Headteacher blog Week beginning 27th April

Date: 2nd May 2015 @ 12:56pm

The summer term is well under way and life in school is as busy as always.

My Monday was enjoyable as I got to look at lots of furniture catologues: we are buying new furniture for FACE with a cloakroom on wheels and new cupboard space that will further smarten the hall. I also spent some time in a school in Northwich to look at their outstanding Early Years. It was a really interesting morning and pleasing to see how our environment was similar in many ways. Whilst I was looking in the catalogues, I did buy a few things for Early Years so to further define areas within the inside environment. Mrs Pomerantz was most pleased.

The Farndon general election is now in full swing. The children will go to the polls on Thursday. Obviously, the Year 4 children will be away at Bala, so there will be a postal vote. The Year 4 mobile will be the polling station throughout the day. The four party leaders have been busy writing their manifesto for their party and this will be shared in their speech to the whole school on Wednesday. The winning party will be announced on the website. It will be an exciting week. This election is very important to us as; not only for our work on British values ( democracy ) but also for pupils to have a voice in the school and local community as the winning party will get to share their manifesto with the Governors and Local Parish Council.

Sport was something I really wanted to improve when arrived as Head and it was something parents raised in questionnaires and at our forum. I feel we certainly have increased the breadth of sport offered with clubs on handball, tae-kwon-do, Judo and fencing. What has also been pleasing is how well we have performed in different tournaments, winning several of them. This week it was hockey - winning the tournament without losing a game. My aim going forward is to ensure all pupils engage in some kind of sporting activity and as many pupils as possible represent the school.

We have worked incredibly hard on implementing the new curriculum and I am proud to see the creative topic books that all the pupils are working hard to produce. In producng work like this,it does show the pupils' positive attitude to their learning. In each topic, teachers plan enhancement opportunities that bring the curriculum alive. Year 3 and 4 pupils had a fantastic day - Tomb Raider day. The children got to explore historical artefacts in the dark tomb, study ancient egyptian numbers and make their own amulet. I strongly believe that this is a fantastic way to learn about history; to practically live it, rather than read it in a book.

Next week it is the Year 4 residential and we are all looking forward to that as it is somewhere we have not been before. And the Year 6 have only 1 week left of their dreaded SATs revision.