We work in partnership with two other small schools. We work in a federation with Thundridge Primary School (you can see more details below). We are also linked with another small school as part of a formal collaboration. Ponsbourne St Mary's Primary is situated 15-minutes away. It is a small, Church of England schools with a similar ethos as us. Our Headteacher, Mrs Bridgman, works across the schools.
We link up and share resources helping to make our schools more educationally and financially sustainable. For example, shared staff training, joint sports events and shared trips to the pantomime are just some of the ways we work together.

Our children join together for trips and activities. Junior children visited Woodhall Park for a nature and Forest School day. Children loved working with their friends from the other school!

What is a Federation?

A federation is where two or more maintained schools come together under one governing body.The schools' individual governing bodies are disbanded and a new single over-arching governing body is formed. This becomes the accountable body for both schools and sets the strategic direction for the organisation. 

Tonwell St Mary's joined with Thundridge School to form a federation in April 2022. 

Our federation offers the best of both worlds: the wider curriculum opportunities for children, more broadly shared workload for staff and financial sustainability afforded by being part of a larger organisation without losing the special ‘family feel’ our smaller settings provide.

Our children regularly take part in shared sports events, trips and shared projects. Our staff benefit from shared training and visits to each other's schools. 

Useful Documents

Presentation for Parents and Staff

What is a federation? Helpful information