houses of Parliament before performing once more to determine the overall Trust winner.
We`re all very proud of you Violet - what a great achievement!