I am so pleased to be writing my blog this week going into the weekend with a noticeable rise in temperature from this time last week. It certainly makes it easier to get out and about at the weekend when we’re not faced with sub-zero temperatures!

The week has passed by as quickly as ever and as I mentioned last week was to be the case, we did not have too much going on out of the ordinary this week. We did have some of our ex-pupils in school today doing their Year 7 work experience and it is always a pleasure to welcome them back and nice to know that they had such a positive experience when they were here that they want to return when given an opportunity. It was equally nice to see those who had come to watch their younger siblings in their class assembly before going off to work in their respective workplaces.

The main notable event of the week happened this morning and that was our Year 4 class assembly alluded to above. The children shared lots of learning that they have done so far this year and they presented it in a very humorous and entertaining way! From the work that the children had completed on The Iron Man in English to the Pablo Picasso-inspired portraits that they had created in their art lessons, it was clear to see how much the children have learned during their time in school so far this year. The times tables rock metal song that they sang –acapella I might add –had the audience joining in and highlighted how we try to provide as many opportunities as possible across the school for the children to learn in different ways.

Earlier on this afternoon, I had the pleasure of seeing some of the children from the other end of the school –our Foundation Stage –whizzing around the main playground on their balance bikes and trikes. The wonderful learning that takes place in Key Stage 1 and 2 all starts with the basics being mastered in Nursery and Reception and seeing how confident the children were on 2 or 3 wheels shows how well they have started and shows great potential for the future.

One thing I forgot to mention in my blog last week that was happening this week was the Year 5 and 6 boys’ football matches that took place yesterday. Unfortunately, we lost one game and drew the other one but it is the taking part that counts and I want to thank the boys who turned up to play for their dedication. Next week, we have a girls’ football tournament taking place on Thursday morning and a netball match taking place later that afternoon so I want to wish all of those taking part in these, the very best of luck!

Have a good weekend everyone.

So here we are at the end of the first week back and while it was only a short one, it does feel like we have been back forever already! I must admit that I am very glad that we managed to get through the whole week without any disruption to the school day caused by the weather; when the snow started to come down fairly heavily whilst I was leading the assembly on Tuesday morning, I did have a moment where I thought it might do but alas it wasn’t to be and we have had a good 4 days of learning.

I will keep my blog very brief this week as there is nothing planned out of the ordinary to report next week, but we do have the Year 4 class assembly to look forward to next Friday. If your child is in Year 4 then I am sure that they will be chomping at the bit to share all of the wonderful work that I know that they have been doing with Mr Chanter and Mrs Friedmann and we look forward to welcoming you to see this on Friday morning.

It is due to be another very chilly one this weekend, but try not to let this keep you indoors too much as fresh air is so good for our mental wellbeing.

I cannot believe I am sitting here at the end of term having broken up for the Christmas break! It has certainly been a busy one and being the Headteacher has been harder than I could ever have imagined but equally, it has been so rewarding and I want to thank you for all of the support and kind words that I have had from so many of you.

Little Heath really is a lovely place to work and we do all we can to ensure that our children feel happy and secure in their time with us. The Christmas build up is one of the times in the year where we get to do so many fun and exciting things and this last couple of weeks has been no exception to that. The Foundation Stage and KS1 performances and the KS2 Carol Concert were both very well attended and were a joy to watch the children perform and sing in. I wish to thank all of you who contributed to the collection after the Carol Concert as we have been able to send off a donation to the Make A Wish Foundation of just over £293 which is a fantastic amount of money and will no doubt be very well received! It never ceases to amaze me how generous you all are and I am very proud to say that as a community we help to raise such large amounts of money to support so many good causes.

Thank you for all of the cards and presents that I have been given –I did tell some children earlier today that I will be coming back at least a stone heavier after the break!

I hope that you all have a lovely Christmas and New Year and we will see you all on Tuesday 7^th January.

I want to start by saying how awesome everyone looked in their Christmas jumpers today! There were lots of amazing looking jumpers on show and lots of money was no doubt raised for Save the Children; I will let you know how much in total was raised in my blog next week.

Although officially, Christmas Jumper Day was actually yesterday, we chose to do ours today as it coincided with our Christmas lunch and it feels much more festive wearing the right attire whilst tucking into our turkey and sprouts. For those children who had the Christmas meal option, I trust that they enjoyed it –there was certainly not much left at the end so this is always a good sign. Getting everyone sat and fed on time is always a stretch, but I’m pleased to say that everything went like a well-oiled machine today and we managed to get the film started on time in the afternoon, which the children then got to enjoy watching. On that note, I wish to thank the parent volunteers for their help on the playground and then in the hall this afternoon. You know who you are and without you, it would not have been possible to get the staff together for their annual sit down meal (brilliantly served by the Year 6 children as ever) so thank you very much for giving up your time and I hope you enjoyed watching the film too!

Next week, we have lots of festivities taking place, from the EYFS and KS1 performances on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, to the KS2 carol concert which takes place on Tuesday evening. Before these shows, we will start the week with our second sharing assembly of the year on Monday morning and you will have been invited already if your child is taking part. Tuesday afternoon will see KS1 having their Christmas party so do make sure that your child has their party outfit in school to get changed into for that. The KS2 party will be on Thursday afternoon and once again, children will need their party clothes in school for this.

Whether you will be in school already watching the show or not, all parents are welcome in school from 3pm onwards on Wednesday for our Open Afternoon, where you can come in and look at all of the learning that your child has done so please do join your child if you are able to.

Have a lovely weekend.

Has another week really passed by that quickly?! Although I was not around for the first part of the week, I am pleased to say that while the temperatures may have dropped dramatically, it has not dampened the children’s spirits and it has been another week of hard work and enjoyment from the children of the school.

I want to start by saying what a pleasure it was to welcome the families of our Year 3 children into school this morning for what was the first of our class assemblies for this academic year. In my opening paragraph, I have mentioned the hard work that has been going on in school and this was clearly demonstrated by the Year 3 children today. They shared their learning in a wide variety of subjects and presented it using humour, clear, confident speech along with drama and dance with a conversation taking place in Spanish that would put fluent speakers to shame! The key thing that came across was how much fun the children have had with their learning and this is something that we strive to achieve here in all that we do. Well done to Year 3 and to Miss Davis and Mrs Proudlove for putting on such a great assembly.

There are no big events planned in next week for once, but I’m sure that the hard work and good learning will continue across the school. I will not be on the gate much next week but I promise it is not because I am avoiding the cold and Mr Chanter will be there to greet you when I am not!

Have a good weekend.

 

So here we are at the end of the first week back after the half term break. Although it probably feels like a distant memory already, I trust that everyone had a good break. I know that some of you managed to get away to sunnier climes but even if you did not, for the most part, the weather seemed to hold out here and so I hope that you managed to get out and about.

For those of you who managed to make it to our Fireworks event, I am sure that you enjoyed the fantastic display as much as I did. That last firework in particular was amazing and seems to have stuck in other people’s minds too because I have spoken to many people about it this week! I know that an email went out from the PTA earlier today, but I am very pleased to say that the total money raised was £9616.81 which is an absolutely incredible amount of money that will really help to make a difference to the children in the school. We will be sending out some information soon about how the money raised is spent in school to improve the provision and outcomes for all of our children. I want to say thank you to all those who came along and supported the event, but in particular I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of those involved, who gave up their time to ensure that the whole thing was such a success –you know who you are!

There are 3 significant events happening in school next week. First of all, Monday is Remembrance Day and we will be following a minute’s silence with all of the children in the school to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in armed conflicts over the years. We are very grateful to all those children who have donated to the RBL Poppy Appeal so far and there are still some poppy related items left to purchase for anyone who has not managed to do so yet. I will inform you all about the amount raised once we find out from RBL after it has been sent off to be counted.

It is also anti-bullying week next week, which will involve the children taking part in activities in class to learn all about the issue to help to try and stamp bullying out in school once and for all! As part of this, on Tuesday, we encourage all of our school community (parents and teachers included!) to wear odd socks for the day. This is an initiative which was started in 2017 by Andy from CBBC and will be discussed with the children in school.

Finally, next Friday is Children in Need day. I know that a message has gone out already about this but the children are all encouraged to wear their own clothes –with a spotty theme –in return for bringing in a donation of a pound. I am always very aware that we regularly ask for donations for various charities, but I am always equally impressed at how generous everyone is and it makes me very proud to see how much we are able to raise for such good causes and I thank you in advance for your continued support with this.

That’s all from me for now. Have a great weekend and we will see you all again on Monday.

 

As I sit here looking out of my office window at the beautiful autumn crisp afternoon with the sun low in the sky casting shadows across the playground and field, it is unbelievable to think how different it looks to just a couple of days ago when once again we were battered by the torrential rain that hit. Such is the changeable nature of our weather right now, it seems almost impossible to predict what it will be like over the course of the day. Fortunately, however, apart from one ‘wet play’, the children have been able to get out and about still at break and lunchtime which is always a bonus at this time of the year and I hope that this continues next week.

As many of you may have seen last night (or at least got to view through your phone camera lens), the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, made another appearance last night and this morning I received an amazing picture of the school that was taken by one of our Co-Chairs of Governors, Michelle Corneby. The photo is attached below, and I am sure you will all agree how stunning the sky looked behind the trees at the back of the Foundation block.

I mentioned last week how successful the Harvest Festival coffee morning had been and I am very pleased to say that now the money has been totalled up, I can tell you that £554.79 will be headed off to support Cancer Research which is a huge amount of money. Thank you once again to all those involved –from those who baked/brought in the goodies to those of you who bought them and especially to those who gave up their time to ensure that the whole thing was such a success.

Next week is yet another week where I will not be around much. I am out from Tuesday until Thursday on STEPs training and whilst this means yet more days offsite, I can assure you all that I will still be keeping a close eye on the day-to-day running of the school in my absence, even though I am extremely confident that Mr Chanter and Mrs Robinson have everything under control. If you do need to contact anyone on those days though, please do direct your questions/queries their way.

Have a good weekend and we will see you all on Monday.