Headteacher blog 20th April 2018

Finally we have had some lovely weather to enjoy and we have made the most of it at Farfield: bringing out the tennis nets, opening up the den-making, pond dipping for tadpoles, nature walks, plenty of sports and allowing children to use much more of the grounds without, necessarily, the need for wellies. It is the summer term that really sees the school grounds become the great asset of which we are so proud.

This week we have received our draft Ofsted report. It is a very positive report and we are pleased that our good work has been recognised. I am grateful that the lead inspector has agreed a number of amendments with me, and the final report should be published in the next couple of weeks. The report is actually more letter-like than previous Ofsted reports and is somewhat shorter. It does, however, capture much of the essence of our school and I agree with the recommendations for further improvement.

On Thursday, I spent the day interviewing for a new teacher for September with Mr Cooke and governor Ruth Fain. The candidates all did an observed lesson, a feedback exercise and an interview. I am delighted that we have been able to make a very strong appointment and many thanks to Ruth for giving a day’s work to the school supporting the selection process and giving a valuable parent’s view.

This half term we will be setting our new budget. Along with most schools, we are running an in-year deficit using previous carry-forward balances and we are going to exhaust these this financial year. We will make some further savings but the governors are determined to retain the best of Farfield’s provision. The government needs to invest more in schools and also provide school staff with a decent pay rise. Since 2010, pay rises have been limited to 0 or 1% and with inflation running at 2.5-3%, our pay is declining markedly. School staff deserve a big boost – like the NHS recently – but if existing budgets are expected to meet any additional costs it will be the straw that breaks school finances.