Message from the Chair of Governors


Message from the Chair of Governors
Summer 2016


As we approach the end of the 2015/2016 academic year I would like to take the opportunity to provide you with an overview of the work that has taken place and the progress made by the school.
‘The Etchells Way’ (our expected standard, details of which can be found on the school website), is now embedded throughout the school and as a result our books have been judged as excellent by schools across Stockport. Our EYFS staff and unit are particularly well regarded and we are being asked to share best practice with other schools.
Additionally, I am pleased to inform you that both external and internal lesson observations have concluded that all teaching is at least good with some outstanding lessons.
Following on from this I am delighted to report that the provisional end of key stage results show our school has achieved above national average across the board. This is a fantastic achievement and both children and staff are to be commended on their hard work.
In my previous newsletter I promised an update on parent feedback from the open evening last July. We were pleased to receive positive feedback on the changes and improvements made in school. Parents were happy with their child’s learning journey and felt that the school provided a safe and nurturing environment. Where we received suggestions for improvement these were either discussed with the individual or referred to the parent council for them to take further.
The Governing Body has continued with important and challenging work with changes to the national curriculum, assessment framework, and funding and budget issues being at the forefront.
The monitoring committee has been working closely with the school to understand how the new assessment framework will work and how progress will be measured. We are impressed with level of work that Mrs Beddows and her senior leadership team (SLT) have put into ensuring that the school maintains high expectations and accurate target setting. The clarity in which data has been provided to governors has meant that we have been able to closely scrutinise at each year group and provide appropriate challenge and support.
Another key area we have monitored is the pupil premium grant. This grant is additional funding allocated to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. Mrs Mallinson, our Pupil Premium Champion, keeps governors up to date with how the school is using the funding and we are pleased to report that over the past 3 years we have seen a significant improvement in this area and the gap continues to narrow.
We held our first curriculum evening that focused on Maths and it was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance and positively engaging at the event. The evening was a perfect showcase of all the hard work that has gone into developing our calculation policy and I would like to thank the maths leaders and all staff involved in organising and presenting the event.
Thanks to an immense amount of hard work by all staff there are many improvements now embedded within the school and we have received positive feedback from our local authority advisors on this. We are now eager to demonstrate our improvements to Ofsted when they next visit.
As is often the case, personal circumstances can change and as such we are sorry to say goodbye to Bernadette Murray-Robb and Vicky Cook who have both stepped down as governors due to increased commitments outside school. Bernadette has been a governor at Etchells for 6 years and vice-chair for 3 years, and has been instrumental in driving change and improvements throughout the school. I would like to thank her for all her support and dedication to both myself and the school. Vicky has been a parent governor for 2 years, a valued member of our resources committee and also SEND Governor. I would like to thank Vicky for her support and commitment to the school and wish her all the best for the future.
We welcome Mr Joel Vacara, our new parent governor. Joel currently works in a high school as SEND lead and he will be a great asset to our governing body as SEN Governor. He will also join our resources committee.
We are always sad to say goodbye to our Year 6 children and their families and we wish them every success for the next stage of their learning journey. We hope they remember their time at Etchells fondly.
I would like to thank my governing body team for all their hard work, dedication and commitment that enables us to effectively support the school. Thank you to Mrs Beddows, the SLT and all staff for working so hard to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment for our children.
Most importantly I would like to thank all parents for their continued support and commitment to our school and I look forward to seeing you all, and some new faces, in September.
Wishing you a safe and enjoyable summer break.
Rahilah Nazir
Chair of Governors

 

Let's Connect

ETCHELLS
Primary School

East Avenue, Heald Green, Stockport, SK8 3DL

Telephone | 0161 437 1792

Email | admin@etchells.stockport.sch.uk

Headteacher | Cathy Beddows