Waveney Valley Partnership
Executive Headteacher: Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne
Website: http://www.waveneyvalleypartnership.org
Email: [email protected]
20th April 2015
Head Teacher’s report to the Parish Council AGM 2015
It has been yet another exceptional year for the Waveney Valley Partnership of Schools – our
Federation of small primary schools continue to grow. Both schools have seen an increase in the
number of pupils. At the beginning of the school year we opened our ‘Seedlings’ Early Years class
including nursery provision at Mendham and this proved an immediate hit, so much so that our
Reception class is now over subscribed for the start of the next academic year.
We are using this model to support the transition of nursery provision to St Edmund’s Primary in
Hoxne where plans are well under way for the St Edmund’s Pre-School, of which I am now the
Chairman to move from St Edmund’s Hall and into the school. There are plans for a continued
‘mother and toddler’ group as well to cater for our youngest children. The Pre-School has during this
year been supported by Waveney Valley Partnership with administrative support as well as providing
some staff and training opportunities. We are receiving very positive feedback on this development
and I am looking forward to strong numbers coming into the school.
Last Year St Edmund’s School was OFSTED’d and I am delighted that our work here has been
recognised as ‘good with outstanding features’ this joins with our already ‘good’ rating at Mendham
Primary School. We are delivering exceptional education and opportunity to our pupils. As our
reputation grows so does our appeal to parents – The schools moving forward are secure in the
knowledge that our growth are both providing places for children in our immediate communities
and also ‘out-of-catchment’ requests from families as far afield as Bungay, Harleston, Eye and Diss.
Federation of Primary Schools is the only way forward in an ever increasingly tight public sector, to
ensure that we continue to have vibrant, effective, sustainable schools at the heart of our rural
communities. There are huge advantages in sharing resources, cash and time savings, employing
specialists and wider opportunities for the pupils. We are looking for a third partner to cement our
position as a strong beacon of educational excellence – in the meantime we walk along a very
difficult fiscal wire balancing the expectations and aspirations of our school community with the
demands of ever greater financial efficiency.
While our focus on English and maths continues to be relentless, the pupils haven’t complained
(much) we have also been able to extend our curriculum offer and extended schools offer to our
pupils. Our pupils have performed a dramatisation of the story of St Edmund’s on the stage at Snape
Maltings in a Festival of Music, our choir and brass band has played in the grounds of Framlingham
Castle as well performing at the Lowestoft Mariana. In sport we continue to develop our offer to
Small Schools – Huge Ambitions
St. Edmund’s Primary School, Heckfield Green, Hoxne, Eye, Suffolk, IP21 5AD.
Mendham Primary & Nursery School, Mendham, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 0NJ.
St. Edmund’s Pre-School, St Edmund’s Hall, Oak Hill, Hoxne, Eye, IP21 5AD.
Tel: 01379 668283 Fax: 01379 668814
Tel: 01379 852520 Fax: 01379 854562
Tel: 01379 668283 Fax: 01379 668814
Waveney Valley Partnership
Executive Headteacher: Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne
Website: http://www.waveneyvalleypartnership.org
Email: [email protected]
pupils and it is amazing to see that for such small primary schools we have this year introduced
rugby, lacrosse, target shooting, tennis, archery and sailing all to the curriculum.
The children love school and we as a school are passionate about providing them every opportunity
to succeed, achieve and enjoy. I am immensely proud of what the school community has achieved
this year; I pay tribute to the pupils and staff, parents and our dedicated volunteer governors.
Just some of the key developments since April 2014:
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Both schools have been judged as providing ‘GOOD’ educational provision by OFSTED.
Developed a partnership link with St Edmund’s Pre-School.
We have employed additional special needs staff to extend opportunities to all.
New nursery provision at Mendham School has been a huge success, creating an
oversubscribed reception class for next academic year.
A further nursery provision is planned for St Edmund’s School and will open in September.
Developed our PE offer to include lacrosse, tennis, rugby, target shooting, archery and
sailing.
Maintained our extended schools provision and have a full holiday school provision at Easter
and during the summer break.
Our choir and brass band have performed in Snape, Lowestoft and Framlingham.
Our standards in Reading, writing and mathematics continue to improve and most measures
put us above national expectations – challenging our most able pupils is a strength with lots
of pupils achieving at the higher end of the attainment scale.
We have invested in the outdoor environment with new play equipment at St Edmund’s and
a willow tunnel and extended early years playground at Mendham.
Our pupil numbers have increased significantly this year to around 115 while keeping classes
under 25 pupils.
As our new school motto says ..... Small schools – Huge ambitions.
Report by
Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne
Executive Headteacher
Small Schools – Huge Ambitions
St. Edmund’s Primary School, Heckfield Green, Hoxne, Eye, Suffolk, IP21 5AD.
Mendham Primary & Nursery School, Mendham, Harleston, Norfolk, IP20 0NJ.
St. Edmund’s Pre-School, St Edmund’s Hall, Oak Hill, Hoxne, Eye, IP21 5AD.
Tel: 01379 668283 Fax: 01379 668814
Tel: 01379 852520 Fax: 01379 854562
Tel: 01379 668283 Fax: 01379 668814