Dear parents, carers and friends of the school,

I was absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to have been appointed as the Headteacher for St Mary’s Primary School back in September 2019 and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you.

I have been a Headteacher, a Senior Leader and a class teacher in primary schools in Essex for over 20 years. Previously to this appointment, I was the Headteacher of St John’s Church of England Primary School and prior to that I was the Assistant Head Teacher for a number of years. Furthermore, I have a family of my own; I have two children: Arron and Amelie – who are currently 10 years old and 8 years old.

At St Mary’s, we are determined to develop the ‘whole child’ by recognising that all subjects in the National Curriculum provide vital opportunities for children with different interests to excel. In all aspects of school life, we will be encouraging a ‘Growth Mindset’ approach; we believe that children can achieve anything if they put their minds to it through practice, effort and self-belief and we will celebrate these skills in all facets of school life, including in our weekly whole school assemblies and acts of worship.

To ensure that the needs of all of our children are met, my vision for the school is that St Mary’s is able to give each and every child a great wealth of exciting experiences and opportunities. This, in turn, will guarantee they leave us at the end of Year 6, feeling extremely confident, responsible and equipped to become successful and thoughtful members of our society, ready for their secondary school journey and, eventually, their lives beyond schooling.   

I believe that St Mary's should be a joyful, compassionate, spiritual, respectful and hardworking environment, in which all staff should utilise their skills to enable the children in their care to achieve their true potential and talents. As a Christian community, I believe that we should celebrate the successes of our children in all areas of school life. We can do this by showing them that we believe in them, respect them and are proud of them;

At St Mary’s, my vision is that the children will be able to take pride in both their excellent academic achievements, as well as offering them musical, artistic and sporting opportunities that inside and outside of the classroom which will provide them with other achievements of which they can be proud and also allow them to find their passions and interests in life, which will, in turn, make them well rounded and, most importantly, happy individuals. Furthermore, our six school values of Respect, Truthfulness, Friendship, Trust, Perseverance and Compassion will develop our pupils’ character and attitude, ensuring that they leave St Mary’s as decent, kind and resilient people who will contribute to our ever-changing society.

Moreover, as key educators in your children’s lives, I feel that it is important that you, as parents/carers, have a voice. My aim at St Mary’s is that we are always approachable and that we allocate time to listen to your concerns, worries or thoughts about our school. I will be available on most mornings and after school, on the school gate, if you wish to come over and have a chat and I will also be holding some informal coffee mornings later in the year, in which parents/guardians can chat to both myself and the senior leadership team to express opinions on what the school is doing well and/or any areas that may need addressing.

I am well aware of the importance of your child’s primary school and, as a father myself, I am aware what our children mean to us so you can therefore, be absolutely assured that as the proud Headteacher of St Mary’s I will work tirelessly to create the very best education for your child or children whilst they are members of our school community. 

I very much look forward to getting to know you and your children at our wonderful school, St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Saffron Walden.

Christopher Jarmain

Headteacher, St Mary’s Primary School, Saffron Walden