Can you help? The SMART team are looking for helpers to support the school with their Christmas event which is being held on Friday 11th December 3.30-4.30pm. They understand that time is tight and that juggling work and children can be demanding however the more people involved means less for each person to do. If you are able to support SMART, either as part of the preparations beforehand, or on the day, please email: smartstmatthews@gmail.com If you are unable to ma

Hello from SMART! We are the St Matthew's PTA and we hope you are enjoying the start to the new school year. At SMART, we are all about fun, fundraising and social events to enhance the children's time at school. Now that everyone has settled into the school year, we have created a newsletter to let you know key achievements, upcoming events and how you can help. We can't wait to raise even more funds for our wonderful school in 2026 & 2027! Beth, Charlotte, Fay & Tania SMART

Our Harvest festival celebration on Monday 19th October 2026 is fast approaching. Our children will be performing songs, reciting poems and giving readings as part of this celebration. The services will be in St Matthew’s Church and will be open for parents and carers. The times for the celebrations will be: Reception and Key Stage 1 (Rec, Y1 and Y2) at 9.30am Key Stage 2 (Y3, Y4, Y5 and Y6) at 10.30am So that we can have our colourful display of harve

As part of our continued efforts to help tackle climate change, we have elected two new eco warriors in all classes from Year 1 to Year 6. One of the jobs of the eco warrior is to present a weekly challenge to their class every Friday. Mr Barlow meets with the eco warriors beforehand to explain the challenge to them. The challenges can be found on the young climate warrior website: https://www.youngclimatewarriors.org/ Families of any child can sign up on the website if they

We invite prospective parents to join us for our upcoming open mornings from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. There is no need to book - simply drop in on any of the following dates: Saturday 17th October Thursday 12th November Tuesday 17th November

We are pleased to announce that, as we get closer to our final count, our Summer Fair raised just over £4000 this year. A huge ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone who attended on the day and also to our amazing SMART Team for all of their hard work and dedication. So much work went on behind the scenes to prepare for the day and their continued support is much appreciated by school. There will be lots more events happening next year so keep an eye on Arbor for updates so you do not m

At St. Matthew’s, we are passionate about developing a lifelong love of reading in all our children. Over the past few years, we have successfully implemented the Little Wandle phonics programme and invested extensively in carefully matched reading books for our Reception to Year 2 pupils. We have also recently expanded our collection of age-appropriate, phonically decodable Little Wandle books for children aged 7 and above, ensuring that every child has access to books that

Careers Week at our school has been a remarkable event filled with energy, learning, and inspiration. Last week, we welcomed an impressive number of visitors who shared their professional journeys and insights with our students. Their stories opened new doors of understanding about the world of work and sparked curiosity among children and staff alike. We were fortunate to host 34 visitors from various fields, each bringing a unique perspective on their jobs. The week began w

We are very much looking forward to our Summer Fair on Saturday 4th July between 11.00am and 1.30pm. It is a fantastic event, run by our SMART team, which helps raise money for the school (at this time, SMART is currently supporting school to make improvements to our playgrounds and outdoor spaces). We will see the return of many of our usual stalls as well as inviting along some new ones. You can come and buy a selection of food, have a go on the bouncy castle and super s

SMART PTA are holding an adult social event which is a Music Bingo. The link for tickets is https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/event/smart-music-bingo

As part of our Lenten Appeal this year, the children have chosen to support St. Gemma’s Hospice. Each year we try to think of some fun ideas to help raise money for our chosen charity. This year, we have decided to host a ‘Break the Rules Day’ . See the attached poster for details. This will be taking place on Thursday 2 nd April 2026 . In order for the children to participate in the event, we have set up a Just Giving page where donations can be made. All donations wi

Here is a copy of the school’s carbon footprint. We work hard at the school to tackle climate change and are one of a small number of schools who calculate our carbon footprint with the help of ‘Green Schools Project’. As you can see from the picture, we produce less carbon than most schools when it comes to purchasing and around the same when it comes to travel, food and energy. Our carbon footprint has increased by 1% from last year, largely due to an increase in CO2 we pro

This week, many of our Year 5 pupils participated in Bikeability, a fantastic program designed to teach children essential cycling skills and road safety awareness. This initiative not only promotes physical activity but also empowers children to become confident and responsible cyclists. The students engaged in practical lessons, learning how to navigate their bikes safely in various traffic scenarios while also understanding the importance of wearing helmets and following r

We had an absolute blast dressing up for World Book Day, an event that celebrates the joy of reading and encourages children to explore the wonderful world of literature through creative expression. The excitement in the air was palpable as students and staff alike donned costumes inspired by their favorite characters from beloved books. From wizards and witches to adventurous heroes and whimsical animals, the variety of outfits showcased the imagination and enthusiasm of eve

The Somerton Award, set up in memory of one of our previous Governors, has been running now for a few years. This poetry competition is held in high esteem by staff, parents and especially the children. This year the awards will be on Thursday 19 th March. After the half term holiday preparations will begin and each class will have a competition to choose their class representative. So now is your chance to help your child . We are inviting all children to either write a p

The Community Café at St. Matthew’s Church is open every Wednesday from 9am until 1pm serving a soup lunch as well as its usual tea, coffee and baked goods. With the extended hours the church really needs some extra volunteers to help with the catering. If this is something you would be interested in, please contact the church directly.

Our well-being day is due to take place on Friday 13 th February . There are lots of exciting activities planned to take place in and around school which will make it a fun day for all. A huge THANK YOU to Miss Stansfield and Mrs Challinor for organising the day. It certainly was not an easy task however their hard work is much appreciated and we expect the day to be a huge success. A big thank you also to those parents, career and organisations who have offered to help

We are excited to announce that St Matthew’s will be holding a careers week, aimed at providing our students with valuable insights into different professions and inspiring them to explore various career paths. Careers week will take place during the week beginning 15 th June and will involve a series of interactive sessions, workshops, and presentations conducted by professionals from a wide range of fields. We believe that exposure to real-life experiences and hearing f

IMPORTANT SCHOOL COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT On Friday 13 th February 2026, we will be collecting food for the Interact Food Pantry in Meanwood. At this time the Food Pantry really needs the following: tinned tomatoes If you would like to donate the above product, we will be at the school gate before and after school. Your support with this would mean so much to us and the Food Pantry. Our next collection will be on Friday 6 th March 2026 for the Leeds North and West Foodbank.

IMPORTANT SCHOOL COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT On Friday, January 30 th , 2026 , we will be gathering food donations for the Leeds North and West Foodbank. At this moment, the Foodbank is particularly in need of the following item: long-life fruit juice If you wish to contribute this item, we will be present at the school gate before and after school hours. Your assistance with this would mean a great deal to us and the Foodbank. Our subsequent collection is scheduled for Friday

Every week, children across the country take on exciting challenges that help protect our planet. These young climate warriors are making a real difference by learning about the environment and taking action to reduce their impact. This week, we proudly handed out numerous certificates and badges to recognize their hard work and dedication. If you want your child to be part of this inspiring movement, you can sign them up at Young Climate Warriors . A young climate warrior pr

After the success of last year, the SMART team are excited to welcome back Spike Bonzo, the stand-up comedy magician for kids, to raise money for the school fund. He will be performing his brand-new show at St. Matthew’s on Thursday 29 th January 2026 . Spike has been performing professionally for over 10 years and has a wealth of knowledge and skills to create the perfect magical experience. Having performed all over the country, predominantly in the south of England, S