On Monday evening we held a meeting of the Full Governing Body. Monitoring the financial health of the school is one of our key responsibilities and on Monday we approved the Budget for the financial year April 2014 – April 2015 (the financial year is different to the academic year). We looked in detail at the first year, but also looked at draft plans for the next five years. I am pleased to report that the school is in a healthy financial position and we are very excited about the opportunities this provides for the school and the children over the coming year.

The Governors also reviewed some school policies and received reports from the Finance and Curriculum committees.

Our final meeting of the academic year will take place on 7th July.

 

Post by Alison Wilkinson

 

New Conservatory

You may have noticed that in the half term holiday our conservatory got a make over! It looks fantastic and is a much more inspiring space for the children. The project was managed by Andrzej Gaudyn, who has been a governor at the school for over seven years. During that time he has supervised two major building projects, organised numerous repairs to our school building and often wields the paintbrush or power washer himself to ensure that small jobs get done at no cost to the school. Often persuading his daughter, an ex-pupil of the school, to come along and help.

In recognition of his contribution to the school, I have nominated Andrzej for the Outstanding Governor Award organized by the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors. This is a new award and the three winners will be announced in November 2014. The three winning Governors will receive a cash prize of £50 and their schools will receive a cash prize of £500. That would be wonderful!

 

Post by Alison Wilkinson

Small Schools in the Parish News

Extract from the June edition of the Parish Newsletter......

Great Gaddesden CoE (VA) School

For Children Aged 3-11

 A celebration of small schools

I planned to write about the forthcoming ‘Small Schools Week’ in this edition. However, in preparation for this event, our eldest children have been considering what makes a small school unique. Their words are more powerful than anything I could hope to write! Therefore I hope you enjoy these extracts from their work:

Good things come in small packages, like Great Gaddesden C of E Primary School.

When you come to a small state school like ours, it is not just the school that gets bigger, it's also your heart and mind.  When you go to a small school with under one hundred students there are a lot of advantages on both the social and academic side of things.  Socially, children play with children across the school - not just their own year group.  Academically, you can be supported better since there are fewer pupils in the class.

Remember, big is not always better.

Ollie

At Great Gaddesden School we have no fuss.  At a small school you get more attention and help.  When I was at a bigger school, I didn't get a lot of help and now I get loads!  I am learning and so are my siblings.  I think all of my family has improved a lot in the time we have been at the school.

Neive

Small schools are the best ever because, although we are small, we learn more than we might in a bigger school.  Pupils from bigger schools may think that they have more advantages, but when they come to this school their brains will get bigger and more than this, they will be cared for in a way that is not possible in a larger school

I have been a pupil at Great Gaddesden for 8 years now.  I have been loved and cared for and have been happy for each and every year. 

Amanda

Small schools make learning easier than bigger schools.  I joined Great Gaddesden School only a few short weeks ago and I'm already finding it easier.  Learning is easier because you get more of the adults time.  For example, in my old school I had a class of 31, it took 5 minutes just to do the register!

Henry

Big isn't always better. 

Many people believe that a small school doesn't have as much to offer as a larger school - that is not the case; on the contrary, a small school can be terrific!  Here's how:  a small school can offer a lot more attention to children academically, plus children interact and socialise with more children (other than their own age group).

I have been a dedicated pupil at our fantastic Great Gaddesden C of E School since the first day of Nursery and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time - everyone here is loving and caring and I am devastated to be departing this wonderful school to go to secondary school.

Josh

Post by Alison Wilkinson

Fun and games at Curriculum and Standards Committee

Our meeting on Friday was packed full of interesting and exciting stuff. Miss Worsley presented her review of attainment data which showed just how much progress our children have made. The future looks bright with the promise of even greater progress and achievement. No time to stop and congratulate ourselves: the New Curriculum will be implemented in September 2014 and the staff are busy preparing for this.  Miss Williams gave us a very interesting report on the new curriculum subject Computing. Her schedule is detailed and challenging, covering the school year and all year groups. In the Autumn Nursery and Reception will be detectives, in Spring they will be journalists, in the Summer, TV chefs and astronauts! In all these activities they will be learning skills which will enable them to build a thorough understanding of what can be done with technology. And it looks like fun too!
Right through the school Miss Williams has devised interesting and challenging ways for the children to use and interact with computers and technology.
PE is another of Miss Willliams' responsibilities. We were presented with an exciting program of the games and activities offered through the school year. Football, Hockey, Netball, Tennis, Rounders, and much more. Dance, Gymnastics, Orienteering, Swimming and Athletics. We were also told of other exciting possibilities. Miss Williams did not tap dance on the table (as she hinted she might) but her report was inspirational and was quite exciting enough for one afternoon.....

Post by Gill Edwards

Chairs' Network

Yesterday Gill Edwards and I attended the Chairs’ Network organized by the Hertfordshire Association of School Governors.

The Chairs’ Network is a termly event aimed at Governing Bodies from across Hertfordshire with guest speakers making presentations about current issues of concern and interest to Governing Bodies. 

This term’s meeting was focused on the New Curriculum. It was very interesting to gain a broader perspective on the changes that are taking place right through from Early Years to Year 13. There is going to be a renewed focus on raising attainment levels for pupils at every stage of their education; and the curriculum will be divided into Core (English, Maths, Science) and Non-Core. Schools will have strict guidance on how they teach Core subjects but will have more freedom in the Non-Core areas. 
 

GCSE grading is being changed to a numerical system, the future of AS levels in doubt, and there are plans to make Maths compulsory for all sixth form students. It certainly will be interesting times for teachers and students alike!

Miss Worsley and the teachers at Great Gaddesden School have already done a lot of work on how the new curriculum will be introduced in our school and are planning exciting schemes of work for the next academic year. Some of the requirements, such as foreign language teaching for all students in Key Stage 2, are already embedded in our curriculum. It’s going to be a very exciting year.

Post by Alison Wilkinson

Walking for Inspiration

Did you know that May is National Walking Month in the UK? I certainly didn’t!

It was interesting to read a BBC article about famous authors who have drawn inspiration from ‘aimless’ walking: the poet Wordsworth rambled through the majestic Lake District countryside; Charles Dickens walked up to 20 miles through the streets of London at night when he couldn’t sleep; and the travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermour walked from the Hook of Holland to Istanbul in 1933 when he was 18 years old. A journey of over 1500 miles!  Can you find Patrick Leigh Fermor’s journey on a map of Europe?

And what do you think about the environmentalist and writer John Francis who travelled everywhere by foot for 22 years and pledged not to speak for 17 years!

You can read about more famous walkers in the BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27186709

The article made me think about how lucky we are to live and study in such beautiful countryside. This academic year the school is focusing on improving writing, and I have seen some great examples of creative writing from the pupils. Our beautiful surroundings can certainly provide inspiration for children and adults alike. The water meadows next to school are home to swans, heron and coots; and the nearby woods are blooming with bluebells and wild garlic at the moment.

Why don’t you take an ‘aimless’ walk in May? Let me know if you find inspiration in our beautiful Great Gaddesden countryside.

Post by Alison Wilkinson

Family and Friends

I always think that it is a great strength of our school that children work and play with children from other classes. It creates a real family atmosphere that is a special feature of small village schools, and particularly our school.

In many playgrounds it seems as if girls only play with girls, or Year 3s only play with Year 3s.

The Nursery Reception blog about the Easter Egg Hunt really highlighted this:

“After that we had our Easter egg hunt in the playground and bark area - the children all had a great time looking for the eggs and as always the bigger children were terrific at taking care of the younger ones. “

So it was with interest that I read the attached article from the BBC website about when younger siblings join their older brothers and sisters at school:

“Younger children may think starting school will enable them to spend more time with their big brother or sister.

But new research from Australia suggests that hope is not shared by the older sibling.

The study, quoted in the Times Educational Supplement (TES), found younger children looked on older siblings as heroes.

But it seems the older children often prefer to hang around with anyone but their younger family member.”

You can read the full article at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-26785406

I think this confirms that our family atmosphere is something really special, not only in our country but across the world. What are your thoughts on having your brothers, sisters and cousins at school?!

Post by Alison Wilkinson