Headmaster's Message
Dear Parents
In today’s Courier you will see a news update on our plans for redeveloping the on-site nursery building. We will be naming the building the Horton Centre, in recognition of the school’s origins at Horton Crescent in the centre of town. I’m delighted that we have now reached a point where planning permission has been granted and we are starting to look at the finer details with our identified building contractors.
I know that parents will be keen to understand the impact of the building work on the school operations. I can assure you that I am equally determined to make sure that this works well for the benefit of everyone. For that reason, we have brought forward the entry date to the building which should allow us to crack on with preliminary work during the last month of the school term. This will be carefully managed with little or no impact on the children’s learning or play.
Obviously, the next big question will be when the project will be finished. Our plan is that the sign off date will be at the end of August, allowing us to enter the building the week before the start of the school year. I would make it clear that if for any reason we are not able to get in at that time, we have clear plans in place to accommodate all of the children within the existing classrooms.
I will be able to give a full update on progress and plans at the Welcome Evening on 1 July, when we will be a month into the project. The opportunities that this new build provides for all the children in the school are enormous, not just in the short term but going forward for years ahead. These are exciting times for the school, there is no doubt about it.
My congratulations to the cross-country team that took part in the races on Wednesday. Lots of the children were a little nervous beforehand but everybody came back thrilled with the experience. I am hoping to get over to Crackley Hall myself next week to accompany the boys’ football team, which I am looking forward to.
April showers seem to have moved forward to May this year and we have had plenty of varying intensity at school in the last week. These looks set to continue over the weekend so I hope you can dodge most of them and enjoy some quality time with your children.
Best wishes
Joe Thackway
Headmaster