Headteacher’s Blog 22/9/2015

Welcome back everyone! The holidays are now starting to seem like a dim and distant memory! As I’m writing this blog, the sounds of school photo day are evident from the hall – all the children are looking smart in their new uniforms and teachers are busy combing hair to make sure everyone looks super tidy in their photo. Reception children are having their ‘School Starters’ photo for the Yorkshire Evening Post as well today so look out for that over the next few weeks.

We had a busy summer in school – lots of areas of school were decorated, including all the Y3 & $ classrooms and the KS1 & KS2 T-areas. They look a lot brighter and the decorating has definitely improved our learning environment. We also had our KS1 playground revamped and it looks super – the children are really enjoying the new markings and the teachers are enjoying playtimes with fewer scratched knees from the uneven old surface. We all love the mural which has attracted lots of comments from visitors and mums and dads. We also replaced KS1 classroom exterior doors as the old wooden ones were beginning to rot.

All classes have had a calm start back to school and our new teaching staff, Mr Sutton (Doves Class, new Assistant Headteacher) and Miss Gomersall (Woodpeckers Class) have settled in well and are enjoying their new classes.

I’ve had a very busy first few weeks back at school with a staff training day on the first day back where we looked at our new School Development Plan – more on that in Blog post#2! I’ve also been updating school policies, reviewing our Pupil Premium Grant spending and working on our new Assessment System which all teachers have started using this term.

Tonight I’ll be meeting with our Governing Body and welcoming 2 new Governors after the resignations of Mrs Sarah Rhodes and Mr Phil Dawson. We’re delighted to have been able to fill the vacant Community Governor post – David Pickett, Vicar at St. Oswald’s has agreed to fill this post, and after advertising, Miss Helen Perry, mum of Sebastian and James, has stepped forward as a new Parent Governor. The Governing Body will be reviewing our school standards tonight and agreeing our priorities for the new school year.

I’m looking forward to this academic year – I’m sure it will be as exciting and busy as ever!