About Us
At St. Thomas' we cater for children aged from four to eleven. We have an intake of 21 per year. Our children are divided into five, mixed aged classes which are all managed by experienced and professional staff. Along side the class teacher, each class is supported by teaching assistants working to support the children with their education.
The school day runs from 8.45am until 3.15pm. Registration takes place at 8.55am
Our classes:
Amethyst Class
Reception/Year 1
Miss Wardle (Class Teacher)
Miss Thompson (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Santos (Learning Support Assistant)
Mrs Hussein (Learning Support Assistant
Ruby Calss
Year 1/Year 2
Mrs Stewardson (class teacher)
Mrs Matthews (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Finch (Learning Support Assistant)
Mrs Heywood (Learning Support Assistant)
Opal Class
Year 2/ Year 3
Miss Hobbs (Class Teacher and Assistant Headteacher)
Mrs McCabe (Teaching Assistant)
Emerald Class
Year 4/Year 5
Ms McAllister (Class Teacher)
Mrs Robinson (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Horridge (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs Kousar (Learning Support Assistant)
Mrs Ali (Learning Support Assistant)
Sapphire Class
year 5/year 6
Miss Lockley (Class Teacher)
Mrs Horridge (Teaching Assistant)
Mrs O'Toole, Mrs Thewlis, Mrs Barraclough, Mrs Kousar and Mrs Ali (Learning Support Assistants)
Art and Design Technology Mrs Robinson supported by Mrs Matthews
Talking and Drawing Therapy Mrs Robinson
Forest School Mrs O'Toole and Mrs Williams
Sports Coach Mr Matt Edwards
We also offer instrument tuition to all our children from year 2 upwards. Currently, children have the opportunity to learn to play violin, ukulele, cello, keyboard, flute, clarinet, guitar, cornet and tenor horn. The children perform in a musical extravaganza at the end of the school year. Many children take part in the annual Rochdale Music Festival.
Children in Ruby, Opal, Emerald and Sapphire classes have whole class instrument lessons which are led by music service staff.
We offer extra curricular activities to our children including: football, multi-skills, athletics, cricket, rounders, gardening club and choir.
Football coaching in school is supported by One Goal Sports Coaching. Some PE lessons are delivered by a professional sports coach who also supports at lunchtime by running sports activities.
Our children compete against other schools in a variety of competitions including: football, netball, athletics, basketball, water polo, cross country, swimming and sports hall games a. In the summers of 2017, 2019 and 2022 we won the inaugural Pennine Cluster Athletics Trophy for Sportsmanship - an award we are very proud of.
At St. Thomas' we welcome many people to support us in delivering an exciting curriculum. Visitors to school have included: the NSPCC, Kinetic Science Theatre Company, Imran Kotwal from the Muslim Learning Centre, Barnabas in Schools, Judaism with Jeremy, the dentistry team, doctors and nurses from the Royal Oldham hospital, the Welsh Birds of Prey Centre, Greater Manchester Police Dogs, Dan from Living Streets and Rev. Janet Pitman, St. Thomas' vicar.
As a Church of England Primary School, faith is central to everything we do. Sapphire class lead worship in Church 5 times a year at Harvest, Remembrance, Christmas, Easter and the Leaver's Service. Year 6 children attend the annual Diocesan Leaver's Service at Manchester Cathedral and year 4 children will be taking part in the annual Rochdale Anglican Federation Banner Service, in which the school banner is blessed. Although faith is important to us, you don't have to attend church to be a member of the St. Thomas' family.
Alongside our Christian values, we instill the British Values of tolerance, respect, individual liberty, the rule of law and democracy into our children. We do this through our work, discussions and through our worship. Emerald Class have linked with Marland Hill Community School this year to support our work on British Values. Marland Hill is a primary school in the centre of Rochdale. It is very different from our school - it is bigger, not a faith school and many of the children are from an Asian background. This is an exciting project athat we have been involved in for many years. This year on Friday 31st March, the year 4 children form Marland Hill will be visiting our school and our church to take part in creative arts activities.
We are very proud of the charity work we do. The school council has the unenviable task of deciding which charities we support. Recently we have raised money and items to support: the Rochdale Food Bank, the Booth Centre, Springhill Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Care, the Children's Society, The Rotary Club shoebox appeal, Mediquip 4 Kids alongside The Brain Tumour Research. We encourage our children to be courageuos advocates, standing up fpr what they believe to be right. Recently some of the children have presented to the rest of the school during worship on themes that are important to them, such as climate change and exctintion in the animal kingdom. Children are encouraged to get involved in fundraising for charilties that are important to them, which is why we support the Brain Tumour Research charity and this year one of our year 6 pupils has asked to orgainsed a fundraising event to support with research into Muscular Dsytrophy.
In school we place a high importance on health and wellbeing. Many staff are trained to deliver theraputic interventions
We are a Trauma Aware School and an Autism friendly School.
In addition we also host a childcare facility which is open to children who are on roll at St. Thomas' called 'Tommy's'. Mrs Val Turner is the manager and can be contacted via the school email address.