We thought it would be nice to share some of the comments from parents with children who have joined the Stella Maris Community.  These are a mix of pupils who joined at Reception phase or as an In Year Admission:-   

"Stella Maris has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The whole school staff have been friendly and supportive at every stage of the journey- from the administrative process, to the home visits from teachers. My daughter is happy and excited to get to school each day!"

"Jack was a new starter in Year 3 in September this year. We were lucky enough to visit the school in January, and instantly loved it, and applied for a place immediately. When Jack started in September he settled so quickly and happily. The teachers and school office have been so helpful and kind, keeping us updated through the application process and reassuring us about Jack's progress after he started. I am so pleased we chose Stella Maris".

"My son was worried about ‘big school’ and spent the summer beforehand telling me he wouldn’t ever go. A socially distanced garden visit from staff helped him to start looking forward to it instead, and I was pleasantly amazed by how quickly he settled in, even shouting ‘Hooray, let’s go to school!’ He has been really enthused by the play-based teaching in reception and often wants to spend his time at home following up on interests he has gained at school, such as building number blocks or writing".

"Jasper absolutely loves going to school at Stella Maris, in fact when we asked him last week how his day was, he spontaneously replied 'I love school'! This was a far cry from the summer, when he didn't even want to talk about starting school. He had a wobble going in on his own on his first day, but since then he's enjoyed every day.   We're really happy with the teaching staff. They're happy to take questions and we feel comfortable when raising concerns".

"I would just like to say how welcoming all members of the school have been since Olive started in the Imps class this year. She has spoken fondly of not just her own teachers but also the wider support and teaching staff throughout the school. Despite the current restrictions and protocols in place the school has been able to maintain a friendly and welcoming environment which Olive enjoys coming into each day. In her short time at Stella Maris she has already made lots of friends, covered many different topics in a fun way and is looking forward to continuing her journey at the school".

"My son started reception class this year and we have not doubted our choice of Stella Maris School for a second.  He has settled in beautifully and bounces in every morning, which means I don’t worry.  The credit for this lies with the lovely staff and other parents as well as good communication between all.  We couldn’t be happier, and I am super picky!".

"If, like me, you believe that truly effective learning comes easily when the children are in an inclusive, loving, caring and respectful environment then this is the school for you".

"We had always made the assumption that my child would go to her nearest school. When it came to the final weeks before our choices were due, we had very little contact with her nearest school (this isn’t a criticism of the school as I completely understand how tricky Covid has made things). However, this along with the wonderful zoom that Stella offered made us reconsider. We did not join zoom but heard of it through other parents who spoke highly of it and it’s interactive nature. Very last minute I contacted Stella Maris via email  who responded very quickly and offered a 1:1 zoom the following day. This communication along with the very child-led video on your website made us question our decision and following our meeting, our mind was changed. We love the family feel of Stella and spoke to several families following our meeting, who speak so fondly of Stella".

"We have been so pleased with how well the staff at Stella Maris have settled our daughter into her first year at school. She has been so happy going in and we have been so impressed with her learning - she is always sharing her phonics sounds and numbers with us at home. We would highly recommend the school to any new parents".

"We have felt so welcomed and supported as a family. Both our girls love this school, they have a really enriched experience where they get to try loads of different, exciting new things. The foundation year is so lovely, hatching chicks and growing butterflies was a highlight for our daughter last year. We feel really lucky to have our children in a small school with such caring teachers and staff who know the individual children so well. We can’t imagine them being anywhere else! It’s a lovely place for children to learn and we are certain they will have happy memories of their primary school experience in years to come".

"My daughter started Stella Maris in September 2021 We couldn’t be happier with the choice we made.

Zara loves coming to school and is happy.   It’s lovely to see every week all the fun they have been having looking at the photos on the class pages and how much they have been learning".