Welcome

On behalf of the children, staff and governors of St Mary’s Primary School and Nursery Unit, I am delighted to welcome you to our school website.

St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School was established in 1964 and is situated in the middle of the town of Bellaghy. County Derry. Our Nursery Unit was opened in 2002, expanding our provision for the children of Bellaghy.

We believe that all children are life time learners. We know that children learn best when they feel happy, secure and well cared for. Therefore our first priority is the provision of strong pastoral care in a nurturing environment of catholic faith. We aim to develop in our children a passion and love of learning by providing an enriched, broad and balanced curriculum; that delivers a high quality, inclusive education for all, so that each may reach their full potential.

I sincerely hope that you will find our website to be an extremely useful resource, helping you to engage with your child’s educational journey through St Mary’s. Should you require any further information on admissions or would like to visit the school at any stage, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Mrs Mary McCann

Principal

Welcome

Latest News

Boys Football Finals

11th Jun 2026

Cumann na mBunscol Boys Football Finals are postponed. We will keep you updated with...

Critters, Creatures and Curiousity!

11th Jun 2026

Allan from Little Critters brought along a wonderful selection of fascinating creatures...

Wee Critters

11th Jun 2026

We had a lovely treat this morning as Allan from Wee Critters came to our school...

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Boys Football Finals Cumann na mBunscol Boys Football Finals are postponed. We will keep you updated with future arrangements.

Critters, Creatures and Curiousity! Allan from Little Critters brought along a wonderful selection of fascinating creatures and minibeasts for P.3 to see. The children listened attentively as they learned lots of interesting facts and stories about each one. They had the chance to meet Craig the cockroach, Pablo the snake, Curly Sue the tarantula, Katie the grasshopper, Stampy the millipede, Steve the toad, and Ailbhe the armadillo, to name just a few. It was a fantastic interactive session, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Wee Critters We had a lovely treat this morning as Allan from Wee Critters came to our school to show us his amazing animal friends. So much fun while learning lots of interesting facts about the ‘wee critters’. Many of the Primary 1’s were so brave and held the animals. What a wonderful experience!

W5 Trip with P3 and P4 Our P3 and P4 classes enjoyed a fantastic school trip to W5, packed full of fun and learning from start to finish. The children explored activities across each of the floors, discovering hands on science and interactive challenges along the way. After working up an appetite, everyone enjoyed lunch followed by some well earned time in the soft play area.The highlight of the day was the Fizz, Pop, Bang! workshop, where the children became scientists and carried out exciting experiments. Of course, no trip to W5 would be complete without a visit to the gift shop to finish off a memorable day.A great day was had by all, and we would like to say a special thank you to our parent helpers, Katie, Lisa and Edel for their help throughout the day.

Primary 7 Football The Primary 7 boys represented the school brilliantly at the Gaelic football tournament in St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt. Throughout the day, they showed great teamwork, determination, and resilience in every match they played. While they were unlucky not to bring home a trophy, their effort and sportsmanship were a credit to them. A special thanks goes to Padraig’s daddy, who made sure everyone finished the day on a high with some well-deserved ice cream!

The 2026-2027 application process is open for Free School Meals and Uniform Allowance. www.eani.org.uk/fsm

P7 ‘Fan the Flame 2026’ The Primary 7 pupils travelled to Celtic Park today to take part in the ‘Fan the Flame’ Mass. Primary 7 children from across the Derry Diocese attended this special event, which was celebrated by Bishop McKeown. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the mass and the opportunity to be part of such a memorable occasion. To round off a wonderful day, everyone stopped at McDonald's on the journey home.

Ice-cream to the Rescue When the rain stopped play, we decided to CONE-tinue the fun another way! Sports Day may have been postponed, but a visit from the ice cream van ensured there were still plenty of smiles to go around. A scoop of happiness was just what we needed.

Book Workshop sponsored by Book Trust Recently, our Primary 2-4 pupils took part in a fantastic workshop organised and generously sponsored by the Book Trust. It was a delight to welcome author and illustrator Colleen Larmour, hear her share some of her wonderful stories and explore our creativity by producing illustrations inspired by her books. To make the experience even more memorable, every child received copies of two of Colleen’s books to take home. It was a truly enjoyable morning celebrating reading, storytelling and artistic expression.

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Upcoming Events...

Friday, 12th June 2026
P1 assembly (School Hall)
St Patrick's College, Maghera Castle Cup Boys Football
Tuesday, 16th June 2026
St Patrick's College Maghera - Castle Cup Camogie
Wednesday, 17th June 2026
Nursery Graduation
P5 and P6 School trip to Lagan Valley Leisureplex
Thursday, 18th June 2026
P7 End of year trip to The Jungle
Friday, 19th June 2026
Induction Day for P7 (St Marys Grammar School, Magherafelt)
Wednesday, 24th June 2026
P7 Leavers Assembly (@ 9.30am )

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