Headteacher blog 21st June 2024

At last, we have some summer sun and it lifts (almost) everyone. 4Ke have been lucky today to have such beautiful weather for their trip to Burnsall in the Dales. Next week, Reception should have lovely weather for their trips to Harlow Carr Gardens. (In a sad irony, another school’s Reception children are actually coming to our school grounds for their school trip on the same day as some of our 5-year-old children are away on their trip. As the teacher said during a pre-visit: do your children know how lucky they are?)

I have had a couple of late nights this week with our full governing body meeting on Wednesday and Schools’ Forum on Thursday (what a shame I missed the football!). School finances have been big issues at both meetings, with maintained primary school balances across the city having dropped by 60% in the past two years. There are many reasons for this, including falling primary school numbers, inadequately funded pay rises, general inflation pressures (hopefully now easing) and greatly increasing SEND needs. Our governing body was typically supportive and engaged this week and we will be looking for more parent governors and a new staff governor early in the autumn term.