Grateful
Compassionate
Loving
Faith-filled
Truthful
Learned
Active
Intentional
for our own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day;
towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate;
by our just actions and forgiving words.
in our beliefs
in what we say of ourselves, the relations between people, and the world.
finding God in all things
in our engagement with the world, changing what we can for the better.
in the way we live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience
Our School History
Aiming for Excellence with God at the centre of all we think, do and say...since 1965!
Our School opened its doors to pupils on 13th September 1965 - the first primary school in England to be named after our patron Pope John XXIII. Ever since the parish of Our Lady of Fatima had been officially founded in 1955, local families worshiping in the church with the then Parish Priest, Fr. Daniel made it clear of the need for a Catholic school for local children. It took a lot of hard work to open the school with the conversation even reaching as far of the House of Commons; but eventually the school opened to educate local children and make God a central part of that education.
Since that very first day there have been: seven Head Teachers, five parish priests, thousands of families and countless children all part of the school community. We have welcomed Cardinals and Bishops, nuns and visiting priests and are so proud of the community of faith and education we are lucky to be part of.
Our school continues to change and grow inline with the need of our community and in reflection of our faith.
The early days...
In 2014, following his canonization, our school officially changed its name to St John XXIII Catholic Primary School.
In 2016, a new school building allowed us to open our doors to even more children and families and
2023 saw the next chapter of our school journey as we became part of The St John Southworth Catholic Academy trust.
Since 1965, our school has strived to allow all to 'Aim for excellence with God at the centre of all we think, do and say' and this mission continues today. The pictures below show some of the changes since those early days but some things remain very recognisable for our pupils today...what do you recognise that still has a part in our school today?
A look back in time!
