Parish News - March 2015

Great Gaddesden CoE VA School

For Pupils Aged 3-11

This month’s article has been written by pupils in Year 3 who were asked to write descriptively about our local area. I am sure you will agree that the writing is very atmospheric and also shows how much the children appreciate the beautiful location of our village school.

My walk to school through Great Gaddesden

The fields – My brother and I walk across every day to school… we have a green grassy, sometimes muddy fields to walk across and therefore have to wear our wellies. But when Jack Frost comes out the fields are very white and icy and makes crunchy noises under our feet, when we walk over it.

We have to cross a small, wooden bridge that can be very slippery in the winter time, which also has a small stream that runs under us when we walk on it. Many people use the fields to walk from the village to the other side to walk up through to the ‘Hoo woods’, which has many different flowers in spring time eg bluebells, daffodils etc.

I love walking across the fields especially in the summer time because I enjoy watching the different wildlife that comes down to the water with ducks, swans, duckling, we also see rabbits, foxes and heaps of mole hills that we jump on from time to time.

Also in the summer, the farmer puts cows in the fields. So therefore if cows are near the fence or in the part of the field we can’t walk through, because in the past we have been chased. So then we have to walk the long way around to school.

By Hayden

Great Gaddesden Moorland

It’s just a stone’s throw from the school. A staggering sight from a cold, crisp winter’s morning. The bright sun high in the sky against the low dense mist. We can just make out the shadows of grazing cows and the breath of local dog walkers.

White sheep in the distance like balls of cotton wool and the dark, winding trickling sound of the Gade (a river).

It’s a bit muddy under foot but a great way to start your day at Great Gaddesden.

By Nancy

The Park

It’s a small park with swings, a slide, a wobbly spring seat and a climbing frame. There’s a big frame and a small one. The big frame is for good climbers and the smaller one is for not so good climbers. The park is on the edge of the village. By the park there’s a secret base that I’m going to write about next.

Secret Base: The secret base is in a fun wood. You get in by going through a hole in the fence. Once you get through the fence you’re in the case and can roam around and climb trees. There’s a tree house, a zombie chamber, a tree club, climbing lesson and spooky tractor. If you sit on the tractor a fox will come and bite you and you will turn into a … spirit.

By Immy

For the next few months, Clare Rudd (one of our parent governors) will write the school’s Parish Newsletter. Many thanks to Clare for taking on this responsibility.

School life continues to be rich and varied.  Recent activities include:  tasting food from around the world, taking part in a half-time penalty shoot-out at a Watford FC home game, visiting the Sikh gurdwara in Hitchin and welcoming a local veterinary nurse to the school (with a dog, a cat, 2 guinea pigs and a 52-year old tortoise called Emily!). We believe that we can achieve outstanding academic results by exciting and enthusing the children about learning; creating a positive attitude to learning that will help our children as they move through education and indeed through life.

I am very proud of our School, and encourage you to visit us (either in person or via our website!).

Alison Wilkinson
Chair of Governors

 

 

Joint Meeting of Staff and Governors

On Monday evening it was our annual joint meeting of Staff and Governors. This is an important meeting where everyone has the chance to step back from the ‘busy-ness’ of everyday school life, and think about our hopes and aspirations for the school.

Firstly, we reflected on everything that happened in the last year:

-         numerous school trips, many of which were taking place for the first time:

Day trip to Paris; War Horse in the West End; Celtic Harmony; Roald Dahl Museum; Whipsnade Zoo; Chiltern Open Air Museum; Science Museum; Sikh Gurdwara; Gaddesden Estate; Houses of Parliament; Tring Museum; XC Centre

-         accelerated learning throughout the school:

New curriculum for all subjects; new assessment methods for all subjects; Writing Week; Science Day; Able Maths & Writers workshops; rapid progress across the school in our focus area of Writing; Primary Science Quality Mark

-         investment in the school:

a new IT server and email system;  new laptops; a touch screen PC in Early Years; new playground equipment; refurbished conservatory

-         new members of our team:

Mrs Jessop as Senior Teacher and Inclusion leader; Mike Tonge and Carli Wall as Foundation Governors

 

We then worked in small groups to look at Ofsted’s expectations in the areas of Teaching; Pupil Attainment; Behaviour & Safety and Leadership. Gaining insights into what we do well as a school and what we could do better.

 Finally, we worked in small groups to discuss what inspires us both in our personal life, and in our relationship with the school.

Our vision states that we want to ‘achieve excellence’ which is clearly very important, however we also want to ‘inspire one another to be the best that we can be’. We want to make Great Gaddesden School an exciting and inspirational place for pupils, families, staff, governors and the local community. Passions included drama, free-style art, analyzing data, passing on traditional skills & games, helping children grow, awe &wonder school trips, working with the community and science. We all look forward to sharing some of these passions with the children over the coming months.

 

Alison Wilkinson

Chair of Governors