St Mary's Primary & Nursery School, Bellaghy, Magherafelt

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

Primary 4 are exploring the fascinating world of 3D shapes!

2nd Dec 2025

This term, our pupils have been learning all about cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders,...

Bella the Bellaghy Elf has landed at St. Mary's!

1st Dec 2025

This morning we had a big surprise at our school. On arrival, we quickly noticed...

P7 Advent Assembly

28th Nov 2025

We were so proud of our P7 pupils today. They performed the nativity story and explained...

More News

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Primary 5 Christmas Homophone Scavenger Hunt! This week, our Primary 5 class took part in a festive Christmas Homophone Scavenger Hunt in the playground. Each card contained a Christmas-themed sentence with a pair of homophones and the children had to find and choose the correct one. Once the hunt was complete, the children were delighted to be greeted by Buddy the Elf waiting in the hut. To celebrate their hard work, Buddy rewarded every pupil with a special golden coin. Well done, Primary 5!

Kindness Week in P6 To start of the week, P6 took part in Odd Socks Day to celebrate our differences. We wore ties on Wednesday to show that kindness ‘ties’ us together and got another opportunity to use our kind words when talking with P4 who invited us to see their fantastic model air-raid shelters! During Take 5 on Friday, we had time to connect with our classmates when learning to knit and weave (trying out best!). What a busy week!

Primary 4 are exploring the fascinating world of 3D shapes! This term, our pupils have been learning all about cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders, cones and pyramids. They’ve been investigating the properties of these shapes too- counting faces, edges and vertices - and discovering where we see them in everyday life. Through hands on activities, we discovered which shapes can stack easily and discussed why this was.

Primary 5 Star Constellations This term, Primary 5 have been exploring star constellations as part of their WAU topic. They researched the names, shapes and key facts about different constellations, then created their own using small sticks and marshmallows. A fun and creative way to learn about the night sky — well done, Primary 5!

Primary 5 Reciprocal Reading This term, Primary 5 have been enjoying reciprocal reading while exploring their class novel Fantastic Mr Fox. Working in groups, the children took on different roles such as Predictor, Clarifier, Questioner, Summariser and Big Boss, which helped guide their discussions and deepen their understanding of the story. P5 showed great teamwork, confidence and enthusiasm as they supported one another and shared their ideas. A fantastic effort from everyone!

Bella the Bellaghy Elf has landed at St. Mary's! This morning we had a big surprise at our school. On arrival, we quickly noticed the cheeky drawings and doodles over our staff on the corridors. In the hall appeared an elf! A special letter announced the arrival of Bella the Bellaghy Elf to our school. Bella said she will be travelling around our school keeping an eye on all the children before Christmas! We're worried Bella will cause some mischief in the coming weeks... Sorry Sharron and Donna!

Mini Olympics at The Rainey! P6 were invited to The Rainey Grammar School in Magherafelt for a day of fun sports. They were joined by Spires Integrated Primary School and St. Patrick’s Primary School, Moneymore. It was a fantastic day which was so well planned by the A- level students. Our P6 boys and girls made us very proud with their excellent behaviour!

P7 Advent Assembly We were so proud of our P7 pupils today. They performed the nativity story and explained the true meaning of Christmas to all the classes. They led prayers for the homeless, the sick and the lonely. They prayed for families over the world that they experience love and joy at Christmas. Well done boys and girls!

Credit Union Art Competition! Congratulations to all our winning artists! Thank you to Una, from Bannvale Credit Union in Portglenone who presented the winners with their fantastic prizes!

Latest Photographs

Upcoming Events...

Friday, 5th December 2025
NI Daily Mile Santa Run (Children to wear Christmas Jumpers )
Tuesday, 9th December 2025
P2, P3 and P4 Christmas Show (Open Door Complex at 7pm)
Thursday, 11th December 2025
Christmas Dinner and 1pm finish (Children are welcome to wear their Christmas Jumpers )
Saturday, 13th December 2025
P4 "Do this in Memory" Mass (at 7pm)
Monday, 15th December 2025
St Mary's PS & Nursery Unit Open Day at 9.30am - 10.30am (For Nursery & Primary Places) (For Parents Only )
Wednesday, 17th December 2025
P1 Nativity (School Hall - Parents and Family welcome)

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