Hello from the Headteacher!

Headteacher’s Introductory Statement.

Welcome to the Newland St. John’s family. Whether you are reading this as a prospective parent / carer or just a visitor, I hope your association with the school is a happy and prosperous one.

My name is Rachel Robinson and I joined the school in September 2006. I have taught in four different Local Authorities, at five different schools and have had a wealth of leadership experience, but throughout my career so far, I have never met such a hardworking and faithful school community. Our motto ‘where every child really matters’ came from the Ofsted inspection in 2006. However, it’s not just the children who really matter as we have a heart for the whole school community and our extended family which is constantly growing as new contacts and families arrive.

Our school is an average sized primary school, with approximately 200 children on roll. We cater for children from the age of 4 until they are 11. Children are taught in both mixed and single age groups and mixed ability classes. Children are admitted in September if their 5th birthday falls before 31st August of the following year. These children are taught in the Foundation Stage class with a teacher and Nursery Nurses and then usually progress each September to a new class.

The school does not have a catchment area because it is Voluntary Aided by the Diocese of York. Most children do come from the immediate neighbourhood and some will have already attended the independently run St John’s Pre-school Nursery which is located on the school site. This facility gives children an introduction to school life at the age of three years with a run through to eleven years before moving into Secondary education. Other children come from across the city, travelling for some time, just to attend the school through parental choice, often because of our church connections.

The church attached to Newland St John’s is well attended and well known, with funded community workers and outreach programmes. Several children and staff attend St John’s Church, whilst other families attend different denominational places of worship around the city. The majority of families are not regular church goers however, but are happy that their children are involved in church activities and clubs. We also have children from other non-Christian faiths and some families with no faith life – all are welcome!

The school staff are dedicated and well qualified. Most work full time. Each classroom team is composed of one Teacher and either one or two Teaching Assistants. Some Teaching Assistants hold Higher Level qualifications and are able to teach groups of children under the guidance of the Teachers. Some Teaching Assistants work 1-1 with Statemented children to provide the necessary support for a child to access a mainstream education. The management team consists of myself as a qualified Headteacher and Mrs Thompson who is my Assistant Head. We are ably assisted in our duties by an excellent Governing Body. The admin team is led by Mrs Sheila Waller and the site management is organised by Mrs Bernie Stewart.

We are also fortunate to have the support of many in the local community, particularly enjoying strong links with Croda Universal and the Sports Partnership with St Mary’s. We are also linked with other Beverley Road Primary Schools in a Learning Network. The school is recognised for its work in nurturing students of all levels including teaching and childcare placements, work experience students from most Hull Secondary Schools (and one in the East Riding) and trainee Teaching Assistants.

We welcome volunteer support from many people including parents, carers, grandparents and church workers. We are blessed by a small but very active and hardworking fundraising committee of parents in the Parents and Friends Association.

Most important to us however, is the partnership of home and school. Throughout the year there is a wealth of opportunities for us to liaise and work together through a variety of shared policies, letters, events, homework and meetings. The school website is an invaluable source of information and contact with the school. We pride ourselves on the fact that relationships with our families are getting stronger all the time. We often help families who for one reason or another find themselves in difficulty and even though this sometimes makes demands on our time and energy out of school, we feel it is our duty to work with health visitors, nurses, voluntary organisations and social services to ensure that our families are given the best support and help they can find. We are readily available to families to discuss whole school matters or those involving individual children. Family enquiries or concerns are treated seriously and where school and home are working together we find that matters are always brought to a successful and positive conclusion.

As well as working together, community views are sought by letters, questionnaires and a ‘stakeholders’ group which meets once each half term to discuss ongoing school development. Representatives from the Governors, PFA, staff and school council attend this meeting.

As well as the life of the school, the school curriculum is developing all the time. School improvement comes from staff and external professionals working together within the school community to embrace new educational thinking and initiatives. The staff at the school have an excellent understanding of how children learn and what learning should look like for each individual child. They use methodical assessment to plan carefully for each lesson and group. Those with special needs and a gift or talent are planned for with help from the various departments of the Hull Authority. Where possible and reasonable, special arrangements are made for them to receive the education that they need in a mainstream setting. We are honest and realistic about our expertise and experience and always have the child’s best interests at heart. We will try everything in our power and experience to cater for the needs of individuals, even those children with extreme difficulties who may only stay for a short while but who learn a little from us and, in turn, teach us a lot about diversity and inclusion in our society. In addition to this, we often welcome children who do not speak any English when they arrive and we work closely with the Local Authority to teach them successfully.

We feel strongly that the effectiveness of the school cannot be measured simply in terms of SATS results although we are competitive and ambitious for our children. We are proud of their efforts in all areas of school life. They are very creative, reflective and positive little people and are a delight to work with. High standards of behaviour and a shared, strong work ethic make this a successful and ‘outstanding church school.’ SIAS 2006