Headteacher’s Report

January 2017

Factual information about our school

  • We have 105 children on roll.

Class 4 Lucy Martindale-full time (+ 1 day a week Maddy Gumpert beginning in Jan 2017)

29children (Y6 15; Y5 14).Also Gill Ingram TA covering pupil premium plus

Class 3 Alison Cotton - 0.6; Gwen Brignall -0.4 (Louise Clark)

28children (Y4 14; Y3 14).

Class 2 Maddy Gumpert - 0.5; Nerys Steeds 0.6 Katharine Charter Unqualified Teacher 0.9 –because the class is over 30 + Isabelle WheelerTA /Jess Jell2 mornings 29 children (Y2 14; Y1 16).

Class 1 Amy Miles 0.5 - Lorraine Patterson 0.6 ( Claire Baess 0.8 ) 16children (Reception). Also Lexi Blumsom to support a child with special needs

Maddy is going to work an extra day teaching Class 3 and 4 computing as well as supporting Year 6.

Lorraine works an extra day out of class doing SENCO work and covering Class 4 PPA .

  • 1childreceives Pupil Premium Plus .
  • Since September one child has left our school and five children have joined.One Reception child is leaving at half term because she is going with her family to travel around the world.

Other staff working regularly with the school :

Sarah Lee –Herts Financial Adviser

Rachel Willacy who is on a two year placement doing Level 2 childcare and works in Class 1 and 2

Helen Howes – Cook ,with a Nikki General Assistant

Ben Storey –teaching cornets,+Clara Wilmott Bassett violin teacher

Callaine Edghill –teaching guitarwho works for Life Music

Children living in the village –

Class 1 – 73% children live in the village

Class 2 –60% children live in the village

Class 3 – 52% children live in the village

Class 4 – 59% children live in the village

A number of children used to live in the village or have chosen our school because of their village connections .

Information about Year 6 2016-17

15 children started in Reception in 2010 of which 7 are now in Year 6 (9 children have left.) Five of our Yr 6 children did not do KS1 SATs with us .

Information about Year 5 2016-17

15 children started in Reception in 2011 of which 5 are now in Year 6.(12 children have left. ) Five of our Yr 5 children did not do KS1 SATs with us .

Outcomes for pupils at the school

Our school was rated 18th in the country by The Times in December 2016 (based on our SATs results.)

Visitors working with the children since Sept 2016 are:

  • The Revd John Russell takes weekly assemblies David Russell (the minister of Berkhamsted Baptist Church ) also took several assemblies.
  • Assemblies were also taken by Game On and Premier Sports.
  • Shaun McCarthy took a Remembrance Day assembly.
  • Pippa Martin worked with Class 1and 2and talked to them about Hannukah .
  • Mary-Ann Morton , a private speech therapist, has worked with one of our children on a weekly basis and Neha Makwana (NHS speech therapist) has also visited the school regularly
  • Jacqui Lee ,DESC has worked with child in Class 2
  • Caroline Rennison, from Westfield Base for Learning Difficulties,

Events

We had an RE week in October based on “who is my neighbour ?”

We had a Whole School Healthy Schools Day before half term to launch The Daily Mile .All the children have been running very regularly to increase their fitness.

Next steps

Martin Galway ,Herts English Advisor is coming to work with all four classes supporting their writing development .He is also going to talk to parents about reading with children .

Trips

  • Class 3 went to Celtic Harmony,Natural History Museum and an Art Workshop at Ashridge
  • Class 2 went to the Milton Keynes Museum
  • Class 1 had breakfast with Father Christmas at a local garden centre and went on a weekly basis to Ashridge for “Forest Schools”
  • Class 2 and 1 went to the pantomime “Beauty and the Beast” at Watford Palace Theatre
  • Class 3 and 4 went to the British Museum and to the theatre to see “Matilda” which was subsidised by the Wager Bell Fund .

Sporting Opportunities

Year 2 and 1 have been to sports events at Hemel Hempstead sports centre .

Year 4 went to a speed stacking competition at Berkhamsted Sports Centre

Football Matches:

Year 3 /4 and Year 5/6 have played in football tournamentsand have played a match against Bishop Wood Junior School

Class 3 have been swimming in Hemel Hempstead Sports Centre this term

STAGS rugby are providing 1/2 a term of rugby for Class 4 and 3 after half term.

Attendance and Admissions

Our attendance is good at 96.62% . Our AIO Jane Cracknell visited in November and will contact us by phone for the following two terms .

At this point we have 18 children in Year 1 and 16 children in Reception. We hope not to have such a large class in Class 2 next year .

Closing date for Reception admissions is 15th January

We have been working closely with the school nursing service.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

One of the school development priorities this school year has been working successfully with children with special needs .Although it is thought that around 1/5 of children at some time have some kind of special educational need , there are clearly a few children who have significant educational needs, or medical or personal needs, that significantly impact on their education . In the past we have had very few of these children, but this year we have several children who fall into these categories , who not only have needs that impact on themselves and the children in their class, but also demand a large amount of input from a range of professionals- and this takes time to co-ordinate .

Along with other schools we receive no significant grant to deal with these needs .When we have managed to meet these children’s needs I have felt that the diversity and experiences these children have brought to our school have enriched the environment for everyone . However, there are times when we have neither the resources or the appropriate environment, and this can be frustrating .

I have felt very proud that we have been able to support these children so successfully and we should be particularly thankful to Izzi and Lexi. I also feel that although we have been at times frustrated by Herts Educational Advisors and those involved with Health, I am aware these people have a thankless task and are trying very hard to support our children .

Professionals working with staff

Alison Dawkins ,Literacy Advisor,came and observed Nerys to renew her rating as a Leading Teacher.

Staff supporting other schools and individuals

Use of our building by the local community

Our school hosted National Training on “Understanding Christianity” for the Diocese,which ran over three weeks and 48 people attended

We hosted the local Safeguarding Training, which 53 local teachers attended

And a moderation event which 15 teachers attended

Badminton Club continues to play in our hall on a Wednesday .

Messy church was run in the hall

Work with individual staff

Lucy is running a training session for Year 6 teachers in Hertfordshire at Bovingdon Academy with Michelle Cohen the Deputy Head of Bovingdon .

Working with Leadership

  • Lynne has been supporting Great Gaddesden School since September on a weekly basis until they appoint a new secretary.
  • Rebecca Roberts SIP met with Charis ,Alison and Briony
  • Lorraine and Amy have been part of the local Early Years Group
  • Jo Whitlock, the Advisor on Autism, and Louise Barrell ,Achievement Officer (SEN) Gina Gillan ,solicitor and others in preparation for Tribunal
  • Sue Bramley ESTMA , Lynne Marks AIO ,Jessica Powell and others in connection with CAF .
  • Charis has been to a range of meetings and has been involved with discussions with a range of people about Academies .

Quality of leadership and management

Performance Management

All teachers were set three performance management targets by October .I will meet all staff regularly to review these.Advice now seems to be that there is no need to grade individual lessons and I think this leads to a much more useful conversation with staff after the lesson .However I can say that I am very impressed with the standard of teaching in all classes and assessment and marking suggests children are making “good” to” outstanding” progress .

Next Steps

We are yet to be sure about what the Academy agenda and National Leader status will mean for our school.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Work with children

All children took part in our Christmas play “Lights ,Camel,Action “,

Visit of childline ; speak out -be safe

Children in class 3 arranged a cake sale for children in need

Children in Classes 2,3 and 4 ran class assemblies

Links with Parents

  • Parents organised fireworks in the Hargreaves’ garden,a shopping evening and the Christmas fete.
  • Parents are always welcome in school and several come regularly to hear reading and help with activities in the classroom..
  • Last term parents came in for events such as Meet the Teacherand Hands on sessions, Parents consultations and class assemblies.

Next Steps

  • We have arranged parents meetings around assemblies again so parents can learn more about the school curriculum.

Links with the Church

  • The children in Class 3 took part in the Sunnyside Carol Service . One of our children read a lesson at the Little Gaddesden Carol Service .
  • We had a Christmas Service and a harvest service in church .
  • Visit of the traveling crib

Music Lessons

  • 20of our children are now learning recorders, taught by Nerys Steeds
  • 4 children play the flute ; 2 children learn violin; 4 children learn guitar,

Clubs

Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
Gymnastics / Dodgeball
Violin
Guitar / Flute
Recorders / Yoga / Cornets
Drumming
French / Football club for KS1
Football club for KS2 / Netball club

Charis Geoghegan January 2017

Courses

MAST training –Lucy

First Aid Training –Lucy ,Louise

Paediatric first aid –Lexi

Working with children on the Autistic Spectrum –Lexi

The New Curriculum for Maths and Literacy Co-Ordinators –Nerys and Lucy

Headteacher’s Seminar –Charis

Moderation Cluster Year 3/ 4 -Gwen

Leading Teacher training –Nerys

Secretaries group- Lynne

Asbestos training -Charis

SIMs training –Lynne

PE courses – Maddy and Clare

Developing Christianity Day 1 all teachers Day 2 Katharine

INSET Martin Galway all staff