The Courier

Dear Parents

We have all enjoyed a week of sunshine and distinctly spring-like weather. The crocuses on the village green in Bilton at this time of year make a spectacular display, that I have shared with the children in my assembly this morning. With the daffodils and snowdrops also in full bloom it should make for a good family walk this weekend.

I have written to you earlier today with full details regarding our return to school arrangements for Monday 8 March. I hope this provides all of the information that you need at this stage and everyone here is excited but cautious about the return to school. It will be wonderful to see all of the children and I'm sure they also are excited to come back. At the same time, I will be stressing to staff and children the necessity to remain vigilant and keep safe. We will be keeping strictly to the year group bubbles and hand washing arrangements we had in place last term, and remind parents of the importance of observing all of our control measures, including not bringing children with symptoms to school and isolating all other siblings if symptoms do occur.

When we do return to school, our focus will be on re-establishing school routines and getting down to some good old-fashioned hard work in the classrooms. We have refined our home learning skills enormously over the last 12 months but nothing can quite replace the in-school experience and the care and expertise of a professional teacher and the support team.

Ensuring that children are where they need to be with their learning will continue to be our absolute priority, not only in the next 3 and 1/2 weeks but over the next 12 months. I believe that the home learning provision for Crescent children has been outstanding. Crescent children have had the fortunate combination of access to technology, genuinely interactive learning and the backing of supportive families. Over the coming months, we will put in place a measured and patient approach to build strong foundations for future learning, to lock-in success and to grow children’s confidence. We do not want them to worry about ‘being behind’ – they are not, and we have every reason to be optimistic as we return. I know you will want to work with us on this important strategy, as you have done throughout the lockdown.

It was lovely to see so many children taking part in the ‘wrong uniform’ event today. This was clearly eagerly welcomed by the children and a great new idea from the FoC. I also hope to see plenty of yellow being worn during the lessons on Monday by the children in St David’s House. We also have World Book Day to enjoy next Thursday (not Friday as previously advertised) so there is plenty to look forward to as spring approaches.

I hope you are all able to enjoy some of that spring sunshine at some point this weekend.

Joe Thackway
Headmaster

It is with some sadness today that I have to announce the departure of Jo Byrne at the end of this academic year. Mrs Byrne had made the decision to move to the south coast to be nearer to her family in what is an exciting move for her. It isn’t full retirement just yet, but a move in that direction.

Jo has been an inspirational teacher at Crescent School over the last 15 years or so, who is much loved by the children for her kind and caring nature, as well as her most excellent science and design technology lessons.

Whenever I walk down the corridor past the science room, I hear a low murmur of interested and engaged children, thoroughly enjoying their active investigations or sharing their findings. A glance through the beautifully presented children’s exercise books in these subjects also gives just a flavour of the outstanding teaching and learning that has been going on.

We will wish her all the very best for the future when the time comes to say goodbye in July. In the meantime, we have already begun the process of recruiting a successor and I will keep you fully up to date with this in due course.