Headteacher blog 7/1/22

Happy new year!

It is good to be back in school and the children are working well. Things are stretched as regards staffing with 20% of class teachers off with COVID (and other support staff too), and the child absence list has grown over the course of the week, but it has just about been manageable. Perhaps the most challenging thing this week has been providing 300+ school meals every day without our head cook and her assistant. Colleagues have stepped up magnificently, especially Tanya Hepton, but it’s not sustainable. We are sincerely hoping that one or both of those colleagues are back next week.

I have spent some time looking at writing in lower Key Stage 2 this week: particularly Years 4 and 5. Year 4 were writing some story settings based on maps that they had drawn, using super descriptive language and excellent vocabulary. Year 5 were introducing some verbal story-telling on an epic scale, inspired by the Beowulf saga that they are reading. Writing standards are picking up after COVID disruptions and I was impressed by the children’s work.

“Listen here my dear friends, I will tell you a tale – a fun one, an amazing one, a special one…  Even though it’s an old tale, it is a surprising one, so listen up now and remember when magic was real.

Come with me to the magic times and wonder if this story is real.”  Aicha Y5

This week, our English team are launching a new reading challenge: reading (or having read) 22 different authors in ’22. This is obviously a significant challenge, particularly for older children reading novels, but there is no rush. There are lots of books in class libraries, the school libraries and community libraries if children don’t already have lots at home. We also have a fantastic new bookshop in the village (but I am NOT asking you to buy lots of new books yourself!). Being able to read confidently really is the key to success across the curriculum, so I hope families are able to support this.