Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School

We are delighted to share Cathedral’s January – June Family Learning programme.

Our first parent workshop will take place on Tuesday 27th January. This session invites Primary 1 parents and carers to join their child in our Play Zone and enjoy some hands-on learning together. With only a few school weeks to go, please make sure to note the date in your diary.

Building on Cathedral’s excellent inspection report, next term’s Family Learning sessions for Primary 3–7 will give parents and carers the chance to learn about the research sitting behind Cathedral’s innovative approaches to teaching and learning and why these methods have such a powerful impact on children’s progress. Mr Young’s presentation will include a comparison with schools in Finland, which is widely recognised as having one of the best education systems in the world.

There will be a series of targeted Family Learning workshops, delivered by our ‘A Team’. These sessions will be by invitation only. The first workshop, for parents and carers of pupils who use the IDL literacy programme, will take place on Wednesday 21st January.

Please click the link below to access our January – June Parental Engagement & Family Learning leaflet:

Jan – June 2026 Family Learning programme

To add some festive excitement to the final days of term, Primary 5b learners took part in an ‘Escape Room’ challenge on Monday 15th December, where they worked together to solve a series of tasks and uncover the location of their hidden Christmas presents.

The adventure began with a written maths equation, which led to a treasure hunt for jigsaw pieces. Once assembled, the pieces revealed the location of the next clue. The children were then challenged to decipher a hidden message using balloons, which they burst to reveal spy pens.

Using the spy pens, the children discovered times tables questions hidden around the classroom. When solved correctly, these revealed the code needed to open a lock box. Inside the lock box was a key, leading to the final challenge: working as a team to find the correct door and, at last, their Christmas presents!

The above photo shows the children proudly wearing their new Christmas socks — a festive reward for their excellent teamwork, perseverance and problem-solving skills!

This Cathedral learner, who is Jewish, was very excited to share a special book with Mr Young on Monday 15th December, a day that fell during Hanukkah celebrations. At home, her family has begun lighting the candles of the menorah each evening and have already enjoyed traditional potato latkes. She explained that these customs are an important part of Jewish faith and tradition, and that she is especially looking forward to the family feast that will bring their Hanukkah celebrations to a close on 22nd December.

Mr Young was delighted to welcome an unexpected visitor from Clydeview Primary on Monday 15th December. The learner arrived with a thoughtful handmade Christmas gift — a tasty hot chocolate kit with marshmallows, beautifully wrapped and accompanied by the heartfelt message: “A warm hug from us to you.”

This kind gesture was a festive reminder that, together, Cathedral, Firpark and Clydeview form one big campus family.

Through the generosity of Motherwell company, SJ Contract Solutions, Cathedral Primary was delighted to receive two brand new sets of football strips on Friday 12th December. The home kit features a striking yellow and green design, while the away kit showcases bold green and black colours.

A huge thank you to SJ Contract Solutions for their support. Our teams can’t wait to wear the strips with pride in their future matches!

Primary 4b have been busy exploring countries of their choice and discovering how people around the world celebrate Christmas. As part of their research, learners created their own PowerPoint presentations to share with the class, showcasing traditions and celebrations from across the globe.

To round off their learning, Primary 4b enjoyed a festive tasting session on Friday 12th December, sampling delicious Christmas treats including panettone, stollen and German ginger biscuits. Learning never tasted so festive!

Cathedral’s gym hall was filled to the brim on Friday 12th December for both performances of this year’s infant nativity, Angel Express. Audiences were transported back 2000 years to the Holy Land as the story of the first Christmas unfolded through a humorous script and a wonderful selection of fun, toe‑tapping songs.

A huge well done to our Primary 1 and 2 learners — you were fantastic — and many thanks to all teaching and support staff for your hard work in preparing for the big day. Special appreciation goes to Mrs McCoy, our talented director and choreographer, and to ‘Uncle Joe’ for his superb work on lighting and sound. What a team!

These Primary 4 learners were delighted to be among the first to enjoy Tea with Me — a cosy gathering that brings pupils and teachers together for conversation and celebration. What makes it so special for Cathedral learners?

• Enjoy a warm drink and a biscuit while chatting with the teacher
• Celebrate learning, progress and personal achievements
• Share hobbies, interests and stories from home and school
• Strengthen connections across the classroom community

This lovely new initiative brings two of our school values — Love and Connection — to life, creating a welcoming space where our young learners feel valued, heard and supported.

There’s been a lovely festive buzz in Cathedral nursery this week, with our young learners embracing every moment of creativity and celebration.

We began the week by designing models and building our very own Christmas trees, complete with sparkling baubles to make them shine. The children loved chatting about the decorations they have at home and the dazzling displays they’ve spotted around the community—such thoughtful observations from our young learners.

In the snack area, The Gingerbread Man leapt off the page and into real life. Inspired by the story, the children rolled up their sleeves to bake and decorate their own gingerbread biscuits in festive colours. There was no shortage of creative thinking as they wondered, “Will mine be big or small?”

A real highlight was our Christmas lunch in the dining hall. Key groups and key workers gathered together for a special celebration filled with laughter, smiles, and plenty of festive cheer.

Throughout the week, the nursery has been buzzing with Christmas crafts—sparkles, glue, and imagination everywhere you look! We’ve also been practising our beautiful Christmas songs for next week’s Stay and Play. The excitement is building, and we can’t wait to share these magical moments with our families.

Cathedral learners and staff enjoyed a fabulous festive feast on Wednesday 10th December at our annual school community Christmas dinner. The menu offered something for everyone: traditional turkey with all the trimmings, hearty steak pie, or a tasty vegetarian option… finished off perfectly with ice cream and a chocolate treat.

As always, the occasion was made extra special with tablecloths, napkins, and even table service provided by our wonderful Primary 7 waiters. And of course, no Christmas dinner would be complete without plenty of festive music to sing along to!

A huge thank you to our catering team for preparing such a delicious meal and helping to make it so special for pupils and staff alike.