Parent Governor Vacancy

Dear Parents / Carers,

Stanmore Primary School has always aimed for a partnership with parents which undoubtedly brings great benefits to the children. One of the most significant ways you can help in promoting this aim is to volunteer to be a parent governor. 

The governing body's main tasks are:

• to ensure that the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction;

• to hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;

• to oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent. 

Parent governors are welcomed as valued members of the team and play a vital role in ensuring the governing body is aware of the views of parents and the local community. We feel sure that there are parents prepared to take on this important role and give their time and commitment to helping us to continue to improve the school's performance.

In looking to fill this vacancy the governors of the school have identified the following skills, experience and attributes that they feel would be desirable to help strengthen the governing body:

• experience in education and/or curriculum development

• experience in HR

• experience in finance

If you are interested in applying for the role, and but do not have the desirable skills and experience, then we would still like to hear from you and we encourage you to apply outlining the skills you are able to offer.

Training and support will be available to help you develop into the role. This will include in-house mentoring and support as well as access to external governor training. 

If you feel you can help in this capacity please download an application form or contact the school office for a copy of the form,which will need to be completed and returned to the school, care of the Headteacher, by 12.00 noon on Monday, 30th September 2019.

The guidelines giving full details about how vacancies are filled can be found on the information for prospective governors on the Hampshire County Council website. You will find video, e-learning and written information on the site and all of these will provide you with further details about the role.

Please note that for the protection of children all governor appointments are subject to an identity check.

If there are more applications than vacancies, we will hold an election and you will be sent a voting paper in due course. You may return the ballot paper either via your child or by post.

Yours sincerely 

Chris Lindsay
Chair of Governors

Parent Governor Vacancy

Dear Parents / Carers,

We have a vacancy for a parent governor. 

Stanmore Primary School has always aimed for a partnership with parents which undoubtedly brings great benefits to the children. One of the most significant ways you can help in promoting this aim is to volunteer to be a parent governor. 

The governing body's main tasks are:

• to ensure that the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction;

• to hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;

• to oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent. 

Parent governors are welcomed as valued members of the team and play a vital role in ensuring the governing body is aware of the views of parents and the local community. We feel sure that there are parents prepared to take on this important role and give their time and commitment to helping us to continue to improve the school's performance.

In looking to fill this vacancy the governors of the school have identified the following skills, experience and attributes that they feel would help strengthen the governing body:

• experience in education and/or curriculum development

• experience in HR 

• experience in customer service / hospitality / communications

Training and support will be available to help you develop into the role. This will include in-house mentoring and support as well as access to external governor training. 

If you feel you can help in this capacity please download an application form or contact the school office for a copy of the form,which will need to be completed and returned to the school, care of the Headteacher, by 12.00 noon on Friday 24th May 2019.

The guidelines giving full details about how vacancies are filled can be found on the information for prospective governors on the Hampshire County Council website. You will find video, e-learning and written information on the site and all of these will provide you with further details about the role.

Please note that for the protection of children all governor appointments are subject to an identity check.

If there are more applications than vacancies, we will hold an election and you will be sent a voting paper in due course. You may return the ballot paper either via your child or by post.

Yours sincerely 

Chris Lindsay
Chair of Governors

Parent Governor Vacancy

Due to a recent resignation, we have a vacancy for a parent governor.

Stanmore Primary School has always aimed for a partnership with parents which undoubtedly brings great benefits to the children. One of the most significant ways you can help in promoting this aim is to volunteer to be a parent governor. 

The governing body's main tasks are:

• to ensure that the school has a clear vision, ethos and strategic direction;

• to hold the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils;

• to oversee the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent. 

Parent governors are welcomed as valued members of the team and play a vital role in ensuring the governing body is aware of the views of parents and the local community. We feel sure that there are parents prepared to take on this important role and give their time and commitment to helping us to continue to improve the school's performance.

In looking to fill this vacancy the governors of the school have identified the following skills, experience and attributes that they feel would help strengthen the governing body:

• experience in education and/or curriculum development

• experience in HR

• experience in customer service / hospitality / communications

Training and support will be available to help you develop into the role. This will include in-house mentoring and support as well as access to external governor training. 

If you feel you can help in this capacity please download an application form or contact the school office for a copy of the form, which will need to be completed and returned to the school, care of the Headteacher, by 12.00 noon on Friday 24th May 2019.

The guidelines giving full details about how vacancies are filled can be found on the information for prospective governors on the Hampshire County Council website. You will find video, e-learning and written information on the site and all of these will provide you with further details about the role.

Please note that for the protection of children all governor appointments are subject to an identity check.

If there are more applications than vacancies, we will hold an election and you will be sent a voting paper in due course. You may return the ballot paper either via your child or by post.

Yours sincerely 

Chris Lindsay
Chair of Governors

Leadership arrangements for our school

Dear Parent / Carer,

I am writing to update you on the details and changes to the leadership arrangements for our school from September 2018.

As you are aware, Miss Wood has left us now and has undergone surgery today. We wish her well with her recovery and treatment for her cancer. I want to thank you for all your messages of support I have received and passed on to her.

From the beginning of September 2018 we will have a new Acting Headteacher, Mr Matt Johnson. He is the Headteacher at Stoke Park Junior School and he will be working with us full time from the start of term.

Joining Mr Johnson on the management team will be Mr Paul Davies, the Headteacher at Hambledon Primary. He will be with us two days a week, as an Educational Consultant, helping us with our continued drive to improve teaching and learning.

I am pleased to inform you that Miss Norris has been appointed Acting Deputy Head, and will be taking up her new position effective immediately. Mrs. White who has been Acting Deputy Head this term will return to Winnall at the end of next week. I want to thank her for her support for the school and I also want to thank the parents, staff and governors at Winnall Primary for helping us during this time.

Mrs Horkan has taken the decision to step down from her Assistant Headteacher role and will be concentrating on her Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Designated Safeguarding roles. We are also actively working to bring in support from a Hampshire Leader in SEN from September who will be joining us to support with the improvements to our SEN provision.

Mr Cascarini remains in his position as Assistant Headteacher.

Please join me in welcoming Mr Johnson and Mr Davies to our school, and in congratulating Miss Norris on her new Acting position. I hope you can see that we have assembled a very strong, experienced and capable team to help us accelerate our progress in bringing the school back to being the BEST it can be for our children and our community. The team will be focused on high expectations and high standards in all aspects of school life.

As stated in my previous letter, the recruitment process for a new permanent Headteacher has begun. We expect to be in a position to interview and offer the post to the successful candidate in the Autumn term, with a view to them starting at the beginning of the Spring or Summer term.

Finally, I would like to thank the many parents I managed to meet at the parent’s meetings last week, and all those who have sent their messages of support to staff and governors. We appreciate your time, commitment, support, engagement and positive challenge for the school. It is heartening to know that there is such a strong group of parents who care deeply about the school, the community it serves, want the best for it, and are willing to support and stand up for it.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Lindsay
Chair of Governors

Ofsted inspection - June 2018

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you will be aware, Ofsted inspected the school on the 12-13th June 2018.  They have now published their report which I have attached for your information.  This letter outlines the important messages from that report which will form the basis of the school improvement plan and strategic direction.    

We are pleased that Ofsted have recognised that:

• pupils feel safe and are kept safe by a strong safeguarding culture where staff take robust action to protect the children

• the school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good, pupils are proud of their school, enjoy coming to school and demonstrate respect and care for each other

• our early years provision (Year R) is good, adults take good care of the children, the children enjoy learning and make good progress.

It is also clear from the report that a significant number of improvements have been made since the end of January 2018 when Miss Wood joined the school including:

• more children making more progress than they were and catching up to where they should be

• pupils are now being taught phonics well across early years, key stage 1 and are making rapid progress

• the staff are more positive about the school leadership and the support they are getting, which was not the case before.

However, with an overall judgement of Requires Improvement, the school needs to continue to develop in a number of areas.  We need to continue to drive the improvements already put in place and embed them so that they are consistent across the school.  For example, ensuring that:

• teaching is effective everywhere across the school

• the most able pupils are always challenged to deepen their understanding

• consistent high standards of behaviour are upheld throughout the school

• the teaching of our disadvantaged and Special Educational Needs children is consistently good.

Governors have been and will continue to work closely with the school to achieve the high standards and consistency of approach we expect to see and the children deserve.  I know that the staff are committed to this journey too. 

I must also take this opportunity to share some news with regards to Miss Wood. Unfortunately I need to inform you that she has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.  She is currently awaiting surgery and will then have further treatment.  I am sure you will join me in wishing her all the best, and we will be keeping her in our thoughts in the weeks ahead. 

I understand that as parents and carers, you are as keen as we are to secure continuity of leadership for the school.  To that end I can confirm that:  

• this week the Governors begin the recruitment process for a new permanent headteacher. We expect to be in a position to interview and offer the post to the successful candidate in the Autumn term with a view to them starting at the start of the Spring or Summer term

• we are now working with Hampshire to find a suitable acting head to lead the school until Miss Wood is able to return, or the new headteacher is able to start. I will update you as soon as I have these arrangements confirmed.

We know from the parent survey that many of you care deeply about the school, and that your children are happy and enjoying their time here.  Stanmore Primary School has always been a community with a fighting spirit and a strong commitment to achieving more for our children.  As a governing body we are firmly committed to ensuring that improvements are made where they need to be and you can help us, as always, by supporting our teachers and their efforts to achieve high standards consistently for all pupils.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of this letter or the parent survey then please join us at a meeting at either 9:00am, 2:30pm or 6:00pm on Thursday 5th July 2018 at the school.  These sessions are open to all parents and carers.  Please sign in at the school office in time for your chosen session and you will be shown to the meeting room. I look forward to seeing and speaking to as many of you as possible.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Lindsay
Chair of Governors