Headteacher Message
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend, even if the weather remained rather cold over the Bank Holiday weekend. On Monday we visited the Discovery Centre and I chose to run home to close out the Sir Captain Tom 100 weekend. I am pleased to say we managed to cover 110km between us in 4 days. I am hoping the friends and family I shared the challenge with will have donated via bank transfer to add to the £30 in cash I have received so far!
In rather distressing circumstances last Thursday we saw the unity of a community, with help quickly at hand. A house fire very close to the school was spotted and praise to one of our Y6 pupils for calling the emergency services. Thankfully, a man was rescued and the fire service extinguished the blaze soon after arrival. I have never been so close to a house fire, and it has certainly made me think about fire safety at home. The teachers have spoken to their classes about fire safety, reminding the children why we have regular fire drills for example.
I am in the process of scheduling some progress meetings for all classes so we can ascertain the current attainment picture. It is challenging to provide attainment and progress information when so many children have missed periods of school in the past 12 months. The curriculum is based on coverage and so in the core subjects of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, the coverage has been affected by the difficulties brought about due to school closures and home schooling. The reinforcement of core skills has taken priority over introducing new ones. Ensuring that the learning is embedded is very important, so that children can show their skills and understanding. We must also reflect that some pupils may not end the year at the expected year group standards, knowing they probably would have done if there had not been so much disruption to their education between March 2020 and March 2021.
Assessments may be a little cautious due to the fact coverage of the curriculum takes time. In the forthcoming progress meetings, I look forward to talking with the teachers about all the children and getting a clearer picture of the attainment standards. You will receive detailed information and targets in the end of year reports which will be distributed on Monday 12 July.
Thanks again for supporting the FOGWS 100 Challenge fundraising event, we look forward to hearing about the different activities.
Wishing you all a pleasant weekend.
Mr Burden