Church and Community Links

We have a close link with All Saints Church, Downshire Square.

Revd. Jo Williams is the vicar at All Saints who is heavily involved in the life of the school. She is a governor, leads worship regularly and takes part in many other in school activities routinely. Revd. Jo is well known by all the children and is a very popular member of the school community.

Children visit church regularly to lead special services which are attended by other pupils, families and members of the community. Children also visit the church to learn more about the church as a special building and place of worship.

Meet Our Vicar and Children

My name is Revd. Jo Williams and I am the vicar at All Saints and St Mark’s churches in central Reading. I have lived in Reading and served in this role for 5 years. Before this I have worked in several churches and worked in children’s ministry before becoming a vicar. Since starting I have been privileged to work with the children and staff at St Mary and All Saints CE Primary School. The school is linked with the parish church of All Saints and we have a strong partnership. Myself and some of our foundation governors spend a lot of time in school leading worship, being part of the governing body and leading other special activities such as developing the prayer space, leading Godly play sessions and supporting RE learning.

The school’s vision and aims match with the Church of England vision for Education ‘I have come that they may have life and have it to the full’.

The school has at its heart the desire for fullness of life for every individual, helping them to flourish as God’s children. How great to be a part of that vision!

You are warmly welcome to come along to services at All Saints on Sunday mornings at 11am or to come and have a look around. I would love to hear from you. Please visit the Church Website for further details. I look forward to meeting you.

Community Links

Following a turbulent past we pride ourselves in starting to build a positive reputation within our local area and this is largely due to our involvement within our community. We are proud of our growing links in the local community. Our school lies in the heart of our community, at the centre of the large housing estate whose residents we serve. As well as letting out our facilities to the local community nursery and Polish school, we advertise our own events widely and welcome members of the community along to our summer fete and Christmas celebrations.

These are some of the key ways we get involved in our community:

  • Reading Boys School – We have formed a strong partnership with the local grammar school which allows our children to access superb teaching, resources and experiences. These include:
    • Y6 Elective education (Weekly)
    • Maths tuition from Reading pupils
    • Weekly canoeing session (Y5)
    • The Finland Expedition (Y6)
    • Sports and other competitions 
  • ABC to read - This charity supplies us with 4 reading volunteers who each work two afternoons at our school to support children in Year 3 with their reading.
  • Metro Bank - We regularly perform at the bank in central Reading, a partnership formed as our PTA bank with them
  • Over 50s club - We regularly take children to entertain at the local over 50S club. Our children gain a great deal from these experiences and we know they are highly valued by the members as well.
  • Fundraising - As a school we actively raise funds throughout each year for those who are less fortunate. This includes national charities such as the Readifood, British Legion and Leukemia Research, as well as charities selected by the children. Children are given the opportunity regularly to fund raise for charities close to their hearts which supports them in demonstrating our Christian values and standing up for those who need support.
  • Sporting events - We take part in a wide variety of sporting events during each year in our local community. These include the Reading Sport Partnership Sports competitions and festivals. We have Y6 Sports Leaders.
  • Coley Connections - We work with the local neighbourhood associations on a number of projects including a Growing Together project utilising our raised beds to grow vegetables with local residents.