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The entire school community at Hamsey Green Primary School is celebrating after being graded ‘Good’ in all areas by Ofsted during a two-day inspection on 5^th and 6^th February.

The school has had a challenging few years since the previous Ofsted inspection found it required improvement but the incredible hard work of the staff, led by new Headteacher Nikki Mace and her senior leaders has transformed the School into one recognised as good in every aspect of its work. The school converted to an academy and joined Tandridge Learning Trust in May 2017.

Overwhelming support from the many parents who replied so positively to the survey was noted by the inspectors, who were also able to report that the children told them that there was no bullying in their school, because of its emphasis on ‘kind words, kind actions’. Safeguarding was also judged to be effective and is clearly a priority for everyone in school.

The high aspirations for all children, as well as the breadth of extra-curricular opportunities and visits were recognised as a real strength, as was the children’s personal development, understanding of worldwide events and the ability to think about the wider impact of their actions. 

The inspectors recognised the quality of the teaching and learning, remarking particularly on the ‘ambitious and broad’ curriculum.  They commented that ‘Teachers expect the best from pupils. As a result, pupils are eager to do well.’ School leaders, governors and trustees were found to know the school well and to be working together effectively to improve the quality of education.

The teaching of early reading and phonics is a priority at the school and the inspection team judged the staff to be well trained and ‘quick to support pupils who need additional help’. They also praised the range of exciting activities on offer to develop their language, literacy and mathematical skills.  School staff are delighted with this praise of their Early Years’ provision because they are currently in the process of consulting on the development of a nursery at the School.

Nikki Mace, Headteacher, enthused:

‘We are all thrilled with our latest Ofsted report and are really pleased that the comments of the inspectors recognise the hard work and significant progress we have made over the last couple of years. This result has been a joint effort, with pupils, staff, parents and governors all working together, supported by Tandridge Learning Trust, to ensure the success of the School and its pupils. I am so grateful to everyone involved for their continued support and dedication to the School. We have developed an aspirational and ambitious culture at Hamsey Green Primary School and we will continue to strive to achieve high standards and outstanding progress for all our children.’

The full Ofsted report can be read on the Ofsted website by clicking here.

Woodlea Primary has partnered with PE specialists ‘Create Development’ to spearhead a new PE initiative in Surrey.

Woodlea is one of the first Primary schools in Surrey to embark on a ‘real legacy’ journey to create a new ambition for every child. The Schoool is on a mission to get children more active and to change the way Physical Education is perceived,. The School is also taking many steps to ensure every child develops a healthy relationship with physical activity for life. 

The School is doing this by bringing the school, home and community together to enable cultural change. Their journey commenced with ‘real PE’ training for teachers to support their PE provision to develop the whole child and will now extend across the school to include supporting families and the wider school community. The School will be supported by Create Development with teacher training, school-based support, family engaging strategies, enrichment and competitive opportunities and supporting resources all through a holistic approach to developing children’s physical, personal, social and emotional skills.

This personalised, two-year programme will create a real ‘legacy’ for every child. Create Development will be able to measure the sustainable and meaningful impact for every child, school and family.

For more information contact Britt Howell at Woodlea Primary School or visit the Create Development website at https://www.createdevelopment.co.uk/

Bletchingley Village Primary School is delighted to announce that its nursery is now taking two year-olds in its lovely nursery set on the edge of beautiful woodlands. The nursery welcomes all two year-olds, whether privately or FEET funded.

The service provision has been extended to offer wraparound care – something that’s sought after by many working parents. Wraparound care is available from 7.30am to 6pm, daily. The nursery also offers 15 hours or thirty hours per week.

Parent, Dom Young, said, “Freddie has loved being at the BVPS nursery over the last 11 months and has grown hugely in confidence. It is great that we are able to use the 30 hours funding, it is certainly worth it. We love the emphasis on outdoor learning and there is so much space for them to run around in. To be able to take some of their lessons outside is a huge benefit. He has integrated into the class and the school as a whole so well and thoroughly enjoys going in every day. We’re really happy with his development and he has settled in so well.”

The nursery has excellent outdoor facilities including a large outdoor play area, a nature garden and a forest skills area. The children benefit from a weekly gym session with an external instructor and weekly cooking sessions.

Stephanie Smith said, “Bletchingley Village Primary School Nursery is amazing! Having struggled to find a suitable placement for our son, we instantly knew that this nursery was the right setting for him. The staff are incredibly friendly, supportive and it is clear that they genuinely care for each and every child. The support that our son has received for his speech and language difficulties has been invaluable and we are amazed at the progress he has made in such a short period of time. The teachers are very approachable and keep us well informed as to his progress. We regularly use the breakfast club provision which is extremely useful and convenient. It’s great being able to drop off and pick up from the same place, knowing that our son is in safe hands. The indoor and outdoor spaces are amazing and the enrichment that the children receive is so much more than we expected. It’s lovely to watch our little boy flourish with thanks to the love and care he receives on a daily basis. We cannot recommend this nursery more highly, thank you Bletchingley Village Primary School Nursery!”

For more information email nursery@bletchingleyschool.co.uk or phone 01883 743337.

The children at Woodlea Primary School could hardly contain their excitement on Monday 9^th December when they had a visit from multi award-winning children’s author, Piers Torday.  Piers officially opened the new library at the School and gave a talk to the children.

The talk covered Piers’ journey to becoming an author, beginning with memories of his childhood reading, explaining what inspires him to write, and why he believes stories can help change the world.

The new library is called the Oak Library, following a competition amongst all the children to name the library.  The winning submission was from Lochlan who came up with the idea of The Oak Library in honour of an Oak tree that had stood in the playground.

The new library has been made possible due to the fundraising efforts of the hardworking and dedicated PTA at Woodlea Primary School.  The members are always very supportive of the school and its work.  There were also generous donations by parents into the School Fund.  At a time when school budgets are stretched so tightly, this has made all the difference and has enabled amazing projects such as this to be realised.

The students will now benefit from a bespoke new library with lots of space to read.  The library also provides a comfortable storytime space and with the support of school librarians, children will be able to borrow books independently.  The library caters for all tastes, with a wide range of genres on offer, including fiction, picture books and encyclopaedias.

Nichola Riches, Headteacher of Woodlea Primary School said, “I was thrilled to welcome Piers to the School to meet all our children who were very excited to meet him.  I was so impressed with how he engaged with the students and answered all their questions.  There is no doubt that Piers’ visit has given a boost to the love of reading that we foster at Woodlea whilst the new library will give them the resources to improve their reading skills.”

After opening the library, Piers was available to sign books for the children and their parents.  His latest book, The Frozen Sea was a popular choice for the book signing, along with his other five children’s books:  The Lost Magician, There May be a Castle, The Wild Beyond, The Dark Wild and his debut children’s novel, The Last Wild.

Piers said, “A welcoming, well stocked and easily accessible library should be at the heart of every school, and this beautiful new Oak Library at Woodlea is no exception.  It was a real privilege to be the first author of many to welcome so many eager young readers through its doors for the very first time.  The considerable efforts of all those involved in bringing this vital new school space into being have more than paid off.”

The Trustees of the Tandridge Learning Trust are delighted to announce that they have appointed Rebecca Plaskitt as the Trust’s new CEO. Rebecca will be joining the Trust over the summer break, ready for the new academic year.

Rebecca is a highly experienced educational leader with an impressive track record of helping schools to grow, improve and perform at a high level. She is currently Director of Education at GEMS Education, an International group of independent schools and the largest operator of 3-18 schools in the world, where she provides strategic leadership and oversight to their UK schools.

Prior to that, Rebecca established a brand new 3-18 British Curriculum school in Abu Dhabi from the planning stage to full school opening. The school was a huge success and within three years of opening had grown to 3200 students.

Before joining GEMS, Rebecca was an established Headteacher of a maintained school in Nottingham. She also worked as a Local Leader in Education and as a Professional Partner for the National College in the UK. She is committed to continuing personal development, and is in the final stages of completing a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management with the University of Nottingham.

Karen Quinton, Chair of Tandridge Learning Trust said, “Rebecca has a passion for education aligned with the ability to translate vision and strategy into world-class execution; we are delighted to have appointed a candidate of her calibre. Looking to the future, I am confident that under Rebecca’s direction, Tandridge Learning Trust will continue to deliver exemplary educational experiences for the students of its five schools and will be well-positioned to welcome additional schools into the Multi-Academy Trust.”