Headteacher blog 27th February 2026

It has been an excellent week – the slightly better weather helps. Spring is coming.

Just before half term, we had a Teacher Training Day. We focused on AI tools that we have in school and the role AI may play in the classroom and in school organisation. We are just at the start of a journey – with new tools being added immediately after our training – but we are already seeing engaging impact across the school. I am using AI a lot to support my analysis of documents and data; research complex issues, enhance teaching and assemblies (below) and create eye-catching resources. AI does make mistakes – children spotting that AI-generated images of Nelson sometimes had the wrong missing arm or blind eye in assembly – so we must always be alert to errors.

At the start of the week, I was lucky enough to take a group of upper KS2 children to Farsley Community Orchard to support a big tree-planting project there. I chose children who lived nearby so that they have an investment and connection to this land. This is a fabulous project and the woodland that they are creating will be a community and wildlife asset for generations.

And finally, on the subject of wildlife, I must report a significant distraction to class 5B on Thursday afternoon. Just outside their classroom, they had a visitor that meant not much work got done for a while… Doesn’t he have magnificent furry antlers!