29 December 2009

• A fine, busy and happy term was punctuated by sad news from Emberton School. Our fraternal sympathies were expressed in many forms but given physical expression in the donation and planting of a budding 'orchard' of small fruit trees on the Emberton School playing field.
   
• A Godly Play Advent workshop was a fitting intermission in rehearsals giving the children effective as well as intellectual appreciation of the Christmas story.
   
• Our Christmas play was a joyous Nativity entitled 'Happy Birthday' Jesus performed in the wonderfully atmospheric (and now commodiously refurnished) St Laud's Church. Thanks are due to Sue Temple and Celia Wing for 'wardrobe' and Betty Feasey for helping teach the songs. The play was ably directed by Mrs Annette Borner. Our Christmas party lunch was well provisioned and fun was had by all.
   
• We are greatly heartened by the news that Interim Headship passes to another 'small' (St Andrew's CE) School Headteacher; Mrs Anne Shedden. We have had friendly relations with St Andrew's at several levels in the past and have been planning to work with them on creative projects in the near future. This will give us a developing three-cornered partnership with Emberton and much to look forward to. We thank Mrs Tobia of Tickford Park for her efforts over the past year.
   
• With some building 'works' and refurbishment to take place we look forward to a new year of renewal and progress across school life.
   
• All the Governors, staff and children wish you a Happy Christmas and we thank all those who support the school in their various ways throughout each year.

  22 November 2009

• Our half-termly 'Godly Play' session with Reverend Mandy and Anne gave the children alternative, personalised, means of self-expression in their RE work. With drama and art as well as opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills the story was, as usual, an excellent contribution to our RE curriculum. The celebratory food at the end of the session is always popular.
   
• Pumpkin soup and garlic bread were a tasty hot lunch prepared by the children and along with our jacket potatoes prove a popular occasional addition to lunch times. In our healthy eating topic with Key Stage 1 an informal lunch-time survey of lunch boxes show them to be very healthy indeed and along with the free fresh fruit children's daily school diets are to be envied.
• In addition Jane from the 'Bridge Builder Trust' retold a bible story featuring Jesus and "...a man who was poorly and made better by Jesus..." (Eliza) alongside one of the Trust's interesting paintings that are revealed as the story unfolds. The story's moral was things get better.
   
• Our Open Day was a success in spite of the mixed weather with some very young visitors who won't start school for a few years looking round our school from their parent's arms.
   
• Our Reception cohort have now settled in well and made the Early Years facilities their own. With their individual 'play-plans' being designed and combined with those of friends their learning moves forward in line with the schools 'Pupil Voice' from this earliest time. Although the reception children are taught in a mixed-age class with Year 1 pupils, appropriate tasks are planned for them in literacy and numeracy and they are well prepared for transition to the Key Stage 1 curriculum. (Ofsted). Year 1 have similarly made an excellent transition from the Reception curriculum often helping their younger classmates settle in and enjoy the school day. Year 2 have also risen to their increased challenges, including writing some lovely imaginative extended stories inspired by the Rainbird from the Creative Partnership Project. We look forward to artist Pippa North's return for a Christmas workshop.
   
• Key Stage 1 children travelled to Heelands School for a Community Cohesion visit to enable them to meet and mix with a larger and more varied peer group than is usual in our small village school.
   
• Our partnership with Emberton School flourishes with a shared Teddy Day here in Sherington which segued nicely into a PTFA sponsored Children in Need Day for which the children had decided on the choices for their hot lunch in a Pupil Voice Assembly focussing on Healthy Eating and the curriculum. Many smiles were apparent on both days as children enjoyed renewing friendships, thinking of others and making their own Positive Contribution to this charitable event.

  25 October 2009

• What looks set to be a busy year began in fine style with the closing stages of our Creative Partnership Project. Artist Pippa North took us through successive new phases of the project with our graduates from last year returning resplendent in their Year 3 uniforms on the final Celebration Day. Emberton School visited to share one of the workshops when many 'Ticketty Boo' finger puppets were created. The Rainbird and the Paper Flower Tree completed the sequence of workshops and left many cross-curricula opportunities to follow up. We said 'au revoir' to Pippa rather than goodbye as she returns for a Christmas Workshop in December.
   
• Our Harvest Festival Celebration was in school rather than church and was followed by a harvest lunch of home-grown pumpkin soup, garlic bread and sweet-pie.
   
• Words cannot do justice to our feelings upon the early retirement of our substantive Headteacher Mrs Arlene Bourne. Wishing her well and recognising her achievements over two periods of Headship would be a starting point. We continue to grow securely in Partnership with Emberton School at all levels of teaching and governance and enjoy the continuing executive Interim Headship of Mrs Ann Tobia from Tickford Park Primary School.   CS
   

• Mrs Bourne writes;
  • Over the past 15 months many of you have sent me heart-warming messages wishing me a speedy and successful recovery and your thoughts have been greatly appreciated. I have kept in touch with the school, through the staff, and been delighted to hear of all the events and work being achieved. Sherington C.E School is a very special place and I've always been proud of the experiences it provides the children with in their very formative years. I have never lost sight of the honour and privilege of working with your children and seeing them develop into independent individuals ready for their next stage in education. Through a very rich curriculum, the support of excellent staff and the commitment of the governors, Sherington CE School children have a wonderful first experience of schooling.
     
  • It is testimony to the dedication and professionalism of the staff, and the commitment of the governors, that Sherington CE School has continued to develop and achieve and I know they will continue to ensure the future success of the school in its next stage. I'm certain I shall remain in touch with news of the school's activities through the staff, local papers and magazines. Thank you, once again, for all the beautiful cards and bouquets of flowers many of you sent me last year - they were a very important part of my recovery and I still turn to the messages for support and fond memories. I wish you and your children every success for the future.
            Arlene Bourne
  
   

• "Both staff and governors would like to thank Arlene for her sterling work both as interim Headteacher in 2001 and then as our permanent Headteacher from 2004. Under Arlene's leadership the school moved forward in many ways, both in the classroom and in the personal development of the children and the special school 'ethos' that Arlene took on and developed. These aspects were recognised and rated as 'outstanding' in the very good Ofsted report in 2007.
   
• I would like to end with a heartfelt thank you to Arlene from the whole population of Sherington School past and present for her tremendous contribution and commitment to the School, and to offer all our best wishes for the future."
          Nigel Anderson, Chair of Governors.

  12 September 2009

• We all returned to school happy and healthy to find our new orchard full of delicious plums, apples and pears with just a few ripe figs. Alas no pumpkin this year but a home-grown donation has filled that gap.
   
• Our fund-raising venture with Cornelius & Jones to raised a generous donation to help fund ex-Sherington pupil Edward Leech and his colleagues on their trip to Ghana. We look forward to hearing about his trip in a future school assembly.
   
• Although our school role has increased we have been able to secure staffing to keep the teaching groups small. The new intake of children has been welcomed by their older 'mentors' and all are happily and confidently meeting the challenge of starting 'big school'.
   
• This new Reception intake has begun to make use of the newly installed 'super-duper' sandpit. This is a lovely new resource to complement our newly refurbished outdoor activity areas. Other new developments are planned for the future including the delivery and installation of computer 'visualisers' in each of the main teaching rooms.
   
• Our Creative Partnership Project has resumed with a new stimulus. The Rainbird has been seen at Sherington and is inspiring many creative activities across the curriculum with artist Pippa North.