Headmaster's Message
Dear Parents
It has been a full week of INSET training here at the school, with the teachers and staff preparing in various different ways for the exciting term that lies ahead of us. It is a year of new beginnings in many ways, with the new Horton Centre ready to go from Monday morning, following a summer of building work and refurbishment, preparing the space for the Year 2 class that will begin there on Monday as well as afterschool, music and drama which will be housed in the other main rooms.
Alongside this major project, we have had a new roof installed on the Mortimer Suite that adjoins the Reception classrooms, which floods light into the space and richly enhances an already important learning area for the youngest children.
I look forward to the opportunity of inviting parents in to see these facilities in the near future. Look out in our communications for dates and details.
We have also been launching our new whole school objective around growth mindset, with inspiring presentations from both in-house teachers as well as from Mr. John Medlicott, a visiting expert who ran a workshop for all teaching staff on Thursday. We have plans to run similar workshops for children and parents later in the school year, which I hope you will want to get involved with and support your children as they develop the learner profile that will enable them to thrive in their education.
However, the main focus for the preparations always has to be the first day, the first week and the first half term and welcoming the children back into school. I know that there will be some nervous children over the weekend with natural anxiety about either their very first day in school, or their return after a lovely long summer break. Please reassure your children that we are all ready and raring to go and the staff will make every effort to make you and your child feel welcome on the return. Books have been labelled, pegs have got names on them, display boards have lovely welcome messages and all we need now is for the children to arrive and we will have our school back up and running.
Have a great weekend everyone and I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday. All children should arrive by the side gate on the school field as I mentioned in my letter last week. One small amendment to that letter was that dismissal for Year 5 and 6 at the end of the day will be from the front of school rather than the field side to ease congestion in that area.
With very best wishes
Joe Thackway
Headmaster